Their Battle Lord's Sacrifice (The Battle Lord Saga Book 7)

by Linda Mooney

  The man’s face paled. “Do you believe there could be more of them still here?”

  “If there are, we need to find them now, before they realize we’re on to them and make a run for it.” Getting to her feet, she waved off the body. “Have someone bury it. We can’t let the smell draw two- or four-legged flies.”

  She exited the lodge and paused as she inhaled the crisp air. Her skin and clothes stank to the point where she knew she needed a good scrubbing. Paas waited nearby, hesitant to approach because of the stench. Atty motioned for her to keep her distance. “Take Mistelle to Keelor. I’m not holding her again until I’ve rid myself of this crap.” Glancing down at herself, she muttered, “I may have to burn these clothes.”

  As Paas left to seek out Atty’s sister, Paxton returned with several Mutah warriors. Like her, he also reeked from their brief time inside the lodge. Faintly, Atty wondered if the stench could be removed from the building, or if they would be forced to abandon and torch the structure.

  She shoved the state of her clothing aside for the moment. “I want everyone in the compound brought to the square immediately. Everyone.”

  “Children, too?” one warrior questioned.

  Atty gave him a hard stare. “Everyone. I don’t care if they’re young, old, male, female, native to Wallis, or not. I want them gathered there and I want it done within the next ten minutes.” She turned to Paxton. “I need as many soldiers as you can muster and still leave the wall fortified. But those you leave on the wall can only be from Alta Novis, understood?”

  Paxton sharply saluted, then he and the warriors rushed off.

  Atty sniffed herself. Nothing short of a hot bath and shampoo would rid herself of the noxious odor that clung to her, but at the moment she couldn’t spare the time.

  She ran to the center of the compound where people were already gathered. Climbing on top of a table, she scrutinized the faces, recognizing some, not recognizing others. One of the aftereffects of forging the treaties with Wallis and the other Mutah compounds was an influx of Mutah moving between compounds. Even Alta Novis had seen an increase in its population. These people were among the hundreds of hopefuls who felt they were no longer relegated to living their lives within the confines of one fortress. That they had the freedom now to move elsewhere. Yes, there remained some pockets of hostility between the two groups, but those were few and far between. Most understood it would take longer than a few short years to eradicate the hatred and mistrust that had been fostered for the past few hundred years.

  She also had to take into account that the Bloods who had insinuated themselves into the compounds could, for the most part, have been seeking asylum. Could. But she wasn’t going to bet on it. Oorlas’ attack on her didn’t bolster that supposition. Neither did the missing Corcora and Atty’s vanished laundry.

  The crowd grew bigger. The murmuring swelled. Eventually Paxton signaled to her that all Mutah had been gathered. Spotting Twoson Pike standing on the fringes, she motioned for him to come forward, then turned to address the populace.

  “Good people of Wallis, most of you know me personally. Some of you have known me all my life. But there are some of you who’ve only heard about me, and to those, let me introduce myself. My name is Atrilan Ferran D’Jacques, but I answer to Atty. I am the Battle Lady of Alta Novis, as well as several other compounds. My husband is Yulen D’Jacques, the Battle Lord. And, yes, he is a Normal. I am Mutah, and I will prove it to you now.”

  Although she knew her blue hair would make her stand out as being one of them, she drew her dagger and sliced a thin line down the side of her arm. Reddish blood oozed from the cut, which she held up for all to see.

  “Last night we were attacked by Bloods, during which one of us, or a person we assumed was one of us, tried to attack from within. He’s dead now, but we discovered something we’ve never realized until then. The man who called himself Oorlas was not Mutah. He was a Blood. He used the fact that he blended in with us to insinuate himself within this compound. There is another who I believe is also a Blood. She calls herself Corcora. We’ve tried to find her, but she’s now missing. At first I tried to tell myself that these two people sought refuge from the Bloods within our walls. But after Oorlas attacked me, and Corcora went missing, I believe they deliberately infiltrated us for nefarious reasons. And this is why I’ve called all of you here, because I also believe there could be other Bloods still among us. And if there are, I’m going to ferret you out right here, right now.”

  She waved Twoson forward. “Give me your arm.”

  Twoson lifted an eyebrow at her but didn’t hesitate. Atty drew the tip of her Ballock down the side of his arm, just enough to draw blood. Seeing the redness, she took him by the wrist and held it up. “This is how we will determine who is and isn’t Mutah. Every one of you will be pricked for us to see the color of your blood. And for those of you who—”

  A sudden roar came from the crowd. She could see shoving and struggling coming from a group of people standing near one of the big oak trees. She realized someone, perhaps more than one person, was trying to make his way out of the crowd, but the villagers were packed too close together.

  Paxton had his men burrow their way through the masses to reach the instigator. Atty kept her eyes on what appeared to be one man trying to fight his way out of the crowd. As one of her soldiers reached the man, he unexpectedly leaped upward, grabbed one of the branches of the tree, and swung himself onto a limb. Without thinking about her actions, Atty hefted her dagger and threw it as hard as she could. The man stiffened as the big blade sunk up to the hilt into his back. He tried to reach for the next branch, but his arms no longer worked. After a few more seconds, the man toppled to the ground as people backed away to give room for the soldiers to surround him.

  “Nice aim, Atty,” Twoson remarked with a drawl. “Since he was the only one who tried that stunt, what do you want to bet he’s the only mole we had left?”

  She gave him the side eye. “I’m not taking that bet, Twoson.”

  “Why not?”

  “We still have over three hundred people to test. Until that’s done, I’m not making any predictions.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, she jumped off the table and went to retrieve her weapon.

  Chapter 18

  Alarm

  It didn’t take as long for everyone to be tested as she thought it would. She was surprised at how smoothly and quickly the entire examination process flowed. Many of the Mutah voluntarily cut their own arms before they reached the soldiers to be examined. Atty also noticed how the children pricked their fingers to show their red blood. In the end, the only person suspected of being a Blood was the man being held in custody. A quick slit into his arm verified the fact that he wasn’t one of them.

  “When do you want to question him?” Paxton came up behind her, his hand moving restlessly on the hilt of his sword.

  Atty studied at the man lying on the ground bound and gagged. The Blood was still alive but bleeding heavily. Gilter, the compound’s Mutah physician, was applying a compress to the wound to momentarily stabilize the man. At one point the Blood gave her a defiant, hateful stare, which reminded her of a phrase her father often used. If looks could kill.

  A Mutah warrior returned her Ballock to her after cleaning it off. Regardless, she sniffed the weapon and winced. It would also need a good soaping.

  “Warren, this one’s all yours.” She turned and gave her second a weary smile. “I’m going back to my tent to wash off this foul odor. Then I’m going to retrieve my daughter so I can cuddle her. When I’m done, I’ll get with you to find out what you’ve discovered so far.” She gave him a pat on the shoulder, sniffed, and wrinkled her nose at him. “You might want to do the same thing.”

  Paxton grinned. “Which one? Bathe? Or cuddle an infant?”

  Chuckling, Atty raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m waiting for the day you come to me to tell me you’ve found someone to love and start a family with
.”

  The second bowed his head, his cheeks flaming. But she noticed there was also a twinkle in his eye when he looked up at her. “I haven’t given up that hope, either.” He gave a signal to two guards, who grabbed the Blood by the arms and half-carried, half-dragged him away with Gilter leading the way to his clinic.

  Keelor approached her, gently rocking Mistelle in her arms. The young woman appeared concerned but not fearful. She got within a short distance and paused when Atty held up her arm to stop her.

  “I’m going to take a quick bath and have someone burn these clothes. I don’t dare take her from you when I smell like this. I’ll come get Mistelle when I’m done. How’s she doing?” She bent close to the babe without touching her, and cooed at her. Mistelle wrinkled her nose as she stared at her mother, making Atty chuckle.

  “I changed her nappie after Paas dropped her off with me. I think she’s getting a bit cranky,” Keelor told her.

  “It’s getting close to feeding time. Will you be okay watching her until I find you?”

  Her sister nodded. “I’ll be at Naraya’s.”

  Atty hurried to her tent. Once inside, she placed a bowl of water on a brazier to warm it and stripped. Unsure what to do about her reeking clothes, she left them by the tent flap, making a mental note to have someone get them and either burn or bury the contaminated articles. Stepping behind a privacy curtain, she washed her hair and scrubbed herself until she could no longer smell the noxious odor on her skin.

  The tent’s overly warm interior was beginning to make her drowsy as she felt her muscles relax, unwinding from the stress. The warm suds rolled down her breasts, tickling her sensitive nipples. Atty clutched herself and closed her eyes as feelings that had been dormant slowly unfurled within her. Tickling her between her legs. Raising a pool of heat in her lower abdomen. After Mattox’s birth, it had been many weeks before she’d felt any desire to resume making love to her husband. But Mistelle’s birth had not been as traumatic. Combined with her own natural ability to heal quickly, she was surprised, but not surprised, to realize those needs were already returning.

  The last time she and Yulen had made love was while they were still at Alta Novis. When they were caught in the wondrous throes of pheromone poisoning during her first trimester. It seemed eons ago.

  I miss you, my Yul. I miss your wisdom, your intelligence, your judgment. I miss your guidance and your strength. More than that, I miss your smile. I miss your touch. I miss your kisses.

  She took a deep, shaky breath. There were no tears, only sadness. She didn’t dare try to imagine a future without him. She couldn’t. She was grateful for the time she and Yulen had already shared. She was thankful for the two children she’d borne, considering how reluctant she’d initially been to get pregnant. If she was to never see him again, she knew she would mourn for the rest of her life. But during that time, she would also do everything she could to continue his legacy, their legacy. She would teach their son and daughter how to protect and defend Alta Novis and all the compounds flying the D’Jacques blue and red banner. It would be the least she could do. But for now, all she could do was wait. Wait for whatever their future held for them. Or wait for the inevitable.

  Fear.

  Atty started, her eyes flying open.

  Terror.

  Bile rose in her throat at the intensity of the emotion.

  A mist passed before her face. A vision came to her. It was Cole Mastin. A close-up of his face. His eyes mirrored the same panic. The same almost-resigned horror, like a man awaiting a death blow.

  And then it vanished, but the sickening feeling remained, boiling like acid in the back of her throat.

  She hurried to dry off and redress. Her heart hammered in her chest.

  Yulen? Yulen, what’s wrong? What’s happening?

  She drew her bow over her head and secured her weapons belt around her waist, her movements automatic. Grabbing her quiver, she launched herself from her tent, but she stopped outside the flap.

  What was she going to do? Where was she going to go?

  Shutting her eyes again, Atty reached deeper inside herself, hoping to reestablish that connection with her husband. Waiting and wishing it remained between them.

  Atty. My beloved Atty. Please hear me. Atty!

  “Yulen!”

  He had reached out to her, pleading, begging. She didn’t sense any physical pain, but he had deliberately called to her.

  He needed her, and she had no choice but to answer him.

  I’m coming, my beloved! I’m coming!

  Although she had no plan or idea of what to do next, she knew she couldn’t remain here and wait any longer. Yulen would not have opened himself up to her unless he was facing dire circumstances.

  Grabbing the first soldier she came across, she gave him direct orders to assemble twenty men. “Have them meet me here in the courtyard with supplies and their horses immediately!” Without explaining further, she ran for the clinic to fetch Paxton. After which, she went in search of her sister to let her know she was leaving Wallis within the hour.

  And taking the baby with her.

  Chapter 19

  Reaction

  “What? No!”

  Despite Keelor’s protests, Atty took the baby from her and settled the infant into her carrier.

  “Atty, you’re going to get yourself killed! And the baby, too!”

  Atty halted to face her sister. “I don’t expect you to understand, Kee. Yulen is my life. He is my reason for living.”

  “But why take Mistelle with you? She’ll only weigh you down!” Keelor wrung her hands in frustration and looked to Paxton to help back her. “This is crazy talk! Warren, tell her she’s going to get of them both killed!”

  Something in Keelor’s voice made Atty pause. Turning, she glanced at her sister, then at her second to find them exchanging glances. An undercurrent of emotion flowed between them, and when realization hit her, it struck like a club to the side of her head. But instead of saying anything about it, she went back to making sure her saddle was cinched up tightly on the mare.

  “I may question Atty’s actions at times, but I’ve never doubted her motives,” Paxton informed the young woman. “If she says Yulen’s in trouble and called to her for help, I believe her one hundred percent. And I’ll be right beside her to go after him.”

  “But, to take Mistelle? Why would you deliberately endanger your child?”

  Atty abruptly turned to confront her sibling once more, making sure Keelor saw and understood her determination. “How do we know for certain that Bloods won’t infiltrate or overtake this compound while I’m away? I have a connection with my children almost the same way I can feel my husband. I cannot be miles away fighting for him and with him, and be struck with the knowledge that my baby has been killed. Don’t think I made this decision lightly, but I trust my instincts and my abilities to protect this babe far better than if I left her here. Plus, she still needs my milk.” Atty tapped her chest for emphasis. “Not long after Mattox was born, our compound was overtaken by Yulen’s half-brother. I sent our son away, thinking it would save him, but we both suffered. I can’t begin to explain to you how much we both suffered. I will never make that mistake again.”

  “Atty!”

  A shout drew Atty’s attention to the Mutah warrior running up to her. “Word is you’re leaving Wallis to go after the Battle Lord.”

  “That’s right, Serphus. Did you get your orders saying we’re leaving you in charge of the troops here?”

  The man bobbed his head. “Yes, but I’d rather be going with you.”

  Smiling, Atty grabbed the man’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “I would be honored to have you with us, but I need someone I trust to handle the reinforcements here. If Balinkar feels you are best qualified to lead our hunters and warriors in his absence, so do I. Can I count on you?”

  The man gave another nod. “I’ll not let you down. Safe passage, Atty. To you and the Battle Lord.”


  She thanked him as Paxton motioned behind her. “We’ll be at the east gate when you’re ready.”

  “I won’t be long,” she promised and turned back to Keelor as the second hurried away.

  The two sisters stared at each other for several seconds, until Keelor held out a small package. The young woman was trying not to break down, but her trembling lower lip betrayed her feelings.

  “Here’s extra nappies and another outfit. Trusha made it, and I think it’ll be too big on Mistelle, but at least you have another clean outfit for her.” Before Atty could put the items into her saddlebag, Keelor wrapped her arms around her sister and held her tightly. Her whole body shook as she fought the tears. “I can’t lose you just when I found you.”

  Hugging her with one arm, Atty placed a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “You aren’t losing me.”

  “You don’t know that. You can’t promise me that.” Keelor reared back to stare at her accusingly. Her eyes were red with unshed tears. “You’re all the family I have left.”

  Atty tried to give her a comforting smile and tucked a strand of hair behind one fairy-winged ear. “Kee, whatever fate holds for us, we must face it with dignity and bravery. But beyond that, we must fight for those we hold most dear. For those we love beyond measure. Yulen is my heart and my very existence. He is my deepest and only love. You, Mattox, and Mistelle are a part of me, and I will give my life to protect you. But you must understand that I cannot sit idly by when my husband calls to me, no more than I could ignore the cries of my children when they are hungry, or hurt, or need my attention. You will stay here until it is safe for you to come to Alta Novis. I don’t know how long that will be, but when it is, I will send someone to fetch you and bring you there.” Giving her sister a kiss on the forehead, she disengaged herself from the woman’s embrace, wrapped the reins around her hand, and led the mare to the east gate where Paxton and the others were waiting.

  “Which direction?” her second inquired. “Are we heading for a specific compound? Or going straight to Alta Novis?”