Wolf's-own: Weregild (31 page)

"Why do you even care?” Asai wanted to know, irritated that his voice bent a little petulant. He couldn't help it. She hated him just as much as her brother did, and he had been able to detect no soft feelings for Jacin-rei whatsoever when she'd come to him with this trade. He couldn't understand why she'd try to make concessions to the boy now. Some sort of apologetic morsel to claim to her brother, perhaps?

The wolfling apparently heard Asai's confusion and annoyance all too clearly. Her smirk broadened, and she shrugged. “Because he
is
fast,” she answered. “And you won't be the only target his knives will seek when I let him loose.” Her eyes narrowed, her smirk gone. “I'm not doing any of this for you, Asai, and I have no ill-will toward him or his. Give the lad one thing he wants, one bit of reassurance that he's giving himself away for a reason.” She took the ring away again, shaking her head when Jacin-rei once again reacted as though someone were placing a hot iron to him. “He's not well, and he hasn't got much fight left, but he can do you and himself more damage than you want.
Give him this
."

Damn. She sounded like Vonshi, and yes, she was right, though it made Asai grimace to even think it. And what wouldn't he give to have that ring? If he'd known the spells to make it years ago, Jacin-rei would be nothing more than an extension of Asai's own will by now, but Skel had been... reticent. In that, at least. Asai hadn't yet foreseen the use of an Untouchable, and so hadn't pressed it. Yet another reason to regret his own premature... well, Kamen would surely call it a betrayal, but it was merely a parting of ways. Still, that ring would have been a damnably useful tool to make Asai's own tool even more effective, and it was completely out of his reach. The wolfling would never allow the boy to keep it, not when she was handing him to “the enemy.” Asai had to give her grudging credit, he supposed.

Asai eyed the earth-bound, frozen with an almost pitiable look of panic on his face. Strong, certainly, but his strength thus far had been invested in throttling and denying his magic. He wouldn't know how to use it now if he held it physically in his hands. Asai didn't think there would be much danger in letting him free. His role in possible futures had been voided. One thing, at least, that had played out as Asai had foreseen. And the other two.... Feh. Mortals and nothing more. They wouldn't have even been worth his notice at all, had it not been for their importance to his Catalyst. Still, all of this would have been so much easier if Yakuli had just done as he'd been instructed. Asai would make him pay, of course, but that wasn't helping him
now
.

He sighed. He bowed his head slightly to Jacin-rei, though he doubted the boy took it in, with his glazed eyes and wild look. Asai shook his head. So much of his work undone, and now he'd have to spend time redoing it. And this bold move would certainly shorten what time was left to him. Kamen would waste none of it in coming after what he deigned his.

Disgusted, Asai retrieved the amulet from where it hung around his neck beneath his cloak, held it in his palm, and whispered the spell. As soon as the earth-bound staggered forward, the wolfling shoved Jacin-rei at Asai and moved to restrain his brothers and sister. The strength of a
Temshiel
, obviously, but they had the audacity of youth and the ignorance of mortals. All three surged in at once, shouting and flailing. The littlest managed to writhe and twist her way through bodies and limbs to almost-freedom; she eschewed it in favor of throwing herself at Jacin-rei, even as Asai caught him. Mouth set tight, and grip tighter, Asai motioned for Tirin and Itai to hold and start disarming his Ghost. They each took an arm, though Jacin-rei wasn't fighting them, merely allowing Asai to set him upright on his feet as the little girl clung to him, limpet-like. He only stared down at his little sister, blank-eyed, as she wrapped her arms around his waist, weeping.

"Jacin!” she warbled. “Jacin, don't go, don't let that man take you away,
please
!"

"Let me
go
!” the earth-bound was shouting, caught up tight in the wolfling's chokehold, but fighting just as determinedly as his brother had done a moment ago. “You can't do this, you can't let him have him, you can't—"

"Joori, stop,” Jacin-rei breathed. He shut his eyes and tried to drag his arms away, apparently intending to reach down toward his little sister, who was still entwined around his waist, but Asai's men didn't let him loose, and he didn't struggle very hard. Just stood there as Tirin and Itai began taking his knives from their sheaths. A little more roughly than necessary, they pushed the little girl back now and then to reach a belt or a strap, but each time, she used the audacity and limber-limbed slipperiness of youth to shove herself right back in. Jacin-rei only sagged between them, and let his sister wind about him as Asai's men went about disarming him. Beaten. If he weren't being held as he was, he'd be lying face-first on the dirty stone of the alley.

"Caidi.” The boy's voice was thin and thready. Poor little Ghost. Asai almost wanted to stroke his cheek, soothe him. “Caidi, go to Joori. Please. Before they—"

"They won't do anything to your sister,” the wolfling put in, imperious and threatening as she watched Asai and his men with keen attention. “They can't."

All too true, unfortunately.

"And we're supposed to trust
your
word?” the earth-bound grated. “You bloody traitorous—"

"Stop, Joori,” the younger brother said, his tone far older than his apparent age, and the anger in his eyes calm and focused, where the earth-bound's was panicked and wild. The boy was just as caught as his brothers were, but he didn't struggle. He only stood in the wolfling's grip, and split an all too familiar glare between his captor and Asai. “You don't really think Malick-seyh is going to stand for any of this, do you?” he asked evenly.

"Malick-seyh,” Asai repeated, and he smiled a little, sliding a sardonic look to the wolfling. “Is Kamen
still
using his mortal name?"

Such foolishness. Why not just have
WEAKNESS
tattooed on his forehead?

"He's going to kill you both,” the brassy little brother said. “Jacin-rei sort of brings that out in people.” He smirked a little—a sly thing—and set his eyes directly on Asai. “He won't have to kill you, I guess. My brother will do that, first chance he gets."

"Oh?” Asai lifted an eyebrow. He really had to smile a little at the brash impertinence. “Which one?” The one in the wolfling's chokehold, or the one held between Asai's own men, arms spread wide and pinned like a man crucified? Asai's smile broadened.

The boy smiled back, as though they shared a private joke between them. “Take your pick, I guess,” he said. “Depends on which one gets the drop on you.” He shrugged, widened the smile. “Maybe even me."

"Morin,” Jacin-rei breathed, shoved out from between teeth clenched far too tight, “shut up.
Please
.” A look passed between them, something Asai would have to remember and analyze later, but it made the arrogant little misanthrope nod and shut his mouth, so Asai let it pass for now. Probably something noble and self-sacrificing on Jacin-rei's part, and selfish acceptance on the brat's. That, at least, was predictable. Ah, Jacin-rei—always and ever looking out for those he loved, never seeing them for the weaknesses they were, which was a little disappointing, but worked in Asai's favor this time. Jacin-rei's eyes lifted to his twin, commanding and pleading, all at once. “Don't do anything stupid. Don't let them do anything stupid. Caidi, go to Joori."

The little girl lifted her head, big eyes welling over, cheeks pale and stained with tears. “But—"

"
Jacin
,” the earth-bound whined. “You can't just—"

"C'mon, Caidi,” the brat cut in, eyes still on Asai, mouth still curled in that overconfident smirk. Asai marked it all for another time. Marked it very carefully, and with great relish. Someone needed to be taught a lesson about having the arrogance to try and challenge a maijin. “Don't make it worse for him,” the boy went on. And then he all but dismissed Asai—
dismissed
—turning his eyes to the earth-bound. “He needs us to stay alive. He'll take care of himself, and what he can't take care of, Malick-seyh will.” He leaned in as much as his restricted movements would allow, dropping his voice almost low enough that Asai didn't hear. “Let him be what he is, Joori. You just be what
you
are.” Another significant look Asai couldn't interpret before the boy's gaze slid back to the wolfling. “You can't think you'll be forgiven for this."

The wolfling grimaced, released her hold on the boy, and used both arms now to restrain the twin. “Hush and go get your sister, lad."

And why was Asai even standing here, wasting his time on this ridiculous little drama? He had what he needed for now, and he could turn Jacin-rei back onto the proper path without this nattering troupe of incompetents. He'd given his Ghost what he'd asked for; it was time to collect on his end of the bargain.

"Enough,” he snapped, giving his men an impatient wave toward the mouth of the alley. “Get him to the carriage, and make sure the curtains are drawn.” He tossed the length of rope to Tirin. “Secure his hands, and don't let his state of apparent dysphoria take you in. He
is
fast, and he
will
kill you, if you give him half a chance.” Asai almost smiled a little with pride. He'd taught the boy so very well, after all. Still, even if Jacin-rei did manage to gut these two fools, he wouldn't run far. He'd never leave his family at Asai's “mercy."

"
No
,” the earth-bound snarled, redoubling his efforts in breaking loose from the wolfling, but she grimly held on as he flailed. “I won't let you take him, not this time. Jacin!” he shouted, “
Jacin
!"

The little one screamed as Tirin shoved her away from Jacin-rei, and she fell to the ground in a tumbling little heap. It was a mistake—Asai could tell before she even hit the stones. The look of vague, helpless rage that had settled over Jacin-rei's face abruptly lifted and cleared, and his gray eyes burned. He turned, swift as lightning, and head-butted Itai, stunning him. Almost an indistinct streak of movement, Jacin-rei lunged out of Itai's grip, and right into Tirin, grappling at the man's belts where his own weapons had been thrust. Worrying, certainly, but not dire. Tirin still had the strength of a maijin to rely on, and Jacin-rei was more a frenzied madman than the efficient assassin Asai knew he had become.

Still... the lad was something to watch. He
was
fast. Nearly a blur to the eye, and Asai couldn't help the bit of admiration and loving pride. He'd seen Jacin-rei spar—with that... unfortunate young degenerate, and then with the shadows—but he'd never seen his Ghost actually fight before. Asai could only imagine what it would look like if he hadn't had the boy's knives taken from him, but this... this was something to see, all economical, unthinking grace and lethal instinct.

The twin was still struggling with the wolfling, the little one still sitting on the stones, shrieking, the younger brother trying to duck around the perimeter of the fray to reach her. Itai was hovering at the fringes, trying to clear his head, watching it all and waiting for a signal from Tirin to join in or take over. And all Asai could see was the Untouchable. Dodging and striking. A flying kick to Tirin's gut that left him gasping. Jacin-rei twirled back, braid flying, and landed on his good leg. An offensive stance, waiting for the right moment to drive in again.

There was no holding back in that narrow gray stare, no mercy. Nothing at all but caged malevolence and intense concentration on his own body and that of his opponent's. Nothing at all but cool, deadly intent, artful violence.

Jacin-rei was at an obvious disadvantage—Tirin and Itai were among the idiots who had torn him up the other night, and the boy was clearly favoring his right leg as he fought. That, and he was currently locked in combat with a maijin. And still, he attacked and parried Tirin, as though he was the one with supernatural talent. And the boy was
unarmed
. Tirin's blade never touched him.

Oh yes, this one would do the job on Kamen quite well, when his head was finally put back to where Asai needed it. And with the added advantage of being someone Kamen
wanted
up close....

It might all work out after all.

With efficiency and skill Asai just had to admire, his little Ghost blocked strikes and deflected thrusts of Tirin's sword, waiting for his moment, before he finally propelled himself across the small distance separating them. He hit Tirin low, driving in with his shoulder and knocking the sword to clatter across the stones of the alley.

They rolled. Tirin landed on top. With one hand, he tried to restrain; the other wrapped around Jacin-rei's throat. Asai almost put a stop to it there, but perhaps, if he allowed it until the boy lost consciousness....

The little girl screamed again. Scrambling away from the fray, she retreated back toward the wolfling, propelling right past the younger brother and throwing herself at the twin. He managed to get an arm loose and reach for her. Asai only just caught a glint of dull metal out the corner of his eye, only just registered what he was seeing pass from sister to brother. He turned back to shout to Itai and Tirin, but Jacin-rei had managed to get one of his knives back and was currently carving a wide, precise gash through Tirin's chest. And Itai was standing there,
watching
it in obvious disbelief

Magic swelled around Asai, thick and oppressive, raw and unfocused. Enough crude power to set his skin buzzing and make his mouth go dry. The wolfling shouted something, the ground rumbled a little beneath Asai's feet, and before he even had the time to acknowledge what it meant, all hell broke loose.

Malick was extraordinarily unhappy, and he didn't much care whom he brought down with him. He'd been terse and snappish with Yori as they'd made their swift way to the Stallion, his longer stride and quick pace somewhat trying for Yori to keep up with. He'd ignored her huffing and the light scrim of sweat on her red face, and kept rattling off what had happened, what was happening now, what he thought might happen next, and how he was all kinds of pissed off that so little of it was under his control.