Haven's Army

Chapter 8

As I ran up, Rachel finished off the last Elite Angel and ran after the rest of the group.

"What about the special one?" I asked as I fell into step next to her.

She shrugged. "I don't know but Naomi called a retreat so I'm just following orders. She knows what she's doing."

I nodded. Had Naomi ditched the plan?

When we got back to the ship, I noticed a new girl among us, an older girl with the same gray eyes and blonde hair that glowed silver in the torchlight, a bow strung across her back. That had to be her.

"Paul came to me and Naomi during the fight," Annie explained as she slowed down to run alongside me and Rachel. "He told us to take Genevieve while we could."

I nodded. It made sense. He had felt bad about imprisoning them but he felt obligated to save Genevieve. He seized the opportunity to send her off.

I smiled widely, right as Kathryn walked up.

"What?" she asked.

"We have all the special ones!" I said. Then I thought a moment. "I don't exactly know what that means for us, though. More fighting? A break?"

She shrugged. "Whatever it is, I need a new weapon. I lost my knife back there." Then she looked to me. "What about you? Didn't they take your weapons?"

I flicked my wrists and the shadow daggers slipped into my hands. She grinned.

"That's amazing," she said. "Now you and Nathan can..."

"Don't even finish that statement," I growled as I flicked my daggers away.

She shrugged. "I'm in a good mood. What can I say?"

• • • • • • • • • •

My hands hovered over the dead fish. I had asked Katie to teach me healing. I felt bad about her having to deal with anyone who got seasick or injured. It was easier said than done. My muscles were beginning to ache from internal strain. I was desperately trying to keep sweat from dropping into my eyes.

A blue glow flickered around my hands and the fish twitched. I relaxed and wiped the sweat from my brow. The fish squirmed a little and I started to smile.

A knife was flung downward, stabbing straight through the fish's heart and thudding into the table. It twitched once more and went still. I looked up at the upper deck where the knife had come from. Kevin was smirking at me.

"What do you want, Kevin?" I asked.

He hopped over the rail, landing in front of me.

"I just want you to know: I didn't need saving back there. Stop showing off. What's so special about you anyway?"

I looked him up and down. "Why aren't you talking to Nathan about this? Because I don't care." I started to leave but he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around and got in my face.

"Oh, I see," I said. "You're afraid of Nathan. That's why you won't go to him."

An all too familiar blush spread across his cheeks. "I'll have you know," he hissed, "I hit first in my class, back on The Victory, and for most of the time, I was second. You know how big that is. Elite Angel material."

I got even closer, uncomfortably close. "And you know who was first?"

He backed up a little, shaking his head. I had taken him off-guard.

I stuck my face in his once more. "Me." I turned and left.

• • • • • • • • • •