razorsedge

by Lisanne Norman

  Kusac increased the contact, taking control of it before gradually beginning to transfer what Carrie had learned from the U’Churian at the inn. It took a little time but was helped by the fact that they’d used the method before to transfer knowledge between them on the inward journey to Jalna.

  Assadou’s supposed to be trying to arrange passes and a Trade mission for us, hopefully to Kaladar. If he does, I’ll need you two along. Get as much information as you can in the next day or two, then move on to the village outside the Port. That’s where they hire people for the caravans.

  We’ll move as fast as possible, but if we’re going to get their trust, we have to take it easy.

  Do what you can. I’ll be in touch.

  The contact was broken, leaving Kusac and Carrie alone. He blinked, once more aware of the glow from the fire and the lamp. Carrie, her eyes closed, was lying exhausted against him. Lowering his head, he licked her gently below the ear, receiving only the faintest of smiles by way of response.

  “When all I get is a smile, then I know you’re tired,” he said, rubbing his cheek against hers.

  Too tired to even talk, came the faint thought.

  “Then let me get up. I’ve something in my bag that should help,” he said, waiting till she moved forward before scrambling to his feet.

  Bending down, he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, putting her down carefully amid the various swords and bags. He touched her face briefly.

  “You really are exhausted, aren’t you? I knew we had left Shola too soon. You haven’t gotten your strength back yet.”

  “I’m fine,” she retorted sharply as he leaned across her to dig in his bag. “I don’t want one of Vanna’s stimulants,” she warned as he drew out a small package.

  “I should think not,” he replied with a grin. “They’re only for emergencies. All you need is a good night’s rest.”

  A packet of homemade biscuits landed in her lap. With a cry of delight she snatched them up. Opening the pack, she took one out and began to munch it.

  “They’re your mother’s, aren’t they? I’d recognize them anywhere.” She helped herself to a second.

  Kusac moved their belongings onto the chest at the end of the bed. “I only brought a few with me, but we should be able to find something in the market to replace them. Even dried fruit will raise our depleted blood sugar levels when we’ve been working.” He handed Carrie her pistol. “Keep it under the pillow. You never know when you might need it. You settle down and I’ll see to updating Kaid and T’Chebbi.”

  “Finding those four missing Sholans might prove impossible, Kusac,” she said. “If this Strick and the rebellion know nothing about them, we may have to concentrate on pulling Jo’s team out.”

  “It’s early days yet. I don’t want to give up on them unless we have no option. Once we have Jo’s people safe on the Hkariyash, then we can take more time to locate them.”

  “We might not get out of the Port a second time.”

  “Wait and see what Quin comes up with first,” he said, heading over to the connecting door.

  *

  Jo sat at the table in the Great Hall letting the sound of chatter and laughter fade until she barely noticed it. These twice weekly evenings were a strain on them all. After a day spent working in the drafty, poorly lit converted stable, fending off Belamor’s insistent questions, she would have preferred the peace and quiet of their chambers upstairs. A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie and back to reality. Looking up, she found herself face-to-face with Taradain. His face was flushed, and she remembered noticing he’d been drinking heavily.

  “I want to talk to you,” he said in a low voice.

  “What is it, Taradain?”

  “Not here. Take a walk with me.”

  “Forget it.” She turned back to the table.

  His hand clamped on her shoulder, fingers digging into her flesh. “Not here. Outside, and don’t draw attention to me by refusing.”

  She looked up at him, mouth opening to answer him when he abruptly bent down.

  “You want your friend to die?” he hissed in her ear. “Hear what I have to say first.”

  “Not outside,” she said flatly, suppressing Rezac’s anger by walling her mind off from his.

  “To the second pillar then,” he conceded. “And in the name of the Gods, look like you’re pleased to be with me!”

  She got to her feet, allowing the young Jalnian to take her by the elbow and draw her toward the end of the table.

  “Smile, dammit,” he muttered, a fake grin plastered on his face as he bowed to his father.

  Kris was sending to her, too, wanting to know what she was doing. With a quick, Later, she thrust him aside.

  “What do you want, Taradain?” she asked as they stopped by the pillar. Around the Hall, several other people had gotten up and were gathered in small groups talking; she and Taradain were not attracting too much attention.

  “You,” he said bluntly. “The alien woman is dying. She needs to get back to her own kind. I’ll help them escape, if you remain here with me.”

  She looked at him, speechless with shock. “Your help would be wonderful, Taradain,” she said, “but you know I need to be with Rezac.”

  “Don’t give me that rubbish about the dependence between your people because I don’t believe it! No matter what my father says, I’m not stupid. I know you don’t want me, that’s why I’m prepared to help your friends— for a price.”

  “You’re drunk!” she said in disgust. “What you’re suggesting is immoral. If I agreed, you’d have a shell, a body, not me. Is that what you really want?”

  His face darkened with anger. “`I’ll take you any way I can! Because of you I’ve been held up to ridicule by my father and all the court! This way I get back my pride, and have you! Well? Do you agree or not?”

  Jo ran through their options. There weren’t many. The caravan should be due any day now. Staying behind with Taradain was not a sensible option, but if all else failed… “I’ll need to think about it,” she said, turning away.

  Taradain caught hold of her by the wrist. “No! Decide now or I withdraw my offer.”

  “I told you, I can’t stay. I need to be with Rezac,” she said angrily, hitting his hand away. “If I’m separated from him, I’ll die!”

  “And I told you, don’t treat me like a fool! You can’t have a dependence on him, you’re too different.” He caught hold of her wrist again.

  “It’s true whether you believe it or not, and I don’t intend to prove it to you. Now let go of me, Taradain!” she hissed.

  He pulled her closer till they were eye to eye, searching her face. “You believe it, though, don’t you? What if I prove it wrong?”

  “You can’t.”

  “What happens? Do you sicken and die, or just… die?” he demanded.

  “What’s the difference?” she snapped. “I can’t and won’t stay and that’s an end to it!”

  “If you sicken first, then I’ll let you return to him, and still help you all escape.”

  “What?” She stopped struggling and looked at him.

  “I’ll return you and still help you escape. Dammit, I don’t want to cause your death! I’m not some kind of monster!”

  “Why?” She was confused.

  “Because I’ll have gained my honor in front of these sheep!” he snarled. “Now, do you accept or not? My father’s looking at us. You’ve run out of time. Yes or no?”

  An icy calm settled on her. Their freedom, in exchange for sleeping with Taradain. She’d done it before with the Valtegans, and at least the Jalnians were almost human. Rezac was more alien than Taradain. If he let her return and helped them all escape, it was worth it. If.

  “I can only stay three days, then I have to go back to him.” She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded. “And you have to make sure he gets an adequate supply of the same food as is served in the Hall.” She’d been sneaking what food she could
to Rezac, but it wasn’t really enough.

  “Three days, then— and the food— but during that time, you’ll look like you’re enjoying my company. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” she said through gritted teeth.

  His hand reached for the back of her neck, holding her still while he leaned forward to kiss her. “Starting right now!” he hissed.

  Like a sleeper, she lifted her face to his and forced herself to respond. He had the good sense not to push her and the kiss was short.

  He drew back and took hold of her hand. “I’ll send for your belongings.”

  “I’ll go. I need to tell them…”

  “No! Not tonight. Tonight you come with me. Tomorrow you can tell them.”

  “Tonight?” She hadn’t though he’d demand her company immediately. It made sense: he was preventing the others from persuading her to refuse.

  “Enough talk, my father’s calling us,” he said, starting to walk back to the table. When she didn’t come, he stopped and turned round to her. “Dammit! You want to ruin this already? You’ve just agreed to be my lover, try and act like it’s real!”

  She forced herself to move, forced a smile to her lips as she let him lead her back to the top table.

  “Taradain! What’s this?” Killian demanded loudly. “You still forcing yourself on my guest? She made it plain she doesn’t want you!” A chorus of laughter spread round the room.

  Flushing again, the young man waited till it stopped. “No, Father. The lady has changed her mind. She wants me to have her belongings brought to my room.”

  Killian looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

  Jo felt Taradain’s fingernails digging into her hand. She forced a brighter smile on her face. “If you would be so kind,” she said quietly.

  The Lord looked from her to Kris then back. “You wish to move in with my son?” he asked incredulously.

  “She just said so,” snapped Taradain, drawing her closer to his side and putting a proprietary arm round her waist.

  “I’ll hear it from the lady,” said Killian mildly.

  “Yes,” she said, feeling her face starting to burn with embarrassment. At the edges of her mind, she could feel both Rezac and Kris clamoring. She needed every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep them at bay. “It’s what I wish, Lord Killian. Please have my things sent to your son’s room.”

  Killian sat back in his chair, fingering his beard thoughtfully before turning and gesturing to one of the guards behind him. The soldier approached and bent down to hear his orders. Nodding, he left the Hall.

  “It is being seen to,” he said. “I have to admit you’ve surprised me, Taradain. Don’t let us detain you any longer. You are excused from the table. You and your lovely companion may retire.”

  “Thank you,” said Taradain, sketching a bow and tugging on Jo’s hand, warning her to do the same. Turning, he led her from the room. As they passed between the huge double doors, the silence behind them was broken by a sudden babble of excited voices.

  *

  What the hell’s she doing? Rezac demanded of Kris.

  Leaving with Taradain, the Human sent. She says she wants her things taken to his room. I can’t reach her any more than you can! God knows what she’s up to, but it appears she’s going with him willingly.

  Do something! Stop her! Rezac raged.

  There’s nothing I can do! She’ll be doing it for a reason, and if I interfere, it could cost us our lives!

  If I were there… Rezac began.

  You’d do what? Just remember she’s our leader, Rezac. She knows what she’s doing, even if we don’t.

  I’ll not have my…

  Your what? Kris’ mental tone was incandescent. She doesn’t belong to you! Sleeping with the enemy is what she’s trained to do!

  Abruptly, Rezac’s presence was gone.

  *

  Taradain’s chamber was not unlike theirs. Untidier, the fire still burning even on a spring night, but the same in all important respects save one. It was on the first floor, and there was a window. Shivering, Jo waited for the young man to close the door then rounded on him. “This is despicable of you,” she said. “To use my friend’s life as a means of forcing me to sleep with you is utterly despicable.”

  Ignoring her, he walked over to the table and picked up the bottle of wine standing there. Two goblets stood side by side and into these he emptied the bottle.

  Picking them up, he held one out to her. “Drink. It helps dull the senses.”

  She noticed his hand was shaking slightly. “I don’t want your damned wine!”

  “You humiliated me in front of my father that day!” he said, slamming her drink back down on the table. “There was no need for what you did!”

  “I humiliated you? You forced yourself into our bedroom!”

  Raising his goblet, he emptied it and set it back on the table. “So what? You led me to believe you were a lady when you’re nothing better than one of the women who sell themselves in the taverns for the price of an ale!”

  “I’m no prostitute!”

  “You sleep with that…” He stopped, lost for a word to describe Rezac. “Animal!”

  “He’s no animal! I told you, we’re bound together. We need each other!”

  “And you need me!” he said, covering the distance between them in three strides. Grasping her by the shoulders, he shook her. “I’m going to be risking everything for you, you’d better be worth it,” he snarled. “How difficult can it be to pretend you’re enjoying it? At least I look like one of you!”

  *

  The next day at around noon, the door to their chambers opened, admitting Taradain and Jo. Kris felt and heard Rezac’s building anger, and reached out to take hold of his arm warningly.

  Hear what she has to say first, he sent to the Sholan.

  Her face looked strained as she came over to them.

  “Well, hello,” Kris drawled, standing up. “Wondered if you were going to join us.” He reached for her mind but met only the barrier again.

  “Listen to me,” she said in Jalnian, her voice so low it was barely audible. “I only have a few minutes. Taradain has agreed to help us. Be ready to leave in two days’ time. He’ll see the guards are dealt with and lead us down to an old tunnel that’ll bring us up outside the castle wall. Horses will be waiting. From then, it’s up to us. He says the caravan arrives tonight. In two days it leaves. He suggests we should try to join it.”

  “Two days?” Kris repeated, catching her eye.

  “Two,” she repeated, holding his gaze unflinchingly. “Be ready.” She looked at Rezac. “Cause no trouble, Rezac. Just have Zashou ready, you hear me?”

  Rezac continued to growl, the sound low and menacing.

  “Do you hear me?” she repeated.

  “I hear.” His voice was almost a snarl.

  “I have to go,” she said, turning away.

  Rezac lunged out and caught hold of her. “Jo,” he began.

  She shook herself free. “Two days, Rezac,” she said in Sholan. “Don’t make this have been for nothing.”

  “With you gone, and cutting yourself off mentally, I feel it like a sickness! If he keeps you here…”

  “He won’t,” she said. “Don’t let the Jalnians see what it does to you. It’ll be enough that he thinks it’s harming me.”

  Taradain strode over to her, grasping her by the arm. “Don’t use that outlandish tongue. I want to hear what you’re saying!”

  Rezac snarled, the noise rising as he opened his mouth to roar his anger. Kris stepped between them, grasping hold of Rezac as Davies ran to help.

  “I don’t know what deal you made with her, Taradain,” said Kris, “but you harm her and…”

  “And what?” he asked, pulling Jo back with him toward the door. “You’re captives, remember?”

  “We’ll have nothing left to lose,” snarled Rezac, struggling between the two Humans. “Return her within two days, or by Varza, I will shred you and
nail what’s left of your hide to my wall!”

  “Brave words! You wouldn’t make it past the guards,” Tardain said, hand fumbling behind him for the latch.

  *

  When they’d gone, Kris released the enraged Sholan. “Violence won’t help,” he said sharply. “You go on the warpath now and you’ll ruin any hopes we have of help from Taradain.”

  “He’s using her!”

  “And she agreed to it!” said Kris.

  “She had no right to…”

  “She had every right! Stop acting like a fool, Rezac! Zashou’s getting worse, we have to take any opportunity we can to escape! The cost justifies saving lives, and only Jo could decide to pay the price, not us!”

  “She’s done it before, we told you, she told you,” said Davies, releasing him.

  Rezac let out a low sound of anguish, turning away from them. “She’d just begun to forget that life, to enjoy being loved! You think I didn’t see the bruises on her wrists?”

  Kris caught Davies’ eye. He lifted his shoulders in a mute gesture. “She wasn’t good when she came back from a tour at Geshader or Tashkerra,” he said quietly. “She had to spend some time in our sick bay. The Valtegans weren’t gentle with our women. She can cope.”

  “There’s nothing we can do, Rezac, except not screw it up for her,” said Kris, reaching out to touch the other comfortingly.

  “When we escape, I will have that one,” Rezac snarled, turning round. “I will kill him before we leave!”

  “You’ll leave him alone! For all we know, Jo asked him to help us! You have no proof of any coercion! We take what’s offered and leave! If he fails to return Jo, that’s another matter. Now let’s get back to work. Killian could turn up at any time and we don’t want him thinking we’re not doing our best for him.”

  *

  As Jo had said, the caravan arrived that evening. The courtyard was a hive of bustling activity as stalls were put up for the following day. That night, they ate up in their chambers, the noise from the caravans still drifting up to them.

  Jo remained mentally unreachable by either of them, but, at the evening meal the following night, after Railin’s stories, Kris had the opportunity to exchange a few words with her.