Blood Rain (Warrior Class Book 3)

by S. L. Kassidy

  “We were defeated. The Darkness has forsaken us,” she said.

  “The Roshan war machine is pretty hard to stop once it gets going,” Ashni said.

  The kid looked at her with such seriousness and it was like the depths of the ocean were in those onyx eyes. “The Darkness will eventually prevail.”

  Ashni shrugged. “I don’t see Darkness beating the Sun or the Son of the Sun, so you guys might as well just give up the water.”

  The Shadow Walkers did, eventually. The kid didn’t give up, though. She hounded Ashni about a rematch and then another rematch. At some point in time, the kid was just with her. She stayed. I stayed.

  ***

  Nakia sat at lunch with Asad, Jay, Saniyah, and Saffi. Asad had his arm around Nakia’s waist and caressed her hip. Every few moments, she swallowed down acid as he reveled in touching her. She needed to do something before he disgraced her.

  Saniyah sat across from her, staring at the table as if trying to calculate the best weapon against Jay. Jay was draped over her shoulders like a cloak, surrounding her.

  Only Saffi seemed to be carrying on as if this was normal, chatting and smiling while stuffing her face with figs and offering the brothers food. Nakia hated to think this might be normal for Saffi. She might only know how to operate as a servant. She might think dysfunction and abuse were normal.

  “You should feed me some grapes,” Asad said to Nakia.

  “You should choke and die,” she replied with a smile.

  “Like Ashni did?” He grinned, too.

  “You covet her power just like your twin,” Nakia said. What else could be his motive beyond revenge? He could’ve easily killed her if that’s all he wanted. This had to be about proving himself better than Ashni.

  Asad scoffed. “Everything Ashni chases and holds is through the grace of our mother. Once our mother dies, she’ll lose all of this.”

  “Unless your mother gives her the whole thing,” Nakia replied.

  Jay laughed. “That’s not happening.”

  “Why is that?” Nakia asked. Chandra liked Ashni and thought highly of her. It must be because whoever Chandra wants doesn’t actually matter. Jay and Asad would probably fight each other for control of the Empire anyway. She didn’t want to imagine what they might do with Ashni.

  Asad ran a finger down her cheek. “It doesn’t matter since she’s dead.”

  “You seem so sure of yourself, even though you don’t even know how she died,” Nakia replied.

  “If she isn’t dead, where is she? We know Ashni,” Asad said.

  Nakia cocked an eyebrow. “Do you?”

  “Ashni’s dead. If she isn’t, where’s the thunder and her tears from the sky? Where’s her tantrum?” Jay asked, looking around.

  “Her tantrum almost killed Amal,” Nakia said and earned the back of Asad’s hand.

  Nakia’s lip split, and before she could react, Asad grabbed her by the chin. Saniyah moved forward, but a hand up from Nakia stilled her. Jay yanked Saniyah back while Asad forced Nakia to look at him.

  “Amal liked to take it easy on our dear sister and it cost him, just like saying his name will cost you.” Asad flung Nakia to the side and patted his lap. “Saffi, come sit with me.”

  Saffi gasped, glancing at Nakia with eyes full of fear as it hit her that this wasn’t normal. Nakia glowered at Asad, hand in her sleeve, ready to end him with one flick of her wrist. Remembering Layla’s people were at his mercy stayed her hand. Instead, she beat Saffi to his lap.

  “Have you ever even been with a man?” Asad’s breath burned her ear. “Being with Ashni is neglectful to someone like you. I’ll teach you.” He ran his tongue over the shell of her ear. It was like having slime on her flesh. Disgust rippled through her and she yanked away, purposefully slamming her elbow into Asad as she did. He grunted.

  “Oops,” she said, innocently, tucking her elbow in again.

  He put a hand on her knee, tightening her hold. Nakia allowed it.

  Small victories.

  The moment Nakia could escape Asad, she did. She retreated to the room where Ashni rested. Adira sharpened a knife, staring at it but her mind clearly elsewhere.

  “You heard?” Nakia asked.

  “Saniyah discussed it with me. She has to protect Bashira, so I understand the move, but I have to protect her,” Adira replied. Her voice was hard. She probably had everything mapped out.

  “What’s your plan?”

  Adira looked at her, eyes flashing. “I’m going to kill Jay for disrespecting her and attempting to defile her.” As if it was so simple.

  “Attempting?” Nakia felt the disrespect press against her during lunch. Last night was a taunt where Asad forced her to drink with him. He could do whatever he wanted with her.

  Adira shook her head. “She’ll never be defiled in my eyes. He’s defiling his character and embarrassing himself.”

  “Things won’t come to that. I’m going to write Thia and Wicus for help. Jay and Asad are trying to torture us, and I have to do everything in my power to stop that.”

  And Thia would at least save Saffi.

  Samar looked up from a plant she pulled apart. “Even if it means our people?”

  Nakia took a breath. “Of course not. Can’t we move the army into position?”

  “We can’t use the Roshan army to attack the Roshan army,” Adira said.

  “Even if it’s to defend the Roshan?” Asad planned to slaughter Roshan using Roshan. He was going to commit mass murder in an empire where killing one person—even a damn slave—was a punishable offense. They had to be able to do something about that.

  “They’re not sterlings, not the original Roshan” Adira said.

  “Neither is the Empress.” It was like everything she learned about the Empire meant nothing.

  Adira shook her head. “Never come between the Empress and her children. She’ll pick them every time.” That was a hard truth.

  Nakia slapped her hands together. “Well, I’m not going to sit here with my thumb up my ass and wait for Ashni’s brothers to rape and ruin us.”

  “You wouldn’t be ruined.” Samar shot over to her and grabbed her by the biceps, looking down at Nakia with eyes that seemed to know everything. “You listen to me. You are strong. You’re not at fault when someone tries to hurt you, when someone tries to take something from you. They haven’t won.”

  “I can’t do anything to protect my people, my mentor, my sister, myself.” Her eyes drifted to Ashni. “Haven’t they won?”

  “They’ve only won once you submit.” Samar frowned. “So, never submit.”

  “Then what can I do? They can kill your people if we blink the wrong way.”

  “Sometimes, the battle is won through patience. Play a long game with them,” Adira said.

  Nakia could do that. “How long?”

  “However long you need to win. They don’t know what they signed up for when they showed up and you were in charge,” Adira said. The glint in her eye was filled with such confidence. She actually believed Nakia would carry them through this.

  Nakia nodded and felt Adira’s faith in the pit of her stomach. Her words rang true. She had been chasing them and trying to outmaneuver them in a proper fashion. Well, there was more than one proper way to do things.

  You’ll still lose. The damn voice in her head echoed, but she locked eyes with Samar. The voice quieted. Adira came over and clapped her on the shoulder.

  “When you’re done with them, you’ll have ruined them forever,” Adira said. If this hardened war general could believe in her, this person who defeated her father, then the voice in her head that was her father had to be wrong. She’d stop Jay and Asad. She had to.

  ***

  When the darkness lifted, Ashni wasn’t sure what to expect, but it didn’t take long to realize she didn’t want to see it. Her heart was shredded all over again.

  The day had seemed so normal. The nobles and leadership met to discuss budgets. Ashni wasn’t privy
to the meeting, but Jay was invited, allowed to accompany an “uncle” of theirs. Instead, Ashni took Midnight Thunder out for exercise as they were supposed to be going on campaign soon. It would be Fahim’s first ride.

  She couldn’t wait to teach Fahim everything she knew, imagining his wide-eyed stare. He’d probably be annoyed by Layla, but also fascinated with her and her religious beliefs. Adira would definitely be captivated with Fahim. He was too intelligent for Adira to ignore or pretend to be irked with his presence.

  Wailing messengers arrived at her little meadow. At the time she couldn’t fathom what could be so sorrowful. The day was glorious and soon they’d be out, adding to the Empire. And then, they told her the news that stopped the world. “The Emperor, our great Amir, the Son of the Sun is dead!”

  Ashni flinched like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning and rushed off, not realizing she rode Midnight Thunder harder than she ever had in her life. Lies! He couldn’t die. Wouldn’t die. Not with more worlds to conquer, more sights to see, more people to meet. They were supposed to go West. The denials died in her mind when she saw her mother crying. Her body turned to dust. He was dead.

  There was a moment when she wanted to join him. Did you? He can’t die. Blackness washed over everything, smothering the memory.

  “No, you’re the one who can’t die!”

  Ashni twisted and turned. Who the hell just spoke to her?

  “You’re the Chosen One.”

  Dad? She could see only darkness, yet his voice was unmistakable. She carried it with her always, his soothing tones when times got rough.

  “Your mother charged you with changing the world. I charge you with leading the world. More than that, you can’t leave your family the way I left. You cannot die!”

  ***

  Ashni gasped and shot up into a sitting position. Bright, white light blinded her, burning her skin. Her head throbbed. Am I dead?

  Chapter Eleven

  NAKIA ROLLED OVER EACH facet of their next move while staring into the dark of her bedroom. She’d let the brothers think they won. She talked it over with everyone already, ideas and details coming together over the course of almost a week. It would take time, and it would cost her. It would cost Saniyah pain and suffering. And, in the end, it would be checkmate in their favor. She set it up as quickly as she could, as Asad would want her attention soon.

  She contacted Naren first, sending the message with Badar. She needed Naren to, little by little, shift the army from the north, sending them to Khenshu and then along to Tariq, Tiq, and surrounding territories under the guise of needing new training. She sent Badar to them with the story that he had to meet other teachers to discuss techniques for dealing with the Northern barbarians. They would claim they were training in case the barbarians went back on their word.

  On their way to Tariq, they would have various cover stories, ranging from visiting family to pretending to be merchants with new goods. Clothes and props would be waiting for them in Khenshu. From there, they’d travel in small groups and smuggle people out using the same ruse as they got in. We’ll see who’s in charge.

  The voice in her head scoffed. The brothers will tear your plan apart. The voice sounded smaller than usual, though. Adira had put her stamp of approval on this, as did Layla, and they had defeated her father, so his voice could kiss Nakia’s ass. She’d beat these brothers. It would just take a different sort of battle. Plus, she already had numbers on Asad’s forces. They were a fraction of the army Ashni and Nakia wielded.

  She had written to Thia a few days ago, after everyone determined this was the best course of action, and Thia’s response came swiftly. She was with Nakia. Thia promised to never let her sisters be hurt again, just like Nakia promised. Neither of them would actually be able to keep those promises, which they both knew, but it was the principle of the matter.

  Wicus’ forces would return to the north to fill in any gaps made by departing Roshan forces. That way when Asad or Jay noticed the troop movement, she’d be able to explain it. With no hostages, Jay and Asad wouldn’t be able to ignore the nobles’ and the military’s support for her. Then, they could get Chandra involved and let her settle the matter with facts in front of her. Game on, bastards.

  It was just after that confident thought that Asad knocked on her door. Without waiting for a reply, he entered her personal room. Again. Disgust ripped through her. Terrible manners, yet that didn’t seem to matter to him. Servants scurried around, putting up an illusion of busyness and hiding anything she needed out of the way. There wasn’t much since she burned any correspondence after reading them.

  “Why are you here?” Nakia asked, eyes narrowed on Asad.

  Asad smirked. “I figured we could have dinner in a more intimate setting.”

  “You know how poorly this looks,” Nakia replied.

  He grinned wider, much like a demon, and motioned to several pillows, ordering her to sit. She sneered but didn’t want to do anything more to upset him.

  Nakia sat, nodding to the servants but knowing Asad spent too much time in her space for her to keep anything important for long.

  “You’re quiet tonight.” Asad placed a hand on her thigh. His new habit, developed over the past few days.

  “What’s there to say?” Nakia replied.

  “Maybe the company will loosen you up.”

  And, as if it was timed, Jay arrived with Saniyah. Saniyah sat across from Nakia, holding her head high, even though there was purple bruising around her mouth. Jay draped himself over her again. With their torment focused on Saniyah and Nakia, the brothers had forgotten Saffi, and Nakia had Layla smuggle Saffi out of the palace. One less person to worry about. Eventually, Saffi would be sent to Thia, but for now she was hiding with Layla’s clan.

  Asad tried to start the conversation again. “You could tell me how you prefer me to Ashni.”

  Nakia arched her eyebrow. “I don’t make it a habit to lie.”

  Asad wasted no time back handing her across the face. Pain blossomed on her cheek and the slap reverberated through the space. The taste of metal danced on her tongue. Asad probably thought he was hurting her, yet it wasn’t much of anything. It physically hurt, but her father had hit her with a bowl that had hot oil in it. She still had the scar. That was pain. This was posturing, intended to frighten her into compliance.

  Over the past few days, she learned violence was his go-to reaction when it came to her, much like his twin. It seemed like a way to punish not just her, but Ashni, even though Ashni wasn’t there.

  “You all need so much encouragement that you’re better than someone you’ve already deemed inferior. It’s odd,” she said.

  Asad raised his hand again.

  “Leave her be!” Saniyah lunged forward only to be snatched back by Jay. She turned; hand raised to strike him. Jay caught her hand and squeezed her wrist until she screamed.

  “Hey!” Nakia tried to move, but Asad pinned her arms to her side. He head-butted her. A crunch echoed and her skull throbbed. Agony raced around her head.

  When he pulled back, she could see her blood on his forehead, and she felt blood drip from her nose. The blood leaked down to her lip.

  “Hurting me doesn’t suddenly make you better than Ashni,” Nakia said.

  He grabbed her chin. “I’ll always be better than the bastard child.”

  She smirked. “That’s why you all chase her shadow?”

  Asad grabbed her by the throat and she gagged, trying to scream. For a second, she thought he might strangle her to death. Saniyah roared, maybe there were words, but Nakia couldn’t be sure. Fear clutched her heart. She didn’t think he’d run out of patience so quickly and skip right to murdering her.

  “Asad,” Jay warned.

  Asad loosened his grip, yet it didn’t un-strike that nerve.

  Asad snarled at her and kept his hand on her throat, holding her up as if she weighed nothing at all. She dug her nails into his fingers, trying to rip his hand off her neck. I
t didn’t work. He dragged her into the adjoining room and threw her on the bed, towering over her.

  Nakia fought. She kicked and scratched and went so far as pulling a dagger on him. She caught him by surprise enough to cut his arm, but it wasn’t enough for him to let her go. Her three years of training proved nothing against his lifetime of fighting. He blew fire in her face, not enough to hurt her, although she didn’t know that at first. He disarmed her as she shook away the heat. But that wasn’t the only trick up her sleeve.

  There was another dagger, and she almost had him right in the armpit until he closed his arm on the blade just in time. He yanked that knife away, and Nakia slashed with a third dagger. He winced as she cut into his robes. She wasn’t sure she made it to his ribs when he grabbed her hand.

  He snarled in her face, huffing smoke at her. “How many fucking daggers do you have?”

  “Enough!” She went to stab him again with yet another dagger. He blocked it with his forearm, knocking it out of her hand. He was wounded, though.

  “Yes, enough,” Jay said.

  Nakia turned to see him holding Saniyah. She had a knife to his throat, but he could set her on fire long before she killed him, and they all knew that. No one moved.

  “I’m tired of this. Be a good girl and lie down for him or I will roast all the flesh from Saniyah’s face,” Jay said.

  “You can’t!” Nakia replied.

  Flames came from Jay’s nose. “Do you want to test that?”

  Nakia looked Saniyah in the eye. They had discussed this, being ready to sacrifice their bodies if necessary. It was easier said than done.

  “You don’t have to. He might kill me, but I promise you, Adira will kill him in return,” Saniyah said.

  Jay growled. “That damned fisherwoman is going back to the muck where she belongs as soon as I get a chance to send her there.”