my power back in, stepping to the side so I could keep both men in my line of sight as I released them. Ryu was up first.
He stared at me like I’d grown a handlebar mustache. I resisted the temptation to flick him off.
I was just about to snap at the vampire to close his mouth and stop gaping when I heard a bruised-sounding wheeze emit from Anyan’s prone form.
He sat up slowly and carefully. For a second, I thought he was gasping for breath before I realized he was actually… chuckling? Was he laughing at me?
Anyan leaned back on his hands, letting his head fall back as his slightly breathless chuckles became full-on guffaws.
I frowned, unable to figure out why he was laughing. If it was because he thought I was joking, I’d happily expand the Anyan-crater he was currently lying in by pile-driving him once more…
But when his laughter finally slowed a bit, and his eyes met mine, he wasn’t angry. Nor was he mocking me. He glowed with pride, and he was smiling like I’d just brought home a trophy.
“Dear gods, Jane, I’ve been waiting for you to do something like that.” Laughter bubbled up in him again as he carefully lay back down.
“Fuck, that hurt.” The barghest groaned as he gathered power from the earth to heal himself. “But it was worth it to see your mettle. And Ryu…” Anyan chortledagain, enjoying his joke. “I thought Ryu was going to piss himself.”
Ryu’s face was still slack, so shocked by my aggression that he didn’t even blink when the barghest needled him. Normally Ryu would have flipped.
Anyan stood slowly, stretching his big frame as if to make sure everything still worked.
“I knew you’d be strong,” he said, finally growing serious, although his eyes still twinkled. “I figured you’d be stronger than me. But you beat all my expectations. And I’m glad, Jane. I hated seeing you vulnerable.”
I blushed, looking down. Why was he being nice? If he was trying to butter me up only to tell me to stay home, I’d give him a buttering…
“And you’ve made it clear that we can’t stand in your way, if you really want to come.”
My eyes met his, which were suddenly fierce and hard.
“But if you do this, Jane, you know the drill. You have to follow
my
orders. I’m in charge of this little outfit, and I grant no quarter. If you’re with me, you do what I say. And just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable. I know Nell has given you good defensive training, because I told her to. And as you’ve just illustrated, you can muscle your way around. But you’re not trained offensively, nor have you any finesse. So if I say you stay behind on a particular mission, you stay behind. It won’t be because you’re weak,” he said before I could protest. “It’ll be because I’m your general and you’re my soldier, my weapon. I deploy you where I think you can do the most damage. Or I hold you back so I don’t lose you before the next fight. Do you understand me?”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “You don’t actually want me to call you ‘General,’ do you? ’Cause that’s creepy.”
“Jane.”
“Fine. I’m in. What you say goes. General.”
He shook his head at me. “Don’t make me regret this by getting yourself killed. I told Nell to make you strong, and you both succeeded. Now don’t fuck it up. We leave in an hour.”
Anyan walked off, leaving me to watch his retreating backside. I was stunned. And more than a little appreciative of the view…
I heard a throat clearing behind me. I turned around.
It’s like he’s never seen me before
, I realized. Strangely enough, the thought made me smile. I also noticed, for the first time, that Julian was watching us from the back porch. He had a way of blending in with the background that wasn’t magical, as I would have felt the glamour, but was equally effective. For despite the fact I’d been unaware of his presence, there stood my fellow halfling, his whole body somehow exuding
He stared at me like I’d grown a handlebar mustache. I resisted the temptation to flick him off.
I was just about to snap at the vampire to close his mouth and stop gaping when I heard a bruised-sounding wheeze emit from Anyan’s prone form.
He sat up slowly and carefully. For a second, I thought he was gasping for breath before I realized he was actually… chuckling? Was he laughing at me?
Anyan leaned back on his hands, letting his head fall back as his slightly breathless chuckles became full-on guffaws.
I frowned, unable to figure out why he was laughing. If it was because he thought I was joking, I’d happily expand the Anyan-crater he was currently lying in by pile-driving him once more…
But when his laughter finally slowed a bit, and his eyes met mine, he wasn’t angry. Nor was he mocking me. He glowed with pride, and he was smiling like I’d just brought home a trophy.
“Dear gods, Jane, I’ve been waiting for you to do something like that.” Laughter bubbled up in him again as he carefully lay back down.
“Fuck, that hurt.” The barghest groaned as he gathered power from the earth to heal himself. “But it was worth it to see your mettle. And Ryu…” Anyan chortledagain, enjoying his joke. “I thought Ryu was going to piss himself.”
Ryu’s face was still slack, so shocked by my aggression that he didn’t even blink when the barghest needled him. Normally Ryu would have flipped.
Anyan stood slowly, stretching his big frame as if to make sure everything still worked.
“I knew you’d be strong,” he said, finally growing serious, although his eyes still twinkled. “I figured you’d be stronger than me. But you beat all my expectations. And I’m glad, Jane. I hated seeing you vulnerable.”
I blushed, looking down. Why was he being nice? If he was trying to butter me up only to tell me to stay home, I’d give him a buttering…
“And you’ve made it clear that we can’t stand in your way, if you really want to come.”
My eyes met his, which were suddenly fierce and hard.
“But if you do this, Jane, you know the drill. You have to follow
my
orders. I’m in charge of this little outfit, and I grant no quarter. If you’re with me, you do what I say. And just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable. I know Nell has given you good defensive training, because I told her to. And as you’ve just illustrated, you can muscle your way around. But you’re not trained offensively, nor have you any finesse. So if I say you stay behind on a particular mission, you stay behind. It won’t be because you’re weak,” he said before I could protest. “It’ll be because I’m your general and you’re my soldier, my weapon. I deploy you where I think you can do the most damage. Or I hold you back so I don’t lose you before the next fight. Do you understand me?”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “You don’t actually want me to call you ‘General,’ do you? ’Cause that’s creepy.”
“Jane.”
“Fine. I’m in. What you say goes. General.”
He shook his head at me. “Don’t make me regret this by getting yourself killed. I told Nell to make you strong, and you both succeeded. Now don’t fuck it up. We leave in an hour.”
Anyan walked off, leaving me to watch his retreating backside. I was stunned. And more than a little appreciative of the view…
I heard a throat clearing behind me. I turned around.
It’s like he’s never seen me before
, I realized. Strangely enough, the thought made me smile. I also noticed, for the first time, that Julian was watching us from the back porch. He had a way of blending in with the background that wasn’t magical, as I would have felt the glamour, but was equally effective. For despite the fact I’d been unaware of his presence, there stood my fellow halfling, his whole body somehow exuding
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