by Lili Zander
A wide grin breaks out on the face of both boys. “You have an ice boat?” Michal chortles. “The guards allowed us to watch the kickoff on the holos. The Overlord said no skimmers and no choppers.”
I laugh. “But he didn’t say anything about ice boats.”
“One of the contestants has skis though. I heard the guards talk about it.”
Really? I’m willing to bet that that’s Tomas. I should have guessed that the Overlord had more than one trick up his sleeve.
“Thank you for telling me.” I pat my messenger on the back. “But I need to speak with Michal alone now.”
“Okay.” Everyone in camp has an instinct for trouble, this kid included. He tucks the rest of the food in his jacket. “Good luck out there,” he says.
I can’t tell him about Lula Kenner’s plan. It’s too dangerous. I can’t tell him to hold on. Can’t tell him he’s going to be free soon. “Good luck in the camps.”
When he walks away, I turn to Michal. “I have a message from your sister.”
He looks up, suddenly alert. “Joanna?”
“Yes. She’s planning to break you out of here.”
His eyes immediately fill with panic. “She is? She’ll get killed.”
“Lula Kenner is helping, I think.”
His eyes clench shut, and his shoulders start to shake. He cries for a long time and then pulls himself together. “Thank you for telling me, sister.”
There’s new strength in his voice. New hope. I swallow hard and fish out a vial of vampyr-blood from my pack. Saber’s blood, to be precise. He’d insisted I take some with me, just in case I needed the extra burst of strength. “Drink.”
He obeys. Color returns to his cheeks as the Shayde-blood does its magic. “Thank you again, sister.”
I get to my feet. “It was the least I could do.”
I should tell him that Olaf is dead, but I hold my tongue. I trust Joanna, and Michal seems like a decent sort, but until I’m off Boarus 4, I’m not going to volunteer any information. Too many people are hunting me.
24
Raven
The wind isn’t particularly cooperative, and it takes me quite a while to get back to the tent. Three choppers pass overhead as I trudge back.
Six contestants down. Only four left in the race. Tomas, if the kid in the camp had been right. Me. And two others.
Saber’s starting to stir when I enter the tent. “You’re back,” he says, relief filling his face.
“I had to walk most of the way back,” I tell him. “Ice boats are only useful when the wind is blowing somewhat in the direction you want to go. Everything hurts.”
He chuckles at my plaintive tone. “I told you not to go,” he says. “You wouldn’t listen.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you one of those ‘I-told-you-so’ people?” It’s so weird that we’re bantering like this. Three days ago, he’d been Shayde, and I’d been an O-positive human. Now, we’re just two people. It’s nice.
He grins. “Only when I’m right.” His smile fades. “I hope Nero and Zeke are okay.”
“You’re a worrier,” I accuse him, sitting down next to him and leaning my head against his shoulder. “Who knew?”
He winks at me, and my mouth falls open in shock. Saber winks? “I can think of something to do that’ll take my mind off things,” he suggests.
I laugh out loud. “Saber, I’ve walked for hours. I bribed a kid with all my rations, so he’d get Michal for me. I want food, not sex.”
“Okay,” he says agreeably. He kisses me and gets to his feet. “I’ll make you something. Would you like the dehydrated slop or the dehydrated mush?”
I grin again. “The dehydrated slop, please,” I tell him about my day as we wait for the water to boil, and then Saber entertains me with stories of his adventures with the enforcers. He’s really interesting and pretty funny, but I’m full, and I feel my eyes beginning to close.
I see why humans keep Shayde hours. If I stay awake during the day and sleep at night, I’ll never get a chance to spend any time with my three vampyrs.
“Go to sleep, little human,” I hear him say softly as I drift off. He sounds tender and indulgent, and I feel infinitely cherished. I fall asleep with a wide smile on my face.
Nero and Zeke get back at three in the morning. I wake up when they arrive. They drink vials of human blood to refresh themselves and then tell us what they found. Unfortunately, their news isn’t good. “The place is wrecked,” Nero says bluntly. “Bodies everywhere. The ship’s controls smashed to pieces. Ottar Thistle certainly did a pretty effective job.”
“So I need to win the tournament.”
“It’s certainly the easiest way,” Zeke replies. He turns to Saber. “We have the vids. You need to head back before Zimmer does something stupid. Put Plan B into action. Before Jarl Ragnar starts wondering where the hell you are.”
He’s right, I realize with a start. Saber, Zeke, and Nero have spent two-and-a-half nights on Glacis. Jarl Ragnar is bound to start asking questions.
“Don’t worry,” Saber says to me. “I’ll think of something to tell the Jarl if he wonders where I’ve been.”
“He will,” Nero grins. “He’s good at that.”
“When do you have to leave?” Great Spirit help me, I don’t want to say good-bye. I’m so greedy for them that the last few days, as dangerous as they have been, have felt like a little interlude. I’m not ready to let the real world back in.
“Right now,” Saber replies regretfully. “I don’t want to, but the more time that passes, the greater the risk that Zimmer exposes us to Jarl Ragnar.”
I start undoing my braids. “On Boarus 4,” I tell them, “We like to say goodbye in bed. Naked.”
Saber’s eyes twinkle. “Is that so?”
“Not really,” I admit. “I’m making it up.” I shake my hair free. “But I think we should make it a new custom.”
Last night, our lovemaking had been slow and languid. Tonight, there’s a heightened sense of urgency.
Saber moves in front of me, running his hands through my hair and breathing deeply. “Take off your clothes,” he says, his fingers stroking my lower lip before he sucks it into his mouth.
My body clenches with need at his order, and I obey wordlessly. His eyes roam over my curves, his expression hot and appreciative. Nero moves behind me, his palms skimming over my curves. The very air seems charged, and a dizzying current races through me.
“Now it’s your turn.”
With a smile playing about his lips, Saber gets naked. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zeke’s cock come into view too, and behind me, Nero’s erection presses against my ass.
Saber’s finger tenderly traces the line of my cheekbone and jaw. I stand on tiptoe and brush a kiss across his lips. “We don’t have a lot of time,” I whisper. “I’m ready for you now. All of you.”
Before Saber has to leave, I want to feel it. That moment of total connection between the four of us, of togetherness that nothing can shatter.
Behind me, Nero groans softly. Saber’s eyes smolder with fire. He tugs me to the bed roll. I press against him, my curves molding to the contours of his muscled body. Zeke lies down as well.
“Are you?” he asks, a smile grazing his lips. His fingers find my sex, and he thrusts into me. His voice roughens with need. “Yes, so wet. So ready.”
His fingers move in and out of me. As he does that, Saber pushes one finger into my ass, using my juices to prepare me for his cock. I feel a surge of slick, wet heat at his touch, one that Zeke feels. “You like that.” His thumb traces soft circles around my clitoris.
“Mmm.”
Saber trails kisses down my shoulder as he adds another finger. Nero joins us on the bed, and I grope for his cock, gripping it in my fist, savoring his hiss of pleasure. Zeke is stroking faster now. His fingers plunge into me, even as his thumb strums faster on my tight bundle of nerves. My muscles clench and tighten, and I close my eyes and concentrate on the sensations a
ssaulting me from every direction. Zeke’s hard cock jumping in my hand, his soft groans of pleasure. Saber’s fingers stretching me open, preparing me for his cock. Zeke’s focused attention on drawing as much pleasure out of me as possible.
I can’t hold back. My climax rushes toward me in a thunderous wave. I twist between them, shuddering as an explosive orgasm rips through me.
“Now you’re ready,” Zeke says, his tone satisfied.
The intensity ratchets up. Nero pushes his cock into my mouth. My tongue swirls over his head, and then I suck his cock hard, hollowing my cheeks and licking the underside of his shaft with my tongue.
Even as I bob my head on Nero’s hard length, Saber’s cock pushes into my behind. I inhale sharply as he enters my tight passage, and I can feel my muscles stretch to accommodate his thickness. He strokes my back while Zeke kisses my lips, and as I relax, Saber slides in deeper.
“Still ready?” Zeke’s fingers play with my folds.
I nod wordlessly, trembling with pleasure. He rubs his cock up and down my cleft, teasing me until I’m mindless with need. Then he pushes into me, slow and steady, and raw, aching need claws through my core.
Saber and Zeke start stroking into me, forceful and deep. Nero pumps faster in my mouth, his fingers tangling in my hair. This is carnal, yet sublime. Steamy, yet sweet. This is the connection I craved.
I remember what Saber said to me yesterday. Human blood, Shayde blood. One nourishing, one healing. Underneath our differences, we’re all the same.
I whimper as I near my climax. They aren’t too far behind. Nero’s grip tightens in my hair, and his cock jerks in my mouth. Zeke comes with a clenched groan, and Saber’s hands tighten on my waist, and within seconds of each other, we all find our release.
I cling to them, imprinting this feeling to my memory. Whatever happens in the days ahead, I’ll always have this moment.
Nero gives Saber a ride back to the outer sectors. When he returns, I turn to the two of them. “I’ve been thinking,” I tell Zeke and Nero. “If I’m going to win this tournament, I want to do it fairly. No vampyr help, no extra food, no extra-thick tent and super-warm blankets. It’s not right. It feels like cheating.”
“And you don’t think the other vampyrs will be helping their contestants any way they can?” Nero demands. “There’s a long tradition of cheating in these tournaments. Why do you think Zimmer is so blatant in his support of Tomas? As long as he’s not caught in the act, everyone will turn a blind eye.”
“Still. I have to live with myself, and I want to do it this way.” I hold up my hand to forestall their objections. “You have far-glasses. You can watch over me at night.”
“And during the day?” Nero asks.
“I still have a gun. And Saber gave me his set of far-glasses. I’ll be okay.” I give them a wheedling look. “It’s just one day,” I say. “I have four flags to go, and I’m confident that I can collect them all in a day.”
Zeke relents. “I’m pretty sure Saber’s talking to Zimmer right now,” he says. “Warning him how stupid it would be to move against you. Okay. Collect your flags but be careful. And keep the gun hidden. If a human is caught in the colony with a weapon…”
“I know. Very bad things will happen.” I yawn widely. “I’m going to get some sleep, okay? I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow.”
25
Saber
We’re in the home stretch now. I can feel it.
I stop for a quick shower and then head to Zimmer’s palace. Most vampyrs banquet in the middle of the night and choose to spend the last hour or two before dawn alone, in quiet contemplation before surrendering to the irresistible tug of deep slumber.
With any luck, I should find Zimmer alone.
I do. He’s in his private chambers. I announce myself, and a stone-faced household servant allows me entry. “Ah, Jarl Saber,” he says. “I’ve been expecting you.”
He’s not reacting the way I’d expected him to. “Have you?” I sit down on a chair opposite him and give him a hard glance. “Let’s get to the point,” I say bluntly. “You sent Olaf Vander to kill my human.”
He shrugs. “Fine,” he says. “I did. I’d offer to pay reparations, but then my guards found Olaf’s body. I believe your human killed him.” He smiles at me, baring his fangs. “We both know that’s a capital crime. Once the tournament is over, I’m afraid I’ll have to bring Raven Unnuk in for questioning.”
He knows Raven’s the carrier. But he doesn’t know I know.
I give silent thanks for Zeke’s friendship with Adam Masev. Without his information, I would have been totally in the dark. I wouldn’t have known that Raven was the woman that Ottar Thistle had bitten. I wouldn’t know that she carries within her a disease that can wipe out the Shayde population all over Aertos. Though my heart rebels at the idea, I might have even believed the Overlord when he accused Raven of murdering his second-in-command.
But I know all those things, and I’m done playing Zimmer’s games.
“It’s an hour to dawn,” I reply. “Let’s get right down to it. My men have been to your facility on Glacis, the one where you developed a biological weapon that would wipe out the Shayde.”
His eyes dart around the room. “What facility? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your denials don’t matter, Zimmer. If I show Jarl Ragnar my vid, Empress Astrid will demand the deaths of every single person in this colony. All eleven thousand of them. Starting with you.”
“You want to get promoted? Is that it?”
I shake my head. “It’s not my motivations you need to be concerned about,” I snap. “It’s yours. Your boarium supply is down, and you’re hoping to use Raven as a bargaining chip with the Empress. Either you’re going to blackmail her, which would be a pretty foolish move, or you’re going to flip on Levitan. Whatever games you’re playing, I don’t care, because they’re over.”
“What do you want?” he whispers, his eyes wide. He’s not expecting me to know all this, and it’s clearly shaken him. Good.
“Here’s the deal. You keep quiet about Raven. If Ragnar comes close to her, he will smell the disease on her. If that happens, you’re dead, and so you do everything in your power to keep that from happening. You say nothing to your fellow conspirator, Harek Levitan, and you say nothing to anyone else. You let us leave Boarus 4 without incident.” I get to my feet. “And if you do all those things,” I say, “I’ll let you live. Even though you don’t deserve it.”
He swallows hard, but he has no options, and he knows it. “Fine,” he snaps. “But if you think Harek Levitan doesn’t already know that you’ve found the human, you’re a fool. He’s always two steps ahead of everyone.”
Not this time.
Before slumber claims me, I dial my soon-to-be-ex-boss. “Jarl Harek, I have news.”
He leans forward, his eyes gleaming. “You do?”
I have to play this carefully. Harek would have heard I’ve sponsored a human woman. I have no intention of surrendering Raven to him, but I’m got to otherwise stick close to the truth.
“I’ve found the human woman,” I tell him. “It was a lucky stroke, really. She walked into the Overlord’s palace, asking to enter the Night of the Shayde.” I smile coolly. “Zimmer’s men were getting close, and she must have been desperate. Maybe she thought that if she won, she could hide on Starra.”
“How can you be sure it’s her?”
“She was the right height and build,” I reply, “But what alerted me was that she smelled different from any other human I’ve met,” I reply. “She smelled dangerous.”
Again, the exact truth. Levitan’s cunning, and, given that he put a secret weapons facility here, he probably has multiple informants on Boarus 4. I have no idea what he knows and what he doesn’t know. “In the vids you showed us of Ottar Thistle, the vampyr looked diseased. It roused my suspicions.” I shrug. “It was an instinct, nothing more.”
“The choosing was on Fif
thDay,” he says. “It’s EightDay now. Why has it taken you so long to report back to me?”
“I had to be sure she was the woman you were looking for, Jarl Harek. After Rothis, I was determined to be completely certain.” The first lie, and it’s one that Levitan will believe.
“There’s more. While she was on Glacis, Zimmer sent one of his men to capture her.”
Levitan raises an eyebrow. “He did, did he? How interesting.”
Excellent. I’ve sown a little discord. Nero once told me that I should have been a politician. I’d been insulted by his suggestion, but now, I’m beginning to see why he said it.
I’ve got to keep Harek Levitan from sending another team in. When it comes to protecting the people I care about, I will do whatever it takes.
“They failed, but the woman now trusts us. She confessed that Thistle bit her. Nero and Zeke are keeping an eye on her now, but as soon as the tournament is done, we’ll all be on a shuttle back to Starra.”
“Good work, Jarl Saber,” Levitan says, rubbing his hands together. “Excellent work. I knew I could count on you.”
“Thank you, Jarl Harek.”
I hang up and then lie back in bed. One more day. Any moment now, Lula Kenner is moving. Soon, Zimmer’s going to realize that he’s been cornered.
And a cornered animal is very dangerous.
We have to get off-world before the coup happens.
26
Raven
Day three of the contest, and today, it is on.
Tomas has skis. I’ve spent two days on Glacis, and all I have to show is one flag, because I was busy fighting off people trying to kill me, having hot sex with vampyrs, and playing my role in a prison breakout. Just another day in what appears to be my brand-new life.
But today, I’m all business. I wake up at dawn, hug my vampyrs goodbye, and pack up all my gear. I’d set up my fishing rod last night, and, as good fortune will have it, there’s a fish there. I quickly clean it and cook it over my warmer. Ice-fish isn’t the tastiest thing to eat first thing in the morning, but I guess that’s what happens when you barter away all your food.
