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Empire of Night Ch31
Alex sat in the center of the crowded bench, a blanket wrapped tightly around them. He had an arm wrapped around Lisril, pulli ng her tight, sharing his warmth. But he hardly needed to bother; the other women had them squeezed so close together.
She had her head laid on his shoulder, looking up at him with soft orange eyes.
“Are you still cold?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “Not anymore.”
They hit a nasty rut, and the coach lurched beneath them, threatening to throw them from their seat.
Alex grunted. “Not the smoothest ride.”
“We’ll be comfortably home soon enough,” Eli said, “licking his cheek.”
He smiled at her. “I’ll look forward to it,” he said.
“You’re good with a sword,” Rosslln said.
Lisril tossed her hair. “More than good,” she said, “I’m the greatest swordswoman to ever live.”
Alex laughed. “And so modest, too.”
She jabbed him with her elbow. “You didn’t marry me for modesty.”
He grinned. “Of course not; I married you because you were putting lead in the ten-ring an hour after you picked up a gun.”
Lisril snorted, and Serra laughed. “How did you ever find a man so perfectly aligned with your values?”
She squeezed him tight. “I went to Earth.”
He beamed and laid his cheek against the crown of her head.
The coach lurched again, and this time he had to grab the seatback to stay in place. As they settled, the coach slowed to a stop. He frowned, turning to look at Eli.
“Strange,” she said, “I’ll have a look.”
She stood and shouldered her way out of the coach. Alex followed her up, having to duck his head under the coach’s low ceiling.
Lisril caught his arm. “Let her.” And he brushed her hand away, following Eli out into the cold winter chill. She and a few of her guards were huddled around the front axle. Something to do with the wheel?
He looked around and spotted a deep rut running straight across the road. He scanned up and down the street, Eli was saying something to her guards, and he called over his shoulder. “Hey, shut up.”
She turned, surprised. “Alex, you should-” he hushed her and listened intently. Nothing.
“Did you order the roads cleared?”
She looked around, frowning. “No, I gave no such order.”
He grunted; returning to the coach, he leaned inside and pulled a gun case out from under the seat.
“Alex?” Lisril stood, resting a steadying hand on the wall.
“This wasn’t an act of god,” he said, pulling a gauss rifle from the case. “Get ready.”
“Alex!”
He backed out of the coach, checking the rifle and releasing the safety.
“Alex?” Eli trotted up to him. “We’ll be underway soon; go ahead and-”
“Get back inside.”
She blinked. “Alex?”
“Go ahead and do it,” Lisril said, joining them, her own gun in hand.
Eli looked around, suddenly seeming uneasy. “You think there’s something amiss?”
Lisril ignored her, turning to him. “You’re sure?”
He jerked his head, directing her to the ditch running across the road.
Lisril frowned. “I see.”
She looked around, and as she did, women began to emerge from the alleys and side streets.
She and Alex stood shoulder to shoulder, rifles up and backed toward the coach.
“This is an escalation,” he murmured.
He saw her looking around as their backs hit the coach.
If this was planned, it was a well-coordinated thing. Several of Eli’s guards had been detained dealing with the assassin at the dueling field, leaving them with fewer hands.
“I’ll do you ladies a favor,” he called, “fuck off, and you won’t get a taste of cobalt.”
The horses tossed their heads nervously as the women closed in. He swung his rifle, sweeping it across the approaching women, but they weren’t deterred, didn’t know to be cowed.
Slowly the ring closed, and Eli joined them by the coach door. “You don’t know the trouble you’re in,” she said.
“Oh,” one of the women said, “I don’t think so, Magnificence. You see, we need to get out of town, and you’re going to be our ticket. Come quietly, and we’ll let that little man pass.”
He glanced at her, and their eyes met. He shook his head, but could only watch as she stepped forward, head held high. “Is that so?”
“We have no interest in the rest of them,” the woman said, “you’re surrounded, and you don’t have enough women to repel us.”
Eli looked over her shoulder at them, a frown furrowing her brow. “What guarantee do I have you’ll keep your word?”
“What choice do you have?”
Alex joined Eli and threw an arm in front of her. “Your terms are unacceptable.”
Lisril joined him, rifle trained on the woman. “Leave now, and we’ll let you go in peace.”
The woman laughed. “The bravado is admirable, and especially coming from a man, but your bluff is laughably transparent.”
“Lisril,” he said, “she might have something for us.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lisril nod her acknowledgment and acquired a new target.
He squeezed the trigger, the gun pushed steadily back against his shoulder, thunder rang out about them, and the two women next to their adversary were torn to shreds by a hail of magnetically accelerated cobalt.
The women dropped, and Alex refixed his sights on the leader. “Last chance,” he shouted, “surrender.”
The woman took a step back, glanced at her fallen friends. Her eyes came back up, met his, she glared, her cheeks reddening. “You can’t stop us all!”
He shoved Eli back to the coach. “Lisril!”
“At your back.”
They fired upon the approaching women, the horses at the head of the coach panicking, screaming, and rearing back.
The charge stopped after the first three fell, the remaining women hesitating. He backed up against the coach, which shook and trembled under the power of the maddened horses.
More came from around the other side; he supposed the guards had been dispatched. “Lisril.”
“I see them,” she said. “Thoughts?”
He reached under his coat and withdrew a small cardboard cylinder. “Flash ‘em?”
She nodded, and he pulled the pin. “Flash out.”
“Cowards!” the lead woman shouted, and the grenade hit the ground before her. “It’s this or the gallows and worse. Which are you-” Lisril ducked her head behind her arm, hands clapped tight over her ears, and the grenade filled the world with light and sound.
He took the flash straight on, augs filtering out the brilliant cacophony. The women closest to the blast dropped, sensitive eyes and ears completely overwhelmed.
He met Lisril’s eyes and jerked his head. She nodded, and they broke apart, covering both ends of the carriage, as the remaining women staggered and clutched their heads. He used his free hand and the butt of his gun to put them on the ground.
“Stay down!” he screamed as the women regained their senses. “Show me your hands!”
He backed off his side a bit, gun still trained on the women. “Lisril.”
“It’s fine,” she said, “I have this now; get inside.”
“Fuck you, I’m- I said stay down!” He lunged forward and struck one a women who had been pushing herself up with the butt of his gun. “Don’t move; I will shoot you!”
He swept his gun over the women. Backing away and joining Lisril. “How are you?”
“Fine,” she said, “ears ringing a bit. Get back inside.”
“I’m not leaving you out here alone.”
She spat, but didn’t object any further. “Any idea what we do with them?”
He shrugged. “Flash ‘em?”
“Alex.”
“We’re sort of short-handed, but hell, someone’s going to come investigate the noise sooner or later.”
“Makes sense,” she said, “we’ll just keep them down, then.”
He nodded, and they lapsed into silence, watching the women closely. “Alex?” he glanced over his shoulder, finding Rosslln peeking out of the coach.
“Stay inside,” he snapped, “is everyone okay?”
“Uh.” She hesitated. “A little shaken up, but-”
“Good,” he said, “take care of them.”
“Oh- okay.”
He and Lisril stood shoulder to shoulder. “We should just kill them," she said, "we’re within our rights.”
“Anyone who tries something you can have,” he said, “but no reason to give them a reason to risk it.”
He glanced around at the women; those who’d been knocked senseless by the flashbang were beginning to stir.
“Alex.”
“I see them.”
He saw a woman emerge from between two nearby buildings. “What in the world?”
“These women are attacking us,” he shouted, “round up a posse.”
The woman hesitated, looked at the scene, and retreated back the way she’d come. “Think she’ll come back?” Alex asked.
“I don’t- Don’t move, stay on the ground!”
His jaw tightened. Maybe she was right; who knew what would happen when their leader started barking again. She’d been right; a determined charge would be too much for just the two of them. He'd probably be fine, but his women? He glanced back at the coach, his grip on his rifle tightening.
Then, women started filtering out from between the nearby buildings, armed with clubs and axes and knives.
“What’s going on here?” The woman who spoke was tall and had powder blue skin, like Eli.
He looked around, and Lisril stepped forward.
“Our family was returning home when we were waylaid by these brigands.”
She looked around, eyes narrowing. “An odd venue for a highway robbery. You and that little man did all this?”
Lisril held up her gauss rifle. “We came armed with Dyrantoro weaponry.”
The woman pursed her lips, and the coach opened behind them, Eli stepping down in her royal regalia. “And they did not come as robbers. We were the target.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Your magnificence!”
“Peace!” Eli held up a hand. “We understand your trepidation; however, a man has raised a cry for help, and you have done well to respond. What remains is to see these blackguards brought to justice.”
The women bowed. “Yes, magnificence.”
Alex sighed, lowering his rifle as the crowd descended on the bandits.
Eli laid her hand on his shoulder, squeezing. “Are you okay?”
He smiled. “Just fine,” he said, “getting tired of these interruptions.”
She looked past him at the crowd of women. “The feeling is mutual. Still, we don’t know it’s related; they seemed to be after me.”
He nodded. “In any case,” he said, “I don’t think we’re going home in this coach.”
“I don’t suspect we will,” Serra said, she and Rosslln climbing down to join them.
He grinned at Rosslln. “Thanks for taking care of them, Sweetheart.”
She threw her arms around him. “What was all that?”
He looked around. “Human ingenuity.”
She swallowed and nodded. Saying nothing.
He kissed the crown of her head. “We need to get you girls up to speed. But first, how are we getting home?”
“We shall have to dispatch a courier,” Eli said, “It will be some time.”
“As it happens,” their blue-skinned rescuer said, “I am the proprietor of a nearby sitting room. Please, magnificence, come and shelter there until your people come to collect you.”
“Most appreciated, Madam,” Eli said, “We shall see you are fairly compensated.”
“Think nothing of it.” The woman laid her hand over her heart. “It’s an honor to be of assistance.”
