Chapter 30
THIRTY
SLOAN
“They’re not going to take you alive, and if they do, you’ll wish you were dead.”
Despite the number gathered, the room was as silent as a tomb.
Sloan understood she wasn’t doing anyone any favors by sugarcoating the truth. They needed to know what they were up against. At the very least, they needed to be informed of what was about to descend upon them.
Sloan’s eyes made contact with every town representative in Kimberly’s office.
There were business owners, heads of family, and even a few elected officials.
These people weren’t fighters, and in Sloan’s opinion, they needed to run.
But this wasn’t something she could come out and tell them; they had to decide for themselves.
“And you know all of this because you were in the queen’s army up until a few days ago?” The voice came from a tall, thin man who reminded Sloan of Elijah Ahab. He had a bad comb-over and suspenders that held up his pants.
“That’s right.” Sloan met the man’s stare head-on.
“I was a captain in her army until I found out what her true purpose was for laying her locomotive tracks. She wants to invade the Outland and bring every city under her rule from Term to Azra. But that’s not the most pressing thing right now.
If Kimberly’s intel is right, then the queen knows what happened to her men here.
She’ll unleash a new kind of super soldier on you.
With their enhanced speed, they’ll be here tomorrow night. ”
A ripple of murmurs passed through those gathered. Kimberly’s office used as a meeting room held the gathered occupants, but it was standing room only. Those who did murmur were close enough for Sloan to hear their words of doubt.
“Can we trust her?”
“How is she so sure of when they will come?”
“Enhanced soldiers?”
“Listen.” Sloan’s voice filled the room again.
“I have no reason to lie to you. Frankly, I don’t even have a personal tie to Term, besides that I was fooled by the queen for far too long and now I owe her a taste of her own medicine.
I’m going to be here when she sends in her first wave of super soldiers, and I strongly advise you to leave Term.
We may be able to hold off the first wave, but trying to wage a war against New Hope at this point wouldn’t be smart. ”
“What she’s saying is true.” Kimberly stood next to Sloan.
A full foot taller than anyone else in the room, she dwarfed her guests.
“The queen does have these advanced fighters. I’ve gotten reports of them, and I was able to fight one in the ring last night before we were interrupted by the rest of queen’s soldiers. ”
There it was. If the people gathered hadn’t put two and two together yet, they sure knew what was going on now. All eyes in the room immediately fixated on Sloan. Everyone judged her based on their own predisposed assumptions.
Sloan hated the idea of having to stand there while others made the decision. She was used to leading and being obeyed, but a lot had changed. Now, she was at the mercy of strangers as they debated amongst themselves.
“If you don’t mind”—Kimberly leaned down to whisper into Sloan’s ear—“I think the final decision should be made by the people of Term.”
“I can take a hint.” Sloan crossed the room and left through the large wooden door.
She had done her part. Whether the citizens of Term decided to leave or stay was on them. Sloan was reminded of the redundant saying she had heard years before and since then had taken to heart. She could only control those things she could control.
What she needed to focus on now was finding her mage sword taken from her by Kimberly’s men the night before.
After that, she needed to scout the outskirts of Term.
She understood New Hope’s battle strategy; heck, she had written half the book on it herself.
She would need every advantage she could get.
“How did it go?”
Sloan was making her way down the stairs when she was caught off guard by Ashley Brookhaven’s question. Was she still going by Ashley, or was it Brenda now?
The woman sat on one of the long couches. Her favored weapon, the two-handed mage sword, was out in front of her. She was staring into the steel’s shiny, mirror-like surface.
“We’re asking a lot of them, whether they decide to stay or go.” Sloan landed on the bottom step. “The last thing I want to see is them getting slaughtered by the force the queen will send.”
“It can never be simple.” Ashley drummed her fingers across the flat side of her blade. “I just came out of a meeting with Edison and that little gnome of his. I think they took enough blood to fill a pitcher.”
“No results yet?” Sloan guessed.
“Nothing I don’t already know. I don’t have a heartbeat. Whatever was used to resurrect me wasn’t science-based. I doubt Edison will find anything helpful despite how much Aareth wants him to.”
Sloan waited for Ashley to say more, but she didn’t. The woman’s shoulder-length brown hair fell over her face, obscuring her expression.
“Do you ever feel like you should want one thing or another, but you just don’t, maybe can’t?
” Ashley asked, still looking down at her sword rather than at Sloan.
“Aareth says we had this amazing life together, and part of me wants to believe it. There’s an itch in the back of my mind that can even almost remember, but every time I try to grab onto it, it escapes through my grasp.
I might as well be trying to catch the morning mist in my palm. ”
Sloan took a seat next to Ashley on the couch. The woman still didn’t look up. It was as if she were mesmerized by her own reflection in the sword, or maybe she just wasn’t used to talking about the way she felt.
That was fine for Sloan. Among the many things she hated discussing were the weather, politics, and her own feelings. But right now, the moment just felt right.
“I don’t know if I can say I know exactly how you feel,” Sloan started, finding her own gaze on the far wall, where a stack of weapons lay piled.
A pile of weapons that included her own sword.
“But tonight, I know what I should do. I know what I want to do, but it’s just not in my nature.
I hurt someone tonight and I don’t even know how it happened.
Things were moving so quickly, I don’t even want to feel responsible for it but I know I should. ”
“Look at us.” Ashley finally raised her gaze from her sword, an empty smile on her lips. “A heartless woman and a super soldier sharing their innermost thoughts. Is this what normal women do?”
Sloan shrugged. She stood up from her seat and made her way to the pile of weapons.
Her own sword was on top, the slightly curved blade with the pommel that guarded her hand.
Her saber that she had killed dozens of men and women with.
“I don’t know what normal women do. I’ve never been one.
I’m going to go take a look at the town’s perimeter, though if you want to come, I?—”
The barely audible chatter that could be heard from the upstairs meeting, died. A door opened somewhere above. Heavy footfalls could be heard pounding down the steps. Kimberly’s strong grey frame appeared a moment later.
“They’ve voted.” The gargoyle looked seriously at both women. “They’re going to leave Term. The exodus is going to take some time. They’ll need volunteers to hold off the vampire soldiers when they get here.”
Sloan exchanged knowing glances with Ashley. Both women stood ready with their blades.