by Lyn Lowe
“The balls on this one!” Callo looked to his other bodyguard – a massive slab of meat that put even Judah’s size to shame – as if expecting the other man to join in his merriment. The man stayed silent, glaring at Kaie with all the animosity Callo lacked. His gaze burned almost as hot as Mola’s. Unperturbed by the lack of encouragement, the councilor smacked Kaie on the shoulder affectionately.
It was a dangerous move. Kaie heard Vaughan gasp and the unmistakable snick of Judah drawing his blade. Not even a breath later, both of the Huduku guards were drawing their own weapons. Mola held a pair of wicked looking daggers in the span of a blink, and the meat lifted a club the size of Kaie with an ease that spoke volumes.
Callo seemed oblivious to the burgeoning peril. “This man spoke with Kale, what? A thousand times? And he never suspected that, beneath the ‘sirs’ and ‘my lords’ there was a man so bold. Tou Callo is intrigued, Kale. Yes, he wants to see.”
Kaie waved at Judah to stand down. It took a moment. It was several more minutes before Mola and her friend did the same. Once he was sure every weapon was back where it belonged, Kaie pressed the tips of his thumb and forefinger against his lower lip and let loose a shrill whistle.
Just like Callo’s laughter, the sound echoed at the ruins of the market. Just as the laughter, it set Kaie’s hair on end, certain it would bring the enemies down on them. But it was a calculated risk. He needed the signal to carry to where he placed his third man.
Henry dragged the Lady Autumnsong into the plaza.
Instantly, the Huduku were armed and, for one perilous moment, Kaie felt the press of Callo’s own sword against his neck. Fighting the urge to swallow, Kaie held up his hands in surrender.
“Treachery?” the councilor hissed.
Kaie shook his head. “No. Action. Look.”
It took a great deal of effort to get the Lady looking right. The hunt for a suitable dress was almost as intense as the one to locate Callo. Twice, the ones found were destroyed before reaching the warehouse when the hunting party was caught in a skirmish with enemy forces. Kaie judged acquiring the clothes far less a chore than what fell to the three women who volunteered to clean the noblewoman up, though. For all her regal bearing, Autumnsong could shriek and fight with the greatest monsters of the Abyss. No one could argue with the results, though. Her skin was the color of cream, even in the moonlight. And they managed to get her hair into a braided bun that looked at once simple and ornate.
She looked exactly like who she was.
Henry wasn’t gentle, and her bare feet stumbled more than once on the debris and bones littering the ground. Kaie knew it was a risk to bring the man. Even Judah was baffled by the selection. But Kaie insisted. One way or another, his fate was going to be decided tonight. If he was going to win Gregor’s army, he couldn’t think of any faster way to do it than to have his greatest detractor witness this.
Of course, if he failed, Henry would likely be the one to slit his throat.
Kaie watched as recognition lit Callo’s face. The sword left his throat. “Impossible! This man sees a ghost!”
Kaie hesitated. He could still stop it. Even now, he could stop the Huduku from taking the Lady Autumnsong. Judah knew why he was doing this, but wasn’t happy about handing the woman over. The giant had an honorable streak about him that seemed to make the notion sit poorly. If Kaie moved to take her back, both he and Vaughan would follow. Henry would be a problem, but not an insurmountable one. And the Huduku would only be able to shout complaints to their backs.
Peren expected him to stop it. For good reason. Kaie would walk the endless expanse of the Abyss, if it meant seeing his son again. The boy was always on his mind, an image held just out of reach, waiting for him to close his eyes and dream of it. Saving Autumnsong would make it real. If he could get her out of the city, he was sure she would take them to Keegan.
He let out a slow breath of air from between his teeth.
“Not impossible, Callo. Just unlikely. If Gregor were here, he would tell you that’s something I’ve got a knack for.”
The councilor chuckled once and slid his sword back into his sheath. “This man can’t argue that, with evidence like this staring him in the face. This is Kale’s action, then?”
He nodded. “Consider this the payment for our defection. We aren’t strong enough to survive having both sides as our enemies. If you can give us this truce, you can have Autumnsong. And, if you pledge us the support of your people, we’ll help you fight our mutual enemy.”
“The man knows what the people mean to do to her?”
“Pay her back for unleashing this on your streets and make her an example for anyone else the Empress sends to rule your city, I expect. Our supplies won’t last forever. Our hiding place isn’t good enough to keep us safe much longer and we’re surrounded by enemies. So long as those problems start being rectified, I don’t care if you decide to eat her alive right in front of me.”
Callo lifted a shaggy eyebrow at that. “This man doesn’t have the authority to make such promises.”
“Don’t feed me that line, old man. I’ve been watching the politicking in this city for two years now. I know your caste outnumbers all the others at least two-to-one. I’ve also see how much your people adore you. If you say we’re allies, no one would dare challenge you on it.
It was a gamble. Kaie knew the numbers were right. It was the reason Gregor approached Callo in the first place. The rest was just a guess. The odds were in his favor, Kaie thought, but the only way to know for sure was to see Callo’s reaction.
It was another hard smack. The councilor chuckled. “This man does like Kale’s brashness. He is inclined to cooperate, for that alone. And Kale has given him a fine gift. Very well. The man may have his word.”
Kaie let out a breath of relief that seemed to take all his energy with it. Before he could say another word, though, the councilor held up his hand again.
“Kale should know, Callo does not have the authority to make this any more than an arrangement between friends. And so that is all he will offer. The man understands? There will be supplies, but no support. This man will provide a guide to the city, to help the soldiers stay ahead of the Urazian forces, but that is all that will be given. A life for a life.”
That wasn’t enough. His scouts confirmed exactly what Kaie expected would happen: the Urazian forces held the bay in a death-grip. The Rit’s Gate and the Merchant’s Gate as well. The Huduku still held the Villain’s Gate, but that was no true exit. The only way out of the city was to drive the Fourth out of one of the strongholds. Kaie wasn’t going to be able to take any of them without help. His numbers were too small and his supplies dwindling fast. Loyal as they were, it wouldn’t be much longer before his troops started thinking about returning to the empire just to fill their bellies.
“Callo, that doesn’t serve either one of us!”
The big man shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Kale asks too much. This man won’t promise more than he can give, and Kale should be grateful for that much. It’s almost more than Callo has a right to offer. If the man wants the greatest city as a friend, he will have to ask its heart, not its right arm. He’ll have to ask Lady Dau.”
“Fine!” It was an effort to keep his voice under control. “I’ll speak to her now, if you take me to her!”
Mola hissed and drew out her daggers. Callo, noticing this time, placed a hand on her thin arm. “Put them away, girl. He doesn’t know the insult,” the big man muttered. “Punishing ignorance is not the way.”
“Why not?” She demanded. “Ignorance is no excuse! If the boy made any effort to understand the people, he would know. But he doesn’t bother. None of the Urazian garbage do. They think they’re better than the people, Callo. Even this one.”
“This man said to put them away!” Even the slab of meat flinched at Callo’s shout. With obvious reluctance, she did as she was told.
The councilor drew in a deep breath and let it out again. Slo
wly, he turned back to Kaie. “No one can make demands of the heart, and expect them heeded. The heart is not a thing to be forced. If the man wants an audience with the Lady Dau, he must be patient. When she is ready, the heart will call for him. The man must accept his lot and wait until summoned.”
Kaie was silent for some time, weighing his options. Not that there were many. “You’re asking me to go back to my people with promises of ‘maybe.’ That’s a hard pill to swallow, old man. But if there is to be no other way, will you at least answer me one question?”
“Name it.”
“Are your people eating fresh fish?”
Mola scoffed. Kaie could see the confused look on Henry’s face, and expected Judah and Vaughan were wearing ones very similar. But Callo understood. His eyes narrowed, but not in an unfriendly way. Quite the opposite, Kaie got the distinct impression the councilor approved.
“Yes.”
Kaie smiled and nodded. That was important. He offered his hand. Callo smiled and took it. The deal was struck.
“You can’t do this!” Autumnsong found her voice. “You’re a good man! A good man!”
Kaie glanced at the shrieking woman. “I said you’d be surprised.”
Callo glanced at his man. The meat slab stepped forward and grabbed the Lady Autumnsong. Henry held on to her for a moment, but Kaie signaled him to let go. In less than a minute, the only sign of either was the fading sound of her cries.
Mola’s was the life chosen to balance the scales. Kaie couldn’t decide how to feel about that. Every sway of her hips was like art, reminding him of all the fantasies. She stirred something in him. Something he thought Gregor and Silvertongue destroyed. His gratitude for that made them sharper, more real. And he was sure she knew all of it. She kept looking over at him, and Kaie was sure he saw the traces of a smirk before the furious scowl slid into place.
But Peren was back at the warehouse. She would hate him now. But it would still hurt her, watching him lust after Mola. Kaie wouldn’t break her.
“I’m struggling to figure out if we won this one,” Judah muttered once they were safely back inside the warehouse. Everyone watched as they walked in, but no one approached. Not even Peren, though Kaie could feel the weight of her gaze pressing down on his shoulders.
“We were never going to win this one,” Kaie admitted. “Not completely. Even without the Lady Dau, there wasn’t any chance of walking out of here with everything we want.”
“Why not?” Vaughan asked.
“Callo’s got too much to lose from trusting us at this point. No matter how he seems, Callo has been a politician far longer than he was ever a stonemason. He knows how the game is played. He’ll wait to see if we keep cowering in our hole, or if we manage to do enough damage to be worthwhile before he even takes our request to Dau. Be sure of that.”
Kaie turned to Judah. “I need you to come up with some way to do that.”
The giant chewed the inside of his cheek. “I have a few ideas. They’ll need some considering before I’m ready to share them.”
“Is two hours long enough?” Judah nodded slowly, already looking miles away. Kaie was relieved. It was less likely to spend more lives than they could spare if the one issuing the orders knew something about military strategy, anyway. “Okay. I’ll find you then. And let the doctor know you’re back. I don’t need her shouting at me when she decides it’s my fault you won’t let her fix you.”
Judah walked away muttering a curse or three under his breath, but Kaie knew it was half-hearted.
“Do you want me to help the doctor with him?” Vaughan asked.
Kaie shook his head. “No. You know what I want you to do.”
“You know I can’t…”
He sighed. “I know. And I’m being patient. But something big is coming. I intend to survive it. So whatever you have to do, do it faster.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Vaughan insisted.
“The men and women here, each one of them is prepared to help us live through this mess. Everyone but you and Peren.”
Vaughan looked up, terrified. “You’re not… you wouldn’t! You wouldn’t leave us alone out there! Not Peren!”
Kaie stared at the other man, not letting himself so much as blink. “If you want to protect her, figure out how to be useful again.”
The blonde must have seen something in his eyes. He scurried off to Peren. Kaie hoped they would keep each other busy. He couldn’t deal with either one of them right now.
“Does the boy have something for the girl to do, too? Will he tell her to go do what he thinks is best? Does he expect her to listen?” Mola sneered.
“No,” Kaie growled. “I’m sure if all I did was tell you to go get something to eat, you would find a way to starve to death before morning just to spite me. So go do whatever in the Abyss you want to do. As long as it’s away from me, I truly don’t give a shit.”
Her mouth worked, and he thought she might stick around just to piss him off. He didn’t do anything to encourage her along. He just waited. After her pouty lips and dark scowls failed to win any reaction from him, Mola flounced off. A small breath of relief slid out from between his lips.
“And me?”
He almost forgot about Henry. It was the longest the man had kept his mouth closed since Kaie met him. Without the obnoxious comments, Henry was surprisingly unmemorable.
Kaie scratched the back of his neck. All the blood and sweat was combining with the sand to form a thick layer of grime coating every inch of his skin. It was almost enough to make him miss the pool back in the manse. “I want you to tell people what happened out there. By the time Judah and I sort out the next move, I need everybody here to know we’re not to turn our blades against the Huduku.”
Henry snorted. “You mean you want them to know you made good.”
“A pleasant side effect. Right now, I think it’s most important we don’t ruin this whole thing because someone didn’t know who to stab.”
“Right,” Henry said. “Just tell me one thing. That thing you asked the older guy, the one about the fish. What was that about?”
“I’m nosy.” Kaie answered.
Henry rolled his eyes and walked off on Mola’s heels, not making any effort to hide his irritation.
Kaie waited for a few minutes, waiting to see if anyone else was going to come up and make demands of him. But it seemed the soldiers were all occupied with their own concerns. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he slipped to the back of the building.
It took a bit of work, moving the boxes around and rearranging them without anyone noticing. Kaie managed. Once he was sure that no curious eyes would find him, he slumped against the back wall. Kaie dropped his head into his hands.
Kaie never doubted he would see Keegan again. Not until tonight. Even if he could return to Lindel, he wouldn’t find the boy there. His son was gone.
Silent sobs shook his shoulders as hot tears spilled into his hands.
Thirty-One
The weeks passed in a blur. Their days were spent hiding in one building or another. From the Fourth and the sun, which was just as dangerous. Nights weren’t any better. The heat of the day leaked out of the city faster with every setting of the sun. Violence and running were keeping them warm for now, but Kaie knew it wouldn’t last forever. Once the season truly turned, the darkness could be just as deadly as the light.
Judah’s plan was simple. The hundred were divided up into groups of five or six. Since their enemy greatly outnumbered them, the idea was to use the city itself. That meant being small and mobile, able to harry the Fourth and retreat before the bulk of the blades were turned on them. The narrow streets and high buildings were a huge advantage with this sort of attack. The other benefit of this division was that they required less space and were far less likely to draw attention. Sorting out the squads was a difficult task Kaie was happy to leave in the soldier’s hands. Mostly. His own was the only team he expressed any interest in.
&nb
sp; Judah didn’t see Vaughan in quite the same light Kaie did. It was pointless to try to hide the fact the blonde was a mage. Not while Judah still wore the scars from the fume bees on his back and arms. Vaughan regularly made comments that led Kaie to believe he could sense Judah’s ability as well. Ordinarily he might just dismiss it as blustering. But he noticed the way the blonde’s body shifted whenever the man other drew near, as well as how Vaughan’s eyes found Judah with impossible accuracy whenever the other man’s name came up. Little things, maybe, but they were telling. And it was just as clear that they didn’t like each other. Even talking about the blonde sent the solider into a tirade about the dangers of ‘wildling magic’ and how it would end up killing them all.
But Kaie got his way. Once he pointed out that Peren would never leave her brother’s side that Judah finally began to cave. She couldn’t fight, and wouldn’t stand a chance when someone came to deal with the two of them. She needed to be protected. And Judah couldn’t hide how eager he was to be the one doing that protecting. Kaie hated using her like that, and hated more how effective she was at changing the soldier’s mind. It didn’t stop him, though. He was prepared to use the same tactic as often as it was effective.
To get Vaughan and Peren, he had to take Henry. Judah gave a list of reasons, some of which Kaie even listened to. Ones about Henry’s inclination to cause trouble and the man’s obvious lack of respect. He pointed out how dangerous it was to have a voice undermining them among the ranks they wouldn’t be seeing, and Kaie did see the point. He just didn’t care. He didn’t want anyone else, and especially not another person who needed to be kept under watch. Mola was more than enough of that.
Not, Kaie admitted to himself, that he minded keeping his eyes on the Huduku girl. She was treacherous. She kept her oath of cooperation to the letter. She led them to wherever the locals dropped off supplies without complaint, but twice they caught her trying to provoke the men delivering them into attacking. It wasn’t breaking her promise to Callo, not exactly, but Kaie suspected she would get more creative with her interpretation of those words the longer she was forced to keep them. Her hatred burned too hot for anything else. It was why he found her so damn fascinating.