"Move," Walker grunts out, taking an exasperated breath. "It's dislocated," he informs me and then I watch as he walks up to Brielyn, his hair strong and confident. He places one hand along Brielyn’s shoulder which seems to make the man stir a little as he looks up at Walker with wide eyes. Of fucking course. Walker takes his other hand and presses it right behind Brielyn's shoulder and then he pushes hard and quick.

  Brielyn lets out a scream and Walker quickly covers it with his hands that are now free. I watch as a tear streams out of Brielyn's eye. He shakes his head frantically before looking up at Walker who still has a hand to his mouth and then he leans all of his body into the man.

  Walker tenses up so abruptly and quickly that for a second I think he's going to toss Brielyn off of him as the man snuggles into his chest. Walker looks at me in shock, his hands out at his sides now. He doesn't know what to do.

  I roll my eyes. "Okay, Brielyn, I think that's enough of sexually harassing Walker," I tell him, grabbing the man by his hand and pulling him away from Walker. The bigger man instantly relaxes.

  Brielyn looks at me and while pain is still in his face, I don't miss the slight bit of mischievous hanging in the background. He sticks his lips out in an exaggerated pout.

  There’s not a doubt in my mind that he knew exactly what he was doing.

  We resume our walk and I swear Walker keeps eyeing Brielyn as if the man is suddenly going to attack him with snuggles. He looks prepared to stab him if he even steps a foot in his direction.

  We don't stop until night falls, miles and hours away from the camp.

  Walker plops down on a rock, rubbing at his temple as Ragna takes in her surroundings. She flutters around the small space, the flapping of her wings the only noise.

  "What are we doing?" I ask Walker, not sitting down as I place my hands on my hips.

  "We're waiting," he says, glancing up at me.

  I narrow my eyes at him. "You're being vague again. What are we waiting for?"

  He mumbles something under his breath before rolling his eyes and saying. "The others."

  "And how will they know where we are? Do you have some freaky mind connection with them too?"

  He huffs out an agitated breath: "It’s not a fucking freaky mind thing," he snaps and Ragna lets out a squawk of her own as if in protest of my words about their connection. "We have a system in place for things like this. If none of them are seriously injured, which I doubt, at midnight, Orrael will try to teleport to me."

  I eye the man in disbelief. "And what makes you think they'll actually come back for us?" I ask him. "Maybe they've decided this is all too much for them and they'd rather go back to living the luxurious life of a royal."

  The man's glare sharpens before he gets to his feet. He steps forward, standing over me with a clenched jaw. "They'll come back."

  I meet his stare head on. "And what makes you so sure of that?"

  He moves in even closer, his body coiled for a fight. His green eyes are hard. "Because we'd never leave anyone behind. We're a unit and the unit always comes back."

  I think about pushing further, because I don't quite believe the man, but instead I remain silent. He'll have proof that I'm right when in a couple of hours the men don’t show up and he's left disappointed, let down by royals.

  We wait in silence for hours and Brielyn dozes off, lying on the hard ground as if it's the softest thing he's ever felt.

  When a white light suddenly fills the space, I look up sharply to find the twins and Elyjah standing a few feet away.

  Orrtyn's eyes quickly move around before he moves over to Walker. I turn away from them, my gaze locking on Elyjah who has a bandage on his forehead. Orrael stands near him with a laceration of his own on display right above the corner of his eye. The two men watch me and neither of us try to make a move to bridge the gap.

  "How did you get out?" Orrtyn asks Walker.

  I turn expecting to see the two men all over each other, because that's what lovers do, right? But there's still more than a foot of space between the two men even though their bodies seem to be leaning in, closer to each other.

  "Ragna," Walker grits out.

  "Of course," Orrael says, glancing at the bird.

  I almost ask why in the hell the bird only chooses to show up and save asses when she wants to and why the guys seem to accept that. Even I can recognize that the birdwoman is a fucking x-factor, fully capable of evening odds in seconds and yet she only shows up every now and then. Otherwise she's sitting on Walker's shoulder just watching or flying off.

  It doesn't make sense.

  "Is he okay?" Orrtyn asks, glancing at Brielyn, who’s snoring on the ground. He hasn’t moved an inch since his eyes closed.

  I nod, 'Yes, he's alright enough to grope Walker, so I'm sure he'll make it."

  Orrtyn's face morphs into a surprised smile. He looks back and forth between the two of us. "What?"

  Walker shifts uncomfortably, looking away from us. "It's nothing," he mutters.

  Orrtyn isn't put off in the slightest though as he looks at me for the full story.

  "It was really innocent, but Brielyn attacked him with a cuddle after he put his arm back in place and I thought Walker was going to try to kill him."

  Orrtyn laughs, "That sounds like him." There's a fondness in his voice that's tough to miss and I have to look away when I see the look of admiration in his eyes as he stares at the other man.

  Walker lets out a groan before telling the men what happened after we were captured, making sure to let them know that Samir is still alive.

  "Well, we're going to rest for a little bit and then we can do some planning in the morning to see how to move forward."

  "Where did you guys go?" I question as the men start to get ready to head to sleep for the night.

  Orrael pulls his lips together slightly. "Back to the palace, it was a little unsafe, but it was the only place my mind could think of clearly with all the action going on."

  I nod, "Yeah, well I’ll take guard tonight. For once I'm not too banged up."

  Elyjah nods before looking at Walker's face with a cringe. "And what happened to him?" he asks, and I know he’s talking about the black eye and the busted lip.

  My lips press together for a moment. "He took up for me and they beat him."

  Elyjah's eyes widen slightly and I know it's in surprise that the man actually defended me.

  There’s not much more talking as everyone settles in to get some sleep. I wait until the last man is asleep, checking for the steady movement of their breathing, before I get up. I glance at the sleeping faces around me and think of Samir's words.

  I know who you are, Amelia Deightyn.

  I need to get back to the camp and silence the man. I don't need him to report back what he's learned to the queen if he hasn't already.

  My eyes shift back over the men.

  And I certainly don't need them to find out my true identity.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  I move as quickly as I can, but it still takes hours to get back to the camp. Once there, I study, calculating how to attack. A part of me thought that the men would move to a new camp, but they're still here.

  I count the men that I see moving around the camp.

  I come up with eight as the final count and I know that I can take care of them. They’re not in a central positioning, instead they’re spread throughout the camp. It’ll make it easier for them to be picked off.

  I decide taking them out one by one is the best strategy, so I pull a dagger from my boot.

  I need to be quiet and stealthy. If anyone is alerted to my presence, hell will break loose. It’s a chance I can’t take while alone.

  I tiptoe through the camp and move into the first tent. A man is sleeping on a small cot. I place a hand over his mouth and his eyes widen. I feel no shame as I dig the dagger into his throat before he can try to protect himself.

  And from there it's just a simple act of moving throughout the camp and slowly but effectively taking the men out. I don't need for anyone to sound the alarm to Samir that I'm here because I have no doubt that the man is going to take much more than a dagger to kill.

  The element of surprise will be my best weapon against him.

  I shakily move through the camp after killing the last guard that I find. He goes with a dagger to the chest, his screams muffled by the pillow I press over his head.

  One more to go.

  I move into the tent and my eyes widen slightly when I see the other three men inside with Samir.

  Samir is sitting at his desk. Two, big men armed with swords stand beside him and another man stands in front of him.

  Samir’s head snaps up as he shoots me a sneer. "Just couldn't stay could you?" he asks. He pushes to his feet, his gaze never looking away from me. “That's fine, because you may leave this island alive, but you won't stay that way. As soon as we get back to the castle, I'll make sure Pamula knows who you are, and the woman will make sure that you burn. Like the rest of your family" He makes a gesture with his hands at the guards. "Get here."

  The men come at me and this time I do draw Gwev'. The element of surprise is completely gone now so there’s no need to be subtle or quiet. I duck under the fist of one man and use the momentum to thrust forward, driving Gwev' into the stomach of another.

  The guard goes down as I withdraw the sword, turning sharply and swinging wildly and with a lot of force. Gwev connects with cold, hard bone before sliding through, one of the guard's heads rolling.

  I look at the last guard and a smile curls my lip.

  One more and then I'll get to the ultimate prize.

  The man comes at me and he doesn't stand a chance the second he runs at me. He basically runs his own self through with my sword.

  He gasps and I place a boot on his chest, pushing him back as I pull Gwev out.

  The man’s body falls to the ground with a loud thump. His blood covers the ground beneath him.

  Samir stands feet away, his eyes cold and malicious. "I won't be so easy to take down, little girl."

  It's the only warning I get before he's on me. His attack is much cleaner and practiced than the other men and even with Gwev it's hard to keep the man from pushing me back.

  A fist slams into my face a moment before pain rips through my wrist and then Gwev' is falling from my grasp.

  My ears start to ring.

  "Conrad should have taught you better," Samir snarls out as he continues towards me. "Then too, he's always been a coward. If he would have thrown the gauntlet down and taken me on, maybe your family would still be alive."

  I don't know what the man is talking about and I don't have time to try to focus on it as he punches me again, this time in the gut.

  "I bet he didn't train you properly in hand to hand combat A real warrior knows how to fight and win without a weapon in their hand." He shoves me and I fall backwards, trying to break my fall with my hands but it only makes my wrist hurt harder. I glance up to find Samir hovering over me. His face is pulled into a cruel expression. "But you are only a broken princess after all, a princess with no kingdom, with no crown, and no family."

  He picks up Gwev from where she's fallen, and I try to move backwards as the man comes back at me but it's futile. He stands over me and I see the blow coming. I try to jerk out of the way, but it isn't enough as he drives Gwev through my shoulder.

  My own sword used against me.

  White hot agony rips through my shoulder and blood starts to splatter from the wound when the man pulls it back.

  "Oh, how I wish I could kill you," he says, shaking his head. My sword rests in his hand, covered in my blood. He leans forward, taunting me as I try to punch his face, but he moves out of the way too quickly. "But I can't kill you, because my queen would want me to save the kill for her, so I will." He pulls back and then he's driving Gwev' through my leg, effectively nailing me to the ground. A yelp passed from my lips as the pain shocks my system. "But that doesn't mean I’m not going to hurt you really bad."

  A blow knocks my face back and I hold back a scream when it causes my leg to pull back against the sword lodged in my leg.

  You can't die like this, fight.

  But I can't figure out what to do, how to get out of this.

  My eyes travel to my boot where I know there has to be at least one more dagger.

  A kick to the thigh does make me let out a scream this time and I bend over in half, trying to pull the sword out of my leg.

  "No." A strong, calloused hand rests on top of mine. "None of that," Samir says sharply and his eyes are glimmering with hate.

  His hand twists the sword, digging it further into my leg, shredding muscles. A buzz thrums along my skin under the agony.

  Samir keeps a hand on top of the sword, refusing to let me take it out and I have to hold back another scream as I look up at the evil man standing over me.

  His dark eyes are burning with hatred. "Useless, just like your whore of a mother, your spineless father, and your slutty sis-"

  Samir's body jerks back abruptly and his eyes widen in shock, looking at the bright, orange flames covering his arms.

  Everything seems to be moving slower now. My heart is pounding in my chest, white noise fills my head. My vision blurs before clearing, bringing Samir back into view clearly.

  My body seems to be weightless as I stare at the man, wanting, hoping, imagining that he's burning.

  The flames continue to consume, spreading.

  He lets out a shriek as his hands pat at the flames, trying to put them out. I watch him with a smile on my face enjoying his suffering.

  Samir's eyes widen and the man draws closer to me, bringing the flames with him.

  An underlying panic rises in my chest but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm still nailed to the ground and I can feel my head swimming slightly from all of the blood loss, the wound in my shoulder still very much open.

  Samir's mouth opens and he says something that I can't quite make out as he reaches for me. I lean backward, even as the sword pinning me down digs deeper into my flesh.

  When Samir’s body suddenly jerks and he staggers back, I'm unsure of what's going on until I see the arrow in the middle of his chest.

  The man lets out a scream and then the flames are engulfing him.

  It's the last thing I see before darkness takes over.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  "Come on, princess, you need to wake up long enough to get your ass on this transport."

  I hear the words, but they seem to be clouded and I open my eyes slightly, finding Walker staring at me. There's a scowl on the man's face but it seems to relax a bit at seeing my eyes open. "Good. All you have to do is get on this transport and then it'll all be over.” The sun peeks over his shoulder, bright and hot. I make out Brielyn standing a few feet away, but his face is blurry.

  Walker’s arms squeeze around me and I realize the man is holding me up. His green eyes hold mine. “You have to stay up long enough to put one foot in front of another. If you don’t, they’ll try to deny you the right to get on the transport if I try to carry you in.”

  I can feel myself nod and my feet moving but then it's almost like I'm a zombie. I'm aware of the scenery changing around me and then I'm suddenly inside some vehicle before there's nothing as my eyes fall closed.

  When I come to again I'm in a bed in a room that is almost familiar. I glance around at the bright gold walls and cherrywood furniture. “Again?" I ask, realizing I'm in the bed in Orrtyn's room.

  "Again," the one word comes from Elyjah. I turn my head to find him standing by the bed. I glance behind him, but I don't see the other guys which is a surprise.

  "The twins are with their parents and Walker is coordinating with Porter. The man is going to keep an eye on Brielyn for us." He answers my question before I can voice it.

  I nod, even though I don't feel like I'm fully processing the words.

  Elyjah's eyes are full of concern and he leans a little closer to me. I feel his hand brush over my face. "You healed much slower this time," he says. "The wounds actually aren't even fully closed, yet" he informs me, and I believe him because it definitely feels like I still have more than a few open wounds.

  "Your leg is worse than your shoulder," he continues, cringing slightly as his fingers dance gently along my skin. "I wrapped it up, but.." he waves a hand, pulling it away from me.

  Again, I nod, feeling so disoriented and lethargic. My head still feels a bit foggy and the pain in my body is sharp.

  Elyjah's eyes soften and he moves closer to me. His hand starts to trail over my face again and it feels so good that I can't help but to feel my eyes start to drift. "Good," he says softly and he's close enough that I can feel his breath fan over my cheek. "Rest and get better, because when you wake, we have a lot of work to do." I think that's all until I feel a soft faint brush, light as a feather, against my lips that somehow warms my skin even as I drift off into unconsciousness.

  When I wake up again, I feel a lot more alert. I turn my head and instead of Elyjah, it's Orrael standing next to the bed. The blonde stubble from the island is now gone from his face.

  His eyes widen slightly as he notices my open eyes. "How do you feel?" he asks, leaning closer to me.

  "Better," I say, pushing my body upward. I'm still in the same clothes from the Culling and somehow they're even more ragged and torn than they were once before.

  I glance down at my leg where the pants leg has been completely shredded off, revealing white cloth wrapped around the wound.

  "I feel better," I tell him.

  He nods but there's worry in his ocean blue eyes, "Good, because the queen is looking for you."

  I do my best not to show any signs of weakness as I stagger to the double doors. The guards outside of the door glare at me and I have to wonder if they're aware of the hit that was on my head. That may still be on my head.

  After a few moments of staring at me, the guards push the double doors open and I walk through. I try to hide the slight limp that's from my leg still hurting, still wounded. I keep my back and shoulders straight.