Dahlia rose, the wound from where she’d ripped the metal construct out of her leg burned. “I’m going to have this wound closed up. After that I am at your disposal should you have any need.”
Borreal winced and nodded and she left.
Once her leg had been healed by one of the members of the infirmary she returned to her barrack to find Sabir overseeing Rezzi setting explosive traps in a pattern around their area. She swelled with pride for her team.
Sabir reported that Genji had set multiple covers that would trigger at any of the barrack member’s command and Raschel had created traps in the woods by creating giant holes and then laying a thin, tight layer of rock that would crumble if someone stepped onto it. Dahlia sent Nel off with a report to the other Captains to instruct them to announce themselves before going through the area around her barrack. With their training in the past this hadn’t been an unusual request so there was a chance not too many people would read into it. Dahlia retreated to her room to clean, straighten, and purge the negative energy that had collected there from the intrusion. She was relieved to find her team had had someone take care of the bodies and any blood. The barracks employed servants to clean and to care for the soldiers. An unlucky one must have been corralled for this task. At least she didn’t have to deal with it.
Then she went to her garden and ran through her rituals to focus and prepare herself for work. She knelt down and pulled off another of the bands she wore on her fingers. Melee tools were not her strong suit but last night had proven that she needed to stop using it as an excuse and better prepare. Had Kenny not been there it would have been a hell of a fight. She’d have been willing to flip a coin as to whether she could have alerted her lieutenants and had them arrive in time if she had been alone and woken up thirty seconds later. If they’d gotten the construct on her before she’d woken up it would have been game over for her, no question, even if she’d had the tool she was currently working into her band.
Into the ring she poured and shaped energy into a pattern that would scatter any energy poured through it rather than concentrate it as her other band did. The structure required did not come as easily to her and by the time she had it in place she could feel sweat beading on the back of her neck. But she did complete it and the construct felt solid. Then she held it in place as she performed the familiar pattern of rooting the energy into the ring. The connection she built was intricate and she used considerable strength to seal it against time and energies that would cause it to unravel. By the time she was done the sun had fully run its course and had begun to set. The silver band glowed with the twining patterns of energy creating a small light in the night.
Dahlia slipped the band back onto her finger then allowed herself to lay in the grass where she dropped off to sleep, unable to resist the demand of her mind and body for rest after the extended exertion.
She woke as dawn’s light fell across her face. So much for checking on the second shift, she thought. After everything that had happened it had fallen pretty far down her priorities list. She didn’t have any idea if Sabir and Arreal had managed it either. The barrack was on high alert after the previous night anyways.
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed off some of the dew that clung to her. She made her way silently back to her room, listening to the creatures around the barrack stirring. There she discarded the now-damp wrap she’d been wearing since the previous night and replaced it with pants and tunic.
As the sun began to climb she meditated: taking poses to balance and renew the energy in her body. The calming flow of the practice became a balm to aching limbs and worn nerves. She felt her energy rise, remove blocks that had formed, and flow freely. She focused inward, centering her awareness. The different parts of her psyche united, whole again. As she opened her eyes and rose, ready to meet the day, she felt renewed. Her step was light and confident as she strapped on her weapons and went out to face whatever was thrown at her.
Chapter Twenty Five
She met her barrack at breakfast and, ulterior motive in mind, led them to the training ground for a light practice. She wanted them warmed up and loose but not tired. Plus, she hadn’t had a chance to work with the chains Kenny had given her yet. While her barrack members paired off she choose a space with a good bit of distance around her and unsheathed her axes. With minimal effort she linked the chains together, creating a single chain running between the two weapons. She started slow, getting the feel for how the chain expanded and contracted as she moved the weapons around. She felt a very light touch against her mind. They seemed linked to her intentions, anticipating her movements and adjusting the length in order to minimize her risk of tangling it. She was even more impressed than she’d originally been with the gift. Made out of the same material as her weapons, the jet chains were strong and added barely any weight.
She moved the weapons faster, releasing one, pulling it back to wrap around her body, up her back, then it shot forward and slammed into the ground as she brought the momentum down by twisting her shoulders and dropping to one knee.
Smooth as liquid, the chains poured over her skin as she grabbed the chain, pulled the ax back and disconnected them back into two pieces. They fell from her back and snaked up her forearms. The chains seemed to contract and aid the return so that her light ax flew back with barely any effort.
Thrilled with the performance, Dahlia worked with them a while more until she felt her muscles begin to burn. She didn’t want to overtax herself either so she reluctantly sheathed her weapons. Her barrack, who had all been watching out of the corner of their eyes, quickly shifted back to focus on their partners. She suppressed a smile. If they’d been less obvious about it she probably wouldn’t have noticed. She called an end to the training anyways and led them back with instructions that they were to stick close to the barrack. If they were needed she didn’t want to lose time tracking them down.
She settled into her office with a strong tea, a notebook, and an exceedingly dry book on the history of psychic abilities. Some of the accomplishments were fascinating. She’d pulled the concept for the new tool she had woven into to her ring from the book, in fact. The writer’s precision in documenting minute details and explaining where the record had come from and its reliability was useful in attempting to recreate some of the feats but he also had a remarkable gift to make even the most incredible cases seem boring.
She first documented her process with the ring from the previous day in her notebook then turned to the history book. She was struggling through a section on a man who had been able to communicate with fish despite the interference of running water when a knock on her door shattered her focus.
“Come in,” she called out, marking her place and closing the book. The man with the fish could wait.
A messenger hurried in and bowed low, “Captain DeMorra, your immediate presence is requested in the meeting hall.”
Dahlia left the tea and the book, strapped on her sheathed weapons, and headed towards the meeting hall.
Again all the captains had been summoned. Her eyes lit on Kenny where he stood leaning against the wall, feigning disinterest as usual. She could feel his focus on the atmosphere around him. She pulled her eyes away and tried to ignore the sensations running through her his presence caused. Borreal had been right, some part of her seemed to pull darkness and danger towards her. The comfort she’d started to feel around Kenny should have been sending up warning signs. Being insane enough to lust after him was stupid enough, letting her guard down was even worse. Especially after what she’d felt in him the night in the trees. She wasn’t worried about him hurting her. She was scared of what she felt him bringing out in her.
She searched for Borreal, hoping his presence could instill some sanity in her, and joined him towards the front of the room. He looked concerned.
“Do you know what this is about?” Dahlia asked him in a low voice.
“Enemy scouts were spotted about an hour ago.”
; Dahlia fell silent. Scouts meant that a full force was likely a day behind.
When all captains were present, Mazaran again mounted the podium.
“Our perimeter guards discovered enemy scouts in the area. I think you all know that there is now a strong chance a fight will be coming to our doorstep.”
“Captain Horan and Captain Ravin, you will take your scouts and locate the enemy forces. Report back without taking the risk of approaching. Captain Jenue, see that our defenses are in place and that the announcement system is secure. Captain Makier, see to the guard shifts. The rest of you are to prepare your barracks to fight and await my instructions.”
The captains bowed, acknowledging the instructions and the dismissal. As she turned to leave, Dahlia saw Kenny talking to Horan nearby. Borreal placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wait.”
Mazaran approached them. “Captain Borreal, Captain DeMorra.” Both captains inclined their heads.
“We are to assume that Captain DeMorra will be targeted in this attack. As we do not know why or how all we can do is be prepared. If there is any way to work out the enemy’s goal before the attack begins that would be critical. Captain Borreal, I leave the matter in your capable hands. Captain DeMorra, it would seem that the enemy has been keeping tabs on your movements. It would be better if you altered them for the duration of this. I would suggest keeping in contact with the captains around your barrack so one of them is alerted if something goes awry.”
She bowed as he walked away then she left with Borreal. She was not pleased with Mazaran’s insinuation that she needed another captain to keep her safe. What annoyed her even more was that she knew he hadn’t meant it that way and that it was good advice.
Borreal sensed her irritation and let her be. She reported back to her team and spent a good portion of the day reviewing defense scenarios with them. All the traps they’d built were still in place and she released them to check and enhance them.
She ate a late meal in the garden with her torches illuminating the carefully cultivated flowers and foliage in the dark. She savored the calm before the storm, more precious for its end drawing near. She let her mind drift and the scent of the earth and the greenery filled her nose.
She shot to her feet as a dark form dropped over the walls.
“Kenny! Can’t you knock or cough or something like everyone else?”
He gathered her in his massive arms and pressed his lips hungrily to hers. “Come with me.” She sensed the predator excited behind his flat, black eyes.
“What? Now?” She didn’t understand.
“Yes, I located them today. We can take out some on the edges of their camp. In the dark, it’ll be fun.”
“Something tells me Mazaran didn’t ok this.”
Kenny laughed, low and deep.She felt the sound vibrate through her. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. And he told you to change it up and stick with another captain. Who’s better than me?” He grinned like a child with a new toy.
That struck a chord and a wicked fire lit inside her heart. These men had targeted her, hunted her, tried to make her afraid. Mazaran had told her to hide, to give in to that fear. Kenny had asked her to turn the tables, fight back, make them afraid.
“I’ll go with you,” she heard herself say.
Kenny stroked his hands down her sides. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said, feeling a strange calm settle over her, vicious and deadly.
Kenny released her and the sense of predator increased ten fold. Still she stood calm, watching as the man began to change. His fingers lengthened and grew talons as his skin turned black. He crouched forward as his arms lengthened and his legs bent. Two horns curled out of his forehead as his face lengthened into a snout filled with razor teeth. Bat wings snapped out around him. Scales began to shine over his skin and he grew to over seven feet tall. A dragon crouched before her, a demon in its true form.
Shocked, she approached as Kenny’s eye’s watched her from the dragon’s face. There were stories of dragons and stories of were-creatures but never of a man who took the form of a dragon. Dragons had died out eons ago, now only living in legends. They were supposed to have been huge beasts, powerful and nearly impossible to kill. They had intelligence rivaling that of a man but strange, alien ethics and understanding of the world.
Seeing what had been hidden behind his eyes Dahlia felt nothing but interest which chilled her. She should have been terrified but she couldn’t find the reaction in herself. Borreal’s warning about dangerous people and situations danced through her mind but she couldn’t make it stick. She wanted this.
She followed the pull of her mind towards him. He watched her carefully as she approached, gauging her reaction. She ran her hand down his neck and he leaned into her hand with a pleased rumble. The scales were surprisingly warm and supple. The same flat black as his eyes. She didn’t doubt they’d be nearly impossible to pierce.
“I’ll carry you.” She heard Kenny’s voice, much lower and rougher. She wasn’t sure how he formed the words.
She nodded, grabbed her axes, and threw herself onto his back. The giant wings snapped around them as they lifted out of the garden and into the sky.
Chapter Twenty Six
She hadn’t given any thought to the guards but the strokes of his wings were surprisingly quiet and his black form faded into the dark sky. Once they were high enough anyone looking up would have seen only a shadow on the sky.
The night air so high up was cool against her skin but his scales remained warm. She felt the thrill of wind rushing through her hair as they chased over the trees and occasional open field. As she adjusted to the new sensation, she wondered how far they’d be going. The scouts were often far ahead of the actual force. Roughly an hour had passed when she saw fires on the horizon, dotted among the trees, centered on a rough path. Kenny banked to the left and began to descend on silent wings.
He alighted about a quarter mile from the fires and switched to running on four feet as silently as he’d flown. She felt powerful muscles shift under her and the trees flashed by. She’d suspected he could see better than her in the dark but to go this speed he must be able to see the same as in daylight.
Within minutes he slowed down and she sensed men nearby. They were on the edge of the camp in an area off the path that was sheltered by trees. She couldn’t have hoped for a better hunting ground. It was unfortunate for the troops that their way wound through the forest.
Kenny had targeted a group of three men around a campfire. The rest of their squad slept in tents nearby. She reached out and gently dulled their attention one at a time then drew one of her axes from its sheath, holding on tight to his shoulder with the other.
“Ready,” she hissed.
Kenny launched himself at two while she jumped off his back and brought her ax down on the third before he had time to react. She felt her senses sharpen and everything around her became somehow more real, as though she was waking from the fog of a dream. Blood pooled softly in the moonlight as a flicker from the fire sent ruby red gleams through it. Shadows danced, coming alive as they battled with the red glow. The weight of her ax in her hand felt more solid. She felt alive. She turned to find Kenny back at her side. The other two men lay still behind him, their bodies bloody and bent at impossible angles. Their blood shone softly on his hands and streaked across his face. She felt the adrenaline pounding in her ears as her body sung from the exertion. She met his eyes and saw her exhilaration mirrored there as she ran her hand tenderly down his neck to grip his shoulder and swing onto his back. Then he darted back into the trees. The whole thing had taken less than thirty seconds and had been done in almost complete silence.
They ran through the trees; death circling the enemy camp. Dahlia savoured the night air, now tinged with the metallic scent of blood. She could feel Kenny’s fluid movements beneath her as he chose their next prey. She savored the wild energy coursing through her body, tasting the anticipation of the next encoun
ter.
The next squad on the edge of the camp had five men around the fire. She summoned two puppets into the tree above them, energy flowing out from her hand. Focusing for a moment, she placed the same dulling fog over the men’s attention. Then she and Kenny shot in as the puppets dropped silently onto their quarry. Death was almost instant, with no time for shouts or cries. With a wave the puppets vanished and Dahlia and Kenny ducked back into the cover of the forest, leaving the broken bodies around the fire.
They struck twice more, as quiet as the shadows and deadly as the reaper himself. Dahlia’s eyes glowed as she buried her ax into another soldier and saw Kenny sink razor sharp teeth into a man’s throat. As he dropped the man his ears swiveled towards the direction they’d come. She swung onto his back once again and he took off so fast she could only see blurs of the objects moving around her.
“They found some of the men,” his low voice growled once they were far enough away to avoid being heard. Dahlia sheathed her ax and held on tightly as he launched himself towards the sky and began to circle back towards their barracks. Below she began to hear cries of alarm as their work was discovered but they were gone before their enemies began their search in earnest.
Dahlia savoured the feel of the night around her, the cool air mixed with the warmth of the creature beneath her as they flew. As they approached the perimeter of the barracks she felt Kenny descend. About fifteen feet from the ground Dahlia felt as he began to shift under her. He twisted out of her grip and rolled onto his back, still underneath her. She let out a cry of fear as he gathered her tightly in his arms and they fell freely towards the unforgiving earth below. They hit the ground hard with his body shielding her from impact then tumbled across the grass as he held her close until they came to a stop. He rolled over on top of her, pinning her beneath him.
“You are fucking insane!” She shouted, her heart still in her throat.
“You didn’t think I’d let a little drop like that hurt you? I told you we’d have fun.” He chuckled, his voice still a low growl, close to the dragon’s.
Dahlia: A Novel of Dark Desire Page 14