by Leslie Chase
"Take Lady Gemma back to her room," he told them, then turned his attention back to me. "You will change your mind in a day or two, human."
We'll see about that, I thought, though I wished I'd eaten more of the meal. I was already feeling hungry by the time my escort took me out of the room.
22
Corvax
The deck of the Halloran rolled under me as the waves struck it, and around me the crew muttered nervously. Men and women who I'd seen leap into battle against a sea serpent held their breath. This was a hundred times as dangerous, and they knew it. That they'd agreed to this mad plan at all was a miracle.
At the horizon, the sheer cliffs of Perhar rose from the sea. And at their top, the castle of the Perhar Protector waited. We were hidden from them in the morning fog, but that wouldn't last.
"Any closer and their lookouts will see us for certain," Captain Orshak said quietly. "This close and it won't take long. Even one scout flying over..."
"I know," I said, gripping the hilt of my sword. "This will have to do."
It wasn't as close as I'd like. Once the Perhar were alerted to our presence, they'd have time to react — unlike their own lightning raid on my home. My fingers tightened their grip, knuckles going white as I thought about that dishonorable attack.
"You won't get away with this," Alishan said, struggling with the guard holding her. "My brother will kill you all."
I turned to her, face like thunder, and she shut her mouth with a snap. She'd lost her infuriating smile the moment that we'd taken her prisoner, and it hadn't reappeared yet. If this plan succeeded at nothing else, at least I had that.
Her capture had been easy enough. Despite her cunning, she'd assumed she was safe as long as her brother held Gemma, and the look on her face when I took her captive instead was one I'd treasure forever. Assuming my plan worked, anyway.
If it didn't, if it ended with Gemma's death — no. I couldn't think about that.
"Not sure why you brought the Perhar princess along," Orshak said. "Keeping her prisoner in your castle would give you leverage."
"No," I said, looking away from her. "No, it wouldn't. Ashir isn't the kind of man who'll change his plans because of a threat to his family. With us, though, she may have a use."
Alishan had guts, I'd give her that. Rather than shrinking away from me she glared, but she couldn't find it in her to argue. After a moment I turned away and looked at my assembled team. There weren't many of us, but it would have to be enough. There was no choice.
"If you try this and fail, it's over for you," Alishan said, a note of pleading creeping into her voice. "Your clan, too. You'll have no warriors left to defend yourselves, and my brother will take a terrible revenge on your people! It's not too late to turn back, to save the people you protect. Ashir doesn't even have to know that this happened."
"It was too late the moment your brother laid his hands on my mate," I said, and my guards murmured agreement. Gemma had only lived amongst us for a short while, but they all cared for her. Every one of them had volunteered for this mad mission, despite the risk. It warmed my heart and I smiled as I turned to them.
In the distance, a trade barge lumbered towards port. That was the signal, and it was nearly time to go. One last time I checked my weapons and the buckles of my wings. Around me the others did the same. One chance, one shot, it has to go right.
My only fear was that we might not reach Gemma in time. Ashir had already proved that he'd use her against me, and I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I gave him the chance. This time, though, I'd be ready. I wouldn't fail my mate again.
I watched the barge sail up to the dock. A scheduled shipment of off-world goods, it was the kind of treasure that the crew of the Halloran would usually be interested in seizing. Not today. This time when they'd intercepted it, I'd convinced them to go with a different plan.
Everyone on deck held their breath, including me. Even Alishan did, despite not knowing what was about to happen. She could feel the tension in the air as the seconds passed.
"Something's gone wrong," Prisha said as the seconds stretched. "Did your men fuck it up?"
As though that was the signal, a bright light filled the sky. The sound of the explosion followed moments later, a rumbling boom like thunder that shook the deck. Flames engulfed the barge, and I saw them glint from the wings of the attackers who'd taken off seconds before the blast.
Almost all of my forces had been aboard the trade ship, and now they were on the attack at the dock. In the chaos and fire and confusion, they'd do a lot of damage... but unless we did our part, they had no way to escape. They were relying on me and the pirates to get them a way out.
"That'll have their attention," I said. "Now we take advantage of it."
With that, I drew my sword and leaped from the ship. My wings snapped out, the engine in their harness catching and carrying me swiftly over the waves. My guards followed, as did the pirates, and we flew at top speed towards the shore. We had to take advantage of the Perhar's shock and surprise, or this was all for nothing.
The morning fog still hid us as we closed in on the cliff, and behind us the Halloran accelerated, engines roaring as it raced for the burning port. That would hold the attention of the enemy as we approached, and let them think they understood what was happening. Phase cannons roared from the castle, energy beams ripping into the sea as they tried to target the ship. A pirate attack on the port was the kind of danger that they were prepared for.
What I was doing wasn't. That was the only reason that it might work.
I pulled up into a climb, faster and closer to the cliff than was safe. If my wings so much as brushed it, I was dead. But if I flew at a safe distance, there was too much chance of the lookouts seeing me despite the distraction. I'd take the risk.
I'd take any risk for my Gemma.
Behind me, the others followed, slower and more cautious. I pulled ahead, impatient.
Above me someone called out an alarm. They'd seen us at last, but it was too late. I crested the wall of the castle and a blade slashed past me. The lookout had good reactions but a lousy aim.
I didn't give him a second chance. Landing with both feet on his chest, I drove my sword into his throat before he could recover. A half dozen guards faced me, shocked by my unexpected arrival. Their commander reacted first, grabbing for his communicator. Smart: there weren't enough guards left on the walls to stop us. Most would be on their way down to the port to face the attack there. That gave me my chance.
Hitting the harness release, I dropped my wings and charged. No going back now.
I threw my knife, the heavy blade catching the morning sun before it struck the officer in the neck. He fell back in spray of blood, dropping his communicator, alert unsent. Then I was in amongst the rest of them, my sword swinging. One of the guards fell with a slash across his face, another barely parried my blade only for my kick to take his feet out from under him.
A third swung for my neck and I ducked under the sword. A lunge buried my own in my attacker's chest and dropped him, but that left me vulnerable. Another guard slashed at me, for a moment I thought I'd taken on too many
Then my allies arrived. Prisha came first, releasing her wings to drop down on the guard threatening me. A long knife in each of her hands, she knocked him to the floor in a bloody flurry of stabbing. Captain Orshak was close behind her, roaring with delight as he buried his heavy spear in another of the guards. In seconds, we had the roof under control.
"More'll be here soon," Orshak shouted, sounding happier with that than he had any reason to be. "Go! Get your girl, we'll hold them off."
The old pirate grinned and gestured with his bloody spear, directing his men towards the castles guns. I nodded to him. This was as far as our alliance could carry us — his first duty was to protect his ship, and his second was to gather loot to pay his men. That was the deal we'd made.
The rest was up to me.
Smashing open the
door, I ran inside, my guards following. Somewhere in the fortress my Gemma was waiting for me to rescue her.
23
Gemma
I wasn't just going to wait around to be rescued.
The burning port lit up the sky to the south, and I knew deep down that it had to be Corvax. He'd come for me. I also knew that he was taking a huge chance. There were a lot of guards in the castle and the distraction wouldn't keep them busy for long. I might not know how many warriors Corvax had with him, but it couldn't be as many as Ashir had guarding his home.
And if he was going to take a chance coming to find me, I couldn't hide away and hope that he'd get here in time.
The door was locked, of course. After a moment's futile battering with my fist I looked around for a better way out, and saw the connecting door to Ashir's room. A quick check told me it was locked too, but it didn't look nearly as sturdy as the door to the corridor.
With a grin, I picked up a lamp from one of the tables. It was heavy, ornate iron inlaid with gold, and it had a pleasingly hefty feel as I swung it at the door handle. After a couple of strikes the wood gave and the door popped open. Once again, the Perhar Protector had spent his wealth on something that looked impressive but didn't hold up to use.
Raising the lamp as an improvised bludgeon, I stepped through. A weapon like that wouldn't do me much good against Ashir, but it was better than nothing and I was determined to give him some bruises to remember me by if we did fight.
Fortunately, though, I was alone in his bedroom. It was, if anything, more ridiculously ornate than the room he'd given me, and I shuddered to look at the crude display of wealth. No time to gawk, I told myself, pulling the door closed behind me. I have to get out of here.
For a moment, I considered pulling down one of the many weapons that adorned the walls of the room, but I decided against it. The swords were huge, heavy things and I had no idea how to use one effectively. Sticking with my trusty lamp seemed like a better idea, so I hefted it and opened the door to the corridor.
No one was there, thank goodness. Between whatever was happening down at the port and the attack on the castle, the guards had better things to do than to keep an eye on me. That made me grin and promise myself that they'd regret their decision.
Okay, so... any attack has to come in from the roof, right? I didn't know much about warfare, especially not Crosan warfare, but that sounded right to me. Trying to force open the castle doors would take too long. And besides, something in my heart told me that Corvax was above me. Time to start looking for the stairs.
The castle was in chaos as I hurried through it. I heard shouting from the staff and smelled smoke on the air. Whatever was happening it spread chaos through the Perhar castle, and I just hoped it would last long enough for me to get clear. And that I was going in the right direction.
If I reached the roof without finding Corvax, I wouldn't have anywhere else to go. That thought sat like a leaden weight in my mind, and I tried to ignore it as I pressed on.
The door ahead of me burst open, sending me jumping back. Through it came one of the Kalpan mercenaries, feathers bristling and long knife in one hand. He stopped dead at the sight of me, and for a moment we stared at each other in shock. All kinds of little details stood out in that moment. The texture of his feathers. His one broken fang. Was this one of the survivors of the band that attacked me at the spaceport? I thought I recognized him, but I wasn't sure.
I didn't waste time thinking about it. If he called for help it could be the end of my escape, and that was if he didn't just gut me with that evil-looking knife. It was now or never.
Leaping forward, I swung the heavy lamp in an arc that ended with a dull thump against his head. The dog-like alien staggered backward, caught by surprise, and that gave me a chance for a second blow. And a third. The alien slumped to the floor, motionless, and I stood over him panting for breath. The wickedly sharp knife caught the light as it slipped from his hand and I shuddered.
If he hadn't been so surprised to see me, I'd be dead now. The thought was sobering, but I couldn't let it stop me. I'd made my choice, and I'd stick to it.
Hoping that the alien's fellows weren't close, I stuck my head around the doorway he'd appeared through. Beyond it was a long gallery that I thought I remembered from the walk to my room. Were the stairs beyond it? Maybe. If I remembered right. I hadn't exactly been thinking clearly when I arrived, and the palace was hard to navigate.
I glanced back at the unconscious alien. Anywhere was better than waiting here for him to wake up again. Shutting the door behind me I hurried through the gallery. The sounds of violence were getting closer, or at least louder, and that probably meant I was heading in the right direction.
The fact that I was running towards the fighting seemed stupid and reckless, but on the other hand, that would be where Corvax was. Just the thought of seeing him again brought a foolish smile to my face and I hurried forward, desperate to reach him.
The far door opened when I was half way across the room and I froze. Barreling through it wasn't my beloved Corvax but Ashir, his face dark with fury and drawn sword in hand. Crap.
His eyes went wide and he charged at me. Without thinking I threw the lamp at him, but his reflexes were faster than the Kalpan's had been — his sword flashed up in a block that sent the lamp flying, and then he was on me.
I threw a punch and felt it connect, but it didn't even slow him down. Everything happened faster than I could follow, Ashir's hand catching my arm and twisting, slamming me against the wall painfully. The room spun around me and the next thing I knew, the tip of his blade pressed against my stomach.
"You," he hissed, a terrifying rage in his eyes. "You did this, you brought them here."
"You're mad," I answered before I could stop myself. The blade pressed closer and I swallowed. "How could I have done that? Think about it!"
"I don't know, and I don't care," Ashir said, baring his teeth. "What I do know is that you'll suffer for this outrage."
He was too strong to fight, and I had no way out of his grip. Squirming, I tried to escape anyway, but it was futile and we both knew it. His hand closed on my throat, squeezing tight, and the world darkened around me. Grabbing at his wrist weakly, I tried to pull free. But my strength ebbed and all I could see was Ashir's cruel smile.
Not like this, I told myself, gathering all my strength. He thought so little of me that he'd relaxed his defenses, and he wasn't wrong. I didn't have the strength to escape, but maybe I could do something else...
Putting all my strength behind it, I punched him as hard as I could. My fist met hard muscle and it felt like I was hitting a tree, but whether it was from surprise or pain his grip loosened. Just long enough for me to draw a breath and shout.
"Corvax!"
24
Corvax
Racing through the castle, I didn't stop to look at the gaudy decor. The gold and silver would draw the pirates' eyes but I was after more precious treasure.
The chaos of the attack wouldn't last, and before the defenders found their feet I had to have what I was after. Guards leapt into my path only for me to cut them down as fast as they appeared. Behind me I heard the pirates following, engaging the Perhar forces and looting what they could as they went. My own guards fell behind, keeping the Perhar off my back. I refused to get bogged down in the fighting, pushing through and past and leaving them to guard the way out.
This was the part of the plan I liked least. Gemma could be anywhere in the castle and I didn't have time for a thorough search. All I could do was trust my gut and the sense I had of my mate's presence. She was here, I knew it, and I would find her no matter how hard the enemy made it.
Explosions rocked the walls of the castle as the pirate crew used their serpent-killing spears to disable the fortress's cannons. The Halloran would be safe, now, and could move in to harass the port. That would keep the forces there from returning to the castle too quickly, buying my own raid time to succeed
— if only I could find my beloved.
But the place was big, confusing, and full of shouts and screams. Servants ran from me as I approached. I didn't blame them; they were safe from me, but they couldn't know that. Smoke wafted through the castle as something caught fire. Gemma was somewhere in this confusion but I had no idea where.
"Corvax!"
The voice was unmistakably hers, and my heart leaped. She was close! And, from the sound of her cry, afraid. I found fresh strength, rushing to the sound of her, my sword gripped tight in my hand as I ached to save her from whatever menaced her.
Bursting through a doorway I saw her, pinned to the wall by Ashir's hand. Her beautiful face darkened as he choked the life out of her, and my rage almost overwhelmed me. I stepped forward, and Ashir must have heard me. He turned swiftly, pulling Gemma in front of him like a shield and bringing his sword up, the blade pressed against her throat. Gemma grabbed at his wrist, but she didn't have the strength to pull the blade away.
He'll die for this. My rage was cold, focused, and undeniable. I would take his life for threatening my mate.
"Put her down and let us settle this honorably," I said, wondering if he remembered the meaning of the word.
"Drop your sword or I will open her throat," he replied calmly. That answers that.
"If you harm her, your death will be the stuff of legend," I told him, lowering my bloody blade but keeping hold of it.
Ashir nodded, eyes calculating as they darted around the room. None of his guards were here, and the sound of fighting was getting closer. There was no telling whose reinforcements would arrive first.
"She's what you've come for, isn't she? If you don't do as I say, you lose, no matter what you do to me afterward," he said, his blade digging into Gemma's bruised neck. I saw the frustrated anger in her eyes, her defiance. She was ready to give her life in a bid for freedom.