Read Online Biting Cold: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel (CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES SERIES) by Chloe Neill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chloe Neill
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garish pair of plaid pants. “Keith, take the left flank. Mort, take your crew down the right. Frank will cross the stream and keep an eye on the rear, and I’ll lead my crew head-on.”
Those orders given, Todd began discussing specific strategies with his troops. It was an amazing thing to behold, and I was ashamed I’d doubted him and assumed he was any less of a soldier because of his stature. He ordered his troops around with the aplomb of a seasoned general and the adeptness of an expert tactician.
Unfortunately, not even Todd was entirely sure what Mallory would do—and I wasn’t, either. I knew she could work a spell, and I knew she could throw orbs of magic that hurt like hell when they made contact. (I’d had orb-avoidance training with Catcher.) We all knew what she wanted, and we knew she was intent on doing whatever it took to get it, regardless of how many people she hurt along the way.
When the gnomes began to take their positions, I looked to Todd. “What do you want us to do?”
“What can you do?” He didn’t sound confident he’d be impressed by my answer.
I tapped the pommel of my sword. “We’re both good with steel. Also, I know her. I could help with distraction.”
“How so?”
I looked around. “If the goal is keeping her on this side of the trees, maybe I can distract her so your troops can surround her? It might help your flanks get better position.”
“That’s not a horrible idea,” Todd said, but Ethan wasn’t impressed.
“You will not use yourself as bait,” he gritted out.
I hadn’t thought about it in those terms, but he probably wasn’t too far off base. And I knew he meant it protectively, but my safety was secondary. Our first—and only—priority was keeping Mallory away from the Maleficium .
I faced Ethan. “I still stand Sentinel of Cadogan House,” I reminded him. “I’ll do what it takes to keep you safe.”
“Merit—”
“Ethan,” I quietly, but sternly, interrupted. “ I have to do this, and you know it. I can’t stand around and let other people fight this battle for me. I have more honor than that. You wouldn’t have let me stand Sentinel otherwise.” But was it honorable? I was helping set up my best friend for an ambush. Sure, I wanted to throttle her and scream at her, but I didn’t want her hurt.
“How exactly are you going to stop her?” I asked Todd.
“We’re gnomes,” he said. “Skilled warriors.”
“Could you not kill her? Please?”
Todd blinked at me, that simple action showing me exactly how stupid he thought that was. “We’re gnomes, not humans.” He cast a telling glance at the sword at my side. “Our goal is to keep her out of the silo, not put her in the ground. If we best her, she’ll have no choice but to submit to us. It’s a rule of civilized combat.”
It might be a rule of civilized combat, but I seriously doubted Mallory had taken any classes in that.
Our roles decided, Todd joined his company of troops, and they began to take their positions. Their departure left Ethan and me alone. It took a moment of courage before I could look back at him. I hadn’t exactly given him a chance to speak his piece.
It went pretty much as poorly as I’d expected. His eyes were glassy green, and magic rolled off his body like an angry tide.
I knew he wasn’t angry at me, not really. He was afraid. Afraid that I’d be injured, or that I’d sacrifice myself to save Mallory. I couldn’t eliminate his fear, and I couldn’t prevent the violence that would likely come to pass, but maybe I could remind him that he’d prepared me for it.
“You know, you’re the one who trained me to stand Sentinel. To be a warrior. At some point, you have to trust that I was paying attention.” My tone was lighthearted, and it was precisely the wrong course.
He grabbed my arm—hard. And in his eyes was a sudden storm of fear and anger. “You will not sacrifice yourself because of her.”
I could all but see his
Those orders given, Todd began discussing specific strategies with his troops. It was an amazing thing to behold, and I was ashamed I’d doubted him and assumed he was any less of a soldier because of his stature. He ordered his troops around with the aplomb of a seasoned general and the adeptness of an expert tactician.
Unfortunately, not even Todd was entirely sure what Mallory would do—and I wasn’t, either. I knew she could work a spell, and I knew she could throw orbs of magic that hurt like hell when they made contact. (I’d had orb-avoidance training with Catcher.) We all knew what she wanted, and we knew she was intent on doing whatever it took to get it, regardless of how many people she hurt along the way.
When the gnomes began to take their positions, I looked to Todd. “What do you want us to do?”
“What can you do?” He didn’t sound confident he’d be impressed by my answer.
I tapped the pommel of my sword. “We’re both good with steel. Also, I know her. I could help with distraction.”
“How so?”
I looked around. “If the goal is keeping her on this side of the trees, maybe I can distract her so your troops can surround her? It might help your flanks get better position.”
“That’s not a horrible idea,” Todd said, but Ethan wasn’t impressed.
“You will not use yourself as bait,” he gritted out.
I hadn’t thought about it in those terms, but he probably wasn’t too far off base. And I knew he meant it protectively, but my safety was secondary. Our first—and only—priority was keeping Mallory away from the Maleficium .
I faced Ethan. “I still stand Sentinel of Cadogan House,” I reminded him. “I’ll do what it takes to keep you safe.”
“Merit—”
“Ethan,” I quietly, but sternly, interrupted. “ I have to do this, and you know it. I can’t stand around and let other people fight this battle for me. I have more honor than that. You wouldn’t have let me stand Sentinel otherwise.” But was it honorable? I was helping set up my best friend for an ambush. Sure, I wanted to throttle her and scream at her, but I didn’t want her hurt.
“How exactly are you going to stop her?” I asked Todd.
“We’re gnomes,” he said. “Skilled warriors.”
“Could you not kill her? Please?”
Todd blinked at me, that simple action showing me exactly how stupid he thought that was. “We’re gnomes, not humans.” He cast a telling glance at the sword at my side. “Our goal is to keep her out of the silo, not put her in the ground. If we best her, she’ll have no choice but to submit to us. It’s a rule of civilized combat.”
It might be a rule of civilized combat, but I seriously doubted Mallory had taken any classes in that.
Our roles decided, Todd joined his company of troops, and they began to take their positions. Their departure left Ethan and me alone. It took a moment of courage before I could look back at him. I hadn’t exactly given him a chance to speak his piece.
It went pretty much as poorly as I’d expected. His eyes were glassy green, and magic rolled off his body like an angry tide.
I knew he wasn’t angry at me, not really. He was afraid. Afraid that I’d be injured, or that I’d sacrifice myself to save Mallory. I couldn’t eliminate his fear, and I couldn’t prevent the violence that would likely come to pass, but maybe I could remind him that he’d prepared me for it.
“You know, you’re the one who trained me to stand Sentinel. To be a warrior. At some point, you have to trust that I was paying attention.” My tone was lighthearted, and it was precisely the wrong course.
He grabbed my arm—hard. And in his eyes was a sudden storm of fear and anger. “You will not sacrifice yourself because of her.”
I could all but see his
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