The Lady of Toryn Anthology (Lady of Toryn trilogy) (15 page)

Kou sighed. "We could take him with us," he
said wearily, rubbing his hand across his forehead.

"You'd do that?" Ashlyn asked, surprised.

"What other option do we have? We cannot leave
him for dead. Enough people have suffered in this war. I have no wish to
contribute to the demise of another."

She liked that answer, although Kou’s formal speech in
Merchant Tongue was disconcerting. "We need a boat. Maybe we could find a
captain here who’d be willing to sell."

"Do you have credits?"

"Yeah."

Kou returned from town an hour later with a docile old
gelding. "No ship owners here," he said tersely at Ashlyn's
questioning look. "We'll have to try again at Industry."

He looked at Vargo. The Spartan was now leaning back
against the cave wall and humming languidly to himself through his gag.

"I'm assuming you wanted him quiet for a
reason," Kou said.

"He wouldn't shut up," Ashlyn answered, and
that was all the explanation she offered.

They left at first light, Ashlyn riding with Vargo on
Suki. She made sure to adjust the sword lower on her back so that it would
prevent Vargo from getting too close.

He kept a respectable distance all day.

Chapter 9

Deliberation
Face

Industry.

Ashlyn didn't frequent the place. The people of
Industry…hmm…Industrians? Industrialists? What
was
the correct term? And
what exactly was the town called before Lord Angelo built the power plant
there? And why was it
still
called Industry even though the power plant
was long gone? Well, anyway, the citizens of Industry were exceptionally
star-struck, or maybe just
FLD-
struck, because every time Ashlyn set
foot in the place, she was immediately swamped by old men wanting to recount
their own moments of bravery, little kids requesting autographs, and
rolly-polly grandmother types who always pinched her arm and demanded that she
"put some meat on your bones! I could see
through
you if I had a
mind to!"

Ashlyn highly doubted that. She was by no means a
large person, but what there was of her was pretty darn dense. She didn't think
she was in any danger of becoming transparent.

The last time, less than a year after the sun was
saved, Ashlyn had sworn that she would never return to Industry. At least not
without some kind of disguise to avoid the chaos that came with being billed as
a savior of the world.

They were just outside the town now- more of a
village, really, barely big enough to earn a dot on the map- hidden behind a
large outcropping of rock about fifty feet out. Ashlyn was staring at the
brown-shingled houses and debating how she was going to get inside without
being recognized.

Kou had already gotten himself a room at the inn,
returning for only a few brief moments to inform them that no one of FLD fame
was in the town and also that the only boat available for sale was large enough
for two.

Ashlyn leaned against the boulder behind her and
pulled her tank top over her head, debating what to do with it before she
finally just dropped it on the ground.

"Anybody coming?" she asked Vargo, who was
sitting with his back to her, still bound at his wrists but minus the gag.

"I can't see a thing," he said cheerfully.
"Not that I would tell you if I could."

His mood had improved considerably since she'd removed
the gag. He now seemed to be regarding this whole kidnapping scenario with
childish delight rather than irritation- a big switch from his attitude when
she'd first come to after their short-lived battle.

Of course, it could have something to do with the fact
that he was trying to ogle her out of the corner of his eye, but Ashlyn didn't
mind…too much. Her underwear covered almost as much of her as her regular
clothes did anyway. But she wasn't about to let him know that.

She kicked her shorts off in his direction. One of her
sneakers went with them. "Pervert."

The sneaker hit him in the shoulder. "Ow! Give me
a break here! I'm not the one stripping in plain view. You could always walk
around the other side of the rock."

"But then I'd be letting you out of my sight, and
I still don't buy that you're as helpless with those knots as you seem to
be."

He raised his hands above his head, still soundly tied
together with the frayed rope. "I'm completely at your mercy, I
swear."

"Don't sound so happy about it. I've got to
figure out a disguise to get into this darn town without anybody noticing
me."

"Nothin's gonna help, babe. Believe me. You’re a
Toryn. Your people don’t get out much."

She chose to ignore the babe comment, and pulled the
white cotton petticoat over her head. "Don't be such a pessimist."

"Hey, I'm the hostage here. I'm allowed to be a
buzzkill if I want to."

"Gag," she threatened.

"Panties?" he returned hopefully.

"Oh, grossness! You're disgusting!" She
threw her other shoe at him. "That's the grossest thing I've ever heard.
Ever
.
Okay, you are officially the most revolting-"

"Geez, relax," he said, raising his hands to
rub at his sore shoulder. "I was just trying to rile you up. I wouldn't
let you gag me with your underwear if you were the last virgin princess on the
planet."

"I am
not-"

"A princess?"

He was thoroughly enjoying this, she could see.

Ashlyn gritted her teeth as she struggled to fasten
her corset. Vargo had annoyed her three years ago, but at least then she could
justify beating him up. Now that they were kind of on the same side, it was
more difficult to figure out how to channel her aggravation.

She shoved her feet into the plain brown boots,
grimaced as she stared down at them. "I look like an old housewife,"
she muttered.

Vargo squirmed around until he could see her, swinging
his feet around for balance and propping himself against the rock as he looked
her over. "No, you don't," he said. "You look like Ashlyn Li in
a dress."

"Coming from you, I imagine that's an insult. I
hate long skirts."

“You should wear them more often. Looks good on you.”

She couldn't stop the instinctive warmth that spread
within her, but she covered it up quickly, and scoffed. "Good to know I
meet Vargo’s standards for hot women. Walking? Check. Talking? Check. Gee, that
was hard."

Vargo's face darkened. "I'm beginning to rethink
that talking qualifier," he growled.

"You know…" she began, and stopped. He
wasn't worth it. She picked up his electric baton from the grass. "Go
away."

He rolled his eyes. "Do I even have to dignify
that with a response?"

"Here's the deal," she said, plopping down
cross-legged in front of him, only moderately hindered by her skirt.
"You're going to be carrying the clothes and stuff. Keep your hands hidden
the entire time that we're in town, and don't even think about escaping. I've
got your baton."

"I quiver in fear," he said sarcastically.

"Well, don't quiver too much. You'll give
yourself rope burns." Ashlyn paused. "I wish you'd believe me. We're
on the same side here. I'm just trying to keep anyone from getting hurt."

"Yes, I can see that," he said, raising his
hands to massage his sore shoulder pointedly. "Poor little ninja princess,
all alone for three years, and now no one will believe that she's trying to
save the world. Lockhart might have been fooled by you, but look where that got
him.”

Ashlyn slapped him. Hard.

"Ow!" he squawked, rubbing his cheek.
"What the hell?" An imprint of her hand was already rising on his
cheek, cherry-red in the lantern-light.

"I would
never
hurt Drake," Ashlyn
spat, furious. “That was a complete accident. I tried to stop Kou, but it was
too late.”

“Way too late,” Vargo retorted, glaring at her.

His words sent an icy shiver of fear through her
heart. Ashlyn grabbed the Spartan by the rope around his wrists and hauled him
upright, finding a bizarre strength inside her she hadn't known was possible.
"He's alive," she hissed, slamming the Spartan up against the rock
and pinning his hands against his chest. The electric baton was at his throat.
"Tell me Drake is
alive
." She'd seen the vampire suffer worse
wounds than the one he'd sustained; she'd seen him walk away from certain death
a dozen times. He was Drake, after all.

Vargo's face was an unreadable mask. "What do you
care?"

Lightning split the sky. Ashlyn paused.

She took a deep, calming
breath, clutching
Vargo’s hands earnestly to her collarbone, the tan of her fingers splayed
across the whiteness of his. She let the hand with the baton fall to her side.
"Don't play with me, Vargo. That sword would have hit Drake in his heart,
but it didn't. I deflected it. A shoulder wound is nothing to him.
Nothing
."
Her voice broke, and she looked down, defeated. "Just tell me," she
whispered. "Tell me if he's all right."

There was a long silence, broken only by the steady
hum
of Vargo‘s baton.

Vargo finally sighed. "I don't know if he's all
right," he admitted. "When I left, the Cosmea healers were with him.
He'd lost a lot of blood."

Ashlyn drew in a shuddering breath.

So much was happening so quickly. A week ago Ashlyn
had been carefree, traveling on her own merit, without a single responsibility
to weigh her down. Now it felt like the entire world was crumbling around her.

And
Drake…

"I'm sorry," Vargo said suddenly, his hands
moving to clasp over hers. "I didn't…I didn't mean what I said. I know you
wouldn't intentionally hurt him."

She looked up at Vargo, at the straight, even features
she'd only recently noticed were so balanced, at his wild red hair and playful
green eyes, except that right now his eyes were bright with the lantern-light
and more serious than she'd ever seen them.

He swallowed, looking as uncertain as she did.
"Ash," he murmured, and she'd never heard her name sound so revered,
so…
delicate
. His bound hands drifted to her face, cradling it within his
palms and gazing at her like he'd never seen her before, or maybe like he'd
seen
her but never really
noticed
until now.

Yeah, she knew the feeling.

But he didn't believe her, Ashlyn reminded herself
unsteadily. He thought she was a traitor to FLD.

"We have to get into town before Kou starts
worrying," she muttered, taking a shaky step backwards. "And I have
to get to Toryn before anyone else is hurt." She collected up her sneakers
and clothes and shoved them into the extra satchel Kou had brought her.

Vargo watched her, still leaning against the rock.
"So what's your plan? Put me in the room and leave me?"

Ashlyn hesitated as she closed the satchel, glancing
at him. "I'm going to request an in-room dinner for tomorrow evening, and
they'll find you then. By that time Kou and I should be well on our way."

He studied her for a long moment. "And I'll just
sit there, tied up and gagged, for an entire day."

"Yup." She switched the baton and the
lantern to one hand while she picked up the satchel with the other.

"Huh." He offered a smirk that didn't reach
his eyes. "You don't trust me not to find Skye and tell him where you
are?"

Ha. Right. "That would be a negative."

"Glad to know you've got so much faith in me. We
did save the world together and all."

"Oh please. The last time I actually talked to
you before this week was on the metro tracks in Civitas three years ago. And
the closest you got to saving the world was to decide fighting us wasn't worth
it."

He scuffed his toe in the grass. "Guess I forgot
we didn't- didn't have much to do with each other the last few times I saw FLD.
The tracks in Civitas, huh? Long time ago, wasn't it? We were just kids
then."

"I was fifteen. I'm surprised I can remember
being that young."

"I was eighteen. I remember it pretty
 
clearly." He laughed, and there was
bitterness in his voice. "But then, years wasted following orders from a
tyrant isn’t exactly something that slips your mind."

"Poor Vargo." Unsympathetic, she shoved the
satchel into his hands. "Move."

He stumbled out from behind the rock and started
walking. "So we're checking into the inn now?" he asked.

"That's the plan. Why?" She followed him
into the city, glancing around warily.

"Just wondering when we're going to eat."

"I'll find you something when we get there."
Ashlyn nudged him towards the inn.

"Wait!" Kou suddenly jumped out beside them
and dragged them both into the narrow alley between the inn and the saloon.
"I was wrong," he said to Ashlyn in Toryn. "FLD is here. I've
only just seen them."