“I didn’t.” It was unnerving to hear her talk about shaking up the Blood Dragon as if it was some kind of lighthearted game. It wasn’t a fun idea for him at all.
“I still sometimes think about what you said that day in your cell.”
He raised his eyebrow inquiringly.
“You quoted me, saying, 'Anyone is corruptible,' I believe.”
“That’s right. ‘Anyone is corruptible.’ You taught me that.”
“Well it isn’t my brainchild. It is a Family expression. Oftentimes, I wonder if you said that in an effort to instruct me.”
Scythe shook his head. “No. I had just realized that it was true, and I said it because for the first time I truly understood what it meant. I can’t imagine that I have anything to teach you, Mistress Temper.”
She laughed at that, and Soshia joined her. Then Temper continued, “Well, whether you were trying to teach me a lesson or not, I learned one. I allowed myself to be corrupted, allowed my own conscience to be sullied by that incident. I have wanted to express my regret to you ever since that day.” She began to speak formally, “I apologize for any harm I have done you. I accept...”
“Temper,” Scythe interrupted, “you are a friend. Between us there is no need for apologies.”
She bowed her head in acknowledgement.
Soshia stood. “I will go make arrangements for our base of operations. It will have to be separate from the Scere headquarters, of course, but I will still want the same access we would get onsite; that takes some paperwork and a lot of yelling, so I’ll be taking my leave. I will send a message when we are set up. Temper will provide for your safety and accommodations until then. I thank you, for your assistance in this assignment, Agent Scythe.”
Agent wasn’t really accurate anymore, but he let it go. “I endeavor to be of service,” he said, for old times’ sake. He had rarely used the saying, since it implied that a certain amount of respect was given to the recipient, and Scythe had found few in the Scere that he could in good faith give it to. Soshia and Temper were members of a very small group of people that qualified.
After she left, Temper asked with a new, more playful expression, “Tell me, Scythe, how are things with Mercy?”
He smiled. In Human it might have translated as ‘How is Mercy doing?’ or ‘What has Mercy been up to?’ but that particular phrase, along with the word she had chosen for things, had a distinct meaning in Kin. It meant, “Have you married Mercy yet?” with the implication that, if the answer were no, the next question would be, “Why haven’t you married Mercy yet?”
Had it been that obvious, even then? Even to someone not very close to him?
He answered her with the appropriate response for someone who was respectful of a person’s need for more time, “I await her pleasure.”
“Still?” She was clearly startled. “She must be at least eighteen!”
“Nineteen, but still young.” Here he used the term in Kin that meant lacking experience instead of someone of limited years.
“You should not wait. Time is precious.”
“So is she. I can wait.”
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[connecting to dropbox.tra8090.383229]
[host id: 560074]: will be late_have picked up a job<
[message transmitted]
Chapter 3
Scythe and his mother sat at a table in a well furnished Kin home, eating quietly with their heads down.
“I smell a Human in my house, how is that possible?” Dren sniffed at Scythe’s mother, who didn’t react.
“Your brother has exotic tastes, dear. We’ve always known that,” her friend cackled.
“Yes, but before it was only with food. Now he brings home his fetish and sets up house with it. Finish eating, Human, and retire to the other room. I can hardly enjoy my meal with the smell of you stinking up the room. And take that with you.” She waved towards Scythe.
“Why are they even here still? Your brother has his own home now.”
“My brother rightly fears for them; they’re not safe at home alone so I’m stuck with them whenever he’s gone. The boy can’t even go outside and play with the other children. They gang up on him and beat him mercilessly; it’s pathetic, really.”
“Well, he’s got to learn sometime to defend himself...”
“Yes, well, my dear brother thinks five is still a bit young for that.”
“And he’s right, don’t you think, Dren?” asked Scythe’s father, striding in through the door. He went straight to his wife, whose face lit up at the sight of him, lifted her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Ignoring the exasperated huffs behind him, he reached over and patted his son on the head. “How is my son today?”
“Mother and I baked cookies for you today, Daddy!” Scythe jumped up and raced into the kitchen.
“We had to make some substitutions, I’m sorry to say. They’re a little...” Scythe’s mother began.
“They will be fabulous. Thank you, dear. Let’s head home.”
“Here they are! I decorated the red ones and Mommy did the others.” Scythe’s father immediately took one of the red ones, bit into it and made a savory noise while chewing with some difficulty.
“Fine job, son.” He lifted up Scythe with a free arm and smiled at the kiss he received on his cheek. He passed Scythe to his wife and turned to his sister, bowing, “Thank you again, Dren. You have always been a loving sister to me, despite the trouble I have brought you on so many occasions.”
“Well, you are about as troublesome as they get, that’s sure.”
“Keeping my family safe is the greatest thing you’ve ever done for me. I honor you.” He bowed again, this time more deeply.
Dren sighed, her face losing its distain, “Scythe, kiryoku, we are family; there is no need for thanks between us. The woman is welcome here anytime so long as she is yours; the boy is Kin.” The last part she said with finality, as if she had said that the sun was bright or grass was green.
He nodded to her, smiling openly at the reluctant look of affection she showed him, and pulled his family out the door.
Once outside, they headed down the paved road toward their small home. His face lost all mirth and he turned to his wife, apologizing, “I’m sorry it’s so hard for you here. The hatred for Humans runs deep. I know that you and Scythe suffer...”
Scythe’s mother stopped in the road and reached up to him, caressing his cheek before running her fingers down his long hair. “Husband, you have given me everything that I want in this world: your love and a beautiful son. The Kin are hard on us, but they’ll never turn us away; maybe in time, they’ll change their minds about us. As long as we have each other, I can endure anything.”
More.
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Scythe sat back from the display, but the added distance didn’t change the information that was listed there, or make it any less disturbing.
“Aorin.”
“Yeah?” she asked from her terminal, turning in her chair to look over at him. Seeing his expression and the way he held himself stiffly, she frowned, “What is it?”
“How long has the Scere been monitoring type four messages?”
She pushed off with her feet, rolling her chair over to his station. She overestimated the distance, like she always did, and crashed into his chair. He automatically put his hand out and grabbed the armrest so her chair stayed put and didn’t ricochet off to the side.
“Oh, sorry. Let’s see.” She looked at his screen. “It looks like you’re doing more of your unauthorized research...Such a rebel.”
“Focusing.” He held up a gummy bear from the bag on his desk. Her pile was long depleted.
“Sheesh. Like I need to be bribed.” She grabbed the bear and popped it in her mouth. “Third favorite flavor. Okay. I’m ready now. Type fours...yeah. They’ve got a low level scan running on those all the time, but it’s limited to a few thousand words. I know that team, they are way understaffed and not too bright, so I don
’t know how efficient they are.”
“How long?”
“A few months. It’s new so that means they are still getting their act together.”
“What are they looking for?”
“Subversive information, anti- and pro-Human movement stuff, anything that threatens Scere or Kin security, of course, um...what else?…”
“Could any of our names be included?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, because of the warrants. I’d guess no on low level warrants, but you guys are on the Must Burn in Hell list, so you might just be there. I could check.”
“Would that draw attention?”
“Definitely.”
“Can you check without drawing attention?”
“Not from here. I’d have to go down there and ask someone on the team.”
“That sounds like a bad idea.” He looked back at his display and frowned worriedly, “We’ve been using this type because I thought they were safe.”
“Well, they were, up until a few months ago. Even if you knew, what else are you going to use? There is nothing else lower, and all the higher ones have been closely monitored for years.”
“I’ll have to find another way to communicate with my family. They need to know that they shouldn’t be sending any more of this type of messages. I also need to tell them that I’ll be longer than expected. Can you get us out of here for a few hours?”
“Um, you mean all sneaky and don’t get caught-like, right?”
He nodded, grinning.
“I’m not really good at that.”
“Well, I am. Can you get a car, at least?”
“What’s wrong with my car?”
“It’s your car.” He added when she clearly didn’t understand, “It’s not really sneaky and ‘don’t get caught-like’ if you take your own car. Okay. I’ll get the car. I need you to get me some supplies.”
“How are you going to get a car without having a car to go out and get the car?”
He chuckled. She reminded him of Mercy sometimes, very genuine. He turned to the screen, closing the Scere search list and pulling up a list of local restaurants. “Let me show you. You’ll like it. It’s sneaky.”
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Smoke sat at the top of the hill that overlooked their home. Along the slopes, over a hundred rows of grapevines traced curved lines from one side of the valley to the other; they were broken only by a few small buildings and the large plant that sat close to the bottom. Across from him in the distance, the estate perched, similarly taking advantage of the beautiful view. It was a fair sized mansion with plenty of rooms for its many unusual inhabitants, some of which had spilled out onto the grounds to take advantage of the windy, spring day.
He heard her coming long before she came into view, one hand hitched into the strap of a backpack, the other clasping a walking stick.
“Wife,” he greeted her when she came up over the rise, getting a predictable response.
“Blade,” she said, stopping and stretching before taking off her backpack and sitting next to him.
“I believe the term is Kickass Blade.”
She smiled wider and raised an eyebrow. “Are you flirting with me, sir?” She leaned over to kiss him and then did the same for the small child sleeping on his lap.
“Always, my Heart. The boys?” My sons, he thought, and the pride that swelled at the thought of them was just as great as the day they had been born.
“They’re with Flame and Ian. Some kind of bug hunt...I don’t know. Will’s obsessed with them, apparently.” She pulled her bag around to the front of her and opened it up. “Lunch?”
“Absolutely,” he said, peering over to see several sandwiches, some fruit and a container of water. “That is a lot of food. Are you pregnant again, wife?”
“Don’t even say that!” she exclaimed with wide eyes. “This year my body is a nausea free zone. No, I thought we might run into someone. Everyone is out today, it seems.”
It was true. Sprinkled throughout the valley, clusters of people were engaged in various activities, most of which revolved around the larger figures chasing after the smaller ones. The majority were residents of the valley, Kin families that worked at the winery, but there were several from his home settlement.
Three Kin women from Poinsea, Flame, Enera and Opal, had already been living there with their children and a few family members, when he had first arrived four years ago. Since then, only one other had joined them, Alondra; the other two, including his childhood friend Serena, had elected to stay behind in the Kin settlement with their families.
It had been difficult for the young women to choose to leave everything behind for a decidedly rougher life in the country, but they made the decision in the interests of their children, a rare group of halfbloods. The sympathetic governor of Poinsea had made arrangements for them to live in secret at one of his family’s ancestral homes, out of reach of those, including his own son and the powerful Scere council, who sought to study and possibly make use of the children.
Smoke and his family had arrived later when they found themselves in need of a safe, secluded place to live. So far, they had been able to avoid detection, which they all were grateful for. Their lives in the valley allowed them a measure of peace that living with halfbloods in the midst of Kin or Human societies wouldn’t have permitted. It also kept safe and free two of their members who were being sought by both governments.
“That should about take care of it,” Lena commented.
“What?” Smoke asked, following her gaze.
“Oh, it’s Enera. She and Miriam have got those kids lined up in little rows, because they were running all over the place. Look, one got away. Which one is it?”
With his excellent vision, he easily distinguished the boy from his peers, even thouh it was a fair distance away. Smoke said, “That’s Erol, but Hap is right behind him, see?” Smoke pointed out the caretaker, the eldest member of the family that had been overseeing the estate for three generations. The vineyard and the small winery were proudly and efficiently run by Hap and his children, occasionally with the help of hired workers, and now with the help of the Poinsea group as well.
The Kin man and his wife were thrilled when the house had begun to fill with activity after decades of disuse, and especially loved to spend time with the children. He jumped out from his hiding place behind the tree and pounced on the boy, scooping him up and carrying him back to the herd.
“Oh, yeah.” Lena lifted up his hand by the wrist and leaned up against his side, wrapping his arm around her.
He hugged her close, taking a bite from the sandwich she held up. “What do you want to do today?”
“This,” she said simply.
He nodded, “Sounds good.” There was plenty of work for them daily, including maintaining the estate, making repairs, working the field, and tending and educating the children, so it was nice to have a day to just relax. Occasionally, he felt the itch to do more, in which case he would swing by Scythe’s office when he was home and see if he could get himself a short errand.
Scythe was always working on something, many somethings actually, and would often need someone who could anonymously and easily get into a Kin city or town. For small chores, like getting supplies, any of the Kin would do, but, if it were something risky like meeting with a contact, getting information, making arrangements for or setting into motion a project for their security, he would usually send either or both Anora and Smoke. The Kin woman had responsibilities of her own since she had wed one of Hap’s sons two years ago, but was always ready (and often willing when tensions were high with her mother-in-law) to take the sometimes lengthy trips Scythe required.
The Young family and on occasion Cord served the same purpose for errands into Human areas, but it was much riskier, since they were also flagged by both the Human and Kin governments. Even though Scythe took great pains to provide them with high quality identities, there was always a chance they would be recognized. It w
as already too dangerous to send them to the nearest bordertown, since being found there might lead to a local search and the discovery of their home. Traveling longer distances also increased the possibility of being spotted and picked up.
For delicate, specialized or particularly dangerous operations, Scythe would go himself, often accompanied by one of them. However, they had to make a lot of preparations for that, because he was the easiest to identify and he was one of the people, after Cord, that the Kin government was most anxious to get a hold of.
Cord’s warrants detailed his crimes against the Kin due to his involvement with the rebel attacks on the capital, as well as against Kin citizens, particularly the Scere soldier Summer. Scythe’s single, high priority warrant, however, was issued by the King himself and included no specific information. After three years of searching with no results, the warrants were modified so that none of them required that the subjects be delivered alive.
So, when Scythe went out, he planned for weeks in advance, went heavily disguised, and was meticulous about keeping to the timeline of the task. His consistency in that area, and the fact that he had gone out alone on his last venture, was the reason many were feeling uncomfortable about the message he had sent the week. In it, he said that he would be not returning as planned.
Smoke, like Anora, wasn’t overly concerned, being familiar with Scythe’s cautious nature and exceptional talents; he knew it would take a lot to keep him from returning home. Smoke’s wife and her family tended to worry, though; given their experiences, he didn’t blame them. Because of that, it became more stressful as the days went by with no further news from him.
It didn’t make it easier that the children had noticed that the man who visited and played with them and involved himself with their education daily had been gone for over a month; they had begun to pester the adults with questions about where their Uncle Scythe was and who was going to give the piggy back rides in his absence.
“Maybe we could take a hike out to the coast?” he offered, knowing that exercise was something that she enjoyed and would lure her mind away from troublesome thoughts. The ocean crashed up against high cliffs a good five mile trek through a lightly forested, mostly unpopulated stretch of land west of the winery. It was particularly beautiful at sunset, but that usually required an overnight stay, as the crude path was not easily followed by the light of lanterns or flashlights. They typically left mid morning and returned before the sun went down.
Halfblood Legacy Page 6
