Tenacity (Rise of the Iliri Book 5)

  Rise of the Iliri

  Book Five

  Auryn Hadley

  Spotted Horse Productions

  Tenacity 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: December 2016

  Cover Art by Spotted Horse Productions

  Edited by Kathryn Cox

  In every great journey, friends will fall to the wayside, others will join the march, and some will trudge beside you the entire way. Cherish them all, because none of us can do this alone.

  I hope you all know which one you are.

  Chapter 1

  It was quiet. The soft drizzle of rain caused a hushed static that kept their ears from ringing and the squelch of their boots in the mud told the tiny, white woman that it wasn't a problem with her hearing. Step by step, they pushed through the town with swords drawn, tense, seeking any sign of movement.

  A shutter flapped in the wind and one of the men, Razor, twitched. All eyes jerked to the threat. When Sal looked back, her brother was blushing at his reaction. He caught her eye and shrugged.

  They pushed on. Blaec had ordered them to secure the town - if the small cluster of buildings even qualified as such. The streets were empty, there was no smell of humans in the air, but the earthy scents of iliri seemed to permeate everything.

  Just as the unit began to relax, Blaec's voice sounded in their minds. Zep, Razor, Arctic, check the - he gestured to the large building in the middle of town - tavern, inn, thing. Whatever that is. I need two grauori maargra, at least, to sweep the houses. Hwa, you're in charge of them. Audgan, Geo, head over a street. Sal, Cyno with me, and I want Shift and Risk to float as needed. Keep your senses open people. There's supposed to be a unit of Terrans here.

  I'm not getting shit, Razor replied. You sure we're in the right place?

  Blaec glanced over his shoulder and looked at his soldier. Your skill, man, not mine.

  With a grin, Razor nodded and closed his eyes. They all paused, checking their surroundings while they waited.

  I got nothing, LT, Razor thought, finally. Faint tug to the northeast, but it sure as shit ain't close.

  You just looking for Terrans, or humans? Zep asked.

  Terrans, or those in the Terran military. Trust me, it works. Doesn't matter what citizenship they claim.

  They stood motionless for a second before Blaec sighed. So? Move, guys. I need a full sweep. Let's act like elites!

  That was enough. They all began drifting in the direction they'd been ordered, Sal sliding her sword back into the scabbard, feeling more relaxed. Signs of recent habitation were everywhere. Clothes hung wet on lines, windows stood open with drizzle soaking the curtains inside, but the buildings were in good repair.

  When did it start raining here? she asked.

  Two days ago, Jase said following her eyes. Ya think they all just left?

  She shrugged. There's something here, but I couldn't tell you where.

  Blaec was listening. Friend or foe?

  I'm not sure, love. I just feel like something's here. I can almost hear it. She looked at him, meeting his eyes. Yes, it's been going on a while. No, I'm not making a deal out of it. Yes, we will talk about it later.

  Blaec ducked his head to hide the smile but nodded. Gesturing for them to follow, he slipped inside a building. As soon as they passed through the door, scents assaulted her: wood, cloth, foodstuffs, and more. When Sal sneezed, both men glared at her, but she just sighed and walked across the building. This one was clearly empty, so her mistake hadn't alerted anyone to their location.

  Yanking open the door to the stairs, she knew why. "I think we're too late."

  Blaec and Jase both moved to her side, the scent of decomposition wafting down to them.

  "Fuck," Blaec grumbled. "This place was supposed to be Iliran."

  Sal nodded and stepped through the door. "Hence the death," she tossed back as she jogged easily up the stairs. At the top, she paused. "Shit."

  We have dead, Blaec told his men through their mental link.

  Us too, Geo replied. Family. Even the kids. It's pretty gruesome.

  Torture is more like it, Sal agreed.

  Jase brushed past his commanding officer and up the stairs. With a glance behind him, Blaec followed. In the apartment above, the smell was stronger. An elderly couple lay dead. Sprawled across the floor, their blue eyes stared at nothing. The three soldiers stood silently, each trying to come to terms with this in their own way.

  "I want to die like that," Sal said softly, then stepped toward the corpses.

  Blaec's head snapped to look at her, his expression confused. The skin had been flayed from much of the victims' bodies. The man's legs had been broken, and the woman had been repeatedly lacerated. Fingers were scattered on the floor around them like debris, their blood had splattered across every surface in the room, even the ceiling.

  Sal stopped beside them and looked down. The older man's mutilated fingers rested against the woman's palm, her thumb crossed over the back of his hand. They'd died together.

  We have more, Hwa thought. Looks like they tried to hide over here. He projected a location to them on the far side of the town.

  How many? Blaec asked.

  More than ten. Hard to get a count unless we try to piece them back together, but I smell at least ten different people.

  No, Blaec said. We can let the greens worry about that. We have any signs of life at all? Silence met his question. Then keep looking.

  "Leave them?" Sal asked.

  "Yeah. You smell humans at all, sweetness?"

  She shook her head. "No. With the rains, any trail would be gone. Hwa might be able to track something, but I can't."

  She barely finished the thought before a rush of fear hit her like a hammer. Both she and Jase turned to the wall beside them instinctually, then spun and ran down the stairs.

  I'm fine! Zep's thought cut through them, and the pair stopped before they even had reached the bottom. Sal, I think we're going to need you, though.

  What did you find? Blaec asked.

  I don't know. There's a girl. His amusement leaked through the link.

  He forgot to mention the explosion, Arctic added wryly.

  Iliri? Blaec asked.

  No fucking clue on this one. Can't get close enough, and she doesn't look like anything I've seen before, Arctic answered.

  "Go," Blaec told his partners. "I'll check the next building."

  Sal and Jase shared a look, and he nodded. "I got yer back, LT. We'll know if anythan' touches her before she can think it."

  "Thanks, man."

  When they left the shop, the men turned right. Sal went left. She jogged through the rain, mud splashing against her ankles, to the large tavern. When she reached the door, she paused, listened, then entered.

  Where are you? she asked.

  Downstairs, Arctic said. Zep, don't. You're freaking her out, man.

  Sal looked around the empty room and found the door standing conspicuously open. Heading that way, she could hear voices from the basement. A girl growled in something that sounded Iliran, but
the words were jumbled by distance. The stairs were clear, so she trotted down, her feet barely making a sound.

  "You will burn! I will pull you apart and make you burn!" The accent was thick but the words were true Iliran.

  Sal walked through the narrow hall, turned a corner, and paused. Zep, Razor, and Arctic crouched beside the corner of a door as if seeking cover. She walked up behind Zep and rested her hand on his shoulder.

  I'm here. Catch me up.

  Crazy bitch in there is pissed, Zep said. I went to open the cage, and I think she tried to fry me or something. He pointed at his chest and the heat stress lines across the resin. Seems to be line of sight.

  Sal shook her head. We don't have skills like that. Audgan's is about the most aggressive I've ever seen.

  And ripping someone's thoughts from their head is passive, Sal? Arctic asked. Catch this.

  He tossed a memory into her mind: Zep walking into the room, a cage in the back corner with a girl in it. Her hair was a strange color, almost red, but blonde at the same time. When Zep saw her, he rushed over and grabbed the door, trying to open it. That's when his armor started to smoke, and Zep backed out of the room quickly. Arctic glanced at the girl. Their eyes met. His nearly white ones locked to hers - one ice blue, one pale amber. She snarled, and the table behind him had exploded into shards of wood.

  Sal sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Why are you in a cage?" she yelled at the girl in Iliran.

  "I'm not your pet!" the girl called back.

  "No. You also didn't answer the question. My Taunor wanted to let you out, and you threatened him. Why are you in the cage?"

  "Do not pretend with me. I know you killed them all. Soldiers! You think because I am different, I am evil?"

  That was more than she could take. Sal marched forward, brazenly heading for the girl's room. Behind her, the men just sighed in defeat. When she pushed the door open, the strange girl's eyes were waiting. Even when they widened in surprise, she didn't look away.

  Sal was impressed. She also wanted to make the point very clear. "No. I do not think different is evil."

  "There was a human!" the girl rambled in her native language, looking toward the short hall. "He was just in here, and a part-human with him. They'll come back!" she cried, grasping at the bars, her panic showing. "Let me out before they come back!"

  "They're with me. They are iliri. I know Zep looks human," Sal touched her own head, "but he's iliri here. I won't let you out if you're going to hurt my pack."

  The girl sat back and pushed the mass of curls away from her face. Streaks of red, blonde, and white ran in stripes through her hair, made obvious when she held it against her scalp.

  "Nee," she said softly. Please.

  "What's your name, girl?"

  "Shaden Lesedi."

  "Ok, Shaden." Sal squatted before the bars. "Why are you in a cage? It looks like mostly iliri lived here."

  Shaden jerked her eyes to the side. "I'm dangerous. I'm twisted."

  "Explain."

  "Look at me!" she screamed. "I'm striped like a cat, my eyes don't match. I'm evil."

  Sal shrugged. "I'm white, my eyes look like a cat's, I have ears that make yours look normal, and I've been called evil a few times."

  Shaden's shoulders sagged as if defeated. "It's not the same."

  The sound of soft footsteps behind her made Sal flick an ear back. It was Arctic, walking slowly into the room.

  "I can't follow all of that, your Iliran is too good," he said in Glish. "She ok, demon?"

  Sal shrugged and answered in the same language, "I'm not letting her out until she explains a few things." She looked back at the girl.

  Shaden's eyes had gone wide as she pressed herself against the back of the cage, looking at Arctic. She was breathing fast but trying hard not to show it.

  "Back up, Arctic," Sal said softly.

  He dropped his eyes and stepped back until he was pressed against the wall. Shaden relaxed slightly, but every muscle in her body was tense.

  "Why are you scared of him?" Sal whispered.

  "I'm not," the girl insisted.

  "We can smell it, Shaden. He's iliri. As Iliran as it gets now. He won't hurt you."

  The girl's mismatched eyes met Sal's quickly, then looked back at Arctic. She said nothing.

  Sal kept her tone gentle. "Let me say that a different way, I will not let him touch you. He can not unless I allow it. I am Kaisae."

  At those words, the girl seemed to collapse on herself. A strangled sob leapt from her throat, and she buried her head in her hands. That was all the proof Sal needed.

  "I need Rayna and Roo at least. Meia would be good as well. All of you men get the fuck out of this room. Now!" Sal ordered.

  They moved quickly, the sound of their steps retreating up the hall. The further away they got, the louder Shaden allowed herself to cry. Sal didn't bother thinking about it, she just opened the door to the cage and waited for the poor thing to crawl out, then pulled the girl into her arms.

  "The Black Blades are good people, Shaden. None of them will hurt you. I swear it. Now, I have friends coming, and they may be humans, but they're Anglians. Do you know what that means?"

  Shaden nodded. "Yeah. Anglia is coming to save us." Both of her hands were pressed over her face. "And if we can just hold out, Salryc Luxx will set us all free. Is she here?"

  "I'm right here."

  Shaden gulped and wiped at her eyes quickly. "You're…" She looked across Sal's face. "But?"

  Sal offered her a sympathetic smile. "I'm Sal. Those men you tried to burn? That's my pack."

  "You're the Kaisae!" Shaden said, pulling away. Then she suddenly switched to Glish. "Your Majesty!"

  Sal changed languages to match. "Oh no. I'm just Sal. I'm not a queen, I'm not a ruler. I'm a pissed off bitch who likes to kill Terrans. That's it."

  "But, you're like the queen of Anglia, aren't you?"

  "Kaisae. There's the King and the Orassae, too. Now, what are we going to do with you? Can you even be around a man?"

  Shaden looked down, her shame showing. "I'm fine."

  "No. You're not. I'm not sure exactly what you are but fine is not one of the options. Shaden, I was a slave. I know. I've been there, ok?"

  "They said I'm not iliri because I'm like this." Shaden picked the part of Sal's comment she felt most comfortable addressing.

  "And your skill most definitely isn't Iliran, but you smell a bit like us."

  The girl shrugged and wiped at her nose again. "Not enough to be a part of the pack."

  Sal reached up and touched the girl's cheek. Through that gentle contact, flashes of Shaden's thoughts, concerns, and memories flooded into Sal's mind. They'd cast her out the first time her talent showed itself, terrified of the destruction she could cause. After that, she spent years chained to a boulder in the hills beyond town. When she learned to control it, they brought her to the basement, chained her up, and gave her to the Terran soldiers repeatedly in order to save their own families. To get food, she was forced to lock herself in the cage three times a day before they'd open the door.

  "When was the last time you left this room?" Sal asked.

  "I was sixteen. I kept count for two years, thinking when I hit my majority, they'd let me leave."

  Sal nodded in understanding, hearing the sounds in the hall change. "But they didn't. My friends are coming, ok? They're human and grauori, but they are my friends."

  Shaden just bobbed her head in a weak acceptance.

  Roo scampered down the stairs first, Rayna and Meia on her heels. Sal called out, "We're ok."

  "Thank Ayati," Rayna said, pushing into the room. Roo nudged beside her, but Meia waited at the threshold.

  "You have women as soldiers?" Shaden asked, looking up at Sal.

  Rayna chuckled. "What do you think Sal is if not a soldier?"

  "She's the Kaisae," Shaden replied, the awe apparent in her voice.

  Sal jerked a thumb back at her closest friend. "And she's the co
nsort. Meia's elite. Roo is my gerus."

  "What's a gerus?"

  "It's an ilus, but with fur. She's the dam of my kids."

  "You really do follow the old ways," Shaden breathed in awe.

  "Ya," Roo said around her tongue. "Carn Rai Toudg oo?"

  Shaden shook her head, "What?"

  "She wants to touch you," Sal explained. "She's a linker."

  Shaden seemed to pull into herself. "With them?"

  The girl's reaction said a little too much. "Not yet, Roo," Sal decided. "I don't think she's ready for the minds of our men."

  "Fucking humans." Meia pushed closer. "They raped her?"

  Sal knew the girl could follow the entire conversation, but they needed to know. "The iliri helped, but yes. A lot. She hasn't been out of this room in years."

  "She's staying with me then," Meia insisted. "I won't let a single man near her."

  "I'm not sure you're much safer for her. She's able to take care of herself. Shaden, this is Rayna and Meia, both are elite soldiers with the Devil Dogs. The fuzzy one is Aroora, or Roo. I swear they're friends. They've gotten my back more times than I can count. Can we get that chain off your leg?"

  When Shaden nodded, Meia moved to her ankle, pulling a small pack from her pocket. She set to work, poking and twisting the lock until the manacle sprang open. The flesh on the girl's leg was raw, not quite bloody, but Shaden reached down and began to rub it.

  "Are they all dead?" she asked.

  "I think so," Sal told her. "We found bodies. I'm not sure if any got away."

  "Good. They weren't real iliri anyway. You didn't want them." With that, she stood and tried to dust off the thin shift she wore.

  Sal and Rayna both reached for the buttons at their throats. "I do the cold better than you, Ray," Sal pointed out. "And she's about my size."

  "Fair enough. Tell one of your boys to get a blanket for her legs."

  Sal nodded and passed the word as she pulled off her leather armor and the longsleeve black shirt beneath it. "Here, Shaden. It's cold out there."

  "Winter already?"

  "No, but autumn and raining. You ever ridden?"