Balanced on the Blades Edge #2 Deathmaker (34 page)
Read Balanced on the Blades Edge #2 Deathmaker Online
Authors: Lindsay Buroker
Tags: #Fantasy, #Steampunk, #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #Retro punk, #Sword and Sorcery, #Epic Fiction
“Not exactly.”
As soon as Cas grinned, he knew he was in trouble. Up on the split-log deck, Zirkander was in the process of unlocking the door and holding it open for Sardelle, leaving his back to Tolemek. And Cas. She threw the snowball with the speed and accuracy of a sniper’s daughter. It smacked Zirkander in the back of the neck and exploded. It would be shocking if icy chunks of snow didn’t make their way down his shirt.
When Zirkander spun around, Cas, still smiling, pointed at Tolemek.
“What?” Tolemek blurted, stunned by this betrayal. Thus, he wasn’t prepared when a cannonball-sized snow missile was launched at him.
He tried to dodge, but it caught him in the shoulder, spattering his face with slush. Tolemek wasn’t close to the cabin, the trees, or any conveniently placed cover to hide behind, so he did the only thing that made sense. He snatched up a wad of snow, hurrying to pack it into a ball. But he paused with it held aloft. Who to hit? Zirkander, for striking him? Or Cas for
causing
Zirkander to strike him?
In that second while he was deciding, two snowballs slammed into him from different directions. Betrayed—on all accounts. He spun, hurling his weapon in the direction of the deck. He should have checked first. Sardelle had climbed the steps, apparently to usher Zirkander inside and stop this silliness. Tolemek’s snowball exploded against her arm. Her expression wasn’t so much angry as startled. As if she couldn’t believe that he had dared strike her—well, actually he hadn’t dared... He’d misfired.
At first, Zirkander looked like he meant to leap over the railing and pummel Tolemek for targeting his lady, but she caught his arm, whispered something, then plopped a snowball into his hand.
“Oh?” he asked, then launched it.
Tolemek would have dodged, but he was busy gaping because the snowball grew in size as it sailed toward him. It wasn’t an illusion. It was bigger than his head by the time it slammed into his chest. Fortunately, it spattered into a slushy mess without hurting him, but it did cause him to step back to brace himself. That was the intent, anyway. Unfortunately, his heel slipped on something hidden beneath the snow, and he landed on his back in the white fluff.
“You’re right,” came Zirkander’s voice from the deck. “That
was
more satisfying.”
Cas snickered. Loudly. Tolemek hadn’t heard her laugh often, so he supposed this was worth it, so long as she decided to give tender attentions to his grave injuries later on.
She appeared over him, her impish face framed by the cloudy sky. She had another snowball in hand—how
did
she make the things so quickly?—but didn’t throw it, perhaps considering a downed man an unworthy target. “It’s a good thing you can make potions, because I don’t think the Iskandian army would accept you based on your fighting prowess.”
Tolemek decided the proper reply to such mocking was to grab her ankle and pull her off her feet. She squawked a startled curse. She might have fallen into the cold snow beside him—surely a suitable punishment—but he tugged her so she landed atop him instead. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to use her for a shield, keep her from tossing more snowballs at him, or employ the maneuver to encourage the pressing of her body parts against his body parts. “One would hope that Iskandian army recruits are taught to assist their comrades in battle rather than to set them up for enemy assaults.”
“You obviously haven’t been along on any academy combat drills.” Cas still had her snowball in hand—alarming—but rested her chin against his chest instead of pulling away or mashing it into his face. That was promising.
“Lieutenant Ahn?” Zirkander called from the deck. “Is that dastardly pirate using you for a shield? Or are you canoodling?”
Cas turned her head over her shoulder to respond with another grin. “Yes, sir.”
Encouraged, Tolemek readjusted her so that her face was in line for a kiss. He was vaguely aware of Zirkander and Sardelle going into the cabin and shutting the door.
Sardelle has announced that your training will not begin until the morning.
Tolemek managed to receive this mental intrusion without being overly distracted from his physical activities. Or perhaps he was too focused on those to care about the comment.
Just relaying information. Also, I suggest you don’t enter the cabin for a while.
Jaxi did the soulblade equivalent of sighing.
Humans. As randy as bonobos.
“Looks like we’ll be stuck out here for a while,” Tolemek murmured, not moving his lips far from Cas’s lips, though he managed to tilt his head toward the closed cabin door.
“You better keep me warm then.”
“I can do that.”
THE END
Afterword
T
hank you for giving
Deathmaker
a read. If you would like to see this series continue, please consider leaving a review and letting me know what you want to see next. I have quite a few ideas for this world, but if you want more of a certain character, or if you want to see more “Wolf Squadron” pilots get their own stories, I’d love to hear about it. I’m online in all of the usual haunts:
,
,
Google+
, and you can also email me through
my blog
.
Looking for more to read? Check my website for the most
up-to-date list of my books
.
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