BloodLust (Rise of the Iliri Book 1) (32 page)

You good, love?
Blaec asked.

Sal nodded. 
Yeah, and we've wasted enough time already.

K.  Let's go.  Deeper into the cave. 
Sal lingered at the entrance for a moment, while the men moved further in. 
Sal?
Blaec asked.

Give me a second,
she begged.

In the trees beyond, she'd heard something.  She pressed her body against the rock and waited.  In moments a shadow moved and her eyes focused on it.  A dark man in black leathers huddled against the base of a tree, staring at the creek bed.  Instinctively, she wished for skin the color of the rocks around her and felt the tingle.  She bent slowly, distorting her silhouette.

They know we're here,
she told the men.

Zep broke in. 
Sal, we know they're coming.  C'mon.  There's too many twists and turns in here.  You'll get lost.

She chuckled to herself. 
I won't.  I can smell you, Zep.  I could track you through here even if – 
She stopped mid-sentence.  Across the creek, more men moved into sight.

Sal?
Zep asked.

I see them.

One man moved to the edge of the creek.  His skin was as dark as Zep's, nearly the color of his uniform.  When he leaned forward to look at the hoof prints in the sand, she saw a red mark on his shoulder.  She looked harder and thought it looked like a spider.  He peered after the trail, then pointed at the tree concealing the entrance.  The tree whose branches Sal looked through.

"Pretty sure they didn't just walk into the damned cliff" he said.

"Fucking Blades," another man chuckled.  "Who knows what they can do."

"Nothing we can't.  There's caves back there, dumb-ass."

"You sure?"

"No, but they didn't just walk into the cliff."

Sal waited long enough to see the men begin to move her way.  She counted quickly, making note of their armor and weapons before she moved silently into the shadows.

There's twenty-three,
she thought. 
They're in leathers, not resin, but most have short swords. 

Good work,
LT sent.
Now catch up.

I am,
Sal thought, sharing her amusement. 
And who decided to mark the trail? 
The distinct scent of urine hung in the air before each turn.

Mine,
Cyno said. 
We got lost the last time we ended up in here.  I do na wanna spend three days working our way out again.

Pungent,
Sal thought as she rounded the last corner, nearly jogging into Razor's back.

Zep and Shift clung to the men in front of them, unable to see anything in the dim light.  LT and Razor dragged their hands against the walls, their night vision being better than that of humans, but not as good as the rest.  Arctic led the group, Risk had taken a place in the center of the line, and Cyno was nowhere to be seen.  The horses walked slowly beside their riders, some pausing, unsure of their next step.  Slowly, patiently, the men encouraged them forward.

One more turn,
Jase assured them. 

Before they even rounded the corner, Sal noticed the light.  The halls began to change from shades of blacks to lighter greys.  When she followed the men around the next bend, her eyes watered at the sudden glare, constricting quickly.  Sunlight streamed through a small vent in the ceiling of the cavern.

It's not much, but at least I'm not completely blind,
Zep thought thankfully.

Sal rubbed at her eyes.  While the beam of light might not be much to Zep, it was too much for her night adjusted vision to tolerate. 

We hiding, or we fighting?
she asked. 
'Cause if we're fighting, this will ruin my ability to see anything.

We're fighting,
Blaec told her.

What's the plan?
Shift asked.

We hold the room,
Blaec said. 
Two men can hold the corridor.  We'll take turns.  Medics at the back, keeping us repaired.  Zep, you'll handle everything else, from water to supplies for the healers.  With over twenty of them, they'll be doing the same, but they can't repair their wounds as fast as we can.

That's stupid,
Sal thought.

Blaec's head whipped around to her. 
What?!

We have the advantage, Blaec.  We need to use it.

And I wasn't? 
Anger suffused his tone.

No, you weren't.  Risk and Arctic, head back the way we came.  Keep to the shadows.  You can see them, but they can't see you any better than Zep can.  Jase and I will move between them, picking them off as we can.  Blaec, you and Razor need to hold the corridor just up from here.  Shift, Zep, I need you to keep count and take care of any wounded.  There's twenty-three of them.  We'll need to make sure we get them all.

Blaec turned to her, the scent of anger emanating from him. 
You taking over?

Sal faced him, staring right into his eyes, unblinking. 
I'm helping you.  I lived my life in the shadows, Blaec.  I know how this works.

Countermanding my orders?

Who the fuck cares?
Arctic said, stepping between them. 
She's right, LT.  We can see in this shit, they can't.  Fighting at the corridor like humans is stupid, so suck up your pride and approve her changes.

Defeated, Blaec gave his assent.
Fine.  This had better work, Sal.

She smiled deviously. 
Ever been scared of the dark?

Without waiting for his answer, she turned to Jase and together they moved into the darkness.  Arctic patted LT on the shoulder, waiting for the Lieutenant to nod at him, before he moved out with Risk.

She's right,
Zep told LT. 

She's challenging my command,
Blaec grumbled.

Nah.  She's just trying to save our lives.  She's good.

You don't understand, Zep.

Zep shrugged. 
You're right.  I don't.  But this time she's right; you're not.  What more is there to it?  Never bothered you when one of us had a better idea.

None of you challenged me,
Blaec pointed out.
  She's pulling at us.  She'll end up taking over.  Cyno's the worst, but she's changing us.

Zep thought about it. 
Ok, fair enough.  But I still don't see what's wrong with it. 

You want to be a damned beast?  You want to have the Conglomerate treat you like a second-class citizen?

Zep turned and walked into Blaec's face.  Their chests only inches apart, he glared down at his commander. 
You're a fucking idiot, LT.  I'd give everything I have for a hint of what even Shift gets from being a little bit iliri.  I'd give my soul to have as much as you do.  I can't even imagine what Sal gets from it.  I don't care if some damned primate laughs at me.  If I was an iliri, I'd know it was nothing more than jealousy.  So yeah.  I'd gladly be treated like a second-class citizen to have half of what you take for granted.

You don't know what you're talking about,
Blaec told him. 
We're not animals.
 
We may be iliri, but we're not fucking beasts.

Maybe we should be,
Zep thought.

Chapter 37

Silently, they moved through the stone passages, the sand softening their footsteps.  Sal slipped her steel dagger from its sheath and glanced at her partner.  He nodded and they moved apart.

They're coming,
he whispered in her mind. 
Two of them.

Then that's their mistake.

The narrow passages were dark.  Human eyes would see nothing but blackness, but the iliri could see enough to make out the irregular formations that would give them cover.  Cyno stepped behind a stalagmite and Sal pressed her body into an alcove along the wall.  Her ears twitched at the echoes bouncing off the rock around them.  She could hear the footsteps moving closer.

They're almost here,
Cyno said, confirming what she thought.

A pair of shadows darkened the passage and Sal gripped her blade tighter.  She let them pass before moving silently behind them.  In only a few steps, they were beside Jase.  Together, they pounced.

Sal grabbed the man on the left, slapping her hand over his mouth and dragging him off his feet, her knife at his throat.  Jase slashed at the unprotected neck of the man on the right.  The smell of blood, so sweet, made her heart pound in her chest as the second man crumpled.

"Your friend is dead," Sal whispered.  "Talk, or you're dead, too."

"Lance Corporal Torin Smain," was all he said.

"How many of you are there?" Sal asked.

"Lance Corporal – " he started again, but Sal dragged the edge of the blade across his body.

"Let me make this real clear," she snarled, the tip of the knife moving down his chest.  "I only want to know two things."  The blade bounced across the belt at his waist and moved lower.  "How many of you are there, and how did you know where we were?"

"Lance Cor – "

Sal shoved her hand over his mouth and pushed the blade.  The tip punctured the leather at his crotch and his body flinched away from the pain.  "Last time," she growled.

"Twenty-three of us," he said when she lifted her hand.

She pushed the blade again, feeling resistance.  "And?  I'll castrate you and leave you alive," she warned.

"We set the trap," he whispered into her palm.

"What trap?"  Sal lifted her hand slightly.

"The heads.  It was a win either way.  We either caught the Black Blades or we showed the CFC what the fuck the scrubbers are.  You took the bait."

"And you're losing," Sal said.

"What are you going to do?" he sneered.  "Hide in here until your supplies run out?  We've got the door covered.  Surrender and you might make it through this.  Release me, and they might let you live."

"You're trying ta draw us out?" Jase asked, amused.  "That works both ways, boy."

He moved his knife to the man's throat, and Sal smiled.  "Scream loud," she told him, and shoved her dagger up.

He did.

What are you doing? 
Blaec demanded. 
They'll know exactly where we are!

They already do,
Sal thought,
and they're trying to lure us out.  We're just going to convince them they really should come in.

With torture?
Blaec demanded.

Yeh,
Cyno growled. 
Just like Circ.

He cut at the man again, resulting in another scream.  The Terran's voice bounced through the stone passages, becoming even more disturbing with each echo. 

"Good boy," Sal purred.

He thrashed, pulling his arm free, and took a swing at her.  His fist collided with the side of her neck and Sal snarled.  Instinctually, she darted in, grabbing his throat in her teeth.

"Try it," Cyno whispered.  "I'll let her eat you." 

The soldier began screaming again, this time from fear, not pain. 

Take him further back,
Sal thought, releasing him. 
I'm going to see what they're doing up there.

Jase smiled at her, his sharp teeth catching what little light existed. 
I'll give him to Zep.  We owe these fucks a bit.

Sal nodded, torn between her desire to kill and her desire for her partner.  Their eyes met and held for a moment before they moved in their separate directions.  She heard the man's body being dragged against the soft floor. 

Don't leave tracks,
she warned.

I am, just na the right way.

Turn after turn, Sal crept forward.  Alone, the sound of dripping water rang loudly into the silence.  Another scream echoed through the tunnels and she glanced back, shocked at how close it sounded.  One more turn, and she stood into the first cavern, daylight pouring into the opening.  She darkened her skin, feeling it tingle when the color took effect.

A group of men huddled in the bright light, forcing Sal to squint to see them.  Their silhouettes shifted and moved as they communicated in only hand signals.  She waited.  One more scream was all it took. 

A decision made, they drew weapons and converged on the caverns.  Shoulder to shoulder, weapons at the ready, twenty-one men pushed inside.  Torches were held at intervals, spreading the light around them.  Sal began to move back.

They're coming as a group,
she told the Blades. 
Split up, pick 'em off.  Stay out of the light.

They aren't even sure it's us,
Cyno added, appearing beside her once more,
and they're scared shitless.  They reek of it.

Arctic's voice joined theirs,
Then we keep ‘em confused.  If you get the chance, maul the bodies.  Teeth, claw marks, whatever you can.  Keep them on their toes.

Blaec said nothing.

Arctic,
she suddenly remembered,
can you open us up?

Always,
he agreed.

Sal felt her brothers join her mind.  Cyno's lust hit her hard, the hair on the back of her neck rising in response.  She stifled her desire to scream a snarl into the darkness.  Razor's restraint retreated before the primal fury of the berserkers and Blaec's anger only fueled it.  Zep's delight stood in stark contrast.

I can see,
he thought, surprised. 

We can all see,
Shift said. 
Welcome to Sal's world.

Jase and Sal slunk away from the men as they pushed into the tunnels.  At the first turn, they took the wrong path, leaving clear footprints for them to follow.  When the room opened into a spacious cavern, the assassins split, each taking a side, easily finding places in the rock formations.  They could hear the Terrans following their trail, the feel of both Risk's and Arctic's mind on the other side.

Anticipation flared when Risk made a kill in the shadows.  Blaec's rage grew in response to Sal's desire for more death and it fueled Risk's hate.  He slashed at the body, leaving deep gouges in the flesh, then retreated just as the first men entered the cavern. 

Sal swiveled her ears around the room, listening for the difference between the sound of their steps and the echoes.  In the back of her mind, she felt Zep's awe and paused, gaining a new appreciation for something she'd simply accepted all her life.

We're down to twenty,
she thought. 
And stop distracting me, Zep.

He sent a wave of amusement in response. 

The Black Widows passed close to Jase's side of the room.  He kept pace, stalking them.  His body slid between the walls and the liquid looking formations like little more than a shadow from their torch light.  One of them paused to look around, and Jase struck.  His hands snaked out, gripped the man's head and jaw, and twisted.  The snap of his neck carried in the stone room.  The Terrans spun.  Their companion lay dead in his tracks with nothing more than shadows watching.

"What the fuck?" whined a man holding a torch, the fear evident in his voice.

"Stay close," their leader commanded.  "Fucking Blades!  You can't hide in here forever!"

Scream, Sal,
Arctic thought. 
They've never heard an enraged iliri before, I bet.

She watched them, perched high above their heads, her skin as dark as her leathers.  The Black Widow Company closed ranks and shoved their torches deep into the rocks, looking for Cyno.  Slowly, carefully, he moved out of the light, but Sal could see he'd soon be cornered.  It was all the excuse she needed.

She roared.  Her teeth bared to their fullest, she screamed years of frustration into the darkness of the cave, letting her rage have a voice.  The sound was that of a predator, nothing human about it.

"What the -" a Terran gasped, backing closer to his shieldmate.

Their eyes darted around the room, looking for her.  She growled and made her way higher, clinging to the rocks.  The deep rumble echoed from all around them, hiding her position as it bounced through the room.  The Terrans turned, nearly blind in the dim light, the sound obscuring the iliri's position.  She jumped to the next rock, pebbles scattering under her feet, moving closer to the door.

Time to go,
she thought to Jase.

Ahead of ya.  When ya hit the ground, move.  They'll be on your tail.

We got the hall,
Arctic assured her. 
Take 'em straight to Razor.

Yes, sir,
Sal agreed, eying the landing. 
They're about to have a real bad day.

She dropped from the rock and hit with a thud, digging her hands into the sand to propel her forward, leaving claw marks behind.  Behind her, the Black Widows gave chase.  Running through grey tunnels, ducking easily under ragged rocky outcroppings, she slid into a crevasse and paused, sucking in two deep breaths and releasing them slowly.  Around her, the world erupted with the screams of humans.

Nineteen,
Risk thought, and Sal felt him sink his teeth into the shoulder of a man while he severed his spine with his dagger.

Eighteen!
Arctic called just before he shoved one onto a sharp spear of rock. 
Seventeen,
he added.  The soldier's friend turned at the sound of the last man's death, and Arctic met him with two blades sunk deep in his chest.

Sixteen,
Cyno purred before he pounced on the last man in line. 

He slapped his hand across the soldier's mouth and yanked him into the next passage, ripping his throat out with his teeth.  With their minds entangled, the sudden rush of warm blood carried to every member of the Black Blades.  The sweet taste of human flooded her senses and pushed Sal even further into the bloodlust, dragging the rest with her.