Oh, Ed, you swine. “Are there many Blessed Maidens, or are you the only one?”
“There are eight of us.” The girl smiled, her eyes innocent on the young face. “Don’t worry, if Preacher Ed finds you worthy, you may be called to serve, too.”
Yes, I’ll slice his throat first. “That’s nice.”
The girl turned away. Audrey hugged her shoulders, crushing the fabric of the new yellow suit she’d bought for the occasion. It was just as expensive as the pink one, twice as ridiculous, and it bared so much of her breasts, she could cause a small riot. None of it made her feel better. She had a distinct feeling that their scheme wouldn’t go well.
Her thoughts kept returning to the wyvern and Ling the Merciless and the little cat. Gaston had wanted to cage them, but she told him not to do it. If something happened . . . well, at least Ling wouldn’t starve to death locked in a cage.
Kaldar’s warm arms closed around her. He pulled her closer, leaning toward her ear, and kissed her neck, his lips hot, his touch reassuring. His whisper sounded in her ear, meant for her alone. “I have two magic bombs, and my sword is hidden in my jacket. I can carve my way through all of them. Nobody here will stop us. It will go smooth as silk. I promise.”
Again with swords. “How will your sword stop a bullet?” she whispered.
“I’ll show you. Relax, Audrey. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I want you so badly, I can taste it.”
She pulled back from him and saw his eyes, laughing at her. “In this yellow suit?”
“I love the yellow suit,” he told her. “I love your face, your eyes, your breasts, your ass, I love it all.”
Impossible man. “We’re about to get killed, and you’re fantasizing about my ass?”
“I can’t help it.”
“You’re insane,” she whispered. Her tension evaporated into the air.
“The boys,” he whispered back.
George and Jack, scrubbed clean and dressed in identical plain white T-shirts and sweatpants, came down the aisle, led by Paul. George looked calm. Jack’s eyes were huge and wild. The crowd’s mood was probably wreaking havoc on his nerves.
“Boys!” Audrey rose and waved.
Paul stared at her cleavage for a long second, then pushed the boys forward.
“There you are.” Audrey made a big show of hugging first George, then Jack, whispering the same thing into their ears, “Get ready to run.”
The kids sat next to Kaldar. Paul turned away.
“Aren’t you staying for the sermon?” Audrey asked.
“No. I have some errands.” Paul headed up the aisle. Other camp staffers were leaving as well. A couple of moments, and the church doors began to close behind them. Audrey watched the light between them shrink with a sinking feeling.
The doors clanged closed. They were locked in.
FROM his position at the root of a large pine, Karmash peered at the men with guns shutting the church doors. The camp sat on the side of a hill, and from his vantage point, Karmash had an excellent view of the entire place. He’d observed both Kaldar Mar and the red-haired woman enter the church and had released an enhanced message bird the moment Karmash had seen Kaldar’s face.
The priest had a small but solid compound. Karmash personally counted twelve guards, quite a force. Two went inside the church, two remained by the church doors, and the rest filed into a log house on the far left. None of them would present a problem.
Cotier scuttled down the pine trunk, descending from the branches like a lizard, with his head down. Muscular, quick, the scout was an odd creature even by the Hand’s standards: brown and green pigments swirled within his skin, and as he paused on the trunk, his face mimicked its colors and rough brown pattern. His voice came out as a low, slightly sibilant whisper. “What are they doing?”
“It appears they’re locking them in.”
“That’s not good.”
“Thank you for stating the obvious.” He had no idea what the Edgers were doing, but whatever it was, it required armed guards and barred doors. In Karmash’s experience, that was never a good combination for the party that was being locked in.
“Should we do something?”
Helena was really too permissive with her crew. Agents under his command never questioned his decisions in such a manner. Karmash weighed the choices at hand. The real question was what would piss Helena off more, acting against her orders or losing Kaldar Mar to some Edger insanity.
Nobody bothered to question the winners. If he delivered Kaldar Mar, all would be forgiven. He might even be commended for taking the initiative.
The two guards took position by the doors, brandishing their rifles.
If he screwed this up, there would be no coming back.
Karmash gritted his teeth. He couldn’t take a chance on losing Kaldar. That would be unforgivable, and Helena wasn’t known for her mercy.
He shrugged off his camouflage cloak. Mura stepped out from behind a tree trunk, her orange skin bright against the greenery despite camouflage paint. Karmash nearly winced. True, as a slayer, Mura was never meant to be used in a forest setting, but her skin was almost fluorescent. She would’ve never made the cut in Spider’s crew. Helena’s standards clearly differed.
To the left, Soma emerged from the underbrush and crouched. Thick, monstrous muscle sheathed the hunter’s frame. His hair dripped down his back in long blond rolls, matching the crest of fur running down his spine. The hunter raked the forest floor with his enormous claws. His gaze bored into the two guards below.
“Soma,” Karmash called.
The hunter didn’t answer.
“Soma!”
The man slowly turned his head and peered at Karmash with pale eyes. His face showed no expression; it was like looking at a wolf.
“Do not kill the male. Helena needs him alive. Do you understand me?”
Soma didn’t answer.
“Do you understand?”
Soma glanced at Cotier. The scout gave him an understanding look. Fury boiled inside Karmash.