Page 10 of Forge the Blade

Lisa snorted. He picked up the gun again. “Who said I’d even want your mouth there? Maybe I just want your ass?”

Sevastyan gave a huff of laughter. “You say that like it’s a threat.”

There was no answer. Sevastyan was already sliding into sleep. Being in Ellisandre’s place, with Rei breathing steadily against his chest and Lisa sitting up, gun in hand, was the safest he’d felt in years.

The only thing that would make it better would be if Ellisandre was there as well. But the sheets smelled like them at least.

Sevastyan

Lisa woke Rei up at intervals, which woke Sevastyan, but by the time the sun started to peek into the windows in the living room, casting a glow towards the bedroom, Lisa declared both himself and Rei safe from obvious traumatic brain injury and turned off the alarms, letting them all sleep. Ellisandre came in at one point and the sound of Alice’s voice filtered through a closed door. But it was Ellisandre. And Ellisandre meant safe. Sevastyan curled himself around Rei and hooked one finger into the top of the pants Lisa was wearing, and slept on. The pants belonged to him, after all. Lisa had just appropriated them. At some point Ellisandre came in and stuck a needle in his arm. He could barely raise his head to look; he felt so ill. They had shushed him. “Just blood and antibiotics.” They roused Lisa and Rei long enough to make both of them swallow medication and let them fall asleep.

He didn’t truly open his eyes until mid-day when he felt Rei move. His ears tracked his boy going to the bathroom and coming back, and he immediately wrapped Rei in his arms again. He pried his eyes open enough to see Lisa completely dead to the world beside him. Instead of climbing in the middle, Rei had just slid into the empty space on Sevastyan’s other side, leaving Sevastyan in the middle. There was a note and pill bottles on the bedside table. Sevastyan felt for his arm, but the IV was gone. Only a small plaster remained, or bandaid, as they were called in the US.

Sevastyan pushed himself up on one arm and found his phone. He texted Alexi:

The phone rang almost immediately. Sevastyan held it against his ear. Alexi’s voice sounded tight. “I’m in a private space. What happened to you? If you were okay, you would have called yesterday.”

“Drugged and shot.” Sevastyan eased himself up against the headboard. Rei whimpered and readjusted. Sevastyan laid a hand on him. “They caught me leaving a meeting. It was a trap. They fucked up and used a drug I’m resistant to. Got away and hid in some trash before I passed out. Lisa and Rei fought off the other attack on their own.”

“Fought?” Alexi’s tone turned up.

“Yes. When I got there, Dirk’s men were dead. Our boys are hurt. Bruises, contusions. Lisa was stabbed in the leg. I have him on antibiotics.”

Alexi swore quietly.

“I failed you,” Sevastyan whispered. “Whatever price . . .”

“No!” Alexi’s voice came out harsh. “No. I know what your security is like. This is a betrayal. You said they were Dirk’s men?”

“They mentioned Dirk during the attack.”

“Did any of them get away?”

“I killed three, I’m pretty sure. There may have been a fourth who got away. Rei and Lisa took out three. Everyone that came into the condo.”

“How are you?”

“Battered. Gunshot wound. Bled out heavily while I was unconscious. We’re in a new location with medical care. I’m using private resources, not Merchari.”

“Obviously,” Alexi growled. “Thank you for still trusting me.”

“I’ll take credit for the kills,” Sevastyan said. “I won’t let that fall on Lisa.”

Alexi was quiet for a moment. “How is little Rei?”

Sevastyan looked down at Rei, curled up against his leg. Then over at Lisa. The other slave had rolled over and was watching, sleepy intelligent eyes fixed on Sevastyan.

“It’s going to be a while,” Sevastyan said. “Broken ribs. Wrecked ankle. If they weren’t already dead, I’d hunt them down and gut them.”

“As you should. There was no reason. Rei would never fight unless pushed.”

“He fought for me,” Sevastyan said, letting his head fall back against the headboard. “I need to know what’s going down in the Yadro. This might come from the very top. I don’t think leadership is in agreement with what’s going on in Seoul.”

“They touched what is mine,” Alexi said softly. “I’ll find you answers.”

“I’d understand if you wanted Lisa back.”

“How’s his headspace?”