“That whatever this is, it has tremendous energy potential,” Tolemek said.
Huh. He wasn’t willing to call it dragon blood yet. A hallmark of a scientist, Sardelle supposed. It always took them a few metric tons of proof before they were willing to upgrade something from a hypothesis to a theory, and even then, they used chalk rather than ink.
Because they don’t have smart swords that could simply tell them the truth.
And how can you be so positive that it’s dragon blood and not some strange new liquid that was made with technology or sorcery?
I can sense it, the same way I can sense whether a person has a hint of dragon blood in them. And you could sense it, too, if you opened your mind and paid attention.
Sardelle had sensed something, but, like Tolemek, she wasn’t quick to glom onto the possibility that the Cofah had somehow acquired a substance that hadn’t existed in the world for a thousand years.
That we know of. I have one more tidbit of information for you, one you’re welcome to share with your new friends. That dragon blood isn’t cut with human blood.
So it’s not from the offspring of a human and dragon union?
It’s not.
The thud of hooves sounded in the darkness beyond their encampment.
“Duck,” Ridge said, even before Sardelle stretched out her senses in that direction. He jogged to the edge of the camp and waved into the darkness.
The dark forms of five horses came into view, picking their way around the dead clumps of grass thrusting up through the snowy steppes. All of the creatures had saddles, but only one had a rider.
Lieutenant Duck slid off and saluted his commander. He had reins, but the rest of the horses had simply followed him. “Got your order here, sir.”
“Are these stolen horses?” Sardelle couldn’t imagine the lieutenant, goofy big ears and big grin, sauntering into a market to buy the horses—he looked no more Cofah than she did—nor was this the hour for horse markets.
“These are borrowed horses, ma’am,” Duck said earnestly. “I went a-visiting to a farm over yonder with a couple of apples in my pocket, made friends with this big fellow here—” he patted the dark stallion’s neck, “—and I guess that made him inclined to follow me when I opened the gate in his paddock. Some of his friends followed too. They must have heard about the apples.”
“And they saddled themselves up for you as well,” Sardelle said. “Impressive.”
“Horses like to dress up and look good when they go out, ma’am.”
“You needn’t be so suspicious of your gift, Sardelle,” Ridge said.
“Gift?”
“Those three are for you, Tolemek, and the person he aims to bring back.”
“We’re going tonight?” Tolemek asked.
“It’s a ways to ride, and I expect you’ll need to sneak aboard a train at some point,” Ridge said, “but this is as close as we dare bring the fliers. The region gets a lot more populated closer to the river.” He waved toward his map, still sprawled in the snow. “You’ll need to find a way to ship your sister home, because we don’t have any more seats in the fliers. If you want to go with her, that’s fine, but I need Lieutenant Ahn back here to fly her craft home. We’re not leaving any of these in the Cofah’s back yard.”
Tolemek massaged the back of his head. He had a dumbfounded expression on his face, and Sardelle wondered if the jolt had affected more than his heart.
“Sir,” Apex said, “you’re going to let him leave? And trust him to come back home when he feels like it? He could report to some Cofah military outpost and tell them everything he knows.”
“If he tried, he’d be thrown back in a dungeon,” Ahn said.
“If we don’t send him away, he’ll be here in camp, experimenting with that blood,” Ridge said. “He’ll probably blow us all up.”
Tolemek’s dumbfounded look faded, but he still seemed as surprised as Apex that he was being allowed to go. As if Sardelle wouldn’t keep an eye on him. She didn’t believe he meant to flee back to his people—he cared for Ahn and was being allowed to pursue the work he was passionate about in Iskandia—but she could stop him from wandering off if she had to.
I can if you can’t, Jaxi put in brightly.
“I will gather what I need,” Tolemek said.
“Sir, I would like to go with them,” Ahn said, her fingers twitching toward one of the horses, as if she wanted to run over and hop on at any second.
“I know you would, Lieutenant, but we’re moving the fliers as soon as everybody leaves. There are too many paths leading back to us.” He waved toward the horses, but he must be thinking of those crashed unmanned fliers too. “I need you here.”
“But after that, we’ll most likely just be waiting in camp until everyone gets back from their missions, right? I could help move the camp, then catch up with them.”
“Given that the Cofah have some new technology—” Ridge waved toward the spot where Tolemek had been examining the blood, “—I’m not feeling that secure in the notion that we’ll be able to stay in one spot undetected for days. We may have to move every night.”
Ahn clenched her jaw, but she didn’t continue to argue. She watched Tolemek pack, then ran over to her flier and pulled out her own bag. For a moment, Sardelle thought she meant to disobey, to throw the bag on one of the horses and ride off, but Ahn only pulled something out, then jumped down from the flier. She strode over to Tolemek, who pushed his hair behind his shoulders, and gazed down at her.
“Here.” She held out a pistol in a holster. “It’s a Maverick Eight-Eighty. Most accurate pistol in the world, as fine as all but the best sniper rifles and good for close quarters.”
“You think I’ll need to shoot my way into my sister’s…” Tolemek glanced around, saw a couple of others listening, and finished with, “hospital?”
“You might find all sorts of trouble on the way there. Especially with that hair. You don’t exactly look like a Cofah soldier anymore.”
“Maybe I should cut it off. You’ve made that suggestion a few times.”
“I suggested cutting it, not cutting it off. If you come back to me bald, I’ll pour that illumination goop on your head. Now here.” She thrust out the pistol again, and this time he took it.
“Ridge? May I speak with you?” Sardelle tilted her head toward a dark, private spot behind the fliers.
He nodded, but had a few more orders to deliver before joining her. “Nowon and Kaika, there are horses for you too. You’re sure you don’t want to take any of my people with you?”
“You’re not offering yourself, sir? You did remove our colonel from the mission, after all.” Kaika didn’t sound serious, but Sardelle watched Ridge, not liking the idea of him heading off into a secret and doubtlessly well-guarded Cofah installation, not when he was sending her off in another direction.
Nowon rolled his eyes.
“I don’t have the special skills the others have,” Ridge said. “I just fly and shoot things.”
“We have no need of extra assistance,” Nowon said, and Kaika didn’t argue.
“It’s your mission,” Ridge said, though he gazed thoughtfully over at Sardelle.
Do you want me to go with them? Tolemek can probably retrieve his sister by himself.
His eyes widened slightly at her telepathic question, but he recovered quickly. I wish I could send you with them, but it doesn’t sound like they want help. They might not be comfortable with your kind of help, either. After all, it took me a while to grow cozy with the idea, and I’m delightfully open-minded.
Sure, you are. You nearly fell over when I teased you about the possibility that you might be telepathic.
Falling over wasn’t what was on my mind that night. He gave her a quick wink. But back to this. I know Ahn trusts Tolemek, but I’m not ready to let him wander off alone. You’re the one person he won’t think to cross if for some reason he’s tempted.
You’re thinking of Jaxi. She’s already threa
tened to kill him a couple of times. He’s quite polite with her.
He won’t cross you, either. He looks at you with respect. And wariness.
While Sardelle was debating whether she agreed with this assessment, Ridge faced the captains again. “We’ll be waiting at the coordinates I pointed out on the map for your return in three nights, unless that spot is compromised, in which case our contingency pick-up location will be the Miarga River Fork on the other side of the mountains. If we have to move again… put up a flare from the river. We’ll be watching and come get you.”
“Understood, sir,” Kaika and Nowon said at the same time, then ran off to grab their bags.
Nowon headed out of the camp, a dark quiet form without a parting word for anyone. Kaika, on the other hand, thumped Ahn and Duck on the arms as she passed, saying, “Don’t get too much napping in while you’re back here in the rear, kids.”
“Kids? Napping?” Duck stood up painfully straight. “I’ve been rummaging all up and down the countryside, hunting like a coonhound to find you all horses. And I flew you all the way over here, while you were snoring in the back.”
Kaika had been on the move as she had spoken, and she waved over her shoulder at his protest. She did pause in front of Apex, who was standing in the shadows, glowering out at the night and sneaking glances at Tolemek.
“You always this grumpy, L.T.? You’ve been wearing my granddad’s face since I met you. He’s got colitis. What’s your excuse?”
Apex opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Flustered? Sardelle hadn’t seen the two talking much. Duck seemed a little moon-eyed toward Kaika, but Apex either hadn’t noticed she was a woman with some curves under her uniform, or he didn’t care.
“I am not grumpy,” he said. “I’m… perturbed.”
“Well, relax some, will you?” Kaika gave him a kiss on the cheek, then sauntered out to the horses.
Now it was Duck’s turn to open and close his mouth a number of times, before stammering, “What just happened?”
“Captain Kaika is more into grumps than horses,” Ridge said, then walked over to Sardelle. He turned his back on the two lieutenants, Duck looking like he wanted to strangle Apex and Apex looking confused. In a lower voice, Ridge asked, “Did you still want to talk to me, or, ah, did we already do it?” He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at hers.
Sardelle took his hand—there were enough shadows that nobody should notice, not that he ever worried that much about displaying affection in front of his people. “If Tolemek chooses to find alternative transportation back with his sister, do you want me to stay with them or come back to you?”
Ridge looked out toward the horses, where Tolemek was finishing packing. The two captains were already riding away. “I wish there was a way to communicate with you from afar. The… mind thing, that’s only for close range, right? I think I remember you saying that.”
“For me, it is. Jaxi can communicate with me over a couple hundred miles, at least.”
“Could she relay messages to me?”
Not unless he jabs some of that dragon blood into his veins and learns to improve his mental reception to slightly greater than that of a rock.
“Jaxi says it’s doubtful.”
Jaxi made an obnoxious noise in Sardelle’s head, something between a snort and a bout of flatulence.
Bout of flatulence? That captain is right. You’re overly socialized.
She didn’t say that.
She was thinking it.
“I could leave Jaxi with you,” Sardelle said, the idea not all that repellent at the moment.
What? You’re tromping into enemy territory with a pirate. You may need me.
Ridge’s face screwed up, as doubtful as Jaxi’s thoughts.
I’m sure I can muster my meager skills enough to defend myself. On the other hand, if Ridge and his team are discovered, they have nothing except mundane weapons for defense. “That way we could communicate through Jaxi, and you could let me know what you think—and if any trouble finds you back here.” Sardelle would find a way to hurry back here if that happened. “Those aircraft at the watchtower may be nothing more than a hint as to what they’re doing with that blood.”
“I guess it wouldn’t matter to me,” Ridge said. “I hate to deny you your companion.”
Sardelle unbuckled her sword belt and handed it to him, almost laughing because she had found it amusing that Ahn had given Tolemek her favorite gun. How was this different?
I could cut her favorite gun in half with a thought, that’s how. Now Jaxi sounded grumpy. Too bad Kaika wasn’t here to kiss her.
Ugh, I’ll hold out for the dragon.
Ridge accepted the belt gingerly. “Any special instructions?”
“Don’t leave her under a bed.”
“Should I wear the belt, or would she be offended by that? I can put her in the cockpit of my flier if that’s best.”
“Wear the belt if you go anywhere, please. As you’ve seen, Jaxi can protect herself—with hurled kitchen pots and pictures if nothing else.”
Pardon you, but I was only responsible for two pots. And no pictures. The burglars made the rest of that mess. You better take that book along and figure out who those people were before heading back to Iskandia.
I’m not sure I’ll be going back, or at least not staying long if I do. Sardelle smiled to Ridge, trying not to let the sad thought show on her face. “I would be upset if she were somehow lost.”
He clasped her hands. “I know you would.”
What do you mean you might not be going back?
I haven’t decided yet, but it’s what we talked about before. I’m afraid I’ve complicated his life, and not in a good way.
“I’ll keep her safe,” Ridge said and lowered his head, kissing her gently, his affection wrapping around her like a favorite cloak on a cold night. It made her heart ache, and tears pricked at her eyes.
Afraid he would notice, Sardelle stepped back, breaking the kiss. “I better not delay him. Traveling at night will be easier.” She took a step, but paused, reaching up to run her hand down the side of his face, as if she could memorize the contours with her fingers.
“Safe journey, Sardelle,” he said, a hint of concern in his voice, not just for her journey, she sensed, but because he thought she was acting a little oddly.
“You too,” she whispered. She would explain later. This wasn’t the time.
Chapter 8
The first light of dawn seeped through the gaps between the slats on the freight train. It was the second morning since Sardelle and Tolemek had left Ridge and the others. She leaned against the wall, her eyes closed, her senses open. They had left the countryside and entered Mason Valley, a more populated area where the asylum waited.
Cattle filled the car, and in the hours they had been cooped up, Tolemek had been pinned a couple of times by furry haunches. That was his fault for trying to pace in the crowded area. Sardelle simply stood in one spot, and the animals avoided her, but he kept gnawing on his knuckles and walking back and forth. A testament to his distraction, he had apologized more than once to the big animals when he bumped one. Or maybe he was simply a more polite ex-pirate than she had realized. He hadn’t been talking to her that much. She was inclined to give him his privacy, but if he had some plan in mind, she would need to know about it soon.
“Will they let us in if we smell like a farm?” she asked over the clicketyclack of the train wheels.
“What?” Tolemek lifted his head, his dark ropy tangles of hair shadowing his face.
In the wan lighting, Sardelle couldn’t see his expression, but she sensed the nervousness emanating from him and snatches of thought floating on the surface of his mind. Would his sister still be there? He hadn’t visited in three years. Would they be able to get in? Would she want to go with him if she was there? If his father had been visiting, he could have been telling her lies about him. Or the truth. Just as bad. Would she even remember him? She had been mad
with moments of lucidity the last time he had seen her. What if she had grown worse since then?
“You’ve stepped in cow dung at least three times during your pacing,” Sardelle said, thinking he might appreciate a distraction from his musings. “And we both smell fragrant.”
He stared at her, apparently unamused by her attempt at distracting him. She shouldn’t be that surprised. She had never been the class jokester during her school days.
“I wasn’t planning to walk up to the reception desk and ask for permission to see her,” Tolemek said.
“No?”
“There’s a kitchen in the back of the building. I thought we’d go through that door, sneak up to the second floor, find her room, and simply…”
“Kidnap her?” Sardelle suggested.
“It would only be kidnapping if she didn’t want to come.” He lifted his eyes toward the wooden ceiling of the car. “Which is a possibility, I fear.”
“I thought you two were close at one point.” Sardelle already understood his concerns, but he might feel better if he spoke about them.
“We were. After my brother died…” He sighed. “It doesn’t matter right now. I just need to find her first and see how much of her… of her remains.”
Of her sanity, that had been what he’d almost said.
“If it helps, I haven’t heard of many cases where the ability to use magic drives someone crazy,” Sardelle said. “It can account for moodiness, and I’ve heard of suicides, especially in those who weren’t trained, but split personalities and other personality disorders are rare, or at least not any more common among the gifted than in the mundane.”
“Was that supposed to be comforting?” he snapped.
She drew back, startled at his anger. Then she realized he had latched onto one of her words. Suicides.
“I’m sorry.” Tolemek bowed his head in a further apology. “I don’t have the right to question you or snarl at you.”
Sardelle spread a hand. “Of course you do. I’m just a person.”
He gave her a wry shake of his head. “No, you’re not. Regardless, I appreciate you coming with me. And Zirkander arranging this. I honestly didn’t expect any of that.”
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