The Bronze Blade: An Elemental World Novella (8 page)

Throughout it all, Aday was still with her, but she was more of a quiet shadow than she had been. A guardian. She watched and warned Saraal sometimes. She was the one who told Saraal which of Kuluun’s sons needed to be killed. After she reminded Saraal of all the man’s wrongs, she cheered when she killed them. One by one, Saraal was killing any man who had touched her. There were many, and some were very skilled. She needed her lessons from Temur.

“What do you want?” Saraal asked Temur, who was still laying beside her.

His hand slid up the inside of her thigh and cupped her between the legs. “I want this.”

“This” was never as quick with Temur as it had been with Kuluun or his brothers.

“Rashon will be waiting,” she said quietly, though she set her sword to the side and lay back as he began to remove her leggings.

“Rashon can wait,” Temur said. “While I enjoy what is mine.”

The sword clattered to the ground, and Rashon leaped on her, pressing his dagger to the back of her neck.

“You’re dead. Again.”

Saraal sneered and shoved him off. She’d bested him the night before, and he seemed intent on teaching her a lesson that night. He’d been vicious. He’d fought dirty. And he’d been winning. He had her pinned to the ground, her face in the dirt and his hips held her down. He was holding onto the back of her hair, which had grown past her shoulders in the years she’d been with Temur and his warriors.

She needed to cut it again.

Saraal twisted around and tried to kick him in the balls. He blocked her, but he didn’t notice her hand, which had crept back and under his hip. She grabbed onto his testicles and pulled. Hard.

Rashon screamed and slammed her head into the ground, over and over, but Saraal did not let go. Her grip was unyielding. She squeezed harder. She felt his blade press into her spine, and she twisted. Eventually, the blood dripped into her face and she couldn’t see. But she could still feel his balls in her small hand, and she would not let go. Rashon’s blade left the back of her neck, then he yanked on her hair as he was pulled off. Saraal let go of him and immediately rolled into a crouch.

Temur was holding Rashon by the hair. The Sida was guarding his sore testicles and his fangs dripped blood where he’d bit his own lip.

“I’ll kill her!” he growled. “You won’t stop me this time!”

“You’ll do nothing,” Temur said, shaking Rashon by the hair. “You were sparring. You came to a draw. You’re finished.”

Until the next lesson. Saraal eyed Rashon with suspicion.

Aday whispered in her ear. “He’ll kill you the next time you fight.”

Temur must have agreed with Aday because he said, “And you’re done giving her lessons. You’ve taught her all you can, and obviously, she’s strong now. You’re finished.”

“But—”

“Go.” Temur slapped his child on the back and smiled a little. “Find a human to tend what is sore. Leave Saraal alone. My orders, Rashon.”

Rashon limped away, and Temur grabbed Saraal from her crouch. Then, without a word, he held her and took to the air. She sucked in a cold breath at the shock of the wind. Then she closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel.

Cold ripping air did nothing to calm her blood. She could feel her heart beating in excitement. Could feel her mind racing. Within moments, Temur had landed them in a thick stand of trees, out of earshot of his Sida children.

“What were you doing?” he hissed.

Saraal cocked her head, surprised by his anger.

“We were fighting.”

“You almost ripped his balls off, Saraal. They would have grown back. Eventually. Do you know how painful that is?”

She sneered, “You’ve seen me naked, Temur. Do I have a pair I don’t know about? He’ll be fine. He was fighting dirty. I fought dirtier.”

“You can’t do that to my men. You’ve already killed all of Kuluun’s children. My men are off limits to your rage.”

“Then they shouldn’t pin me down and put a dagger to my neck.”

“You will show respect!”

“To who?” Her chin lifted. “To you? Fine. To Rashon? No.”

Temur’s eyes flashed. “He is my second in command.”

“And I, as you so often remind me, am Jun’s child.”

His eyes narrowed. “So you are.”

For once, it didn’t sound like a compliment.

Saraal did everything she could to soften her voice. “I meant no disrespect to you. Perhaps it is better that I avoid Rashon. He does not like me or trust me.”

No one liked her except Temur. And Saraal often thought he only liked her because he could fuck her. But she knew he didn’t trust her. She could see his eyes cutting to her every time she mastered another skill. The long sword. The bow. The spear. Would he still put up with her once she could fly?

Because Saraal knew in her gut, once she could fly, she would be stronger than Temur. She sired no children like Temur did. Her strength was growing as his waned with each new warrior he made on his father’s orders.

Temur stepped closer to her, and his eyes narrowed. “Give me your neck.”

Saraal took a step back. In all their time together, all the times she had allowed his body into hers, he had never taken her blood. He’d never even asked.

“No,” she said in a small voice.

“No?” His eyes were starting to glow in anger again. “You don’t tell me no, Saraal.”

“I don’t want you to bite me.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

Her heart began to race, and she saw Aday peeking from behind a tree. “Why are you doing this?”

“Respect, Saraal.”

“I give you my body anytime you want it.” She hated the quiver of fear in her voice. “I give you my respect. I don’t want to give my blood. If you’re hungry, take a human.”

“I don’t want a human.”

He was closer. Boxing her in. She looked to the sky, but she could not reach it, even though it called her.

“Don’t. Do. This.” Saraal clenched her jaw and turned her head to the side when Temur backed her up against a tree. His large body pinned her in.

“Give me your neck, Saraal.”

She had allowed him to touch her. She had grown to enjoy it at times, since Temur seemed to care. She’d begun to reach for him, which he enjoyed even more.
 

“Please, Temur,” she whispered, dread coating her throat. “Don’t do this thing.”

He bent down, put a hand to her throat, and sunk his fangs in her neck. Saraal closed her eyes at Temur’s groan of pleasure. The small portion of her heart that had softened to him died, even as the sensual pleasure of his bite washed over her.

“
Tseetsa
,” he groaned. “So sweet.” He tugged at her clothes. She did nothing to stop him. He pushed her leggings down and untied his own, then he lifted her against the tree and slid his body in hers. The pain wrapped around her heart as he took her.

She saw Aday leaning against a tree on the other side of the clearing, watching them both. Her mouth sneered, but her eyes reflected Saraal’s pain.

“Just like the others,” Aday whispered. “I told you. He is just like the others.”

When Temur was finished, he kissed her neck and licked the drops of blood from it. Then he kissed her again and ran a soft hand over her hair.

“That was good, Saraal. I can feel you in me now.” He put his arms around her and took off into the air. Aday followed them. “I can sense you now. This is good.”

But he hadn’t offered his own blood to her. No, Temur didn’t offer that kind of trust. After all, she might have been Jun’s child, but she was still just a woman. That much had always been clear.

He flew them back to the camp, and left her at her tent, walking off in the direction of the humans. His hunger was piqued now. He would probably drink from at least one more human. Possibly more. And then he would fuck some human women. He usually wanted three or four in a night if his blood was running. Saraal was just glad he didn’t seem to want her again.

She was distracted, but it still wasn’t an excuse. By the time Saraal sensed him, she was already in her tent, and Rashon had her by the neck.

“Let’s see what makes you so special, little bird,” the monster whispered, then he cut her throat before she could scream.

Aday woke with the earth in her mouth.

Enough
.

She could sense the girl with her. The girl didn’t feel the wind as she did. Didn’t sense her power. The girl was broken. There was no repairing her this time. She huddled, terrified as the dirt became her grave.

Enough
.

Aday felt the air around her, even underground. She felt the fine particles flowing through the soil, just as they flowed through the trees and the water. She knew there was no place the air did not live. No place she could not draw power. None. She had felt it long ago when she woke beside the girl. Felt it when she followed her through her years with Kuluun. With Temur. She had given the second a chance, but the girl had not found her power. Had not flown. She still didn’t understand.

Enough
.

She could hear Rashon over her, stepping on the earth, leaving footprints over the spot where he’d buried the girl after he’d raped her viciously. After he broke her neck. After she was close to death. Rashon knew Temur would punish him. Taken by his own rage, he had forgotten it, but as the sun set and the moon rose, he remembered again.

Aday closed her eyes and pictured what she knew of Rashon’s tent. She had been in it many times, choosing a weapon from his chest before practice. She focused on one she had seen him polish, a new blade with a vicious curve that he’d picked up from traders in the west. It was new. It would be near the top of the chest. Wrapped in good leather, if she had to guess.

She would claim the blade. It would be hers when she killed its master.

Aday held her breath, but sent a curl of energy out, touching the air that permeated the soil. The air moved and shifted, pushing the soil down and lifting her up through the thick mass, obeying her command until she lay at the surface, naked and dusted in dirt, her body perfectly healed as she knew it would be.

She heard Rashon rifling through the chest, his back to her. She rose, her feet light upon the ground as she felt the wind cushion her. It swallowed the noise of her steps. It hid her movements from her enemy until she’d picked up a dagger he had laying beside his pallet.

Without a word, she went to him. He sensed her a second before she struck. He turned, mouth open, eyes gaping in horror at the monster she had become. The monster they had made.

Aday struck swiftly.

She drove the dagger through his throat so he could not scream. Drove it all the way through his neck until it pierced his spine. Then she yanked it back and forth, making sure Rashon’s backbone was severed. His body gave a jerk, but that lasted only a few seconds as she hacked off his head. Aday shoved it to the side and wiped away the blood that had spattered on her face. She kicked his body away from the chest and searched for the curved blade.

She smiled when she found it. The sword gleamed in the low lamplight. Its handle was wrapped in fine leather, and the bronze blade was burnished to a sheen. It was hers. Hers alone. Rashon had traded for it, shown it to others, but he’d never spilled blood with it.

“
Saraal
,” she whispered, giving her sword the dead girl’s name.

She slipped out of the tent in the early evening light. The moon had not risen, and the black sky conspired with her to block out the stars. No one saw her when she moved to the next tent.

The warrior was feeding from a human when he saw her. His fangs were down and his body hard. The girl had stopped struggling, but the bruises on her body showed Aday how she’d been used.

He sat up, but Aday had already moved. Flipping in the air, over his head, to land on his back. The blade swept out, slicing easily through the thick cords of the Sida’s neck, cutting it cleanly before he could make a sound.

It was a good sword.

Aday sat with the body between her legs, staring into the dead eyes of the woman. Her lips were split open. Her eyes were black. She tipped back her chin, baring her throat to Aday.

Enough
.

She brought the blade to the woman’s throat and gave her a quick death, then she moved to the next tent.

She killed a younger Sida next, one of Temur’s newest children. Then an older one, who she’d seen eying Saraal with lust. He’d wanted her. And Aday knew it was only a matter of time before Temur would start passing the girl through the camp.

By the time she’d killed five warriors, the bodies were beginning to be found. She could hear cries of surprise and anger. Somewhere in the distance, Temur yelled out for the girl.

She’s gone,
Aday thought as another warrior’s blood dripped cool down her breast.
There is only me now.

“Saraal!” he yelled. “Come here
now
!”

Aday stepped out of the tent and saw torches coming toward her. She flew straight up, avoiding the fire, before sweeping down and grabbing a burning stick from one of the humans who guarded the warriors during the day. He gasped when he saw her and fell to his knees. She flew over the camp, touching the flame to the tents as she passed.

Like a row of dead trees, the tents went up in flames, and she smiled when she heard the cries of the warriors inside as they met their end.

A few had taken to the air to look for Saraal, but the girl couldn’t fly, so they were looking down. Aday could, so she snuck up behind them, the wind holding her aloft as she overpowered the flying Sida and took their heads.
 

One.
 

Two.
 

Three.

She laughed at how easy it was, in the end. They were finished. All but a few of Temur’s warriors were dead. A couple had fled into the trees with the humans. Most were burning in their tents. Aday took a deep breath and reveled in the smell of death around her.

She was almost finished.

She saw Temur heading toward her, so she dropped to the ground out of respect for the girl, who had cared for him in her own way. Aday watched the Sida as he landed across from her, his camp burning in the background, humans and animals still running for their lives as the air filled with smoke.