by K. A Knight
“Where are they?” I ask, knowing they wouldn’t have let him come alone. They would have been right there with him, ready to fight to the death through a sea of Berserkers to get to me, it’s the thought that got me through it. Seeing them again, holding them.
I watch his eye twitch for only a moment before his face turns blank and cold, but it doesn’t scare me anymore. “Dray,” I growl, stepping into his space, forgetting I am still holding the severed head of Ivar.
“Gone,” he says, clenching his jaw. I blink stupidly; I must have heard him wrong…
“Gone?” I question.
“The city took them, guards stormed The Summit with guns. Took one look at the bloodbath left behind and panicked. We had only just got there. The guards recognised them and took them, not without a fight, but I couldn’t stop them.”
“Why?” I scream in his face, panic exploding in my chest.
He gets in my face, a snarl on his lips. “Because they would have killed me, then I couldn’t have come for you. I’m not fucking sorry; I would have done much worse to get here. Even if it means you hate me.” I can see the truth in his eyes, he’s not sorry. He let them take them, didn’t even fight it, because he knew they would kill him and he wanted to save me.
“I didn’t need you to save me,” I point out numbly, my whole body frozen.
“I can see that, never doubted you,” he says, losing the snarl. His eyes are cold still and glittering with something, something that should scare me, but I feel anything but at the moment. Let them come, let them try, I will kill them all. “We will get them back,” he promises, the threat clear.
I nod, a plan forming. “We will, but we will need an army.” I grin grimly at him and he cocks his eyebrow, waiting for whatever I will do. With that look, he promises he will stand by me, and I nod back. Turning to face the amassed Seekers and Berserkers, I see some have taken my threat seriously and have left, the others are waiting, searching for leadership.
“They came to the north, they invaded our lands, they broke the treaty and they took our people!” I scream, the crowd cheers, raising their weapons, delight and anger staring back at me from every face. They are raring for a fight and I am going to give them one. “We will make them pay. We will head south and we will decimate the cities.”
There is only one thing left to do… The Berserkers must have a leader, and only one thing will remind them of the pain and blood I shed to get that. Lifting Ivar’s head dramatically, the room goes silent, anticipation thrumming through them. Half have waited a long time for a new leader, the other half have never dared even dream about it, but one thing is for sure, I need them and they need me.
I let go slightly and Ivar’s head drops to the floor with a splatter before rolling down the steps and landing at the feet of the assassin––of course that slimy bastard is here. I lift the crown, and uncaring about the blood coating it, lay it on my head. It’s heavy and I hate the feeling, but I jerk my chin up and raise my sword. Chanting starts in the crowd as I run my eyes across them once more. When I face the assassin, he winks before dropping to one knee, respect clear on his face as he mouths one word to me–– ‘Archel.’
I take a deep breath... his name. He gave me his name. With that, the spell is broken, Seekers and Berserkers alike drop to their knees, their head bowed as Dray steps to my side.
Side by side, we face the two clans, a Berserker Queen and a Seeker King. Together, we will teach them the north is not to be messed with––we will make them fear us and regret ever coming here.
The north will win, and blood will flow. If my men have been harmed, then god save them all for what I will do. The clans roar for me, I am no longer just Worth, nor am I Taz… now I am Queen.
Also By K.A Knight
THEIR CHAMPION SERIES
The Wasteland
The Summit
The Cities (Coming 2019)
The Forgotten: A Their Champion Companion Novella (Coming 2019) - turn the page for a sneak peek!
DAWNBREAKER SERIES
Voyage to Ayama
Dreaming of Ayama (Coming 2019)
THE LOST COVEN SERIES
Aurora’s Coven
Aurora’s Betrayal (Coming 2019)
CO-AUTHOR PROJECTS
Circus Save Me
Circus Saves Christmas
One Night Only (Coming February 2019 in the Valentine's Between The Sheets Anthology)
The Wild Interview (Coming 2019)
About the Author
K.A Knight is an indie author trying to get all of the stories and characters out of her head. She loves reading and devours every book she can get her hands on, she also has a worrying caffeine addiction.
She leads her double life in a sleepy English town, where she spends her days at the evil day job and comes home to her fur babies.
Read more at K.A Knights website or join her Facebook Reader Group.
The Forgotten
The Forgotten
A Their Champion Companion Novella
(Coming 2019)
About The Forgotten
The rules of Paradise are simple:
Everyone must work, Everyone must contribute, and If you leave, you may never come back. They have been drilled into us since the world ended and those bunker doors shut.
So why can’t I stop dreaming of more?
With my eighteenth birthday and the selection approaching, I must decide what role I will take within our community. But when I am betrayed by the very people I was brought up to trust and left for dead in The Wasteland this world has become, I decide to leave for good. Decide to leave the only man I’ve ever loved and the only home I’ve ever known.
Everyday will be a fight for survival, but for once in my life, I finally feel free...if only my heart would accept that.
Rules Of Paradise
ALL MUST WORK
ALL MUST CONTRIBUTE
IF YOU LEAVE, YOU MAY NEVER COME BACK
PARADISE IS THE NEW WORLD, TO QUESTION THAT IS TO QUESTION THE LAW.
Just Friends
Sneak Peek from The Forgotten
With a mischievous grin, I spin away from the incoming guards and into the med bay. I should be in class, but I hate water systems. Learning it is so boring. So, I snuck out to come and meet Evan. Looking around his usual place of hiding, my grin stretches when I spot him bent over reading some boring medical book. For as long as we have been friends, he has been trying to convince me to join him in medicine, but it never appealed to me, being locked away down here and dependent on so much. I dream of bigger things, things he tells me to keep quiet. The type of things that make him roll his eyes and get that look on his face that reminds me of the age gap between us. Three years isn’t a lot, but down here it probably feels like a lifetime.
He is so structured and ruled, liking his own peace and quiet and the boringness of everyday. Whereas I am the total opposite, he tells me I have my head in the clouds dreaming of a world that doesn’t exist, but how can he not want to know what’s outside? To see for himself, explore. The world might have died, but I am betting the human race survived, it’s just who we are. I asked him once why he hung around me if he thought my dreams were stupid, he told me my hope was the light in the grey. I never asked again.
Rolling my eyes when he doesn’t even turn around to see who it is, I decide to sneak up on him. That’s the one thing I have going for me, I am quiet when I need to be, a trait hard earned from sneaking around down here. When I am close enough to smell his mint body wash, I lean down close to his ear. “Boo!”
He jumps, fumbling with his book and letting out a girly scream that sends me into hysterics. Falling back to lean on the medical bed I watch him through tear filled eyes. He turns to me, his short sweepy messy brown hair moving with him as his emerald green eyes lock on mine with anger. “Damn it Pip, you scared the shit out of me!”
Groaning at the nickname, I hop up on the bed and stare at him with my innocent smile. It makes him
grunt as he bends down to pick up the book, which has to be thicker than both of his arms put together and that is saying something because Evan is shredded. I don’t know why, it’s not like he has to fight or go on patrol but he likes to keep fit.
His wide muscly arms are covered in half-finished tribal sleeves on each arm, and the ink continues up over his chest and around his neck. His eyebrow piercing glints in the light and I freeze when I spot the new addition to his lip. He has his usual black army boots on, tucked into black cargo pants, his white t-shirt sticks to his chest and I have to wipe my mouth to check for drool. Not that he would notice, I don’t think he even knows I am a girl.
Evan and I grew up in the same section of Paradise, the orphanage, which was basically a forgotten room cleared for him and me. My parents were patrollers who were killed out there, something that was explained to me in excruciating detail to try and squish the longing I have to see the outside world growing in my chest. Evan’s mum and dad left Paradise so long ago I can barely remember them, they told him they would carve out a better life for him out there. That it was wrong living down here, just surviving, they wanted to live.
So they left, faced the Wastes even though they knew they might never come back. All he has left of them is the rose tattoos covering the back of each hand, a promise that they will come back for him. They never did. I guess our screwed up past made us fast friends. I was new to the orphanage section, which was basically a massive room with beds shoved so close together you can almost touch. Only one bathroom is attached, so a hovel. A place to leave the kids that don’t matter, but Evan sure proved them wrong. I knew he would. Ever since he was young, he wanted to be a doctor, to help people. I never understood why, it’s not like he’s a people person, but all he would say is that he did it for the people he loved, whatever that meant. Anyway, we have been inseparable ever since. Only, we both grew up. My feelings for him turned deeper, and I started noticing things a best friend shouldn’t. But to him, I will always be Pip, the little girl he used to sing and cuddle to sleep when she cried for her dead parents. Shaking my head and the depressing thoughts away I point at his lip.
“New?”
He dusts off the book before setting it gently down on the workstation behind him and swivelling to face me. “Yeah, I was bored last night and decided to see if I could.”
I giggle at that, I asked him to pierce my ears once and I have never seen such outrage in somebody’s eyes before he snatched away his gun and walked away like Misty was chasing him.
Swinging my legs back and forth on the bed I look at the floor. My long brown hair falls into my face and with a puff I blow it away. Freezing, I hold my breath as a tattooed hand appears in front of my face. With the utmost care, Evan brushes away my hair and puts it behind my ear, smiling at me softly. I return it as his hand lingers against my cheek. Gulping, I beg myself not to lean into his touch. His green eyes change and my heart stutters as I see desire burning in them, but as quick as it came, it disappears and he drops his hand and turns away like I am diseased. He has been doing that a lot lately.
Gritting my teeth, I twist my mum’s wedding ring on my finger nervously. “So, what we doing today Doc? Dissecting cannibals, stitching patrols who shot themselves in the foot?”
Without looking at me he turns on his computer and wiggles the mouse. “Nope, you are going to class.”
Groaning, I fall back dramatically on the bed and stare at the boring white ceiling, just like every other ceiling down here. “C’mon Evvie, don’t be so boring. I only have three months left and we both know I am not going into the water systems engineering.” I shiver at the last, seriously? Who would pick cleaning out shit as their job for the rest of their lives?
“Exactly Piper, so stop being such a brat and just go to your classes and stop bugging me at work,” he snaps and I sit bolt upright glaring at his hunched form. Brat? Bugging? Ugh, Mr. Mardy is obviously in one of his lovely moods today.
Hopping down from the bed I throw a glare at him as I talk, which can I just say is lost on him...it was a good glare too. All narrowed eyed with deep intensity, boy would have shit a brick but sadly he remains staring intently at his scans ignoring my strop. “Sorry for bothering you with my bratty ways your dickness,” I say before turning to leave.
“Dickness, really?” he calls and I glance over my shoulder to see he hasn’t even looked away from the screen, even if I can hear the smile in his voice. What a cum bucket.
“Yep, it’s like your highness ‘cos you are super stuck up, but also a dick. So dickness, maybe you should get that tattooed on you next,” I fume, spinning around again.
“Where are you going Pip?” he asks and I don’t stop this time, unwilling to let him see the hurt in my expression. He has been pushing me away more and more, and it doesn’t get any easier.
“To hang out with someone who actually appreciates me and doesn’t treat me like I am shit on the bottom of his shoe.” Stomping out the door I hear him swear as he tries to come after me, it makes me smile a little. We can never stay mad at each other long, and sometimes it takes me spelling it out for him to realise what he has done.
“Come on, Pip. I didn’t mean—oh hello General Kertol.” I spin and see the Paradise guard’s general standing with his arms behind his back and his expectant expression on his hard is face, which is swinging between me and Evan before he ignores me completely and turns to face Evan.
“Doctor Sencal, we need your assistance.”
“Of course general. I will be right there,” Evan says smoothly.
With a nod the general walks away, not even uttering a hello at me. I flip him the bird with both hands, immature but it makes me feel better. I look at Evan to see him glaring at me even as his lips twitch.
“We can carry on this argument later Pip.”
Huffing, I turn around. “Sure, whatever you say your royal dickness.”
Happy I got the last word, I flounce away in search of something fun to do, screw Evan and his attitude. I can’t keep letting him get to me, and one of these days he will push too hard or say something he can’t take back.
I groan as Todd fumbles against my chest, his clumsy hands looking for my breasts as he kisses me without breathing. Okay, so he’s not the best kisser, or the smartest semen in the stream, but he sure is good looking and he does take my mind off Evan for a little bit. Plus, he sure can wear that guard uniform. Turning my head to the side, I roll my eyes as he pants into my neck and moans like a porn star. Really dude, I haven’t even touched his junk and he sounds like he is going to explode like a shaken can of coke.
Looking around him while he fondles my breast and dry humps me like a dog on speed, I soon get bored. The room we are in is—you guessed it—all white! Gasp! It was probably a water storage plant at one point, but they never use it anymore and all the teenagers sneak down here to hang out. I am regretting that decision as Todd, the numbnuts of Paradise, dribbles down my neck. Okay, time to go.
“Todd, I have a meeting with my selection adviser,” I say and push him away. He groans and moves back, looking disappointed.
“Fine, you want to meet later?” he asks hopefully, cupping his crotch as if I couldn’t understand the implication.
“We’ll see.” Reaching down I grab my jacket and leave before he can corner me.
Sauntering to the classroom where I am supposed to meet the uptight adviser, I just turn a corner when I freeze in shock. My heart stops and I feel like I might faint. They don’t notice me, too busy feeling each other up in the corridor, but I can see from the tattooed hands and arms who it is. Evan and some skank. He leans his head back against the wall and stops her with one hand, but I have seen enough. Spinning so they don’t see me I flee, the tears start to fall. It’s stupid and only makes me angrier at myself. I mean I was just doing the same thing, but Evan doesn’t fuck around. Never has, hell I’ve never even seen him with a woman. Something about him always being too busy. He must care about her. The thou
ght stops me, and I lean against the wall before sliding down to sit on my arse. All my hopes and stupid dreams of him finally noticing me and giving us a go evaporate. God, I am so stupid. Of course he would never notice me.
I sit there for a while, throwing myself a pity party before I wipe my eyes and drag myself to my feet. Fuck him, I have survived a lot in this bloody life, I can survive losing him to.
The thought drives me, but it also makes me realise I have been waiting. Just lingering like I knew something was coming, tugging on his doctor’s coat the whole time like a child with a comfort blanket. Never making a real decision for myself. Well fuck that, it’s time I decided how I imagine my future. I just hope I can be grown up enough to keep him in it, just as a friend.
