Now she roared, Youre doing that on purpose! as Virko banked hard left, causing her to slide cockeyed in her makeshift saddle of straps until he banked the other way and righted her.
Virko was laughing, but Zuzana wasnt. She craned her neck looking for Karou and hollered, I need a new horse. This one thinks hes hilarious!
Youre stuck with him! Karou called back to Zuzana. She flew nearer, having to veer around a pair of overburdened griffons. She herself was weighed down by a heavy pack of gear and a long chain of linked thuribles, many dozens of souls contained within. She clanked with every movement, and had never felt so graceless. He volunteered.
Indeed, if Zuzana hadnt been so light, it may not have been possible to bring the humans along. Virko was carrying her in addition to his full, allocated load, and as for Emylion, two or three soldiers had wordlessly taken up some of his gear so that he could manage Mik, who, though not large, wasnt the weightless petal Zuze was. There had been no question of leaving his violin behind, either. Karous friends, it was clear, had won real affection from this group in a way she herself had not.
From most of them anyway. There was Ziri. He might not look like Ziri anymore, but he was Ziri, and Karou knew
She knew that he was in love with her.
Why dont you have a pegasus in this company? Zuzana demanded, paling as she eyed the ever-more-distant ground. A nice docile flying horse to ride, with a fluffy mane instead of spikes, like floating on a cloud.
Because nothing is more terrifying to the enemy than a pegasus, said Mik.
Hey, theres more to life than terrifying your enemies, said Zuzana. Like not plunging a thousand feet to your death aaah! She shrieked as Virko suddenly dipped to pass beneath the smith Aegir, who was heaving hard to bear a sack of weaponry airborne. Karou seized a corner of the bag to help him and together they rose slowly higher as Virko drew ahead.
Better be good to her! she called after him in Chimaera. Or Ill let her turn you into a pegasus in your next body!
No! he roared back. Not that!
He straightened out, and Karou found herself in one of those in-between moments when her life could still surprise her. She thought of herself and Zuze, not so many months ago, at their easels in life-drawing class, or with their feet up on a coffin-table at Poison Kitchen. Mik had just been violin boy then, a crush, and now here he was with his violin strapped to his pack, riding with them to another world while Karou threatened monsters with resurrection vengeance for misbehavior?
For just a moment, in spite of the burden of the weapons bag, and the thuribles, and her packnot to mention the anvil weight of her duty and the deception and the future of two worldsKarou felt almost light. Hopeful.
Then she heard a laugh, bright with casual malice, and from the corner of her eye, caught sight of the flick of a hand. It was Keita-Eiri, a jackal-headed Sab fighter, and Karou saw at once what she was about. She was flashing her hamsasthe devils eyes inked on her palmstoward Akiva and Liraz. Rark, alongside her, was doing the same, and they were laughing.
Hoping the seraphim were out of range, Karou risked a look in their direction just in time to see Liraz break mid-wingbeat and swing around, fury clear in her posture even at a distance.
Not out of range, then. Akiva reached for his sister and restrained her from rounding on their assailants.
More laughter as the chimaera made sport of them, and Karous hands gripped into fists around her own marks. She couldnt be the one to put a stop to thisit would only make things worse. With clenched teeth she watched Akiva and Liraz draw even farther away, and the growing distance between them seemed a bad omen for this brave beginning.
Are you all right, Karou? came a hiss-accented whisper.
Karou turned. Lisseth was drawing up beside her. Fine, Karou said.
Oh? You look tense.
Though of the Naja race like Issa, Lisseth and her partner, Nisk, were twice Issas weightthick as pythons beside a viper, bull-necked and burly, but still deadly quick and equipped with venomous fangs as well as the incongruity of wings. It was Karous own doing, all of it. Stupid, stupid.
Dont worry about me, she told Lisseth.
Well, thats difficult, isnt it? How can I not worry about an angel-lover?
There had been a time, a very recent time, when this insult had carried a sting. Not anymore. We have so many enemies, Lisseth, said Karou, keeping her voice light. Most of them are our birthright, inherited like a duty, but the ones we make for ourselves are special. We should choose them with care.
Lisseths brow creased. Are you threatening me? she asked.
Threatening you? Now, how did you get that out of what I just said? I was talking about making enemies, and I cant imagine any revenant soldier being dumb enough to make an enemy of the resurrectionist.
There , she thought as Lisseths face went tight. Make of that what you will.
They were moving along all the while, steady in the air in the middle of the company, and now the density of bodies before them parted, revealing Thiago astride Uthem, doubled back into their midst. The company re-formed around them, their progress slowing.