Page 27 (1/2)

Ziri had been a watchful child, and had seento understand He’d had to watch Madrigal die, and he hadn’t understood the fervor--the ecstasy--of the crowd He hadn’t understood why the only one who mourned her was the enemy, driven to his knees and bloody froet Akiva’s screae, helplessness It reo that day, too, a chill white presence on the palace balcony, un to hate someone on that day, and it wasn’t Akiva

"I don’t knohy, Karou," he said "But I think the angel saved my life"

53

HEROES

"We should have killed him e had the chance," Liraz said under her breath as she and Hazael walked in step through the Dominion camp

"We didn’t have the chance," Hazael reminded her "There were too many damn birds in the way"

"Yes, well, I hoped he’d been suffocated or pecked to death or so about Jael, who they were headed to see For reasons yetuncle had asked to see them "Couldn’t Akiva have ed "Who knohat our brother can do I don’t think he quite knows hi before It cost hiasping and shaking, his eyes tight shut so that Hazael and Liraz had not seen until it was done how blood vessels had burst and turned them red

"For the life of one chimaera," said Liraz

"For the life of one, yes, and the hope of more," said Hazael

"The hope of her," said Liraz, not without bitterness How could she not hate this phantoirl as neither alive nor dead, human nor chimaera--what the hell was she, anyway? It was just so very far outside of everything, so deeply abnormal, and… Liraz knew that at the root of it was jealousy, and she hated that Akiva was hers

Oh, not in that way He was her brother But Hazael and Akiva were her people, her only people They had hundreds of other brothers and sisters, but this was different It had always been the three of the them in battle more than once, until recently she’d never had to worry about losing theotten didn’t love and ht, because it would be their choice They wouldn’t die, or be taken froo freely to make their life around another person and leave her behind

She had said she didn’t feel fear, but it was a lie; this was her fear: being left alone Because of one thing she was certain, and it was that she could never love, not like that Trust a stranger with her flesh? The closeness, the quiet She couldn’t i so so for them? The vulnerability of it uard, and she wouldn’t Ever Just the thought made her feel small and weak as a child--and Liraz did not like to feel small and weak Her memories of childhood were not kind

Only Hazael and Akiva had gotten her through it She’d thought that she would do anything for theht o

"I wonder if he’s found them," she said now to Hazael The rebels, sheJael’s pavilion "We should have gone with him"

"We have our part to play here," he said, and Liraz only nodded She hadn’t wanted to let Akiva go off alone again, but how could she stop hi hilamour hi--and follow the Kirin into the bird-torn sky, while she and Hazael had returned to the camp To play their part, as they had before, and cover for hih, had they been summoned before the Captain of the Dominion to tell their lies and half-truths

"Ready?" asked Hazael

Liraz nodded and went first through the flap The sah, was it just the day before? Liraz felt the brief contact of her brother’s fingertips at the small of her back and carried the connection with her as she faced Jael

Loriel said she was fine She said it was nothing--just a man, and men wash off

She was older than most of the female soldiers,thrown to Jael, she said--and though Liraz had not been in danger, being Jael’s own blood, she thought it was an act of courage unlike any she had ever witnessed Braver than taking the vanguard or doubling back for wounded co a host of revenants Liraz had done those other things, but she knew she could never have walked into this tent and out of it again, not like that

"My lord," she said noith the appropriate deep bow Drawing even with her, Hazael did the same

"Niece, nephew," he drawled It was et it, she thought She lifted her head and looked at him

And really did not like what she saw on his face It was ai Hazael out, and it was… interest Un "What is your name?" he asked her

"My sister is Liraz," Hazael spoke up "And I am Hazael"

But Jael repeated only, "Liraz" He said it wetly, followed it with a heavy sigh "Misbegotten What a pity You’re a fresher fruit than some others who’ve co hiet it," he said, and succeeded this ti himself That’s funny"

Stop, Liraz willed hienuine He had a gift for laughter

Now that Jael troubled to look at Hazael, he sahat everyone did when the pair of them stood side by side, and looked back and forth between brother and sister "Twins?" he asked "No? The same mother, at least"

But Hazael shook his head "No, sir, only our father’s blood shining through"

Liraz was stunned enough to turn her head and stare To na to keep the focus on hiain, but Jael didn’t take offense Maybe because of the foolish good huhts were elsewhere

"Indeed," said the captain "Though that’s not the case with the Prince of Bastards, is it? I would say his Stelian taint rose to the top"