Defiance (Rise of the Iliri Book 3)

by Auryn Hadley

  Sal clamped her bloody hand over his mouth, silencing his cries. When the first wave passed, he met her eyes again. His gaze was filled with appreciation, and his mind reached out for hers. She met him, and the next wave of healing split the pain between them.

  "Fucking berserkers," Risk panted. "One more."

  Sal nodded and braced for it. The burning of the healing scorched her nerves through Jase's mind, driving her deeper into her desire. When the flare of healing ebbed, Sal could no longer restrain her needs. She pulled Jase to her, his hands tangling in her hair, and they growled as their mouths met. Everything around them was secondary to the needs of their bodies. Jase tore at her armor and Sal nipped at his lips.

  "Sal," Risk hissed. "Sal, get off the damned battlefield!" With a snarl, she looked at him, but the healer pointed to the field. "Kaisae, look around. You can't have him here."

  That would cause problems. Humans wouldn't understand. Somehow, they struggled to their feet, and Sal aimed Jase toward his mare. Now that his body was healed, he mounted easily but waited for her before the pair raced toward the woods. They weren't alone. Groups of grauori did the same while others roamed across the wasteland of bodies. Risk sighed and turned to the young man beside him.

  "You just put a lance through my brother. You're damned lucky to be alive right now, so stop grinning at me like an ape and do exactly what I tell you. My patience with your kind is wearing pretty thin right about now. You understand, human?"

  Eyes wide, the boy nodded.

  Chapter 40

  "Don't do that to me again, Jase," Sal said, laying satiated beside him on the forest floor.

  He smiled down at her, brushing leaves from her hair. "Never thought I'd hear ya beg me na ta screw ya," he teased.

  She pushed him onto his back, nipping his shoulder lovingly. "I mean take a lance for me."

  Jase sighed. "That, na. I can na promise ya that." He pulled her closer and kissed her gently, meeting her pale eyes. "I would die fer ya, kitten and na regret a thing. Jus' remember that, ok?"

  Sal shook her head slowly. "No. I couldn't live without you, Jase. No dying for me. I'll share your pain, I'll share your pleasure, and if you die, I'll share your death."

  He smiled up at her, pushing a lock of hair beneath her ear. "Nah, ya will na. I already told Blaec, and ya know he will na let ya." He kissed her again, their lips just brushing. "The world needs ya, Sal. The iliri need ya. The grauori need ya. They need LT, too."

  "But I need you." She laid her head on his shoulder and pulled herself against him. "Jase, you don't understand. Without you, I'm lost. I don't know how to be iliri without you. I don't know how to be Kaisae without you. Everything I do, I do because you look at me with pride, or you smile when I get it right. I was raised to be human, killer. Ayati, nevermind that I love you so much. I nearly killed that kid – even when he surrendered."

  "I know, kitten, but ya did na. He was scared. That's why I took the hit, ya know? His mind hit me so hard, and I did na expect it."

  "Do I need to cover you completely next time? You can't get locked in a reading in the middle of battle, love."

  "Is that an upgrade? From killer ta love? And ya know I allus get readings."

  She cocked her head to the side in a feeble shrug. "I know, Jase. I know you just read me, too. But 'love' fits you when you're gentle, and you've been a lot less feral lately."

  "Fair 'nough." He climbed to his feet, offering his hand. Then, after lifting her up, he brushed the leaves from her naked body and pulled twigs from her hair. "Remind me ta pack a blanket in the packs before the next battle?"

  Sal tried to smother a giggle. "I think I actually had one, but we never manage to think of it at the time. Give us a little blood and we really do turn into beasts with just one thing on our minds. Ok. So what do we do with the prisoners?"

  "I do na know. Anglia killed 'em, before. Does na help our plans to sway the world, though. Either way, I gotta get ya back." An impish smile flickered across his lips. "Na matter how much I wanna keep ya out here alone."

  He was right. She couldn't keep ignoring her responsibilities for the pleasures of the moment. As a lowly Corporal in the Conglomerate army, it didn't matter what she did, but as the Kaisae? Her time was no longer her own. Rummaging through the leaves, the pair found their discarded uniforms, but the heavy resin plates were no longer necessary. They bundled their armor together. The mounts could carry the weight of it back. As Sal strained to reach the top of her mare's back, she felt Jase's arms wrap around her.

  "Yer too short fer that," he whispered in her ear, pressing her between himself and Arden as he tied the gear into place. When the pack was secure, he turned her to him, then traced the line of her jaw with his hand. "I do love ya, kitten. Cessivi. Do ya know what that one is?"

  Sal shook her head. "You've said it before, but you never gave me a chance to ask."

  "It's the word fer two souls that are one. Souls that are na complete unless they're together. Cessivi means yer my other half, kitten."

  "I am, Jase," she promised. "Don't forget it, and don't ever make me go on without you. Ok?"

  "There's only one way I can promise ya that."

  From the tone of his voice, she knew what he was offering was serious. "How?"

  "Ta never drop the link between us." He looked away, a shy and wistful expression on his face. "It's na all good, though."

  "I never expect things to be." She gently turned his head back to her. "You swore you'd never let me go."

  For a moment, his eyes searched hers, then he barely nodded. "Never. Jus' do na pull yer mind from mine, and I will allus be here. Now c'mon, cessivi, let's head back. I have a feeling yer gonna be in high demand."

  Jase lifted her into the saddle, kissing her leg before mounting Raven. She hoped that Dom and Ilija would realize why she hadn't returned immediately. Otherwise things could get awkward. But Blaec was there. He'd take care of any questions.

  Side by side, they turned their mares toward the Anglian camp. The sound of carrion birds drifted to them from the battlefield. The sugar of so much human blood smelled like incense on the breeze. Before they reached the army encampment, they crossed another swath of Terran corpses.

  "I think they lost," Jase said.

  "Yeah. I don't see many of ours in there, either." Sal stood in the stirrups to look farther. "How bad do you think our casualties were?"

  "No way ta know. Ya wanna stop by the medical tents first or deal with the prisoners?"

  "Medical tents, I think. Let's make sure there's no problems between species."

  Jase jerked his chin in the direction they should go, and side by side, the iliri rode into camp. Soldiers moved from the path, some melancholy, but most were celebrating. When they saw her, they all cheered. Like a bubble of hope, the sound waded through the soldiers alongside her.

  "We kicked their asses," a man called to her. "Good fight, Kaisae!"

  "How many did we lose?" Jase asked him.

  "Twenty-one!" The soldier was grinning.

  Sal's mouth fell open. "That's it?"

  "Yeah," another soldier yelled over. "The wolves healed the rest up. Only ones we lost died instantly. I think someone said a few wolves died, but I dunno."

  Sal nodded at him then looked at the crowd. "Anyone know how many grauori?"

  Seven, Hwa thought, his pale form slipping in beside her.

  "Just seven? That's twenty-eight Anglians to almost six thousand Terrans?" Sal looked at Jase in shock. He gaped back. She'd hoped for victory, but that? It was almost impossible!

  Hwa huffed at her reaction. Humans broke the Terran lines in many places to get the grauori injured inside and to the healers. Rragri asked me to have you give accolades to a man named Dalyr Trant. He saved her mate and took a mauling for it. The healers said he'll have scars.

  "Ok, let's deal with that first. Anything else?"

  Not for now. Dom wants you to see him when you're done. He doesn't know what to do with the prison
ers.

  Ok, she said, I'm going to need Blaec's help for that.

  I'll let him know. Here's the human tent, Kaisae, Hwa said, flicking his eyes to the canvas building.

  Sal dismounted and gestured for a soldier to take her horse. "She's rested, but would you find someone to take her to the picket lines?"

  "Yes, Kaisae. I'd be happy to take yours too, Ahnor. Should I drop your tack at the Blade's camp?"

  Sal nodded. "Thank you, sir. Yeah, that'd be a huge help."

  Jase passed his reins to the soldier, then took Sal's hand. Lacing her fingers through his, she led him into the medical tent. When the smell of blood wafted over them, Jase's grip tightened. She patted his hand with her other but refused to let go.

  It didn't take long before a doctor stopped to greet them. "Kaisae. Ahnor. Can I help you?" She recognized him from earlier in the day.

  "I'm looking for a soldier. Dalyr Trant?"

  "Yes, sir. He's over here. The grauori tore him up pretty good." She followed the doctor through the aisles of pallets. Near the back, he pointed to a huddled form. "His mental wounds are more of a concern than his physical. It's going to take a while for him accept what's happened. That's why we had to sedate him. Please do not upset him, Kaisae."

  Jase turned to the man and offered his bare hand. With a confused look, the human clasped it – and Jase sucked in a breath. For a moment he did nothing. The doctor's brow creased, but the man made no attempt to pull free. After just a few seconds, Jase released the human and turned to Sal.

  They fear he's suicidal. Be gentle with him.

  Thanks for the warning. You going to be ok in here?

  I do na know. If na, I'll leave. Kitten, this man will need yer kinda help.

  But he's not iliri.

  Jase tilted his head slightly. When has tha' stopped ya? He's still yer pack.

  Yeah. He is. He was her soldier, so her responsibility, which was the same as her pack in so many ways. Sal knelt at the side of the maimed soldier. "Dalyr?" she whispered. The man murmured, and she called his name again, resting her hand on his arm. "Dalyr?"

  With a moan, he opened his eyes and rolled his face toward her, groggy from the drugs. "Kaisae?" he muttered, looking up at Jase. "Why is the Kaisae here?"

  "The grauori asked me to thank you. They're a proud people, Dalyr. Sounds like you did something to impress their Orassae." The soldier sighed and waved that away, glancing down at his memories. Sal caught his hand in her own. "You don't need to tell me, soldier. I just wanted to make sure you know how much your actions mattered. Rragri went out of her way to make sure I knew your name. You're a hero to them."

  "Really?" he asked, turning to look at her again. Sal saw the lines across his face, deep marks that would never truly heal. Beneath the scars, he'd been an attractive human.

  "Really. What rank are you, sir? What unit?"

  "Private, and I'm with the 19th infantry. The doctors said they saved my sword arm, but the shield arm..." She heard his voice pinch. "It may be a long time before I can use it properly. They said the muscle was torn off. And my face." He drew in a shuddering breath. "My face."

  Sal caressed the lines that ran from his eye to his mouth, waiting for his dark human eyes to find hers. "The grauori fixed your arm, it just needs to be worked now. What about your face, Dalyr?"

  "It's ruined, Kaisae. My girl won't want me like this." He tried to turn away from her.

  Sal grabbed his shoulder and gently lifted him toward her. "I have a shoulder, and it's yours as long as you need it, ok?" She glanced at Jase, and he nodded once before moving away. "Come here," she said, wrapping her arms around the wounded soldier.

  He tried to pull away. "Kaisae, I can't. Your uniform."

  "Has just been through hell and back. It's ok, Dalyr." He relaxed against her, and she caressed his face again, soothing more than his skin with her touch. "Do you doubt me?"

  He shook his head against her shoulder. "No, Kaisae. But you're iliri."

  "Does that mean I understand your pain less – or more? Scars are not something to be ashamed of. Jase is covered in them, and I have a share of my own. These," and Sal's finger traced the lines from the corner of his mouth toward his ear. "These will fade but never truly leave. Embrace them. In a year, they'll be no more than proof of your bravery," she said.

  "Will it take that long?"

  Sal shrugged. "I don't know. They will get better, though. The more you smile, the more they'll flex and the less they'll remind you of what happened. And you have one hell of a story to impress the ladies with, ya know that? Your girl won't be the only one to fawn over you." The scent of his anguish was fading.

  For a moment the soldier closed his eyes and relaxed into her. "I just thought I was doing the right thing. After your grauori spent so much time showing us how to fight unexpected attacks? I don't know. I guess I was trying to pay it back."

  "Then you succeeded." She concentrated on the pride this man should feel. "Anglia owes you. What you did? You saved the Ahnor of the grauori. Rragri will form an alliance with the humans now because you gained a few scars. Think about that. Those marks you wear? That's proof that you, and you alone, brought the humans and the grauori together. Maast, I've trained with them. I know what they're like in battle."

  Dalyr wiped at his face. "I saw him, a white one, all white, and he darted through the lines to save this new recruit. The Terrans had the guy cornered, ya know, and we couldn't get to him. But the wolf? He rushed them – and jumped on one. Another swung at him, and it was like a bad story. He axed his own man, but the wolf, he got hit bad, too. Fuck, Kaisae. Have you heard them scream?" He pulled away from her shoulder and looked up at her face.

  Sal nodded. "Sounds like a woman dying."

  "I called a push, and my squad got the new guy behind our line, and we took out those Terrans, but the wolf? He was hurt bad. I remembered what you said in the tent, about helping them, and I kept saying that word, ayte, and I tried to pick him up, but I think I hurt him."

  "It's our battle lust," Sal explained. "Pain makes us frenzy. I almost killed Colonel Vayu the same way. We can't help it when it's bad enough."

  The soldier bit at his lips and slowly bobbed his head, but her words couldn't break his memory. "Well, when I lifted him, he screamed again, like he was dying or shit. So I tried to run back to the med tents with him, but someone slammed into me, and I squeezed too hard, and he lost it. He started biting me. I grabbed his head, and his legs were dangling, and we made it here. Our wolf – Roo, right?" Sal nodded. "She growled something at him, and he just went limp. That's how I got him to the healers, but, I couldn't see from that eye. I thought I'd lost it."

  Sal rubbed his hand. "You may have, but they put you back together. That's what their healers do. They aren't perfect, and they leave scars, but they put you back together."

  Dalyr took a deep breath, then looked up into her eyes. "Is he ok? The wolf?"

  Roo? Is the Orassae available? Can you link me?

  I can, Roo replied, and Sal felt her perception shift.

  "Let me ask," Sal told the soldier.

  Kaisae, Rragri greeted her.

  Orassae. The soldier you asked me to see? He wants to know if your mate will be ok.

  A surge of appreciation flooded through her. Yes. He will be fine. He too will have a scar. Tell the human that whatever he wants, I am in his debt.

  Sal relayed that. "Rragri said that her mate will also have a scar, but he'll be fine. She wants you to know that she is personally in your debt."

  "You're talking with her? Now?"

  Sal tapped her temple. "Iliri and grauori can do this. Now, is there anything she can do for you?"

  "What's his name?" Dalyr asked. "I'd just, I dunno, I'd like to know his name."

  Rragri, the human wants to know your mate's name.

  It's Arrgro. If he will allow it, my Ahnor wishes to thank him personally.

  "His name is Arrgro, and he wants to thank you but isn't sure if you'
d see him," Sal told Dalyr.

  "I'd like that, actually. I dunno, Kaisae, it feels like it matters more if I can see he's ok."

  Sal passed that along to Rragri and closed the link between them. Then she shifted to her knees, preparing to stand. "The doctors said I'm not supposed to upset you, so I can't stay long. Rest for now. I know how much healing takes out of you. Ok?"

  The soldier nodded at her. "Ok." After a long pause, he asked, "You sure I'm not going to be ugly, Kaisae?"

  "Soldier, you've earned the right to call me Sal. And yes, I'm sure." She brushed his hair away from the scars and looked closely at them. "Before, I think you were pretty? With these, you look like a man, not a boy." Sal's voice changed to a gentle whisper, and she focused on how nice sleep would be for him. "Now, you look like the kind of man who deserves respect." She gently pressed the soldier back into his pallet. "Sleep, hero. You want to make a good impression on the Orassae." One last time she caressed the side of his face, pushing reassurance deep into the human's mind. Beneath her hand, he smiled, his eyes slipping closed.

  Chapter 41

  Sal stepped carefully between sleeping men, making her way to the door. Outside the tent, Jase would be waiting. She hadn't expected to influence that man's mind so easily. The trick had always been used by iliri women to cause blinding lust – as a defense. To her knowledge, she was the only Kaisae to ever make it something to help others. She hoped it lasted for more than the few seconds she'd touched the wounded man.

  "Kaisae," a voice called to her, and Sal stopped, seeing the human who'd taken her to Dalyr.

  "Yes, Doctor?"

  "Sorry, it's Kalev. Kalev Loke, and I was watching."

  She nodded at him. "He'll be ok, I think."

  Kalev nodded at her, "Yeah. Kaisae -"

  "Sal. You healed my men, the least you can do is call me Sal."

  He nodded. "Sal, that man, before you came? If his eyes were open, he was trying to end his life. He's due for sedation, but," he gestured to the man's bed, "he's sleeping. I thought I saw him smile, too."