by Rachel White
"Suul Thrun." This was Lieutenant Taarq, his voice soothing. "I know you feel you've gone too far now to stop, but you don't need to do this. Please lower your weapon. We can walk out of here without further bloodshed. There's still time."
For the first time, Suul Thrun turned to look at him. His face was lined and sagging. Though he wasn't that old—only forty or so—the events of the day seemed to have aged him enormously, and he had the countenance of an elderly man. In his expression, there was rage and hatred—but fear, as well. And beneath that, despair, so ancient and heavy it seemed to pull him down where he stood. He didn't know what else to do.
"You traitor," he said hoarsely. "You…do you have any loyalties toward Jev? Any, at all?"
"I am loyal to Jev," Lieutenant Taarq told him. "We simply have different understandings of what loyalty means. Put your gun down, Suul Thrun. It's over. Let's all walk out of here. There's still time."
Slowly, tiredly, Suul Thrun's arm began to drop. The air around them felt charged with electricity, like the air before a storm. If he could lower the gun without trouble, perhaps they could all walk out of there, as Lieutenant Taarq wanted—but Nur enjoyed tormenting her children.
"It's all right," Lieutenant Taarq was saying. "Put the gun on the floor by your feet—"
The next few moments happened very suddenly. There was another tremor, worse than any of those preceding it, strong enough to shatter all the window glass and upend the furniture. In that moment of confusion, Lieutenant Taarq lunged toward the empress, seeking, perhaps, to pull her to safety behind him—
And Suul Thrun fired.
Rallis didn't know if he meant to. The shaking threw him off balance. He staggered as he made the shot, his eyes widening, only barely keeping his feet beneath him. It was possible he had touched the trigger on accident. Perhaps even probable. Only Nur could say for certain.
In the end, it didn't matter. The pulse hummed through the space between Suul Thrun and Empress Laiaraina. If he had fired thirty seconds prior, he would have struck her square in her heart, a killing blow; as it was, Lieutenant Taarq had moved in front of her, and so he took the hit instead.
"Lieutenant Taarq!" Rallis cried, abandoning his hiding place to cross the distance between them. He reached Lieutenant Taarq just in time to catch him as he stumbled sideways. They crashed together, barely keeping their feet as the empress fired back at Suul Thrun.
Rallis's fear had been baseless. Her aim was true, and her hands steady. The pulse hit Suul Thrun low in the chest; his eyes flared open and he had time to gulp in a single, shocked breath, and then his legs buckled beneath him. He was dead before he even hit the ground.
Lieutenant Taarq leaned against Rallis, clutching his side. "Your Excellency—"
"Your sentiments are kind," said Empress Laiaraina, pushing an errant lock of hair out of her face, "but misguided. I have no place for traitors in my court." Her eyes widened. "You're injured."
Rallis followed her gaze and saw that Lieutenant Taarq was still holding his side. Through the weave of his fingers, a bit of damaged jacket cloth was visible, though thankfully no blood. "Only a little, your Excellency," Lieutenant Taarq assured her. "You should find safety."
"Stay here. I'll fetch a physician."
"Your Excellency—"
"Nur's heart, sit down," Rallis snapped, guiding him toward the tiled floor. "You're just making it worse by talking."
Lieutenant Taarq laughed. "I'm alright," he assured Rallis, though he obediently did as directed. "I think he only grazed me. Your Excellency, you should—"
Another tremor interrupted them, the worst one yet. It felt as though the citadel were splitting apart beneath their feet.
"You should find shelter," Lieutenant Taarq resolutely continued. "The citadel engines have been damaged. They're afraid Jevell might break from the strain."
Empress Laiaraina scowled at Suul Thrun's corpse. "Of course they are. Stay here, lieutenant. And you, Adesi, keep an eye on him. Even if it was only a graze, he shouldn't be walking. I'll send a physician to attend to you."
"Thank you, your Excellency."
She gave him a curt nod, and then she was vanishing through the billowing curtain that separated the apartment, pulse still in hand, her feet silent against the polished wood flooring.
"You're a fool," Rallis told Lieutenant Taarq, who was cross-legged on the ground with his hand pressed against his side. "You shouldn't have tried to talk him down. Don't you have any sense?"
"He would have shot the empress if I had moved. His position was much better than mine. If I had fired at him, I would have hit his arm or his shoulder. He could easily have hit her organs. Besides—" Lieutenant Taarq grinned at him "—I'm not bloodthirsty enough. You've told me so yourself, repeatedly."
"I have—" Rallis began and then realized, with an uncomfortable jolt, that Lieutenant Taarq's teeth were pinkish.
Oh, Nur. Please, he thought, praying to a goddess he hardly believed in, please don't mean anything.
Out loud, he said, "Lieutenant Taarq…"
"Hmm?"
"How badly were you hit?"
"Not badly. Why?"
But it was a lie. Rallis knew it was a lie, and Lieutenant Taarq knew it too. "Can you taste blood?"
"Only a little."
"Move your hand."
"Rallis…" Lieutenant Taarq began, but Rallis ignored him, pushing his hands aside. There was indeed a singed spot on Lieutenant Taarq's jacket—and redness seeping through the material from below.
"You're hurt," said Rallis hoarsely, touching the spot. "You—Nur's heart, you fucking idiot. How bad is it?"
Lieutenant Taarq sighed. "Bad," he admitted, covering the wound again. No, putting pressure on it. "I don't know how bad." His voice was growing thin and breathless, the voice of a stranger. "He…I didn't mean to lie. I thought at first he had grazed me. But…Exalted, it's really starting to hurt."
"Lie down."
He pushed Lieutenant Taarq toward the floor, horrified when Lieutenant Taarq nearly toppled backward. "Be careful."
"I'm trying."
His teeth were growing redder and the stain was spreading beyond the bounds of his hands. Rallis shifted until he could pull Lieutenant Taarq's head into his lap and touched his forehead. The skin was warm and clammy against his fingertips. "Keep pressing on it. Don't let it bleed too much. Do you have a med bar?"
"I gave it away after the explosion."
"You're a fool."
"You sound surprised."
Tears pricked the corners of Rallis's eyes. "Someone should be coming soon to help."
"They're going to…going to be evacuating the area to avoid further explosions. I don't know if anyone is going to come soon."
"What do you mean? The empress said she would send someone. Anyway, they'll need to retrieve Suul Thrun's body."
"If a bomb goes off in the palace," said Lieutenant Taarq, with the air of someone reciting a schoolroom lesson, "all inhabitants must evacuate immediately…to ensure that there aren't further casualties. Then…trained legion units will enter and begin slowly inspecting the area. They won't permit entry while they work. I don't think anyone will come in here soon. Not until…not until they're confident that it's safe."
"The empress said she'd send a physician."
"Perhaps…"
Nur's heart, should Rallis go try and find help? The area around them felt uncannily still: there were no sounds from the hallways outside, no signs of movement in the empress's garden through the open window. Had legionnaires already come through and escorted everyone out? Would the empress's physician try to get to them, only to be told that, like Naravi's prison, it was a restricted area and entry was forbidden? If Rallis left, would he be allowed to return, or would he be shepherded outside while Lieutenant Taarq was left to die, alone and forgotten, surrounded by corpses?
"You should leave," said Lieutenant Taarq. "It's dangerous here. You should…" He broke off with a rough noise of pain.
"I'm not going to leave," Rallis told him.
"If the citadel cracks, you could be in danger."
"I don't care."
"Rallis…"
"I don't care," said Rallis fiercely. "I'm not going to abandon you here. I'm staying until they come for you."
Below him, Lieutenant Taarq was drifting into a hideous half-sleep that made Rallis's blood run cold. There was more blood now, dripping out between his fingers. Rallis stroked his fevered forehead. "You have to stay awake."
Lieutenant Taarq laughed softly. "Is that an order?"
"It is."
"I don't think I can obey it."
The coldness turned into a churning nausea in Rallis's stomach. "You have to. You're an officer. You'll disgrace the Jevite legion if you don't."
His weak attempt at humor fell hideously flat. "Rallis…" said Lieutenant Taarq but didn't get any further.
"I love you. Is that enough to keep you awake?"
"If anything would be, it's that." Lieutenant Taarq blinked sluggishly. "But I'm so tired. I've never been this tired."
He was fading, and nothing Rallis did was preventing it. Desperate, Rallis kissed him, and felt him kiss tiredly back for a moment before his lips slackened. His eyes were fluttering closed. His mind was already drifting away, seeping out of him with the blood soaking his tattered white jacket.
Rallis said, "Hon galir."
There was a moment—
"Is that what we're doing?" Lieutenant Taarq murmured, sounding pleased. "In that case…Rhagen lev."
The khas board appeared in Rallis's mind when he closed his eyes. "Hon hol."
"Betre pior."
"Betre galir."
"Going on the attack already?" Lieutenant Taarq asked. "That's never good for me."
Rallis stroked his forehead again. "I'm not going to go lightly on you just because you're a little hurt."
"Never say. Harin lev."
"Ren rel."
"Hon hol."
Rallis already had an unnae there. He mentally moved it one space over and played on. "Betre tas."
The wait until Lieutenant Taarq spoke again was agonizing. The air smelled of copper. "Harin…tas," he finally said.
"Now who's going on the attack?"
Lieutenant Taarq gave another weak laugh. "I've always admired your play. You're more daring…than me. I've never been brave."
More tears burned in Rallis's eyes. "You're incredibly brave," he said. A red flower had bloomed across Lieutenant Taarq's front, dark and saturated. It stretched from the hem of his jacket to just under his ribcage. There was a puddle of blood on the tile below. "You always try to do the right thing, no matter what. You stood up to the Empress and Suul Thrun for me and Naravi. Just because you're not aggressive and violent doesn't mean you're not brave. You're the bravest person I know."
"Ah, Rallis." Lieutenant Taarq looked up at him, his pale eyes distant and hazy. "It feels like we're always missing our chances."
"Don't say that."
"It's the truth."
"It's not the truth. Ved tas. We have plenty of time."
"I thought you were so beautiful when I saw you. That first day…when Legionnaire Elur brought you to the garrison." He laughed breathlessly. "It was a cruel, thoughtless thing to do. I must have frightened you terribly. But…at the time, I didn't even consider that. I couldn't. That night, I saw your face when I closed my eyes. Karus lumet."
"Hol karus lumen. You're delirious. I'm not beautiful." The only answer was a quiet sigh. "Hol karus lumet," said Rallis again, nudging him. "Or are you giving up already?"
"Not giving up," Lieutenant Taarq whispered, his voice like wind through dry leaves. "Karus…"
The pool of blood on the tile had grown larger. His jacket was sodden and heavy with it. Everything stank of blood and sweet death; the inside of Rallis's nose was coated with the foul scent.
He kissed Lieutenant Taarq's forehead and felt Lieutenant Taarq stir briefly in response. When he put his hand over Lieutenant Taarq's chest, he could feel the steady beat of Lieutenant Taarq's heart, already slow and growing steadily slower. "Karus…?"
"Karus… kuul."
"Kuul ganna."
Nothing. He nudged Lieutenant Taarq. "Kuul ganna."
"Karus kuul."
"You're already there."
"Rhagen lev."
It was a completely different part of the board; obviously no tactics were involved. Lieutenant Taarq was probably saying the only unnae names he could remember. "Rhagen pior ved."
"Rallis…"
"It's your move."
Lieutenant Taarq smiled up at him. His mouth was dark with blood and his dark skin was eerily grayish. "You should…leave. Before…before another attack…"
"I already told you I'm not going to leave. Rhagen pior ved. It's your move, Lieutenant Taarq. Or do you surrender?"
"I love you," said Lieutenant Taarq. "I want…you to know it…"
His heartbeat was almost nonexistent. Rallis ducked his head, feeling the tears winding down his cheeks and dripping off his jaw. "I know it."
"I'm…glad. Thank you…for the game. I wish I could have been a better opponent."
"No one could be a better opponent," Rallis croaked, wiping his face on his dirty sleeve. "Lieutenant Taarq—"
In the other room, there was the sound of the door opening.
They both heard it and froze. Even Lieutenant Taarq, in the middle of dying, was still lucid enough to sluggishly turn his head toward the curtained doorway. Rallis, for his part, was too stunned to react at first. His body came to its senses before his mind did, and so he spoke without even thinking about it. "In here! He—he needs help, he's dying."
In the echoing silence that followed, it occurred to him that he had no idea who was on the other side, or whether they were friend or foe. If Lieutenant Taarq was right and the legion wasn't allowing any rescuers entry, it probably wasn't someone sent by the empress. Which meant…what? A servant, lost and wandering? An errant legionnaire inspecting the area? Or—oh, Nur—one of Suul Thrun's allies, checking to see whether the plan had succeeded? If that was the case, they would walk into the room to find Suul Thrun's body and Lieutenant Taarq dying on the floor.
Carefully, Rallis reached for Lieutenant Taarq's pulse, lying discarded a half-meter away. The metal was cool and unfamiliar against his skin. He tightened his grip around it and waited, heart in his throat, as the footsteps in the other room grew louder.
The curtain billowed inward as a figure passed through. It took his eyes a moment to recognize who he was looking at. When he did, he nearly wept with relief.
"Well, well," said Legionnaire Saura, grinning at both of them. "It looks like you could use some help, sir."
It was a joke. She was making jokes, Rallis thought hysterically, even as she knelt before Lieutenant Taarq and pressed a medical bar against Lieutenant Taarq's bloody side. He didn't know whether to shout at her or kiss her.
"Hold this."
She indicated the med bar. Rallis set the pulse aside and did as instructed, keeping the kit against Lieutenant Taarq's wound while Legionnaire Saura withdrew a vial and a long syringe from the same pack that contained the med bar. With a practiced air, she filled the syringe full of a strange, whitish liquid and then jabbed it into Lieutenant Taarq's neck. At Rallis's squawk of alarm, she said, "He's lost a lot of blood. This will help sustain him until we can get him to the infirmary." And then, "You're welcome, sir. By the way."
Lieutenant Taarq laughed. Rallis had never heard a more beautiful sound. "You're not supposed to be here."
"I've never been very good at following orders, sir. You know me. You can move your hand," she added to Rallis, and started bandaging Lieutenant Taarq's side when he did so.
The grayish color was fading from Lieutenant Taarq's skin and his eyes were brightening. Between the medical bar knitting up his open wound and Legionnaire Saura's mysterious serum, he already seemed leagues better. "I don't know if
you should sound so proud about that. I think most legionnaires would consider it a failing. How did you know we were here?"
Legionnaire Saura gave him another sly grin. Her gloves were stained red, but she was still bandaging Lieutenant Taarq's side, undeterred, and Rallis didn't think the color came from new blood, only the blood soaking the jacket. "I overheard the empress trying to find a physician for you. They weren't allowed in, obviously."
"And you were?" Rallis asked.
"I let myself in." Of course she had. "Anyway, sir, I hope you'll remember this when you're considering our ranking results in the new year. Not to make any implications, of course. It's only, I would like to be an officer one day."
"I will remember this," Lieutenant Taarq told her, "and it will definitely be a point in your favor. Now you only need to save me ten or twelve more times, and perhaps you'll start balancing things out."
As Legionnaire Saura spluttered a protest and Lieutenant Taarq laughed again, Rallis sat back on his heels. Lieutenant Taarq was safe. Not that Rallis could entirely relax yet—the way Lieutenant Taarq winced and the brittle edge to his smile made it clear he was still in a great deal of pain—but his heartbeat had picked back up, deep and reliable and strong against the palm of Rallis's hand. Rallis's hopelessness receded with every steady thrum.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"I'm not that injured," said Lieutenant Taarq, for the fifth time since he had woken up.
And for the fifth time, Rallis ignored him. "You need to stay in bed. Your wound—"
"It's already feeling much better."
"Is nowhere near healed."
"It's feeling much better," said Lieutenant Taarq again, looking hopeful.
They were in the hospital, as they had been for the last three days. Though the main infirmary was a large, busy, white-walled space, full of harried Jevite doctors and the survivors of Suul Thrun's attack, Lieutenant Taarq had been given a small private room due to his act of valor. It was relatively quiet and the bedding was nicer, but Lieutenant Taarq didn't seem to appreciate the luxury. He was growing very restless after six days in bed.
