got one of the new rifled muskets and he never misses.”
“Thank you for the warning, Sergeant. You can go to her, Jes,” she continued in Aydori. “Don’t touch the gold net.”
“Or what?” Jesine muttered, crawling to where Annalyse was now dry heaving. “They’ll shoot me?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful.”
“Not really.”
“This doesn’t mean you lot can start talkin’.” Sergeant Black cut Stina off before she managed more than an indeterminate sound. Understanding the tone, if not the words, Stina shut her mouth with a snap and glared up at him. If looks alone could kill, the sergeant wouldn’t have survived the encounter.
“You speak Imperial very well.”
Although her heart slammed against her ribs, Danika kept herself from visibly reacting to the sudden presence behind her. The younger Pack members were always playing stalk and pounce; those who reacted, soon became a favorite target. “Thank you, Captain Reiter.” His voice was deeper than the younger officer’s.
“And how well do the
others
speak Imperial?”
“Everyone speaks a little Imperial, Captain.” Stina spoke a
very
little, but Danika had no idea how much she understood. Jesine could manage if everyone involved spoke slowly. Kirstin was as fluent as Danika was—there was no way she’d allow her rival the advantage. Danika wasn’t certain about Annalyse as she’d known the younger woman for barely a week. “The language, like the empire, is…pervasive.”
“True. Stand up.”
“You don’t give me orders, Captain.”
“And I don’t have time for this.”
His hand around her upper arm was more competent than cruel, but intent mattered very little given the sudden flare of pain when he hauled her to her feet. When he released her, she staggered forward, stumbled, and flung out her arms to stop herself from falling. The sudden movement added yet more pain, and it raged through her body like a storm before dissipating through the soles of her feet.She sagged with the relief of its going, then straightened her back, slowly lifted her head, and turned to face the captain.
Reiter was younger than Danika expected; tall but lean with pale eyes, a beak of a nose, hair that indeterminate color between blond and brown, and reddish-brown stubble over a pointed chin. He might have been attractive if not for Lady Berin’s blood still smeared over his face. The competence in his touch extended to his expression. He had the look of a professional soldier, a man who would get the job done no matter how distasteful he personally found it.
“Good, they can walk.” He spoke Imperial with the careful diction of a man promoted from the ranks and thrown in among the sons of aristocracy. “Tie their hands behind them.”
“They can’t remove the tangles, Captain.” The lieutenant, whose name Danika hadn’t yet heard, was clearly one of those privileged sons. His uniform had not merely been tailored, but made-to-measure, and his accent had the supercilious sound of the Court about it. “Removal requires another artifact.”
“Does it? Tie their hands anyway,” the captain continued, “as I doubt they’ll take your word for it and I don’t want them damaged beyond their ability to walk.”
“So kind,” Danika murmured, carefully inclining her head toward him.
His cheeks under the patina of blood flushed slightly, but that was the only sign he’d heard. “One man in each squad keeps them upright and moving. You go back the way we came in.”
Was he not going with them? Danika wondered. The lieutenant’s youth might make him easier to manipulate, but he looked like the type who felt he had to keep proving his power.
Before the lieutenant could acknowledge the captain’s order, Natali’s cursing grew louder as, finished with the soldiers themselves, she began to wish nightmares and diseases on their descendants. Danika heard Kirstin giggle and then bite the sound off before it slid into hysteria.
The next sequence
“Thank you for the warning, Sergeant. You can go to her, Jes,” she continued in Aydori. “Don’t touch the gold net.”
“Or what?” Jesine muttered, crawling to where Annalyse was now dry heaving. “They’ll shoot me?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful.”
“Not really.”
“This doesn’t mean you lot can start talkin’.” Sergeant Black cut Stina off before she managed more than an indeterminate sound. Understanding the tone, if not the words, Stina shut her mouth with a snap and glared up at him. If looks alone could kill, the sergeant wouldn’t have survived the encounter.
“You speak Imperial very well.”
Although her heart slammed against her ribs, Danika kept herself from visibly reacting to the sudden presence behind her. The younger Pack members were always playing stalk and pounce; those who reacted, soon became a favorite target. “Thank you, Captain Reiter.” His voice was deeper than the younger officer’s.
“And how well do the
others
speak Imperial?”
“Everyone speaks a little Imperial, Captain.” Stina spoke a
very
little, but Danika had no idea how much she understood. Jesine could manage if everyone involved spoke slowly. Kirstin was as fluent as Danika was—there was no way she’d allow her rival the advantage. Danika wasn’t certain about Annalyse as she’d known the younger woman for barely a week. “The language, like the empire, is…pervasive.”
“True. Stand up.”
“You don’t give me orders, Captain.”
“And I don’t have time for this.”
His hand around her upper arm was more competent than cruel, but intent mattered very little given the sudden flare of pain when he hauled her to her feet. When he released her, she staggered forward, stumbled, and flung out her arms to stop herself from falling. The sudden movement added yet more pain, and it raged through her body like a storm before dissipating through the soles of her feet.She sagged with the relief of its going, then straightened her back, slowly lifted her head, and turned to face the captain.
Reiter was younger than Danika expected; tall but lean with pale eyes, a beak of a nose, hair that indeterminate color between blond and brown, and reddish-brown stubble over a pointed chin. He might have been attractive if not for Lady Berin’s blood still smeared over his face. The competence in his touch extended to his expression. He had the look of a professional soldier, a man who would get the job done no matter how distasteful he personally found it.
“Good, they can walk.” He spoke Imperial with the careful diction of a man promoted from the ranks and thrown in among the sons of aristocracy. “Tie their hands behind them.”
“They can’t remove the tangles, Captain.” The lieutenant, whose name Danika hadn’t yet heard, was clearly one of those privileged sons. His uniform had not merely been tailored, but made-to-measure, and his accent had the supercilious sound of the Court about it. “Removal requires another artifact.”
“Does it? Tie their hands anyway,” the captain continued, “as I doubt they’ll take your word for it and I don’t want them damaged beyond their ability to walk.”
“So kind,” Danika murmured, carefully inclining her head toward him.
His cheeks under the patina of blood flushed slightly, but that was the only sign he’d heard. “One man in each squad keeps them upright and moving. You go back the way we came in.”
Was he not going with them? Danika wondered. The lieutenant’s youth might make him easier to manipulate, but he looked like the type who felt he had to keep proving his power.
Before the lieutenant could acknowledge the captain’s order, Natali’s cursing grew louder as, finished with the soldiers themselves, she began to wish nightmares and diseases on their descendants. Danika heard Kirstin giggle and then bite the sound off before it slid into hysteria.
The next sequence
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