Lawless

by Janeen Ippolito

  Shance glanced at his ripped sleeve and the loosened hem of his undershirt. “I didn’t know you were knowledgeable in military regulations, Countess. Or that you cared.”

  He followed Kesia up the ladder to the main deck. Nula followed. “You’re right. I don’t. But they do.”

  “They?”

  Countess Nula clapped her hands. Soldiers appeared and surrounded the ship. Kesia backed up until she stood next to Shance, her hands clenching and unclenching. “What is this?”

  “I truly am sorry. You do seem like a nice one, but you incriminated yourself.”

  Winds swirled around Shance, ready to lift him and Kesia off the deck and over the heads of the waiting soldiers. “What do you mean by ‘one’?”

  The countess sighed. “A nice dragon. I’m sure you aren’t, though, because dragons are murderous, reptilian devils. Or so the papers say. From what little I’ve seen of you and your partner, Kesia, I must say,” Her voice lowered as she turned her back to the oncoming generals, and genuine regret flashed in her gray eyes, “I wish things had been different.”

  She stepped aside, and there stood General Brody, his face tight and twisted. “Captain Windkeeper. You have been harboring an enemy spy, allowing her to enter our camp and learn our secrets. I hope, for your sake, that you were ignorant of her identity. If so, you will be tried for gross incompetence rather than treason.”

  “Treason? This entire war is a farce.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.

  “I tried to warn you. You should have taken the Countess’s offer.” Brody shook his head. “I hope this rebellion was worth it. Was it all for the novelty of having a dragon woman in your bed?”

  “Sir?” Brody had never been this blunt outside of a tavern. Now, there was an edge to his face that Shance had never seen. “You’re not taking her.”

  Brody ignored him. “Captain Cryor.”

  The fresh-faced captain stepped forward, expression stoic.

  “Arrest the dragon spy and Captain Windkeeper. Take them to separate cells for interrogation.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Viorstan piss on all of you.” Shance reached out to summon a gale force when a hand closed over his arm, arresting his motion.

  Kesia.

  Shance glanced at her, but her gaze was fixed steadily on General Brody. There was no trace of the sweet, sharply curious dragon, only the deadly eyes of a soldier. She pressed something into his hand.

  Her voicelator. She’d removed it.

  Kesia leaned close to him and whispered, “See that Zephryn gets this. Tell him to keep fighting, with or without me. I won’t be afraid.”

  “Kesia.”

  “Tell. Him.”

  She backed away from Shance.

  “Release him.” Her voice vibrated with the resonance that had won him from that first rescue. Now it was directed at Brody. “Release us. Now.”

  He blinked, then gave a short laugh. “Do you think we came unprepared? We have ways of resisting dragon compulsion, spy.” He signaled to the soldiers. “Take her out.”

  “No!”

  As the word escaped Shance, a blast of wind from his hands threw everyone to the deck. A small canister landed next to him spewing clouds of green smoke. The wind ceased, the force he’d known since childhood gone again. Soldiers rushed the deck. He tried to see them through the clouds, tried to fight, but without the wind to guide his actions, every blow fell short. They bound his hands behind him and dragged him off to the side.

  The smoke began to clear. Shance blinked. Kesia stood across from him, her arms outstretched, face pinched in concentration as she blew out streams of flame that eliminated the vapors.

  “Very impressive. Just as your uncle told us, Kesia Ironfire. He’s waiting for you now.”

  General Brody knew who she was? He was in league with the Pinnacle, a flame-cursed traitor to the Congruency.

  Kesia growled so loudly the deck shook. “I see. Release Captain Windkeeper with a full military discharge, and I will come with you.”

  “You are in no place to make demands.”

  Kesia’s eyes flashed to dragon slits. “If you don’t, I will destroy everyone and everything in this shipyard.”

  Dread filled Shance as he realized she was serious. What had the Pinnacle done to dragons to make them so ruthless?

  “Even your devoted betrothed? I think not.”

  “Kesia—”

  “I have lost everything once. I’m familiar with having my life destroyed.” Her voice was calm. “Captain Windkeeper is without his Talent and resources. He is no threat to you. And I can imagine your dragon ally wants me alive more than anything else.”

  Brody flinched, then his jaw set. “This is suicidal.”

  “I don’t care.” Flames erupted from Kesia’s mouth as scales appeared on her face and arms, allowing the fire to travel down to her hands.

  Brody swallowed. “Fine. I promise to secure his safety. He never had a stomach for warfare. He’ll turn into a useless womanizer and drunkard within a few days. Might even be dead within a week. But you have my word.”

  Kesia gave a mirthless smile. “Your word means nothing to me. You will take me to a window where I can personally see him released without soldier escort. Then I will come with you.”

  “Agreed.” Brody glanced at his timepiece. “Can we move on with this?”

  Shance tried to catch her gaze. She couldn’t do this! Kesia was the one person who could not get captured. She turned to meet his eyes, her lips moving.

  Tell Zephryn. Find them. His muddled mind put the pieces together.

  She didn’t have to surrender; she wanted to.

  Shance gave her a wink. He would find Zephryn and Zilpath and the rest of the rebels. One of the hooded figures had mentioned sympathizers in High Command. Surely they could get The Silver Streak out of the shipyard.

  He would find a way.

  Kesia had rescued him twice. It was time for him to return the favor.

  Chapter 21

  One step. Then another. Slow and steady was the best way through the Central Market, especially with the heavy helmet blocking her vision. After she had seen Shance leave the Central Market unhindered, a rough cylinder with small holes for breathing had been forced over her head. Her footsteps sounded muddled to her ears, and her arms were cuffed behind her in tight manacles.

  Apparently, they thought she would try to escape.

  At this moment, Kesia wasn’t sure she could get away. If she shifted into a smaller form, they could catch her in these confined hallways. Shifting to a larger form was even more unwise. And she had promised to go with them if Shance was free.

  It was better to keep that promise a little while longer.

  Meanwhile, there was the endless march to the roof. Keep plodding along; no point in running to her own funeral. Or would it be a funeral? Perhaps Lord Garishton had something worse planned. But if she were some kind of heir to his powers, maybe he’d keep her alive. Maybe he wouldn’t go after Zephryn and Shance.

  Unlikely. He had gone after her parents. There was nothing that would keep him from destroying her friend or her embermate.

  Kesia swallowed. Never mind waiting. It was time to shift and attempt an escape.

  Clayborer beetle.

  She waited for the ripple, the tingling of her flesh. The vertigo of shrinking down so small, so fast.

  Nothing.

  Kesia focused harder.

  Clayborer. Beetle.

  There was only the sound of trudging footsteps and the whirring of an elevator.

  Her heart sank. Fewmets! It must be the helmet. But how?

  She was doomed, trapped in her skin form without her voicelator to communicate with Zephryn. Even if she’d held on to it, the soldiers probably would have taken it away from her.

  She was alone.

  In the end, she was always alone.

  The words fed the fear churning her stomach. Control, Rose-Wing. They can only defeat you i
f they can control your feelings. Bury them.

  Zephryn’s remembered words settled her, but evoked a new emotion. Rage. Why had Brody given Shance that drink? What game was he playing, trying to draw her attention to Shance? Not even Zephryn would be able to find logic or reason in that.

  But he would find her. He said he would always stay with her.

  If only she hadn’t been stupid enough to offer herself up. But what else could she have done? Too many lives had been lost trying to protect hers.

  She could protect herself. She had challenged General Brody in the shipyard and negotiated Shance’s release. She had broken into the laboratory. She could hold out until help came.

  Even if it never did.

  Kesia shook her head in the helmet. Zephryn wasn’t stupid. He would understand and come after her. Even though it would risk his own life.

  But Zephryn shouldn’t have to do that. Not for her. He was worth too much, even if he couldn’t see it in his master plan. She could see it for him.

  But if she was captured, who would he have to talk with? Would that even matter to him? Images surfaced in her mind.

  Zephryn offering to run away with her after the airship incident. Zephryn stroking her hair and scales when she was injured—and coaxing her through the pain of shifting her broken wing. Zephryn contacting her mentally to discuss problems and feelings.

  Shock and certainty settled in her heart. She mattered to him. To Shance, her chosen brother. To that nameless, cloaked figure who’d kept insisting Kesia had value, even without her ability with the green smoke.

  Wetness leaked out of the corners of her eyes even as she walked to her doom. A heavy hand of regret squeezed her heart. She had been foolish. So foolish.

  A cool breeze rushed beneath the helmet, lifting her hair from the back of her neck. They must have reached the rooftop. Vibrations pressed through the ground beneath her, and she assumed an airship was docked nearby.

  “Any chance you can tell me where we’re going?”

  The barrel of a rifle shoved her forward. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re going to that Pinnacle.”

  An answer! Albeit, a useless one. She’d already figured that.

  Kesia swallowed hard. She couldn’t undo her sacrifice for Shance’s escape, and she didn’t want to. But she could get more answers on her own. She was strong, and the Pinnacle wanted her. There was leverage in that.

  There had to be.

  All she had to do was face them while she waited for Zephryn and Shance.

  Fear and determination began percolating in her stomach, pushing more words out of her mouth. “What does Lord Garishton want?”

  “Who knows? You’ll find out soon enough though, eh? Can’t imagine anyone will see you around here again.”

  Hands grabbed underneath her arms, yanking her up and shoving her face down into unforgiving metal. Behind her, doors slammed shut.

  Something heavy smashed into her head.

  The world turned dark and blank.

  ***

  The Scepter of Commerce library might be deficient in books about dragon lore, but it had sufficient space for pacing. Not that Zephryn noticed any of the titles on the shelves. His mind was preoccupied with finding his embermate.

 

  Still nothing. He stared at the voicelator in his hand. They must have her trapped in a device coated with tepstone.

  Windkeeper was right.

  “She’s gone.” Zephryn pivoted, glaring at Shance. “Explain.”

  “I told you. She cut a deal with them so I could get free and find you. And here we are. I’m not actually free, but I thought maybe you could help me take care of that.”

  The airship captain leaned back against a shelf and rubbed a bruise on his forehead. More bruises marred his face and, judging from the way he walked and held his rib cage, other parts of his body. Zephryn would expect nothing less from any efficient military.

  It was far more surprising that Windkeeper was alive at all. Although, the new arrivals to the Obscure Antiquities part of the Scepter of Commerce library could only be there to locate Zephryn and set a trap.

  A pity. He’d been looking forward to some peace and quiet after the last six days. He had gone with Pryenil, Zilpath, and the still-hooded man to a secret meeting every night, learning about the rebel cause and reassuring them that he and Kesia would stand against the Curious Intrigue. Locations included a Four Corners temple, a tavern back room, and something called a “dump.” Because humans didn’t or couldn't burn their rubbish.

  Kesia would have been helpful at the meetings. She couldn’t see how her presence disarmed others, but that didn’t make it useless. Yet another reason they had to get her back.

  “Why haven’t you dealt with the humans?” Words were so clumsy. He would give anything to have Kesia’s mind-speak in his head.

  Windkeeper winced. “Green smoke killed my Talent for another twenty-two hours. Kesia blasted the smoke, but not before it got to me.” Shance paused, eyes gleaming. “I suppose she could have kissed me to make it better.”

  “No.”

  Windkeeper laughed. “Such care for your comrade’s well-being. I can still fight and run, but I can’t promise much of either. I don’t suppose you have anything great up your sleeves, besides your scales? Kesia’s probably in the air by now.”

  “We need to disappear. Stop talking and follow me.” Zephryn grabbed the airship captain’s shoulder and focused. Bringing someone else beneath his Cloak was easy enough, but the Talent only extended so far. Close contact ensured the human wouldn’t step outside the range of effectiveness.

  Windkeeper opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and nodded. Zephryn began moving forward, slowly at first to allow the other man to sync to his steps, then faster, past the official military uniforms and the street officers in plain clothes with stances that made them even more obvious.

  If the Scepter of Justice reinstated street officers after the war, they would have to be better trained. Something Zephryn would have to mention to his parents.

  If he found them.

  Otherwise, according to what Pryenil had told him, Zephryn would have to convince the Council, which could theoretically be led by Windkeeper and might be amenable to new ideas. If the airship captain assumed that role, which seemed questionable at best.

  They had almost reached the end of the wide aisle that ran the length of the library.

  Kesia, what were you thinking? He rubbed her voicelator again, recalling the way her face shone when he first gave it to her. Cloud lilies were her favorite. She even smelled irresistibly like them at times.

  Had she given up? Is that why she’d turned herself in?

  It couldn’t be.

  Sending out Windkeeper was a reasonably intelligent strategy. She had a better chance of taking on the Pinnacle than he, especially with her newly reclaimed abilities. They wouldn’t have traded anything for Shance anyway.

  Kesia had to have a plan.

  If only Zephryn could still the ceaseless, mocking words in a corner of his mind. Words that told him she never should have returned to the Central Market with Windkeeper, that someone else should have made the repairs to the ship.

  They exited the library, but instead of descending the last few steps, Zephryn pulled Shance off to the side beneath a small, covered alcove. “We should be able to speak here, quietly. Once we decide on a direction, I will have to release the Cloak. Slipping among busy streets while invisible is not easy with two people and would ultimately cause more problems. Speak quickly: what happened?”

  “We were working in the engine room. Almost done with the last repairs.” Shance winced. “And then Kesia got really angry. Something about this ale General Brody gave me, how it smelled like you and made me irresistible.”

  Zephryn frowned. “What?”

  “She never had the chance to explain. Her hands started flaming, and Countess Nula surprised us. The countess seemed like she already suspected somethin
g, and once she had confirmation, she signaled to General Brody, who appeared with a squadron of soldiers. We were outnumbered. After they disabled me with the green smoke, Kesia stepped in.”

  “Yes, she would.” Zephryn sighed. “Countess Nula? Then she is a part of the Curious Intrigue?”

  Windkeeper shook his head, scratching his short beard. “I’m not so sure about that. Before she turned us in, she said she regretted it. That isn’t what you say if you’re happily signed on to an evil conspiracy. You’ve spoken with her before. Any insight?”

  “None. She was human and annoying. Very driven. She has the ability to taste and perceive the worth of people, apparently.” Zephryn paused, wondering how much he should reveal to Shance. He had already taken a strong and potentially unhealthy interest in Kesia and shown unstable emotions in other situations. On the other hand, Shance was intelligent some of the time, and Zephryn’s options were limited. “She mentioned that Kesia tasted of incredibly strong value.”

  She’d also mentioned that he and Kesia had the most value together, as if that weren’t already the case. They were bound at the heart. Nothing could change that. If he had to ascend the throne, it would introduce complications, yes, but she was worth it.

  “Probably another one of Countess Nula’s mind games. We need to get to Zilpath and the rest. It’s time for this Congruency spy to come out of hiding.” Shance rubbed the back of his neck. “Luckily, I know a back way through the Narrows. Fewer people means you can keep us invisible, right?”

  Zephryn nodded. The street officers had exited the building and were scouring the passersby in front of the library. “As long as we move quickly and keep silent.”

  “Of course. As quick as I can.”

  Shance led them down one side street after another, some of them such a tight fit that Zephryn had to release Shance so they could squeeze through. Zilpath knew the same paths and had explained them through Pryenil once. Apparently, the people who built the Scepter of Commerce hadn’t judged the spaces between buildings as carefully as they should have, creating a maze of tiny alleyways used by those from the Low Quarter to move around the rest of the city.