by Auryn Hadley
The Lieutenant made an impressive sight. Custom resin armor covered him from his feet all the way up. The dark material soaked up daylight, turning him into a walking shadow. At his back, a quiver full of arrows peeked over his right shoulder, an acrylic sword over the left, and a strange set of tubes were strapped to his leg. Reaching up to his throat, he unfastened his helm and peeled it from his head.
Smoldering eyes looked over each soldier before him, both applicants and elites alike. While the Blades met his gaze with a smile or a nod, the recruits seemed to melt under his pale green stare. Sal felt the weight of it. His face didn't have a single sign of age or any scars to mar the angular beauty. His shoulders were broad and strong, and his waist had to be trim to fit behind that tight plackart. When he got to her, he paused, lingering in his inspection.
Sal felt like a weed in the garden.
"Welcome, applicants," he said, moving on to the next man. "I know all of you are excited to show your strengths and prove that you are made for the Black Blades, but I want to make one thing clear. I do not owe any of you a position in my outfit. I will not take anyone that is not a good fit with my Blades. I chose you all because I hope to find one of you that will be what we need, but I have refused entire groups before, and I'm not afraid to do it again. A weak link is more likely to kill us than help us. None of you is guaranteed a position."
As he spoke, the Lieutenant walked through the ranks, addressing his comments to all of them yet none of them. "The first row will go with Razor, the second with Shift, and the last with Arctic." He gestured at the men as he named them. "The officers will assign barracks for the duration of our trials and a time for me to speak with each of you privately. You may be at ease."
Then he turned to retrieve his horse, leading the animal away while a dusky man stepped forward. Their eyes naturally turned to him.
"I am Sergeant Dico," he said. "Call sign: Razor. Please place your baggage in the wagon being brought up behind you, in the space corresponding to the number you're standing on. We'll have your luggage moved to your cabins. Once your items are stored, make your way to your assigned officer, post-haste."
The applicants began to scramble. They grabbed their bags and tossed them into the wagon before the horses were even fully stopped, with little care for the marked boxes they shoved out of alignment. The others were all men, most of them large men. At half their weight, Sal would never force her way through, so she waited, amused at their impatience.
That's when Bardus turned his attention back to her. "Just take that shit home, bitch. We don't need your type thinking they're worthy of elite ops."
"I thought the females were just myths," Odi said, his eyes roaming across her small body. "Maybe we shouldn't run her out quite yet. Heard they have tricks."
She was tired of being treated like she was too stupid to understand the insult. "I'll leave when the Black Blades dismiss me," Sal said, glancing at his shoulder, adding, "sir."
"A fucking iliri? You're joking, right?"
She slid her bag into the proper spot, then turned to find her assigned officer.
"I didn't dismiss you yet, Private!"
She stopped. The first man was a Lance Corporal, the second a Specialist. Both outranked her. "Sir, I've been ordered to report."
"Fuck your bleached ass. You can just stand there a bit." Lance Corporal Bardus evidently thought she had to obey.
"I'm sorry, sir, but the Sergeant's orders override yours." Sal tried not to smile as she leaned toward him. "You both should be reporting to your assigned officer as well." The words were barely out of her mouth and she knew she'd gone too far.
Bardus backhanded her across the mouth, making her head snap back. Sal growled, her muscles tensing as her eyes found him. She was a conscript; he had the right, she reminded herself. Then he hit her again. His fist slammed into her temple, and the ground came up fast.
"Don't you dare bite me!" he yelled.
Her tongue flicked out, tasting the blood on her lip as her eyes found her prey. The growl rumbled, growing louder, and her lips pulled back a split second before she lunged. How dare he touch her! She'd make the bastard pay. He was too weak and slow to evade her, and his throat was begging for her teeth. She pushed hard, intending to knock him to the ground, but a pair of strong arms caught her, yanking her back. The scent of a Black Blade wrenched her out of her frenzy, reminding her why she was here. It was the same elite who'd checked her papers.
"Enough!" Another Black Blade moved to stand between them. "Explain this!" He glared at the humans.
Sal submitted to the tone of authority, her anger dissipating into shame. When her head dropped, the arms holding her loosened slightly, never touching anything but her uniform. Across from her, two other Blades held her attackers firmly.
"I'm sorry, sir," Sal said, hoping she could salvage this. "They gave me orders that conflicted with those of Sergeant Dico. My response was out of line and the Lance Corporal felt it was worthy of discipline."
"The damned beast tried to attack me," the recruit jeered. "Can't trust the iliri, I tell ya. You ever see what happens when one of those fucks bites you?"
In her ear, a rough voice whispered, "I'm gonna let ya go. Do na hurt them."
A nod showed she understood and he released her. Sal took the time to straighten her uniform, then tugged her cap tighter over her ears.
The First Sergeant waited for her to look up. "Is that all?"
"The discipline caught me off guard, sir. I reacted instinctually. The Lance Corporal felt threatened, so decided more discipline was needed."
"I see." The Blade turned to the soldiers. "Anything to add?"
"Yeah. The damned scrubber disobeyed orders – "
The officer cut him off, but never showed a sign of emotion. "No, the Private was following her superior's orders. Our trials are not the place for you to throw your rank around." He shook his head. "Zep, Cyno, escort them to the Lieutenant. Razor, I think they were yours?"
"Two and ten. The other's Shift's."
"Well, check the rest in and assign them rooms. I need to speak with the Private."
"Yes, sir," the Blades said in unison.
The man behind her moved to relieve Razor, the pair of them sharing a look before heading their separate ways. That left her alone with the First Sergeant, her stomach in knots. She'd already ruined her chance, reacting like an animal to a common disagreement. Why hadn't she submitted? Why did she always feel the need to fight back? Her stupid instincts were going to keep her trapped behind a desk serving humans for the rest of her life! All that was left was the formal dismissal from the trials. She braced herself against hearing the words.
"Private Luxx, right?" he asked, ducking his head to look at her face.
"Yes, sir."
"I'm Arctic, the First Sergeant of the Black Blades, second in command of the unit." When she said nothing, he continued, "I would appreciate it if you'd answer my questions more honestly next time."
Her head snapped up, finding eyes nearly as white as her own waiting. "Sir?"
A kind smile preceded his words. "We all saw what happened, Private. In order for something to count as discipline and not cruelty, it requires disobedience. Pride is not disobedience, do you understand?"
She cocked her head to the side, trying to decide if she believed what his words hinted at. His white eyes made her want to, but turning exposed the bruise on her temple. Arctic grabbed the side of her face, tilting it for a closer look. She sucked in a breath. At his touch, snippets of conversations and images flooded her mind.
"Private?" he asked. She may need a medic. There's a nasty bruise on her head and her lip was split. I can't believe those fucks thought we'd look the other way while they abused -
Sal pulled her face from his hand. "I'm fine, sir."
His pale eyes watched her for a long moment. "Think you're up to finishing the trials?"
No matter how she tried, she couldn't prevent the corner of her lip from
rising. "Yes, sir." The feral smile was taking over. She wasn't done yet. "It would take more than a bruise to stop me, sir."
Well, she's determined, Sal heard, even though Arctic's mouth didn't move. And I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think we have something special here. You've got to see this.
"Thank you, sir," Sal said, shocked at the compliment.
"For?"
She swore she'd just heard him compliment her. The words had been in his voice, but he acted like he'd said nothing. His mouth hadn't moved. Quickly she blurted out something plausible. "For allowing me to continue, sir. I assumed that's what you meant."
LT, I think we have a problem. "It is. Report to Shift. He already knows that you've been detained."
She snapped a salute. "Thank you, sir."
Turning to find her assigned officer, she made it a few steps before he called her name again, the words clear. "Private Luxx?"
She turned back. "Yes, sir?"
"Shit." He gestured for her to wait. She can hear us. A pause followed, then, I touched her. She's pure, and we have no experience with that. There's so few left. Another pause. I can't be sure. I didn't link her in to begin with. I can shut the whole thing down, but I have no idea if I can cut her line. The next pause was longer. Understood. His eyes focused on her again. "So how much of that did you get?"
Years of practice kept her face expressionless. "I heard you call my name, sir."
"Bullshit." He smiled slyly. "Let's try this again, because I didn't do more than think your name and you smell like lies."
Ice washed down her body leaving her skin tingling in its wake. She'd heard, he knew she'd heard, and he didn't think she was crazy. Had she hit her head that hard? Why wasn't he surprised? "It's only a minor bruise, sir. I'm sure I'll be fine in a moment."
"You think that's because you were hit in the head?"
"I'm an iliri, sir, not a fool." She dared him to deny it.
Arctic actually laughed. "I never thought otherwise, Luxx. Now, let me assure you that your answer will not disqualify you from the trials. How much of that did you catch?"
Defeated, but comforted by the promise that they wouldn't be kicking her out yet, Sal answered. "I heard you say I had a bruise, that you didn't want to get someone's hopes up, that you can shut the thing down, and then you called my name."
"And did you hear the other person?" His eyes scanned her face. "Don't worry, I just need to know."
Relaxing slightly, Sal said, "No, sir. Just you, sir."
"At least there's that." He sighed, running his fingers through his long dark hair. "No, you're not losing your mind. What you're hearing is a trick of my own iliran ancestry. Usually, I have to consciously allow someone to hear our thoughts. When did it start?"
She thought back. "When you touched me, sir."
"Ah." He nodded to himself. "Physical contact. That makes sense. I guess you came with the switch on. Look, I can't lock you out, not yet – since I'm not sure exactly how you got in – but I'd appreciate if you keep this to yourself for the time being."
A chuckle escaped. "And who would I tell, sir?"
"Good point." His shoulders relaxed and he tilted his chin behind her. "Now go find Shift. He'll assign you rooms." Arctic turned away before she could salute.
Confused, she tried to push the strangeness out of her mind. She wasn't here to wonder about the mysteries of the world or believe in miracles. She just had to get a position as an elite soldier. Maybe the whole thing was some practical joke, intended to make her look crazy. That would be a good way to get her excused from the trials, but it seemed she hadn't ruined her chances yet.
Sal jogged to the meeting area just on the other side of the fountain. The man called Shift leaned casually against the fence, three soldiers in blue uniforms standing before him. The color of his skin hinted at iliran ancestry in him, as well. He looked up before she got close, pushing away from the wood rails to offer his hand. Sal took it out of habit, then fell into place beside the other soldiers.
Don't worry, Shift said inside her head, I've already been told. I'm pretty sure you can hear me.
I really can, Sal thought, amazed, her eyes widening.
Nice, and I can hear you easily. Looks like you're a natural. His face showed no hint of their conversation, the thought ending as he switched to his voice. "Glad they finally let you go, Private," he teased. "You almost missed getting a room. The rest of you have your cabins and meeting times. Luxx, you'll have cabin 12. That's with the rest of the Black Blades. Being the only woman in the group, the Lieutenant wants to discourage extra curricular activities. Now, the rest of you are dismissed. Luxx, he'd like to meet with you now, rather than in the morning." Don't worry, he doesn't bite. We just need to sort out the incident earlier, he assured her.
Sal nodded. Am I going to be dismissed? she wondered.
Nah, Shift thought while he escorted her across the compound. Pretty sure you didn't mean to send that, but you did. Look, we're not a bunch of assholes, ok? You won't be dismissed because some damned primates try to harass ya. And this little deal, Shift gestured between their heads, can't exactly be ignored.
She nodded professionally but her heart was hammering. She'd already been noticed, and she wasn't sure it was in a good way. When Shift gestured for her to follow, she fell in beside him, careful to stay just behind his shoulder. He might not be completely human, but she didn't want to cause any more problems than she already had. Obviously, they accepted the crossbreds well enough. Maybe if she could convince them she was tame, they'd give her a chance?
He slowed his steps until she was beside him. Don't do that. You're not in shit, we just need to sort out a few things.
"Sorry, sir," she muttered.
And don't fuckin' 'sir' me. Look, we're not like that, ok? I don't care what some human says you should do, we know what you are. If anything, I should be walking around behind you.
His thoughts shocked her. What?
Shift looked over to her quickly. You weren't raised by an iliri, were you.
It wasn't a question, but she decided to try answering. No. I was purchased young, as a pet and servant. I've never really met any other iliri.
Well, that's going to make things harder. He gently touched her shoulder. It's ok, though. You're not alone anymore. Just breathe, I'm sure you can smell it.
Smell what?
Shift grinned. The truth. There's so much more going on than you could ever guess. What we're about to show you is just a hint.
Chapter 2
Shift grabbed the plain wood door before them and pulled it open, gesturing for her to go first. Sal pulled off her cap as she entered and took a deep breath, looking around. The ever-present sweet smell was faint, little more than a tickle in her nose. Instead, she savored scents that felt natural and comforting. They reminded her of something from long ago.
Across the room, Lieutenant Blaec Doll stood with his bare back to them. At the sound of the door, his head tilted, he grabbed a clean shirt from the chair beside him, and shoved his arms into the sleeves as he turned. His chest was smooth, perfect except for one pale line across his hip that vanished under the waist of his pants. She wondered how a soldier could've fought for so long without the marks to prove it. When her eyes finally made their way to his face, he was waiting.
"She doesn't have a clue," Shift said, leaving her side to drop into a chair before a massive desk. "Pretty good instincts, though. We've been chatting."
The Lieutenant nodded. "I see that. Any reason you didn't give me a warning?"
"Nope." Shift grinned and leaned back, the chair creaking in protest. "Brought her to the office like I was told. Not my fault you're half naked."
He chuckled. "If you'd been any earlier, I would have been all naked."
"What," Shift teased, "didn't want to stay in armor all day?"
"Nor show my bare ass to the recruits." The Lieutenant grinned before turning to Sal. "So, Private. Heard you've been making things intere
sting."
Sal wasn't sure if she was already off to a bad start, but dared to hope that Shift was right. "I'm sorry, sir."
He stopped just a step away, his hard green eyes boring into hers. When she refused to look down, he smiled slowly. "I see. And how long can you keep that up, little iliri?"
He was challenging her intentionally! As long as I need to, she thought, but said, "Pardon me, sir?" Her ears flicked forward, locked on him, wondering what he was trying to do.
"Her mind and her tongue don't agree," Shift said. "I'm getting a drink if you're gonna start that shit."
"Pour her one, too," the Lieutenant ordered, never breaking the gaze. "She'll need it." He stepped closer, his attention back on her. "Now tell me, are you always this submissive?"
He was taunting her. When she refused to blink, he stared back, a smile playing at his mouth. Sal tried to ignore the sudden desire to see him look away. He outranked her, but every fiber in her body said she deserved to see him submit. While Shift poured the drink, she tracked him with an ear, never breaking her stare with the Lieutenant.
"How long can you really hold it?" he whispered.
The arrogance in his tone was too human, too sure of himself. Her ears locked back and a rumble started in her throat. When he leaned forward she snarled, allowing her lips to pull back, revealing both sets of cutting teeth. He was too close.
The Lieutenant smiled. "You really think you can make me back down? Are you really that sure of yourself?"
"That would be improper, sir," Sal said, refusing to look away. Her tone was professional even if the growl wasn't.
He leaned even closer. "Iliri rarely care about the ranks of humans, girl. Either you're more dominant than me, or you aren't. Pick one, and prove it." His voice was so quiet she assumed Shift hadn't heard.
"Don't push it," Shift said as the door opened behind them. "She's running on pure instinct. Never met our kind before."
"Shit." The new voice sounded like Razor, the officer who'd spoken to them earlier. "Feral?"
"No." The Lieutenant's voice was a purr. "Not at all. Strong, but not feral." He leaned back, looking pleased. "Now go sit down, Private. That's an order."