“I wanted to say goodbye to him.” She caressed the side of the horse’s head.
Her father frowned. “Doesn’t seem like he’s ready to say goodbye.”
“It’s too late.”
“How so? He’s here. You’re here. You like him. He seems to like you.”
Ashni was about to object. Then Midnight Thunder rested his head on her narrow shoulders. Okay, so maybe he liked her.
“Then why are you such a jerk?” she asked, like the horse could answer. He snorted in reply.
“Sometimes, it might seem like someone doesn’t like you or you might be an acquired taste, though it seems like you’ve grown on him. It happens. I grew on your mother, like a fungus she likes to say.”
Ashni snickered. “She calls you mold sometimes.”
“Yeah, I’m her mold.” He threw his shoulders back, proud. “Maybe you’re the demon horse’s mold. More than that, never say it’s too late to save somebody. It’s never too late. It’s a matter of wanting to or not.”
Ashni swallowed. He was right. She wanted to save Midnight Thunder, except she wanted him to want her as well. “Okay, you jerk horse. I’ll save you. But after I save you, you’re either going to start treating me like a friend or I’m not coming back here, okay?” she asked, and the damn horse actually nodded.
Her father laughed. “That’s right. Try to do the right thing for someone, and also for yourself. You’re coming along nicely, kid.” She beamed back.
Midnight Thunder treated Ashni like he knew she saved his life. He trained with her, and it was then she became known as the Chosen One. The gods had to have picked Ashni for something, not because she wielded lightning, but because she tamed the demon horse no one else could.
***
Being outmaneuvered using promises of mass murder was horrible and having to endure Asad touching her the next morning at breakfast was almost enough to make Nakia call his bluff. Except with the way Layla practically laid down for him, Nakia was all too aware Asad’s words were no bluff. They had fought the wrong war and lost. It was time to regroup.
The moment Nakia could get away from Asad, she called Layla and Adira down to Ashni's resting room. Adira brought Saniyah with her, but Bashira hadn’t been home yesterday. We have to get her back from Jay.
“What’s your plan?” Layla asked, sitting in the corner with a scowl. “I’ve thought of five hundred ways to kill him, and none of them save Tariq.”
Adira shook her head. “He most certainly has standing orders to put Tariq and surrounding areas to slaughter should something happen to him.”
Layla punched the floor. “And I’m just going to let a void eat Jay if he hurts Bashira. She doesn’t have shit to do with this!”
“I will destroy Jay just for disrespecting Bashira.” Adira’s voice was dangerous, promising. “She’s a fucking Roshan noble.”
Saniyah held up her hand. “Please, let’s think of something rational and that has a chance of working. We owe that to Bashira.”
Nakia sighed. “We could contact Thia. It was one thing when this was just about kingdoms, but I don't think she’d leave me to be harmed.”
“Put out feelers. Don’t play the hand too quickly, though,” Adira said.
Nakia nodded. She didn’t want to risk Thia jumping in before they had all the facts. Wicus would never forgive Nakia if she set up a losing battle for him.
“What can we do about Bashira? I won’t stand for her being used against us.” Saniyah visibly shook. Adira wrapped her arms around Saniyah, who tore away from her for one second and then buried herself in Adira in the next. Adira held her close.
Nakia’s eyes drifted to Ashni and her stomach twisted. Will I get to embrace her again? Samar’s voice brought her back to the topic at hand.
“Jay can easily die in his sleep,” Samar said casually, as if just passing on a fact. It wasn’t surprising. There were many tales of Samar putting enemies to sleep.
“No, we don’t know how the Empress might react if we assassinate her child. I mean, yes, she likes all of us well enough, but we know how she feels about her children,” Adira said.
Layla’s lip curled. “And she’d know it was us. I doubt there’d be any hesitation.”
“No, there wouldn’t.” Badar frowned at Samar. Samar ignored him.
“Well, I can’t just leave her hostage to a brute,” Saniyah said, tears building in the corner of her eyes before she could wipe them away.
“None of us can.” Layla motioned around the room. Even Varaza nodded. She’d been on her job of guarding Ashni, sometimes even forgetting to eat.
Bashira was too well loved for them to let this go by. Nakia didn’t want to imagine what horrors Jay might be capable of. Her skin crawled.
“We’ll get her back.” Nakia took Ashni’s hand. It was firmer than usual and warm to the touch, which made her start. Is this a good thing? “Should Ashni’s hand be this warm?”
Samar waved her off. “Her body temperature has been rising and falling for a few hours now. I’m not sure why. That’s not in any of the notes the barbarians gave and nothing I’m reading about explains it.”
Of course it means nothing. Nakia’s shoulders dropped. “We planned wrong. Adira, what can you tell me about Jay and Asad? Maybe we can come up with something.”
Adira shook her head. “I don’t know them as well as I know Amal. Amal was always being a pest, but Asad mostly keeps to himself. If he was with anyone, it’s Jay, and they stay in their kingdoms. I can’t think of a time when they plotted against Ashni.”
“Once the Amir died and land was split, they went their own ways,” Saniyah said.
Adira scratched her cheek as she thought. “Asad spent more time with Jay than his own twin when I first met them.”
“You said Jay was the real demon between them. Why?” Nakia asked.
Adira, a hardened general who lost her eye in a war, actually trembled. “Jay’s the type of person who could kill you but would rather kill your child in front of you and then follow you around the rest of your life taunting you about it. Jay’s more poisoned than Ashni is right now. He’s just walking around spreading it to others.”
Badar nodded. “It was undoubtedly Jay’s idea to threaten our hometown, even though it’s in Asad’s territory.”
“Why would Asad be with him?” Nakia asked.
“I think Asad realizes being close to Jay is more advantageous to him as far as advancing and possibly gaining the throne. By Roshan standards, when Amal was out and about, it was strange for Asad to prefer Jay to his twin, even if Jay is the older brother. It’s also a little odd for Jay to drag a brother away from his twin.”
Nakia frowned. “What would you say about Asad?”
“He probably would have no problem killing Ashni, like Amal, though he seemed to be the type who would burn the palace down and everyone in it to get to Ashni. And apparently, he got that from Jay.”
“Asad’s unusual, but Jay’s a different creature altogether. The Amir could be vicious in battle, except it turned off when not in battle. Ashni has the same. From what I can tell, her brothers could be the same, though since they view us as enemies, it’s not turning off.”
Layla scoffed. “The Amir and Ashni wouldn’t ever go as far as these two. Asad would kill everyone in Tariq and salt the ruins.”
“And he’d view it as an act of war. For them, this is war,” Adira replied.
“Is there a line they won't cross?” Nakia wanted to know how much danger they were all in.
“I remember when the Amir died. There was talk of putting Jay on the throne, but he wouldn’t go against his mother, and there was talk of Asad as well. No one was worried about him bowing to the Empress,” Adira said.
That answer made Nakia’s stomach tighten. “So, he’s more like Amal in that instance.” Nakia glanced at Ashni—poisoned, grey—and couldn’t help thinking of years ago. “What if he’s more like Amal now?”
“You think he had something to
do with Ashni?” Layla asked.
“The timing is suspicious, and the barbarians who claimed they would help haven’t been much help,” Nakia replied.
Samar chewed on her lip. “I don’t think he has that much pull. Everything Adira got from the barbarians added up with Ashni’s symptoms. It’s just they expected the poison to kill her, like it would’ve done if she wasn’t a demi-god. Focus on the battle in front of you, not the poison.”
Good advice. Nakia wanted to approach Asad and Jay as vicious animals now. The only problem was these vicious animals happened to be the Empress’ offspring, so they couldn’t be down like mad dogs.
“Can we create a reason for them to go back home?” Nakia asked.
“Most of the things I can think of or know people can do might be brushed aside if they trust their own regents,” Adira said.
“Come up with a list. I’m thinking one of you should stand guard here,” Nakia said.
“With all due respect, I’m standing right here,” Samar said, arching an eyebrow.
“You’re here as a doctor. You worry about keeping Ashni healthy. Someone else should worry about defending her with Varaza. I wish it could be me,” Nakia replied.
Adira shook her head. “You have to keep an eye on Jay and Asad while maintaining control, even if they’re in command.”
Nakia nodded. They broke after Layla demanded first watch over Ashni. Nakia went to her room. Badar left her alone, not wanting to invade her privacy. Nakia liked to think she was safe in her room but found out otherwise as she found Asad waiting just inside of her door. Keep him at an arm’s length.
“What can I do for you?” Nakia asked with a forced smile that hurt her face.
Asad smirked. “Well, I was hoping we'd be able to discuss your transferring power to me and my brother."
“That’s a matter to discuss in the light of day in the Grand Hall.” Not that it was ever going to happen. She intended to keep stalling him.
His eyes danced with mischief. “I was hoping to discuss it now, although if you’d rather wait until morning, I could fill my time with seeing your sister. She seemed to like me.”
“You stay the hell away from my sister,” Nakia said. She might not trust Saffi, but she’d die for her. Saffi deserved peace, and Nakia would do anything to give her that.
Asad chuckled. “Maybe I'll go tell her that.”
“Leave my sister alone.” Nakia glared at him, trying to set him on fire. She didn’t care what type of monster he was. She’d slay him before she allowed him to touch a hair on Saffi’s head.
“Then perhaps you should invite me into your chambers.” He put his hand on her elbow.
“You’re already in here and it’s improper.” She yanked her elbow away. Servants scurried around in the background, heads down.
He shrugged. “I’ll have my servants bring your sister to me, then. They deserve some fun after so much travel time.”
Nakia’s chest tightened, and her jaw tensed. She took a deep breath. “Please, come in.”
He looked outright crocodilian. She had lost again. Now, he knew how much she valued her sister.
They entered her main room, and the servants paused to stare. She waved them off, sitting on her favorite pillow and gesturing to her most uncomfortable seat for Asad. The pillow was flat, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. He had a servant bring them red wine, and then spent the next half hour sipping wine and staring at her. Nakia spent that time refraining from throwing her wine in his face.
“This was fun.” He rubbed her knee. She desperately wanted to slap the grin right off his face but couldn’t risk her sister getting hurt. “Let’s do it again sometime.”
And then he was gone.
Unable to contain her anger any longer, Nakia yelled and flung the cup. It shattered against the wall and dripped red onto the floor.
***
Fourteen-year-old Ashni was a sight to behold. Lanky, mostly made of elbows and knees, and wearing a helm that barely fit her head. Standing next to her brothers as they prepared for battle, she looked like a wooden slide toy.
Jay looked like a full-grown warrior. With his height, he towered over their father. Jay looked like he could wrestle a bear, which he had almost done when he joined the Bear warrior Guild. He had lost his spear for a moment in the match but managed to collect it again and down went his bear brother. He never seemed too broken up about it.
Jay’s armor was clearly custom made while Ashni had pretty much the same armor as any member of the rank and file. Jay could afford the armor from money built up from over two years of riding with their father. Ashni would have to earn the same.
Asad and Amal weren’t as convincing as Jay was, though they still had her beat. Glistening, polished armor. Helmets that fit their heads and swords rather than spears. Proper weapons for royalty.
“Ashni,” her father said, clapping her on the shoulder. The force pushed her forward a bit and she had to adjust her helmet. “I want you to meet someone. You could learn a lot from her.”
Ashni nodded. They stepped inside his tent, and she stood face to face with a woman decked out in the best armor with her helmet tucked under her arm. Her hair was short but pulled into a tight braided ponytail at the nape of the neck. She stared down at Ashni with one dark, intense eye. A scar closed the other.
“Adira, I want you to meet Ashni.” Her father pushed Ashni forward.
Adira groaned and curled her lip a little. “Another one of your spawn.”
Ashni frowned. “How do you know?”
“You have his eyes.” Adira stepped forward.
Ashni wasn’t sure what to think of Adira. The seriousness of her gaze spoke of her being a seasoned warrior. It probably helped that Adira thought she looked like Khalid. No one else ever thought that.
Adira glared at her father, no fear at all. “I’m not babysitting.”
“I'm not asking you to. I’ve got Ashni, and I want her to know she should watch you. And you should be aware of her. This kid has potential.” Her father patted Ashni's shoulder.
“You say that about all your kids.”
He shrugged. “I believe it. That’s why I tell them all to watch you. You’ll show them the next level.”
Adira snorted. “Try not to kill the kid. I have to move my unit into position.” She marched out of the tent.
“Come on, Ashni. Let’s go get you some battle experience.” Her father clapped and moved out.
At first, Ashni feared her first battle would involve just sitting on Midnight Thunder and observing the chaos. Her father hadn’t placed her anywhere, beyond the back row of cavalry. As it turned out, Midnight Thunder had his own plans and made a break for the fray.
“Ashni!” She heard the muffled voice of her father.
For a moment, Ashni considered pulling his reins, but why? She had trained for this and killed Tau for this. Dirt, grass, mud, and smoke were everywhere. Her eyes watered. Her lungs burned. But she was alert enough to cut down any enemy who dared to wander too close.
At first anyway.
Midnight Thunder took a spear to the side and reared back, throwing her. She yelped as she spilled to the ground. Her ears rang, but she was aware enough to block a sword coming down on her. Her spear was almost cut in half. A soldier loomed over her. Throwing out a hand, she pushed lightning free and dropped that soldier plus several others behind him.
Ashni climbed to her feet and backed people up with her lightning until she had good footing. Soaked in sweat, her hair stuck to her face. She had no idea where her helmet was. She had no idea where her horse was.
“Ashni! There you are.” Her father ran over to her. “Do you have any idea what your mother would do to me if you died in battle?”
She refused to admit this was an accident, although he was sort of right. Her mother would probably skin her father alive if something happened to any one of the children. “I wanted to be in the battle, not babysat by you.”
He laughed, but
his lip wobbled a bit. “Obviously I should’ve waited before introducing you to Adira.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Come. We’ll get cleaned and checked on before celebrating our victory.”
Ashni nodded and followed her father. Her blood pumped from the fight, and she was surprised to discover she was covered in scratches. She didn’t remember being touched, but she had to get stitches in several different places. Her father laughed as he stood by her, but it sounded like sobbing. Once she was bandaged, he left her alone to confer with his generals. She went to get cleaned up.
“Looks like you lost the horse and much of your blood on the battlefield. You should be more careful with your things,” Asad said as they were eating victory dinner later that night. A few battles later, he actually tried to steal Midnight Thunder and when he couldn’t get away with that, he tried to poison her horse. She hadn’t told anyone about it, and when she confronted him, Jay came to his defense, promising her if she bothered Asad about “nonsense” again, she’d end up eating that horse.
Jay shook his head. “You’re clearly not ready for war. The gods have cursed you and will curse us because you’re here.”
“Based on a few scratches?” Adira asked as she flopped down on the closest pillow. “At least she didn’t get stabbed her first time out.” Her gaze drifted to Asad.
The way her brothers glared at Adira made Ashni more intrigued with her. Jay’s face flushed to the point where it seemed like a blood vessel burst in his face. “How dare you sit with us, fishmonger.”
“Sterlings never mix with barbarians,” Asad said. Ashni wrinkled her nose at the term sterling. She didn’t see why her brothers used it. They weren’t original Roshan either. Their mother was once a barbarian. Her old trainer was once a barbarian as well. Once absorbed into the Empire, though, they were as Roshan as anyone.
“Your father invited me to sit here.” Adira ate a date with a smug smile.
At that moment, their father came up and clapped Adira on the back. Adira gagged and choked. Adira coughed and sputtered until the date flew out of her mouth. She glared at him, and he grinned.
Blood Rain (Warrior Class Book 3) Page 14