Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri Book 4)

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Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri Book 4) Page 45

by Auryn Hadley


  "Ok. Besides, I could use a little of Blaec's normal." Flicking her ears back, she nipped at his shoulder.

  Jase laughed, ducking away from her sharp teeth. "And I'm sure he will na complain. Just do na ignore him, Sal. He tries hard ta make ya happy, even if he can na stop acting human."

  "I know," Sal assured him. "I fell in love with Blaec because of who he is, not who I want him to be. I've never asked him to be anything else."

  "Good. I just - "

  As one, they sat up, both feeling Zep climb out of bed. "Get dressed," Jase told her, "Ya can na keep running around in another man's shirt all day."

  Sal grabbed a pair of blacks, quickly pulling on the soft leather pants and a loose black shirt that she let fall against her hips. Jase passed her a belt, her sheaths attached to it, and Sal buckled it on. Zep had left the infirmary and was headed outside the building. Together they followed the tug of their hearts. It wound through the darkened halls, pulling them along until they found him sitting on the stairs at the front of the basilica. A dark stain on the ground lay beside him where someone had been killed the day before. Ignoring it, he looked across the small town at the rising sun beyond.

  "I knew you were coming," he said without looking back.

  Sal moved to his right, and Jase sat beside him on his left. Neither spoke.

  "I shouldn't be seeing this, you know? This is a day I shouldn't be living." Zep sucked in a quick breath, and Sal leaned her head against his arm. "I can't even explain how this feels," he whispered.

  "We know," Jase said.

  "It's not the link, is it." It wasn't a question. Zep rubbed at his eyes then looked back to the sunrise. "It feels different, more personal."

  "Yeah," Sal said. "It's not from your mind."

  Zep looked at Jase. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry, man."

  "Fer what?" Jase asked, confused.

  "This was yours. She was always yours first. She still is, but, I feel like I'm shoving in."

  They both were shocked. Sal worried that he didn't want the bond, and Jase couldn't believe that Zep couldn't understand how much he was welcome. The emotions surged between the three of them, clearer than words could ever be.

  "Fuck," Zep whispered. "That's potent."

  Jase laughed. "Yeh. That's what I tried to tell ya. Zep, I'm glad it's ya."

  "What about you, Sal?" he asked. "Any regrets?"

  "No," she whispered. "Remember the kites?"

  He chuckled. "Best moment of my last life."

  "I wished then that we had this. I always felt like we were slighting you. You belong with us."

  "When we say us now, it means all three," Jase added.

  "How about Blaec?"

  She sighed. "He needs to work his own thing out. I won't be shocked if he learns to at least come in the same room with us, but it's different. What I have with him will always be different."

  Zep nodded. "I never thought I'd see this again," he said, looking at the sky. "It's going to take me a bit to get used to this. I mean this and living. Both."

  "We've got time," Jase assured him.

  "Zep?" Sal asked. He turned to her. "What do you remember?"

  "All of it."

  She nodded, showing she heard. "Why didn't you duck?"

  He pulled her to his side and hugged her tightly. "He wasn't aiming for me. I had to make a choice."

  Sal looked up at his face, thankful she still could. "You stepped into it to pull me away?"

  "Yeah."

  "I can never repay you, Zep," she said. "I owe you my life."

  He laughed and gestured at the sky. "Sal," he said, his open hand seeming to hold the sun as it rose above the walls of Zaqala. "You already paid it back. You gave me this, and you gave me your hearts. I think it was a good trade, demon. I'd do it again, too."

  "Maast, please don't. You broke my heart, Zep."

  "I didn't want to, Sal," he said, dropping his hand to trace the line of her jaw. "But I'd rather know you were alive and hurting, with Jase to take care of you, than dead because I was too slow."

  Jase chuckled. "Kiss her," he whispered. "It's like nothing ya've ever felt before."

  Zep obeyed, leaning over, his lips just brushing Sal's. Hers parted, his tongue taking the invitation to slide between her sharp teeth, and their emotions swelled. When his hand slid into her hair, Sal clung to him. Everything they'd shared before paled before the clarity of that kiss. There were no more walls separating them, no more lines where one of them began and the other ended. Even Jase, sitting on Zep's other side fit perfectly into this new whole as if they'd been created to be together. When their lips parted, both were breathing heavier.

  "Do I ever get used to it?" Zep asked.

  "Na," Jase said. "She's like that ever' time."

  Zep just laughed, then grabbed Sal, pulling her across his lap. She squirmed and giggled, clinging to his neck as she tried to resist being hauled around like a toy. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite strong enough to get free. She also wasn't really trying. Then her hand came to rest against the broken line of his tattoo, and she paused. Carefully, she traced the gap in the silver ink. Zep ducked his head to meet her pale eyes.

  "It's ok, demon."

  "You going to fix that?"

  He just shook his head. "Nope. That's one scar that I'm damned proud to have. Maybe even more than the one you put on my chest." His hand cupped her face, and his thumb followed the swell of her lower lip. "The one that's over my heart, demon."

  "Zep, I -"

  His thumb pressed her lips closed, and he shook his head. "I'm not sorry." Then he smiled, his eyes flicking to his left. "Kiss her," he said to Jase.

  As Sal lay in Zep's arms, Jase tilted her head up and kissed her. His teeth grazed her tongue, and his hand moved to rest over Zep's. There was no awkwardness, no jealousy, and no care about if any of this was right. It was just honest, all three of their emotions singing in their hearts. Sal felt their love and moaned as Zep's gentle lips brushed the side of her neck.

  "Ayati," she gasped. "I can't take it."

  "Sal," Zep whispered in her ear. "I don't have to wonder. I don't have to worry I'm in the way or that I shouldn't really be here. I could have died a very happy man yesterday. You made sure of that these last few weeks. But I didn't." He looked at Jase. "Little brother," he said, and his voice failed him.

  "I know," Jase said. He touched his own chest where his heart beat in the same pace as both of theirs and Zep nodded. "We will allus know, big brother."

  Zep blinked quickly and took a shuddering breath. Then he wiped at his eyes, chuckling shyly as Sal pressed close to his chest. "You're my family," he said. "My soul. I feel like I died and was reborn, and this time, I got it right."

  "Yeh," Jase said. "This time ya are a part of us."

  "I just can't stop thinking about how the Emperor calls himself a god, but you and Raast raised me from the dead. She healed me, but if you'd let go..."

  "Never," Sal promised. “I’d rather die than let anything separate us.”

  "But you did this, and I'm watching the sun rise with my two best friends, and you're just little Sal. He says he's a god and wants nothing but death. You barely understand how special you are, and you change every life you touch."

  "We're not gods, Zep."

  He shook his head. "No. We're not. We're iliri, and we just love stronger than anyone else. It's much better than being a god."

  Epilogue

  The Conglomerate of Free Citizens' Myrosican Encampment bustled with soldiers. Men in blue trained in basic formations and elite units made fools of them with complex drills. General Sturmgren sat at his desk, staring out the window, wondering how they would manage to survive the Terran threat. He looked at his desk again, the red lines glaring against the map. The border had moved west again.

  He slammed his hand on his desk, cursing the politicians who had ruined everything his men had worked for over the past year. A soft tap sounded at the door from the hall. Mar
nia stood, professional as always, and opened it.

  "Captain Tolan," she greeted the man outside the door.

  "Does the General have a moment?" he asked.

  "I'm free, Marnia. Send him in."

  She gestured, and the Captain walked across the small room and into the door to his office. He closed the door behind him. "Sir?"

  "Sit, Captain. What can I do for you today?" Ran Sturmgren asked.

  "I'm not staying, sir. I just have something for you," Tolan said, holding out a small black envelope.

  Ran stood as he reached for it. "How did you get this?"

  "You know the logo the Devil Dogs used, back when they were with us?" Tolan asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Well, the living version was sitting quietly, waiting for us on our patrol. Exact replica, sir. It held this in its mouth, not a trace of slobber or drool on it."

  Ran looked at him, but said nothing, turning the envelope over in his hands.

  "It laid the envelope on the ground before me, looked up at me and, clear as a bell, it told me to sit deep, sir. Only members of our unit know that."

  Ran nodded. "Yeah. And their families."

  "That's what I thought too, sir. I thought you should know."

  "Rais?" Ran whispered, using the Captain's first name.

  "Yeah?"

  "You good with this?" He watched the leader of the 112th Mounted's face closely.

  "Ran, she deserved more than she got. My respect is the least I can give. The 112th won't stand across the line."

  "I understand, Rais. We'll just keep that between us, ok?"

  "Thank you. I'd prefer it like that." Then he shifted back to his official tone. "Have a good afternoon, sir."

  When the door closed behind him, Ran looked over the black envelope again. There were no words or symbols on it, and the seal was secure. He broke it open. Inside, a large piece of paper had been carefully folded. As he smoothed it out on his desk, vivid swirls turned into lines of consciousness spreading randomly across the page. Ran sighed. He only knew one thing in Iliran writing. As his eyes traveled the page, he saw it. The symbol looked like a person riding a horse with a large beast running beside it. The Black Blades. It stained the page in silver ink.

  He quickly folded the paper, shoved it in the envelope, and slipped it in a seam below his desk.

  The rest of the day, he waited for someone to demand the letter from him. He watched Marnia, wondering if he dared ask her to translate it, but he knew the price they would both pay. Parliament had claimed that any interaction with Salryc Luxx would be seen as treason. The Black Blades had been declared terrorists. Ran's mind worried at the problem, only stopping when Marnia returned with their lunch. She had a smile on her face but a worried look in her eyes.

  "Sir?" she called.

  "Yeah?"

  "Mind if I share your desk for lunch?" He could hear something different in her tone.

  "No, come on. It's been a slow day and I'd enjoy the company."

  Marnia carried the plates in, placing them carefully on the massive desk, then returned to the reception room. She locked the door to the hall and placed a small sign that read "At Lunch" in the window. When she returned, she closed the door to his office behind her as well. Without explanation, she sat across from him and took a bite as if her intention really was to just eat her meal. He shrugged and bent to his own when she finally gained the nerve to talk.

  "I think this is supposed to be for you, sir. It came addressed to me." She lifted her plate and gently slid a black envelope at him. "I opened it, not knowing."

  "That's fine," he said. "Was the seal intact when you got it?"

  "Yeah. Ran? It's signed."

  He nodded and pulled the page out. Again, he could see that it did not contain writing he was used to, but it made no sense until he opened the paper fully. This wasn't a letter; it was nearly twice the size. A delicate and detailed map marked the expanse. Ran's eyes grew wide.

  "This is Ft. Landing, Marnia." He scanned the symbols, each carefully inscribed. When he reached the lowest corner, he found the rider and beast again. Tucked next to it were symbols that he knew even better. "Ayati," he whispered.

  "Ran!" Marnia hissed, looking over her shoulder. "Curse all you want, but you dare speak Iliran, and they'll court-martial you."

  He laughed. "How well do you read it, Marnia?" She stared at him, saying nothing. "You're fluent, aren't you. They taught you in school?" She just barely nodded. "Then I think this is for you." He reached under his desk and pulled out the first note, passing it to her. "It came to me this morning."

  "Are you safe, sir?"

  He nodded. "It was from a trusted source."

  Marnia glanced over her shoulder at the door, and then pulled the letter out. "So that's how they use color! She writes so beautifully," Marnia whispered. Her eyes scanned the page, growing wider as she read. She paused and looked at the map laying on the corner of the desk, then back at the letter. Ran watched her eyes scan faster and faster, and her mouth slowly fell open. When she reached the end, she gasped, and her delicate hand covered her lips unconsciously. Slowly, she let her hand sink to the desk as her eyes found his face.

  "We need to go to Ft. Landing, sir. I need permits and proper escorts."

  He nodded. "What does the letter say?"

  She read it, her voice low and gentle, reminding him so much of Sal's. "My dear friend, I am sorry for the grief I caused you the last few weeks. I know you can rebuild it all, and that you will weather this storm as you have done so many before. I just want to make sure you know how much I appreciate all you did for us. You are one of the good few.

  "I think you can figure out easily enough what the map means, Ran. It's for Marnia, but she will need you to decode it. I've used symbols from the tenth codex, it seemed fitting as there were officially ten of us. Make sure she documents everything, though. Everyone has gotten so caught up in chasing steel that there are only a handful of people like Marnia left. It's our history that matters most.

  "The map leads to a vault of that history. Below Ft. Landing lies one of the vessels used in the immigration to the continent. I do not know why it is there or how it got there, I just know that it has been buried under centuries of time. Few know it even exists. In a storage room below the cellars, a small but forgotten door will take you to the greatest treasure I can think of. Take only those you trust the most, as the true treasure of knowledge is wrapped in something that will distract most others. Document it all, for once they hear it exists, it all will be lost.

  "We're going to win this, you know. Only the Conglomerate has refused our terms. Viraenova will be protecting your northern border soon, and you can trust them. We all still hope that things change, but we're not foolish enough to hold our breath. Sir, I beg you to have faith in me. Protect her. Marnia will dive headlong into this, as well she should, but she is going to need you to watch her back. You know your elites, but trust me when I say that the 97th pikes are as worthy of a unit as I've known. If anything goes bad, I have protection for you, and anyone you give your word for, outside of the CFC borders. Simply tell them you are my Sadava and Ortas.

  "Tell Marnia that the pups remember her fondly. They are starting to lose their first teeth now, and Rhyx wants to grow up and be iliri. When you finish there, be it in a week or a decade, I would welcome you in Arhhawen. We will have need of a learned scholar to examine our own vault and, hopefully, more pups to entice Marnia with."

  Marnia looked up at him. "The rest of this doesn't translate as clearly. She declares her respect for you and her wishes for fate to be kind to all of us." Her eyes lingered on the bottom corner of the page.

  "What else?" Ran asked.

  "It's a list, sir. Twelve million tons or more, steel. Six million tons, gold. Twenty-two million tons, iron. Half a million of cobalt, two tons titanium, and on and on. Some of these symbols I can't even remember, the metals are so rare."

  Ran leaned back in his chair. "Who gave
you the letter, Marnia?"

  "A soldier, sir," she said. "I didn't think anything of it. I didn't know him."

  "Did you see his unit symbol?"

  She nodded.

  Ran opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a large binder filled with unit symbols. He shoved his plate out of his way, placed the book on his desk, and flipped through it. When he found the one he sought, he stabbed it with his finger. "Was this it?"

  Marnia looked at it a moment. "Close, sir. The edge of the circle was gold."

  Ran smiled. "You're about to resign as my assistant, Marnia. Fill out the forms requesting a military escort. I'll get you the clearance for a historical excavation of the lower levels of Ft. Landing. I need papers to reassign the 112th and the 97th pikes back to Ft. Landing. In a few weeks, we'll list them as your escorts."

  She stood, but he waved her down.

  "Eat first. None of this happens fast, girl." His eyes darted back to the map, and he chuckled. "There's a package waiting for you in Ft. Landing, too." He pointed at the icon. "Sal seems to think that you're going to need a few journals."

  Marnia looked. "What does that mean, sir?"

  "Military code for documentation books. She has one hundred of them waiting for you at the civilian store. Congratulations, Professor."

  Marnia chuckled. "Ran, you know I only earn that title when I have a discovery significant enough to be approved."

  He nodded. "Sal just gave it to you. These are the ships from the Landing. She's saying they're intact, preserved, and contain histories of a time before the Landing."

  "Why me?" she asked.

  "I think it's because you were fair to her. I don't know."

  Mulling that over, Marnia took a bite of her lunch, Ran mimicked her a moment later. They said nothing for a long moment, lost in their minds, but he knew she would have plenty of questions. She just had to sort them out for herself, first. Finally, Marnia spoke.

  "Ran?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Was it really that bad for her?"

  "Yes." He stared blankly at the wall for a moment, then stood. Crossing the room, he walked to one of the massive records cabinets and pulled it open, flipping through files. It wasn't hard to find what he was looking for. Ran pulled a stack of folders out and laid them on the table beside her. "Keep those. They'll do more good in a history book than they will in a shredder. That's the Black Blades, Marnia. When you read them, read what isn't written. It wasn't just her."

 

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