Chapter 10
When I wake up in the morning, I hear a rattling of iron against steel. I sluggishly open my eyes to see Miranda, dressed in her signature black leather armor, cooking something that smelled like meat and potatoes. My eyes naturally drift to her shapely hips and legs, which look quite sexy even in the armor. The brunette must feel my eyes on her because she turns around and raises an eyebrow at me. I lazily lift my gaze to meet hers, knowing full well that the color of my eyes has darkened to a midnight blue due to mild lust.
Miranda holds my gaze evenly as she says, "About time you woke up. I've been slaving away making us both breakfast while you just laid there and drooled your brain out on the pillow."
"You can shut your mouth at any time, you know," I tell her. My voice is rough and low from sleep, something most people find attractive. It usually disrupts their statements and thoughts. On Miranda, I see that it doesn't affect her at all, aside from a slight movement from her throat. Swallowing, it looks like.
"Just get your arse out of bed before I start practicing my knife throwing at you," Miranda says as she rolls her eyes. I notice how her own voice is just a touch shakier than it was a moment ago.
"Stop ordering me around like a servant," I snap. I roll over in the bed and face the closed window, shutting my eyes once more.
A solid, sharp object thumps into my back and my eyes jerk open once more. Another one quickly follows it, landing near the upper part of my spine. A third blade pierces just under my right shoulder blade.
"You little fucker," I seethe through my teeth. I rise from the bed, summoning the darkness that lives inside of me. A blue-black aura swirls around me as I stalk toward Miranda. I give her credit for not cowering when she obviously should.
The brunette throws a punch aimed at my jaw and I grab it in a tight fist. She throws her other clenched hand at my abdomen and I swiftly grip that one. I steadily move her toward the wall, not stopping until her back is firmly against the wood. Miranda squirms under my steel grip but is unable to escape. I lean forward until our noses are just a hair's width apart.
"I am not your personal target, Miranda Lawson. If you wanted to get me naked, there are much more creative and harmless ways of doing so. Like asking."
Being this close to the assassin, feeling her soft skin in my hands, sends shivers through my body, which piss me off. A very large part of my mind screams for more contact, such as her lips, but I resist the urge. Instead, I pull away, satisfied that Miranda's breathing quickened to an intense pace.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change into something more inconspicuous." With that, I let go and walk over to the large bag I'd dropped on the floor near the bed. I manage to remove the knives that are lodged I my back. I rummage through it for a dark brown top and matching, thick pants. The top has a deep hood that I can pull over my head and hide my features, which will undoubtedly be needed. I tug my leather boots back on, tucking the pant legs inside them and buckling the straps. I leave off the black armor but wrap the thick leather bands around my waist.
During my swift wardrobe change, Miranda had resumed cooking. The clatter of kitchen utensils rings out from behind me. I ignore this and walk to the window, opening the curtain to reveal that the sun is just topping the horizon. The clouds around it range from red to pink to purple and blue. The view is only barely visible behind the soaring towers of the city.
"The plan for today is to meet Lanteia, one of the few people I trust to know the whereabouts of my sister. I'll give you more details once we reach her." Miranda says all of this while I'm gazing out the window at the surrounding landscape.
"Sounds really exciting," I comment dryly. "When do we leave?"
"When you're finished eating," Miranda replies.
"I'm not like you mortals. I don't need to eat every day. I can go weeks without a meal and be fine."
"Perhaps, but I get the feeling that we'll both be needing our strength today."
"You trust that feeling a lot?"
"Yes. It's gotten me out of many bad spots before."
"Fine, I'll play by your rules for now."
I stride into the kitchen and take one of the bowls filled with cubed potatoes and small bits of meat. I pick up a wooden fork and begin eating, appreciating that it tastes quite similar to my own homemade breakfast meals.
There are some who could say that Miranda Lawson has the Pirate Queen of Varris on a leash. From how it seems to me at the moment, they wouldn't be wrong. I'm having to listen to and obey every single one of Miranda's orders. If there's one thing I simply cannot stand, it's when people have control over me. The only entity I willingly allow control over any part of me is Thane Krios. And now, it seems, Miranda has subjugated me to do her bidding. It really pisses me off yet there's times where I can't help but feel minor relief at not having to control every part of my life.
I should let other people take charge more often. Well, not just other people. Mainly Miranda.
"This is it," Miranda says, disrupting my thoughts. "Eternity."
"They must be copying some of the bars in Varris," I sneer. "After all, it is the perfect city."
"Oh, fucking hell. Would you shut up?" Miranda snaps.
"How about you bring those soft lips of yours over here and make me?" An offer I'd gladly take myself up on.
The assassin just shakes her head and opens up the door into the small bar that looks like every other building on this street. Its location is completely across the city from where our lodge is, so we really did set out right after I finished eating. I had to borrow a pair of knives from Miranda and kept them carefully out of sight. Apparently, it isn't legal to sport weapons in plain view in Illium. Utter bullshit, as far as I'm concerned.
Inside is a very raucous and wild environment, something I'm very used to. Immediately I feel in my own element. I'm half tempted to stride up to the bartender, who's a busty young woman that seems to have numerous men pining after her, and order myself a drink. I don't, only because Miranda is tugging me by the arm to a dark corner in the bar. At a small booth with worn upholstery sits a woman clothed in a pale green dress with a thin brown vest. She has short blonde hair and pixie-like features.
"Lanteia?" Miranda asks quietly.
The woman at the booth glances up at us and seems to recognize Miranda immediately.
"Mrs. Lawson?" Lanteia responded.
"Not married anymore, but yes, it's me."
"Anymore, you say?" I inquire, slightly amused. I won't deny that I feel a minute pang of jealousy but I give it no heed. "I don't remember you telling me that, dear."
Miranda only glares at me, practically saying that this isn't the time.
"Who is this, Miranda?" Lanteia asks.
"She's offered to help me with the matter we need to discuss. And don't worry about whether she's trustworthy. But you don't need to know her name—"
"Name's Aria T'Loak," I tell the blonde. I push my hood back so she can see my undoubtedly recognizable features.
"How on earth did you get her to help you?" Lanteia asks, clearly confused.
"Never mind that," Miranda quickly says, sitting across from the blonde. I pull up an empty chair and sit down, crossing my ankle over my knee and leaning back. "What news do you have?"
"Yes, of course. The transfer will happen the day after tomorrow at midnight in Illium's storage area, which is near the marketplace. It's a big warehouse, made completely of stone and about three stories tall. You can't miss it. Also, you might be pleased to know that your old friend Niket will be there aiding you."
"That's good," Miranda says, relief obvious on her face.
"Does someone mind telling me who Niket is?" I ask, feeling annoyed at being left out. Another thing I can't stand is when I don't know everything about what I'm dealing with.
Miranda decides to humor me. "He's what Lanteia said, an old childhood friend."
"Hope we can trust him, then."
"We can. He'd never double cross me."
She better hope she's right. I mean, who can trust a person named Niket? It sounds like a woman's name.
"Is that all?" Miranda asks.
Lanteia nods and Miranda and I leave the bar, but not before I pull my hood back over my head.
When we step out of the bar, my eyes are assaulted by the harsh sunlight that streams from directly overhead. I squint, trying to see through the light.
"The marketplace isn't that far from here, maybe a few blocks. I suggest we scope things out before the transfer tonight." Miranda has pulled her own hood over her head.
"What is this transfer you keep talking about?" I ask. "I know that it has to do with your sister Ornina—"
"Oriana," Miranda corrects me. She starts wading her way through the mass of bodies that occupies this street. I follow like the obedient dog I seem to be.
"Okay. What is this all about?"
"In order to keep Oriana safe, she has to be moved every so often. If she doesn't leave town after a certain time, our father will find out she's here and try to kidnap her and use her. She doesn't deserve that."
"Sounds fun. Now let's get to work."
We walk down a few more streets, which steadily get denser as we near the marketplace. When we enter the square, it's a lot larger than I anticipate. All around us are different sized buildings, such as the gothic skyscrapers I saw when we first came into town, and short structures that have vendors selling their goods underneath the awnings. Wooden stalls litter the center of the bazaar, peddling all sorts of goods, such as rugs, fruits, vegetables, meat, and clothing of every style and color. The clothing seems to match the people; rarely did I see two people who had the same skin tone or shape of eyes. Some towered over other people while others where as thick as boulders. I'm not sure if I heard a single recognizable dialect. There is no way that Miranda and I will be out of place or recognized here.
Miranda seizes my wrist and tugs me along to the far side of the wide space. I simply roll my eyes and follow along.
We slowly make our way to the other side of the market, which is about as wide as the main plaza back in Varris. I try not to bump into anyone but that plan fails terribly. Every step I take is another shoulder I run into. I don't bother apologizing because that simply isn't who I am. That and no one else bothers to.
When we reach the far side of the square, Miranda says, "Illium is the largest trading hub in this country. It receives people even from other countries like Terminus and Rannoch. This is probably the wealthiest city, aside from the Citadel."
"Wow, because I didn't know any of that at all," I say.
"I'm not even going to bother asking why you feel the need to make a comment on everything I say. Odds are it's something rude."
I clutch my heart in imaginary pain. "Oh, Miri, how you wound me! Whatever have I done to deserve such harsh treatment from such a beauty?" I use an accent I often hear in the plays performed in Varris.
Miranda continues walking in silence. Once we arrive at a deserted alleyway, she shoves me against a stone wall, whips a knife from the inside of her armor and rams it into my chest.
"Do not call me that again," she threatens, her voice low and dangerous. "You are only here to help me with my sister, nothing else. We are not friends. We are nothing more than convenient acquaintances."
"Oh, is that so?" I grab her arm and wrench it to the side. "Well, listen here, Miri. I have not been the one to initiate any of our intense kisses. That was all you. I know you have me along for more than just 'saving your sister', Mrs. Lawson. You're hoping to use me like all of those other people you've had as your sex toys." I can see that my last comment hits home because Miranda flinches just the tiniest fraction. I quickly reverse our positions, pulling the knife out of my chest and holding it to her throat as I do so. I press the sharp blade tight enough that it cuts the skin, letting little crimson droplets seep out of the wound. "Admittedly, I do enjoy fucking women. It's quite pleasurable, if you'll excuse my pun. But if you keep up with this high and mighty act, you won't get to experience that. Ever. Now, shall we continue this job before I change my mind and leave your sorry ass here to do it yourself?" I release my hold on her and pocket the knife.
Miranda rubs her throat and says nothing. Her expression is blank, but carefully so it seems. I walk away from her and down the stone walled alley. At the end, I'm greeted with a large, boarded up building. It's obviously abandoned and has been for some time. This must be the warehouse that Lanteia talked about. From what I can see now, there are numerous men and women standing near the entrance, all dressed in pale yellow armor. There are probably a dozen of them. One of the men looks over to where I stand and I rapidly duck behind a stack of crates. I pull the silken brown hood lower over my head as I peak around the wooden siding. I examine the soldiers' armor more closely, paying closer attention to the symbol on their chestplates.
"Fucking hell," I mutter.
"What?" Miranda suddenly asks from behind me. I use my forearm to push her against the wall behind me, out of view from the soldiers guarding the warehouse. She grunts from the impact.
"Keep your voice down," I whisper harshly. "There's Eclipse mercenaries guarding the warehouse. That means that this plan of yours just got that much more difficult. It also means that we need to prepare ourselves better if we want to get your sister out of this alive. We need to head back to Nos Astra and plan how we're going to make sure your sister goes to her new location safely."
"Why can't you just use your status to get past them?" Miranda asks quietly.
I rub my eyes. I really should have thought of that. "That may be true but there's no way to guarantee that they'll obey my commands. We still should come prepared."
"Makes sense. Let's head back then."
Roughly an hour later, we arrive back in our room at Nos Astra. I shut the thick wooden door and immediately head to my bag that holds my armor and weapons. I take the bulky leather and ebony plates and set them on the table that sits in front of the couch. I remove my swords and pistols from the bag and place them near the armor. I take off the leather strips around my waist and toss them on the newly formed pile of armor and weapons.
"So, what happens if using my status doesn't work?" I ask Miranda.
"Then we work to get Oriana moved ourselves. If that means taking her to the stables near the southern edge of town and escort her to a faraway city, then that's what we need to do."
I glance over at the brunette. "And if that doesn't work?"
Miranda's brows knit together in an expression of determination. "It'll work."
We spend the next half hour or so planning how to get Oriana out of the warehouse safely if revealing my identity doesn't work. The first step would be to quietly and quickly remove all of the mercs posted outside of the warehouse. Once that's taken care of, Miranda will enter the building through the roof. I was a little skeptical about her abilities to scale the building but she assured me, repeatedly, that she could do it. I'm supposed to enter through the main door as discreetly as possible and eliminate any guards near the entrance. From there, we're to oversee the exchange. Throughout the entire process, I get the sinking feeling that our original plan won't work. Something about this entire exchange feels off.
Eventually, the moon climbs in the sky and reaches its midpoint. After Miranda eats her late dinner, she goes to sleep on the bed, which gives me a mild shock. Since I have yet to feel tired, I pull a chair from the table near the kitchen and sit near the open window, looking out into the city. Most every light in the buildings surrounding ours is out. The only life on the streets now is the occasional stray animal and the lamps that light the pathways. I remember sitting like this only a couple of months ago, with one more companion. And a very different one at that. If there was one thing I could have right now, it would be Thane's companionship. The only being that I trust with my innermost thoughts because he already knows them. I cast my thoughts out to him, in hopes that he can appear to me now. I wait a few moments, hoping that he'd be able to show up. When nothing happens, I shake my head and turn my thoughts elsewhere.
"You requested me?" a familiar, deep voice says.
I whip my head around and see Thane Krios resting on his haunches near the edge of the bed. His massive head almost touches the low ceiling. Thane's onyx and crystal fur glistens in the moonlight, like it did all those nights ago. His emerald eyes bore into my own with a knowing look.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" I say quietly. "Well, stones in your case."
Thane smiled in his wolfish way, the corners of his mouth lifting to reveal his razor sharp canines. "Apologies for taking so long. This is quite the distance for me to travel, even by moving at the speed of thought. Now, what do you need me for?"
"To be honest, I think you should come to Illium and help Miranda and me."
"That will be a first for me." He lowers his head in thought. "I might be able to get here in a few hours—"
The woman sleeping on the bed stirs and groans.
"Who in the hell are you talking to, Aria?" Miranda grumbles. She sits up in bed and rubs her eyes. When she sees the crystalline form of Thane, her jaw drops. "Why is there a stone wolf in here?"
Thane looks at me, amusement in his green eyes. "She certainly seems difficult to get along with."
Miranda quickly tugs the bed's sheets around her nearly naked form and stares at the giant wolf in shock.
"She also seems to be very unused to new experiences," Thane comments.
"You have no idea."
"Can someone please tell me what is going on?" Miranda nearly exclaimed.
I turn to the wolf that's sitting at the foot of the bed. "Thane, it's probably best if you go ahead and return to Varris so you can bring your full body here, not just an apparition." He disappears in a small flash of green and white. Turning to Miranda, I see that she still looks somewhat frightened. I move my chair to set it near her side of the bed. "Do you remember that wolf fountain in Varris?" Miranda nods. "Well, it just so happens that it's alive and connected to my thoughts and body. So, anywhere that I'm at, if I reach out hard enough with my mind, Thane will inevitably come. Well, his smaller form at least. And right now, he should be here in a few hours."
"He's going to travel hundreds of leagues in a few hours? That isn't possible."
"Oh, shut it. Yes it is, especially for him. That wolf can do just about anything."
Miranda rubs her eyes then runs her slender fingers through her silky hair. Again, I feel the urge to do that for her. Then pull it to see if she moans. She probably would. I quickly grit my teeth, trying to resist the urge to claim her as my own. Especially after I learned that she was married once. I'll worry about that in the future, because I will have my way.
"I'll explain the story behind us more when Thane gets here. Just go back to sleep." I move my chair back to its original position by the window and resume my earlier spot.
"Are you…being nice, Aria?" Miranda asks hesitantly.
"No, I'm not," I say, my voice emotionless. "Go to sleep."
I can feel her gaze on my back, a tingling sensation running over my skin. I know she's dying to wonder why I am, in fact, being a bit kinder. You could say that Thane appearing put me in a more tolerable mood.
I turn around to face her, arching an eyebrow. "Unless you'd like to occupy our time by having sex. Because I'm open for that option."
"I thought you'd said that we wouldn't ever open up that door." Miranda looks at me with an irritated expression.
"I changed my mind," I say, dropping my voice an octave.
Miranda visibly swallows but does nothing else.
I shrug and turn back to the window. The moon has passed the apex of its path and is now setting. It's quite a large moon, taking up at least a fifth of the sky. I watch the city street below the window, which is empty except for a man now stumbling his way down. It amuses me how people drink so much that they become incoherent and not able to function properly. This man has clearly had much more than he can handle. And now he is falling down, his hands scraping the cobblestones of the ground.
I hear rustling of sheets behind me and then the wooden floor creaking. A hand slowly runs through my thick, choppy hair and I feel a minor wave of heat course through my torso.
"What are you doing, Miranda?" I mutter as I reach back to grab her hand.
There's a bit of hesitation before she answers, "Whatever you want. We have time to kill."
"That may be true but you need to sleep, whereas I don't. Your sister can't afford you to be groggy and exhausted when we go to transfer her." Yet there's still that part, that really large part, of me that would love nothing more than to entertain Miranda's thoughts right now. "And what's come over you, more importantly? Why do you just now want to get me into bed?" When no answer is forthcoming, I lean forward in my chair and out of the woman's reach. "Just go back to bed, Miss Lawson. You aren't in your right mind at the moment. You'll feel normal in the morning."
Reluctantly, it seems, Miranda walks back to the bed, the floor boards creaking under her weight. When I hear her pull the covers back over her, I slowly let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Crossing my legs and folding my arms across my chest, I stay like that for the rest of the night.
AN: I know, terrible place to end; I'm sorry. I'm trying to get to the good stuff as quickly as I can but still trying to pay attention to other details.