worlds,' Jack commented.
'I am sure some of your people would consider them primitive and naive,' Draycos said, a little stiffly. 'Others would recognize their strength of character and purpose as signs of highly advanced beings. Until the Valahgua began their war against us, their greatest heroes were those who throughout history had stood for what was right amid opposition, even to the point of death.'
He moved restlessly against Jack's skin. 'Now, sadly, their warriors have become the most esteemed among them. I can only hope they will be able to regain the culture and dignity of their race once they are safely here.'
'And I suppose when they are that you'll—?' Jack broke off, suddenly embarrassed at what he'd been about to ask.
But Draycos had caught it anyway. 'Do you ask if I will be returning to one of them if we should succeed in our task?'
'Don't get me wrong,' Jack said quickly. Too quickly, probably. Uncle Virgil had always said that he talked too fast when he was nervous. 'I mean, this arrangement is only supposed to be until they get here. And that's fine with me.'
'I will not leave until you wish for me to do so,' Draycos said quietly. 'I promise you that.'
'Yeah,' Jack said tardy, blinking back sudden moisture in his eyes. 'But no one's exactly sent you an engraved invitation to the royal banquet, either. Uncle Virge and I were doing fine before you showed up, and we'll do fine after you leave.'
He leaned back stiffly, wincing as his head bumped against the cold metal of the shelves behind him. 'Assuming we ever get out of here,' he got himself back on track, wishing he'd never brought up the subject of Draycos's future in the first place. The dragon was a temporary associate. Nothing more. 'What does a good poet-warrior do in a situation like this?'
'He does his duty, of course,' Draycos said. 'The duty of all prisoners of war is to escape.'
Jack sighed. 'One small problem with that,' he said. He snapped his wrist out again to rattle the handcuff chain in reminder.
Only this time the chain didn't rattle. At his first tug it clinked once—
And with a soft thud, the chain snapped off at the cuff around his wrist and dropped in a heap onto the dirt floor.
Jack jerked in surprise, grabbing reflexively at the handcuff around his wrist. Or rather, the ordinary bracelet the cuff had suddenly become. 'What in—?'
He broke off, his mouth snapping firmly closed. Of course. The dragon's claws. The claws that he'd once seen scratch a K'da letter into the end of a metal cylinder.
Only this time, the dragon hadn't just scratched. This time, so quietly and stealthily that Jack hadn't even noticed, Draycos had cut his way straight through the handcuff chain.
'You were saying there was a problem?' Draycos said blandly.
Jack glared down at his chest in the darkness. It was impossible to tell, but he could swear the other was laughing at him. 'Funny dragon,' he growled. 'Okay, you're so smart. Now what?'
'As I said, our duty is to escape,' Draycos said. Sliding up along Jack's skin to his neck, he popped the control collar free. 'But our duty is also to our comrades. We must assist in their release.'
'Hold on a second,' Jack warned, shivering with relief as he dropped the collar onto the floor and pushed it as far away from him as he could. 'If you're suggesting we take on Lieutenant Cue Ball and his troops all by ourselves, you've got a serious argument coming.'
'I do not suggest that at all,' Draycos assured him. 'Our chances for success will be much higher if we leave this place and summon help.'
'Now you're talking,' Jack said, pushing himself to his feet and brushing the dirt off his hands. 'Any idea how we manage that without someone objecting?'
'We begin by opening the door,' Draycos said. 'Quietly, of course.'
'Thanks,' Jack said dryly, finding the door handle and easing it open a crack. When it came to sneaking, at least, the noble K'da warrior and the lowly human thief were thinking alike.
Everything seemed quiet outside. Jack stood without moving for a moment, listening to the sounds of the night and watching all the shadows he could see from his angle. Most of the faint background noise seemed to be coming from the Agrist huts in the distance behind them, with nothing closer. Nothing moved, either, at least nothing that he could see. 'Looks clear,' he murmured. 'We going for the Flying Turtles?'
'Would you rather walk?'
Jack rolled his eyes. Draycos was in rare form tonight. Very pleased with himself over the handcuffs, no doubt. 'No, let's travel in style, shall we?' he said. 'You want to watch our backs?'
A weight formed on his shoulders in response, his jacket pulling tight against his throat as Draycos's head rose up from his shoulder, facing backwards. 'Ready.'
'Okay.' Bracing himself, Jack pulled the door all the way open and stepped into the doorway. He paused there for a moment, watching and listening some more. Still nothing. Closing the door behind him, he slipped out into the night.
Chapter 20
He had just reached the first human building, the one where the rest of Tango Five Zulu were handcuffed to the floor, when a slab of light suddenly cut through the darkness ahead.
He dropped into a crouch at the corner, pressing himself against the building. The light, he saw, was coming from the doorway of the second human building. As he watched, two Shamshir soldiers came striding out, supporting a staggering Li between them.
Jack felt his muscles tense. If they took her to the same hut they'd just locked him into, the mustard was about to hit the wiener, big time.
But no. They turned the other direction, their backs to him, and headed toward another row of the small mud huts on the other side of the building.
There was a soft hiss in his ear. 'Easy,' Jack soothed. 'They're not coming this way.'
'She has been tortured,' Draycos murmured back. There was an edge of barely controlled fury in his voice. 'Can you not see that?'
Jack frowned, studying Li's back as she stumbled along. 'No, I don't think so,' he said. 'I remember her looking like she was in shock earlier. I think she's still just not clicking on all chips.'
