BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1) (26 page)

Which province does Jurij lord over?
Sal asked.

Jurica, actually.  They've been suing for peace for months now.  I think, after this, they jus' might get it.

I count six left.
Sal said.

That's what I got.

How do you want to play this, Jase?

That's three each, but each's a damned Warlord.  Let's go safe.  I'll take this side, you take that.  Lemme in yer head, Sal, jus' in case.

She opened her mind, his anticipation mingling across to meet with hers.  Glancing up, she found him watching her with a feral smile.  Then she made her way to the far side of her beam, looking down a few paces behind where the men sat.  Balancing carefully, she stood and saw Cyno do the same across from her.  One last check of her weapons, the primary blades sheathed at her waist, and she looked across the distance, finding Cyno still watching her.  The first rush of excitement hit.  Cyno's lips curled, his eyes glinting in the shadows. 

Together, yet so far apart, they stepped into nothingness and dropped.

Chapter 31

Both black-clad figures plummeted from the ceiling, landing softly.  Crouched on one knee, their offhands a point of balance, they moved liked one.  Their main hand slid a blade from a sheath when they stood.  The man across the table from Sal gasped, pointing at her, and the man before her called out, seeing Cyno.  Calmly, too calmly, she stepped behind him, her eyes on her partner, and wrapped her fingers in the old warrior's hair, pulling his head back as she slid her blade – the steel one she earned in her first assassination – across his throat.  On the other side of the room, Cyno mirrored her actions, their minds dancing harmoniously. 

She felt the blood on her hand.  Warm.  Sticky.  Her heart beat faster and her lips parted.  The room smelled so sweet.  It had begun.

The four remaining captains realized they were under attack and panicked.  To her right, a large man reached for his sword.  Her bloodlust slowed the world around her, making the giant move as though mired in time.  He swung the heavy weapon over his head, intending to cleave her in two.  Sal ducked beneath his hands, stepping as close to him as a lover, and buried her dagger in his chest once, twice, and finally a third time.  Each plunge of the blade reminded her of a man thrusting into her body, a subtle revenge. 

The warrior collapsed, his hands pulling the hood from her head.  Her pale hair gleamed in the lantern light.  There were only two left.  Both were focused on her, thinking her the weaker target.  She moved to the table, using a now-empty chair for a step, and leapt over a slash from Dejan.  To her left, Vilko scrambled for the sword laying on the ground.  Cyno rushed to help, and she turned, feeling a glass shatter beneath her boot.  She bent, ducking another wild swing from Dejan, and a flick of her wrist sent the steel singing through the air.  She watched the blade spin before it buried itself in Vilko's chest. 

Sal grabbed another knife from her belt and calmly stepped toward Dejan, the veteran's eyes wide in fear.  His mouth moved, but her mind refused to accept the sound of his voice.  She just wanted him to die. 

Beside her, Cyno also stalked him.  Blood splattered across his face, his left hand red to the elbow, and the smile still played at his lips.  She could feel his arousal.  It matched her own. 

Dejan made a wild swing at Cyno but he dodged the slash with ease, grabbing the human's arm and pinning it to the wall behind him.  She stepped in, her ceramic blade held at her waist.  With all her might, she thrust upwards.  The knife pierced Dejan's leathers and slid easily through his skin.  She watched his face as the pain hit, feeling his heartbeat reverberate through the blade.

Cyno's hand covered hers, and together they pulled the weapon up, feeling the flesh part beneath its edge.  The Warlord's blood spilled out, rushing over their joined fingers.  When the blade stopped against bone, Cyno guided her hand out, the knife still held between them, and she turned to him.  Meeting his eyes, she thrust again.  Together, they plunged the weapon deep, feeling the stone of the wall snap the tip on the other side.  Dejan gasped one last time and sagged.

Sal looked to the last man, Vilko, blood pooling from the steel in his chest, then back to her partner.  She could feel Cyno's heart pounding in her mind, his need so intense he had to release it.  He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him, his lips crushing hers, a soft growl in his throat.  Her skin felt like it burned and the taste on his lips made her want more.  She forced herself away from him, grabbing his wrist to haul him toward the last man.  Cyno moaned in ecstasy.

He's yers, kitten,
he thought. 
Yer kill.

She pulled her eyes from his and leaned over the body, placing a foot beside her knife before she pulled her steel blade from his chest.  Vilko looked up at her, his eyes pleading, and tried to struggle.  Dropping a knee on one arm, she let him thrash, smiling as she pushed his jaw up, exposing his throat.  His free hand pulled at her arm, trying to pry her away, but he was too weak from blood loss.  Sal licked her lips again and pulled the steel across his neck.  His body arched off the floor, violently, making his last thrashes in vain.  As the man died before them, Sal pulled Cyno to her, claiming his mouth with her own.

I want you so bad,
she thought.

Soon,
he promised. 
We need ta leave.  Now.

She nodded, and looked to her blade.  For a moment, all she could think of was licking it clean.  As she raised it to her mouth, Cyno caught her wrist.

Do na do that,
he thought. 
Do na taste them.  It makes it harder ta stop.

Shocked, she slid her blade into its sheath, and climbed to her feet.  She wanted to ask what he meant, but there wasn't time.  Glancing above, she took a step over, placing herself under one of the beams.  Cyno cupped his hands and she leapt into them, feeling him propel her higher.  The wood rushed at her and she grabbed it, throwing her chest over it before sliding astride as though mounting a horse.  With one leg on either side, she lay against the beam, reaching her hand out for her partner. 

He stepped back, then jogged toward the wall, jumping at the last minute, using the impact to bounce him higher.  His wrist slapped into her hand and she swung him up behind her.  Together, they stood.  Rushing across the beam, the pair hopped over the balcony wall and retreated to the dusty room they'd started in. 

The door was barely closed before Cyno was against her, their desire more than either could control.  She bit his lip, drawing blood, and smiled when she heard him suck in a breath.

Back the way we came?
she asked, pulling herself away.

Yeh, but when we hit the roof, we need ta make it ta the ground.

Got it.

She moved to the window, holding her breath to listen for sounds below.  Hearing only silence, she slipped over the edge.  Her feet found the gaps in the stones and her hands closed securely on the rocks, leaving bloody prints behind.  Careful to test each step before she committed to it, Sal found herself stepping onto the thatch roof faster than she expected.  She looked up and saw Cyno only a body length above her. 

At the side of the smaller building, she crouched against the roof line and listened again.  Before Cyno could reach her, she hopped over the edge, landing on her toes, her offhand securing her balance.  He dropped beside her, and together they raced through the streets of the outpost, sticking close to the walls, using shadows for their cover.

How long do we have?
she asked.

Dunno, but would rather we are na here ta find out,
he replied, ducking around a corner ahead of her.

They judged their path by the trees outside the outpost wall and aimed for a spot close to the cluster their mares hid behind.  They reached it with the Broch behind them still silent.  Sharing a look, they scaled the wall together, each trying to reach the top first.  Cyno's hand grabbed a stone on the lip, but when he pulled himself up, it broke free.  He struggled to retain his grip, and both assassins listened as the rock clattered loudly beneath them.

Move,
he thought. 
Now!

Sal swung over the top of the wall and rushed the three steps to the far side, then slipped over without checking.  Beside her, Cyno matched her for each step and hold.  She hopped the last meter to the ground and hurried into the trees. 

Her night vision allowed her to see the mares easily, both munching on the leaves around them, their reins still tight about their necks.  The Broch was still quiet. 

Cyno grabbed her, biting hard into her neck.  She turned to him, their kiss both passionate and rushed before they had to go.  Glancing over her horse once, she swung up into the saddle, finding her stirrups while Cyno pushed his mare further into cover.  Each rustle in the underbrush screamed in their ears, but they didn't dare slow their mounts to make less noise. 

When they were away from the outpost wall, Cyno smiled over his shoulder at her and thought,
I can na take much more of this.  Let's get outta here.

Sal agreed, so they nudged their horses into an easy canter, letting the mares pick their paths in the darkness while keeping them beneath the trees. They set a quick pace, slowing the horses to a walk only enough to catch their breath and stay fresh before pushing on.  Well over three kilometers from the Broch, they came to the meadow that marked the border to the Conglomerate. 

Grinning at each other, knowing they would be safe on the other side, they kicked the horses into a run, the darkness of night hiding their flight across the open ground.  Their iliran sight assured them they would see an enemy before they were seen.  When they burst back under trees, they pulled the mares in, sitting deep in the saddle to stay astride.

Follow me, kitten,
he thought, turning Raven into the woods. 

No more than a hundred paces in, she saw a small building.  Closer, she realized it was a well-aged cottage with a small paddock attached to the back where their horses would be free to relax. 

Cyno slid from Raven's back and made his way to Sal's stirrup, dragging her into his arms.  The touch of his hands made her want him even more, but their mares couldn't wait.

She led Arden into the enclosure and asked,
How did you know this was here?

I did na,
he admitted sheepishly, pulling the saddle from Raven,
but when we crossed the border, I told LT we'd made it back safe.  He pointed me here.

You can reach him from this far away?
she asked, impressed.

Yeh, ya could too, if ya tried, but we both figur'd ya were na really in the mood fer that.

She chuckled, the sound mingling with the nature around them. 
And he sent you here.  Seems you two have gotten rather comfortable with this arrangement.

It's an easy truce, I guess.
  He threw his saddle on top of hers and lifted both of them. 
Toss the bridles up here, then pump the water.

He carried their tack inside while she worked the antique hand pump for the horse's trough.  Cold, clear water spurted forth.  When their mounts were taken care of, she felt her partner slip in behind her.

I like that, kitten, do it again,
he said, pulling her hips against him. 

Sal leaned back, needing to feel him.  Sliding his hands higher up her body, Cyno kissed the tendon in her neck.  She could still smell the blood on them both and turned to taste it on his lips, but he held her fast. 

Go ahead,
he thought,
struggle.

She tried to break free, but he was stronger than her.  It was alluring in a way she couldn't describe.  His hands bruised her skin and Sal found herself wanting him more for it.  He bit her neck, alternating between caressing her with his teeth and nearly drawing blood.  While he teased her into excitement, she felt his own response pressed hard against her back.  She pulled again, wanting more than his mouth, and he groaned softly, holding her still.

Please, Jase
, she begged. 
Please.

Her pleading was what he'd been waiting for.  He released her, allowing her to turn in his arms.  Sal's eyes searched his face, finding only passion there, and she pressed into him greedily.  Cyno lifted her around his hips, his hands holding her tight, and carried her inside the cottage, kissing the thin skin at her jaw.  She barely noticed that the bed had been covered in blankets from their own packs, the floor cleared, and their saddles stacked carefully. 

Easing her back to the ground, his desire crossed the connection between them.  She could feel every need screaming in his mind.  They were echoed in her own. 

Cyno tugged her shirt from her waistband, pulled it over her head, and tossed it carelessly away.  Then he leaned toward her and pulled the tie from her hair, flicking it in the direction of her shirt.  His eyes drank in her body and he knelt.  While he fumbled to untie her breeches, his mouth drew a line of soft, teasing kisses above the waist of her pants, broken by nips from his serrated teeth.

Sal dragged her nails across his scalp, the soft stubble of his hair tickling her fingers.  When the laces came loose, she slid her thumbs into her pants and slipped them over her hips, letting Cyno slide them down her thighs.  She stepped out of both her pants and boots in one smooth motion.