Page 2 of Warrior's Reign
* * *
Vykhan barely contained his anger and self-disgust, maintaining a stoic mien for his warriors. This feint was the reason he rarely indulged his need to personally pursue the criminals they hunted and obtained writs against. This one had eluded his team for a year and was a lead to far more important links in the chain they were slowly dismantling.
But the criminal had been a sacrifice.
They reported that theBdakhun’sguards fought to preserve her life, calling for backup as soon as the threat was clear. Ibukay emerged alive, but not unscathed.
Vykhan molded his shame into rage, then crushed the emotion before issuing orders. Both feelings were familiar, and served no purpose.
His team was used to his Silences and worked efficiently as they processed the scene; vid data, the bodies of the dead assailants. One of their own had perished in the fight, two civilians caught in crossfire.The newsfeeds would not be favorable towards theBdakhunthis cycle—her detractors would latch onto the civilian deaths as another excuse to shout for her official reprimand and the dismantling of her anti-trafficking security force.
“They’re getting bolder,” Ibukay said, eyes bright with anger, the normally rich tones of her sapphire skin pale with stress. She sat on the edge of a bed in the palace medbay, her ruined evening gown tossed carelessly over a nearby chair.
“They waited until I abandoned you for worthless prey,” Vykhan said. “They must have had a team in place for months waiting to seize a chance.” Since the attack on Tai’ri’s bonded months ago, they had increased security.
Her gaze seized his. “This isn’t your fault, Vykhan. Not the attack, and not—” her mouth tightened for a moment “—Eny’s death.” Ibukay inhaled, released the breath in a slow, steady stream, blinking rapidly. “We’ll need to replace Eny immediately. We’re already short staffed and I don’t want to cut into anyone’s rest time.”
His expression didn’t change. It was not her place to offer him absolution, though he honored her compassion. “That is no matter. We serve.”
She grimaced. “You also all need sleep and some semblance of a life.” She paused, looking up at the ceiling. Vykhan glanced up. It was smooth, white, nothing of note. “I have someone in mind.”
Ah.
“An old human university friend. Well—old is relative.”
He’d been in charge of Tai’ri’s assignment during Ibukay’s last university stint. Certainty slowly rose, and he braced himself.
“Don’t give me that look, Vykhan.” She jumped down from the bed.
“Have you been cleared?” he demanded.
She gave him a look. “Who’s in charge here?”
“That question has many answers. If we reflect on the fluid concept of authority—”
“Vykhan.” She snatched her gown off the chair, stomped behind a privacy screen, and emerged dressed in the expensive rag.
Seeing further evidence of his failure incensed him. “What is this friend’s name?”
“I’ll send the data to your office unit,” she said, striding across the room. “This isn’t negotiable!”
“The name, little sister.”
She paused at the medbay’s threshold. “Obe’shan, Reign.”
The name slapped Vykhan in the face, and it took far too long to repair Silence.
* * *
A large fist smashed into her jaw.
Reign’s body flew back as she crashed onto the packed dirt circle. She rolled as a booted foot barreled towards her head, the merciless thud of her opponent’s heel grinding into the ground as she jackknifed to her feet bare seconds before he was on her again.
In the forest surrounding her second childhood home, night birds squawked strident criticism of her performance, but she was used to that. The twin moons Elhana and Yevwah squared off, sisters—or lovers, depending on the version—battling over the stars in the sky, which the first Yadeshi Inkmasters gathered to use as ink for their tattoos.
As a rare human female warrior on planet Yedahn she’d endured silent, polite, unending criticism, ever since her academy days. She had to be better, faster, more controlled than anyone else. She failed miserably at the latter and conditioned herself to succeed at the former.
The droid in front of her was part of that conditioning.
