She wanted to forget everything and go back to being a nobody, wandering the world for another three years until once again, everyone thought she was dead. When you were dead, you didn't have any responsibilities.
But she wasn’t dead, and running away wasn’t an option.
Ashlyn brushed past Vargo and pushed open the door to Heaven, hit with a sudden blast of warm, sake-tinged air from inside the bar. She didn't look back at Vargo, but she could feel his eyes upon her until the door swung shut behind her, effectively cutting her off from the world outside.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the bar, she began to realize that Skye must have set the place up for their headquarters. There were no other Toryn in sight, and the tables were cleared of their usual jugs and teacups. Various members of FLD were scattered throughout the room, striking poses that were oddly similar to what they'd been doing the night Ashlyn had come in from the rain at Restlyn Place.
That was so long ago, Ashlyn thought suddenly, when she’d faced off against her assailants on that dark night outside of Storim, and Drake and Skye had arrived just in the nick of time.
No one had even looked up at her when she walked through the door, and Ashlyn hesitated, her heart in her throat as she stared at Drake. He was seated in the corner, wearing his same leather coat, now with a gash in the shoulder where the sword had embedded itself.
"Ash," Skye said, appearing in front of her. "Are you feeling better?"
She looked up at Skye, at his dark, dark eyes, and silently offered an apology for how she’d treated him earlier. “I am,” she said softly. “You know that we’re under attack, right?”
He nodded silently.
She bit her lip. "Kou just sprang this on me, and as of right now I’m still trying to figure out what to do. They could drop right in on us and I have literally no plan whatsoever except to run like hell."
"Don't underestimate running like hell," Vargo said from behind her. "It's saved my life a couple of times."
Ashlyn turned to look over her shoulder. He stood leaning against the door as though he'd always been there- and she hadn't even heard him come in. "Oh really?" she said, surprised he was even talking to her.
He gave her a tight smile. "Well, it kept FLD from kicking my ass three years ago, didn't it?"
"Running isn't going to help the people of Toryn," Restlyn spoke up. "This is their home. What we need is a plan of defense."
"I know," Ashlyn said. She looked around the room, watching the expression of each person closely in an attempt to see if anybody was trying to glare daggers at her- she had just caused FLD a big ol' headache by running off with Kou, after all. But they were all stone-faced, waiting for her orders. Her orders.
She moved to the bar and ran a hand along the heavy wood edge, trying to draw some confidence from its solidity. "I'm thinking we should split the Toryn army into sections and post them at every possible entrance," she announced shakily. "The most likely point of attack will be either at the front gate…or at the path to Na Michico." That sounded reasonable so far. She went on, "If possible, I'd like to move all the citizens out of my father's house and get them underground. There's a ton of basements in this city, and they're much more defensible locations than any of these paper-walled houses."
She paused for breath, surprised at how easily the words had come.
Skye nodded thoughtfully.
"Who are ya assigning as captain of each section?" Aaron asked. “I ain’t got much know-how for the layout of this place.”
“No problem. I'll assign each of you to a specific area and you'll just patrol that area, nowhere else. We've got enough people, it shouldn't be too difficult." Ashlyn chewed for a second on her lower lip. "Okay, Vargo, Ellis, Trace- I'm going to send Kou with you to my father's house. Do your best to keep the families together, but split everyone up into three groups, and try to get all the small children into just one group. Take the kids and hide them in the basement at my house, and watch your step. There's enough traps in that place to stop an-" She halted just short of saying army, which was exactly what the traps would have to stop, if it came to that. "Kou will tell you where to take the rest of them. I'll send a small troop of soldiers with each of you. That's your assignment- protect the innocents. I don't think it'll get that far, you probably won't need to defend yourselves, but if you do…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
Ellis stood up from his place at a table to her left. "We can handle it," he said gruffly, nodding to her.
"All right." She was gaining confidence with every word, which felt darn good after three years of nothingness and a week of sheer guilt. "Restlyn, Skye, Aik, Aaron- I need you to be my captains. While I take the Spartans to my father's house, you need to sit down and figure out all possible entry points for the enemy, and go about setting up a web of defense to block them out. The Toryn army isn't big enough to establish a complete perimeter defense, but if we space ourselves accordingly, we should be able to set up decent enough cover for the city." Ashlyn took a deep breath. "Do you understand?"
"We'll get right on it," Skye said. He seemed perfectly happy to take orders from her- another surprise.
"Does that cover everything?" Ashlyn asked.
"What about Drake?" Restlyn said softly. "You didn't mention him at all."
Ashlyn glanced over at Drake, who was still in his corner, and found that he was staring right back at her, burning through her with those intense crimson eyes. "I didn't expect him to be well enough to fight yet," she said. "How are you feeling, Drake?"
He stood and walked to the table in front of Ashlyn, pausing by Restlyn's side and causing Ashlyn some intense unbidden jealousy. "I am well enough to carry out any orders you might have for me, Lady Li," he said, and although the new name sounded strange on his lips, there was no humor in his tone.
"You heal fast," Ashlyn said, and almost slapped herself for saying something so incredibly dumb.
Drake merely inclined his head, waiting for her to go on. Ashlyn continued, very calmly, slowly and deliberately, "If you’re feeling up to it, I'll assign you to a post as captain on the perimeter defense, and take Aaron with me.”
The vampire nodded in agreement.
"Okay," Ashlyn said. "There's…just…one more thing…" My dad is the enemy that we're about to fight. If you see him, try not to kill him, okay? I'd like him around a bit longer on the off chance that I might someday get married and need someone to give me away.
"What is it?" Restlyn asked. The older girl always had the most amazing intuition; she could tell when something big was coming up.
"If you happen to encounter the general of this, um, army- you know, the enemy- try to capture him. Alive, preferably, because dead he's not much good to me."
"Someone you know?" Trace said with a smile, leaning back against the table and folding her arms across her chest.
You have no idea.
"Okay," Ashlyn said, "is everybody clear? Captains, meet me at the main gate. Spartans- and Aaron- follow me. Let's move out."
She turned on her heel and walked out the door before realizing that she probably should have checked to see if the Spartans actually were following. Turning again, she reached for the door handle but missed it as the door opened and Ellis walked straight into her.
"Ow," Ashlyn said, even though it hadn't hurt, and then Vargo bumped into her on his way past and she nearly fell over.
Ellis steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. "Don't fall. It'll make you look weak," he said, deadpan.
"Oh, very funny." She straightened and shrugged his hands off. "Follow-"
The door opened again, knocking into Ellis and sending him careening into her. Ashlyn stumbled backwards into Vargo, grasping frantically for anything to stop her descent as they both fell to the ground.
"Nice catch," she muttered, squiggling off of him. "Could you be any more klutzy?"
"You're one to talk," he retorted, and stood up, brushing off his jeans. "Falling all
over the place every time Lockhart walks into a room. Fix your shirt."
She pulled the hem of her too-small tank top down over her midriff, which really didn't help because the movement only exposed more of her cleavage, and the bindings couldn't hide everything that had developed over the last three years. "You know what, Vargo, this is not going to work if you can't respect me."
"I respect you just fine," he snapped, and shrugged out of his suit jacket, slinging it across the stone waste can beside them before he began unbuttoning his dress shirt. "There are a million reasons why I'd want to ogle you in that top, Ash, but I can think of one good reason right now why I can't afford to." He took off the shirt, wearing just the t-shirt now, and held it out to her. "Put this on."
"You're a grown man," Ashlyn groused as she took the shirt from him and put it on, tying it up in a knot at the hem of her shorts. She began to roll up the sleeves, which were much too long for her. "You should be able to at least control your hormones by now."
"Believe me, it's not usually a problem," he seethed, yanking the jacket back on with jerky motions. "Only around you."
Ellis cleared his throat loudly, and they both jumped, Ashlyn looking guiltily over at him like she'd done something wrong.
"Am I interrupting something?" he said, and his voice was unusually impassive, even for him.
"Nope," Ashlyn said. She glared at Vargo, unable to believe that the awful things she'd said earlier had hardly affected him. "Follow me."
She turned and headed for the front gate, where she knew Kou would be waiting for her. The Spartans and Aaron followed behind- well, Vargo actually followed beside her, which prompted Ashlyn to drop back and skirt around Aaron, putting the pilot between them. Aaron, for his part, didn't seem to notice.
Kou met them at the base of the stairs leading up to the crow's nest. "My Lady," he said, bowing low.
"Kou, I want you to take my friends to my father's house and help them relocate the people underground," Ashlyn said, shrugging off the courtly bow as best she could. "Vargo, Trace, Ellis- this is Kou. He'll assign a troop of soldiers to each location and place them under your direction."
Kou glanced at Ashlyn, confusion written on his features, but he didn't question her actions. "Is there anything else you wish of me, Lady Li?"
"Not right now, thanks." She felt a sudden pang in her ankle, and grimaced.
Kou bowed again and was gone, the Spartans trailing after him. Vargo stared pointedly over his shoulder at Ashlyn as he walked away, somehow managing not to trip over his own feet, and she scowled and stared at her hands.
“What’s that look for?” Aaron asked from beside her. “Ya okay?”
"It’s my ankle," Ashlyn muttered, frowning as she flexed the bandage. It was beginning to stick to the open wound. "I've gotta get this looked at before my whole darn foot falls off. I swear I can feel the gangrene forming already. Do you think you can give me a hand?”
"Got some heal on me," Aaron said, rolling up his sleeve to show her his armband. Several stanes glittered at her from the steel band. "You wanna head to your house?" He pulled his sleeve back down. "Unless ya'd rather stay here."
His proposal was sound; she didn't want to leave the main gate when Skye and the others were supposed to meet her there, and her house was much closer than her father's.
"Okay," Ashlyn said. "Let's go."
She tried not to hobble as they wove through the crowds towards her home, and Aaron was considerate enough to slow his pace so she could keep up. Ashlyn slid open the front door and stepped inside, hopping to one side so that Aaron could enter behind her.
"That was rough," she said, collapsing on the floor. No way was she going to let Aaron anywhere near the bathroom. That would open up a whole new can of worms. "I feel like death warmed over."
"Ya don't look it," Aaron said, kneeling and beginning to unwrap the makeshift bandage.
"Why, thank you, Aaron. I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Ashlyn paused to consider why she didn't feel the need to act responsible and reserved in front of Aaron, then dismissed it just as quickly. She'd always felt comfortable around him- maybe it was his gruff, strangely endearing demeanor- and there was no need to impress the old pilot, even now.
"Vargo givin' ya trouble again?" the man in question asked suddenly, and Ashlyn lifted her head to regard him. His eyes were downcast, his face downturned, so she couldn't see his expression.
"What, outside Heaven?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows. "Not really, I guess. He was just being his usual annoying self." She frowned, thinking about how irritating Vargo could be.
"Yer wearin' his shirt."
"So I am," she agreed, fingering the knotted shirttails. "Nothing I own fits me anymore. I think I gained some weight in the past three years, lost my girlish figure." She laughed weakly at her own joke.
Aaron slowly peeled the last of the bandage away from her ankle, and Ashlyn hissed through her teeth as he peeled a good deal of dried blood with it. "Careful," she said belatedly.
She bit her lower lip as she watched his fingers brush over the skin around the self-inflicted wound. He didn't ask how she got it, and for that she was grateful, but she knew he must be curious. Slowly Ashlyn eased herself back down onto the floor, bracing herself for the inevitable pain that would come with the healing. She took a deep breath, centered herself, and waited.
Some people spoke when they worked magic, muttered spells or incantations to help things along. Aaron was a mutterer, just as he'd been when he'd healed her before. After the initial contact he didn't touch her, though, instead choosing to brace his hands on the floor as he channeled the magic into her ankle- which, ironically enough, was the same leg that she'd injured in that scuffle with Lysato just a few days ago.
"You always seem to be fixing my ankles," she said absently as her skin began to itch.
"Yer right, kid." Amusement curled around his tone, lingering in the air like a pleasant sort of smoke.
She winced as a jolt of pain sliced through her consciousness, and fought to keep still. "Hurry, please."
"Gotcha." Aaron rocked back on his heels, and Ashlyn struggled up on her elbows again, suspicious.
"That was it?"
He looked slightly perturbed. "Ya ain't got no faith, Li, that's yer problem."
She looked down at her ankle to see a fresh layer of scar tissue over the wound. Some of it was still gouged, still scabbed over, but for the most part, it was mended, and far better and faster than any professional healer could have done.
"Wow, Aaron. I forgot how good you were with healing magic." She sat up and reached down to run her fingers across the new scar, noting that there was still some tenderness. "I guess that's why Drake is here when he should still be in bed with a massive stab wound?"
There was a pause.
"He'd be worse than that if ya hadn't deflected the sword," Aaron said at length.
She looked up, and blinked, recognizing the smile in his eyes for the first time. "He told you about that, huh?" she asked excitedly, momentarily forgetting her vow to ignore her attraction to men.
"Sure did," Aaron said. He pulled a cigar from his pocket and jammed it between his teeth, looking nonchalant.
"Tell me everything he said," Ashlyn pleaded, grabbing Aaron's shoulder and shaking him with as much force as she could muster.
"Said you weren't no traitor," the blond-haired pilot replied, pushing her hand away. "Shoulda believed him, I guess."
Ashlyn sat back, imagining Drake telling everyone that no, there was no way Ashlyn could possibly betray FLD. "She has always been loyal to us," he would have said, standing tall and gorgeous in the conference room of the airship. She could see every detail of his face and clothing in her mind's eye, looking noble and confident. An errant lock of hair was hanging in front of imaginary Drake's eyes, and she reflexively reached out to tuck it behind his ear.
Aaron jerked back as her hand groped blindly for his face. "Uh, Ash-
"
There was a sharp rap at the door. "Ash?"
Skye.
Holy crap. Her father…Kou…Toryn under attack! Ashlyn leaped to her feet, horrified that she'd forgotten so easily and nearly knocking Aaron over in her haste. "Come in!" she exclaimed, hopping on one foot to put her sock back on.
The door slid open. "We're ready," Skye said, stepping inside. He looked at Ashlyn, hopping with one shoe half on, and at Aaron, who was still kneeling on the floor. His expression didn't change, but Ashlyn immediately felt guilty, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
The shoe slipped from her fingers and hit the floor, and Ashlyn straightened up, trying to pretend that she was perfectly poised.
Something barreled into her from behind, sending Ashlyn flying forward onto her hands and knees. She skidded across the floor, yelping as splinters embedding themselves in her palms. Almost immediately she felt a crushing weight on top of her. With it came a hot breath on her neck, and the strong stench of wet fur.
Only one thought crossed her mind, and it wasn't for her own safety. If the monsters were already inside the city, inside her house, and Ashlyn hadn't yet set up the perimeter guards, then Toryn would fall before they even had a chance to defend themselves.
Something wet and warm fell onto her neck. What-?
Oh, gross.
"Drool!" Ashlyn shrieked. "Gross!" She threw her head back with all the force she could muster, catching the monster square in its snout. Ashlyn saw stars for the briefest instant before suddenly the weight was gone from her back, and she heard the sounds of a scuffle behind her. Rolling over on her back, she sat up just in time to watch Skye and a brown, furry figure almost twice his size crash through the back wall of her house.
She sprang to her feet, ignoring the absence of one shoe, and ran after them. Skye was grappling with the beast, rolling over and over again in an attempt to somehow subdue the crazed monster. Without a thought as to what the consequences would be, Ashlyn threw herself into the fray, grabbing onto a fistful of fur and yanking for all she was worth.
The Lady of Toryn Anthology (Lady of Toryn trilogy) Page 17
