Ash Princess (The Deviant Future #6) - Eve Langlais Page 0,56
it. Only to freeze as the barrel of a gun poked her in the head and a voice said, “Drop it.”
The crossbow hit the ground.
“Hands up where I can see them.”
She raised them just as Cam finished the fight with the soldier.
The one with the gun aimed at her yelled, “On your knees, fingers laced behind your head, or she dies!”
Cam turned, panting with exertion. His body adrenalized. A man ready to fight.
But not at the cost of her life.
He hit the ground as ordered and grumbled, “I surrender.”
Chapter 13
Giving up didn’t come easily to Cam. If it were just him, he’d have fought despite the odds. If it had been Casey at his side, he’d have trusted his sister to find a shadow to hide in and help. But the soldier held a gun to Kayda’s head. Threatened his ash princess.
No way was he risking her life.
The knife in his hand clattered as he dropped it. His pistol had already been discarded, having run out of ammo. A lack of weapons didn’t make him harmless, but he let them think he was defeated as he hit the ground hard on his knees. Even laced his fingers behind his head. As he obeyed, he observed everything he could, from the way the soldiers held their weapons to the way their eyes kept darting to the dragon. He wondered how many more troops were stationed here. It seemed they’d not all left on the transport. The scuff of steps and creak of equipment let him know at least two people approached from his rear. Three in total with the one pointing the gun at Kayda’s head. Any more inside?
Fear widened Kayda’s eyes. Understandable, given the situation.
More interesting, anger pursed her lips. She’d expected a fight with dragons, maybe even ghouls or other monsters. She’d not counted on humans being her biggest enemy. Cam knew better than most how depraved his kind could be.
What interested him was, why were there Ruby soldiers using this tower? Why and how had they managed to chain a dragon?
“Who are you working for?” Cam asked.
“Quiet,” the soldier barked.
The man was outfitted head to toe in crimson gear, with the boots being a deep burnished burgundy. He’d eschewed the helmet some of the others from the ship wore, meaning Cam could see his fine features. The almost translucent hair and skin, the short cut showing off the pointed tips of the ears. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he was looking at a Diamond citizen.
The guy shoved Kayda. “Keep your hands where I can see them and join your friend.”
She stumbled toward Cam, hands lifted from her side.
Had asshole seriously just shoved her? Should he go on the attack or wait? The guy in front held a weapon. The ones at his back would be armed, too. The element of surprise might be on his side if he moved fast. He could easily handle a bullet or two so long as he had the use of his hands for hurting people.
If it was just him, he pegged his chance of success at seventy percent. Decent odds for him, but Kayda…he needed to get her out of the path of harm first.
As she neared him, her gaze roved, and her brow creased as she took note of his recent injuries.
“I’ll be fine. It’s only a flesh wound,” he reassured.
Apparently, the wrong thing to say, as a soldier behind smacked him with the butt of his weapon and snapped, “Quiet. Are we shooting them in the knees before we feed them to the dragon?” The question was directed at the fellow with the pointed ears.
“It was already fed today. No point in wasting meat. Or would you rather go ghoul hunting again?”
At Cam’s side, Kayda stared at the man. “I know you,” she said. “You’re a Diamond citizen.”
“It’s been a long time, princess.”
Kayda’s lip curled. “Not long enough, given you’ve chosen to betray your people.”
“It’s called surviving,” the man corrected. “And that’s ‘sir’ to you.”
“I think I’ll stick to calling you traitor.” The stiff reply made the soldiers at their backs snicker.
“I don’t think she respects your authority, Jude.”
“Shut the fuck up, Markus,” Jude the traitor snarled.
“What are you doing here?” Kayda asked. “Why are you in a Ruby uniform?”
The traitor smirked. “As if I’m going to tell you. You should have stayed hiding in your graveyard.”
“Uh-oh,” Cam muttered as he and the princess grasped the import of the man’s words.