by Thomas Green
Lucas nodded. “You’ve done well. Go rest and I will take it from here.”
With puzzled looks, the healers left while Miranda threw Lucas a questioning glare, unable to speak.
Lucas sat down next to her. “Luna is healed. She can’t move due to backlash, but once she recovers from that, she will be fine.” He started withdrawing his tools from his soul chamber, a scalpel, tweezers, stapler, clamp, half-face mask, and a white apron.
Miranda’s eyes went wide.
Lucas put on the apron, mask, and gloves. “I will repair your lung by performing a procedure called stapled pulmonary tractotomy. Normally, it’s done in a team while the patient is heavily sedated, but I have neither the team nor the sedatives, so it’s going to be long and excessively painful.”
Miranda closed her eyes, and Lucas started.
35
Luna
Luna woke up wreathed in pain and cold. Her entire body felt frozen to the point where opening her eyes was a struggle. She forced herself to do so and looked around.
She lay within a large tent filled by stretchers, each of which housed a wounded soldier. The smell of blood and body fluids punched her nose, making her retch. Luna tried to ignore the stench and stood up.
While the excruciating pain informed her of the foolishness of her decision, she did it anyway, for not seeing Miranda next to her was the bigger problem.
A young nurse rushed to her and caught her under her shoulder. “Be careful there, young lady. You aren’t nearly ready to walk yet.”
Luna shook her head, focused on her frozen throat, and squeezed out, “I need to see… General Darkscream.”
She sighed while Luna pierced her with her gaze. “I will take you there.” She half led, half carried Luna through the tent, outside to another one, where Miranda lay on a stretcher while Lucas sat nearby on a stool. He had his hand raised up, and his blood flew through his arm into hers through a transparent tube. He threw her a questioning look while Miranda slept.
Luna thanked the nurse and collapsed onto a stool at the other side of the bed, staring at Miranda, who was wrapped in bandages but breathed steadily. She tried to speak, but couldn’t, so she caught the stretcher and slid to the side to hold Miranda onto herself before she fell asleep.
***
The scent of myrrh and a gentle touch on her face woke Luna up. As she opened her eyes, Miranda’s face was in front of hers, her emerald eyes piercing Luna’s soul while Lucas was gone.
As tears snuck into Luna’s eyes, she smiled and wrapped her arms around Miranda for a soft hug. “I’m sorry. I remember now.”
Miranda descended for a long, lingering kiss that sent Luna’s heart pumping and a swarm of butterflies into her stomach. “We need to talk.”
Luna smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say as the words stunned her.
“With what parts do you block a sword strike? Hmm?”
“Errr…”
“Well?”
Luna’s cheeks caught red. “It was a spur of a moment. I was afraid she would kill you, so I did the first thing I could.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow. “Is that what they taught you at the navy? To block swords with your head?”
Luna tried to catch her for a kiss to shut her up.
Miranda dodged the clumsy attempt. “Nice try. So?”
Luna sighed. “No. I’m sorry, I—”
“What did I tell you about apologizing? Hmm?”
“That it’s pathetic.”
Miranda caught Luna’s head from the sides to force her to keep her gaze. “Then why are you still doing it?”
Luna exhaled and relaxed her body. “I’m happy you are fine.”
“How else should I be?”
“You didn’t look fine after the beating we got from Kayleanne.”
Miranda clicked her tongue. “The beating you got from Kayleanne. I had a few flesh wounds, nothing serious.”
Luna arched an eyebrow. “Which is why you have the blood-soaked bandages all over your body with most blood gathered around where Kayleanne ran her sword through you?”
Miranda froze for a second. “That was a flesh wound.”
“A flesh wound Lucas spent the entire night fixing.”
“Anyway.” Miranda caught her for a long kiss, her soft, warm lips feeding Luna with heat. “Now, back to the original topic, because I’m not done with you yet. What the hell was the deal with you charging Kayleanne like an idiot? Do you have a death wish or something?”
Luna’s eyes widened, for the anger in Miranda’s eyes was genuine. “It was a good strategy. I can take the most punishment, so it makes sense for me to charge into her face to attract her attention.”
“Do I look like I give a fuck about that? Well?” Miranda’s gaze turned murderous. “Because I fucking don’t. You are not supposed to get hit, for any reason, ever. And definitely not on purpose. Understand?”
Luna’s voice became weak, stuttering. The pure rage that seeped out of Miranda both hurt her and filled her with warmth. “I’m sorry, but I was trying to win.”
“Oh, you should be sorry. More than sorry! And don’t think I’m angry because we lost, because I would be even angrier if we had won. You cannot let yourself get hit, understand?”
“Okay.”
Miranda sneered. “Don’t you okay me, Lunariel! If I ever see you getting hit on purpose, no matter the reason, I will lock you in a cage for a year, and I dare you to try me.”
As she failed to find better words, Luna smiled. “Sure.”
Miranda appeared as if she would start breathing fire, but the tent opened, and Merewen entered. Her head was wrapped in bandages to the point where only one eye and a small hole for the nose were visible. She laughed when she saw them. “If you two doves are done pecking your beaks, we’ve got a chance to catch Lucas to ask some questions.”
Miranda pierced Luna with a sharp stare but started getting up. “We will continue later, understand?”
Luna watched her rise, enjoying the view of her lean body before she also pushed herself to her feet. Her knees failed her, but Miranda caught her before she fell.
Merewen led them behind the main tent where Lucas stood above a wounded soldier, stitching a gash on his leg. Their timing was perfect, for he finished before they reached him.
Lucas turned his head, blinked a few times, and then glowered at them. “I have the feeling I won’t like this conversation.”
“What was your first guess?” Merewen stepped forward to him. “Outside, now.”
He shrugged and walked, holding himself by whatever he could as his knees were too wobbly to walk straight. Once they found a quiet spot, Merewen straightened to tower above him. “What is your relationship to Kayleanne?”
“Where does that come from?”
“She uses the same pattern of strengthening you do. The only way two people can use such similar manifestation is that one taught it to the other.”
Lucas forced out a fake smile. “She was my apprentice once.”
Luna couldn’t help herself but return his smile. This was why he didn’t kill Kayleanne himself. He couldn’t.
Merewen did not seem to be appeased by the answer. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t deem it relevant.”
Merewen frowned. “How is the knowledge of her abilities irrelevant?”
“What abilities?” Lucas arched an eyebrow. “Last time I checked, she was so devoid of talent she could never learn anything more than strengthening and sword fighting.”
Merewen and Miranda froze.
Luna grinned, warmth and happiness bursting through her so strongly she had to bite her lip not to scream. But she still defeated us. Daniel was right because not having a super-powerful aether manifestation clearly isn’t an issue.
Merewen stretched her neck, her joints popping. “All right, I get that there is something to this I don’t want to know. What I do want to know, however, is where this comes from.” She took
a few steps back, closed her eye, and feathery wings wreathed in flames burst out of her back. “I couldn’t do this yesterday.”
“You could. You merely didn’t need to.” Lucas straightened his back. Despite being smaller than Luna or Merewen, he gave an overwhelming feeling, as if he towered above them being the size of a mountain.
Luna blinked, and the feeling vanished.
Lucas stretched his limbs. “From some point, the only way to grow is by facing powerful opponents. That is how it has always been for Tsal Sanui, a member of whom you are.”
Miranda’s eyes narrowed. “Tsal Sanui?”
“The Children of the Sun. In human terms, angels and devils. Merewen is the former while Kayleanne the latter.”
“What am I then?” Miranda asked and a pair of curved horns sprouted from her forehead.
“Just like all Sil Haen, you are a hybrid between a Tsal Sanui and a human. Now, if we are done with biology, I have orders for you.”
Miranda made the horns disappear while Merewen withdrew her wings.
Lucas threw them a commanding glare. “You two will take the northern army, lay siege to Spalding and kill Kayleanne while rescuing Prince Raven, who she has likely taken as a hostage. The priority is the kill, so refuse all her attempts to negotiate. A dead prince next to a dead demon princess is an acceptable outcome.”
“Yes, sir,” Merewen and Miranda answered in unison.
“I will take the two companies from the 4th Legion and head south to resolve the war with the Storm Pirates.”
Miranda frowned. “What about Luna?”
Lucas shrugged. “I don’t remember her commanding officer, Lieutenant Redeye, filing a request for her discharge or reassignment, so she will go with her company.”
Luna stared at him, mouth wide open, unsure what to think or feel.
Miranda clicked her tongue. “Really? You throw at me a formality?”
Lucas laughed. “That’s rich, coming from a general who just failed her assignment.”
Merewen and Miranda looked into the ground, not finding correct words.
Lucas soulstepped out of sight.
Luna caught Miranda from behind into a firm hug. “We should still have at least a couple of days.”
She nodded while Merewen spun to walk away.
***
Miranda and Luna took refuge in the nearby forest, away from sight. After wonderful hours of enjoying each other’s presence and exchanging what transpired during their separation, Miranda rolled to lie on Luna’s chest. She pierced her with her emerald eyes. “Now, we need to continue our earlier talk.”
I was hoping she would forget. Luna formed an awkward smile. “Come on, darling, we have already gone through it.”
“Oh, no, dear, you seem to have misunderstood what I meant.” She traced the deep scar that led from Luna’s shoulder to her waist. “This looks like a former mortal wound, but one not from the fight with Kayleanne.” Miranda cleared the hair from the side of Luna’s head, touching the circular scars. “Or these, they look like something with spikes made them.”
Luna gulped. “I may have been in a few fights.”
“Or how about this one?” Miranda softly traced the scar on Luna’s neck with her lips. “It looks like someone tried to behead you.”
“I may have been in more than a few fights.”
Miranda clicked her tongue. “No matter how I look at these scars, I can’t avoid the conclusion that you didn’t particularly care about receiving those wounds.”
Luna’s heart shot into her mouth. “That’s not true! I always try to dodge!”
“Do you? Because from what I saw, you don’t bother with trivial things like blocking, parrying or dodging.”
Luna looked to the side. “Maybe.”
“That needs to change.” Miranda’s voice turned ice cold. “I don’t care how little you value yourself, how much you think you can die or whatever insecurities make you fight like there would be no tomorrow. I care, and I will not accept this. Understand?”
Luna smiled and nodded.
Miranda sneered. “For real, Lunariel, the next time we meet, I expect to see no new scars on you.”
“I will try.”
“That’s not good enough,” Miranda snapped. “Promise me you will start being careful.”
“I promise.”
“Seriously. The image of how you were after the last fight makes me fear to fall asleep, because I know I will see it.”
Wait a second… I don’t have nightmares when I sleep with her. Tears crawled up to Luna’s eyes as she hugged her tightly, latching onto her for a long kiss. “I promise I will start being careful.”
“Good.” Miranda smiled. “Beware though, for I will be excessively vengeful if you look like a corpse stitched from a hundred other bodies the next time we meet. And don’t bother trying to learn how to heal scars, because I will have Beatrice watch you and report to me everything.”
Luna’s eyes widened. “Beatrice… that’s Captain Hellwind, isn’t it?”
“Yes. We go way back, and she will do this for me, perfectly. So be a good girl, behave, and return to me in one piece when this war is over.”
36
Lucas
Lucas strolled to the tent where he left Zoey. Gallen, Benedict, and Vincent sat sleeping on the stools by the walls while she lay tied to the stretcher.
Lucas stepped above her and put his hand in front of her mouth. When he felt her steady breath on his fingers, he smiled and left.
Astril and Zerae were still in the tent where he left them, both asleep. He gently removed the needles from their arms to hide the catheter into his soul chamber.
Zerae grunted, awakening.
Lucas sat down next to her. “Don’t shout.”
She forced her eyelids open, staring at him with wide eyes. “Dreamwalker?”
He smiled. “I promised Astril I would help your hands heal, but I first need to examine if your body is functioning correctly.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Shouldn’t that be done by a medic?”
“I had done my share of medicine before. Try moving your limbs, one by one.”
She did.
He softly hit the bottom of her knee, making her leg jerk upward. “Do you see clearly?”
“Yes.”
After he stood up, he motioned with his hand to make a jar of dark-red substance appear next to her. “I will remove the melted steel and leather from your arms, and replace it with… this.” He motioned to the jar.
Her expression remained cold and severe. “What is, this?”
“Demon tissue, which will naturally blend into your body, recreating your skin and muscles.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Why would demon tissue work on me?”
“Because you are a Sil Haen.”
She sighed. “I would have asked how does that make me compatible with demon tissue, but I have the feeling you know about us more than we do and do not feel like sharing.”
He caught the first piece of the melted leather with tweezers and pulled it out, ripping it out of her skin. Zerae had to grit her teeth not to shout with pain while tears shot up to her eyes.
Lucas rubbed the dark-red substance into the wound. “I forgot to mention it’s going to hurt, a lot.”
Zerae gulped but kept her voice steady. “So, what happens after we are done here?”
“You go back to the southern force while I join my southern army. You keep being my spy until the end of the war while I ensure we kill as few Sil Haen as possible.”
Zerae sighed. “I will also need a large favor from you.”
Lucas shook his head. “I don’t give those. But I will clear the debt you have to Salazar should the war end the way I desire.”
“Did you kill Kayleanne and Ebilezerhar?”
“I killed the snake, but not the crane.”
She smiled but had to grit her teeth again to withstand the pain as Lucas ripped another piece of melted leather from her flesh
. He finished the procedure on both arms, returning them to their former shape and beauty.
Lucas rose. “This should be it for now.”
Zerae sighed. “I suppose you don’t plan to tell me what the awkward thing that hangs between us is?”
Lucas pulled a cigar from out of his soul chamber, put it into his mouth, lit it with his steel contraption, breathed in the smoke, and exhaled through his nose.
Zerae froze with her mouth gaping.
Lucas raised an eyebrow at her, but she was unable to speak. “Have fun.” He shrugged and left. The forest surrounding the medical camp welcomed him with a fresh breeze. Once the camp disappeared out of sight, he stopped bothering to force back the pain and limped forward. Beneath the chirping birds, he dragged himself away until he found a cave in a dry gully. He slid down, seeing the cave was empty.
He sat down by the side, finished his cigar, and pushed the aether out of his body back into its place. The trick he so often used to keep himself going no matter what had a disadvantage. Once he stopped, the body remembered its abuse.
Cold blasted through him. His stomach had enough, making him vomit onto the ground before him. As he retched, his every muscle contracted in a spasm, causing him to contort while screaming with pain. He twisted on the ground, rolling in his vomit, wailing with pain. The seizures didn’t want to stop. But all he could do was to endure them. He spent hours screaming with pain while shaking in the icy spasms before he finally fell unconscious.
***
Lucas woke up cold, coiled up by the side of the cave. Beneath the moonless sky, a large fire blazed in front of the entrance. Light smoke filled the air while the heat pierced through the veil of cold that held him in its grasp. He rolled over, realizing he was wrapped in clean bandages while his clothes hung on a rope dangling near the fire, drying. What the hell? He tried to stand up, but the explosion of pain his body sent as an answer changed his mind. Despite the maddening pain, he turned to see better. Luna sat by the fire, roasting a chunk of meat she had pierced on a spear.