by Erin R Flynn
“Yes, My Princess,” he chuckled, shutting off the SUV but leaving the liftgate up.
I ended up sitting on the bumper as we waited, figuring the guy didn’t just hang around in case they got visitors. Apparently, I was wrong as he was there not a minute later. Well, he probably didn’t wait for visitors, but he was at the ready for anything or they had warned him in advance.
“Who’s in charge?” the one who was clearly the leader of the new guys asked, this Chris probably.
I raised my hand as I stood. “But I’m just a little young thing like your guys said, so I brought a penis with me you might listen to.”
“Thanks,” James drawled. “Admiral James Begley, United States Navy.”
“Stationed where?” Chris asked.
The next several minutes were spent back and forth of who, what, where, and when, testing each other after Chris gave his name and rank. From what I was getting from James, he was buying Chris’s background. The guy had been stationed at the Air Force base in San Antonio and had gotten out before the bombs with key government people.
That was fairly vague, but okay then. I wouldn’t have told us the details either.
“So we’re good? You guys sniffed each other’s asses enough?” I checked when they seemed to settle with it.
“Yes, but we still don’t let outsiders in,” Chris answered, sounding amused. “And I don’t know your name.”
“Inez. That’s cool, we’ve got a place,” I told him. “We’re rebuilding at the four corners. The reservations were signed over to me and some more. Not sure who would contest it in court, but it’s legal I guess.” I shrugged. “We had some people stuck at Fort Knox and those people be crazy it seems.”
“We’ve heard the same,” Chris admitted. “We’ve also seen a substantial decrease in wandering packs of corrupted.”
“That’s us,” I confirmed. “We’ve been leading them to LA and Denver and using the jets and big weapons to get them.”
“Right, that’s a good plan if you have a lure,” he muttered. “One of you just stands there and let’s them use you for dinner?”
“No, but they hit hospitals when they were empty,” I reminded him.
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re leaving blood for them to hunt?”
“Something like that,” I said, waving him off when he went to ask again. “Dude, we’re not telling you all our shit either. We’re not friends.”
“I’d like to be friends with you,” one of the guys chuckled, a few whistling as well.
I ignored it and focused on Chris. “We’re not trying to come in or cramp your style. We just want to be smarter than the idiots who annoy us and hope you’re not fucking crazy like Fort Knox guys.”
“So what are you asking for then?” he pushed.
“You cool if we clear out New Orleans and some of our friends set up there? That’s far enough away to not be your turf, right? We’ve not raided in Texas and we won’t. We do want to use Houston like we do LA and Denver. We’d prefer you not shoot down the planes if we do.”
“What about giving us electricity too?” someone called out.
“Shut it,” Chris warned, but gave me a look like he wanted the answer too.
I sighed. “We’ve been in touch with a few settlements, but we haven’t been that friendly yet. I have some issues with how most of the settlements treat women, having had to fight my way out of being chained up to make babies and one trying to make me a sex slave. So we really didn’t come to get all in your business, but to sort of make it clear we’re staying out of Texas and stay out of our turf, but…”
“If you’re giving power and helping, you don’t want to help assholes,” he finished for me, wincing when I nodded. “No one’s being forced, that’s for damn sure, but I can’t control people’s beliefs, nor should I. If people want to preach, let them preach as they help the community. We have over a million people here and we keep everyone safe, not sane.”
“That’s fair, but I don’t think I’m the type of girl to give electricity on the first date,” I replied. “And giving it for free would be stupid as that would lead someone to come up to our turf and try to take things after we kill all the corrupted. Let me be clear—that would be stupid. We can be peaceful neighbors, maybe even friendly ones, but we’re not open to strangers any more than you are.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed.
“But as a sign of good faith and an understanding between leaders, I will give you an electric semi with solar array for you to use to raid San Antonio or anywhere in Texas. Call it payment for being on your turf in Houston, even if it’s for killing corrupted.”
“Mexico you can raid later, but we’re leading the corrupted up to LA a bit at a time from there and will eventually start getting them out of South America that way,” James added. “It’s easier than flying the jets further to where we don’t know who’s got what trying to shoot us down.”
“So you’re clearing all of North America?” Chris asked, sounding like he wasn’t buying it.
“We’re working on it, but we’re being smart about it so we don’t lose any more people,” I answered, not ready to show our full hand. “Are we good? You cool with this?”
“Yeah, we’re cool with this,” he promised. “Is San Antonio cleared?”
I blew a raspberry and looked at Kristof. “Is it?”
“Not yet,” he answered. “We stopped after El Paso since we didn’t want to risk your crazy if you were crazy. We’ve been pulling them from Mexico south from here, but starting Monday, we’ll be getting all of the corrupted in Texas to Houston in groups we can handle. If you’d like, we’ll tell you when it’s done, but El Paso is cleared now.”
“That’s too far of a trip to risk if the surrounding area isn’t cleared,” I argued. I gave Chris a serious look. “You know no matter how many we clear out that there could always still be that random stray that got locked in a closet or whatever. We’re not getting blamed for that or if people just pretend everything’s fine now.”
He nodded. “Got it. It’s still a huge help and so is the truck.”
“Cool, well, nice to meet you. Glad we took the time to say hi and we’ll be in touch soon. I gotta see who can drive down a truck. I hope it goes without saying not to shoot them.”
One of the other guys on his side snorted and I just shrugged. Hey, they had greeted us with a lot of guns, so it sounded like a valid concern.
“So does this peaceful and maybe friendly relationship include an invite to see your settlement and what you’re building?” Chris asked, obviously getting there was more to us than he was seeing.
I gasped. “Invite a man home after a first date? Chris, I’m truly insulted.” I chuckled, not even able to keep up the ruse.
“She’s more the type to shoot you if you misbehave,” Darius told him.
“Is that so?”
I shrugged. “He scared the shit out of me and I had guys chasing me since I was on my own. I mostly stick to killing corrupted, but now and again, I’ve had to protect myself.” I turned my head towards Darius but didn’t meet his eyes. “I did apologize.”
“And it’s long forgiven but I still love that story.”
I nodded I heard him, focusing on Chris again. “There is something you’ll need if we ever take this relationship from peaceful to friendly.”
“What’s that?”
“An open mind, Chris. It’s the apocalypse and nothing will be as it was and that’s not always a bad thing,” I told him with a wink.
“You’re always such trouble, sexy bite,” James sighed, reaching over and swinging me up into his arms and then over his shoulder. “I caught her. She’s mine for a while.”
I punched him in the gut while kicking where his kidney should have been while flipping my other leg over and down so I basically used his shoulder and arm as my slide down. I smirked at him as he groaned and held his stomach.
“No making me seem like a puppet boss in front of the neighbors.
”
“I know, I just wanted to get grounded too,” he explained, several people growling.
“I already said I had stuff with the in-laws.”
“And just whose family are your in laws?” Chris called over. “As several of you wear matching rings.”
I glanced over at him with my “cheeky grin” as Cerdic called it. “I love a perceptive man.” I held up my right hand. “Security.” Then I held up my left. “Husbands. After this weekend, I’ll have four if it all goes to plan.”
“It will if I have to bloody anyone who gets in the way of becoming yours forever,” Kristof grumbled. “I suggest you accept that if you want to become friends as you’ll most likely be dealing with her husbands.”
“And we don’t like people being demanding of our wife,” Jaxon added. “So no offense, we’re not against being friends, but if you want our help, you better figure out what you bring to the table.”
“We could always use more wheat and no one’s started with corn, right?” I offered, glancing between them. “That one grain makes animal feed, and molasses is from here and peanuts.” I rolled my eyes when I received several amused looks. “Hey, I might not have the penis so they listen to me, but I can read and look things up. Texas was a big player in farming.”
“Trading with you guys wouldn’t be off the table if it was safe and we could do it easier,” Chris interjected.
I nodded, glancing between the others. “Anything else?”
“Your bobcat population has exploded,” Cerdic answered. “They’re wiping out your deer population along with the surviving farm animals around Laredo. I’d be willing to handle it if you have someone who can tan those hides.”
“Cats?” I muttered, giving him a worried look. “I like the wolf ones but—”
“We know others who would trade for them,” he reminded me.
“We can handle that. We could use the meat,” Chris told us. “How are you going to take care of that?”
“Mate, your mind is nowhere near that open yet,” Cerdic chuckled before turning back to me. “Let’s not keep Mother waiting. She’s going to be pissed enough as is.”
“She should get in line,” I drawled, giving Chris and his guys a wave before we all started loading up. Yeah, I wasn’t any happier about the turn of events.
Not. At. All.
3
“Glad you had a safe flight,” I said to Nora as we hugged.
“It was rather luxurious,” she promised. “Thank you for the invitation. It will be nice to have another break from the apocalypse.”
I nodded, going over to Matilda and greeting her the same way before Hanna.
“Did you receive our gifts?” Matilda asked.
“Not yet.” I turned to the other princess there, smiling in a way I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “Just the one from Olivia so far.” I pulled back my fist and punched her in the face, startling all of the guests. “It was going to be a bitch slap, and I was going to give you the option of it happening in private, but now it’s a public punch.”
“Why?” Matilda bit out, angry, but I wasn’t sure how much of it was at me.
“Oh, come and see,” I chuckled, smirking at Olivia. “It must be exhausting to always think you’re the smartest person no matter who you are around. I hope you get some well needed rest during your visit.”
I went over to Kristof and he grabbed me, blurring us to the castle, the others following.
“Well done, Darius,” Nora muttered as they took in the shining glory that was my castle.
“Thank you, Princess,” Darius replied humbly. “It was all for my princess and our coven, a labor of love.”
I swallowed a flinch and continued towards where we needed to go. “Since we don’t have full security in place nor the whole coven built yet, you’ll have to forgive your accommodations. You and your nobles may stay in the guest rooms, but we’re a bit leery of any more than that staying in the castle overnight. We’ve arranged luxury trailers for the rest of your courts or coven. Olivia as well.”
“Silence,” Matilda hissed, and it took me a moment to realize she was speaking to Olivia who had opened her mouth to say something.
I would think it less than flattering to me.
“Ah, here we are,” I chirped as we reached the dungeon below the castle. “I expected no less of a present from you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re accusing me of, but this is a highly unorthodox way to treat a noble you’re engaged to,” Olivia answered.
“Oh, that’s not me,” Cerdic chuckled from the corner of the dungeon. He gave me a confused look. “Why do you accuse Olivia? Ceawlin is more than able to have come up with this stunt on his own.”
“I’m sure, but he said something that gave him away.” I smirked at Ceawlin. “I’m wondrous, so sweet and kind, right?” I tapped my chin. “Now where have I heard that oddly exact phrase from?” I snapped my fingers and turned to Kristof who had already figured it out.
“Olivia said it when I visited their coven,” he confirmed. “She didn’t mean it, but I’m sure she told him that when—”
A timer went off and Trisha leaned over, swiping a phone and restarting it before picking up a nail gun and shooting Ceawlin in the leg once. “We’re interrogating him. A new nail every five minutes.”
“The bloody fuck you are,” Ceawlin growled. “You’ve not asked me one thing and you shoot me if I say anything.”
“No, I shoot you if you say anything rude,” Trisha corrected.
“And you know what questions we’d ask, love,” I mocked him. “Sorry you weren’t smart enough to figure it out when I immediately foiled your plot.” I winked at Olivia. “I figured it out and stabbed him before he even touched me. As I said, it must be exhausting always thinking you’re the smartest person anywhere.”
“That’s a rather large jump from one commonly used phrase about you,” Olivia shot right back, clearly not taking this lying down.
Good, it wouldn’t be any fun if she did.
I nodded glancing back at Ceawlin. “Did she tell you how sick she got from screwing with me? A bit of underhanded and ill-thought-out plans to screw me over, and in time, she became a shell of the woman before you.” I chuckled when shock flashed in his eyes. “I thought not. Didn’t you think it odd she wouldn’t mess with me again but set it up so you did?”
“I was just having a bit of fun, love,” he tried again.
I took the nail gun from Trisha and shot him twice. “Call me that one more time and I’ll shoot somewhere more painful.” The implication clear as I’d shot his upper thigh. “I am Cerdic’s love. You may look alike, but you are not the same people. You and that slut are shit, dung beetles compared to him. And I will find out if she knows you’re here or—”
“She doesn’t,” he cut in, giving me a worried look. “She doesn’t. I told her I was going to check out some settlements.”
“This whole ‘you guys can’t lie to us’ is such crap,” I grumbled, shaking my head. “Yes, we’re a ‘settlement,’ but that is a huge, gaping hole through that rule.”
“He does speak the truth though,” Vitor told me.
“I do, but she doesn’t,” Ceawlin growled. “No princess, especially not one as young as you, could make Olivia sick right under Mother’s nose.”
“I didn’t say I did it,” I purred. “Didn’t she tell you whose champion I am?”
“No, just you’re a baby, a young princess,” he answered, shooting Olivia an annoyed look. “Young princess” was code for a princess who wasn’t to inherit the coven. “What else didn’t you tell me, baby sister? You said mother loathed her for being a weak, kindhearted fool and—”
“I like Inez very much,” Matilda cut in, seething mad. “Currently better than two of my children. It’s why I specifically asked you not to attend and ruin this for your brother or our family coven.”
Ceawlin couldn’t hide his shock.
“Yeah, I thought so,” I sighed. “No messeng
er reached you with that, huh? Did Olivia tell you that Matilda had to take back over the coven? No, because you didn’t know she was sick.” I chuckled darkly and moved closer to the bars. “You may have won that slut that seduced Cerdic, but your brother, the better twin and man, won the heart of Aether’s champion, so suck on that, you petty asshole.”
Cerdic cleared his throat and slid his arm around my waist, pulling me back. “Let’s not poke the bear, my love. My twin has a rather large temper and doesn’t ever let anything go if he could let Olivia rile him up into coming.”
“I get that, but this is my first and final warning that if either of your siblings pulls this shit again, they are dead.” I smirked between them when they froze, giving me matching wide-eyed looks. “Cerdic doesn’t even speak to either of you. He would grieve and move on eventually, but I will not allow you to keep hurting him. I won’t. He doesn’t deserve this. It’s the mother fucking apocalypse.
“Do you get that? We don’t have time for this petty shit. Oh no, you think Cerdic was loved more. Boo-fucking-hoo, you child. Your crime was way, way worse than any he could have committed and other people liking him better. It’s been centuries. He’s moved past what you did. Grow up.” I looked at Olivia, the hate for me boiling there. “Enough, Olivia.
“What do you really expect to win? You bested me? You’re clearly not smart enough, and that’s not even me gloating. Your ego is in the way of you ever really being half of what you think you are. I’m not going to let these games and crap risk my people. I won’t. Even if it means hurting Cerdic, I would gut you both to take out the threat of your next plan that could blow up.”
“And I stand with her,” Cerdic muttered, kissing my hair. “I agree with her. There is much neither of you know, and you’re both so selfish, you risk too much. Ceawlin, your princess doesn’t even know you’re here. You risked that whole coven if Inez were to retaliate. Olivia, you’re not in charge anymore.” He let out a shaky breath and rubbed his hands over my arm. “Enough.
