Ash Princess (The Deviant Future #6) - Eve Langlais Page 0,71
the outside. At her glance, he shrugged. “He has a wife.”
“Who is also a soldier. And probably angry given we stole her uniform.”
“What can I say? I can be sentimental.”
“It might come back to bite us,” she noted.
“Then you can say ‘I told you so.’” Let her think he couldn’t bring himself to kill someone unconscious. His reason was more mercenary. He might need to question the soldier later.
“Now where?” she asked.
“What’s the elevator doing?”
“It went down to the last accessible floor.”
“Meaning they’re sending a sweep up the stairwell.
“So what should we do?”
“Take the ride back up. Signal for it.”
She did as told, and pressed the button, only then asking, “Won’t they notice?”
“They’ll think it’s Markus or his friend most likely.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Hide behind me. I handle bullets better than you.”
“Cam!” she exclaimed. “I am not using you as a shield.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. He dragged her in and jabbed the doors closed. Maybe nobody would notice the stutter in its ascent.
“Promise me you won’t sacrifice yourself for me,” she pled.
No time to reply as the elevator hit the first floor. To his surprise, there was no one there.
The crates had been knocked over to lie on the floor, giving him a clear line of sight. Obviously, the countess had been worried they were hiding among the stacks. He noticed the spool at the far end thick with chain.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
He looked up.
“Why would they be outside?”
“Because they know it’s the only escape.”
Her lips flattened. “They’re trying to hem us in.” Her gaze went from the stairs going up to the ruined tower and then the corner with the leash for the dragon. “They’re afraid of the drake.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“What if it hates them more than it hates us?” she mused.
“What are you saying?”
“When we go up those stairs, we run for the dragon.”
“So your plan is to get eaten by the dragon rather than get captured again? I don’t think I like your plan,” he drawled.
“I don’t think the drake will eat us.”
“Don’t think?”
“Trust me,” she said.
He thought of Gellie and that moment where Kayda and the drake looked at each other and an understanding passed through them. “I hope you’re right about this, Kay.” Or they would both end up as the bits of meat stuck in a dragon’s teeth.
Chapter 16
The plan was insane. Kayda knew it, Cam knew it, and yet, what choice did they have? The trap overhead required action that didn’t involve using him as a body shield.
Given the countess’s interest in them, Kayda was counting on the fact she wanted them alive. Kayda at least. As for Cam, she could only hope they wouldn’t hurt him too badly and that he meant it about healing from just about anything. Still, if they could avoid getting shot...
As she stood at the bottom of the stairs, trepidation had her trembling.
“What are we doing, Kay? Stand here and fight, or are we taking it outside? We need to decide. The soldiers will be making it to this floor anytime now.”
Why did she always have to make the decisions? She grimaced. “I don’t know which is better.”
“What’s your gut say?”
She respected the fact he didn’t try to sway her one way or another by stating what he thought. It shouldn’t have stunned her to know he’d support her either way, that he’d be wherever she needed him.
It was up to her to figure out which way harmed him the least. Standing their ground to face whoever came up the stairs meant no enemies at their backs for when they dealt with those outside. She glanced at the ceiling then the area toward the elevators. “We don’t want to get pinched.”
“I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t mind at all if you pinched me.” He winked as he moved away from her. “Take cover.”
“I don’t hide.” She rolled her eyes.
“It would have been rude of me not to offer.”
She snorted. “Because I’m a girl?”
“Because I’m expendable.” He said it so low, as he stepped away, she almost didn’t hear it.
How could he think he wasn’t important? He was damned important to her.
Which was why she stepped to his side, looked up at him, and said, “Don’t you dare die.”
“I’ll try not to,” was his wry reply.
“Keep up that tone and I’ll shoot you myself,” she muttered.
He chuckled. The elevator stopped, and the doors began to slide. His warning was a low, unnecessary rumble, “Here they come.”