"That is one of the ways to tell spawn from humans in their early stages," the Commander continued. "In the first two eight-days, they appear as the humans they once were before being bitten. Once they are bitten, however, they lose their ability to speak. They may nod or shake their head, but that's all. They do not regain speech unless they manage to live a full five turns or more. By that time, there are other ways to determine what they are."
"What about the others with him?" I asked my question timidly, not expecting an answer. This sounded like privileged information—information to which no mere cook was entitled.
"They received a brief lesson on recognizing the enemy before they left the post today," Bel answered my question. "They are still refusing to leave their homes, even after they saw this. I fail to understand it." Bel shook his head.
"They still believe they can protect themselves with what power they have. It will not help them if they are attacked by more than three at a time," Commander Aris growled. That growl would have made any jungle cat proud. I swallowed nervously at the thought.
"Little cook, we brought you in to tell you not to worry overmuch about this," Commander Aris said, his voice back to normal. "We will be placing wards day and night now, so no more might slip in as easily as this one did today. It is my hope that you will not witness another dusting."
I could only nod at his words—witnessing another dusting wasn't particularly high on my list of things to do at the moment, although Stef was crazy to see it for himself.
"Will you be all right or would you like the physician to give you something to help you sleep?" Bel asked.
"I really don't want anything," I looked down at my hands; they were clasped tightly together in my lap.
"Are you sure?" Bel knelt beside my chair.
"I'm sure," my voice was barely above a whisper. My military instructors would be ashamed of me—they'd worked hard to prepare me and my fellow recruits for the possibility that we'd see death firsthand. I'd seen it today, though it had been something evil. It had once been humanoid and that's what bothered me.
"If you change your mind, just knock on the physician's door. He'll have something waiting," Bel patted my hands before standing and moving away. I nodded, not looking at him. Commander Aris said I could go so I stood and walked out of his office, closing the door carefully behind me. I heard the rumble of Bel's voice after I left. I didn't try to decipher what he said as I made my way toward my tiny bedroom.
* * *
"The shields will hold against one or two, but what if we're attacked by an entire village that has been turned?" Bel turned his gaze on Aris after Reah's footsteps disappeared down the corridor.
"No idea. Tell the men to look sharp, and make sure one of the Rangers is on duty with the night guards." Aris shook his head before cursing spawn in general, and then cursing the one who'd made them.
* * *
The news was all over the post by the next day and even the five women who came to pick up breakfast for the pink wing (that's what Stef and the others called it) asked Widnal and me about the dusting. Widnal answered their questions; I busied myself with kneading dough for fresh loaves of bread. Stef was still bemoaning the fact that he didn't get to see—he'd had the day off. Widnal eventually sent the women on their way; he and I were working the breakfast shift so we'd get off earlier.
An early night was welcome; I wanted to explore the hot baths the post had. Anyone was welcome to go and make use of the large, heated pools. I'd only heard of them and hadn't yet gone exploring. Widnal promised to show me where the pools were on his way back to the common barracks.
The post was quite large and might have taken at least half a click to walk from one end to the other. I saw the transports that had arrived earlier in the day—more troops had come in, bringing our numbers to five hundreds. Two additional cooks had been sent and would begin their shifts in the morning. Widnal and I were scheduled early again, so we would be giving them instructions. I squared my shoulders as I walked beside Widnal. He smiled down at me, a hidden dimple showing in his cheek.
"Don't fret, if any of the new ones gives you trouble, Bel will have their heads," Widnal's smile widened. I had begun a tally in my head, one column for Bel being the voice in my head, one column against. Widnal had just added another check in the for column.
Tall, tropical trees stood here and there on the sand-covered grounds of the post. There wasn't much green growing anywhere except around an old well on the grounds. A stone ring, a few plants and a fence of steel pickets stood around it, "to keep the troops from falling in on dark nights," Widnal teased as we walked past it. The main building on the outpost held two stories, with the barracks separate and much larger than the building that held the officers' quarters, the kitchens and the pink wing.
"They sent another fifteen girls," Widnal's voice was quieter as he gave me that information. "Commander worries that they'll be targets if the demons get organized."
That information sent a shiver through me. Commander Aris had told me only last night that they were placing wards around the property at all times, not just at night. Could those things actually break through, though? I was afraid to ask Widnal, as I was too terrified to hear what his answer might be.
"Here we be," Widnal said, stopping at a single-story building between the main building and barracks. He made a shooing gesture with his hands—he wasn't coming inside with me. Honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to go in either. If there were people inside enjoying the bath, I might be too embarrassed to climb into the hot water naked. That was the rule—no clothing of any kind allowed in the water. Other things weren't allowed either, but some of those rules were blatantly ignored if you believed some of the troops. Taking a deep breath, I reached out and grasped the metal door handle with my hand.
* * *
Steam wisped off the surface of the large, hot pool as I walked inside. The water was heated with solar power, just as the outpost was powered in that way. I hadn't seen any clouds since coming to this portion of Mandil, so there was plenty of power to be had here. I was grateful that it was too early for anyone else to be there—except for the perimeter guards, they were all at dinner. We'd sent the trays out just before Widnal and I had left the kitchens.
Towels were stacked on a carved wood table off to the side and a low bench with hooks and pegs above it lined the walls beside the table. Clothing would be hung there—dressing and undressing occurred on the bench or flagstone floor surrounding the rectangular pool. No other rooms occupied the building—the pool took up most of the space. Undressing hurriedly anyway, I hung up my clothing and slipped into the hot water with a grateful sigh of pleasure.
"Little cook, I haven't seen you here before," Delvin's hop into the water woke me from a light doze. I'd fallen asleep while sitting on the stone bench built along the inside of the pool.
"And you shouldn't come in alone if there's a chance you might fall asleep," he warned with a grin. I knew the dangers of that—I just hadn't realized how tired I was. Deliberately not looking down into the clear water as Delvin sat two armlengths away, I nervously agreed with his statement.
"Don't worry, nobody is going to bother you here, just enjoy the bath," Delvin looked away. I remembered that he was probably a wizard, just as Bel was. I had only seen the other Rangers in passing and didn't know any names. I barely knew most of the kitchen staff now—I'd always been terrible with names. Perhaps it was self-protection. If I didn't know them, they couldn't hurt me as badly. I hadn't gotten close to anyone during my military training or as cook for the Governor of the Realm—my last official assignment for the Alliance had certainly turned out badly.
"I heard you saw the dusting the other day," Delvin went on.
"I did," I lifted my hands from the water—my fingers were quite wrinkled. How long had I dozed off?
"I've only seen it a time or two in daylight," Delvin admitted. "Not much fun if you're close enough to get hit with the particles."
<
br /> "I was inside the kitchen," I admitted. "Close enough to see but the walls kept me from getting hit."
"I didn't sleep much after I saw it the first time," Delvin said.
"I kept wondering about the man he'd been before," I muttered.
"I agree. Demons don't turn anything else, you know," Delvin told me conversationally. "If they're hungry and there's no humanoid available, they'll eat animals. Otherwise, they leave them alone. They prefer tender flesh—women and children—when they feed. They generally choose to turn the males and devour the others."
That was information I had no desire to hear. No wonder Commander Aris worried about the women at the outpost. "Are there other posts nearby?" I should have kept that question to myself—my curiosity could reveal my ignorance and give my alien status away. Delvin didn't seem surprised at the question, causing me to relax a little.
"Two more—twenty trids in both directions," he pointed to the east and west. Trids were old measurements—one could walk a trid in half a click. That meant a ten-click trek in either direction, unless one had transport. A full click might get you there in that fashion.
"Look who's here," Bel walked in with the Commander and one of the other Rangers. It made sense—they were served before the troops. I'd most likely invaded their time in the baths.
"I'll go," I said, blushing. I was about to get out with four sets of male eyes on me.
"No, stay a while," Delvin grinned. My chin came to the top of the water, whereas his shoulders were above the surface of the steaming pool. I stayed—Delvin didn't seem to think it was a bad thing that I was there.
"Get out of the kitchens early?" Bel dropped into the water on my other side. I was looking straight ahead so as not to embarrass myself. None of the others were embarrassed in the slightest. Commander Aris slipped in beside Bel, with the Ranger I didn't know next to him. I turned to look into Bel's eyes.
"Widnal and I had the breakfast schedule so we could work with the two new cooks," I replied honestly.
"When can we get more of the toasted roundbread with bacon, egg and sauce?" The last Ranger leaned forward to ask. "I'm Hish, by the way."
Hish had blue eyes and straight, close-cropped brown hair. His face was weathered, just as the other Rangers' were. "I need yellow citrus to make the sauce and we didn't get any in the last delivery," I said. "The sauce is made from eggs, and we don't get many of those, either. I can only serve it once in a while, as a treat."
"Then we'll ask for more yellow citrus and extra eggs," the Commander chuckled. He brushed back dark-gold hair with wet hands, dampening the length. It still looked like a lion's mane to me. They talked of other things then, as if I weren't there. They spoke of the new troops and how they were fitting in; some of whom were considered troublemakers already. The discussion turned to the cooler season which was still moon-turns away and other topics. More Rangers came to join us as they talked, as did several officers. I was the only woman present, and thinking more and more that I should have climbed out of the water when Delvin first showed up.
The topic of discussion had turned to the additional bedding needed in the barracks for cooler weather, when an alarm began to sound. I hadn't heard the alarm before. With practiced precision, Bel hauled me from the water one-handed, grabbed a towel for me and lifted his clothing off a hook. I wanted to shriek but knew it wouldn't help the situation—all the others were flinging on clothing and rushing toward the walls surrounding the post.
Bel hauled me along under his arm, tossed me inside the nearest door to the main building, slammed the door in my face after shouting at me to stay inside, pulled his trousers on and ran after the others. I was shaking and pulling my towel tighter around me. Were we under attack? That's what it looked like to me. Not knowing what to do otherwise, I trotted toward the kitchens.
The entire population from the pink wing was there ahead of me, all talking in hushed voices and doing their best to peer out the windows. "What are you doing?" I shouted. "Have they not told you to stay away from the windows?" My point was verified moments later when bullets ripped through the thick glass. Shards sprayed across kitchen counters, slivers littered prep tables and splinters—both wood and glass—slapped against cabinets. "Get down!" I shouted at the women. With all of them shrieking at once, I had to shout a second time before they dropped to the floor.
Still wrapped in only a towel, I crawled toward a cabinet that held my largest skillets. Grabbing the heaviest one I could wield comfortably, I pulled it out and crawled back, stationing myself between the door and the broken windows. The enemy could come in by either means. The women would have been safer if they'd stayed in the pink wing. It had more walls around it.
Two women were huddled in a corner, bleeding and crying. I thought to go to them, but that thought was interrupted by a fire bottle hefted through the broken window. It crashed onto the stone flooring and flames now spread and pooled across the slate-gray flagstones. Ripping off my towel, I dunked it in the sink, getting it wet before wringing it out and throwing it over the blaze on the floor. Several more wet towels later, the blaze was contained.
Still naked, I ran low until I could lift my skillet and take up my post again. When the first man burst through the door, I knew he wasn't ours—he was dressed in desert garb. I hit him with my pan and he fell, his head cracked. Was he humanoid or one of the demons? I grabbed a large chopping knife from a nearby block. His head was coming off if he rose. He didn't.
Another burst in. He fell when I hit him hard across the face, but he didn't lose consciousness. This could be a demon. I'd received exemplary performance certificates during my military training because I'd been faster than the others. Much faster. I had no idea how that was, but my instructors were happy with me because of it. Moving as swiftly as I could, I slicing the demon's throat. It took two swift passes and he was clawing at me when I removed his head. He dusted, just as the other had that Commander Aris killed, spraying me with hard, stinging particles.
I kicked what was left of the door shut, waiting for more to come. They didn't. Someone was now shouting outside that it was safe. I didn't trust that until I saw Bel and Delvin coming through the door. Bel was still dressed only in trousers; therefore, Delvin removed his shirt and wrapped me in it. Four of the women were cut by flying glass when the windows blew inward, so they were taken to the physician. Thankfully, he now had help—two more physicians had come with the last troop arrivals.
"What happened here?" Bel asked when the injured had been taken away. My voice shook as I explained what had taken place.
"You killed it?" Now Delvin was looking at me in shock.
"What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let it eat the others?" I had my arms wrapped as tightly across my middle as I could get them. Truthfully, I was now feeling nauseous. Soldiers came and removed the unconscious man. I wasn't sure he was going to wake—I'd hit him as hard as I could with a cast-iron skillet. I was glad Delvin's shirt came to my knees, too; I was shivering now. I'd killed a demon and possibly a man as well. It didn't matter that they'd been trying to kill us—this was a first for me and I found it unsettling.
"Aris may want to ask questions about the attack, but that will come later," Bel steered me toward the bathroom next to the kitchen. "Girl, if you're going to be sick, I'll stay with you if you want," he said softly as he led me to one of the flushseats inside.
"I'll be embarrassed if you stay," I muttered, gagging.
"Then call out if you need anything," Bel pulled a chunk of glass from my hair before leaving me alone. I heaved until my stomach was dry. And then heaved past that. I was weak and feeling horrible afterward but I washed my face and hands, rinsed out my mouth and made it into the kitchen. A handful of troops were already putting squares of wood into empty windows and sweeping up the glass and other debris. My towels had been removed already but the burn marks remained on the flagstones.
"Let's get you to your bedroom," Bel was still there, waiting on me.
"I think the Commander would have my head if I didn't see his best cook safely to the other wing," Bel grinned tiredly. He walked me the entire way, got me inside my tiny bedroom and closed the door behind him. I listened for his footsteps as they walked away from me.
Chapter 5
"Bel, I expect you to keep that thought to yourself." Bel nodded—he and the Commander both had their suspicions about Reah. Bel had been the one to take it farther, making the guess that she'd had military training of some sort. "She's no spy—they would have sent someone else," the Commander stood and stretched. He and Bel had gotten an early morning after a late night. Remains of their breakfast trays still lay on Aris' desk. "Besides, there's no information to be had here—unless the Alliance wants to know about spawn attacks." Aris covered a yawn. "I'm inclined to think it was just as reported—a misfired pod they couldn't catch before it landed here. So, unless you want to get our little cook beheaded in Crown City, keep this to yourself."
"I don't want anything to happen to her," Bel muttered. "I just wanted to let you know what I was thinking. I'm hoping I'm the only one thinking it, too. We could be in real trouble if this is discovered and they learn we knew already."
"Right now they're all thinking about the attack last night. Let's leave it at that, all right? Send Reah in after the midday meal. I want to talk to her." Bel nodded and left Aris' office.
"Little Reah," Aris muttered as he sat down at his desk. "Don't bring attention to yourself again."
* * *
Bel sent me to the Commander alone. It was the first time he hadn't come with me, and that made me worry. Hoping that all Commander Aris wanted was a report on the attack as far as the kitchens were concerned, I pushed my fears to the back of my mind and knocked on his door as firmly as I could.
"Come." He was expecting me. I closed the door softly behind me and came to stand before his desk. He looked tired. He also looked as if he didn't want that pointed out. I stayed quiet. This was a military outpost, after all. Troops didn't tell their commanding officer he looked tired. I followed standard protocol.
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