Chapter 46 — Loyalty

  When Natalie walked into the small clearing chosen as a staging area, she wasn't surprised anymore by the shocked expressions on the soldiers' faces. After all, they were about to go into the forest to hunt down armed men who'd just been killing innocent people—she was just a thirteen year old girl.

  "You lost, kid?" asked one finally—the sergeant, if Natalie had figured it out. She'd been trying to keep up with how rank patches on everybody's shoulders worked, and people with his symbol were always called 'Sarge' or some variation.

  He's probably in charge. Everybody else here has a different patch than his and none of them are the nice kind.

  Respect him, but remember: you are the strongest, and they cannot do this without you.

  "No," said Natalie finally. "I'm here to… they should have called you," she trailed off.

  Despite the voice's reassurances, these were intimidating men. They all had uniforms, rifles, the works, and they were strong. She knew she was stronger, even if she didn't look like it, but it didn't change how she felt.

  "...You're our secret weapon?" said one of the other men skeptically. Natalie tried to find ways to distinguish them in her head, but they all wore helmets, none of them had facial hair, and their voices all sounded pretty similar.

  "...Yeah." She shuffled anxiously in place. It was a lot different when she didn't have Cinza and Josh to back her up. Now Natalie had to convince them herself she was worth having around. She could have just used magic, but she had no idea who might be watching. She didn't sense anyone, and the animals nearby weren't screaming any warnings, but she'd missed people before. "I'm here to help."

  "Uh-huh."

  "She is, and you'll do whatever she asks you without question," said Captain Hoskins, emerging into their little clearing. He'd finally caught up after getting delayed by other pressing matters. The men immediately snapped to upright, attentive positions as soon as the captain appeared. "Her name is Linnethea. She's one of the awakened, and stronger than all of you put together, so listen up."

  I… I don't know about that. Maybe… I wouldn't want to try though.

  You are, and with his authority, it will carry weight among them. Do not challenge it.

  "At ease," the captain added, and the men relaxed a little. "Hendricks' forces have gone to ground throughout the forest. We're doing regular chopper sweeps and we've got Oracle tasked to us all night, so you'll have plenty of air support. Problem is, we believe the holes they're snuggled into are concealed by magic."

  To Natalie's surprise, nobody in the group of soldiers scoffed or made any sort of derisive noise. She was so used to normal people thinking magic was ridiculous or terrifying, this non-response confused her. The captain went on without acknowledging it, but to Natalie, it seemed like a big deal.

  "Our mission is to capture, not kill. You're authorized to engage only in self-defense. Bring anything and anyone you grab back to our temporary FOB in the pilgrim camp. Linnethea will be navigating you toward potential targets. Your assigned zone is grid 006-010. Second squad will be covering the zone's north border, and third has the west. Questions?"

  "Sir," said the sergeant.

  "Yes, Sergeant?"

  "Hendricks' men have shown a complete willingness to engage, including on unarmed civilians. Are we to understand we are entering a hostile territory at red status?"

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  "Correct." The captain raised a hand as brief looks of discontent crossed the faces of a few soldiers. "We have solid intel that they will not engage you either, except under similar rules. Unless any of you are awakened—which, I remind you, failure to report your status to your commander is in violation of the new regs—you will not be engaged."

  "But she will be, sir."

  "Well, you can protect one VIP, can't you?" The captain glanced at Natalie. "If you get engaged, Linnethea will be a significant asset, not a liability. She is the only one capable of destroying Hendricks' golems, according to all current reports."

  The sergeant still looked skeptical, but didn't ask any further questions. The rest of the men had barely moved the whole time, perfectly still and staring straight ahead—not even at the captain, just into empty space. Natalie didn't really know what to think about it. Wasn't it rude not to look at the person talking?

  This is a military briefing, not a conversation. Think about the television shows you've watched and the battles you've seen.

  But… why would that matter?

  The men are just parts of the whole. Their job is not to think, but to act.

  That makes no sense… they should be thinking just as much as they're acting. If they're not thinking, they'll get beaten by somebody who is thinking.

  A battle is a dangerous place, and sometimes there is no time to think. You have seen this yourself.

  So I make time. I use magic to make distractions until I can come up with the best option. It's better than rushing into stuff and getting hurt… or… worse.

  Every situation is different. Be prepared to use precisely what you need in the moment. We must be flexible and decisive if we are to reclaim this place.

  "Move out."

  Natalie looked up. Her eyes had fallen to the forest floor. The men were watching her, and the captain was already leaving the clearing. The next move was on Natalie. She needed to act, just like their job was to act, but she was stuck thinking. If someone had struck in that moment, she might not have noticed.

  Maybe you're right.

  This is not the time, Natalie.

  "Okay." Natalie turned and started walking north, straight into the forest, toward the zone the captain had outlined on the map earlier. It was a region west of the town, on the opposite side from the Greywood, her castle, and the usual areas she used to roam with Gwen—but it was close to Robert Harrison's old home. She knew this part of the woods well enough.

  Natalie wondered if it still stood.

  She kept her eyes straight ahead, not wanting the soldiers to think she was getting distracted again—several of them in the back were already grumbling about following a little kid through the woods in the middle of the night—but with her mind, Natalie cast out wide for Gwen. The wolf loped along in the darkness alongside their group, while Percy followed from high above.

  Reassured by her allies close by, Natalie kept going, as the night got deeper and the moon began to sink. The forest, usually her friend, felt oppressive and ominous. In the shadows around every corner, anything could be lurking.

  Dad's out here somewhere. What if… what if I run into him?

  You may have to fight. Be prepared.

  I… I can't fight dad! That's crazy!

  He may not give you the option.

  What am I supposed to do? If we find him, they might kill him!

  Natalie shivered again, her brief burst of confidence shattered. She considered calling Percy down to her shoulder, but decided against it. The soldiers already saw her as weak; she didn't want to show them someone relying on animals friends to stay sane, no matter how much it felt true. They'd mutter even more, they'd question and doubt her.

  They are on your side. If you show them your strength, they will respect you.

  But—

  Stay strong, Natalie. Focus on the mission. If we find your father, we will ensure he survives, even if we must fight against the whole world. You can do that. You have that power.

  Natalie nodded. She had to stay strong, she had to stay alert, and she needed them to watch her back. If they were caught off guard, even just for a moment, Natalie was dead.