Page 40 (2/2)

Qaine

The longfaces behind her, the male with the wispy patch of hair beneath his lower lip, the , spiky bristles of white serving as hair, he recognised too

Yldus, Vashnear, Dech

Behind the with arms crossed over her chest, taller and more powerful than any ht it appeared as though it would split apart and bare glistening muscle underneath at any moment … This one, he knew only by the venom hich the others spewed her name

Xhai Carnassial

He repeated their naer towards the He collected their na fragile that he would pluck, petal by bloody petal and crush under his six toes Naets for later Just as soon as his people heard, just as soon as they knew …

‘Must you really do that?’ the one called Yldus asked,a look of disapproval that seemed perpetual

‘It’s not fair,’ Qaine replied, peering into the cage ‘I caught hiet to kill him’

‘I froze hiathered here to discuss the ways in which you can killattention for want of killing this one?’

‘He killed two feht hi an eyebrow ‘I didn’t think they were that hard’

‘Did you not also say he bled all over the of nose, red of robe, twisted his upper lip in disgust ‘Filthy creature Keep it in its cage’

‘It’s obvious by now that the overscu his eyes

‘You cannot know that,’ Vashnear snapped back

‘Just a e,’ Qaine whispered Her hands drifted, one toward the lock on his cage, the other toward the blade on her belt ‘It’ll be quick Those others eaklings He can’t be that strong’

Naxiaw held his belt, already calculating hoould kill her, then leap to the spike-headed one and rip her throat out, seize her sword and move to the males They were small, delicate – one stroke would finish the one with the taut face … he would have to flee and coht fair

His breath caers drifted closer to the lock He was prepared for this He was ready to spill their blood He was s’na shict s’ha He would kill them all as soon as she just drew a little closer and--

‘No’

There wasn’t even enough air left to gasp with after the voice spoke There was no threat in it, Naxiaw discerned; threats implied uncertainty, conditions thatof the sort It was a word full of certainty, a sound full of e of the ruined terrace, deertips on a cru down at the valley hat Naxiaas sure was extre face

This one had no name as far as Naxia His hispered so softly, with such quiet reverence, that it escaped even the long reach of his ears It seereat care not to mention his name within earshot of the shict They turned their eyes away froe to look away, to avoid the sight of his void-black robes and long and stiff white hair

But he forced hiive this one a name, one more flower to the necklace This one would bleed This one would die This one, Black-clad, would suffer ers drulessness to their voices

‘As I was saying,’ Yldus continued, ‘the subject of the invasion is of some concern to me’

‘As to us all,’ Vashnear replied with a sneer ‘The fact that you were chosen to lead it is a decision of unending concern’

‘I suppose you have a better idea?’ Qaine replied, stepping in front of Yldus, returning his sneer

This, Naxiaw gathered, was their function – to be hounds to the males To bare their teeth and snarl at those who looked at them without their express approval These tall, white-haired ones, the Carnassials, were the fiercest and es And Naxiaaited with morbid anticipation for the spike-headed Dech to return Qaine’s aggression with the grim hope that one of theiven the company,’ Yldus said before Dech could make aand snarling is to ask the iet at least a little business done before you start tearing each other apart’

‘The Master’s decision,’ Xhai uttered, ‘was esting that any event of tearing apart, as far as she was concerned, would end with her in possession of all her li fe derisively and stepping back to their respectiveto tell us,’ Vashnear snarled, ‘then he can speak without the use of fely at Black-clad ‘I still advocate overwhel force The males lead, use the nethra to burn the city to cinders without having to set foot in it and risk contamination’

‘The cost would be enorh we do not possess the stones’ Vashnear tapped the red sphere dangling frohtly at his touch ‘The cost is trivial’

‘You aren’t considering the resources spent’

‘Oh no,’ Vashnearhis white eyes ‘More dead slaves? If only we had so flesh and …’ He blinked suddenly, holding up a finger ‘Oh wait’ His thin hand ht to take We can always get e of the ridge and stared down at the valley below ‘We’ve already rounded up every green thing on the island and killed half of theate the painted lizards have gone …’

Naxiaw peered through his bars, following the longface’s stare to the valley Two fe compatriot by her ankles Naxiaw’s eyes widened as he spied the female’s head, or the red pulp that used to be the head He had but enough tie rolling around in bits of exposed, glistening bone held together by a web of tattered purple flesh

Then the two females tossed their fellow uncereures moved beneath, stirred with sudden, violent ht teeth against black lips An eerie cackle rose fro and ripping

‘Not as well as we had planned,’ Yldus finished

‘If the worst that comes from our attempts is that the sikkhuns eat a little better and we lose a few females, so be it’ Vashnear spoke with a very pleased s toward Qaine ‘Of course, we have an entire wealth of green-things that will not fight back readily, just waiting for--’

‘Not theered for just a moment this time, a spear instead of a cloak that he aiface nodded briefly, his s