Hard Frost- Depths of Winter

by Thia Mackin

  “I’m sorry, Kinan,” Atkoy grumbled, kicking the dirt like a teenager who’d been chastised. “I’m not used to fighting if my life doesn’t depend on it, and for a moment, I forgot to pull back.”

  I nodded, not glancing at him. “Apology accepted. Be aware, though, that I don’t make idle threats. If you ever ‘forget’ again and hurt me worse than I can heal in an hour, I will make sure you never work again.” My pause was to let him process that. “If you can remember that I am your ally, I’ll protect you like I would family. I’ll be your staunchest supporter. Clear?”

  He sighed, turning toward me. “Clear. I really am sorry, Kinan. If we make it in, I’d be honored if you would be my partner.”

  My grin was smug. “Oh, we made it in.” Most off-Terra fights were ambushes. Usually, not close quarter combat. “I’d wager we are the two best shooters they’ve got, which means we keep the fight from the non-combatants. We save lives that they can’t risk losing.”

  Sure enough, our names were called two hours later to collect our supplies and prepare for the twenty-four months ahead.

  Chapter 4

  Every time I stepped foot on the Drinari Plane, the colors awed and overwhelmed me. If the colors of the desert in Spring and hues of the sunset could be placed in a bottle and then broken against every surface, that would be the capital city, Qalildre. The closest Terran sight was the markets of Marrakesh.

  This Plane served as a good starting point, because crime was severely punished in Qalildre. I had only encountered trouble here once in my last six visits, and it had been minor. After we set up camp for the night, I’d check with Atkoy to make sure he’d been to this Plane before.

  Glancing over, I grimaced. A blue drakyn named Alabaster curled on the front of his saddle. The dragonesque creature weighed about fifteen pounds, the size of a large housecat. However, these beasts originated on the Danaan Plane before the Plane imploded. Since they could Gate, many of them had escaped and spread like wildfire nearly everywhere else. The only place they avoided was Terra; I’d been shocked when I found out Atkoy’d bonded one. Humans typically didn’t even know of drakyn’s existence, much less find one young enough to convince the creatures to choose them as bondmate. Did he not live on Terra where he had to hide it from the unEnlightened—the people who didn’t realize other demon breeds existed?

  Only seven drakyn traveled with the party that I’d noticed. Fewer would have been better, but everyone was on strict orders to keep them from their normal tricks—like stealing trinkets and shiny things, hoarding baubles, or playing simple pranks. As far as I could tell, the real threat was Atkoy’s Arabian-Deylura horse. The mare tried to bite everyone and everything within reach, especially Alabaster. He’d named her Venom, but I’d made it clear I’d “defang” her if she went after Romtal.

  The party entered the clearing reserved for us. Half the guards set up a perimeter to keep watch. The other half of us began setting up our tents. As partners finished, we went to relieve our cohorts on lookout.

  “Been here before?” I asked, standing in the stirrups to stretch my legs.

  Atkoy moved Venom a bit farther away from us, just in case Romtal sidestepped, I guessed. He wouldn’t; he’d been trained by Bretinoc Eshrai. For all the man’s failings as a friend, he definitely knew his mounts. “Once, briefly. Unknowingly signed with a slave trader.”

  The way he pressed his lips together told me the situation hadn’t ended well, so I didn’t push. Personally, I stayed far away from the slave markets. The practice sickened me. Terra was one of the few Planes where slavery was illegal; some demons had tried to eradicate it on others with mixed results.

  Rolling my head, I cracked my neck, trying to ease the sudden tension. “Drinari can really screw with a person who isn’t familiar with it. Unless you are planning to purchase, stay away from the slave markets. Refuse to escort the merchants there. We have right of refusal. I checked our contract to make certain before I signed on. You don’t want to lose your temper and end up in a collar, which is how the Drava deal with criminals.” The warning wasn’t idle. I’d seen it happen.

  “Jesus,” he mumbled.

  “I assume even my Goddess doesn’t approve, which is why I stay the heck away.”

  Our conversation died off as we waited for Harica to reach us. Five children—none of them noticeably related—kicked a red rubber ball in the street. Once in a while, one or another stopped to watch the guards moving around our clearing. After realizing they didn’t cross an invisible line between the buildings, I only lent them the barest hint of my attention as my eyes scanned the land around us.

  “Leader Abshoc would like you two to continue watch while he leads the meeting for the first two shifts and merchants. Second Pwein will brief you and the others once they disperse.” Harica disappeared as quietly as she approached, leaving us with the popping sound of the kickball occasionally ricocheting off the wall of the nearby building.

  Romtal chuffed, and I saw the red ball bouncing toward us. He stood stock-still as it rolled almost to Venom. One of the older children stood wide-eyed in the middle of the street, and I held up a hand to keep him from advancing. Having one of our horses brain a child on the first day would definitely violate an agreement with the city’s governing body. He nodded, so I moved to dismount.

  “We’ve got it, Kinan,” Atkoy murmured.

  I paused, already raised from the saddle. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Loosening his grip on the reins, he nudged his mount forward. The last few steps before they reached the kickball were prancing. Then Venom—the hell-bitch who sent grown men screaming in terror with a snap of her teeth—leaned her muzzle down and batted the ball straight forward. The ball barely bounced across the uneven ground and stopped just two feet from the waiting kids.

  As I picked my jaw up from my lap, the children watching us all cheered. Venom dipped one leg and lowered her head, taking her bow. Then she backed up until she stood almost in the same place she stood before. If she didn’t appear a bit more antsy than normal, no one would have known she moved.

  “You see,” Atkoy began, “the person who owned her for the first year of her life could not bond her. He did not understand that Deylura must choose, to an extent, their owner. So he tried to beat her into trusting him. An older breeder saw her, took ownership by way of the abuser’s death, and tried to rehabilitate her. She bonded me when she was two years old, basically feral. If I tried to mount her, she tried to kill me. So we played games and learned tricks. Then the tricks helped train her.” He smiled, patting her neck. “And here we are. She can play ball with a group of kids, but she might try to kill them if they swarmed her.”

  My lips pressed together, trying to hold in the less-than-diplomatic words floating in my head. If I couldn’t say it in Raspea, I shouldn’t say it at all. “If you order her not to attack, will she stand down?”

  He shrugged a single shoulder, the roll of a mountain settling. “Fifty-fifty.”

  The five kids laughed, unaware that their equine playmate could as easily kick in their skull as the ball. “She’s a liability,” I whispered, horrified. “If she kills an innocent, the family gets their pound of flesh from you.”

  The expression on his face froze, and he leaned forward and balanced in the saddle to run his hands down both sides of Venom’s neck. Her black coat appeared glossier where his hands roamed. “Can you imagine what she went through? I barely can, and I know where each scar hides on her skin. Months of therapy just to get her to eat while I was in the room; she needed to make sure I kept my distance, which she couldn’t do if she couldn’t see me.” The silence drew out. “I trust her with my life. I just can’t trust her with anyone else’s.”

  Neither can I.

  When we were relieved a half-hour later, I made sure Romtal had plenty of room between him and Venom. If she injured my boy, her owner wouldn’t appreciate my response. The rest of the night, I wondered if I’d made a mistake in choosing m
y partner.

  Chapter 5

  The first two months passed uneventfully. Occasional pickpockets and the rare robbery attempt barely interrupted the normal course of business for the merchants, especially with such a strong security force. Our most vulnerable time was as we transitioned from one stop to another. Since most cities had regulations about large groups Gating directly into them, we often had at least ten miles to cover with a slow-moving parade of wagons brimming with merchandise.

  Today, halfway to the capital of the Kirian Plane, bad luck caught us as a wheel broke off a leading wagon and an axle snapped on a second at the rear as we repaired the first. The coincidence separated our group, so Harica ordered a few of us to walk the perimeter for signs of trouble.

  On edge and on foot, my eyes scanned the horizon. When the Ferente demon stepped out of a Gate thirty feet in front of me, I stopped walking, unholstered my weapon, and bolstered my shield as I waited for her to gain her bearings. Native to this Plane, the breed could pass as human, except they used colorful tattoos to differentiate clans, status, and Gifts. Generally, though I’d met a couple exceptions, they were quite lawful.

  Friend, foe, or accidental visitor? I pondered. Before she could demonstrate her leanings, the alarm sounded behind me. Raising my gun, I ordered her to halt in Raspea.

  Her war cry warned me as she charged. Two quick shots and she dropped. Just to be safe, I put a bullet through her skull. Not many demons would live through two to the heart and one to the head. A quick three-sixty turn allowed me to assess from my position on the outskirts of the caravan. Godsdamnit. We were outnumbered three-to-one. This was an army!

  Inhaling deeply, I whistled as I assessed the situation. Most of my supplies stayed in the wagon currently behind one of two protective wards. On me, I carried three magazines for each weapon, and a dual quiver of arrows was attached to my mount’s saddle.

  Another Gate opened in front of me, and I kept the gun in low-ready until Romtal stepped through. “Hello, handsome. I figured you’d want an invite to the party.”

  Touching his chest, I warded him in alternating layers of elemental energy before leaping into the saddle. Another few seconds allowed me to center and push back emotions that might compromise my strategy. Then I slid the Glock back under my arm and detached my longbow from the saddlebags. Arrow nocked but not drawn, I used leg pressure to guide Romtal into a gallop toward the largest cluster of fighting. One hundred yards out, I released my first arrow, warded with water to combat the fire shield. The demon staggered, giving Harica the hesitation she needed to gut him. Another arrow caught a second demon in the throat; he gripped the shaft, pushing it through and out the back of his neck. The opponent he’d been standing over stabbed him in the groin.

  Scanning, I fired two more shots. Where is Atkoy? Anyone that size should stand out on a level field, but he was nowhere to be seen. Had he been well enough armed to combat a group this size? Another arrow left my bow. Another demon dropped. Urging Romtal along the edges of battle, we stayed out of melee range. I emptied my quiver and helped fighters who were in a bad way. Some, I could only give vengeance.

  As we approached the main body of fighting, the bow went into the leather case. I pulled both guns and urged Romtal at a slow pace toward the battle. The horse never flinched as I fired the occasional shot. The 9mm bullets at closer range instantly dropped my targets, no warding necessary. The energy of a Gate barely caressed me before I ordered Romtal to drop. Rolling free, I came in behind the demon. A shot through his torso cracked his shield. The knife in my belt cut his throat.

  Romtal screamed, rushing me. I turned and my shield caught the sword aimed for my back. Spider-web cracks spread over the top layer, causing my chest to squeeze. However, a single bullet dropped him. Romtal, enraged, trampled the body as I repaired the damage to my wards. “Satis.” Enough.

  He huffed, trembling as I remounted. I patted his neck, bent low, and sent him forward. The skirmishes seemed to be thinning out as we approached one of the two groups of noncombatants warded safely away from fighting. To our left, finally, I spotted Atkoy engaged with three demons. He held no guns, and his shirt was stained red.

  Our shields were intact. Five magazines remained. No time like the present. “Here goes,” I murmured, urging Romtal into a gallop.

  Legs braced, I fired two shots into the back of the demon my partner faced. From this angle, even if the bullets penetrated, they shouldn’t hit Atkoy. The demon fell, leaving the one who sent his fist into Atkoy’s side. The human hit his knees. The other demon stared at me, lifting his sword above his head, intending to plunge downward.

  I fired three shots, which exploded out the opposite side of the bastard’s head. “Gun, motherfucker!” I shouted. The third demon stepped back, moving away from Atkoy. The trigger pulled, but the gun in my right hand only clicked. However, the recoil of the one in my other hand didn’t disappoint. “Custodia.” I ordered Romtal to guard as I slid to the ground, trusting him to protect me if anyone approached.

  “Atkoy.” He didn’t respond, even when I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Atkoy, it’s Kinan.” Still on his knees, he wove slightly. Head bowed, arms limp, eyes closed. “Atkoy,” I repeated his name, hoping he heard it through the fog, “I am going to see how badly you are injured.”

  Sliding my knife beneath the hem of his shirt, I slit the bottom before ripping it upwards. “Oh,” I murmured, noticing at least three stab wounds over his chest, all seeping blood. His shoulder had a burn mark, second degree at least. Blood from a wound on his forearm dripped from his fingertips. This was beyond my skills. He was dying. Humans didn’t take this much damage and live.

  “Romtal, here! Descendo!” My voice cracked as Romtal knelt near me, but my resolve didn’t. Drastic circumstances and drastic measures? Stepping behind Atkoy, I pushed him forward, across the horse’s back. Sitting behind him, I carefully extended my personal shield around us all so we were locked onto Romtal’s back but the mount could move. Then I gripped the necklace around my neck and said Eliecha’s full name three times.

  The Gate opened abruptly, taking no power from me. I kicked Romtal, and he jumped through. We moved forward through the Void, and the movement felt like walking underwater. Did the charm fail? Were we lost here, to wander eternally? Atkoy would die now, but Romtal would starve slowly. Me, I’d live forever trapped. Panicked breaths caused spots to dance before my eyes, orbs of light in the darkness of the place between places.

  Then the light was real. Romtal stood in the courtyard of the Banded Traveler, a place not accessible by Gate. Unless Eliecha Sees that you need her.

  “Drop the shield, Snowflake. I’ll take your human,” Triswon ordered, voice even and firm in the face of my anxiety. The spots cleared, and I saw his concerned face beside me. “Eliecha has the infirmary ready for him.”

  The shield fell, and Triswon lifted the human like he weighed no more than a sack of flour. “Shield up, little Snowflake. Go do your job. Eliecha said you can Gate back to the site from here, says it’ll be safe where you saw the first attacker. She says she needs time to replace the charm, so be careful.” His hand squeezed my leg. “Be careful, Sarki Elayne Kinan.”

  “Triswon Kowi Bhinj, I will do my best,” I promised, hearing my words from far away.

  He nodded, turned, and jogged toward the building and the waiting healer. Once they were out of sight, I rebuilt our shields. I reloaded the magazines with ammunition offered to me. Someone handed me a bundle of arrows. The haze kept me from seeing the person’s face, but undoubtedly, Eliecha had Seen my need. “Thank you,” I muttered, though the messenger was gone.

  This would not work. My reactions had turned shocky since fear we were trapped in the Void pushed me out of my center. Inhaling, I closed my eyes and reopened the mental door to the calmness inside me. The cold wrapped around me like a blanket. Everything became crisp, clear. Even when I opened my Gate and urged Romtal through, my brain processed the currents in the bre
eze against my face and Romtal’s individual hairs pricking my legs through my pant legs in the background. The grain of the bow and the composite of the arrow shaft grounded me.

  The cries of the wounded carried on the wind, barely dented by the sounds of two groups still fighting. More of our number gathered around the noncombatants, trying to hold the ward despite the demons battering the outside to get in. Uncontested. Drawing back, I released three arrows in quick succession. As her brother-in-arms fell, the demon beside him glanced back at me before going back to working on the ward. I grinned, the cold spreading to the tips of my fingers as I sent the first arrow into her personal shield and the second into the base of her neck.

  Close enough to use less energy and more blunt force, I switched to my guns. Three more demons collapsed, leaving five. Finally, one of them turned to me and shouted. He pulled his sword, assessed me for a moment, and charged. Romtal obeyed my silent order, slowing as we neared. My leg lifted over his neck. I slid down his side and continued at a fast walk toward the oncoming demon, who screamed like a Viking charging into the melee. My bullet caught him center of his forehead. I put two in his chest, also, fairly certain that he was too stupid to actually have a brain.

  Four.

  Another turned, causing the bullet to catch him in the face. A second shot finished him off.

  Three.

  A couple demons charged toward me. The smaller male raised his hand, and the feel of gathering energy tickled my skin. “Not today,” I growled, aiming for center mass. The first two bullets only pushed him back a few steps. Rapid-fire, I emptied that magazine. Then a wave of fire rolled over my shield, invisible to my eyes but singeing the hair beneath the ward with heat. I dropped to my knees, gulping air and reinforcing my shield. My attacker fell face-forward on the ground.