The first man returned my belt and stepped aside, letting me through. Only then did I notice that all the vessár-ai and their nami-ai had gathered at the edge of the camp, and an uncomfortable number of them were staring at me. I caught hushed but angry whispers and turned to see someone arguing with Myar Mal, his silver sash blinking as he gestured wildly. But then kar-vessár said something, and the man snapped his mouth shut and glared at me. My guts knotted into a tight ball.
But my attention quickly shifted as something flashed in the darkness, round and brighter than the vessár-ai sashes. Eyes, I realized, big and bright like flashlights. Kas’shams.
There were a few of them in Mespana, although I never got to work with any. Despite my nation’s legendary prejudice, I had nothing against them. But then and there, seeing their tight, lithe silhouettes, almost melting in with the darkness, I felt uneasy. Kas’shams were obligate carnivores, often employed as headhunters for their predation skills. And they were on our side. Logically, there was no reason for me to be afraid. And yet… they were predators, no doubt. Everything about them screamed it—their movements, their long, nimble limbs with sheathed claws, their big eyes, and mouths filled with sabre-like teeth. Yes, they were predators, and I felt like prey.
Absurd, I knew. Maybe Tayrel Kan had a point. Maybe, despite cycles spent in the colonies, I was a little bit speciesist.
“Aldait Han.”
I turned around to face the kar-vessár. He held a pair of binoculars and I thought he must have been watching the mansion.
“Myar Mal,” I replied, nodding slightly.
“Congratulations on your promotion,” he said. His voice seemed friendly enough and the message innocent, but it sent a chill down my spine.
“Thank you, kar-vessár.” I nodded again, and instead of stopping, had to add, “though I have to say, I’m surprised you allowed it.”
“And why is that?” His lips quirked, but his eyes remained cold. “It’s a perfect solution. Laik Var gets to show people how much he trusts you, I get to keep an eye on you. Everyone is happy. But let me tell you something.” His smile disappeared, and his gaze turned even colder. “I have the lives of almost a thousand Dahlsi in my hands. Anyone who wants to take them will have to go through me. Do you understand?”
I nodded, unable to speak. And then, despite my best efforts, I failed to stifle a yawn.
Myar Mal looked at me with disdain. “Do I bore you?”
“No, Myar Mal. I’m sorry; I wasn’t prepared to be up so early.”
“Well, some of us haven’t slept in three days, but please, tell me more about your plight.”
He turned back to watching the manor through the binoculars, but I could feel him rolling eyes at me. I swallowed a curse. I sensed movement on my left and felt something pressed into my hand. I looked down to see a large, white pill in a transparent wrap.
“Vaka,” explained Laik Var. “Keep it under your tongue until it melts.”
I knew how to use it, but for once I kept my protests to myself. The pill filled my mouth with acrid foam, and almost immediately, I felt the surge of energy. My mind reached an almost painful clarity. The world around me became brighter, lines sharper, sounds louder. Even the darkness seemed less imposing, although that might have been an illusion. Vaka was a drug, after all.
Then it hit me. It was today. We were going to battle. And we were going to fight… my people.
Could I do it? I was one of them, after all. Tarvissi by blood, and, for the most part, upbringing. They were tall like me, and tan like me, they spoke my language, they pronounced my name properly, for gods’ sake!
But on the other hand, I didn’t know most of them and those I knew were assholes. They were more than ready to kill me and send my mangled corpse back as a message. Logically, I had no reason to hesitate.
The funny thing is, I wouldn’t even think about it if I hadn’t been constantly questioned.
A few more shadows joined us. My vision adjusted so well that I could probably count them if I squinted. But before I did, Myar Mal ordered, using a particular shouting whisper only natural-born leaders can successfully pull off, “All right, you know what to do. Go.”
The lantern eyes flickered and disappeared, leaving nothing but shadows behind. Soon, even those melted into the darkness.
Laik Var shoved a pair of binoculars into my hands and I scrambled to put them to use. They were enchanted, of course, turning total darkness into twilight. The world appeared in shades of gray, and the only thing I could see clearly was movement. Flashbacks of Sorox flooded my mind, and I struggled to push them back.
But I could spot them. Descending on all fours, they half-ran, half-crept along the ground, with the tips of their tails curved upward. They crossed the alarm spells, doubtlessly alerting the rebels inside, though at least the darkness shielded them from the crossbowmen. I didn’t think Tarvissi had access to magic-vision devices.
I briefly wondered how the kas’shams were going to scale the walls. From what I saw, they didn’t carry ladders or any other tools. Before I mustered the courage to ask, the first of them had reached the mansion.
And leaped.
Huh. Apparently, fifteen feet meant nothing for kas’shams. They landed effortlessly on the roof and the rest soon followed: some made it on the first try, others clutched the lower windows and climbed, a few bounced back and fell gracefully to the ground before trying again. But eventually, all of them managed to get in.
Sounds of battle erupted, carried far by clear morning air. The clash of metal, the roar of spells,
