by Lili Zander
As much as I want to stay with her, sated and content, I cannot. We need to move quickly. Olaf is dead, as are the five enforcers he brought with him. At any moment, Zimmer is going to discover what happened to his second-in-command. If he panics, if he doesn’t keep his head… My mind shies away from that thought.
We need proof of the weapons facility. With it, we can control the Overlord before he can do any damage.
Then there’s the wild card. Jarl Ragnar. There’s no doubt that his presence on Boarus 4 has complicated matters. Things are increasingly getting more and more dangerous.
Nero's thoughts are running in the same direction. “We need to split up,” he says. “Zeke and I will search for the weapons facility. You stay here and protect Raven.”
His words make sense. Zeke is the tech expert, and Nero is the best pilot of the three of us, and a fairly handy mechanic as well. If there is a ship in the facility, and it’s damaged, then Nero’s the only person who might be able to fix it.
I hate sending them into such a dangerous situation, but I have no choice. I cannot leave Raven alone, unprotected.
Unfortunately, she doesn't see it that way. “No,” she says, her chin listed. “You don't need to split up. I don’t need someone to watch over me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
She’s been taking care of herself since she was ten. Her independence is hard-won, and I don’t want to take that away from her. “Never think that I doubt your strength, Raven,” I say gently. “because I don't. But if something were to happen to you, I would never be able to forgive myself. Please humor me in this. Please put up with my protectiveness.”
She looks uncertain. “You’re precious to us, Raven,” Nero adds. “Saber is right. It would kill us if you were to get hurt, or worse.”
She doesn't look at us. “Tonight was just one night,” she mumbles. “One time. It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to.”
She thinks the reason we’re staying is because we bedded her? She’s beautiful, and when I think of her soft body pressed against mine, my cock jumps to attention.
But this is about so much more than that. This is about her strength, the fact that after everything she’s been through, she can still smile. Still feel. This is about the loyalty that made her drag our unconscious bodies back to shelter.
This isn’t about sex; it never was.
“I want it to mean something,” I reply. An enforcer’s life is lonely. We’re always traveling from one mission to another, never being able to settle in one place. I'm old enough, and I've been doing this long enough to know her worth. I look at her, trying to make her see everything I feel. “I just found you, Raven. I'm not prepared to lose you.”
She swallows. “Okay,” she says. “You need to find this facility. Why can’t I come with you?”
This I have an answer for. “The tracker. Right now, we’re not too far from the flags. No one has any reason to be suspicious of you, at least not until they find Olaf’s body. But if you come with us while we search for the facility, then Zimmer is going to know that something is up. He's going to be forced to act.” I take a deep breath. “A cornered animal is a dangerous one. You've got to stay where they are expecting you to be.”
Zeke nods assent. “That's not the only reason,” he says. “If there's a ship in the facility, then yes, we can leave. But if there isn’t one, you still need a way out of Boarus 4, one that won’t rouse Ragnar’s suspicions. The easiest way is if you win the tournament. It comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to Starra.”
“We can take you with us,” he adds. “Even if you don’t win. We can claim you as our thrall. But we’ve never done that before, and Ragnar knows it. He’ll wonder why we’re so attached to you.”
An expression of insecurity flashes across her face, so fleeting that I barely catch it. Zeke, who pays attention to these things, immediately corrects himself. “Raven,” he says, his voice serious. “We are attached to you. Never doubt that. But we must be careful. If it comes to an out-and-out battle, there's a small chance that we can prevail against the Overlord’s forces, but Jarl Ragnar is in a different league. If he brings the might of the Empire against us, we will all die.”
Raven nods reluctantly, conceding the logic in our arguments. “You're going to look for this facility,” she says. “Do you know where it is?”
Zeke shakes his head. “Somewhere on Glacis,” he says. “That's all I know. I've been trying to find it, trying to spy on the Overlord’s communication, but while Zimmer is careless about many things, this is not one of them. There's nothing in his records to help me narrow it down.”
She's lost in thought for a few minutes, and then she sits up, a light in her eyes. “West,” she exclaims. “Of course. It's west of here.” She pulls out her map and lays it flat on the bed. “There,” she says, tracing an area with her fingertip.
“How can you be sure?” I ask her.
“We had a saying in the camps,” she replies. “West is dangerous, West is death. We would get lost on the ice sometimes, but we all knew that if we went west, we wouldn’t return. The older residents told us that a monster lived in the western reaches, one that would suck us dry if it caught us.” She smiles faintly. “It was an effective deterrent.”
Nero bends over the map. Just then, Zeke’s comm pings. “Adam,” he says to us, sounding relieved. “I sent him a message about Ivar Karlsson, but I hadn't heard back. I was beginning to get worried.” He swipes his screen and answers the call. “Adam, it's good to hear from you. Tell me you have an answer for me.”
Adam Masev's expression is serious. “Zeke,” he says heavily, “I have a confession to make. I've been hiding something from you.”
Of course. Yet another surprise. Wonderful.
I give Zeke a pointed glare as Adam continues talking. “I'm one of the founders of Equality Pact,” he says.
That causes me to sit up. Equality Pact is a rebel organization. They believe that all sentients—Shayde, Human, Oensi, Jowth, and Zaddyth—should have equal rights and be treated as full citizens of the Empire. More than that, they want the monarchy abolished. The Empress has a bounty on the rebels. The last I heard, it was up to two million pints for any of the leaders.”
“You are?” Zeke sounds shocked. “How is this possible? I've known you for most of my life.”
Adam grimaces. “You have no idea how hard I’ve worked to keep the truth from you,” he admits. “How many false trails I've planted to keep you from discovering my identity. Not to protect me, but to protect you. If it came out that you were friends with one of the founders of Equality Pact, your career would be over.”
“Why tell us now?” I ask bluntly.
“Because matters are escalating,” Adam replies soberly. “Jarl Ragnar is on Boarus 4. His presence complicates things.”
A sudden cold trickle runs down my spine. Forget Zimmer and even Ragnar for the moment. I still have Harek Levitan to deal with, and the wily vampyr is more than capable of putting the pieces together. He'd have heard by now that I'm sponsoring a human woman in the Night of the Shayde. If I don't report in soon, he's going to send another team to bring Raven in.
“Right now,” I tell Adam, “Our only priority is to get Raven out of here safely.”
“Ragnar will see your actions as treasonous,” Masev warns me.
I'm well aware of that. I made my choice the moment I offered to help Raven escape Boarus 4. “That's not important.”
Masev is testing us, but he seems satisfied by my reply. “Ivar Karlsson is a scientist,” he says.
Raven joins the conversation for the first time. “Let me guess,” she says. “He's working on a blood weapon too.”
Adam shakes his head. “Actually, he's not. Karlsson's area of expertise is aromas. He's developing a scent suppressor.
Raven's eyes fill with understanding. “You can smell the blood disease on me,” she says. “If that can be blocked…”
“Then you�
�re anonymous once again,” Masev replies. “I have one more confession,” he says.
Zeke groans. “What now?”
He looks sheepish. “The Shayde that bit Raven, Ottar Thistle, was one of us. When we first heard a rumor of what Harek Levitan was trying to do, he volunteered to infiltrate the facility. Ottar was trying to block the weapon from being built.”
He looks troubled. “Harek Levitan is hoping to use this weapon to control the Shayde council, but he's being foolish and short-sighted. He's only thinking of the power he can gain from this. But if the weapon were to fall into human hands, then matters could get a lot worse. There are thousands of humans ready to rise up in rebellion against the Empire. Humans who are angry, humans who believe that every Shayde deserves to die. Humans who wouldn’t hesitate to deploy the weapon against every Shayde in Aertos.”
Raven's mouth falls open. “You're talking about genocide.” She sounds aghast.
“Those humans are wrong,” he says. “Zeke is one of my best friends. I trust him with my life. Every Shayde isn't bad, and every human isn't good. That sort of thinking is simplistic, dangerous.”
I frown. “If Ottar Thistle was sent to destroy the weapon, then why did he bite Raven? Why did he pass it on?”
Adam Masev looks afraid for the first time. “I don't know,” he admits. “And I have a bad feeling about it.”
Nero cuts in. “One problem at a time,” he says briskly. “Our first priority is to get off Boarus 4. Everything else can wait.”
We hang up. There’s a long moment of silence as we digest what we heard, and then Raven clears her throat. “How long have you been an enforcer, Saber?” she asks me.
“I've lost count,” I reply. “More than ten years.”
“And you willing to risk it all on me.” She looks hesitant. “Your friend was right. What you're planning to do is treason.”
I shake my head immediately. “Power is a funny thing. Power corrupts us and makes us forget to do the right thing. I've been disillusioned with the Empire for a very long time. I've seen too many things that I can't dismiss. Too many wrongs that people tolerate in the name of the greater good. Like here, on Boarus 4. The Empress is willing to turn a blind eye to Zimmer’s cruelty because the only thing she cares about is her supply of boarium.” I take a deep breath. “For a long time, I told myself that as long as I was still able to do some good, I would continue to be an enforcer.” I give Raven a steady look. “This is the right thing to do. I have no regrets.”
Nero gets to his feet. “We should go,” he says. “There's not too much night left, and we need to hurry.” He embraces Raven and then me.
“Be careful,” I warn the two of them. “The facility could still be active. Don't take any chances.”
Zeke nods. “I'll be running a sweep,” he assures me. “I'll be monitoring the terrain.”
“The facility won’t be above ground. They can't risk a stray chopper spotting them. Send your probes below the ice.”
I'm not telling them anything they don't know. I'm nervous about letting Zeke and Nero go off alone. I really hope that they'll be okay and that there'll be a ship there that we can use to get the hell off this colony.
Just for once, it'll be nice if things were easy.
21
Raven
I've been alone for a very long time. In the re-education camps, you tried not to make too many friends, because any emotion, any feeling, was a tool that could be used against you. The last time I felt cherished was when my parents were still alive.
The last fourteen years, I've taught myself not to hope. Hope can kill you. I've hardened my heart and closed myself off to everyone. No friendships, no relationships, nothing has been allowed to penetrate my guard.
But now, I slowly allow myself to hope again. I allow myself to imagine a future with Nero, Zeke, and Saber. Maybe Ivar Karlsson can help me hide the smell of the blood disease, the scent that marks me as the carrier. Maybe there’s a scientist out there that can even rid me of it.
Lost as I am in my thoughts, I don't notice Saber's worry at first. Not until I look up and see him pacing up and down the small tent. “You're concerned about Zeke and Nero?”
He nods. “There are too many variables in play,” he says. “Too many different agendas. Jarl Ragnar. Zimmer. Lula Kenner. Even Adam Masev. Everyone is playing a different game, chasing a different goal.” His lips twist. “All I want to do is keep you safe, but there seem to be a thousand obstacles in my way.”
“Lula Kenner? The Shayde that was going to sponsor me? What’s she up to?”
“She has a human partner in the re-education camps,” Saber replies readily, surprising me with his willingness to tell me what’s going on. “She's planning to break him out of there, and then overthrow Zimmer.”
Oh. Joanna had told me that she had resources. It all makes sense now.
That reminds me. I promised Joanna I do my best to tell her brother that a rescue attempt is on the way. That can’t be done at night; everyone will be asleep then. It has to be done during the day, when Saber is in deep slumber, and can’t come with me.
He's not going to like it.
I push that thought aside for the moment. Right now, Saber needs to be distracted, and I know just the thing. And no, it's not sex. “Tell you what,” I say. “Zeke reminded me of something important. I've totally forgotten about the tournament so far. One full day has elapsed, and I don't have a single flag to show for it. Let's go get one now.”
Saber raises an eyebrow. “You want me to ride with you on that contraption?”
“Sure.” I have to fight to keep my grin from spreading all over my face. “Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you, my Lord Shayde.”
His lips twitch. “It's dark outside,” he points out.
“So? You can see at night, can’t you?”
He chuckles. “Okay,” he agrees. “I've never been on an ice boat before, and what better chance than now? Let’s go get your flag.”
“You're going to love it.”
I put on all my layers, but it still hurts when I step out the warm tent. The wind rages like a wild animal, and for a second, I can’t breathe. Too much warmth and good sex, and I’m growing soft.
“Do you want to sit or stand?” I ask Saber.
“Stand,” he says promptly.
“Okay. Climb on.”
The moment I put up the sail, we start to glide forward, faster and faster, picking up speed as we move. Saber wraps his arms around my waist and laughs softly, his body mirroring my movements perfectly. We race over the desert with effortless ease. “You're right,” he says into my ear. “This is fun.”
I can't focus on the tingle that runs through my body at his nearness, or else I'll tip the boat. “It wasn't all bad in the camps,” I yell over the sound of the wind. “I built my first ice-boat there. We used to have races every week.”
The winner of the races would get an extra ration of food. It had been a powerful motivator. I don’t tell him that, though. Glacis is in my past, and I much rather look forward to my future.
With the power of the wind, even with the imperfect plastic base and Saber's extra weight, we move much faster than we would if we walked. In less than an hour, we’re at the location of the first flag. I shine my light on the stand and hiss with surprise. “There are only eight flags here,” I say.
So two of the contestants have already been here. At least some of them are sturdier than they appear. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think any of them would get this far this quickly.
I grab a flag while Saber looks around. I’m stepping onto the boat to head back to our shelter when Sabers speaks. “Wait up,” he says, his voice sharp. He takes the far-glass out of his pack and brings it to his eyes. “There’s someone on the ice.”
“I can't see anything.” The three moons are hidden behind clouds, and it's pitch black out there.
“Steer north-east,” Saber says. “I'll guide you.”
In l
ess than five minutes, I see a tent. Good. At least one of the contestants is taking my advice, sheltering during the night and walking during the day. I'm about to open the flap when Saber shakes his head. “Forget the tent,” he says harshly. “Look.”
I look in the direction he's pointing, and my heart lurches. There is a dark shape lying on the ground. One of the contestants.
Great Spirit, no. Please don't let them be dead.
We rush closer. It’s the girl with the pink braids. What was her name? Bailey. That's right. Bailey Ware. Saber crouches over her, bending his face close. I hold back. “Is she…” My voice trails off. I really don’t want to know the answer.
“No. She's just alive.”
A flag lies on the ice next to her. Damn it. She was so close to the tent. To shelter, to warmth. Why didn't she make it back?
But the truth is, I know the answer. The cold changes the way you think. The compulsion to lie down and rest is powerful, and it can overcome your instinctive caution. Glacis is dangerous.
Saber lifts her into his arms. “Let's get her back to the tent.”
We walk the few paces. I undo the flap, and we enter, and I close the opening as soon as Saber is inside. I turn the warmer to its highest setting, while Saber sets Bailey down on the sleeping bag.
She needs warmth. Body heat. Her outer layer is damp and cold. I take it off, and unzip my outer layer as well, crawling into the sleeping bag with her.
While I do this, Saber pulls a small knife from his pack and looks around the tent. There's a discarded cup from the food rations, and he picks it up. Holding his wrist over it, he slices his skin with the blade. Blood gushes out at once. “Shayde blood gives humans strength,” he explains. His lips twist wryly. “And human blood nourishes the Shayde.”
The way he says it, it's as if my people and his are linked together.
When the cup is full, he licks his wound to seal it. He holds it to her lips, dribbling blood into her mouth.
It seems to work. She slowly opens her eyes, and when she sees Saber there, her expression turns alarmed. “My Lord Shayde,” she stammers.
