“That’s more than I got,” Dreyak said. “I just got zapped. You should feel honored.”
“Right.” Kiadarsa stood up, still looking at Trip. “Does he speak to you?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s something. I would be upset if a Cofah soulblade defected and linked to an Iskandian. An Iskandian who already has a soulblade.” Kiadarsa glanced at Jaxi.
Trip opened his mouth, no doubt to tell her that Jaxi was on loan, but must have thought better of revealing the information, for he closed his mouth again.
“If that’s truly what you are,” Kiadarsa added quietly.
“The accent is right,” Jylea offered.
“What else would I be?” Trip tilted his head, like he truly cared what they thought. Or maybe he thought they might actually know. Hadn’t he said he didn’t know which country his father had come from?
“We’ll see,” Kiadarsa murmured. “We’ll see.”
7
Trip fastened the valve control back onto the helium tank, and Leftie clapped from the doorway. They were belowdecks in the airship, night having fallen again, and Trip longed for sleep. He regretted having stayed up all of the previous night. He would happily let someone else handle their navigation to… wherever they were going. As far as he knew, the Cofah hadn’t announced a destination.
“I didn’t know the flow of helium got you so excited,” Trip said, turning on the gas so it could fill the envelope.
Duck, Rysha, Leftie, Kaika, and the Cofah soldiers and scientists had spent the day patching it and repairing the framework for it. Rebuilding it, rather. It had been utterly smashed, as if a dragon had fallen out of the sky on top of it. Maybe it had.
“I was showing my approval for your whole scheme,” Leftie said. “Even though I’m not sure we came out on top in the end.” He leaned backward into the passageway to look up and down it, then lowered his voice. “I’m surprised the major agreed to the Cofah people being in command. I’m not real comfortable with that. I’m not going to yes, sir and yes, ma’am them, are you?”
“I hadn’t thought about it. Sometimes, those words automatically come out. They drilled them into us good at the academy.”
“That’s the truth. And Colonel Anchor liked to assign push-ups any time you forgot to yes, sir him.”
“I remember.” Trip checked a gauge and was pleased at the even flow of gas up the pipe and into the envelope. Not all of the pipework was visible, so he had worried there might be holes that he could only reach by digging into the bulkheads.
“And if you were in your flier and couldn’t do them, he’d keep a tally for you. Did you ever see his little notebook? He actually wrote it down. Leftie, push-ups: one hundred and twenty.”
“I saw it. I got up to three hundred once.”
“I remember that. He made you do them in front of the formation before we could go home. I wonder if the Wolf Squadron commander will be like that. Colonel Tranq, isn’t it? I can’t believe we didn’t get to meet her and just went straight off on this mission.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing. We weren’t able to start accumulating push-ups.” Trip moved over to the gauge that measured the fill percentage in the envelope. The airship had already been loaded, including moving the fliers onto its big open deck, and there weren’t any ropes tying them down. They would start lifting as soon as they had the gas to do so.
“I’m curious about what Tranq looks like. She’s supposed to be about forty, but that’s not that old. Women can still be sexy at forty. And they have a lot of experience.” Leftie grinned.
“I hope this speculation doesn’t mean that you’re hoping to sleep with our squadron commander. Lieutenant.”
“Sleeping isn’t what I do with women in bed.” The grin widened. “And I’ve never gotten with a colonel. Just Major Bee back in Charkolt. Remember her?”
“Wasn’t she married?”
“Not happily.” Leftie added a wink to his grin.
He looked up and down the passageway again. Before, he’d probably been hoping nobody was out there to overhear them. Now, he probably hoped someone was. Trip hadn’t ever noticed that he was shy about sharing his exploits.
“Speaking of experience,” Leftie said, “I’ve been trying to work up the courage to proposition Captain Kaika.”
“I didn’t think you were ever lacking in courage when it came to women.”
“Normally not, but the rumors about her and the king being a couple are daunting. It’s too bad that Cofah witch is a witch. What do you think of her? She’s a beauty, huh? I’d like to see her without her parka on.”
“Leftie, we haven’t been on this mission long enough for you to be this horny.” Trip held up a finger, leaned toward a brass funnel—part of the ship’s communications system—and flicked the switch under it. “Major Blazer, are you in the wheelhouse?”
“Yup, I’m here with our new mission commander.” Blazer’s voice managed to drip sarcasm even though it sounded tinny and distorted coming out of the funnel.
Trip suspected Leftie wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t yes, sir or yes, ma’am the members of the Cofah team. He assumed Blazer had only agreed to that conditionally, at least in her mind, and that once a dragon appeared, she would be barking orders.
Trip wondered what the odds were of them making it to this ruins site without encountering any. Not good, he suspected.
Even though the sorceress had announced that the dragon investigating the outpost had left, Trip had continued to sense it at the edge of his range. And he sensed it still. It had to be forty miles away, but he had the feeling it had an eye on them. The presence of the dragon-slaying swords might be keeping it away. He wouldn’t assume that. The bronze dragon in the Pirate Isles had proven that his kind weren’t so terrified of the blades that they would be swayed from their goals.
“We should be ready to lift off in about five minutes,” Trip said.
“Good,” Blazer said.
As soon as he stepped away from the horn, Leftie said, “A week is a long time, Trip. And it’s getting closer to two now. You know I’m used to having company any time I want it.”
“And that you want it often, yes.”
“Any strapping young man should.” Leftie peered into the passageway again. “Seriously, what do you think of the witch? Normally, I’d steer clear of anything to do with magic, and happily sign a petition that would see her hanged, but…”
Trip froze, staring at the gauge, chilled by his friend’s casual words.
“I honestly was never expecting witches to be sexy. Like, in all the books, they’re old and warty, unless they shape-change into young women to lure men away, and only afterward, the men find out they were disgusting. But Mrs. Zirkander is a real beauty, and this Cofah woman, man, she’s got that exotic look from way in the west.”
“Those with dragon blood are just people,” Trip said. “I imagine they can be beautiful or not, the same as anyone else. Luck of the gods.”
“I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be with one. Do you think they do witchy things in bed? And if so, what would they be?” Leftie managed to look appalled, horrified, and intrigued at the same time.
Given his prejudices, Trip couldn’t believe he was considering it at all. Trip had been too worried about the loathing the sorceress had been sending his way to think of her as a sexual being.
“Witchy things?” a woman asked from the passageway.
Leftie jumped, cracking his head on the low doorjamb.
“Shit,” he blurted, spinning around. He took a step into the passageway, looking like he meant to flee from the newcomer. But he glanced at Trip, clenched his jaw, and stepped back into the fuel room.
The sorceress appeared in the doorway, and Leftie backed farther into the room. To get away from her? Or did he have some notion of protecting Trip?
Trip silently echoed his friend’s curse. He’d been doing his best to avoid Kiadarsa. He wasn’t too worried about the
physical threat she posed, but he did worry that she would reveal what he was to his team. It had been clear she knew he had dragon blood. “The mage,” she’d called him. She had to be making assumptions that he had powers and training based on the fact that he had Jaxi. Trip didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Maybe she would leave him alone if she believed he might be her equal when it came to flinging magic around. But what if she wanted to challenge him?
Realizing she might be trying to read his thoughts, Trip attempted to put that bank vault around his mind. “Can I help you find something, ma’am?”
Leftie’s eyebrow twitched at the honorific, but he didn’t mention push-ups.
“I’ve actually found what I’m looking for.” Kiadarsa squinted at him. She liked to do that. Scrutinize him.
And he sensed her trying to probe his mind, too.
Bank vault, bank vault. Jaxi, you hear me?
He had left both soulblades in the cabin he and Leftie had been given, since he’d had to crawl through ductwork and clamber up on the framework of the envelope earlier. Doing so with swords dangling from one’s hips was difficult. But now, he felt naked without the weapons close at hand.
Of course, I hear you. I’m one deck above you, not on the other side of the world. Though I’m fairly certain I could hear your shouting from there too.
Just checking. I have a visitor.
So I see. Perhaps you can interest her in Leftie. Since he wants to know about her witchy things.
Trip felt somewhat comforted to know Jaxi was monitoring the situation, even if she was doing it irreverently.
Reverence is for minions, not mighty soulblades.
I feel like you would get along well with that bronze dragon we met.
Unlikely. He was on the dull side. One expects more from dragons.
“I’d like to speak with you—Trip, was it?” Kiadarsa wore a dubious expression as she said his name.
He shrugged. “You can call me Telryn Yert, if you want.”
She blinked. “Is that your mage name?”
“My what?”
She didn’t answer, merely staring at him, and he worried he’d made a mistake. Could she do something with his name?
“He’s a pilot,” Leftie told her slowly, as if he were explaining the situation to someone particularly dim.
“Yes, thanks for the tip.” Kiadarsa waved a dismissive hand at Leftie. “Run along, will you? I want to have a conversation with your friend, and I think he would prefer it be a private one.”
She smiled at Trip, a knowing smile.
His stomach did a nervous flip. He had a feeling his bank vault hadn’t been effective, or she’d just figured out from his reactions that he was keeping things from his comrades.
Her smile remained, but her eyes narrowed in speculation. Or… concentration?
The probe he’d sensed before returned in more force, raking over his mind.
“I’m going to get irritated if you keep attempting to invade my privacy,” Trip said, letting his voice cool.
If she truly believed him a trained sorcerer, would she be probing him so? Wouldn’t she worry it would anger him? He hoped she hadn’t noticed the lack of soulblades in the vicinity to protect him.
“I’m certain I don’t know what you mean.” Kiadarsa flicked her fingers at Leftie again. “Leave.”
“Nah,” Leftie said, feet planted. “I think he’d like me to stay here with him, to make sure you don’t do anything witchy to him.”
“And how will you do that?”
Leftie puffed out his chest and dropped a hand to the butt of his pistol.
She rolled her eyes. Leftie’s belt unbuckled, and his trousers dropped to his ankles.
“Shit,” he blurted for the second time in five minutes, lunging down to grab them.
Kiadarsa smirked at Trip, as if they were colleagues sharing a joke. Hardly that.
As soon as Leftie had his belt buckled again, Trip patted him on the shoulder. “It’ll be all right. I’ll talk to her.”
“Alone?” Leftie scowled at both of them. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m sure it’s not, but I’ll do it anyway.”
The deck tilted slightly underfoot, the airship lifting off. That should mean Trip’s time as mechanic was over, and he could get some sleep. Assuming the sorceress didn’t say something to give him nightmares. Or do “witchy things” to him.
Despite his words, Leftie didn’t move. He wore a mulish expression and crossed his arms over his chest. Though only for a second. Then he shifted his hands to his hips, one finger hooking around his belt. To keep it up if she tried to drop it again, no doubt.
Kiadarsa met his eyes and said, “Go.”
Trip sensed the magical compulsion—the power—in the command even before Leftie took a step toward the door. But he only took one step, then halted with a scowl.
Trip sensed her gathering more power to try again, and before he could consider if it was wise to challenge her in any way, he stepped between the two of them, holding a hand toward her.
“Don’t,” he said as coldly as he could. Hoping Jaxi would protect him, he turned his back to her and gripped Leftie’s shoulder. He deliberately did not try to persuade him with anything except words. “Come on, give us ten minutes, Leftie, will you?” He tried a smile, though he didn’t feel amused in the least. “If we have a good time, I’ll tell you all about it.”
Leftie grunted. “I’d leave in a second and hang a scarf on your doorknob on the way out if I thought that was what you had in mind.”
“Good to know.” Trip shooed Leftie toward the door.
That mulish expression remained, and Trip thought Leftie might refuse to be shooed—would it be unmanly to ask Jaxi to help foist him out?—but he finally grumbled, “Fine, fine, sacrifice yourself to a dragon if you want.”
He stomped out and slammed the door. Outside, Trip sensed him taking one step, putting his back to the wall opposite the door, crossing his arms over his chest, and glowering.
Even though Leftie’s babbling about women and sports—but especially women—could grow old, Trip felt lucky to have someone who would watch out for him. He believed he could count Rysha as someone like that now, too, even though he hadn’t known her for long. Some people had legions of friends like that—Trip wondered how many people would take a bullet for General Zirkander—but for him, he felt lucky to have two.
When he turned reluctantly to face Kiadarsa, he found her studying him again. Would he have to threaten her once more? Would it do any good? Probably not. At least, he didn’t sense her probing his mind this time. She merely looked him up and down with her eyes. It still felt invasive.
He didn’t know if it was within his power, but he attempted to exude some of the aura, the presence, that he’d sensed from the dragons. And from her when she’d been doing the mage equivalent of puffing up her feathers.
To his surprise, she stepped back, her mouth parting as her gaze jerked to his face.
He started to feel relieved, hoping it had worked and that she would leave him alone with her mind and her eyes, but she recovered and looked him up and down again. If anything, it was worse, with more sexual interest in her gaze now.
“What do you want to talk about?” Trip refrained from asking what she found so damn fascinating about him. It wasn’t as if he was gorgeous and women couldn’t keep their eyes off him.
“Who are you working for?”
He arched his eyebrows and pointed to the tag on his parka that read Iskandian Army.
She snorted. “No mage with your power is going to be a stupid soldier in the army.”
Power? Was his attempt to radiate some truly working? Or did she assume he had power because she thought Jaxi had been given to him? That he’d earned her through some deed and display of great sorcery?
“Actually, I’m an officer in the army,” Trip said.
Another snort. “Sure, you are. With a soulblade.”
Ah, yes, she was basing things on the presence of Jaxi.
“You’re clearly somebody’s spy, but not one of ours, right?” Kiadarsa cocked her head. “I would have heard of you if you were aligned with the Cofah. I used to work for Prince Varlok. Until a better offer came along. I know most of the sorcerers of any worth in Cofahre. There aren’t that many these days, sadly. Not with any real power.” She grasped her chin as she studied him. “I don’t care if you are somebody’s spy unless it gets in the way of my mission again. The last person to get in the way was—” she bared her teeth, “—intolerable.” Her eyes narrowed again. “One of the dragon alliances didn’t send you, did they?”
Dragon alliances? Trip did his best to keep his face expressionless. He’d already made a mistake by allowing his confusion to show at the term “mage name.” Jaxi was right. Long before this mission, he should have gone to the capital for lessons from Sardelle. If only he’d known.
“Let me ask you a question,” Trip said, figuring he should get information if there was any chance he could. He also wondered at her comment about a “better offer” than working for the prince. What could that be?
Her eyebrows rose. “Do you need to?”
Was that insinuation that she thought he could read her mind? Or that Jaxi could? She hadn’t pointed out the lack of a soulblade on his hip. Maybe she knew the swords were on the deck above.
“I prefer being polite.”
“That’s surprising. Unless you are used to working with dragons and having to step lightly.”
Not sure what to make of that statement, he said, “My grandmother always told me to be a gentleman.”
“I’m sure.”
“Will you tell me about this spy that betrayed you?” Trip asked.
“Jylea wouldn’t appreciate me sharing that story with strangers.”
“Even those who are now aligned with you and will assist you in destroying the portal?”
She hesitated. Thoughtfully? Uncertainly?
For once, Trip wished he did have the ability to read people’s minds.
“For the moment, Jylea and I have agreed that we will work with you and your team, yes,” she said. “But as I’ve already told you, I suspect you work for someone other than the Iskandians. Is destroying the portal truly what you wish to do?”