“I am not your slave,” she said, as if to the land itself. She rubbed a hand over the sticky patch of blood, smearing it into the dirt. Already her body would be healing itself, knitting what was severed, although the pain, naturally, was staggering. He tried not to think about the last time, when he’d been pierced by arrows and trampled by horses. That was the hells of it: The price you paid for your unnatural life was to learn to live again and again with the agony of dying.

She raised her head. Her demon eyes leaked water, which some might call tears.

“They cannot kill me, but I can kill them.”

“That’s not what the gods intended.”

She hissed, an attempt at a whistle. Sucking in more breath, she managed a sharp trill. Unlike him, who preferred to do his stalking afoot, she had hunted with her mount nearby. Obedient to her call, Seeing trotted into view, skittish at the smell of blood. The girl heaved herself over the mare’s back, groaned and, with another grating yell, dragged a leg over to sag into the saddle, clinging to the horn.

“It’s not what the gods intended,” he repeated helplessly.

As Seeing spread her wings, Kirit looked back, face white, lips as bloodless as a ghost’s, tunic blotched with red.

“They are not my gods.”

30

Just because Edard had to show off to impress Eridit, the scouts got in trouble as they rode east toward Horn.

“I’ll scout point today,” the ordinand said at dawn, then looked at Eridit to see if she made a comment or gave an encouraging look. She yawned, stretching in a way that made a man think of—

“Shai,” said Tohon. “You’ll ride rear guard, with me.”

Eridit flashed a smile their way, measured Shai’s expression, and arched her back which of course just made her breasts more prominent beneath her thin shift. Shai flushed and looked away, stumbled up to his feet as the militiamen, Ladon and Veras, laughed.

“You’d think you’d never seen a woman before,” said Veras.

“Outlander men and women live separate, didn’t you know that?” said Ladon. “Never touching. Eiya! Maybe they only do it with sheep.”

“Shut up,” said Edard. “Finish saddling the horses. Tohon, you take rear guard today.”

“As you say,” said Tohon with a genial smile. “You ready yet, Shai?”

They slung packs from their saddles, Eridit last of all.

Zubaidit appeared on the path, already kitted out. “What’s taking so long? Aui!” She prowled over to Eridit, just now bending over to tie up her pack while every man stared at her making a display of the curve of her rump beneath low-slung trousers. Shai turned away, afraid he was going to embarrass himself. Tohon started sweeping the ashes out of the fire pit.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” whispered Shai, but the scout just chuckled.

Bai said, “Eridit, I am so overcome with lust for you. Do you want to lie down right here now and get it over with? Or will you get the hells moving? Why did the temple council send you? Were you screwing them all? And if so, why did you bother to come?”