Chosen (The Warrior Chronicles #1)(24)

“Maybe he’s waiting for an invitation for two women at once…”

Shanti smiled, grateful that the Captain was trying to lighten the mood. “Maybe, but I’d rather not get drugged, then murdered in my sleep by Junice.”

The Captain laughed. It was a deep, peaceful sound, light and pleasant. It tickled her stomach pleasantly, reminding her of pleasures lost. Then he sobered, the dimples stored away, too serious too soon. This man didn’t live much. He worked, he bore the responsibility of a large city with a lot of trade and goods, and he let himself be ruled by his job as he ruled those under him. Shanti pitied him slightly. It wasn’t a great way to live a life.

The Captain backed his rump up and settled against the tree at Shanti’s back. “I hear you’re abusing my Cadets.”

“Teaching, not abusing.”

“Kicking them for not vocalizing an affirmation is abusive.”

Shanti snorted. She’d done worse than that on occasion. “And if you truly believed that, you would not hold your position for long. I was treated much worse when I was learning. I had harsher rules. And look, I’m fine. It made me a more disciplined fighter.”

“Boys step out of line as a matter of principle. They’re wilder than girls. They break the rules to test boundaries. I don’t punish as much as you might think.”

Shanti threw down the grass. “Boys might be wilder most times, but there are always exceptions. You’re speaking to one.”

“I see,” he said with an amused tone.

“Marc is bright but painfully shy. Painfully shy. Getting kicked in the head helps him realize that merely getting looked at isn’t so scary.”

“Xavier is budding. He is starting to lead.”

“That wasn’t my doing.”

“It was, in a round-about sort of way. He’s responding, growing into a fighter with your methods. Rachie, Gracas, even Leilius, they are responding.”

Shanti shrugged. “They just needed structure and a little attention.”

“Sanders nearly choked on your cookies.”

Shanti couldn’t help but laugh. “Now I understand the swirling mind colors. You have so much going on in your thoughts at any one time, one wonders what will pop out of your mouth.” She got a look of charmed confusion. She might as well have been speaking in her own language. “Um…cookies, oh yes. I warned you, as you recall. Fighting, hunting, shooting—they are all I know.”

“I see. And have you made any progress with your needlepoint?”

Shanti stood, sensing more male minds coming her way. The Captain followed her lead. If he was surprised she knew they were coming, he didn’t show it.

“You’ve been in here for some time, “he said, sobering once more. “We thought you might try to make a run for it. Your honor guard is finally showing up.”

Shanti turned to him and looked up. The man was massive, but there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. It was an unpleasant reminder to the challenge he would present to her fitness level. “How did you find me? If they’re just now showing up...”

He winked. “That’s why I get called Lord. I’m the best.”

She sniffed. “How do you carry that ego around? Does it not get tedious?”

The Captain smiled, his dimples making deep divots in his cheeks. With a glance in the direction of the oncoming kids, he nodded once and walked away, the opposite direction as the clambering honor guard.

She shook her head, then donned a wicked smile.

Now to scare the honor guard.

Chapter 9

The end of the next couple weeks saw Shanti back to nearly full health and desperately working on full strength. She went through her fighting styles, one at a time, until she was shaking and sweaty. Then she did the same with her mental conditioning, nearly blacking out twice. She had been taking to the trees, always practicing there at night, giving Sanders and Mrs. Sanders some time to play tootsie.

Shanti’s honor guard was now an Honor Guard. It was a real title. And it was real irritating. The Captain in all his misplaced wisdom decided he was tired of punishing the boys for obeying her and not their immediate officers, so he assigned them to her for safe keeping. He also wanted to punish her with a bunch of ridiculous little kids following her around, constantly getting in the way and tripping each other up. Plus, he said, she needed protection.

Shanti had asked Sanders for clarification, making sure “protection” didn’t actually mean surveillance. She was told that technically, no, but in this case, probably.

Being that she didn’t have a real job, and only needed half the day to work on her strength and endurance, especially with no weapons, she decided she might as well make a game of it. She started leading a merry chase around the city, much to the Honor Guard’s chagrin, only to pop out from behind a corner when they least expected it. They never thought it was as funny as she did.

This was all exasperating for the beloved Captain, of course. He had informed her, through the proper channels, that she was to stay in Sanders’ house unless chaperoned. She was to behave like a lady. She was to keep quiet and stop bothering him with her blatant disregard of authority.

Being that excrement flowed downhill, the chain of command was nothing more than a poop-chute; the lowest member having to walk around with shit on his face. She relayed this fact to anyone with the Captain’s agenda on his or her lips.