by Auryn Hadley
Defeated, Blaec gave his assent. Fine. This had better work, Sal.
She smiled deviously. Ever been scared of the dark?
Without waiting for his answer, she turned to Jase and together they moved into the darkness. Arctic patted LT on the shoulder, waiting for the Lieutenant to nod at him, before he moved out with Risk.
She's right, Zep told LT.
She's challenging my command, Blaec grumbled.
Nah. She's just trying to save our lives. She's good.
You don't understand, Zep.
Zep shrugged. You're right. I don't. But this time she's right; you're not. What more is there to it? Never bothered you when one of us had a better idea.
None of you challenged me, Blaec pointed out. She's pulling at us. She'll end up taking over. Cyno's the worst, but she's changing us.
Zep thought about it. Ok, fair enough. But I still don't see what's wrong with it.
You want to be a damned beast? You want to have the Conglomerate treat you like a second-class citizen?
Zep turned and walked into Blaec's face. Their chests only inches apart, he glared down at his commander. You're a fucking idiot, LT. I'd give everything I have for a hint of what even Shift gets from being a little bit iliri. I'd give my soul to have as much as you do. I can't even imagine what Sal gets from it. I don't care if some damned primate laughs at me. If I was an iliri, I'd know it was nothing more than jealousy. So yeah. I'd gladly be treated like a second-class citizen to have half of what you take for granted.
You don't know what you're talking about, Blaec told him. We're not animals. We may be iliri, but we're not fucking beasts.
Maybe we should be, Zep thought.
Chapter 37
Silently, they moved through the stone passages, the sand softening their footsteps. Sal slipped her steel dagger from its sheath and glanced at her partner. He nodded and they moved apart.
They're coming, he whispered in her mind. Two of them.
Then that's their mistake.
The narrow passages were dark. Human eyes would see nothing but blackness, but the iliri could see enough to make out the irregular formations that would give them cover. Cyno stepped behind a stalagmite and Sal pressed her body into an alcove along the wall. Her ears twitched at the echoes bouncing off the rock around them. She could hear the footsteps moving closer.
They're almost here, Cyno said, confirming what she thought.
A pair of shadows darkened the passage and Sal gripped her blade tighter. She let them pass before moving silently behind them. In only a few steps, they were beside Jase. Together, they pounced.
Sal grabbed the man on the left, slapping her hand over his mouth and dragging him off his feet, her knife at his throat. Jase slashed at the unprotected neck of the man on the right. The smell of blood, so sweet, made her heart pound in her chest as the second man crumpled.
"Your friend is dead," Sal whispered. "Talk, or you're dead, too."
"Lance Corporal Torin Smain," was all he said.
"How many of you are there?" Sal asked.
"Lance Corporal – " he started again, but Sal dragged the edge of the blade across his body.
"Let me make this real clear," she snarled, the tip of the knife moving down his chest. "I only want to know two things." The blade bounced across the belt at his waist and moved lower. "How many of you are there, and how did you know where we were?"
"Lance Cor – "
Sal shoved her hand over his mouth and pushed the blade. The tip punctured the leather at his crotch and his body flinched away from the pain. "Last time," she growled.
"Twenty-three of us," he said when she lifted her hand.
She pushed the blade again, feeling resistance. "And? I'll castrate you and leave you alive," she warned.
"We set the trap," he whispered into her palm.
"What trap?" Sal lifted her hand slightly.
"The heads. It was a win either way. We either caught the Black Blades or we showed the CFC what the fuck the scrubbers are. You took the bait."
"And you're losing," Sal said.
"What are you going to do?" he sneered. "Hide in here until your supplies run out? We've got the door covered. Surrender and you might make it through this. Release me, and they might let you live."
"You're trying ta draw us out?" Jase asked, amused. "That works both ways, boy."
He moved his knife to the man's throat, and Sal smiled. "Scream loud," she told him, and shoved her dagger up.
He did.
What are you doing? Blaec demanded. They'll know exactly where we are!
They already do, Sal thought, and they're trying to lure us out. We're just going to convince them they really should come in.
With torture? Blaec demanded.
Yeh, Cyno growled. Just like Circ.
He cut at the man again, resulting in another scream. The Terran's voice bounced through the stone passages, becoming even more disturbing with each echo.
"Good boy," Sal purred.
He thrashed, pulling his arm free, and took a swing at her. His fist collided with the side of her neck and Sal snarled. Instinctually, she darted in, grabbing his throat in her teeth.
"Try it," Cyno whispered. "I'll let her eat you."
The soldier began screaming again, this time from fear, not pain.
Take him further back, Sal thought, releasing him. I'm going to see what they're doing up there.
Jase smiled at her, his sharp teeth catching what little light existed. I'll give him to Zep. We owe these fucks a bit.
Sal nodded, torn between her desire to kill and her desire for her partner. Their eyes met and held for a moment before they moved in their separate directions. She heard the man's body being dragged against the soft floor.
Don't leave tracks, she warned.
I am, just na the right way.
Turn after turn, Sal crept forward. Alone, the sound of dripping water rang loudly into the silence. Another scream echoed through the tunnels and she glanced back, shocked at how close it sounded. One more turn, and she stood into the first cavern, daylight pouring into the opening. She darkened her skin, feeling it tingle when the color took effect.
A group of men huddled in the bright light, forcing Sal to squint to see them. Their silhouettes shifted and moved as they communicated in only hand signals. She waited. One more scream was all it took.
A decision made, they drew weapons and converged on the caverns. Shoulder to shoulder, weapons at the ready, twenty-one men pushed inside. Torches were held at intervals, spreading the light around them. Sal began to move back.
They're coming as a group, she told the Blades. Split up, pick 'em off. Stay out of the light.
They aren't even sure it's us, Cyno added, appearing beside her once more, and they're scared shitless. They reek of it.
Arctic's voice joined theirs, Then we keep ‘em confused. If you get the chance, maul the bodies. Teeth, claw marks, whatever you can. Keep them on their toes.
Blaec said nothing.
Arctic, she suddenly remembered, can you open us up?
Always, he agreed.
Sal felt her brothers join her mind. Cyno's lust hit her hard, the hair on the back of her neck rising in response. She stifled her desire to scream a snarl into the darkness. Razor's restraint retreated before the primal fury of the berserkers and Blaec's anger only fueled it. Zep's delight stood in stark contrast.
I can see, he thought, surprised.
We can all see, Shift said. Welcome to Sal's world.
Jase and Sal slunk away from the men as they pushed into the tunnels. At the first turn, they took the wrong path, leaving clear footprints for them to follow. When the room opened into a spacious cavern, the assassins split, each taking a side, easily finding places in the rock formations. They could hear the Terrans following their trail, the feel of both Risk's and Arctic's mind on the other side.
Anticipation flared when Risk made a kill in the shadows. Blaec's rage grew in resp
onse to Sal's desire for more death and it fueled Risk's hate. He slashed at the body, leaving deep gouges in the flesh, then retreated just as the first men entered the cavern.
Sal swiveled her ears around the room, listening for the difference between the sound of their steps and the echoes. In the back of her mind, she felt Zep's awe and paused, gaining a new appreciation for something she'd simply accepted all her life.
We're down to twenty, she thought. And stop distracting me, Zep.
He sent a wave of amusement in response.
The Black Widows passed close to Jase's side of the room. He kept pace, stalking them. His body slid between the walls and the liquid looking formations like little more than a shadow from their torch light. One of them paused to look around, and Jase struck. His hands snaked out, gripped the man's head and jaw, and twisted. The snap of his neck carried in the stone room. The Terrans spun. Their companion lay dead in his tracks with nothing more than shadows watching.
"What the fuck?" whined a man holding a torch, the fear evident in his voice.
"Stay close," their leader commanded. "Fucking Blades! You can't hide in here forever!"
Scream, Sal, Arctic thought. They've never heard an enraged iliri before, I bet.
She watched them, perched high above their heads, her skin as dark as her leathers. The Black Widow Company closed ranks and shoved their torches deep into the rocks, looking for Cyno. Slowly, carefully, he moved out of the light, but Sal could see he'd soon be cornered. It was all the excuse she needed.
She roared. Her teeth bared to their fullest, she screamed years of frustration into the darkness of the cave, letting her rage have a voice. The sound was that of a predator, nothing human about it.
"What the -" a Terran gasped, backing closer to his shieldmate.
Their eyes darted around the room, looking for her. She growled and made her way higher, clinging to the rocks. The deep rumble echoed from all around them, hiding her position as it bounced through the room. The Terrans turned, nearly blind in the dim light, the sound obscuring the iliri's position. She jumped to the next rock, pebbles scattering under her feet, moving closer to the door.
Time to go, she thought to Jase.
Ahead of ya. When ya hit the ground, move. They'll be on your tail.
We got the hall, Arctic assured her. Take 'em straight to Razor.
Yes, sir, Sal agreed, eying the landing. They're about to have a real bad day.
She dropped from the rock and hit with a thud, digging her hands into the sand to propel her forward, leaving claw marks behind. Behind her, the Black Widows gave chase. Running through grey tunnels, ducking easily under ragged rocky outcroppings, she slid into a crevasse and paused, sucking in two deep breaths and releasing them slowly. Around her, the world erupted with the screams of humans.
Nineteen, Risk thought, and Sal felt him sink his teeth into the shoulder of a man while he severed his spine with his dagger.
Eighteen! Arctic called just before he shoved one onto a sharp spear of rock. Seventeen, he added. The soldier's friend turned at the sound of the last man's death, and Arctic met him with two blades sunk deep in his chest.
Sixteen, Cyno purred before he pounced on the last man in line.
He slapped his hand across the soldier's mouth and yanked him into the next passage, ripping his throat out with his teeth. With their minds entangled, the sudden rush of warm blood carried to every member of the Black Blades. The sweet taste of human flooded her senses and pushed Sal even further into the bloodlust, dragging the rest with her.
Chapter 38
They attacked like the beasts they were so often called. One by one, the men of the Black Widow Company fell before them, ripped away from their unit to die alone in the dark. Sal and Cyno fed their desires into the minds of every man in their link, calling forth their iliran natures. Zep, looking through Razor's eyes, met the men head on. The Lieutenant stormed through their formation, his blades slicing through flesh and tendons, his growl as feral as any of the others. Shift used his teeth, relying on his other senses more than sight.
When the iliri hit them, the Black Widows fell apart. Men scattered and screamed, some not even fighting back. They died like prey in the dark stone passages.
A group tried to retreat. Six men shoved through the demons that ravaged them, swinging their swords blindly as they hacked their way to freedom. Zep took a deep cut across his body but lashed out as he fell. Shift was only grazed, the man's dagger leaving a long slice along his hand and arm. A shield hit Sal in the face, knocking her to the ground, but she recovered quickly and launched herself at the idiot who dared hit her. Her teeth met his throat and she growled as she ripped at his body. He was dead before he hit the ground.
The rest of the group ran for the entrance. The Blades had no way to stop them.
Five, Zep said weakly in their minds. Five left, and we should do that more often.
Sal looked over at her brother in arms, leaning weakly against a boulder. He tried to hide it, but the pain was almost more than he could take. Through the link, she could feel how different he was from her. Her bruises taunted her, screaming a desire that she worked to hide. In his mind, the feeling was much more intense. The cut along his waist cried to her like a memory, clear, sharp, but far away. She moved toward him. For the first time, humans began to make sense.
Risk knelt at Zep's side, checking the wound in the darkness. It's gonna scar, man, he warned.
Fucking worth it, Zep said. Hit me.
You're linked, jackass, Risk replied, gesturing to Arctic. I can't heal you if you're sending it back at me.
Arctic? Sal asked.
He saw where she was looking – at Zep – and understood. I'll leave you in, he assured her, then told the rest, Let me close this down.
She watched the men's bodies relax when they returned to their own minds. Zep's wound still called to her, the smell of him so intense. He was sweet, but like incense, not dessert. Slowly, she moved toward him, and his eyes met hers.
I still feel you, he whispered in her mind.
"Sorry, brother," Risk said, touching Zep's skin gently. "Sal, hold him."
"Don't let her bite him," Blaec grumbled under his breath.
She grabbed Zep's hand and placed her other on his shoulder, blocking out Blaec's snide remark. Risk took a long, deep breath. When he exhaled, Zep writhed. She clenched her teeth and held him still. The pain of Zep's healing flowed along her own nerves like ecstasy before returning to him. Risk breathed again, and Zep lurched, but linked with Sal, the pain's edge was no longer as sharp.
It teased through both of their skins like a lover, hinting at passions yet to be discovered. Zep writhed, but the moan in his throat didn't sound like pain. Then it was over, and Zep leaned forward before he could stop himself.
Sighing, the pale man leaned back. He glanced once at Sal and barely nodded before looking back to Zep. "Good as new, man."
"Just a little scratch," Zep joked, patting Sal's hand and sitting up. Is that how it always is?
Yeah.
Thanks, babe. I owe you. Both for my pride, and that.
Sal shrugged and glanced at Arctic. That's the bloodlust, she told Zep, as Arctic pulled her mind away.
Alone in her head, there was nothing to distract her from her desires. She could smell the human blood all around and bodies lay scattered between the Black Blades. Cyno leaned against a rock, six men carefully placed between him and Sal.
"LT," Zep said, "You have a berserker problem to deal with."
"There's five left," Cyno growled softly, "and they need ta die."
"No." Blaec's voice left no room for argument, but he looked at Sal pointedly. "We just decimated the Black Widow Company. They'll be retreating. I don't care what any of you think, we're not animals. And this time my orders will be followed."
Sal looked at the ground, wiping the blood from her face, aware that his anger was directed at her. The Black Blades fell silent.
"Not
hing, Sal?" Blaec asked.
"No, sir," she said, pulling her ears close to her skull.
"Good. Then get the horses. All of you. We need to get those damned crates back and report. Razor, see if you can identify any of the dead." The smell of his anger was unmistakable.
Sal felt shame as she moved to obey. Cyno's movements screamed at her, like pure electricity to her senses, but she refused to even look at him. The power of Blaec's fury overruled her desire.
The Black Blades made their way to the horses, carefully releasing hobbles in the darkness. Arden stood quietly, the crates still slung across her back. Sal looked at her mare then glanced over at Raven, all too aware that being so close to Jase would be more than her instincts could tolerate. With a snarl, she threw her back against the wall, running her hands through her hair. Her body wanted more death. That, or Jase's teeth on her.
"Ya good, kid?" Zep asked, walking up to grab Cessa.
"Yeh." She sighed deeply.
"Sal?" Arctic moved beside her. He tilted his head, gesturing for Zep to check on Cyno. "Looks like you're gonna need a ride?"
Zep patted her shoulder then led his mare toward the little man. Even across the distance, Sal could hear them.
"LT's pissed," Zep said softly.
"Yeh. I touch her, he'll lose it."
"Looks like she's riding with Arctic. You good, little brother?"
Cyno yanked his stirrup down. The crack of the leather was loud in the hollow cavern. "I've done it b'fore, Zep. It's her I'm worried 'bout."
Arctic grabbed her chin and turned her head back to face him. Sal, this isn't right. He's punishing you by keeping you away from Cyno.
He's pissed because he thinks I'm nothing but a damned animal, Arctic. We both know it. She glared at him, but the set of her ears showed there was no challenge, only anger in her thoughts.
He leaned closer. So what are you going to do about it?
Learn to be tame, she sneered. Those papers say they made us. They didn't say they made us human. Sal smashed her fist against the wall behind her, the rock slicing the side of her hand. With a soft growl in her throat, she brought it to her lips and sucked at the blood. I was out of line and we all know it, but I was fucking right.