by Auryn Hadley
"I can do that. How long?"
"Three months of travel. Could be up to a year of deployment."
His eyes grew wide. "The Blades are going to Anglia?"
"I will only need supplies for two."
"Shit. What are you doing?"
"It's classified," she told him, never breaking her gaze.
"Yeah, I'll teach you. We'll take a lazy ride tomorrow to the east. Blades usually use mules, right?"
Sal nodded.
"Ok, so you're going to need tents and repair materials. Hoof kit for horses, basic meds. Cold weather gear?"
She nodded again.
"Can do. We've got some tight packing stuff. The 112th doesn't use pack animals and we move fast. It's why we're forward strike. Isn't the most comfortable, and give up the idea of cots, but yeah. I'm sure I can say a few of us had our gear damaged in the last mission and need it replaced. I'll get you a kit. Can I trust the Stablemaster?"
"Completely. I trust him more than you."
"Ok. So he has the mission details. Civilian, right?"
Sal smiled. "Yep. He doesn't report to anyone but LT."
"I can work with that. Be careful, ok? Anglia. It's kinda weird up there. You'll get there in mid-winter, too. Fuck. That's a hard assignment, Sal. They trying to kill you?"
"Iliri do ok in the cold, Blaz. Sturmgren is concerned that if I'm in the public eye, I might disappear from it too fast."
"Fuck. Just watch your back around the King. He hates iliri. His two sons aren't much better either. His bastard grandson should be safe though, so if you need a safe haven, it's the keep northwest of Dorton."
She glanced away finally, working to keep her face from changing, but Blaz noticed. "Cyno's going with you. So the rumors are true and Anglia really is flirting with Terric. Sal, I've been up there. Eriwald's a lying sack of shit. He'll smile real sweet at you and stab you in the back."
"I know. I was reading a history of Eriwald today. Interesting stuff."
Blaz set his drink on the table beside him. "I can get my hands on a book of the keeps. Gives the basic layout of each. Will that help?"
"More than you can guess. Have you ever heard of the Idele?"
"Un-landed brother of the current king. Has a son. He typically moves between the lands of his relatives, but he keeps a guard at all times. The boy isn't bad, but the Idele? He's jumped up on his own self-importance. Evidently it's a title that's given to one who could have ruled, but passed over the chance. This Idele is the current king's older brother."
"How long were you there?"
"Two months, trying to secure treaties for the CFC about a year back. Didn't go so well, but they pampered us with gifts and spoke real sweet. I guess that's just how court works. You want to shake things up, go in there acting like an iliri. Everyone except Valmere will be confused as hell."
She giggled. He'd just given her more help than he could know. "Thanks. I mean it. I can't find much on Valmere."
"Except his papers from school. Shit," he breathed. "He favors iliri, but that isn't too well known. This is official, Sal?"
"My orders came in a blue envelope. Encoded."
"How many are you going to kill?"
"All of them, Blaz. It's safer than being here."
Chapter 36
"So, you gonna tell me how you did it?" Blaz asked her, changing the subject without a pause.
"Did what?"
"Rax's leg, Sal. I've been around horses a long time, and I know a broken leg when I see it. That horse is as sound as he's ever been. He's not even stiff in his hind left like normal."
She smiled. "I told you, Tilso's good."
Blaz just shook his head. "That's not fair. I'm going out on a line here. I won't say you owe me, because Rax more than pays for it, but the least you can do is not lie to me."
She stood and made her way back to the cabinet, then refilled her glass while her mind spun. It took a long sip, then she topped it up again before deciding how much was safe. Only then did she return to the couch.
"No. I'm not going to tell you how we did it."
He nodded. "This the magic we keep hearing about?"
"Probably."
"So he's really as good as he seems?"
She just nodded.
"Some kind of amazing primitive medicine that you keep to yourselves?" he asked, a mischievous grin growing on his face.
"Something like that."
"You're really not going to tell me, are you?"
"Fuck," she groaned. "Why couldn't you just buy that damned story and go with it?"
"Because the front knee isn't a joint that gets dislocated, and if it did, the leg wouldn't bend abnormally in the middle of the cannon bone. I'm an elite, Sal, not one of the regulars you all have been using these weak ass stories on."
"Fair enough. Look. Rax will be fine. I owed you for not saying anything after the other night, so I wanted to pay you back. Getting Rax fixed up seemed like a good idea at the time."
"And not now?"
"Not if you poke too deep into this, no. There's a reason Jiesa never shared it either."
"What do you know about her?" His tone was no longer playful.
"That she was Razor's second cousin. They weren't that close, but they knew each other. Just let this go, ok?"
Blaz reached over and wrapped his hands around hers, the glass caught between them. "I'll leave it, but you need to realize it won't go away. The Blades keep getting noticed and I won't be the only one that can add a few things together. Your record is too good, your injuries too minimal..." He stopped, looking at her. "Stand up, Sal."
She clenched her jaw. "No."
"You took a bolt. I saw the hole in your resin and the way you favored that side." He held her eyes, and this time she felt the challenge. "You heal fast."
"Fine." Sal dropped her drink on the table beside her and shoved to her feet. With his eyes on her, she pulled at the waist of her fatigues, exposing her hip. Her skin was flawless, not even a bruise to show that she'd ever been wounded. "Happy?"
"That's what you did to Rax, isn't it?"
Jase, he's figured it out, she thought, reaching out to the person she thought would have the answers.
Then have Shift heal him. That should leave him even more confused.
Unable to think of anything else, Sal reached out for her brother, begging Shift to do exactly that. Blaz watched her, a wry smile on his lips, aware that she was preoccupied and still hadn't answered his question. She thought quickly.
"Are you right-handed or left?" she demanded.
"Right. You still haven't answered - "
Sal lunged at his left shoulder, pinning him in the chair. With her mouth next to his ear, she said, "Iliri bite, did you know that? You've been saying you spent the night with me, but everyone knows we bite. You still want to play this game? You want to try to blackmail me with veiled threats?"
She felt a faint prick just under her sternum and realized he held a blade to her chest. "There's no threat, just amusement at finally understanding. Yeah, I know you bite, and so do they. I spent a fucking long-ass couple of days unable to remove my shirt so I wouldn't show that I had no marks. You bite me now, it will be fresh, and I'll still have nothing from our supposed first night together."
"Well, be careful what you ask for, Blaz," she snarled.
"I like you, Sal, but I will put this knife in your gut if you go feral on me. You're pretty fucking close right now."
"You really want to know what the iliri can do? You really want to see how different we are from humans when we aren't trying to play nice?"
His eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to help, Sal. I just want to understand what it is that I'm in with."
She leaned back and looked at his face. His eyes were honest, searching hers for a sign of where he stood, but he did not lower the knife. He smelled calm, only the faintest hint of fear between them. He'd done nothing but good for her, so she didn't want to hurt him. Then again, Arctic said she had anot
her weapon in her arsenal.
"I'll give you a demonstration," she told him, shifting her weight slightly as she leaned closer.
Unlike most men, Blaz Eason was not foolish enough to close his eyes. She inhaled deeply, a hint of confusion mingling with the scent of him, but nothing else. Then she struck. Her left hand grabbed his wrist, pushing the blade away from her, and her right shoved his head to the side as her teeth found his shoulder. She bit through his shirt, thinking only of the desire he should have for her, and her teeth just punctured the skin. She bit him again, this time closer to his shoulder – and he gave in to her instincts.
Blaz dropped the knife in his lap and reached for her, the scent of arousal replacing everything else. He sighed softly, trying to pull her closer, and Sal bit him a third time. This time she pierced him like an iliri, and he flinched from the pain, allowing Sal to safely shove herself back to her feet. The smell of lust faded as soon as she released her hold.
"Fuck," he breathed, looking at his shoulder, then slowly at her. "What did you do to me?"
She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, removing the last hint of his taste from her lips. "You wanted to know what you were missing. I showed you. Humans thought they created nice little toys. You just never stopped to think that we might be able to use it to our advantage."
"You bit me!"
She grabbed her glass. "And you didn't want me to stop. Now you have some stories for your friends."
"I..." He closed his mouth on the rest of the words, opening it a few more times but getting no further.
"You humans made us. You made us to do what you wanted then forgot it was even possible. The men? They kill, and they do it a lot better than any of you. Me? You meant for me to be a fetish."
"I didn't do it, Sal!"
Doesn't sound friendly in there, Shift thought, letting her know he was outside.
Don't knock, just come in. It's fine. Blaz just thought he understood and had a very rude awakening.
She released Shift's mind, but didn't stop talking. "See, they fucked up a bit when they made us. Not all women are the pets they expected. Sometimes we come out a bit different." Sal smiled at him smugly. "Where's your knife?"
He grabbed it from his lap, embarrassed, and slid it back in the sheath along his leg. "Were you even trying?"
"No. I'm faster than Cyno and I seem to be able to do things he can't. Men want me. Half of them curse me for my strange looks, but all of you break when I offer it. Why?"
"Stop being pissed at me!" he snapped. "I didn't do shit to you. I asked a question because you left a big enough hint that I can't look away from it. I just want to know if I'm on the right side of this shit or if I crawled in bed with the enemy."
Sal couldn't help it, she laughed.
"Bad choice of words," Blaz admitted. "I'm sorry, Sal. I'll leave it alone."
"No, you just got your wish," she said. "Shift's about two doors down, he'll be here - " The door to Blaz's room opened slowly, and Sal smiled. "Now."
"Rumor has it, you got a bit too wise," Shift said.
"Ok, I'm freaking out a little bit," Blaz said, looking between them.
"Bites on the left shoulder should be about two days old. Everyone saw the face, but no need for it to hurt," Sal ordered.
"LT know?"
Sal shook her head. "This one's on me. I didn't ask Blaec, but Blaz is close enough that he needs something else to think about."
"Gotcha, demon." Shift grinned at Blaz. "I recommend you close your eyes. I'm about to rock your world."
He moved to Blaz's side and grabbed his wrist, closing his eyes as he focused. Blaz gasped and snapped his eyes shut, his fingers gripping the arm of the chair tightly.
"Breathe," Shift whispered before turning to Sal. "We good?"
"Yeah. I'll take care of the rest. Let Blaec know? This could get complicated if he decides to start talking."
"Yeah. You stuck your foot deep in this one, Sal. Don't get us put in chains, ok?"
She nodded. "If it comes to that, I'll pull out some other tricks, but I'd prefer he understands and agrees. I won't risk you all because I decided to be friends with a human."
"You're good, kid," Shift told her. "And he is doing us one hell of a favor. Don't forget that part."
She nodded meekly and Shift left, slipping out of the room as easily as he'd entered. When Sal turned back to Blaz, he was watching her carefully.
"Look at your shoulder," she commanded.
Without a word, he did. The punctures and tears from her teeth were little more than red lines on the skin. He touched his lip gently then touched it again, surprised when the pressure caused no pain.
"You're scared?" he asked her softly.
It was not what she'd expected him to say. Sal flicked her ears forward and cocked her head, trying to follow his line of thinking. He smiled weakly.
"Let’s go back a bit." He pulled himself from the chair and grabbed the bottle. "I'm freaking out just a little bit, Sal. When I offered to help you dispel some rumors, I never thought I'd end up in the mouth of an iliri. Can we call a truce long enough for me to stop shaking?"
"Yeah," she agreed.
Blaz sucked back the glass of rum and filled another. "I plan to get drunk enough to think this was some hallucination. I don't think it will work, though."
"Probably not."
He nodded, defeated, and put the lid back on the bottle. Slowly, he turned back to face her but made no effort to return to his chair. "I felt like I was falling, the worst vertigo I've ever had."
"Lasts a few breaths, but it's not a lot of fun."
"I still heard what you said. I don't know how you knew he was coming, or where he was, but I'm gonna just let that go. I heard what you both said. You're scared."
"I spent most of my life as the pet of a human. Not all the Blades have, and I wouldn't ever wish to see any of them in chains."
"You mean as slaves, right?"
She ducked her head but nodded. "Yeah. It always happens like that. They think they found something special, so they put us in chains and say it's to keep us safe. Not all of us can escape from that."
"But some can. Ok. And if I breathe a word of this, someone somewhere along the line might say something that could be heard by the wrong person, and you're worried it will, I dunno... something bad will happen?"
"Yeah." Sal rubbed at her ears. "Let’s say I could cure impotence. My owner figures that out. Do you think he's going to ignore it or sell my services to his friends?"
"But they couldn't make you do it, could they?"
She lifted her chin. "It's amazing what you will do when you haven't eaten in a week."
"Fuck." Blaz turned away.
He nodded, his back to her, and reached back for his glass, taking another long drink. With a shuddering breath, he wiped at his face before making his way back to his chair.
"Can you make me forget?"
"No."
"How do you do it? I mean, I was going to put that blade in you if you tried anything, but then I," he shook his head, and rubbed at his face again. "I didn't want you to stop."
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I decide that you'll give in and you do. I didn't even know I did it until a few months ago, but it’s in the histories."
"And Shift heals?"
"We aren't talking about Shift," she warned him.
"Fair enough. How fast can you move, Sal?"
"Twitch response is pretty fast. I can change direction, knock a blade from your hand, or dart behind you as fast as your eye can track, sometimes faster. It's a single move though. I can't run the speed of a horse or anything like that. We're just made different. The more iliri we are, the more we get."
"Does it work?"
"What?"
"Does it cure impotence?"
"No," she told him. "I can force your body to respond to me, but only to me. It never works for anything else."
He nodded. "I can't touch a woman without thinking o
f her, ya know? You're different, but it's because you scare the piss out of me half the time. I knew that to kill the rumors, I'd need to at least kiss you in public, and I've spent the last two days worrying about it, wondering if I'd chicken out at the last minute." He chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think I'm ever going to be able to move on."
"What's holding you back? Do you think Jiesa would want you mourning her this long?"
"No. I know better than that. I'm just so scared that I'll forget her." He rubbed at his face yet again and refused to look at her. "I bought her a ring. I hadn't given it to her yet, but I'd bought it. We had two more runs, and then a week off, and I thought we could celebrate. I had it all planned out. A secret wedding, promises just between us, and the only hint would be a ring with a blue stone that could easily be explained away. I buried her with it."
"I'm so sorry."
"Me too. Don't fuck around, Sal. You never know when you won't have a tomorrow with someone. It hurts more than any wound I've ever taken on the field. It hurts so bad, I can't move on. I can't stop thinking about it, ever. That's why I asked. I hoped that maybe you all had a way to fix me."
"Practice?" Sal shrugged. "The way you just set this up, you're going to have to be pretty physical with me outside this room."
He laughed. "Not my best plan. I'm not gonna say shit about the iliri. If Razor got put in chains, she'd fucking haunt me. That, and I actually do like you. You're as mean as a damned mare in heat, but I like you. I never have to wonder where I stand with you. You should probably tell your unit that. Sounds like they're all worried, or will be."
"Yeah."
Cautiously, he reached for her arm, lightly resting his palm across it. "I know what it's like to be scared. I know what it's like to be alone. I don't care how sharp your teeth are, how little pigment your eyes have, or any of that crap. We're elites. We're on the same side, and right now, as far as I care, that means keeping this from the bastards who are willing to let some steel cross a mountain to prove humans are better." He dipped his head to look at her eyes. "I swear. I'm not going to say anything that will put a citizen of my country in chains."