by Sarah Hawke
“I can’t tell from here,” I said. “But it’s either her or another woman almost the same size.”
“I do not believe my sister would deceive us in such a way,” Kaseya said.
“Ayrael murdered her Maskari and tried to kill you and Hestiah.”
Kaseya didn’t reply. I could see the emotion battle raging behind her eyes. I had a feeling I’d only scratched the surface about how much Ayrael had meant to her…and how much her sister’s betrayal had stung. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to work it out.
“Are you sure you can go through with this?” I asked.
“Never doubt an amazon’s resolve,” she said, staring straight at me. “I will do whatever is necessary to rescue your friend.”
I nodded solemnly. “Just remember, once I have Valuri you can retreat. Ayrael won’t be able to pursue you through the city, not with all the knights and guardsmen in the district.”
“An amazon does not retreat,” Kaseya said. “I will bring my sister to justice or die trying.”
I placed my hand on her forearm. “What’s more important, your warrior’s honor or your pledge to me?”
Her cheek twitched. “I will not disobey you, Maskari , but without my honor I am useless to you.”
“You’re even more useless to me dead,” I said flatly. “With my help, I bet you can defeat her. But if not…” I shrugged. “Your sense of honor isn’t worth dying for.”
“You say that because you do not understand it.”
“I say that because honor is a luxury I’ve never been able to afford.”
I sighed and glanced back towards the docks. Ayrael had tied Valuri to a stump at the edge of the pier, and the amazon-turned-Senosi seemed content to wait patiently until we arrived. As loyal and committed as Kaseya was, I had no doubt that she would listen to me if I ordered her to retreat. I was less certain about whether or not she would forgive me for it later.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get this over with.”
We slid down from our perch and looped through the shadows of the docks until we approached the long, narrow strip leading out to the correct pier. There were a handful of sailors and whores lurking about, but otherwise the whole area was empty. Having watched it all day, I was reasonably confident that Ayrael hadn’t arranged anything with the guards—she had just chosen this particular pier because it was in the middle of nowhere.
Just before we moved into view, I closed my eyes and stretched out through the Aether. Bolstering Kaseya was practically second nature at this point, though I held back on the spell armor for a moment. Nothing would draw attention to us quite like glowing mantles of magical energy.
Ayrael’s eyes locked onto us several seconds before we emerged from the shadows. The closer we approached, the more I was able to appreciate the subtle differences in her facial structure compared to Kaseya. Still, there was no question that the two women were related.
“I see the rumors are true, then,” Ayrael said. “You really did enslave yourself…and to a foreigner, at that.”
She casually leaned against one of the wooden posts, but despite her calm demeanor I could tell she was coiled and ready to strike. Whatever else she might have been—whatever else she might have become—this woman was still unmistakably a warrior.
“I have pledged myself to a worthy Maskari , just as all amazons should,” Kaseya said, coming to a halt a safe distance away. Her hand was gripping the handle of her sheathed sword so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
Ayrael snorted softly. “I’m sure he is pleased. Slavers often are.”
There was no doubt in my mind that Kaseya would have lunged forward and attacked that second if I weren’t standing next to her. I did my best to remain calm and send soothing thoughts through our link.
“You said you wanted to make a trade,” I put in, creeping forward another step. I kept half my mind focused on the Aether so that I could summon my spell armor at a moment’s notice. “What is your offer?”
Ayrael stared hard at her sister for several more seconds before she finally glanced over to me. “The Grand Inquisitrix has been interested in you for some time, Jorem Farr. You must be powerful—I can see why my sister was so eager to debase herself for you.”
I forced a smile. Taunting one’s opponent was hardly a novel strategy, but it endured for a good reason. She really believed she could bait us into making a mistake.
“I bet you barely know anything about her,” Ayrael went on. “Did she tell you that she already confronted me in Vorsalos? Did she tell you that she failed, and that’s why she fled here to Highwind with her tail tucked between her legs?”
“I know what happened,” I said. “Also know that you betrayed your vows and murdered your own Maskari .”
Ayrael scoffed and glanced back to Kaseya. “Is that what you told him, sister? Unbelievable.”
“It’s the truth,” Kaseya said.
“No,” Ayrael spat. Her entire body seemed to stiffen, and her voice became dark. “The truth is that the Matriarch and the moshalim have been lying to us for centuries. The truth is that we are slaves, not warriors! They train us to fight, and then the instant we come of age they order us onto our knees!”
Kaseya clenched her teeth. “We serve and protect the moshalim so that all of Nol Krovos will prosper.”
“We serve and protect charlatans,” Ayrael said. “We serve and protect corrupted monsters!”
“Magic is the blood of the gods,” Kaseya insisted. “It is their gift—”
“It is their curse ,” Ayrael hissed. “It is their taint . The Inquisitrix showed me the truth I suspected all along, sister. She has pierced the veil of lies draped over our eyes by the Matriarch. The moshalim are not to be served—they are to be destroyed, by any means necessary.”
“Let’s all just pause and take a deep breath, shall we?” I said, raising my hands defensively and wondering why in the hell I had ever thought this was a good idea. “We’re just here for Valuri.”
Ayrael’s blue eyes continued glaring daggers at her sister for another moment before she abruptly turned and pulled the sack off her prisoner’s head. Valuri looked weary and disheveled—her normally straight, shoulder-length black hair was a tousled mess—but otherwise she seemed unharmed.
“She knew you would come for her, given the chance,” Ayrael said. “The Inquisitrix didn’t want to part with such a valuable prize, but I convinced her that the exchange would be worth it.”
I swallowed heavily and tried to calm the anxious knots twisting in my gut. The pleading look in Valuri’s bright green eyes was almost enough to make me sick.
“All right,” I said. “So what do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ayrael said. “I want my dear sister back.”
It had been obvious, of course, which was why I’d never really had any intention of bargaining. Then again, I suspected she hadn’t, either.
“You are her Maskari now,” Ayrael went on. “You put the tan’ratha around her neck—you’re the only one who can ultimately set her free.”
“She made the choice to bond with me,” I insisted. “I didn’t—”
“Tell yourself whatever lies you need to soothe your conscience, moshalim ,” Ayrael said. “But the truth is that you have taken advantage of my sister, and for that I will make you suffer.”
“Enough!” Kaseya growled, unsheathing her sword. “Give us the prisoner, or we will take her from you.”
Ayrael grinned. “My dear sister…nothing would please me more than watching you try.”
Kaseya attacked. I barely had time to leap out of her way before she charged across the pier, her sword clutched in a two-handed grip. Ayrael waited until the last possible second to draw her own, and the two women clashed in a shower of sparks and steel.
Closing my eyes, I reached out through the Aether and conjured my spell armor, then quickly echoed the effect on Kaseya. The pier, suddenly bathed in light, would have drawn the attention of everyone on the docks e
ven without the cries of exertion and ringing of steel. I had no idea how long it would take the authorities to respond, but it was immediately clear that despite the bolstering power of magic, Kaseya was badly overmatched.
I didn’t understand how it was possible. I had watched her fight and been awed by her technique, but compared to her sister she seemed like a child flailing helplessly against a master duelist. Ayrael effortlessly ducked and dodged in a deadly dance that was as mesmerizing as it was horrifying. She didn’t even bother clutching her sword in both hands; she simply folded her left arm behind her back like a fencer while she deflected her sister’s attacks.
If you don’t do something fast, Kaseya is going to get herself killed!
Gritting my teeth, I waited until their melee had drifted up the pier before I dashed over to Valuri. As much as I wanted to unleash a bolt of lightning or a ball of flame, I couldn’t take the risk. I still didn’t know precisely how the Inquisitrix imbued her Sensosi with their magic-eating abilities, but if Ayrael truly bore the Mark of the Huntress then my sorcery would only empower her—and even a tiny enhancement to her strength or speed would almost certainly result in Kaseya’s defeat. The only reason she was still alive now was that it seemed like Ayrael was playing with her…
“We need to run,” I blurted out as I dove in front of Valuri and grabbed the ropes binding her wrists behind her back. “If we can get off the pier we’ll probably bump into some knights or guardsmen that can slow her down.”
I conjured a dagger-shaped beam of pure Aetheric energy into my hand and slashed her bindings. I was half-tempted to stab her, not because I wanted to harm her but because her own magic-eating powers would feed off my energy. But it was entirely conceivable that the Inquisitrix had already stripped of her abilities, and I didn’t want to risk hurting her for real. I cleaved apart her ankle binds next before swiftly pulling the gag from her mouth.
“You can walk, right?” I asked.
Valuri nodded. “Yes, no thanks to you.”
I had already grabbed her arm and started to turn before my brain processed what she had just said. “What?”
“You left me to rot in that prison!” she hissed. “You abandoned me!”
My mouth went so dry it actually hurt to swallow. “I didn’t…I mean, I couldn’t…” I sighed and took a deep breath. “We can argue about this later. We need to get the hell out of here!”
“You shouldn’t have come here, Jorem,” Valuri said, shaking her head. “But the Inquisitrix knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the bait.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood when I realized she still hadn’t moved. “Val, we have to go,” I said. “Please!”
“You shouldn’t have come here,” she repeated.
Her hand moved so quickly it was a blur. She reached into her leather boot, drew a thin metal dart, and whipped it at me—all in a single, smooth motion. My spell armor would have deflected any normal weapon, but apparently her Senosi powers were still working just fine. The dart pierced my protective mantle and burrowed into my shoulder. By the time I reflexively clutched at the wound, the poison was already flooding into my veins.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Valuri said, standing. “But I’m a survivor, Jorem, just like you.”
I tried to respond, but my knees buckled and I collapsed onto the pier. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Ayrael disarmed Kaseya and kicked her to the ground. She was finished. We were finished.
And there was nothing I could do about it.
4
I had never been much of a stickler for rules. The entire concept of a “law-abiding citizen” had always seemed rather privileged to me, given that I carried my crime with me wherever I went. I embraced a more nuanced interpretation of right and wrong, and that flexibility had served me well over the years.
That said, I had always adhered to my own personal code. I tried not to use my magic on people unless it was absolutely necessary, and I went out of my way to avoid actively harming them unless they left me no other options. I also followed the simple but prudent guideline that a man should never wake up naked unless he was pressed against a beautiful woman.
At least until today.
“What the fuck…?” I gasped as my eyes fluttered open. My head felt like it had been bashed in with a shovel, and my vision was so blurry I knew I had been out for a while. But the real problem was that I was stark naked and hanging from the ceiling.
“Good morning, Jorem,” a voice said from somewhere nearby. “I’m glad you’re awake. Don’t worry—my sister will be along shortly.”
I blinked as much of the fog from my eyes as I could before I glanced around and took in my surroundings. I appeared to be on board the lower decks of a ship. My hands were tied above my head, and I was currently dangling back and forth with the floor a few inches beyond my toes. My ankles had been bound as well, but I was far more concerned about the black metal ring clasped snugly around the base of my cock.
“I’m sure you recognize one of the devices from the Castarium back in Vorsalos,” Ayrael said, pacing around from behind me. “I hope it’s not too uncomfortable.”
I bit down on my lip and desperately tried to swallow the lump of fear rising in my throat. It didn’t work. “What do you want from me?”
Ayrael smiled. Her mouth was almost identical to Kaseya’s, which made the malice in her grin all the more disturbing. “Where to begin?” she asked, sauntering forward. “I suppose you could start by apologizing for what you’ve done my sister.”
I closed my eyes and swore under my breath. This was bad. This was really, really bad. I didn’t even want to imagine what Ayrael had planned for Kaseya, but I knew exactly what she had planned for me. The Castarium was a grotesque “theater” back home where the Inquisitrix and her Huntresses would torment male sorcerers. The women would use whips, knives, even crossbows—anything to cause pain and leave open wounds. They would then siphon the residual Aetheric energy from the sorcerer’s blood, effectively feeding off him like a coven of vampires. Before their victim lost consciousness, however, the sated Huntresses would attach one of these devices to his cock, giggle at his discomfort…
And then castrate him.
“Kaseya is the one who came to me,” I said, struggling not to blubber incomprehensibly. “She bonded herself to me after I—”
“You put the collar on her,” Ayrael said. “You made her your toy. Now I am going to do the same to you.”
She paced around me twice before she abruptly clutched my testicles in her hand. I whimpered and clenched my teeth, waiting in horror for the inevitable…
“If I touch this crystal on my armband, your cock and balls will hit the floor,” she said, leaning up to whisper in my ear. “If you try and channel the Aether, your cock and balls will hit the floor. And of course, if you try and spill your tainted seed, your cock and balls will hit the floor.”
“Please,” I begged. “I never wanted to—”
Ayrael backhanded me across the face. “Maskari do not beg. I can’t believe my sister would pledge herself to someone so pitiful.” She scoffed in disgust and turned towards the door. “Thankfully, you will not be her burden for long.”
The door to the lower deck burst open, and someone pushed a bound and gagged Kaseya inside. She was still wearing her armor, surprisingly, and other than her restraints she didn’t look any worse for wear.
“I was just getting to know your master, sister,” Ayrael said. “Suffice to say, I found him…lacking. I doubt the Matriarch would have approved.”
Kaseya growled something unintelligible into her gag. I could see the fear in her eyes as well, though I wondered if her terror was merely an echo of my own. Her collar was still fastened tightly around her neck, after all.
“Aren’t you going to kneel before him?”Ayrael asked. “I’m sure you’ve already done it a hundred times by now.”
The guard standing behind Kaseya kicked the back of her legs and knocked her
down onto her knees in front of me. It was only then that I realized the guard was Valuri.
My stomach sank even further when I saw the rage behind her piercing green eyes. The tiny spark of regret I had sensed in her back at the pier had completely evaporated. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the Inquisitrix had done to her these past few months. He twin hand crossbows were holstered on her hips, and she was still wearing her Senosi armor—a black, corset-style breastplate and matching trousers, a flowing red cloak, and heeled, knee-high boots—which meant that her betrayal must have been forgiven. But surely the Inquisitrix’s clemency came at a high price…
“Much better,” Ayrael said, smirking down at her sister. “The Inquisitrix is looking forward to meeting you. Once I have freed you from the Maskari-Shan , you too will be blessed with the Mark of the Huntress. You will be welcome in the ranks of the Senosi.” She grinned. “You’ll like it there, I think. Our sisterhood is not so different from the Kari Vataya on Nol Krovos, really. You will be surrounded by smart and powerful women, except they won’t all be glorified chattel waiting for a master to claim them.”
Kaseya snarled, but she knew she was helpless. There was nothing either of us could do besides wait for the inevitable.
“You’ll have to prove yourself, of course,” Ayrael went on. “Her Huntresses are quite skilled, and the Senosi only accept the best. But I’ve no doubt that you will win them over eventually, and one day I guarantee you will thank me for what I’ve done. The rest of our sword-sisters will as well once you and I return to the island and cleanse the corruption of the moshalim once and for all.”
She chuckled softly and glanced over to Valuri. “But first things first. Vorsalos is still a few days away, and Huntress Valuri promised to help me free you from the yoke of a man she knows all too well.”
Valuri nodded and strode up next to me. “You have pledged yourself to a coward,” she spat. Normally she had one of the smoothest, most seductive voices I had ever heard…but right now it was drowned out by hate. “A man who turns his back on his allies the first chance he gets. Trust me: he would have thrown you to the wolves the instant he grew bored of you. Your sister and I are doing you a favor.”