Page 36 of Great Falls Rogue
Tye touched the top branch and started scrambling down, gripping hand over hand, his chest heaving.
“Two,” Han bellowed.
Tye flinched, making a too-hasty grab for the rope. Coal foresaw the inevitable a moment before it happened. Tyelor’s hand slipped, and he slid down the remaining fifteen feet of the rope, the hemp burning off his skin to leave streaks of crimson behind. By the time Tye fell to the ground, his knee striking the anvil’s edge, blood dripped freely from his palms.
Han kicked the sand, sending the grains into Tye’s eyes. “Pitiful and sloppy.”
Tye showed no emotion, his chest heaving as sweat ran down his face.
“I’ve no notion what child’s play you calledtrainingup to this point, but I assure you, it won’t be the case any longer.” Han pointed at the rope. “Again.”
River strode up to the corral fence, waiting in that silent way the commander had of getting attention. As usual, the method worked. Han approached the spot a moment later, a small smile tilting his lips.
“I see you’ve already begun assembling the new team,” River said mildly.
Han leaned his back against the fence and nodded. “I have. One moment, sir.” He snapped his fingers at the royals, whose heads swiveled to him at once. “Two laps around the Academy. The last one done will be running extra every day for the next week. Go.”
The cadets scurried off, Katita and two of her cousins leading the way. With all students but Tye gone, Han split his attention equally between his climber and River. “I presume you came to check on your troublemaker, sir.” Han nodded toward the rope. “I feel confident that after today, Tyelor’s desire to get into brawls or break any other Academy regulations will be curbed effectively.”
“I’m heartened to learn that. However, I came to discover why you failed to remove Leralynn of Osprey from the holding cell yesterday.” The chill in River’s voice was enough to set any man’s spine crackling with ice, but Han seemed too busy watching Tye’s progress to mark it.
“Who? Oh, the wench. She isn’t any concern of mine.” With a dismissive shrug, Han pitched his voice up. “Move, Tyelor. Bathe in self-pity on your own damn time.”
Coal felt a growl rise up his chest, but River beat him to it. Clamping a hand on Han’s shoulder, the large commander jerked Han around to face him.
“First, that is the last time you refer to any female at this Academy aswench.”River’s voice was low and dangerous as he stared down at Han. “Second, you were told to set both students free and instead shackled the girl and left without a word. Explain yourself.”
Han glanced at River’s grip as if examining an unsightly slug. “First, Commander River, Leralynn of Osprey—as well as any other student not on my training team—is utterly irrelevant to my position here. I left her cell door ajar and kept her shackle loose enough for anyone with half a brain to work their wrist loose with a few minutes of effort. Beyond that, I expect theyoung woman’straining instructor to take responsibility for her.” Han’s eyes cut to Coal, the blue-gray in them lined with distaste.
Coal bared his teeth.
Han snorted, returning his attention to River. “Either way, certainly the guards at the prestigious Great Falls Academy can subtract one from two and know there is something left over. If Leralynn’s disposition wasn’t reported back to you, then either your people’s arithmetic or communications skills are lacking. Both of which, like Leralynn herself, are not my concern. Now, let go of my shoulder,sir.”
River released Han, and Coal swore the commander nearly wiped his hand on his trousers before putting it behind his back.
Han turned to Coal. “While we are on the topic of cadet oversight, Lieutenant Coal, please allow me to make myself clear in light of some recent history I’ve learned. I little care who you rut with, so long as it isn’t any one of my athletes. You let your cock, tongue, or even your stars’ damned eyes touch any of my students, and I will cut off your sac and stuff it down your throat. I do hope that is clear enough. Excuse me, gentlemen.”
Coal realized he was moving only when he felt River’s hand dig painfully into his shoulder.
“Leave it,” the commander ordered, half dragging Coal off the pitch.
Coal’s nostrils flared, the pounding in his ears making the whole bloody world pulse in front of his eyes. The moment he and River cleared Han’s sight, he twisted toward the commander so quickly that the other man had to jump back just to keep from being slugged. “Did you hear—”
“Yes, I did.” River matched Coal snarl for snarl. “I heard a man who knows his authority comes from Sage tell me exactly where the lines in the sand are drawn. And, point of fact, the bastard was right. I ordered everyone into custody, so the responsibility to keep track of them was mine. Had the guards not been in utter disarray, they would have reported the situation as Han expected. They didn’t, and I was too preoccupied to notice. That is not a mistake someone with the power to lock people up is allowed to make.”
“That’s it?” Coal’s voice was too calm and quiet for the blood rushing in his ears. There was little point in pushing when River got like this. No, action would come later. “And Tyelor? Or was that near neck-breaking fall also somehow your fault?”
“If Tyelor—and the rest of the cadets in that corral—find Han’s methods unpalatable, there is nothing stopping them from walking away.” River clasped his hands behind his back, his broad chest pressing against his red jacket. Reminding Coal of just who was in control. “Unless Han starts physically forcing the athletes or expands his power outside the team, I’ve matters of greater import to address than how a Prowess coach handles hisentirely voluntary group. As for what he said to you—”
“Don’t.” Coal turned on his heels before the fury raging inside him flashed too brightly in his eyes. He was done here. Done but for one last thing that River would do better to know nothing about. Not until it was done. After that—after that, nothing really mattered.
Coal waitedatop the Academy’s high wall, crouched against the deep shadow of the night. The curfew bells had sounded hours ago, though with Ostera liberty, several errant cadets were still trying to talk their way past the harried guards. But Coal wasn’t watching for them. He hunted someone else.
Despite being assigned quarters in the instructors’ wing of the keep, Han was yet to move in, his rooms empty. Which meant that sometime tonight, Han would leave the Academy. Most likely, he’d head to one of the two small inns in the Great Fall’s village, though it little mattered. By the time Coal finished his chat with the man, Han wasn’t going to be arriving at either destination—not unless he crawled there.
Han had shackled Leralynn to a cell wall and left her there. Alone and frightened and in pain. Just the memory of the coppery scent of her wrists, her numb fear, made Coal’s blood simmer. For that, Han would pay. The man might have a silver tongue and leverage enough to talk circles around River, but none of that would save him from Coal.
The three hours Coal spent waiting passed swiftly, his heartbeat staying level even when Han finally walked out the Academy gate, the night breeze carrying hints of cayenne pepper toward Coal. Han wore casual clothing now rather than the instructor’s red, a soft white tunic tucked into fitted black pants, and tall boots. That white shirt would be easy to spot in the woods—and a pleasure to ruin. From his perch, Coal watched as the man chose one of the wooded trails instead of the main road and started down the path at a leisurely gait. With Han’s speed and the direction in mind, Coal jumped softly from the wall and cut through the woods, beating Han to the small clearing Coal had spotted. Crossing his arms over his chest, Coal leaned back against a thick oak and waited.
