by Auryn Hadley
Pig took over. "You heard him, men. Move. Fuck the blood, just get the bodies out. Line them up in the hall. Tyr, Ryek, make sure no one tries to go in there," he called out. "Fucking move before she changes her mind."
Sal nipped at Zep's chest, her teeth leaving a bloody path across his dark skin. "I won't hurt you this time," she whispered.
He released her arm, and the daggers clattered to the ground, ringing in the hall. She didn't care about the fortune in steel. Reaching up for his neck so she could hook her leg on his hip, her entire focus was on him. Zep kissed her neck, then bit it, and Sal moaned, pulling herself higher on his body. Her fingers twined in his hair, begging for more, and he bit her even harder. When he pulled away, she sank her teeth into his off-hand shoulder, and Zep winced before being flooded with her desire.
Extracting her teeth, Sal grabbed his face and looked in his eyes, then kissed his lips gently. "Feel it," she whispered, then kissed him again.
"Last one, Pig. Valcor, room's clear," Tyr called out.
The humans moved to the edges of the walls, and Zep pushed Sal off of him enough so that he could slide his arm under her legs. While she tried to devour his neck, he carried her into his room. He paused long enough to look around, sighed, and then threw her on the bed.
Tyr chuckled, and pulled his door closed, giving the Blades a little privacy. "That's either going to be a really good or really bad night for him."
Chapter 27
"What the fuck happened?" Pig asked, gesturing to the bodies.
"Trax sent us to jack Sal," Raj said from the corner. "I told Sal we were coming." He dabbed at his neck.
Tyr's head snapped to the traitor. "Is that how you managed to live through that?"
"Yeah," Rayna said, pushing into the cluster of Devil Dogs. "Sal said he was threatened. Fuck," she groaned, running her hand through her hair. "That's why she told me." She gestured at the closed door. "She knew this would happen if they tried to hurt her!"
Pig looked at his soldiers. None of them seemed overly shocked. "You know about berserkers?" he asked.
"Valcor warned us," Tyr explained. "Said if she went off to stay still. She'll stalk movement. He said without Blaec here to stop her, he wasn't sure what would happen."
"K. Good work then. Dare I ask why they weren't dressed to start with?"
Rayna giggled, smothering it with the back of her wrist to keep her bloody hand clear. "Looks like Valcor finally gave in. You know she crashed here last night too, right?"
Pig took a deep breath through his nose as he ran his tongue over his incisors. "So what do I tell LT?"
A chuckle behind him made Pig turn. "Cyno already told me," Blaec said. "I came as fast as I could. He's with the nuvani and couldn't get away. Zep's got her?"
Pig nodded, watching his friend closely.
"Good."
Rayna cocked her head to Zep's door. "Second time tonight, sounds like."
Pig whipped his head around to her, but Blaec lifted a hand to halt the tirade. "It's ok, Pig. Just glad he managed to see that she's not always a damned beast."
"You're good with this? I thought..."
"She's iliri," Rayna said. "It's not his place, and he's second anyway."
"What she said," Blaec admitted. "She get any of you?"
"Nah, man," Tyr said. "But she was going to fight Zep for the body." He waved at the dead man in the center of the hall.
Blaec walked over to the corpse and looked at the chunks of flesh missing. "Fuck. That's going to make it harder."
"What?" Pig asked.
Blaec took two steps and thumped a fist against the wall. Growling under his breath, he turned, letting it hold him up. "Anyone see how much she ate?"
"Yeah. Two bites. Fucking big ones. His fucking throat was just one," Tyr said.
"Fuck."
"What, LT?" Pig asked again.
"That's the first time she's eaten one. Cyno said it's harder to stop after that. Sal's control's pretty good, but..." He looked up suddenly, searching the faces across from him. "How'd Zep stop her?"
"Uh, he was making out with her," Tyr said.
"No, I mean before that. How'd he live long enough to get that close?"
Rayna answered. "He said something about how she couldn't beat him when they were linked. It's like he knew what she was going to do, so he countered it."
"Damn." Blaec rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "And he wasn't berserk?"
"No," Deron assured him. "Valcor's fine."
"You don't understand," Blaec told the unit. "We can share our minds. Anything at the surface mixes together. We're one. The leader controls us." He looked at the confused faces and ran his hand through his hair. "I made Zep dive from his horse once to keep his head on his shoulders."
"Shit," Ryekir said, "nothing unseats him."
Blaec nodded. "Unless you let someone else control you, and she had to have taken over his mind if he was predicting her thoughts."
"Damn," Raj whispered. "That's how they did it." Blaec looked at him, so he kept going. "Sal and Reko. They moved like one."
Blaec's head slowly tilted to the side and his pale green eyes locked onto the Azure Silence soldier. "Yeah. Why are you here?"
"He's good, LT," Rayna said. "He gave Sal the head's up. She said not to kill him."
"The pup, she gave my memories to Sal, and she finally believed me," Raj said. "Fuck, that's damned near my whole unit." He pointed at the bodies. "Tine, Erol, Kian, and Tine's friends. Fuckers just wanted to jack a scrubber."
Blaec growled, but Raj held up his hands. "That's what they said, man. I told Sal as soon as I heard."
"Yeah, but you're the fuck that thought he was going to stick his dick in my mate."
"No," Raj said. "That," and he pointed at the door, "is the man sticking his dick in your mate. I was just trying to keep my damned neck from the noose Trax has around it. Ask the pup."
"LT?" Rayna said, moving between him and Raj. "Sal said he'd pulled his unit out of shit too many times and Drago was holding it over him." She looked around the hall. "Pig, she told us about your talk, too."
"Fuck," Pig grumbled, and Blaec looked up. "I've got a few brain cells left, LT. Told Sal I'd make sure we covered your retreat."
"Man, that's going to get you in shit. You know better than that. Dogs don't need our crap. Blades are good, man."
Pig opened his mouth, but Rayna spoke over him. "I'm supposed to talk to someone named Ilija tomorrow," she said. "Said I'm to tell him I'm a soldier, like him, just better."
For a split second, a wistful smile split claimed Blaec's mouth, and he glanced at the door. "Yeah, that'd do it. Damn you, Sal."
Pig caught her arm. "What does that mean, Ray?"
She looked across the hall again and shrugged. "Sal ran the numbers, Pig. Best case? Forty thousand of us, nine mil grauori. She said we don't need to be across the line. Said to talk to Ilija and get an offer."
"Maast, I wish you people had a link," Blaec grumbled, gesturing to Raj. "Right now, I need you to shut the hell up and let's figure out what we're we doing about the bodies."
"Sturmgren?" Pig asked. "He'll figure out a way to make this go away."
Blaec just nodded. "I think so. Any way you can keep this low key?"
"Yeah," Raj said, still sitting in the corner. "Tine was joking about fucking Sal when Zep came by for lunch. Sparked a disagreement. After the deal the other night, they wanted to teach him a lesson and surprised the two of them in bed together. Bad idea to jump an assassin. Sir, I got shit covered. It ain't nothing but a lover's quarrel. Reko'll stand by it."
Blaec Doll stormed the handful of steps to glare down at the Azure soldier. Raj winced but refused to look away. Making a point of it, Blaec took a long, deep breath, as if he was tasting the air around him. Then he nodded, turning his back on the man.
"K. He can live till dawn. Make sure Sturmgren knows Rhyx cleared him?"
Deron chuckled. "The General's gonna buy that?"
"
Yes. He saw what Raast can do, and he's been briefed. Pig, we need to talk." Blaec gestured to the far end of the hall where Pig kept rooms.
"No." Rayna pulled Blaec's arm down. Both men turned to her, surprised. "It starts with a secret, right? For the Blades, it was iliri. Sal gave us this because I noticed how tight the Blades are. We're not, but we should be. She said it starts with a secret, and this is ours. Don't lock us out, Pig. If you two are going to make plans, I think we have a right to be a part of it."
Blaec chuckled, never taking his eyes off the spunky girl. "Promote her, or sleep with her - or both." Then he stepped closer to her and inhaled deeply, shaking his head. "She's as human as it gets, but damn, she's iliri on the inside. Wouldn't surprise me at all if she bites."
Pig playfully punched Blaec's shoulder. "Sleeping with her's a slippery slope, bro." Slowly, he made a point of running his eyes up and down Rayna's body, but the smirk on his face said he knew she wouldn't be upset. "She's cute, though. I wouldn't say no. Maybe you iliri are on to something with this whole dominant woman thing."
He laughed at the shocked look on Rayna's face, then turned back to Blaec. "Look, I don't know that I'm ready to defect yet. Some of us have families and entire lives built here. I can't ask them all to just pull up roots like that."
Blaec glanced back at Raj, who just lifted his hands and pressed his lips together, showing he had no intention of saying a thing. When Blaec's glare didn't let up, he moved his hands to cover his ears. Only then did a hint of an honest smile turn one side of Blaec's mouth up. He turned back to Pig.
"I'm not asking you to do anything, just telling you that you need to keep your shit out of our mess or you won't have any other option - unless you like seeing them in jail. Treason's still a hanging offense." He let his eyes close for a moment and shook his head. "Sal's trying to clean this shit up, but the grauori and nuvani are pushing a lot harder than any of you know. Shit like this," he gestured at the bodies, "doesn't set well with them."
"Yeah." Pig motioned for his unit to pull closer, then dropped his voice. "Zep said Viraenova isn't thrilled with how your kind has been treated. It's why they made the wall. Made it sound like Sal was doing her best to smooth all that over. Kinda outside her pay grade, isn't it?"
"No," Blaec assured him. "It's really not. She just doesn't have the right title in this country."
Rayna broke in. "I'm going, Pig," she said. "Over there, they call her Kaisae. Did you know that's the title for the iliri queen?" She gestured to Blaec. "And he's the top General? Shit's already in place. The kinda shit we want."
"We aren't iliri, Ray, no matter what jokes the Blades toss around," Pig reminded her. "Yeah, we got an in with them, but what does that mean with Anglia?"
"Ask Sal to show you the encampment," Blaec said quietly. "There's three thrones up there, yeah, but there aren't three people. It's one country."
"Pig, just go see," Rayna begged him. "Checking it out doesn't mean yes, it just means you aren't working blind. It's fucking intel, man."
He looked around at his men, each of them met his eyes easily. Some looked unconvinced. Others seemed excited about the idea. Not a single Devil Dog was telling him not to do it. Pig gave each one the chance to speak up, but all he got was expectant silence. Giving in, he nodded.
"You all want to know more? You really want to chase this lead and see where it goes?"
They looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah," Tyr said. "Blue, green, it's not that big a deal. How many of us even have family left in the CFC? And if we do? Hell, my parents live across the country, and I never see them anyway. We move around too much to settle down."
"Some of us," one of the guys teased. "I got a wife and kids, but I want the best for them." He paused to make the point. "The best, and I'm not sure this is it."
Tyr flung a hand at him as if that proved his point. "See! The color of our uniforms doesn't mean shit. Knowing you'll die for the right reason, though? That's kinda a big deal. Steel just ain't worth it, Pig, and that's all Parliament seems to care about anymore." Tyr looked up and met Blaec's eyes. "But them? I'd die for that cause."
Blaec's eyes widened slightly and he turned away. He didn't stop until he reached the wall behind him and pressed a hand against it, holding himself up. With his back to the rest, for a moment he was perfectly still. Then his chest expanded, sucking in a breath as he rubbed at his face. He had to clear his voice before he could manage to get words out.
"That's what they said in Anglia. That..." He huffed out a laugh and rubbed at his face again. "That's why we're going. So we don't have to hide anymore."
Chapter 28
Word quietly spread to the ears that needed to hear it and, the next morning, Alliance negotiations began without Sal, the bodies had been removed, and Ran made sure there were no charges. The previous attack on Sal made it easier. When Raj corroborated the story, Parliament decided that this was a very bad time to make a scene over it. Drago Trax, however, didn't fare as well. Before the sun was up, he'd been quietly relieved of duty and "encouraged" to retire.
Mid-morning light was streaming through the window when her movement woke Zep. He looked down and sighed. She lay curled against his chest, one leg thrown across his. The lines of her tattoos faded into her skin in the daylight, and her long white hair was streaked with brownish red, one strand sticking to her lips. He reached out and brushed it behind her small ear, smiling as he looked at how different it was from his own. His finger traced the edge, and it twitched twice at his touch. She smiled, and her hand slid down his chest, stopping at the line of hair below his navel.
"Some things are different," she whispered, opening her eyes as her fingers swirled in the short hair.
Zep smiled. "Other things aren't." He leaned down and kissed her. Sal melted beneath him. Pulling himself away was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "I need a bath. So do you."
Sal giggled. "Trying to say I shouldn't play in my food?"
"Yeah, demon. Not so sure I like the idea of being your next meal. You scared the shit out of the Dogs, I think."
She shoved her head back against his shoulder. "Did I hurt you, Zep?"
"I feel like I got run over by a horse, but I'll live, kid. I didn't think you were going to stop."
She kissed his chest. "I wasn't sure I could." Her eyes raised to his. Before he could look away, she touched his face, holding his gaze. "Thank you. I don't mean for stopping me. I mean thank you for trusting that I wouldn't hurt you."
"Sal? When was the last time you were with a human?" She looked away. "That long?" he asked.
"Yeah. Before I had a choice."
"It goes both ways then, babe. Thank you for trusting I wouldn't hurt you."
"You never would," she whispered as she snuggled closer.
"And you still need a bath." He kissed the top of her head. "You're amazing, little demon. I've never had anything like that."
"Me either."
Zep glanced at her quickly. "Don't stroke my ego, Sal."
She shook her head. "Oh, I won't say one of you is better than the other. It doesn't work like that. But..." She sat up and stretched, yawning. "Your skin feels more." She giggled, and once again traced the line of hair, making Zep squirm. "And it tickles nicely."
He laughed as she crawled from the bed. When she bent to grab a dress from the floor, he took his chance to slide behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her delicate body to him, kissing the back of her neck as she giggled.
"Where do I fit in, with all this?" he whispered in her ear.
Sal looked back at him. "Where do you want to fit in?"
"I don't know. I know you can go back to your own bed tonight," he shrugged, "but I don't want you to."
Pulling the dress over her head, she turned to face him. "Jase will be with the nuvani for a few more days. Blaec's usually out in the east." Then she reached up and brushed her lips across his. "And I really hate sleeping alone."
"I told you, Sal.
Anytime you need me." He snuck in another quick kiss just to feel the satin of her skin. "I like being used by you. Now go get clean. I need to see if I can do something about all this blood."
Sal snagged a towel from her packs and grinned at him as she headed for the door. Zep turned for a uniform of his own and sighed as he saw the blood splatter across his open wardrobe. Everything inside was covered. Instead, he grabbed a pair of pants from the pile and pulled them on. Sal was frozen by the door, staring at the smear of red.
"I tried to eat him," she whispered.
"Yeah. You were doing a pretty decent job of it, too."
She turned back to him, her eyes wide, and he could see the panic on her face. Without thinking, he rushed to her side to cradle her against his chest. Sal didn't give in this time. She just pressed a hand over her mouth.
"I," she looked at the stains on her pale skin. "Zep, I was covered."
"Yeah." He turned her head up to him. "You usually are. Why does it bother you this time, kid?"
Sal shook her head, looking back at the blood on the floor. "You. It was all over me. I didn't think about it, but it's not the same for you." She finally gave in to the pressure of his arms. "I'm so sorry."
Zep palmed the back of her head. "I've had more than that in most fights, Sal. It's a lot better when it's on you than a sword." When she looked up, he lifted a brow. "Least you don't have to worry about me trying to take your kill."
"You sure you're ok?"
"Yes, demon. I'm not new to your ways. Go," he said, guiding her to the door. "Stop worrying about me. I'm good, babe."
She stepped into the hall but grabbed the waist of his pants, pulling him to her. They weren’t alone. Standing on her toes, she kissed him. Zep bent, doing his best to not break his tiny little woman, and cupped both sides of her face. When he finally pulled away, he held her eyes for a moment before glancing down. Sal trailed a finger down the silver side of his throat, then made her way down the hall. The dress swirled around her pale legs until she turned the corner and disappeared down the stairs. With a sigh, he let himself collapse against the wall.
