Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri Book 4) Read online

  Rise of the Iliri

  Book Four

  Auryn Hadley

  Spotted Horse Productions

  Inseparable is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Auryn Hadley

  All Rights Reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher and the copyright owner constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

  Published by Spotted Horse Productions

  First Edition: October 2016

  Cover Art by Spotted Horse Productions

  Edited by Kathryn Cox

  Sometimes, the goal you're chasing is the wrong one. The best things in life are usually right before our eyes, and so often overlooked.

  Chapter 1

  Sal stood at attention, her head held high. Her pale skin was stark against the pristine black uniform. The blue and gold bars on her shoulders were the only thing about her that was not perfect. The lieutenant's insignia were well worn and scuffed. The crossed swords on each one had been carved crudely by hand and inked dark by years in the field. A decade ago they'd graced the shoulders of a human, but they'd since become a symbol to the iliri of the Black Blades. They were proof that nothing could stop them.

  "Lieutenant Salryc Luxx?" the woman before her asked.

  "Yes, sir," Sal answered.

  "Can you not tell the difference between a man and a woman, soldier?" she sneered.

  "Yes, rather well," Sal replied flatly. "In basic training, we're taught that civilians are known as ma'am and mister, but soldiers and advisors shall be called sir to show respect. I was under the impression that you were a military advisor. My apologies, ma'am."

  The woman glanced up from her papers to glare at the defendant, but the tiny soldier continued to stare at the wall over her head. "I am Representative Berrik, Lieutenant," she explained. "Do you know why I am here?"

  Sal kept her voice bland. "I assume my actions are under investigation, Representative."

  "They are. What can you tell me about your mission in Anglia?"

  The corner of Sal's lip twitched, and she took a deep breath, fighting to hold her expression neutral. "I can tell you that it is complete and that it was a success, Representative."

  "And what exactly were your orders?" she demanded.

  "My orders are classified."

  "Yes, yes. I have the clearance. Can you please relay your orders as you understood them?"

  "I'm sorry, Representative. I can not," Sal said. "Those orders are classified, ma'am."

  "Did you not just hear me say I had clearance?" Representative Berrik snapped at her.

  Sal replied without emotion, "Yes, ma'am. I heard you. I have not seen military confirmation of that claim, ma'am. I am under strict obligation to not divulge my orders except to those with a level 1 clearance. I apologize, Representative."

  "Is she serious?" the politician asked, looking at the men seated to her sides. "Someone tell me that scrubber isn't serious!"

  "I'm afraid she is, Representative," said a man beside her in a heavily decorated uniform. "And I bet I know who gave her those orders. Lieutenant Luxx?"

  "Yes, sir," Sal replied.

  "Who issued your orders?"

  "General Sturmgren, sir."

  "Someone get me the General," the officer said, then he turned to the Representative, "and until he countermands that order or you provide documentation of your clearance, we’ll get nothing more. Recess the trial until the morning."

  "Surely - " the woman began, but he cut her off.

  "I'm sorry Representative. Elites are trained carefully. That soldier wouldn't speak under torture. What makes you think that standing there a while longer would get you anything else?"

  "Fine. Someone take Lieutenant Luxx to her cell. We're dismissed until the morning." Berrik tapped her gavel solidly against the desk and began moving her papers together, speaking softly to the men beside her.

  A pair of soldiers in blue uniforms approached Sal. When they reached her, the first man spoke to her softly, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. Would you come with us."

  "Yes, sir."

  Sal turned on her heel and marched through the door between them. The soldiers led her outside, across the outpost, to a small wood building. As they walked, Sal caught glimpses of faces she knew. Men in black looked up as she passed. Scattered around the compound was a group of darker skinned faces that Sal refused to look at too closely. Escorted by her jailors, she climbed the steps to the door of the military holding area where the second man reached out and pulled it open for her.

  "Sir," he said politely, gesturing that she should precede him.

  "Thank you, sir." Sal glanced at him in appreciation.

  Once out of sight of the crowd, the Conglomerate soldiers relaxed. "Sir, we had extra blankets brought over, and one of your unit-mates brought a book, but Representative Berrik banned it."

  "I understand."

  "Nah, sir. You can have something to read. It's just that this one isn't in Glish. I'm guessing it's Iliran."

  Sal chuckled, the first sign of emotion she'd allowed the humans to see since she'd arrived. "Probably. Would you make sure it gets back to a Black Blade?"

  "Yes, sir. I'd be happy to." He gestured to the door of her cell, and Sal stepped inside. She began unbuttoning her shirt, and the soldier politely turned his back. "Can we get you anything, sir?"

  "Something to hang my uniform on? I'd rather not look like a wrinkled mess in the morning."

  He nodded and left. Sal pulled off the fitted shirt - leaving her black tank underneath - and folded it carefully, laying it on the pillow. Then she sat on the bed and pulled off her boots, placing them carefully at the foot of the bed so as not to scuff the shine she'd worked so hard to put back on them.

  "Sir?" the last soldier asked.

  "Yeah?"

  "I can get ya a pair of blues if you'd like. That would at least keep the blacks spotless."

  Sal smiled at him, flashing sharp teeth. "Thank you," she said, meaning it. "It'd leave me a little pride at least."

  The soldier nodded and walked to the door. He stepped outside for only a moment before returning. "They'll be here shortly. I make no promises for the size, sir. I'm also supposed to tell you that we're with the 97th. The Captain said you'd know what that meant."

  A chuckle slipped out as she leaned back. That was a unit it'd be hard to forget after all they'd been through together in Prin. "Yeah. How's Nyurin anyways?"

  "He's good, sir. He's scheduled for watch tonight, actually. You know the Captain?"

  She nodded. "Yeah. You all still drilling with short swords?"

  He looked at her strangely. "Yeah. They said that started about a year ago."

  She knew. She'd been one of the people who'd helped train them. "After the Escean Pass. Kinetry still with you?"

  He nodded crisply. "Yes, sir. Lieutenant Kinetry is my unit head."

  "Lieutenant? Nice. If you see him, tell him I said to move faster."

  The soldier dipped his head, finally relaxing. "When did you meet the 97th, sir?"

  "We were stationed with you in Prin after the Escean Pass mission. You got a good unit, soldier."

  Before he could reply, the door opened behind him and a tall blonde man walked through it. The Private snapped to attention, but the new guy nodded, allowing the man
to relax. "Sal," he said, walking toward her cell with a bundle of clothing in his hands. "I got blues. Pass your uniform over to Brant here, and he'll make sure it's pressed. LT's being updated. You need anything?"

  She took the clothes from him through the bars. "It's good to see you again, Kinetry. You ever think we'd be here, like this?"

  He shook his head slowly. "No. I figured you'd be either dead or so decorated that I'd be kissing your boots as you walked past. What happened?"

  Stripping from her uniform, she handed the pieces across to her friend. Behind him, Private Brant blushed before he began inspecting the floor. She chose to ignore him.

  "The mission was a success," she said softly. "I'm not even sure what they're accusing me of yet. What happened while I was up there?"

  Kinetry leaned closer, pressing his forehead into the bars. "There's a good section of anti-iliri sentiment in Parliament now. Berrik's one of them. Rumors came down that you were preparing Anglia to take over the continent - and that you'd defected. We heard you took an Iliran title -"

  "I did." She winked at him before pulling on the blues.

  "Shit, Sal. That isn't gonna go well. You'd better have a damned good reason for it."

  "I did. We found a few things up there that you wouldn't believe. I had a very good reason for it."

  Kinetry looked at the Private beside him. "Brant, I suggest you get real hard of hearing, real fast. You get me, Private?"

  The soldier looked up at his commander and grinned. "What's that, sir? I have some wax in my ears. I didn't catch what you said."

  Kinetry chuckled and turned back to Sal. "Give me something to work with and we'll do what we can, ok?"

  Sal nodded, trusting this man completely. "Well, in the next few weeks, Viraenova is going to be sending delegates here. Does that help any?"

  "Shit. You got Viraenova?"

  "No, not me. But I got the person who did, which is why I used that title. Have you seen LT's mutts yet?"

  Kinetry's eyes narrowed, trying to follow her line of thinking. "Yeah. Those beasts are big. You get those up in Anglia?"

  Sal looked right in his eyes and smiled. "Yes. You should really ask LT about them. They hunt like nothing I've seen before." Then she gently touched Kinetry's hand on the bars between them. "Entire packs of them up there. Go ask LT. Absolutely amazing to watch. He could tell you some stories."

  Kinetry held her gaze for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah, I will. You know if Anglia is coming to the Alliance meeting?"

  She dropped her hand. "The Sergeant at Arms, Colonel Vayu, told me they were."

  "When?"

  She couldn't stop the sigh. "Hopefully after my trial. Could be some diplomatic issues if it's before they're done with me."

  "Ah, crap. What did you do, Sal?"

  "My job. Not just my mission. I did my real job."

  He nodded, understanding what she was saying. Sal was known to be one of the best assassins in the Conglomerate. Only Cyno, her partner, held a higher death count, and he'd been in his position two years longer.

  "I can't stay, Sal," Kinetry said, pulling away. "We don't want the politicians to dig too deep into how often the Blades and the 97th have run together. I'll ask LT about his mutts, though. Nyurin has your watch for the night. I hear he doesn't see so well in the dark, either." He winked at her and clapped the Private on the shoulder before leaving the room.

  "Lieutenant?" Private Brant asked when he was gone.

  "It's Sal, Brant. I've always been Sal to the 97th."

  "Ok, Sal. I have to ask. What happened to the steel knife?"

  She giggled and climbed onto the cot, leaning against the wall. "You know how those stories get. Six warlords in Escea became twelve. A few dozen men in the Escean Pass turned into hundreds."

  "Yeah. I heard about that. I just wanted to make sure, because Parliament has been collecting steel. Well, any metals. They say they need it for the war effort. I'd heard you earned it when the Blades broke the Escean line with those assassinations. Be a shame to see them get it after all that."

  Sal pressed her mouth to her knees to keep from giggling again. "Did you know," she said when she had her composure back, "that the Archduke of Terric is the Emperor's son?"

  Brant looked at Sal strangely. "No. I didn't even know there was an Archduke."

  "Ah, good to know. Well, there is. He's a bit of a mess right now. Had his back broken a few times and put back together, among other things." She looked over at the Private. "It's amazing how humans will start talking when they're in pain. I'll never really understand it."

  Brant chuckled, knowing sarcasm when he heard it. "It's a failing we have."

  "Yeah. He also shopped at the same place as the Chancellor. I guess they had similar taste in weapons or something. They both carried the same knife at least."

  Brant's eyes went wide. "I'll have to make sure the Captain knows that." He paused, thinking about what she'd said. "That's got to be like two kilos."

  Sal twisted her mouth to the side and shrugged. "Pretty close."

  He huffed out a sigh and checked the door before looking back at her. "They're going after the whole unit, Sal, and it ain't us they're using either. Who do you trust the most?"

  She figured he meant the officers of his unit. "Either one. Kinetry and I went through trials together. Nyurin grew up with Cyno."

  "Ok. Because they may decide you're hiding evidence. Shit. I can't leave to tell the Blades, either."

  "It's ok. I got it." She tapped her head, but that only seemed to confuse the man. Not that Sal really cared. Roo? she thought. Tell Blaec that the Conglomerate may search the Blades. Nyurin and Kinetry have been good to us. Trust them.

  Yes, Kaisae, the grauori bitch replied in her head. One of the pikemen is coming now. I'll be sure Blaec knows.

  Thanks, mutt.

  "So those parts of the stories are true, then?" Brant asked.

  Sal smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about at all. Who would believe that I could sit here and have a conversation with a grauor wolf in my head."

  Brant dropped into the closest chair. "Yeah. That would be crazy." He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

  Chapter 2

  Blaec? Roo's voice broke into Blaec's thoughts. Sal said that we need to trust the pikemen. She said there will be a search of the Blades. We need to dump a few things.

  Thanks, Roo. Blaec glanced out the window. Kinetry's headed this way.

  The grauori female grabbed her pups from the floor and set them on the bed. Hopping up beside them, she curled around them like a typical canine. Rhyx grabbed her ear and pulled on it, so Roo turned her youngest daughter to her twin sister. The girls were wrestling and growling by the time the soldier knocked on the door.

  "Come," Blaec called.

  "Major," Kinetry greeted him, stepping inside the door. He glanced at the creatures on the bed. "It was suggested that I ask you about the wolves, sir."

  "Relax, man. Sal already warned me," Blaec said. "And it's LT or Blaec."

  Kinetry nodded slowly. "So the thinking story part's true then. What did she mean about your wolves, though? Why was it so important?"

  Blaec leaned back in his chair and sighed. "What did she tell you?"

  "She said I need to ask you about how they hunt. She said there's huge packs up there, and that it's amazing. What did she mean."

  Roo whuffed from the bed, looking at the soldier innocently.

  "You might as well show him, Roo. Sal trusts this one."

  Roo nodded, and Kinetry's eyes grew larger. Beasts weren't supposed to have such human responses. It was the same reaction most humans had to the grauori. Carefully, the bitch moved away from the pups, hopped off the bed, and walked to Kinetry's feet. Then she stood, like a human, and offered her paw to him.

  "Rai ahm pleased ta mheet ya," she said carefully around her long tongue.

  Kinetry accepted her hand, his mouth hanging open. "Likewise," he replied out of habit. He glanced at Bla
ec before looking back at the beast standing before him.

  Roo sank back to all four legs and sat, watching the man.

  Blaec decided to explain. "The iliri came from the grauori. Humans made us from them. They're less beastly than half the Conglomerate."

  "Shit. That's a lot to take in, LT."

  "I know. It's about to get a lot worse, too. Anglia is coming to the meeting. The King is bringing a few soldiers with him, and his co-ruler, the Orassae Rragri."

  Kinetry's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "Orassae?"

  Blaec nodded. "It's a Grauoran title. Leader of all the packs, basically. Think of it like the queen of Roo's kind."

  "That's what she meant. Damn. That's going to cause a stir." Kinetry chuckled.

  "At least one thousand of them. She's got one hell of an army."

  Kinetry grabbed a chair from the table beside Blaec and sat in it heavily. "A thousand? When?"

  Blaec glanced at Roo. "Any updates?"

  Three more days.

  "Roo says three days," Blaec relayed.

  "Wow. No wonder Sal said something. Is that why she used an Iliran title?"

  Blaec nodded. "Without them, Anglia would have fallen to Terric. Calling herself Kaisae, while it's true - and pretty nice for us - gave the grauori a reason to trust her. The more iliri she was, the better the chance of that alliance. Kinetry, the troops she's bringing? They're just her forward unit. She's got a lot more. Anglia spreads far over the mountains, and there aren't many humans back there."

  "How many?"

  "Millions. Each pack is about twenty people. Probably all but two of those are fighters - it's just how they are. Rragri said she can reach about five hundred thousand packs."

  "That's like nine million soldiers," Kinetry gasped.

  Blaec nodded. "Exactly. It's a dilemma for Sal. She can't explain her actions without the grauori. She doesn't want to have the human king hear about her actions."

  Kinetry groaned in understanding. "I'll talk to Nyurin about it, see if we can come up with anything, but that's not the only reason I'm here."