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10
NIKATHY
Now that was settled, I had other business to attend to. In any case, I was sure that Rhiannon didn't want me standing over her shoulder like some overbearing protector while she was trying to work. The men just needed a little reminder was all. She could handle herself.
The unfortunate man in charge of this little operation stood in front of her, carefully answering her questions with the deference I had elicited, and I shot him one last warning expression before moving away.
On the wall behind me, a map of the city stretched out, filled with red and green pins. Another low-budget soldier stood in front of it, pointing to sections of the city and barking names. The small gathering of other men seemed to be taking orders from him, acknowledging when he called on them and then filing out of the space in pairs. When he was done, the two of us were left staring at the map together.
Kychek. My father's home. My home. Just looking at it, I had never felt more out of my depth. I was used to being on the offensive, starting the fire fights. I wasn't accustomed to waiting for the fight to come to me. It was unnerving. Outside these walls, the people of the city were milling about, oblivious to the danger headed our way. They were living their lives, and if I wasn't careful, those lives would be destroyed forever.
"Good evening, sir," the man said, turning to me with a suddenly formal demeanor. "I hope you don't mind that we started without you. We weren't sure if you knew the protocols, and we thought it best to act fast."
"Thank you for working quickly," I muttered, still staring at the map before me. "I'm glad I can count on you all."
He was appraising me, and I could imagine the things he would say about me when I left the room. The thought left a sour taste in my mouth.
"Sounds like that woman of yours really knows her stuff. Good thing you brought her over," he remarked, a bit too casually for my liking.
"She's not my woman."
"Well, ain't that a shame. She's smart and pretty. Look at her."
When I turned away from the map, I found her hunched over a table, head to head with the Hive's commander, talking rapidly. Maps and other documents spread out between them, and she was making notes.
From here, I could see the way she quirked her head sideways as she listened to him, and the way her brows creased when she was thinking. I had to admit she was very attractive, and in the days since she'd been staying with me, she had only grown more so. Now, her skin was almost glowing, and her features had filled out, so she no longer looked like the tortured soul I'd rescued from the Patrol a few months ago. She looked strong now, despite the fact that she still required the help of the device to get around. But she also looked determined. Her eyes were full of lightning and fury as she scanned the maps laid out before her.
I turned to face the soldier beside me scornfully. "She is a guest of mine, and you will treat her as such. All I really need you to do is keep her busy. I am going to warn the people and do my part to coordinate the offensive. I'll collect her when this is over."
Suddenly, I felt a desperate need to get out of this place. It was hot and noisy with all the men moving about, and the longer I watched Rhiannon in her element, the more I felt drawn to her. But now was not the time for curiosities. In a past life, when I was living fast and had no one to answer to but myself and my own mortality, I might have acted on those impulses. Things were different now. There were so many people counting on me, and when this was over, she would move on with her life, glad to be away from me.
"Good luck up there," the soldier said shortly, cowed by my response.
I was no longer welcome here.
I made my way back out to the street, turned down one alley and hurried to the first group of people huddled in the darkness. They gave me a distrustful look as they surveyed my attire, and I helped them along by pushing my jacket aside to reveal my weapons.
I knew these streets like the back of my hand. The quickest way to set things straight was to show them I meant business.
"Listen up," I shouted. "The Patrol is coming. Everyone needs to get underground. Get yourselves to a shelter. Find somewhere safe."
I could see the amusement in their faces, like I was some drunkard spreading ridiculous rumors and conspiracies. I skidded to a halt in front of them, my anger rising at their dismissal. The fact that the streets were still full of people chatting aimlessly told me that the council had failed me yet again.
I hated to do this, but it was the only way I knew how. I charged at the man with the cocky smile and flattened him against the wall of the alley, my forearm pressing hard against his throat. His friendsstumbled back, either too scared or too drunk to save him.
"I am Nikathy Vaen. You are here by the grace of my father's foresight. But if we don't get everyone underground before the Patrol arrives, none of us are going to be celebrating our freedoms any longer." I was leaning into him, watching his mouth gape open like a fish out of water, his hands clawing at my arm to release him. "Take your little friends and get to safety. Tell everyone you know. They are coming."
When I stepped back, the man fell to his knees on the ground, clutching at his throat. His friends were all eyeing me warily, but when I turned on them and unleashed a growl, they scattered. Only one of them bothered to stop and help the first man up, dragging him away from me as best he could.
I was glad to see them go, but I still wasn't sure that they would heed my warning. More likely, they would crawl back into whatever hovel they had come from and spend the night gossiping about the wild man that had accosted them. If I wanted to save these people, I was going to have to do more than threaten them one by one. I needed to reach the whole city. I needed everyone to pay attention. But how?
