by Auryn Hadley
Sal pushed her head against his shoulder, holding him. "I hope not."
Blaec chuckled. "I'll die one day, Sal. I hope it's not soon, but it will happen. Why didn't you just look? You can, you know? Open to me like this, you wouldn't even have to try."
She lifted herself up to better see his head on the pillow. His pale green eyes watched her. There was curiosity in them, but no resentment. "Blaec," she said, "just because you let me in doesn't mean I'm going to run around your head. No more than you will mine. If I want to know, I'll ask. If you want to tell me, you will. That's it. I like to feel your love when you're in my arms. I like to feel your pleasure and to know I really do make you happy. That's it." She moved back to his shoulder, breaking their gaze.
He kissed the top of her head gently. "That's not 'it', Sal. They're starting to figure it out, too. You're getting stronger."
She shrugged against the sheets.
"I can't stop you anymore, Sal. You're going to have to figure out how to control the things your mind can do."
"Yeah, Blaec, you can. I'm stronger than you now, but you can still stop me." She sighed and pulled away from him, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "Is that what's this has been about?" she asked sitting up on the bed, crossing her legs beneath her. "Is that why you've kept me locked out?"
Blaec looked away but said nothing.
"Then why did you finally let me in?" she whispered.
He surprised her by laughing. A smile spread across his lips as he looked back at her. "Zep said I'm an idiot."
Sal giggled. Their last fight had been solved the same way, by Zep pointing out Blaec's foolishness. "You know this has nothing to do with that, right?"
"With my stupidity or your strength?" he asked.
"Your strength. Blaec, you're strong, and we need that in a leader, but it's not why I love you, ok? But I do love you. You're different from them. You're calm, and logical, and sensible." Her lips cracked into a devious smile. "Even in bed," she teased.
"I'm glad I finally gave in, you know." He grabbed her wrist and tugged her back to his side, wrapping his arms around her. "That was very amazing. You're so iliri, Sal."
She giggled into his chest, nipping him softly. "What tipped you off?"
He watched her, smiling, but his mind was going. "The way you give it back," he said, then immediately groaned. "I'm a fucking idiot. Zep's right. I'm a fucking idiot."
"What?"
"He told me you don't love like a human, but I thought he meant physically. I thought he was talking about sex. That's not what he meant at all. Ah, Sal. Forgive me?"
"Sure, if you tell me what I'm forgiving you for. You haven't really finished a thought yet, love."
"Look. Zep chewed my ass when he heard me ask you to stay with me tonight. Told me to open my mind to you or he'd have Arctic rip it open and lock me to you." Blaec shrugged, but Sal looked up at him concerned.
"Is that why - "
"No," he assured her. "Well, yes and no. It was the kick in the ass I needed. That's all. He didn't make me, he just made me admit that you're right. I ran out of excuses. But the thing is, he told me why he's not taking Taunor. He said it's because he loves you like an iliri. He loves you because you exist, not because he wants to claim you. He's happy to see you happy, and he's not sure he's the best choice for that."
Blaec waved that away with a gesture of his hand. "And I just realized what it all meant. You're Kaisae. The kind that gets capitalized. The kind Cyno's been obsessed with." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Ayati, I'm a fool. When he said loving you was even more impressive with Cyno in the link, he didn't mean sex. He meant that he could finally experience the true, innocent and completely honest affection you give to us. He was trying to remind me that your feelings aren't cluttered with social expectations and rules. You love us because you do, and there's nothing else to it than that."
"That's not normal?" she asked.
"No," he assured her. "No, sweetness. Most people want something back. You? When you're in my head, all I can feel is what you want to give. Doesn't matter if it's me, the pups, or even your Anglian soldiers, your strength is..." His words trailed off. "You can control them all, can't you? Every iliri in Anglia is yours, now."
It wasn't a question, but Sal answered it anyway. "Yes."
"Viraenova, too?"
She nodded. "And the linked humans," she barely whispered.
"Damn. Oh Fuck," Blaec muttered, taking that all in. "At once? How many at once, Sal?"
Her ears drooped and she looked away, staring at the light playing against the canvas wall. "All of them." She took in a small breath, and her hand slipped toward her mouth. "I'm scared Blaec. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know why it's happening, and I don't know what's going on in my mind. Everyone else seems to know all about the things I can do except me."
"Did you talk to Jase about it?" He tugged her against his chest and wrapped her in his arms. She nodded but said nothing. "He's too iliri," Blaec realized. "He doesn't understand why you're scared of it?" Sal nodded again, but just barely. "So why me?"
"You can stop me."
"Ah, Sal," he breathed. "I'm not stronger than you, love."
"Yeah, you are."
"You could rip my mind from my head because you had a bad day. I'm not stronger than you, sweetness."
"I can't challenge you. I can't even do it as a joke," she told him. "I've tried."
He rolled over and looked at her. "You wanted to challenge me?"
She shrugged. "Jase pointed it out. He told me to try and that you'd understand. I tried. I couldn't meet your eyes."
He just stared at her for a little too long. "Why not?"
"You're stronger than me."
"Ok. I'm not, but we're playing blind here. All of us know snippets, but we don't have a whole culture anymore. We steal things from the grauori, nuvani, and history written by humans, but it's not the same. You're doing a damned good job of winging it, too. You know that?" He kissed her. "Only the Blades have any idea how much we're faking this, but I think your instincts are that strong for a reason. Listen to them, ok?"
She nodded.
"And stop trying to hide this thing between you and Jase. I know what cessivi means. This is what I was talking about earlier. The way you love, it protects us, ok? You won't hurt us. None of us."
That one little thing caught her off guard. "You know about cessivi?"
Blaec gently ran a hand over her hair. "Yeah, Sal. I can feel the echo of him in your mind, too. It's ok. No - it's perfect that you have him, and that's why I'm Dernor. We won't let you go rogue, ok? None of us. That's why you have a pack."
Sal sighed and closed her eyes, pushing her head into his chest. Blaec held her as her body finally found the peace she'd been looking for. He was right. The Blades were her family, and they would take care of her. Not just help her, but also keep her from doing anything wrong. She wouldn't make a mess of this. Not with them around to keep her from doing anything stupid.
When her breathing became slow and steady, Blaec whispered, "Kaisae, you going back to sleep, or are you ready to start your day?"
She smiled without opening her eyes. "I need to get up. We have to swear in the Dogs, and I want to be there. Jase is just stirring, though."
He chuckled. "You probably woke him when you got worried. Come on, love. Shut this link down between us or I won't be able to concentrate today."
"Only if you promise it won't be the only time." She giggled, still refusing to open her eyes.
"I swear, you little minx. Zep's right. You're potent."
Giving in, she pulled her mind away from his, their feelings returning to their own bodies. She yawned and stretched, and he took the chance to slip out from under her. "Do I need to get you a servant to come dress Your Majesty?"
"Fuck that," she grumbled. "I'm going in armor. Can you have Arctic stick around afterward? I want to see if we can link in Dom. Zep's convinced I can help with that."
"Yeah. I'll make sure he knows. Conglomerate's going to be pissed in a few hours. You know that, right?"
Her mouth split into a wide grin showing the points on her teeth. "Oh yeah. I think it might be a good time to show off. You wanna see what happens when I nudge them?"
"The Conglomerate?"
She shook her head, her smirk devious. "Us. You know how humans love those silly shows." Rolling onto her knees, she crawled to the edge of the bed. "Let's show them what it means to be just animals. Let's show them what they made when they designed us?"
He nodded. "Oh yeah. I'll pass word for the men to stay ready in case the CFC comes knocking. If you can do half of what the stories say, the politicians will have a heart attack." He grinned back. "Just let me be there to see it, ok?"
"Oh yeah. You've got my right. Now throw me my blacks, sir. I need to get into uniform."
She dressed, and Blaec helped her buckle on her armor. Sal shrugged her shoulders, settling the rings to her body just as a request brushed across her mind. Right on time.
Sal tilted her head to the canvas flap that served as a door. "Dogs are ready. Let's go make a show, Kaisor."
"Yes, Kaisae." He pulled her to him for a quick kiss before escorting her from the tent.
Outside, the Black Blades stood waiting. They all snapped a salute at the sight of Sal. She waved them down.
"I'm never going to get used to that, so why don't you just stop already."
Jase stepped forward, moving to her left side. "Can na, kitten. We're on duty, and yer the Kaisae. Let's go make some citizens?"
Chapter 44
Sal marched to the center of the Anglian camp, her men in step behind her. As they approached, the Devil Dogs knelt before the King of Anglia. Harrgra called out Rragri's name, and the grauori moved between them. Sal heard Blaec chuckle softly and take a deep breath.
"The Kaisae of Anglia, Salryc Luxx!"
She strode forward, stepping to the other side of Dominik. He looked at her, and nodded, then asked the men before him, "Citizens of the Conglomerate of Free Citizens, why are you here today?"
Pig pulled his helm from his head. "To beg the leaders of Anglia for the right to petition to become citizens of this great nation."
"You are not iliri," Sal said clearly. "The new laws do not apply to you."
Pig grinned. "Nah. We're not, but those damned Conventions sure help out. We have the right under the treaty of Ogun to beg amnesty of you."
Rragri spoke up through her translator, taking up the ceremony, "And why do you want to become Citizens of Anglia?"
The Major grinned at them all for a moment, waiting for the noise to die down behind him. "Because you happen to have the best damned leaders on the continent, and we're dying to be a part of this shit. That and those dumb fucks in blue will hang us for assisting the Kaisae's emigration." He held up a finger, making a dramatic show of thinking. "Yeah, I think that's covered under the conventions. Threat of death. Don't remember them saying we had to be afraid."
Rragri, Dominik, and Sal all laughed, and the formality was lost. They spoke the words, and Anglian soldiers called out, teasing the new soldiers. When everything had been said and witnessed by the soldiers behind them, Sal stepped forward.
"Anglia is happy to have you, my newest citizens and dear friends. Be welcome."
They stood, and Pig walked to her. He paused before her a moment, then dropped his gaze, pressing his fist to his heart. "Kaisae, sir. My life is yours, and that of my men."
Sal reached out and grabbed his chin, lifting it until he met her eyes. "May it never be needed, Pig. Thanks for getting my back."
"Thanks for getting our families. They're gonna be ripped over there when they realize what's happened. You know that, right?"
Sal grinned, and Pig's eyes darted to her teeth, causing him to return the smile. "Oh yeah, Pig. I know it. We're going to fuck their world here in a bit, too." She turned her head, "Arctic, we need a link. Anglians, the CFC won't be happy about this. That means we'll be putting on a show."
Sal walked forward to face the crowd of soldiers. All eyes looked to her and she saw nothing but their trust and love. Blaec nodded, and Sal took a deep breath. It was time to let her humans know what she could do.
"Do you all trust me? I mean truly trust me?"
"Hell yeah," a man called out. Sal looked at him, and he snapped to attention.
"Truly trust me?" She asked again, releasing his body.
The same man yelled, "Sweet shit, Kaisae. Do it again!"
Blaec laughed and nodded. "Hit 'em, Sal."
Every soldier in the common area snapped to the most uniform attention ever. Sal felt the amusement across the link, and some surprise, but no fear.
"We're going to scare the shit out of them, men, but only if you trust me," she called out, releasing them. "It only works if you trust me."
That's not true, is it? Blaec whispered in her mind.
Not literally. Figuratively, it is. It's only true power if they trust me.
"I've just been touched by the hand of God," a man in the back said. Sal caught his blonde hair and identified him as a Terran immigrant. One of her own iliri.
"No!" She yelled, cutting off that line of thought before it could start. "The Emperor is claiming to be a god. I am a Kaisae. I am iliri. I can die, I can love, and lose, and wish. I have no power over any of you that you do not give me. Humans made me. We come from grauori. I am only special because I am willing to try. I am only special because you make me special. Do not forget that. This," and Sal pointed at her head, walking among the men, "is no different than what the linkers can do to your thoughts, and they are grauori. That," and Sal gestured at a man's body, "is no more agile than you made it. I am not a god, and I can not do this alone. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers all yelled.
"Then go have some fun," she ordered, turning back to the Devil Dogs. "You're dismissed until they get here."
"Fuck me," Tyr whispered at her when she returned. "What the fuck did you just do?"
She shrugged. "I'm getting stronger, and I think it's going to be important. You all saw that, right?" she asked meeting their eyes.
The twenty-five soldiers before her nodded.
"Here's the deal. We all have a link. You've seen some of that. Through that link, I'm learning to control you."
"Like LT throwing Zep from his horse," Devon whispered. "Fuck me."
Sal winked at him playfully. "Maybe later. I'm booked tonight." The Dogs roared with laughter, and Devon blushed. "Seriously, though, guys. We link you in, and that's the downside."
"Not like you'd do much with it," Rayna said, eying the men. "Have to be a pain in the ass to do more than synchronized shit."
Sal nodded. "Pretty much. Here's the thing, though. I can do it. I don't know why, and I don't have a fucking clue how. I know that when I'm angry, it will leak over, and you will gain a strange desire to protect that which I find important."
Blaec stepped up behind her, "And I can stop her."
"Fuck," Tyr said. "LT, does that mean you can do it, too?"
Blaec shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. I'm just the emergency brake, it seems. But if she's in your mind, you're safe. Grauori, iliri, and even the Blades won't frenzy on you. Keep in mind, you smell like humans. I can't guarantee they won't unless you're linked."
Sal shook her head. "I know them all. I know their scent. They're safe from me."
"But not them," Blaec gestured to the white forms milling around the camp. "That's a lot of grauori who could have a bad day, sweetness."
Zep pushed to Sal's side. "Fucking suck it up and take the link. Trust me, it's worth it."
Ryekir punched Zep's arm. "We're not fucking her, man."
Zep shrugged and pointed at the three women in the unit. "Same shit will be true for them. You gotta have a link to use it, but same shit's true for all of them." He waved his hand over his shoulder at the camp behind him. "Why do you think they're all
so damned happy all the time?"
Razor glanced up at Sal, a strange look on his face. Geo grabbed his bicep, shaking his head, but Sal saw.
"What?"
"It's you," Audgan said. He shrugged. "It's the opposite of what I do, and you have to concentrate to turn it off. Sal, you've been leaking."
She laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
"I told you I'd gut you," Razor growled softly. Sal continued to laugh.
"Oh, my!" She chuckled out between breaths. "Fucking serious?" The Black Blades nodded at her. "All of them?" She looked to the camp. "All of them?"
"Yeah," Razor said. He pointed at Blaec. "Since the night LT slipped you into his cabin back in Ft. Landing. They tried to split us up - and it got worse. That's how you conquered Anglia, Sal."
"Fuck," she breathed, no longer laughing. Sal sat down on the table behind her. "Shit."
Rayna stepped up, drawing everyone's attention. "You all said you want the shit they have, right? Sounds like you get it in a link. Someone hook me up."
Arctic gestured for her to sit. "You're going to feel something in your mind, and that's me. I want you to grab onto it like you never want to let it go. You can't hurt it, but if you want the shit she's giving away, then you have to hold onto it when I pull. Ok?"
Rayna nodded. "You just try to keep that away from, oh. Wow. Cool." She smiled, but Sal saw the intensity of her gaze.
After Rayna, Ryekir was next. That was all it took to convince the Devil Dogs. Arctic pulled four humans into the link easily with Sal there. When he paused to rest, she reached out for Rragri.
Orassae, I'm going to need a linker. I have an elite unit of twenty-five. You have a match? Sal thought across the camp.
How good? Rragri asked.
About as good as the Black Blades. They're the Devil Dogs.
Rragri's amusement flooded her. Fitting. I have the Liall Lusarati, twenty-four strong.
Send 'em over. That's perfect! Sal broke the link laughing. "I'm assigning you a group of Grauoran elites. They'll hold your link, and their leader is Pig's equal. You can work together, or not, but you should at least coordinate. Is that a problem?"
