Instinctual (Rise of the Iliri Book 2)

by Auryn Hadley

  "They'll kill us if we turn our backs on them," Zep said.

  "Yeah," Blaec agreed, "so don't turn your back. Star Fall works as a unit. We break them into smaller groups and their tactics fall apart. Sal, Cyno, I'm putting you with their First Officer. Tharp will be with Arctic and I, and the Second Officer with Zep and Shift. Geo, Audgan, you both will stay here and watch the camp."

  "I can help you up there," Geo insisted.

  Sal leaned forward and caught his eye. "Yeah. First thing Star Fall will do is try to release the horses or lame them. If we can't get back, we can't return the steel. If they double back on us, Audgan can drop them and you can handle the rest. He's not protecting you, trust me. He's using your talents."

  "Oh," Geo said, taken aback.

  Blaec nodded to the young man, and kept going. "We'll have to get eyes on the terrain before I can tell you all more than that. If we can, I want to use a simple ambush. Maintain the high ground, ranged weapons, you all know the drill. Wear armor you can climb in, because," he gestured at the tall shadows blocking out the stars in the east, "I have a feeling it's not getting any smoother."

  "Ok," Cyno said from the darkness. "Leave them alone, now. Sal and I leave t'morrow."

  His words hit her like a blow. It was too close. Too soon. With a long sigh, Blaec stood and offered his hand. She smiled at him sadly as she took it, refusing to let him go until they were behind the canvas walls of his tent.

  ***

  Hours later, Cyno sniffed at the cool night air. He'd always liked the night. Unlike the others, Cyno had no problem with the second watch, actually preferring to sleep in short bursts rather than all the way through. Besides, he could see better at night, and it was one of the few times he could find true peace. That's why he recognized the scent of humans so easily. They didn't belong in his night. Even worse, he recognized one of the scents.

  Star Fall is here, he warned the Blades, waking many of them.

  Where? Arctic asked, coming to his senses quickly.

  Dunno, but I smell 'em.

  The men around the fire moved, grabbing weapons and fading into the darkness. The iliri had never practiced this. Disappearing was just something they knew instinctually. Arctic, however, headed toward LT's tent. Satisfied his brothers were prepared, Cyno inhaled and turned, following Tharp's odor.

  A feral smile began to take over his face, and he couldn't seem to push away the thought of how the man would taste. The bastard had tried to kill Sal. His life was forfeit for that.

  Softly, silently, he slipped through the trees, stopping to track the scent every few steps. A rustle of pine needles betrayed the man he was stalking, and Cyno moved to follow. Circling Sal's tent, he moved downwind of the human and unsheathed the resin dagger. A moonlit form became visible between the trees. Tharp was headed directly for them, most likely hoping to catch LT and Sal together, thinking he would finally be able to finish his mission.

  The idiot even smiled.

  Sal, get dressed. Quickly, Cyno warned her, as he took the last step to the man.

  He kicked the human's left knee, shoved his right hand across the Captain's mouth, and laid his blade against his throat, pushing the edge against skin. The Captain gasped as he fell, but made no other sound. His eyes were wide, scanning the darkness, and Cyno leaned close.

  "What do ya want?" he growled softly enough that it wouldn't carry.

  "Just wanted to tell LT we're here," Tharp said against the assassin's hand.

  "Na," Cyno told the idiot. "Ya do na try ta circle us ta say hello. Try again or ya'll bleed out b'fore they know I cut ya."

  "We weren't sure if it was you or the Terrans," he insisted. "So I took precautions. Trying to hide something?"

  "Ya tried ta kill my girl," Cyno warned him, pressing the blade just a bit harder against the man's throat. "I do na play politics. I kill. And I can smell yer lies."

  "Why haven't you killed me then?"

  "Sal said I should na."

  Tharp laughed and pulled his head back from Cyno's hand. "Still fucking her?"

  The iliri snarled and grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking the human's head back. "Ya did na tame me. Ya will na tame me. She listens, but I will change her mind."

  "Let him up," Blaec said from the door to his tent.

  Cyno simply growled.

  "I said," Blaec repeated more sternly, "let him up. And put away your teeth."

  Cyno nodded and shoved the human's face into the ground, then stepped back. Tharp rolled, expecting an attack to follow the push, but when he looked up the assassin was simply gone. Standing behind a tree, the iliri could see the human peering, nearly blind, into the night. He smiled and made his way back to the rest of the men, moving easily in his natural element.

  Those fools were meant to be eaten. They just made it too easy.

  Chapter 45

  "Where'd he go?" Tharp demanded.

  "Cyno?" Blaec asked. "He's gone. I told him to let you go."

  The scent of fear clung to Tharp. "That was really Cyno?"

  "Yeah," Blaec said, offering the Captain a hand up. "He doesn't really like you very much."

  "Has a thing for me," Sal said, leaning forward so she could be seen from outside the tent.

  Tharp smiled. "Imagine that," he said proudly, looking at Blaec.

  "What?" he asked with mock innocence.

  "She's in your tent in the middle of the night. Thought there was nothing there."

  The sound of another man's laugh interrupted him. "We're not that kinky," Arctic said. He'd only just managed to slip inside the tent while Cyno taunted the Captain.

  "Uh."

  "So do you have any knowledge of this pass," Blaec asked him, "or should we continue trying to make contingency plans?"

  "Pretty sure this is going to work, LT," Sal said. "Bring him in. We'll light something so his human eyes can see."

  "My human eyes?"

  "I'm assuming you can't read without a lamp?" Sal asked him.

  "And you can?" he demanded.

  "Yes."

  Tharp looked between the three iliri, confused, so Arctic decided to elaborate. "The light destroys our night vision, as I'm sure you're aware, Captain. Since we can all see well enough right now, we prefer not to put ourselves at a disadvantage. Besides, we all know how easy it is to see lanterns in the woods. No need to mark the officers for anyone looking to kill us."

  "I'm sure the Captain would never do anything like that," Sal said pointedly. "Now come in or go away. We have work to do."

  "Show me the plan," Tharp said, moving forward.

  Arctic grabbed the lamp and lit it, turning the flame as low as he could. "Still see?" he asked.

  "Are you fucking serious?"

  Arctic turned the flame up. "Evidently that was a no. Sal, you good?"

  She nodded, blinking against the light, her eyes constricted to mere slits. "Yeah, give me a second."

  The men sank to the ground, and Blaec tapped the map before him. "We'll be winging this a bit, but our basic plan is to run the ridges and shoot down on them when they pass through."

  "How are you getting up there?"

  "Climbing," Arctic said. "We're on foot from here on out."

  "That's gotta be a kilometer, maybe two."

  Blaec nodded. "Yeah. We'll leave here about two hours after dawn. Arctic, you want to tell Star Fall to put their horses on the pickets?"

  "Can do, boss," he said, climbing to his feet. Thanks for getting me out of here.

  Blaec just nodded then turned back to the Captain. "You'll run with Arctic and me. I'll put Emen, that's your First Officer, right? With Sal and Cyno. Cheny, your Second, can run with Zep."

  "Why?" Tharp asked.

  Sal answered. "Two reasons. First, we can keep an eye on you. Second, we can make sure you make it out alive."

  "I'll let you decide who else to put with them. I'm leaving two men here to watch the camp. I suggest you do the same."

  Tharp nodded. "Pairing us one to
one?"

  Sal crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes."

  "Fair enough. Evens the odds a bit, I suppose. If it makes you feel better, we can do that."

  "It'll make me feel better," Sal growled, "if I could just drag Emen up the mountain by his throat. Figure I owe him."

  The captain froze, his eyes slowly turning to her before his face followed. "You couldn't see that."

  "I don't need to see to know who was there, but thanks for cracking me upside the head to protect your face."

  "I'm just trying to take care of my men," he hissed.

  Her ears flicked back and her lips curled up, the rumble of her growl hammering against the human's chest. "I'm being pretty fucking sweet for someone you tried to kill, so stop acting like I owe you a favor."

  "You taunt her," Blaec warned, "and I'll let her go. She will kill you. Make no mistake, Sal would kill you before you knew she was moving. Hell, Cyno almost did already, and he's not as fast as her."

  "I'm just trying to make this right," he said to the Blades. "Saying I'm sorry does as much good as pissing into the wind, so I'm trying to do it another way."

  Sal breathed deeply and the growling stopped. She looked up at Blaec and thought, He believes he's telling the truth. He hates us, but he seems to be trying.

  Yeah. I'm not about to trust him, though.

  You're going to be riding back to Prin with them, short two. I don't like it, love.

  I know, Blaec told her. We're still enough to handle them. I think Cyno scared the shit out of him earlier. Worst case, I'll keep us moving by night to even the odds.

  Sal nodded and crawled to her feet. Tharp leaned back, his eyes wide, and she laughed. "I need sleep. Do not keep the Major up too long."

  "Yes, ma'am," Tharp said softly.

  Her head whipped around and her ears locked against her skull. "It's sir. I'm better than you."

  Tharp nodded. "Yes, sir." There was no hint of sarcasm.

  She smiled at him sweetly, or as sweetly as she could, before leaving the tent. In the darkness outside, her ears relaxed, identifying sounds as she waited for her eyes to adjust, walking toward the soft glow of the camp fire. Zep stood beside it, the light outlining his shadowed form glaring over the rest of the humans mingling among them.

  "Listen up," Sal said moving to his side. "Cyno's on watch, the rest of you should be sleeping. I don't care how much you've missed our long lost friends. Find your things, and crawl in it. Zep, a moment?"

  "Yes, sir," he said, moving to her side. Nice entrance.

  Figured I should start acting like an officer, right?

  He chuckled. Something like that. Sorry they ruined your last night, demon.

  Yeah, me too. Little problem, though. I don't have a kit by the fire, and one of them will notice.

  Take Cyno's. I have next watch, and he can just take mine. They'll wonder, but won't say shit. He patted her shoulder.

  Ok, Sal thought, relieved at the simplicity of that. And you'll be babysitting the Second Officer. If he gets out of line, gut him.

  Gladly. Which one jacked you?

  Sal pointed them out to Zep and he nodded, cracking the knuckles of his hand with his jaw set. He saw she was watching and smiled, then nodded again before the two of them made their way back to the fire. The men from Star Fall had already pulled up their own things and were laying them out, the Blades kept close, refusing to trust them.

  Sal slid into Cyno's pallet, all too aware that a human had placed his things beside her. When he crawled into his blankets, the man smiled in her direction. Sal moved her hand up so it peeked above the covers, smiling back when he saw the ceramic blade she held.

  "Touch me, and I will kill you," she whispered.

  "Or I will," Cyno said from the edge of camp. "Ya lean at one of my brothers wrong t'night, and ya will na live ta see the morning."

  The man nodded and Sal closed her eyes, letting sleep find her quickly. She'd been too long with too little rest and needed it more than she knew. Unfortunately, it was one of those deep sleeps that felt like she'd only just closed her eyes when a brush against her mind warned her to wake. She gripped the blade tighter and smelled Zep before he moved into her field of view.

  "Ok, demon," he whispered, touching her shoulder. "It's time."

  She pushed the covers back, refusing to yawn in front of the humans, even if most were still asleep. "Ok, guys," she told her men. "As many ranged weapons as you think you can carry. There's twenty-five of them, and if we get lucky, we won't kill the damned mules carrying the load."

  "Leathers?" a man asked as he returned to the pallet beside her, gesturing at Sal's armor.

  Zep chuckled. "Boy, you ever scaled a mountain in resin? Hell, you ever tried to keep up with an iliri on foot?"

  He cocked his head and gestured to Sal. "Boss said I'm going to get the privilege of it today."

  "What's your name?" Sal asked him.

  "Corporal Enik Kolton," he said. "I'm to run with you and Lieutenant Emen."

  "I won't wait for you," she told him. "Cyno and I need to get to the back side, so I hope you can move."

  "I can move, sir," he assured her, pulling a long knife from his pack and shoving it into a sheath on his hip.

  She looked him over, recognizing the signs of her profession. He wore too many knives and not enough swords. His eyes moved too fast, taking in things that others didn't see, and his hands were gloved.

  "And can you shoot?" she asked.

  "I got this, babe," he told her, grabbing another blade from his pack.

  Sal lunged forward, closing the space between them. Pulling her dagger as she moved, it came to rest just under his chin. Her left hand pinned his wrist to his side and her right foot held his forearm on the ground. Leaning across his body, she flicked her ears forward, impressed that he didn't back away.

  "It's sir. Not babe, not bitch, not scrubber. You will call me sir, Corporal."

  "Yes, sir," he whispered, his eyes on her jaw.

  She leaned closer to his neck and inhaled. His scent was unfamiliar and too sweet, but somehow brought back memories of her past. It was a time she never wanted to think about, so she released him a little too fast.

  Sheathing her weapon, she calmly moved back to her things, asking, "So why weren't you there when they tried to kill me?"

  "Two reasons," he said, lifting his chin. "First, not enough clearance."

  Sal shook her head, unimpressed. "And?"

  "And you won't believe the second if I told you," he finished. "Sir."

  "Fair enough."

  She grabbed her bow and began to tighten the string, checking the pulleys to make sure everything was operating properly. Satisfied, she secured it to one of the straps on her chest and rested the weight against her lower back before adding arrows to her quiver and buckling that on her belt. When she moved to the crossbow, Kolton couldn't stand it.

  "Compound bow, crossbow, at least ten daggers..." he shook his head. "You going to add a sword to that?"

  "Yes," Sal said, pulling her sabers from her pack.

  "And you were telling me I need to worry about keeping up?"

  "Yes."

  "Fuck," he whispered, standing to find his own bow.

  They packed the camp, leaving only the supplies for Geo and Audgan easily available, then began to gather into smaller groups. Sal moved to the side and felt Cyno brush against her shoulder. He was just as heavily laden.

  You look really good in that, she told him.

  My leathers? he asked, confused.

  No, Sal said, the weapons. Who knew a bow looked so sexy on a man. Just a shame it's too cold for you to show off the tattoos.

  He laughed, ducking his head. Do na tempt me, kitten, he thought, turning just enough to see her smile.

  Trust me, Sal told him, I'm tempted. I also know that we're going to have one hell of a time holding off the maast.

  He shrugged. I do na report ta ya until tomorrow, but I think I can convince them ta leave us alon
e.

  If not, pretty sure Blaec will. That's a lot of crap to take off of you, though.

  Cyno chuckled and nodded.

  Corporal Kolton and Lieutenant Emen marched toward them. The assassin, Kolton, walked a step behind the First Officer, who glared at the iliri as he approached.

  "Was told I'm following your orders, Lieutenant," Emen said.

  "If you want to stay alive, you are, Lieutenant," Sal replied in the same tone, thankful the bastard didn't outrank her. "You boys ready?"

  "Yeah, if you girls are," he said, shocked when Cyno laughed.

  "It is na an insult ta me," Cyno said. "Iliri females are meaner than the males."

  Sal grinned and slapped his shoulder, then turned to the crowd and whistled. Heads turned to her, and she caught the eyes of her Blades.

  "All right, we all good? Cyno and I will hit the back side. Shift, Zep, I want you both across from us. LT and Arctic will be hanging back unless we need them." In their minds, she added, Razor and Risk, you stay near the front. And Shift? Don't fucking shoot anything.

  He laughed. Not even bringing a bow, demon.

  Good. Sal turned, and looked at Blaec. We good?

  All yours, Sal, he said, nodding for the humans to see. We'll be playing politics. If anything goes bad, though, we're on your ass.

  Yes, sir, Sal told him, grinning. Arctic, open us up.

  Gladly, he said as he did just that.

  "We're moving," she told the men beside her.

  Around the campsite, the other Blades did the same, giving just enough information to Star Fall for them to keep up, but never enough to give them an advantage. With one last glance, Sal and Cyno turned uphill and jogged into the trees, the humans following them as well as they could.

  Chapter 46

  Sal surged up the rock face, Cyno just ahead of her. The humans struggled to make the climb, panting loudly in the mountain air. When the iliri reached the top, they sat, taking the breather while waiting for Emen and Kolton to reach the top.

  Is it gonna be like this the whole way? Cyno asked.