The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power (by Emily Reed) novel Chapter 53

Chapter 53 A Small but Fearsome Squad

Chapter 53 A Small but Fearsome Squad

Cindy’s POV:

Mornings at the camp always smelled like sweat and dust.

“Move faster! What are you? Newborn pups?”

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Viola sat high on a wooden post, cracking snacks with loud snaps. Now and then, she flicked her long whip. It cracked through the air with a sharp boom that made everyone flinch.

Below her, 4,000 new recruits struggled through brutal physical drills in a muddy field. As the five members of the Spearhead Squad, all of us were busy.

Still, for graduates of the insane Blackmoon Academy, this kind of training was barely more than a warm-

Forrest carried two massive logs across the obstacle course like he was strolling through a park. He even had time to ask Tyrone, “What’s for lunch? I’m craving roast lamb.”

Tyrone had his usual blade of grass between his teeth. With one hand, he swung across ropes over the mud like a nimble monkey. His boots didn’t even touch the ground. “Dream on. It’ll be hard flatbread again, but I heard there’s extra food tonight. A reward for how well we’ve done.”

In just two days, our five-person team cleared every challenge in the camp.

Hand-to-hand combat. Long-distance marches with heavy packs. Live drills with cold steel. Perfect scores across the board.

The instructors who planned to put us in our place now avoided us whenever they could.

However, even the fiercest wolves have a weakness.

That afternoon came tactical theory class.

“The wolf pack pincer tactics rely on hidden flanks-” On the platform, an old strategist with one missing leg pointed at a wall map. He went on nonstop about dry battlefield theory, spit flying as he spoke.

Inside the tent, the same people who had been unstoppable earlier now looked completely defeated.

Forrest lay face-down on the desk, snoring like thunder. Tyrone stared into space, his pencil drawing turtles over and over. Sterling sat in the shadows, quietly sharpening his dagger.

Only I sat straight, holding a charcoal pencil and taking notes as fast as I could.

“Grand Duchess!” The old strategist slammed his ruler on the desk. Forrest shot upright and shouted, “Enemy attack!”

The strategist glared at them, furious. Then he turned to me. “At least the Grand Duchess has discipline. You lot only have brute strength. Against a clever vampire, you wouldn’t even know how they get you.”

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18:05 Sat, Jan 10 GR

Chapter 53 A Small but Fearsome Squad

64)

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Viola rolled her eyes and muttered, “If I meet a vampire, one whip is all it takes. Who needs fancy tactics?”

I kicked her lightly under the table, trying not to laugh, telling her to behave.

Night fell. Training ended.

The five of us sat around a small fire at the edge of the camp, roasting a few wild rabbits Tyrone had caught. Fat dripped into the flames with a sharp sizzle, filling the air with rich smells.

“Alright, Cindy, you can tell us now,” Viola said, tearing off a rabbit leg and handing it to me. Her expression turned serious. “That James guy-what really happened? We heard rumors on the road, but we still can’t believe it. You really broke the bond?”

At the sound of his name, my chewing slowed for a moment, but my heart didn’t ache anymore. There was only a calm numbness left.

“It’s true,” I said quietly. “I cut the bond before his pack.”

Hiss!

Sharp breaths echoed around the fire. No one spoke for a moment.

18:05 Sat, Jan 10 GR