My lord, Lisseth greeted him, and Karou could practically see the tattle forming in her thoughts. My lord, the angel-lover threatened me. We need to tighten our control over her.
Good luck with that , she thought, but the Wolf didnt give Lissethor anyonea chance to speak. In a voice pitched just loud enough to carry, while scarcely seeming to be raised, he said, Do you think because I ride ahead I dont know how my army acquits itself? He paused. You are as the blood in my body. I sense every shudder and sigh, I know your pain and your joy, and I certainly hear your laughter.
He swept the encircling soldiers with a look, and jackal-headed Keita-Eiri wasnt laughing when his gaze came to rest on her.
If I wish you to antagonize our allies I will tell you. And if you suspect that I have forgotten to give you an order, kindly enlighten me. In return I will enlighten you. The message was for everyone. Keita-Eiri was just the unlucky focus of the generals chilling sarcasm. How does that arrangement strike you, soldier? Does it meet your approval?
Her voice thin with mortification, Keita-Eiri whispered, Yes, sir. Karou felt almost bad for her.
Im so glad. The Wolf raised his voice now. Together we have fought, and together endured the loss of our people. We have bled and we have screamed. Youve followed me into fire, and into death, and into another world, but never perhaps into anything so seeming strange as this. Refuge with seraphim? Strange it may be, but I would be so disappointed if your trust failed. There is no room for dissent. Any who cannot abide our current course can leave us the moment we pass through the portal, and take their chances on their own.
He scanned their faces. His own was hard but lit by some inner brilliance. As regards the angels, I ask nothing of you but patience. We cant fight them as we once did, trusting to our numbers even as we bled. I dont ask your permission to find a new way. If you stay with me, I expect faith . The future is shadowed, and I can promise you nothing beyond this: We will fight for our world to the last echo of our souls, and if we are very strong and very lucky and very smart , we may live to rebuild some of what weve lost.
He made eye contact with each in turn, making them feel seen and counted, valued. His look conveyed his faith in themand more, his trust in their faith in him . He went on: This much is plain: If we fail to thwart this pressing threat, we end . Chimaera end. He paused. His gaze having come full circle to Keita-Eiri, he said, with caressing gentleness that somehow made the rebuke so much more damning: This is no laughing matter, soldier.
And then he urged Uthem forward and they cut their way through the troops to resume their place at the head of the army. Karou watched as the soldiers silently moved back into formation, and she knew that not one of them would leave him, and that Akiva and Liraz would be safe from errant hamsa strikes for the remainder of the journey.
That was good. She felt a flush of pride for Ziri, and also of awe. In his natural flesh, the young soldier had been quiet, almost shythe opposite of this eloquent megalomaniac whose flesh he now wore. Watching him, she had wondered for the first timeand maybe it was stupid that she hadnt thought to wonder it beforehow being Thiago might change him.
But the thought subsided as soon as it came. This was Ziri. Of all the many things Karou had to worry about,
his being corrupted by power was not one of them.
Lisseth, however, was. Karou looked to her, still hovering near in the air, and saw calculation in the Najas eyes as she watched their general resume his place.
What was she thinking? Karou knew there wasnt a chance in hell of Thiagos lieutenants leaving the company, but god, she wished they would. No one knew him better, and no one would watch him more closely. As for what shed told Lisseth about making an enemy of the resurrectionist, it hadnt been a joke or an idle threat. If anything was certain for revenant soldiers, it was that if they went into battle often enough, eventually theyd be in need of a body.
Bovine , thought Karou. A big slow cow for you. And the next time Lisseth shot her a glance, she thought, almost merrily, Moo.
7
A GIFT FROM THE WILD
The chimaera had ridden high over the peaks now. The kasbah was behind them, the portal just ahead, though Karou could barely make it out. Even up close it presented as a mere ripple, and you had to dive through it on faith, feel its edges feather open around you. Larger creatures did best to fold back their wings and hit it with speed, and if they went just a fraction too high or low theyd feel no resistance and overshoot it, remaining right here in this sky. That didnt happen now, though. This company knew what they were doing, and vanished through the crease one by one.
It took time, each looming shape winking out into the ether.
When it came Virkos turn, Karou called, Hold on! to Zuzana, and she did, and they careened through the cut. Emylion and Mik went next, and Karou didnt like having her friends out of her sight, so she nodded to the Wolf, who had circled around to see everyone through, and with one last deep breath of Earth air, she dove.