by T. A. White
They hadn’t been able to control those that evolved toward that branch and feared them too much to allow them to survive.
It was interesting to see one in this era.
You mean he’s a sleeper?
Ilith hummed in assent.
I’ll be damned. A sleeper is leading the Black Order.
A dangerous sleeper, Ilith corrected. The entity his line was based on is even more crazy and troublesome than my kind.
Stunned silence came from the corner of Ilith’s mind that Tate occupied.
Jax said the sleep might solve some of the insanity problems.
You’d better hope so. He’s a threat to even me in the right conditions.
While Ilith and Tate were talking, the shiny man moved forward even as those around him objected.
“She’s already tried to kill you once.”
“Correction. If she wanted him dead, she wouldn’t use me to do it.” Dewdrop jutted his chin out stubbornly.
Ilith let out a trill of agreement. Finally. Someone who understood her. She’d been saying that all along.
The shiny man moved closer, his gaze fixed on the creature Ilith held trapped.
“This is what killed the noble,” he observed in a soft voice.
Ilith lowered her head. The shiny man was smart, guessing what even Tate hadn’t.
Eyes a dark green that reminded Ilith of one of her favorite gems looked up at her. “I’m right, aren’t I, Lady Dragon.”
The two stared at each other for a long moment before Ilith dipped her head in the human gesture she’d seen others do when they wanted to agree.
The amalgam likely stored itself in the noble and used him to pass one to the guard before walking the noble into the Rift. Once here, the amalgam would have eaten away the man’s insides, using the material to rapidly replicate before bursting out of his chest.
“Why didn’t the dragon warn us before attacking?”
“Do you speak dragon?” Dewdrop asked.
The shiny man’s lips quivered in amusement before smoothing into a serious expression. “The boy’s right. Also, dragons don’t usually explain themselves.”
He sent a wry glance in Ryu’s direction as if remembering similar instances.
Dewdrop’s shoulders loosened in relief. Others wouldn’t have heard it, but Ilith picked up on the worry and concern under Dewdrop’s bravado.
Smart, small predator to use a bluff to establish his dominance.
I don’t like that you put him in danger. We’re lucky the emperor has a long relationship with Ryu and Rath. Otherwise, he could have ordered Dewdrop and our execution.
Ilith’s tail thwapped the ground. She wouldn’t have let that happen. She would have stopped it.
You can’t always win against overwhelming odds.
You could when you were a majestic dragon.
Ilith caught a mental image of Tate rolling her eyes. Cheeky Savior.
“How did the dragon know how the victim died, and that the creature had left a piece in the guard?”
Not a creature. An amalgam. Not the same thing at all. A creature had will whereas the amalgam was a swarm who obeyed a master. A weapon that was little more than a shadow of what it was supposed to be.
And now it was dead.
Almost dead anyway, Ilith corrected after a second of consideration. She chortled to herself as she stared at the last piece of the amalgam.
You sound evil, Tate told her sourly.
Nonsense. Ilith was no such thing. She sounded like a dragon.
The shiny man bent forward, studying the scrap of the amalgam. “Its presence is undetectable.” He looked up at Ilith again. “Archibald is right. I’d like to know how you knew what this was.”
“Ilith and Tate have likely fought it before,” Ryu said, striding forward.
“A sleeper fitting this description has never been recorded,” the man in black said.
“Likely because Tate and Ilith hail from the same era when something like this would have been a tool of the Creators. I doubt there’s another like it or Aurelia would be inundated with these things,” Ryu said.
“Whatever it is, I want it destroyed and the rest of my people checked to see if this thing is inside them as well.” The shiny man rose and dusted off his hands. “Sir Daniel can be responsible for helping.”
Dewdrop’s back went ramrod straight as he gave the shiny man crazy eyes, looking like a fish that had just been plucked from its comfortable water.
The shiny man pretended not to notice as he glanced in the direction of the body. “I suspect the examination will be uncomfortable judging by our own experiences, but it’s better than ending up like that poor soul over there.”
“What about that?” the William man asked, looking at the ink blot Ilith still held captive.
The shiny man’s face turned scary. “Destroy it.”
The William man and the man in black unsheathed their swords and advanced. Ilith’s chuckle brought them to a halt.
Yup, definitely evil sounding.
Ilith chortled again, almost giddy at her thoughts.
Why are you laughing like that?
Ilith snagged the amalgam off the ground tossing it into the air. Surprised at its freedom it froze. Ilith’s head snaked forward; her teeth closed around the creature. She bit down, enjoying the way it squished in her mouth before swallowing it down.
Yummy.
Ilith smacked her lips as she took in the looks of disgust. Foolish two leggers, this was the best way to ensure the amalgam didn’t survive.
You couldn’t have just used fire? Tate whined.
This was more satisfying.
“I’m going to leave the rest of this to you. Somehow, I think you’re more equipped to handle her than other people,” the shiny man told Ryu before looking up at Ilith. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did at the elevators. Your bonded and I will have a lot to discuss when we next speak.”
Tate groaned in the back of Ilith’s mind as the dragon watched the shiny man and his guards leave through the distortion.
“Did you have fun?” Ryu asked Ilith with a little of the dragon still rumbling through his words.
Ilith looked away from him, pretending not to understand. It wasn’t that she was intimidated. Such a thought was nonsense. No dragon, two legger, or other had ever managed to make her feel daunted.
Ilith nodded to herself. Yes, that wasn’t why she looked away. It was to keep Ryu from feeling bullied.
One side of Ryu’s lips tilted up as he stayed quiet, watching Ilith with an intent gaze.
Dewdrop folded his arms and glared at the dragon. “Tate is not going to be happy with you.”
Willa was the only one of the three who seemed unaffected by Ilith’s actions. She darted around Ilith’s front paws, hopping over them before twisting and trying to wiggle under them. She whined and growled when she couldn’t budge them enough to burrow under.
Dewdrop started for her. “Willa stop that. Ilith’s in trouble. You can’t play with her now.”
Willa evaded him, standing on her back legs and tapping Ilith’s chin, the only thing she could reach.
A questioning chirrup came from the Veles. The faintest trace of another mind brushed against Ilith’s.
The dragon wasn’t the only one who felt surprised at the unexpected action. Tate’s excitement transmitted to Ilith.
So far, the twins had made no progress on mental speak. Night theorized their ability to take on a two-legged form negated the need for telepathy.
Ilith didn’t agree, but no one really asked her. Telepathy had been one of the Veles primary attributes in the before times. She saw no reason for it to have faded in the second generation. Maybe in time if the Veles continued breeding with the Silva the trait would disappear.
Ilith thought instead that the twins simply needed time to grow and develop. The discovery of their two-legged form probably delayed that development since it negated the need for mind speak.
<
br /> Willa’s voice was faint, losing the connection almost instantly.
Ilith reached out with her mind, helping to guide Willa into forming a more stable connection. Mind speak was an art rather than a science. It required feeling around blind until you could reach another mind. It took time and constant effort to hone the abilities.
It was why Night’s voice was so broken and disjointed the first time he talked to Tate and the first time he tried to reach Ilith in the same manner.
With her skills, Willa only had enough discipline to send a single word. Change?
Don’t you dare, Ilith. You just ate an amalgam. You probably haven’t had time to digest it yet.
Ilith didn’t pay her any attention. Willa was a smart predator. The best way to get out of trouble was to give the body back to Tate.
Ilith, Tate started. Don’t you leave me to deal with your mess again.
Ilith chuckled. Sometimes it was her turn to protect her Savior. Other times it was best to let Tate handle things. She was always so amusing when she was in a snit.
Ilith gave up her hold on ascendancy as Tate called her name one last time. Pain started along their limbs as Ilith dove into the comfort of darkness before Tate could stop her.
* * *
When Tate came back to herself, she was kneeling on cold stone. No glimpse of Ilith’s world came with their switch. Something Tate was grateful for. She didn’t think she’d fare as well if she had to experience Ilith’s world first hand. Even the peripheral shot she’d got was enough to overload her senses.
It wasn’t only Ilith who’d been filled to the brim. Power nipped along Tate’s nerve endings. A constant buzz invaded her veins.
She closed her eyes and took a breath to center herself. Only when she released it again did she open her eyes, taking stock of things.
Luckily, her stupid dragon had left her with clothes. Thank goodness for small mercies.
“You are in such deep shit when you wake up,” Tate snarled at the sleeping dragon curled around her wrist.
“I take it you remember everything,” Dewdrop said in a wry tone.
Tate looked up, her lip still curled in a snarl.
“Yup. You definitely remember otherwise you wouldn’t look so enraged,” he observed.
It was a legitimate question. Tate’s memories could be a tad spotty when Ilith was ascendant. Some switches were clearer than others. Those sparked by desperation or in response to a threat on Tate’s life tended to be hazier.
Yet Tate remembered every second of Ilith’s time ascendant.
“Why? Why? Why did I have to get stuck with this dragon?”
Why couldn’t she have bonded with a reasonable dragon? One who didn’t do things that could be viewed as assassination attempts?
“Such a pain in the ass.”
“Aw, it’s not so bad, Tate. You managed to expose a major security breach for the empire, and he didn’t demand your head. I’d consider that a win.” Dewdrop stuck his hands in his pocket in a nonchalant pose.
Willa took the opportunity to rub her head against Tate’s arm, looking up at Tate with innocent eyes.
“What’s Willa doing here anyway?” Tate asked, smoothing back the fur on Willa’s head. The Veles closed her eyes in pleasure, a soft purr slipping out.
“It seems Willa and Pax take after their father,” Dewdrop said. “They don’t listen and they’re crazy good at sneaking into places they’re not supposed to be.”
Tate finished rubbing Willa’s head. “I take it she followed you then.”
Dewdrop nodded. “Yup. She didn’t make her presence known until we realized something was wrong on this side of the gate. By then, it was leave her with some very jumpy guards or bring her with me.”
Willa definitely took after her father.
“Speaking of, where’s Night?” Dewdrop asked.
“Pursuing Peter last I saw.”
Dewdrop frowned.
“Blade made me turn back when I hit Cliff’s Shadow.”
His frown changed to understanding. “Yeah, the way you’re dressed would have caused problems if you went any farther in. The people that live there don’t look kindly on the empire’s representatives.”
Tate looked over at where Ryu patiently waited. “How much trouble is this going to cause?”
“From the emperor—little to none. Though he’ll give you a hard time for a while.”
Considering Thaddeus’s behavior until now, that wasn’t surprising.
“It’s more problematic that he finds you amusing. He tends to find interesting uses for those who catch his attention.”
Tell her about it.
“Something tells me I already had it.” Tate rubbed the back of her neck.
Why else would she have been called to court and then to the murder scene?
A normal person might find it flattering to have the emperor’s attention. They might try to use it for their own gain, extorting favors from him.
Those people were fools. Nothing in this life was free nor did it pay to come to the attention of giants. For every favor gained, you owed two in return.
Worse was if the emperor deemed you useful—like Ryu. Tate would have no peace then.
“Well crap.”
“It’s the rest you really have to worry about.” Ryu crossed his arms, not commenting on her curse. “The Lord Provost takes his emperor’s safety very seriously, and the Obsidian Lord—well, you’re aware of how dangerous it is to give him any opening. He could try to use this to discredit you.”
Tate covered her face while she questioned once again how she had ended up with her troublesome dragon.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. As unorthodox as her methods were, Ilith exposed a rather sizable problem. It should mitigate many of the negative feelings,” Ryu told her.
Maybe in Thaddeus and William’s case but Archie was a wild card. He could still seek to use this against them.
Tate couldn’t worry about that now. They had bigger problems if the amalgam and the body were anything to judge by. Instinct warned this was only the first move in a war that was supposed to have ended nearly a millennia ago.
Distracted by her thoughts she almost didn’t notice the way Dewdrop was staring at the body. There was a morose look on his face that deepened into a bleak pity as he looked up at her.
“Dewdrop, are you okay?” Tate furrowed her eyebrows.
Dewdrop looked seconds from crying. “You ate the thing that tore this man apart from the inside out. You’re going to die.”
Tate blinked at him as Ryu’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
“I’m not going to die. Why would you even say that?”
“Yes, you are. The monster will burst out of your chest,” Dewdrop wailed.
Willa patted his leg in sympathy, sending Tate a look that matched Dewdrop’s histrionics. She shook her head as if to say it had been nice knowing Tate.
Tate watched the two with a bewildered look. “Are you trying to curse me or something?”
Although, now that she thought about it, Dewdrop had a point. Ilith had eaten a monster that lived inside the noble and the guard. It was possible it would use Tate’s insides to replicate before tearing out of her in a similar fashion.
She shook her head seconds later. Naw. Ilith wouldn’t be so stupid as to eat something that would kill her.
“I’m going to be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
Tate started to say yes then hesitated. “Probably.”
“That is not reassuring.”
For her and him both.
“I don’t think even Ilith would have eaten it unless she was sure it was safe.” Tate sounded a lot more certain than she actually was.
One of Ilith’s defining characteristics was arrogance. Tate could see that arrogance backfiring on them.
“What do we do about him?” Dewdrop jerked his chin at the body, changing the subject.
“William’s people will dea
l with him,” Ryu said.
“Do you really think this is Nathan’s work? What was the purpose of this?” Dewdrop asked.
Tate shook her head as she took in the remains. Even if he’d been part of the anti-sleeper party, she wouldn’t wish this sort of death on her worst enemy.
“We can’t be certain of anything,” Ryu said. “I know it’s tempting to attribute something like this to him, but we want to make sure we keep an open mind.”
“You say that, but we all know it’s probably him,” Dewdrop said.
“What I’m curious about is how Peter fits into all this.” Tate rose to her feet, nearly stumbling as exhaustion pulled at her.
Ryu caught her elbow, steadying her. “You alright?”
Tate patted his hand weakly. Suddenly, it was taking everything in her to remain upright. Tate felt like a wrung-out rag, limp and useless. The only thing she wanted right now was to find a horizontal surface so she could sleep.
It didn’t matter what surface it was. Even the cold stone below her feet would work.
Her stomach roared with anger and Tate pressed a hand to it, feeling like someone had carved out her insides. Correction, eat then sleep.
Ryu’s chuckle was warm against her ear. “I see the toll of taking Ilith’s form twice in one night is catching up to you. Best address that.”
Tate forced herself to push out of his arms and stand on her own. The world swayed dizzyingly, and her eyelids felt like they had weights on them. Gritty and tired as well.
“Here.” Dewdrop reached into the coat he was wearing and pulled out her a slightly worse for wear lemon bar Tate thought she recognized from the refreshment table in the ballroom. “I was saving it for later, but I think you could use it.”
Not in a position to reject it, Tate took it from him, stuffing it into her mouth with one bite.
Her cheeks bulged as she chewed and swallowed, barely tasting the bar in her haste. Pity. The food served to the emperor’s guests was likely better than anything she could find in the lower.
Finished, Tate looked at Dewdrop hopefully.
He sighed, reaching into his overcoat and withdrawing another cookie. “This is it.”
Tate took it gratefully. The lemon bar and cookie would barely make a dent in her hunger, but it was better than nothing. Right now, her stomach felt like it was going to chew a hole in her body.