BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1)

by Auryn Hadley

  The men agreed and turned to their tasks. Before they left the arena, LT called out to them, "Guys, when you're done there, stop by my room and get the files from my desk. Start doing some intel on them and we'll meet up at lunch. Sal's going to be barely able to stand by then, so grab our room if you would?"

  "Can do boss," Shift said, and the others mumbled their ascent.

  Once they were alone in the arena, the Lieutenant's demeanor softened. "Let's get you up on this gelding and show you how to ride. And no making me blush while we do this."

  "I can't promise that!" She laughed but walked over to the blood bay and tossed the reins over his neck.

  "How much experience do you have with horses, Sal?" LT asked. "You move around them like a natural."

  "I worked here for over a year. I've only ridden a handful of times in my life and, except for Boo, never a real battle trained horse, sir."

  "It's just us, Sal. I'm Blaec to you. I hope that with us being alone, you can relax. I mean, I've seen you naked already, how much more embarrassing can it be, right?"

  "Well, I've seen you naked but it's not quite true the other way around, you know."

  "I have a good imagination. Now get on the horse."

  She laughed, then tried to reach her foot into a stirrup that hung level with her throat. Her short leg could almost touch it but she couldn't stretch high enough to bear her weight. "So, now what?" she asked, annoyed. "I can't go growing longer legs each time I need on a horse!"

  Smothering a laugh, Blaec stepped in close behind her. "Put your left hand here." He moved her hand to the base of the horse's neck. "And grab the mane. Can you reach?"

  "Yeah." She clasped a fistful of the horse's hair in her hand.

  "Ok, now, what you need to do is swing your outside leg back, pull down on that hand, and use your foot like a pendulum to throw your body over the horse's back."

  She looked at him with a confused expression. "What?"

  "Let me show you." He guided her over a step and took her place. "Like this."

  Blaec stepped forward with his left, then swung his right leg hard. His body followed it up and into the saddle. "Think you can try that?"

  "Trying is all I promise. Ok, move."

  Blaec slid off and stood to the side. She grabbed a larger handful of mane this time while Boo stood quietly. With one huge step forward, she tried to throw her weight through her outside leg, over the saddle, and felt her knee collide with the gelding's ribs. Laughing, she patted the horse on the shoulder and tried again. On the fifth attempt, she hooked her ankle over the saddle and wiggled her way onto the horse's back.

  "Again. You have to get all the way up. We'll do this every day until you can mount any horse without effort. And Sal? You realize your mare is taller, right?"

  "Seriously? Why did I choose that horse?"

  "Because she's the best animal this farm had to offer for a recruit?" Blaec smirked at her. "It just took me a bit to figure out how to hide her pretty color, because some idiot would have chosen her for that. So, stop talking and get on your horse, girl."

  Again and again, she flung herself at the horse's side, until her muscles would barely lift her. Only then did Blaec let her rest. "There's water at the side rail. Get a drink and shake out your aches. I'm going to see how this guy goes, then we'll let you do more than jump at the horses."

  The Lieutenant swung up, clicked at the gelding, and Boo moved out easily. He passed through walk, trot, and into canter, then half passed, changed leads, and transitioned down into an extended trot. When LT exhaled, the gelding halted square, relaxed but ready to move with a shift in the rider's weight.

  "There's no way I can learn all of that in a couple of weeks!" Sal yelled across the arena.

  "You're not supposed to. I just need you to sit the gaits. We'll teach you the rest later."

  "Why is it so important to be such a fancy rider? None of the other outfits stress it as much." She hated feeling so far behind in a skill she might need to support her brothers in arms.

  "Well, tell me, can you see a use for this?" He drew his sword and squeezed the horse up. Boo half passed while Blaec pointed his weapon in the direction of travel. "Or this?" and he mocked a parry while asking the horse to rein back. "And of course there's this." With a look of concentration, he brought the horse into a collected canter and gave an imperceptible aid. Boo leapt from the ground, kicking out behind him.

  "It's combat maneuvers, Sal," he said, riding up to her. "The more you can handle, the more you can, well... handle in the field. Don't worry, all you need for now is the basics."

  He slid off the horse and gestured to her. Knowing this was more than just parlor tricks, Sal put more effort into it and concentrated as she swung herself into the saddle. This time she made it – although it still wasn't pretty.

  "Not bad," he said, resting his hand on her thigh. "Ok, now I want you to just walk him around the wall of the arena. Keep yourself far enough off the rail that you don't catch your feet on the wall, and we'll start adjusting your seat."

  She smiled down at him, her eyes moving to his familiar touch on her leg. "You'd better pay more attention to your mannerisms in public, Blaec." She squeezed the horse into a walk.

  He blushed again. It seemed she had that effect on him.

  As she steered the horse around the rail, he called out corrections, most of which revolved around relaxing her body and keeping her heels down. She finally began to get the feel for it, and Boo bent into the bridle.

  A voice broke into both of their heads with a click. LT, let the girl eat. We've been waiting for 30 minutes already. She's got to be about to fall apart. Sal, you're allowed to remind him about the time, Arctic chided.

  "Ok," Blaec laughed. "That means we're good for now. After lunch, we'll see how you do on your mare if Zep thinks she's ready. Come over here and dismount." I'm calling the lesson now and giving her another hour of lunch. Are you happy, Arctic?

  Yep, now c'mon. We ordered some real food in here.

  Sal rode up next to him, giggling from having heard it all. Blaec grabbed the gelding's reins while she slid off. Her exhausted legs hit the ground and buckled. Sal reached for the stirrup, but Blaec caught her, preventing her from falling. Braced her against his body, she relaxed her head, letting it fall back on his chest. His heart was pounding against her.

  "I feel like I'm made of water, but I can still hear that." Sighing deeply, she pulled herself onto her own feet and turned to face him. "Are you sure you're ok with this?"

  "No," he admitted, "but I'm going to have to learn. Just treat me the same as the other love-sick puppies around here and I'll get over it. I promise I will."

  "I'm not so sure I want you to, but I do understand. I'll try." She pushed the stray hair away from her face. "Just remember, I haven't had a whole lot of men fawning over me. It's flattering and distracting to me as well."

  "I'm trying, Sal. That's why I'm giving you the lessons. The more time I spend with you, the more comfortable I'll be with this, and the less the others will think of it. At least I have a good excuse for being your instructor."

  "Because you're my commanding officer?"

  "Well, that, yeah, and I'm the best rider we have. I grew up on horses, unlike most of these guys. I trained them all. Now let's tack down poor Boo and get some food in you before you waste away."

  Chapter 19

  "So, is he going to spend all day with her, or does he plan to let her eat? I'm not waiting for them anymore." Zep grabbed a plate then reached for the food on the table.

  "I just asked, and you know how he gets," Arctic said. "She started doing well, and he just kept pushing."

  "Yeah, and Sal won't stop. She'll try until she drops, if I'm reading that girl right," Shift added.

  "Ya are," Cyno agreed around a mouthful of food. "She's got a spine on her, that'n. Does na know that she can na do somethan, and would rather die than show any weakness."

  "Oh? Did you read her?" Shift asked.


  "Can na help but. When Zep got her drunk, she danced with me and all her guards were down. She's the real deal, guys. Do na fuck with her."

  "Even I can smell it," Risk piped in.

  Arctic nodded. "But having her around is going to make things complicated." He sighed. "We can't rush this. Just treat her with respect and she'll learn everything soon enough."

  "And she's ours," Cyno muttered. "That's gonna change ever'thing."

  The Blades nodded at that, but the more Shift thought about it, the more questions Cyno's cryptic remarks made. Most of the Blades found her iliran features attractive; she was one of their own. That also meant they'd show her nothing but respect. For the first time in years, they had a recruit they felt truly comfortable with. The last one to blend in so seamlessly had been Cyno, two years before.

  Too often, new recruits worried about impressing the outfit and found themselves dead for it. Circus had been one of those stupid mistakes and LT had taken it too personally. While Sal was nothing like the melancholy soldier, she had no idea how perfectly she filled the hole he left.

  "What's her story, Cyno?" Shift asked.

  "Na my story ta tell. Ask Sal."

  "Ok, well, let me be blunt then, since the pair of them will be a while still. What's the deal with her and LT?" They'd all seen the looks the pair passed between them.

  "I dunno nothin' about that. Look, I just know she does na think as well of herself as we think of her, k?"

  "Guys, I can't be the only one that saw it. Or are all of you so interested in catching her eye first that you're trying to ignore it?" Shift refused to just let this go.

  Across the table, the men looked at each other. Zep put his fork down, pushed his plate back, and took a long drink of mead before answering. "Yeah, we saw it. We also know LT doesn't tend to throw himself at women casually, not even when he can, and he sure as hell wouldn't force his attentions on her. If something happens there, I say let it happen."

  "She's diff'rent," Cyno said. "She's nice to look at, she smells amazing, and yeh, it's na gonna be easy to treat her like one of ya, but..." He let the thought trail off.

  "Go on," Shift pushed, "You're the one that knows."

  "Ok, look. That girl's had the shit kicked outta her in her life, ya get me?" Cyno looked at each of them. "Her heart's pretty tough, she's na made of glass or anything, but she does na need ta get the same crap from us. She's never had anyone she could rely on b'fore, and does na know shit about our ways. If ya wanna impress her, then just do na fuck with her."

  "Fair 'nough," Shift said, letting the talk die down for a moment.

  "So, does it bother you, Shift?" Risk asked into the awkward silence.

  "Huh?" Shift couldn't keep up with the way Risk's mind worked.

  "Her and LT, a couple, does that bother you?"

  "Nah. She smells like my sister, so I'm out of the running right there. I like to see her smile, but I'd prefer she's fully dressed when doing it." He raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going.

  "So, why do you care so much?" Risk asked.

  "Well." Shift leaned back in his chair. "I kinda like the idea of LT having someone he can trust. We know how he's pulled away lately."

  "Lately?" Zep asked. "Only if you consider over a year to be 'lately'!"

  "Well, true. But isn't that more reason for that," and Shift gestured to the two empty seats, "to happen? Or like I asked before, do any of you have a problem with it?"

  Unanimously, the men shook their heads.

  "Then what will it take to make it happen?" Shift persisted. "Is it Sal or is it LT that's throwing ice on things between them, you think?"

  "Seriously, Shift," Arctic said. "You're worse than a human at times."

  "Yeah, and you still know I'm right. If we don't push this, nothing will ever happen. I just want to make sure I'm pushing in the right place."

  "LT," Cyno said.

  "Ah ha!" Shift exclaimed. "You do know something!"

  "Shove it man, ya know I do na say shit about what I catch off any of ya. But yeh, it's LT, na Sal. And it is na gonna be a bit of pushing, but more like moving a mountain, so just let it alone already."

  "Damn, man," Shift said. "Sometimes you really kinda scare me, ya know that, Cyno?"

  "And it's na cuz I could kill ya in yer sleep?" the assassin mocked.

  "Nah, anyone here could do that. It's cuz you could kill me when I'm awake."

  Arctic casually returned the conversation to the intelligence they'd been seeking all morning. As details came out about each target, it became clear that this mission would not be an easy one. One of them might not come back, and in their usual way, they refused to speak openly about it. Shift worried about Sal the most, since this looked to be one of the hardest in years and her inexperience would be a weakness that could get her killed. He tried to remind himself that she was nothing like their other recruits, but kept finding himself thinking about the worst.

  "Cyno?" Shift asked.

  "Again?" The wiry man snarled at him.

  "No teeth, man, damn," Shift said. "Just train her good. We can't lose her. K?"

  "Shift." Cyno looked up at him with ice in his eyes. "She'll be better than me in less than a week. She will be fine. Now let it alone."

  "So..." Arctic said, "About those reports, guys?" The mental echo of their companions proved the last two were close. By the time the door opened, the men were pointing at papers and barely looked up, but they all caught LT's hand on Sal's back as he guided her to a chair.

  "How'd Boo do for ya?" Shift asked.

  "He stands very nicely," Sal said, grimacing to show her distaste for the day's lesson.

  LT chuckled. "I think she's got it. She made it up quite a few times, and I had her working on her seat when Arctic reminded me that I have no track of time around horses. I'm giving her an extra hour before she has to get back in the saddle to make up for it."

  "Good," Razor said, "because after we eat, I need you to hire us a horseman. That Tilso kid. Seems his superior is more than happy to let him go. LT, what are you planning with him?"

  "With Sal's recent fan club, I just think that it's a good idea to have our horses housed together, with staff who doesn't care how pale the skin of the rider is. Why?"

  "His old manager said the kid gets a bit above himself, wanting to change the horse's rations, tracking their training, and such. I did some poking into his background, and I'm thinking he'd make a better barn manager, so I got the paperwork filled out. Just need you to sign it. Get him to keep his eyes open for, say, two more stablehands, and you and Zep won't have to worry about all that. Sal's mare is one the kid had an interest in and she's well ahead of her year mates in training and condition, plus she's still sane. Says a lot to me."

  "Cyno?" LT asked. "Think he can handle it?"

  "Yeh, I think he's made fer it, and ya might wanna think about using him fer more than just the home base. Kid's got the knack, he's loyal to a fault, an' he sees the horses as an equal part of our outfit."

  "They are," LT said.

  "Yeah," Zep pointed out, "but we know most of the staff think we can get another and not bat an eye."

  "I dug up some pretty interesting information on him," Razor added, passing a set of papers across the table. The Lieutenant read through it, a smile spreading across his face.

  "Ok. Sal, would you like to make the offer?" LT asked.

  "Actually, I'd love to. Do you care how public I make it?"

  "Nope. Here." He reached over and grabbed her wrist, sending the thought right into her mind. "Look at that. That's what I'm thinking for a position."

  "Did you seriously just light her mind on fire?" Shift asked. He had experienced the Lieutenant's fondness for sharing memory flames a few times more then he wanted. They burned brightly, making them impossible to ignore. "I hate it when you do that to me."

  "It's the easiest way to send a concept, man," LT said.

  Sal sat quietly, looking at the thought LT had gi
ven her. "You realize you just made him very happy, right?" she asked LT.

  "I hope so," he said. "Loyalty deserves to be rewarded."

  Chapter 20

  Dust clung to her black uniform and her legs still felt weak, but the walk would do her good. Sal strode through Barn 3, looking for Tilso. No one was around, but she hoped to give him the bragging rights of being publicly offered a promotion. Finding nothing, she turned toward Barn 4. When she walked through the doors, she heard the jeers of teenagers.

  A group of boys crowded around Tilso, who stood defiantly before a stall. She squared her shoulders and walked toward them, letting her footsteps ring out on the stone floor.

  "Look, here's yer scrubber bitch now," one of them muttered, thinking Sal wouldn't be able to hear him.

  "Shut it, or I'll put you in a coma, boy," she snarled at the teen, allowing her teeth to show. His mouth flapped open and closed while her white eyes bore into his. Seeing their leader speechless, the others backed away.

  Sal turned to Tilso, who stood with his chin up, glaring at the group before him. "Tilso, I wanted to thank you for helping me earlier. It's nice to see a man willing to step up and do what he believes is right."

  "It wasn't a big deal, Ms. Luxx. You got a good eye for horses is all. I can respect anyone that knows a good horse. That's all."

  "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," she said. "LT sent me here to see if I could find you. He moved our horses over to Barn 21, next to our arena."

  "Yes, sir. I was trying to take Arden over there just now." Tilso gestured at her horse. "I didn't mean to keep the Lieutenant waiting, sir."

  "Actually, we're hoping that you'd be willing to transfer with our horses, to the new barn." She smiled up at him.

  "Yes, sir! I'd be honored to tend to your horses. I've been keeping an eye on them – "