Kris smiled and looked straight at William. “You’re not from around here, are ya?”
“Watch it, pipsqueak.”
“Our military works on quotas, fatso,” Kris continued. “Fifty percent women, fifty percent men. Our last Prefect was a woman. We like to keep things fair here, so Erin will fit right in with the military.”
William’s face dropped. “She doesn’t need to go. Verith should go instead.”
“They’re more likely to tell I’m not from here. My training is too ingrained. They won’t think I’m just some person off the street.”
“Yeah,” Kris volunteered. “He walks and talks like someone shoved a stick up his ass. Ain’t nobody buyin’ that this guy ain’t with some sort of military through and through. Most likely, they’ll just think he’s a spy. Erin’s the only one.”
“So it’s settled. I’ll go, find out what’s happening, and report back.” Erin grinned, and as William started to say something, she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
His face turned bright red.
“Uh, uh, uh…”
“I’ll give it to you, fatso,” Kris quipped. “You’re much better with a sword than you are women.”
“This the one?” Billy asked.
“She’s the one,” Kris answered. Kris didn’t like this, not one bit, but Erin had been right. They all had a part to play here, every citizen of Sidnie, because their kingdom was being usurped and almost no one knew it.
Billy hadn’t been a dick, either. He understood, perhaps even better than Kris. When she’d told him their plan, his only response had been, “I’ll help any way I can. What’s going on inside this castle? It’s beyond frightening.”
“I’m wonderin’ if she’s too pretty,” Billy observed.
Erin remained silent, clearly letting the siblings work this out.
“You ain’t no damned sexist, Billy, so shut it with all that,” Kris told him.
“You can be dumb as rocks sometimes,” her brother said without looking at her. His eyes remained on Erin, narrow and clinical. “It’s got nothin’ to do with bein’ sexist. Pretty women like this don’t usually sign up for the military. Pretty women like this usually marry rich and never look at the people serving in the military. All I’m saying is, she might be suspect.”
“I can fit in,” Erin promised. “That won’t be a problem.”
Billy shrugged. “Right now, it might not even matter. The military leaders couldn’t find their asses with both hands. There’s so much confusion going on, she can probably just slip in. I’ll make sure she’s wearing the right garb.”
“Why’s there so much confusion?” Erin asked.
“Well, that magic school for one. It’s so new, the entire bureaucracy is having to change to make room for it. The kingdom used to leave that up to the citizenry, ya know?”
Erin nodded. “So now the military doesn’t have the necessary focus on it?”
“Exactly,” Billy agreed. “Hell, I could probably skip my shift tonight and nobody would notice.”
“He acts like he’s so important,” Kris chimed in. “They probably haven’t noticed him in six months.”
She grinned at her brother.
“Keep talkin’ and I’ll arrest ya,” Billy shot back. He looked at Erin again. “Yeah, I’m with you. Let’s get you in the military and find out what we can. I’d do it myself, but they’d notice that. I can’t run duty as a guard and as a foot soldier. That won’t work.”
“When do we get started?” Erin asked.
“They’re running the military around the clock,” Billy explained. “Three shifts. It’s a fuckin’ mess, but the orders are to get everyone ready for war, and anyone who can use magic is being pulled out and put in the damn school. It’s creating more confusion. We’ll get you in on the night shift. That’s when they’re running the top class for the magic school, so there will be fewer people with eyes on the army, get it?”
Erin nodded and smiled. “I get it.”
“You here for the double-time pay?”
The whisper came from Erin’s side. She was standing at attention, listening to someone barking orders from far ahead of her.
“Here to stop the damned spies,” Erin whispered back without looking over.
“Ha! If you believe that, I’ve got some oceanfront property to sell you in the Badlands.”
Erin did her best to hold back a grin. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” the woman next to her said, “I’m here because they’re payin’ double-time. No other reason.”
“You don’t believe New Perth is trying to attack us?” Erin didn’t like talking, especially right now, but she wanted to know what the citizens were thinking.
“Why would they attack us? Don’t make no damn sense, and anyone with two brain cells can see that. But I ain’t too concerned. They want to pay me double-time for joinin’ the army, I’m in.”
“How long have you been here?” Erin whispered.
“Third night. Gettin’ used to sleepin’ days now, and they pay at the end of each shift. Make sure they don’t cheat ya, girlie. Cheap bastards.”
A soldier was walking down Erin’s line, so both women quit talking.
The man stopped in front of Erin.
“You’re new.”
You’re smart, Erin wanted to say. Instead, “Yes, sir. Here to help the cause.”
“And what cause is that?” the soldier asked. He looked like he didn’t trust her right off the bat.
Billy had been right. A lot of the other women within the ranks weren’t the prettiest, but it could just be the soldier was actively looking for spies.
“Making sure New Perth doesn’t wipe us off the map,” Erin answered. “I was at the square the other day, sir. I saw what they’re capable of.”
The soldier nodded. “I’m glad you did. The threat is real.”
He stared at her for another second, seeming to take her measure.
“Glad you joined. We need every able-bodied person we can find.”
“Yes, sir,” Erin responded.
The soldier walked off.
The woman next to her made a loud farting noise with her mouth.
Erin couldn’t help but smile then.
“These damned soldiers are all brainwashed or dumb. I don’t know which,” the woman said. “But I don’t care, either. I’ll take this double-time pay until the war starts, then I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”
“INTO GROUPS!” the commanding officer shouted from the front.
“Time to get movin’,” the woman said. “Good luck.”
Erin caught a glimpse of her as she walked to the right. She was short, stocky, and looked strong.
“Newbies with me!” a woman to the left shouted.
Erin definitely understood what Billy meant about the place being unorganized. She nearly shook her head as she hustled across the large room to the shouting woman.
She fell into line and listened.
Minutes passed as the woman droned on about the need to stop spies, just more bullshit that Erin tuned out. She knew why she was here, and this was not it.
When she finished talking, they started running basic drills. It was all easy for Erin; things she’d taught her son years ago.
They paired up for some light hand-to-hand combat. The commander didn’t care whether the sexes mixed, so Erin found herself in front of a strong-looking man.
“You’re way too hot to be in here.” He winked at her.
Erin ignored him and looked at the sergeant standing next to their mat. “We ready?”
“Don’t look at her, missy,” the man interjected with mock sweetness. “I’m the one that’s about to put you down. If you want, I can lay you down in a more comfortable place after.”
Erin turned her head and stared at the man, her usual warm smile nowhere to be seen.
He wasn’t ugly, but rough. It was clear he’d grown up poor, but that wasn’t any excuse for poor manners.
“How’re your balls feeling?” Erin asked, finally flashing a smile.
The man looked a bit stunned by the question but smiled back, thinking he was getting somewhere with her. “They’re good now, but I bet you can make ‘em feel a lot better.”
Still smiling, Erin quipped, “By the end of this, you’re not gonna be able to sit down for a week because they’re gonna hurt too bad.”
The man’s smile dropped and he sneered, clearly not taking the rebuke well.
Erin only smiled wider.
“All right, you two newbs done?” the sergeant asked. “Go ahead and get started.”
“Gladly,” Erin responded.
The man crouched, looking like he had some idea of what he was doing.
He’d been in bar fights, but probably no more.
Erin loosened up, letting her arms dangle at her sides before bringing her hands up in fists in front of her.
“Come and get it,” the man growled, taking a more defensive posture.
Erin smiled. “Fine by me.”
She moved forward gracefully. She’d never have her son’s prowess—or Riley’s—but Erin knew what she was doing in hand-to-hand combat.
She feigned a jab. The man moved slightly out of the way and quickly tried to counter, sending a hard punch at Erin’s jaw.
Erin ducked, then rapidly stood up and let fly a ruthless roundhouse.
The man never knew what hit him.
She connected with the back of his jaw and saw his eyes glaze, out cold on his feet.
He remained like that for a second, maybe two, then collapsed to the ground.
Erin opened and closed her fist a few times, then turned to the sergeant. “What else ya got?”
“Captain!” the sergeant called. “I think we need to get this one out of the newbs!”
Erin smiled. Taking over an entire military might be fun.
Brighten saw Erin walking back to Connor’s, but he didn’t get close. It was late at night for both of them, or early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. Brighten was tired, but Erin appeared to still have some energy.
He didn’t know if she saw him; he remained in the shadows as he walked, keeping his distance. He turned down different alleys and pathways, doing his best to make any prying eyes think the two didn’t know each other.
Finally, they reached Connor’s place. Brighten was actually impressed with the boy. While he and Kris had had to bounce around from spot to spot, Connor had managed to hold onto this little shack for a good bit of time.
He might actually be able to go straight; quit the life of theft and pickpocketing.
Brighten waited outside for a few minutes after Erin went in, checking to make sure they hadn’t been followed. Once he thought they were safe, he slipped in the back door.
Connor’s place wasn’t any mansion. He had a bedroom, and there was a large main room. William’s crew stayed in the larger space, and Kris was forced to as well. Brighten was able to come and go as he pleased.
“How was class?” Lucie asked as he walked in.
“Draining.”
Brighten went to a corner and sat.
Everyone in the room was up, despite the late hour. They were starting to get a routine going. Brighten would come home and tell them what he’d learned, and they’d ask questions and then strategize.
Now Erin had information to give as well, and Brighten was glad for it.
He was exhausted.
“Thanks for showin’ up, kid,” William quipped. “You see how fast she got here, don’t you?”
He gestured to Erin.
Brighten didn’t have the energy to retort.
“Oh, hush, William,” Erin shot back. “Brighten was behind me the whole way. He kept his distance so that people wouldn’t suspect anything.”
“You pay her to cover for you?” William asked with a wink.
“All of ya, can we focus?” Lucie interjected. “We need to know what’s goin’ on with the military.”
“No discipline,” Kris said. “The lot of ya. As wild as toddlers.”
William rolled his eyes, then glanced at Erin. “My lady, I apologize. Please tell us what happened.”
Kris looked like she wanted to say something, but a sharp elbow from Lucie kept her mouth shut.
“Well, most of the people they’re recruiting aren’t worth a damn. From what I can gather, not everyone believes what the mage is saying.”
“Whatcha mean?” Kris asked.
“Well, I talked to at least three people during the evening who told me they flat out didn’t think there were any spies. They thought this was some kind of weird change of power, or they weren’t thinking about it at all. They were more concerned about getting paid.”
Kris smiled at that, and Brighten did too. Neither wanted to think of their kingdom as a bunch of easily fooled idiots.
“What did you see?” Lucie asked.
“A lot. I mean, they’re preparing for war without any doubt. If the citizens aren’t buying the official line en masse, the upper brass of the military is.” Erin walked across the room and grabbed a small tin of water.
She took a sip and continued.
“I wouldn’t be concerned with the troops that much, at least not those I’ve seen.”
“They also just started,” Verith commented. “They’ll grow deadlier, the more they train.”
“True,” Erin agreed. “I’m more concerned about the rumors I heard.”
Brighten had closed his eyes, listening but trying to rest as well. He opened them at the mention of rumors.
“Go on,” Lucie prodded.
Erin smiled. “But it’s fun making you all wait. Especially him.” She walked over and poked William in the back.
“I’m gonna vomit.” Kris touched her stomach and bent over mockingly, “if you two don’t quit flirtin’.”
“Jealous, pipsqueak?” William called, although his face was red.
Erin turned to Lucie. “People are talking about weapons. Not swords or bows and arrows. They’re talking about magical weapons.”
“Say that again,” Verith commanded.
Erin looked at him. “Magical weapons.”
“People talk,” William grumbled. “The dumber the person, the more they talk—”
“Which is why you never shut up,” Kris got in.
William ignored it. “So if you got a bunch of dumb people in that military, they’re going to be talking a hell of a lot.”
“I’d agree if it was only the citizens talking,” Erin responded. “But I saw other things, too. The captains and sergeants—they’re very careful to keep everyone out of certain areas.”
“What areas?” Verith asked.
“Well, we train in two main places. One is the castle’s back lawn, and the other is the castle’s gymnasium. I’m sure there are other places, but for this new crew, that’s where we’re at.”
Erin squatted. The shack’s floor was dirt, of course, and she drew a box.
“This is one part of the gymnasium. The part we’re allowed in. Here, on the left...” She drew another box. “We’re allowed in there, too. But to the right…” She drew a third box. “No one goes in there.”
Verith’s brow creased. “The gymnasium. You think they’re hiding weapons in the gymnasium? That seems like a poor place to hide anything, especially if you’re training next to it.”
“True.” Erin nodded. “All I know is that they won’t let anyone in there. The other side is fine, but if anyone so much as looks at the right side of the gym, they get an earful.”
Lucie looked at Verith. “I agree with you. It doesn’t make any sense that they would hide weapons in such a place. I mean, surely the kingdom has to have better places to put things. Important things.”
“Well, let’s say you’re right, and it’s not weapons in there,” Erin commented. “Something is in there. Or, at least, there’s a reason they won’t let anyone near it.”
Brighten cl
osed his eyes again. He didn’t know who was going to volunteer the information, him or Kris. He wanted her to. He had enough going on with this damned magic class.
“Why’s she lookin’ at you, kid?” William’s voice cracked across the room.
Brighten still didn’t open his eyes. He knew why Kris was looking at him—the same reason he wasn’t looking at her.
“One of you gonna speak up, or am I gonna have to bash your heads together?” William asked.
“Brighten?” Kris said.
He only shook his head. “I don’t know what any of you are talkin’ ‘bout.”
“He’s such a fuckin’ wimp,” Kris spat. “Gets my brother dragged into this and then just sits in the corner and won’t say another word.”
Brighten opened only one eye to see if Kris was actually pissed.
No, she had that shit-eating grin on her face.
“The two of ya are about ten seconds away from only eatin’ soft foods for the rest of yer lives.” William stood up.
Neither Brighten nor Kris thought he was actually threatening, only blustering.
Brighten finally groaned. “You don’t know how fuckin’ tiring this is, Kris!”
“Oh, boo hoo. I’m stuck in here with this smelly ogre all day and night while you get to wander around freely.”
“Will one of you please tell us what’s going on?” Verith asked.
“He’s such a baby.” Kris turned to the others. “Of course there are places that the kingdom hides things. They’ve been doing it for years. We know where they are.”
“You and Brighten?” William asked.
“Who else would I be talkin’ about, numbskull?” Kris grinned.
“Where would they hide weapons if not in the gymnasium?” Lucie asked.
“Beneath the castle,” Kris said. “There are crypts down there that probably stretch for miles. I don’t know since I’ve only seen the entrance, but they exist, and that’s where they’re going to hide anything valuable.”
“Can you take us to them?” William asked.
Kris laughed. “You get dumber by the day, big man. There’s no us. You and I ain’t going nowhere, especially not toward the castle.” Kris looked at Erin and Brighten. “Them two can, though. They’ve got pretty much free rein in the place right now.”
Hand of Justice Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4): The Dark Mage, Chasing Magic, Magic Rising, Magic Unchained Page 41