Sweep of the Blade Read online

  She freed her blade, pushed to her feet, and hammered a kick into Kurr’s exposed side. The impact knocked him back over the line. He stumbled, doubled over, clutching at his side. Blood dripped between his fingers. Half of the breast plate hung down, crawling and shifting as the individual nanothreads attempted to reconnect.

  For a moment everyone forgot to posture and just stared. She had pried Kurr out of his armor. The humiliation was absolute.

  The prompt flashed on her eyepiece again.

  “You are guests of House Krahr in the presence of a knight of House Krahr. Any violence against other guests of House Krahr will be met with immediate retribution. Cross this line and die.”

  Kurr gripped his sword. “I’ll kill that bitch.”

  “Kurr!” Suykon barked.

  Kurr charged.

  A shadow fell from the sky. She barely had a chance to shy back. An enormous male vampire landed in front of her in full combat armor, his broad back blocking her view. His grey hair was cut human short.

  The new vampire swung his blood hammer. It ripped the air with a hair-raising whine and connected.

  Maud lunged to the side, trying to see.

  Kurr was flat on his ass, trying to breathe. The other two vampires knelt by him, trying to activate his crest. Only Suykon remained standing.

  The new vampire opened his mouth, displaying his fangs, and bent his head forward, exhaling menace, like a bull ready to charge. He was a giant even by vampire standards. Her eyepiece tagged him, identifying his name.

  Maud blinked.

  “Our apologies, Lord Consort,” Suykon said. “We meant no harm. We clearly misinterpreted the situation.

  Lord Otubar unhinged his jaws and said in a deep voice. “Leave.”

  The two knights picked Kurr up like a child and the four of them took off down the path.

  Lord Otubar turned to the lees and the tachi. “What were the two of you doing here without an escort.”

  Nuan Tooki ducked her head, fluffing her tail, and clasped her little paw-hands together, looking almost terminally adorable. “Please forgive us, Lord Consort. It’s all my fault. I was lost. This brave tachi came to my rescue and then these mean vampires came and menaced us. You are not like them. You are a good vampire. I was so frightened and helpless, and you have saved us. I am so sorry.”

  Oh please.

  “Go back to your quarters.”

  “Thank you.”

  The lees scampered off. Ke’Lek looked at them, hesitated for a moment, and followed the lees down the path.

  “Dismissed,” Lord Outbar said.

  Her legs carried Maud down the path before her brain had time to process what happened.

  “My lady,” Otubar called to her back.

  She stopped and pivoted to face him. “Lord Consort?”

  “Good strike,” he said.

  Chapter 11

  Maud sat on the barren balcony. Her quarters projected the screen in front of her and she scrolled through the files of the wedding party, trying to make some sense of it. Her new status gave her access to more detailed dossiers, and she was speed-reading them while she could. The wealth of additional information made her brain buzz. She was in a rotten mood.

  Wind stirred her hair. Maud glanced up, and her gaze lingered on the distant mesas. She liked being high up, but the breathtaking view failed to pull her out of her unease. The Kozor and Serak were planning something, but what? They had only two hundred fighters, while the Krahr had thousands.

  She’d tried to find Arland after her encounter with the overly enthusiastic best man and his yipping escort, but he wasn’t anywhere she could go. She left a message on his unit, but he hadn’t responded.

  She had been spoiled. For the last few weeks, he had been at her beck and call. She only had to say his name and there he was, ready to help. Now she wanted to talk to him, and he was out of reach.

  He is a marshal. I’ve been taking his availability for granted.

  She missed him.

  Maybe he got bored.

  It was a definite possibility. She could just be a brief infatuation. He rescued her, got to be the hero, and it was exciting with the inn under siege, and now, the regular life returned, and the novelty faded. Maybe she was a travel romance.

  The recording of Arland facing his mother replayed in her head. No. He loved her.

  The only way to have constant access to Arland was to marry him. That’s what marriage was, at the core – the exclusive right to spend as much time with someone you loved as they were willing to give.

  Her screen chimed, announcing someone at the front door. Her heart beat faster. She touched the screen and there he was. She shot out of the chair as if she’d found a scorpion in it and dashed through the rooms to the door. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

  “Open.”

  The door slid aside. Arland looked at her. To the casual observer, he would have looked fine, but she’d spent too much time studying his face. She saws distance in his eyes and it chilled her. Something happened. She frantically cycled through the possibilities. Did she embarrass the House? Did she some how hurt his feelings? Did he read her message and it pissed him off?

  “My mother requests your presence at the picnic in groom’s honor, my lady.”

  “I’m honored, my lord. Weapons?”

  “Not permitted.”

  “Allow me a moment to check on my daughter.”

  “No need. Lady Helen and the rest of the children have been taken to the lakeshore.”

  And Lady Helen had failed to check in with her. They would have to have a talk tonight.

  He stepped aside, letting her pass. They walked side by side.

  “Lord Kurr?” she asked.

  “He lives. Barely.”

  Too bad. “I apologize if I caused any offense.”

  “You didn’t. Your conduct was exemplary. You’ve exhibited remarkable self-control, my lady. House Krahr is fortunate to have the benefit of your service.”

  Nope, he hadn’t read her message.

  They entered a long breezeway, leading to tower, which, in turn, allowed passage to another small mesa rising on their left. According to her personal unit, the picnic was held there. Even without the unit, clumps of vampires spread across the green lawn would’ve been the dead giveaway. Once they reached the mesa, they would be in public and she’d have to kiss any chance at a private conversation goodbye. She had to clear this up now.

  “Is something the matter, my lord?”

  “Everything is well,” he said.

  Okay, that was all she was willing to tolerate. “Then why are you impersonating an icicle?”

  He glared at her. She matched his stare. She was reasonably sure they were being watched from the mesa, but she didn’t care.

  The look in his eyes got to her and slipped into English despite herself. “Did cat get your tongue?”

  His face iced over. “No. Lions didn’t injure my mouth. You and I have a complex relationship, my lady. These complications notwithstanding, in public you must conduct yourself in accordance with your place in the chain of command.”

  “Are you pulling rank?”

  “Yes.”

  She laughed and walked off. They were almost to the tower.

  “My lady.” The unmistakable command suffused his voice.

  “You should read your messages, Lord Marshal.”

  She made it another three steps before he snarled, “Maud!”

  Maud pivoted on her foot. “Is something the matter?”

  He bore down on her. “You resigned. Why?”

  “What do you mean, why?” It was painfully obvious. Maybe he really did have second thoughts.

  “You should have at least given me the courtesy of telling me face to face,” his voice was quiet and icy.

  “I tried but you were busy. The message was my only option.”

  “When?” he asked, his eyes dark.

  “I don’t follow.”

  They d
efinitely had an audience now. The voices didn’t carry that far, but just about everyone in the lawn was looking their way.

  He forced the words out. “When are you leaving?”

  It stabbed at her. “Do you want me to leave?”

  “Do you think this is funny? Because I fail to see the humor. I’ve given you a place in House Krahr. You’re throwing it in my face. That can mean only one thing. You’re leaving.”

  Oh, you idiot.

  “You almost married Betin Cagnat on Karhari. You were in negotiations, with the contracts being drawn, and you haven’t even entertained my proposal. I told you that I’m content to await your decision. But if you have feelings for another, it is only fair that you tell me.”

  I wonder when he had learned that tidbit.

  “Being a knight of Krahr would have allowed you time to make your decision. It was the best option available under the circumstances.”

  “Is that why you offered it to me?” she asked, keeping her voice mild.

  “No. I offered it to you because you were in a dangerous situation without any authority to intervene. But after you accepted it, it felt like the best solution.”

  He was trying to keep her close any way he could. He must’ve been worried she would leave and offering her an in-House position was his way to ensure she stayed.

  Behind Arland a young vampire knight stepped out of the doors, a tablet in his hands. He saw Arland and broke into run, heading toward them.

  “Now you’re leaving,” Arland ground out. “I just want to know why. What is it about me you find lacking? Is it that you still have feelings for another? What is it?”

  “Are you done?” she asked.

  “Lord Arland!” the knight called out. “I have an urgent message from Lord Soren.”

  “I deserve an answer. Surely, you can give me that much.”

  “The Writ of Command, Part Seven.”

  He frowned. “Prohibition of fraternization between knights separated by more than three ranks? What does that have to do with anything?”

  She stepped closer to him, raised her hand, and gently popped him on the forehead.

  The young knight reached them and thrust a tablet at Arland.

  Maud turned around and walked away.

  “Maud, wait!”

  She sped up. He couldn’t outright run after her. He would look like an idiot to the audience below.

  “Get this infernal tablet out of my face! Maud!”

  The moment she entered the tower, she sprinted down the stairs. As soon as they were out of sight, he would chase her, and she didn’t want to have this conversation in the tower. She wanted to have it in her or his quarters, after they had been swept clear of Nuan Cee’s bugs. She needed to get down to that lawn as fast as she could.

  Maud emerged from the tower into the sunshine. Directly in front of her, a stone path led to a wide-open lawn ringed by trees. She strode forward, to where stone benches and small tables had been placed to accommodate small groups, offering a clear view of the lawn. Many of the benches were occupied; vampires in full armor lounged, snacked on finger foods presented on large platters, and drank refreshments. The air smelled of charred meat, fresh bread, and honey. A banner marked each sitting area, announcing the allegiance of its occupants. Most of the seats directly in front of her, spread out in a crescent, were taken by House Krahr, the line of black and red pennants familiar and almost welcoming. House Kozor curved to the right, its colors red and green. House Sedlak lined the left side. Their banners, blue and yellow, waved in the breeze.

  On the lawn two teams, one red and black, the other comprised of both Kozor and Sedlak, clashed with practice weapons. Krim, Maud realized, the Holy Anocracy’s favorite sport. One team had drawn a circle roughly fifty feet wide. In the middle of the circle a fifteen-foot pillar about eighteen inches across supported a white flag. The defenders positioned themselves around the pillar, guarding it, while the attackers tried to break through and grab the flag. It wasn’t a complicated game, but what it lacked in complexity, it more than made up for in sheer brutality. This time Krahr defended. Everyone wore full armor, carried practice weapons, and sported headbands equipped with sensors. The headbands analyzed input from the armor and flashed when the wearer sustained enough damage to die.

  “Lady Maud!” A familiar voice called.

  Well, look at that. She managed not to cringe. “My Lady Ilemina?”

  The Preceptor of House Krahr sat at a table to her right. The Lord Consort loomed in the chair next to her like an immovable mountain of vampire knighthood.

  “Join us,” Lady Ilemina said. It didn’t sound like a request.

  Great, just what she wanted, to be on display next to her possible future mother-in-law.

  Behind her the door of the tower slid open and Arland stepped onto the path.

  On second thought, joining Lady Ilemina was an excellent idea. Maud walked over and took a seat on Ilemina’s left. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Arland stalking down the path towards them.

  Yes, yes. Stalk all you want. There was no way he would be discussing any kind of fraternization in front of his mother and stepfather. She’d outmaneuvered him. For some odd reason, it made her feel ridiculously accomplished.

  On the lawn, House Krahr, led by Karat, formed a dense ring of bodies around the pillar. Houses Kozor and Sedlak split their forces preparing to attack from opposite sides. A familiar blonde mane caught Maud’s eye on Kozor’s side. Seveline was leading their assault.

  “They’re using the Pincher assault,” Ilemina said.

  “Seems badly thought out,” Lord Otubar said. “There aren’t enough of them to effectively break through, and she knows they’re coming. Too crude.”

  The maneuver seemed painfully blatant. Karat was shifting her forces to compensate, but she was doing it slowly.

  Arland strode over. The only open seat was next to Otubar. Arland picked it up, moved it next to her, and sat down.

  “Opinion?” Ilemina asked him.

  He studied the field. “Nothing in either Kozor’s or Sedlak’s tactics up until now indicates a preference for direct assault.”

  “It’s a feint,” Otubar said.

  “The question is, where are they going with this?” Ilemina murmured. “Did you finish the comparative analysis?”

  Arland grimaced. “There was not enough data for a definitive conclusion. What data we have from the known pirate assaults is consistent with known tactical patterns of our cherished guests. Similarity isn’t proof, however.”

  “What about the Lees’ data?” Otubar asked.

  “Nuan Cee is stalling,” Arland said.

  “Perhaps something can be done to persuade him to share.” Lady Ilemina glanced at Maud.

  They were speaking in front of her as if she was already part of the House, and more, they were asking for her advice. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or upset that everyone at the table viewed her joining House Krahr as a foregone conclusion.

  “Give me something to trade,” she said. “It is a common misconception that the Lees love money above all else. That’s not exactly true. They love a bargain; they love getting a good deal. Getting more for less is the foundation of their society. Let me take something to them they will find irresistible.”

  “I find haggling distasteful.” Ilemina frowned. “Mostly because I’m terrible at it. I prefer a fair price, which I can pay without any negotiations.”

  “And they think you weaker for it.” Maud shrugged.

  When you bargained with a Lees, the first price they quoted you was always outrageous. It was a test and you had three options: first, you could pay the price and be known as a fool by their great, great grandchildren; second, you could walk away and be judged too rigid to become a business partner or an ally; and third, you could bargain. Only the third option brought respect.

  On the lawn, House Sedlak engaged Karat’s left flank. She’d shifted her formation into a rough oval ring, wi
th two ends facing Sedlak and Kozor. Karat stood in the middle by the pillar, her practice blade ready in her hand.

  The Sedlak’s assault hammered the Krahr, but the left flank held. On the right, nearly twenty-five yards away, the Kozor formed a wedge with Seveline as the tip of the spear. The two vampire knights directly behind her looked like they had jumped out of a production of an ancient saga, each of them almost as large as Otubar.

  The wedge charged. The knights thundered forward, picking up speed, like a herd of enraged rhinos.

  “Hold!” Karat’s voice rang out. The defenders braced themselves, doing their best impersonation of an immovable object about to meet an unstoppable force.

  Seveline would be crushed, Maud thought. Now the plan made more sense. If it wasn’t for Sedlak, Karat’s forces could scatter, leaving only a few defenders in the middle to slow the charge as it penetrated the circle, while the majority of her knights cut at the mass of invaders from the sides. Maud had seen that maneuver before. Done correctly, it absorbed the kinetic energy of the charge like a sponge. But with Sedlak at her back, Karat had no opportunity to maneuver. The steady pressure at her back side left her only one choice – to hold.

  The Kozor were almost on them. Maud held her breath, bracing herself as if she were in the line of defenders.

  The wedge parted slightly, Seveline slipping through the ranks to the back. The final row of the wedge swept her off her feet and up. Seveline dashed across the armored shoulders and backs of Kozor knights and leaped. For a moment she flew, her lean form silhouetted against the blue sky, sunlight gleaming from her armor, then she landed in the circle. Karat shied to the right, avoiding getting knocked down by a hair.

  Seveline struck at her, spinning fast like a dervish. Karat blocked, backing up, straight into the back of her own armored line. Seveline was a whirlwind. Her strikes pierced Karat’s defense in a flurry, so fast Maud could barely follow. Damn. Karat blocked and dodged but she had nowhere to go. Red streaks slashed her armor, the blows of Seveline’s practice sword leaving their mark.

  Damn it.