Defender: The Divine Courage Trilogy Book 1, page 20
“You didn’t have to—”
“And leave you the only one not to open anythin’? Go on and open it already.”
Larken opened her box slowly, apprehension in her every movement. He wondered what had happened to make her so wary of gifts, but from what he knew of her brother, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had opened a snake or two in her youth. Instead of a snake, she pulled out a fair-sized black box as long as her forearm, and about as thick. Larken set it on the table and smiled sweetly before saying, “Thanks…what is it?”
“Hit the button in the middle”
She did, and a grinding sound filled the room as the box disassembled and morphed into a shape only it knew. Eventually, though, they were all looking at an android that resembled a puppy with floppy ears and a scrunched snout. Larken swallowed loudly and the whites of her eyes went pink.
“The man at the shop said that there was a panel in its chest to customize markings and that you could even order skins to make it more realistic, all hypoaller-whatever of course. Perfect for anyone who wants a pet but doesn’t want to sneeze or clean.”
Larken nodded, and only Soren could see her wrap her arms around her stomach under the table. Her fists were balled so tightly that her knuckles were white, and he thought she might be digging her nails into her palms to keep herself from getting too emotional. In that moment, he wanted to be more like Loxly, to know the right thing to do or say. But he wasn’t, and Soren didn’t have the answers. She was so different from the others, so closed off and abrasive, and yet…
That moment they had just had in her bedroom, he hadn’t thought then or worried about doing the wrong thing. Taking a breath, he forced all of the thoughts out of his mind and slowly reached out his hand. Her skin was cold, and he caressed her knuckles until she loosened her grip, all the while looking at the android. When her fingers were loose enough, he grabbed her hand and she squeezed his tightly.
“Lox said that you were missin’ your mutts back home, and a friend of mine just got one for his boy. Figured they couldn’t force you to get rid of it since it’s technically a machine.”
Larken nodded again, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. Soren shifted his gaze over to Rich to find him already looking his way, that same gleam from earlier in his eyes. Soren fought to keep his hand where it was; his squad member needed him more than his pride needed to be saved.
“Well,” Rich clapped his hands and then stood up, “as nice as it is to see y’all again, I do have an aircraft to catch. Mornin' comes early on the farm, and I still have my ride back.”
They all stood to wish him goodbye, and Larken made her way into the group after taking a moment to collect herself. Rich grinned at her before pulling her into a big hug, just as he had done with Hinlee. He bent his head and whispered something in Larken’s ear, making her smile. Then, when they broke apart, Larken surprised Soren by getting up on her tiptoes and kissing Rich on the cheek.
As Loxly saw his father out, Larken moved to the table and started grabbing plates. Hinlee took the plates out of her hand, saying, “You look exhausted. Go get some rest, we’ll take care of this.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely!”
Larken looked at her, giving her a moment to change her mind. When Hinlee didn’t, Larken gathered up the android and headed to her room. It wasn’t long after that a muffled, steady bass could be heard.
Hinlee set the plates on the table and sighed. She didn’t have to say anything, because Soren understood. They all understood. Larken was one of them now, and her raw emotions clung to them like a heavy humidity. Silently, they all got to work clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen. About the time they finished and were dropping onto the couches, Loxly returned. His eyes were rimmed red and his smile a little too forced. He was always like that after his dad left, but none of them had anything to relate it to. If they had, they would all probably be locked away in their rooms as well.
Loxly dropped onto the couch he usually shared with Larken and sighed deeply, letting his smile fall away. Sinking back into the couch, he asked, “What are we gonna do?”
“We could petition that General Maxwell comes and oversees some basic training lessons. It’s not ideal, but at least they would be able to see each other and work out together again,” Hinlee suggested.
“And how isn’t that ideal?” Loxly wondered.
“Because then we would have to work out with him too,” Brecker answered for her.
“Right…” Loxly stretched the word out, comprehension tainting the idea for him. “We already have you. I’d hate to see what General Maxwell put us through.”
Brecker threw something too small for Soren to make out at Loxly, who chuckled and tossed it back.
“Oh! Maybe you could put her in for a leave of absence?” Hinlee asked Soren.
But it was Levi who said, “If her mother wouldn’t approve his time off to come visit her, what makes you think she’ll let Larken onto the Manor grounds?”
They were all silent for a while, and then Soren pulled out his communicator. No one asked him what he was doing, but they would all find out soon enough. He tapped out a few messages and shuffled a few things around, but then everyone’s communicator went off, alerting them all to the change in their schedule for the following day.
Levi, who was the first to pull his out and see his now empty day, asked, “What, are we going to go kidnap him?”
“No,” Soren answered. “But I do think Loxly needs to make good on the promises he made to me and to Larken.”
CHAPTER 20
Larken rolled an apple between her palms, feeling an awful mix of excitement and nervousness. She had been embarrassed that morning to learn that she was the reason everyone’s schedule had been cleared, but she felt better knowing that gunning was also classified as a team-building exercise. The arena sat on the other side of the base, and they had just finished breakfast. Levi had made a hearty meal of meat and starch, but Larken could only manage a little bit of egg and some fruit. She had brought the apple only to get Loxly to leave her alone, but her stomach still felt too tight to eat it.
Soren had booked the whole day for them and only carved an hour out for lunch and for the crew to reset the arena and do any repairs that might be needed. The night before, everyone had determined teams, Loxly and Soren pitted against each other as captains. Loxly had dug his grave when he promised to get Soren back the week before and to add insult to injury, Larken had been Soren’s first pick as a teammate.
Loxly comically moaned all morning of the injustice of it all, and how it wasn’t right to force soulmates to fight each other. Soren’s jaw had been locked and ticking from the moment Loxly had first opened his mouth. Hinlee and Brecker had explained the rules to her, what was considered fair and what was considered cheating. Like, offering to kiss Loxly to get him out into the open, as Brecker suggested, would be considered cheating. Any hits against him in that situation wouldn’t count and would instead go to her. If Loxly were to get shot in the leg, for example, it would be her gear that would lock up. When she had asked how her gear would know, Levi interrupted to tell her that the surveillance drones had been equipped with a good sportsman software and to stop fraternizing with the enemy.
Larken was pulled from her thoughts of all the ways she could mess up or cause her team to lose by Soren saying, “You better hurry up and eat that. You won’t be able to take it in with you.”
Larken only looked at the apple and picked at the stem.
“Token for your thoughts?” he sighed, sounding only mildly annoyed.
“What if I mess up and we lose?”
“Then we regroup and try again.”
“What if I only mess up, and we lose?”
“Then I’ll kick you out of Squad 19.”
Larken smiled, despite herself.
“If you cost us every round, then you will treat Levi and me to a meal at the Dining Hall. But I doubt it will get to that.”
“Because you didn’t pick me for your team to get a rise out of Loxly.”
“You were trained by General Maxwell; annoying Loxly was just a bonus. So don’t worry about it, just try to have some fun today.”
Soren was ahead of the group before Larken could even look up from her apple. She had to settle for watching the back of his head, and she couldn’t help the small smile that tuned at her lips. Larken wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he was so different from anyone she knew. He was uncomfortable with a lot of things, like Vallen, but that was where the similarities ended. She was reminded yet again of that conversation she had with Loxly when she had first come here. She had compared Soren to one of the hybrids at the Manor, and she was slowly learning that the comparison wasn’t that big of a leap. He was big and scary to anyone who didn’t know him, but to her…
She never ever cried in front of anyone who wasn’t Vallen if she could help it, and somehow, she had found herself in Soren’s arms the day before. The memory of how warm he had been made goosebumps break out on her arms, and the way he had smelled, it was like leather and freshly tilled earth. It was like how a perfect summer’s day smelled, and she was now aware of it whenever they were close. Soren was so different from Dominic, and Larken wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it.
By the time they reached the building that separated the arena from the rest of the base, Larken had managed a full two bites of her apple, but with one look from Soren, she started chomping it down. The tart juice flooded her mouth, and the sensitive skin at her jaw hurt from it. Loxly walked up behind her and muttered, “You finally find your appetite?”
“No,” she said around a mouthful of fruit. “Soren just doesn’t want me to pass out in the arena.”
“You should throw it out then.”
Larken took another large bite. “Why?”
“Because, Little Bird, if you pass out, then I can wake you up with a kiss.”
Larken laughed, then her cheeks started hurting again. She reached up and cupped her right one, glaring at Loxly. His eyes only danced, like he had accomplished what he was hoping to. When the pain subsided, Larken punched him in the arm, and he cried, “Interference! That’s my shootin’ arm!”
“You don’t hear me complaining about punching you with my shooting hand.”
“That’s because you don’t need to be coddled and actually have talent,” Levi said to her left.
Larken laughed again, and Loxly’s jaw dropped in faux astonishment. With his accent thicker than she had ever heard it, he said, “Well, I never…”
“Never what?” Soren asked, joining her and Levi. “Hit your target on the first try?”
“Oh, just you wait,” Loxly purred through a big grin. “Just you wait, Deckard. I’m gonna be aimin’ for you the rest of the day.”
“Aim all you want,” Soren said. “The goal is to hit me.”
Loxly didn’t get a chance to give his retort because Soren and Levi pulled Larken to the door on the left side of the desk that Soren had used to check them in at. Larken dropped her apple core into the trash bin just inside the locker room and then chafed her arms as the cool air hit her. The contrast between the air outside and the locker room was drastic, and she wanted to turn around and go back outside.
“Skies above,” Levi muttered. “Why is it always so cold in here?”
“So you can complain about it,” Soren retorted.
Trying to make herself as small as possible to conserve heat, Larken asked, “So, what do I do?”
Soren opened a locker and pulled out a black jumpsuit that looked to be covered in shiny obsidian scales. He tossed it to her, and she only just caught it. Unzipping the back, Larken got into it as fast as she could, wanting to warm up. Soren and Levi were both pulling theirs on as well, although their scales were a lot less shiny than hers. She wondered how long they had had theirs and was about to ask when Soren walked over to her.
Looking down at her, he murmured, “Turn around.”
She was captivated by his eyes that looked more green than gold in that moment and swallowed thickly. It felt like there was a piece of apple stuck in her throat, so she swallowed again, but it didn’t help. Soren raised a thick eyebrow at her, and she turned, but probably not fast enough for him to miss the blush that heated her face. She could feel the heat of his hands as he placed one on her waist to hold the jumpsuit, and the other that slowly pulled up her zipper. Soren paused when the zipper reached the top, and she felt his breath on her neck as he leaned into her and murmured, “How’s the fit?”
“Good,” she breathed, slowly losing the battle to not be affected by him.
“We’ll rub some dirt on you outside so you don’t shine so much.”
Larken stepped away quickly, nodding. She looked up in time to see Levi watching her with a raised eyebrow, and she blushed hotly. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. Larken could read what he was thinking on his face.
“Alright, team,” Soren said, all business, his arms crossed. “We’re up against a sharpshooter who will probably hide in the trees, a mechanic who will be hanging around Loxly’s hiding place to alert him of our movements, and a scouter who will probably waste no time rushing our side of the arena to take out as many of us as he can. So, any ideas?”
“You can use me as bait,” Larken offered. “Loxly will probably make a joke of some kind when he sees me, giving away his position. If one of you follows me—”
“Loxly takes this too seriously to make a mistake like that,” Levi interrupted. “I say you pit us against each other. You and Brecker, me and Hinlee, and Larken and Loxly.”
“Works for me.” Soren uncrossed his arms. “We can regroup after round one and discuss the strategy they went with and use it to anticipate the next one.”
“That’s it?” Larken asked, feeling like she was missing something.
“The important thing to remember here is that this is a game,” Levi said as he made his way to the door Soren was already scanning a wristband at. “Don’t take it too seriously, but don’t be the reason we lose either. Simple as that.”
Larken just shrugged and agreed with a sighed, “Simple as that.”
The three soldiers made their way out of the locker room, and the warm air outside sent a new wave of goosebumps up Larken’s arms. Soren grabbed a basic model tech-gun the same length as the one he usually wielded, but it looked much lighter. It didn’t have any of the upgrades that his had, like the stun darts or the fog emitters, both of which would have been helpful today. He also grabbed a shotgun and tossed it to Levi, who caught it without even looking over at Soren. That left the handgun for her, causing her to roll her eyes.
“Really?”
Soren smirked. “You never know, maybe he’ll try to get you face-to-face.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a little black rubber ball and tossed one to her, which Larken almost dropped. Then he tossed one to Levi, who caught it and stuck it in his ear. Soren pulled out another one and stuck it in his ear as well. Larken looked at it, shrugged, and held it to her own ear. As soon as the rubber touched her skin, it morphed and pushed into her canal.
Soren made his way to the door, opened it, and went back into the locker room. He pulled the door behind him, leaving his foot wedged in-between the door and the frame. He was so quiet that Larken couldn’t hear him say anything, but a whispered, “Can you hear me?” came through her earpiece.
Levi answered first. “Loud and clear, Black Hawk.”
To which, Larken replied, “Black Hawk?”
“It’s my codename,” Soren said coming back out. “Levi’s is Pretty Boy, and yours,” he smirked, “is Songbird.”
“How original,” Larken deadpanned, fighting not to roll her eyes.
“If you would rather it be Princess—”
“I’m good,” she interrupted.
“That’s what I thought. Now, everyone clear on the plan?”
Levi gave a single nod before cocking his weapon and disappearing into the trees.
“I guess,” Larken agreed.
“Good. Meet back here when round one is over.” Soren didn’t give her a second glance as he dashed into the trees as well, in the opposite direction from Levi.
“I guess I’m taking the middle then,” she muttered. She gave their small clearing one last look over before slowly moving forward.
The earth around her was wild and unchecked, and bugs buzzed happily in places Larken couldn’t see. There were no birds, but the sound of the mock weapons was most likely the reason that they didn’t nest here. Every stick that she didn’t see and snapped as she walked had her heart thudding as she looked every which way to see if anyone on the other team had heard it as well. None of her teammates said anything, and the earpiece served as nothing more than a way to block outside noise.
As she walked, she occasionally bent down and felt the earth. Everything was hard and packed, and there was nothing to tarnish the shine to her scales. Not only that, but when she tried to count the number of bullets she had, she found that the magazine had been fused to the weapon. Larken was left to assume that either she had no limit, or the gun would stop working after she fired the max number of shots. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea how many that was. All the weapons that Vallen had provided for her had upgrades, most of which were larger mags.
Larken had no way to tell what time it was, or how long they had all been wandering. Each second that passed with no noise only made her more on-edge. Right when she thought she was going to snap from the tension in her body, there were four successive shots that had Larken diving behind the nearest tree for cover.
