Dragon-Ridden (14 page)

“No. You are not to go into the
Black under any circumstances.” Ryu leaned close, crowding her back against the
wall. His faces inches from hers, he asked, “Do you understand?”

He didn’t move until she nodded.

Sweet Saviors, the man could be
touchy about the oddest things. First it’s help, then it’s don’t go there. She
wished he’d make up his mind.

If he’d known her just a little bit
better, he’d have known that ordering her not to do something was the quickest
way to get her to do it. Or maybe he did know that and was counting on it to
get her to do what he wanted. Tate ran her fingers through her hair in
frustration. Trying to stay a step ahead of this man was so tedious.

When Ryu sat back from her, Tate
shot a hard glance at Umi who watched the two of them somewhat calculatingly.
Tate hadn’t quite made her mind up about the Kairi lady. One moment, the woman
was the perfect epitome of a noble lady then the next she did something totally
out of character. Little things like an expression when she thought no one was
looking or a smile that held no real warmth made Tate’s senses tingle.

Perhaps she was simply
overanalyzing things. It was entirely possible that she was seeing shadows
where none existed. On the other hand, more than one job had fallen apart
because of the tiniest details. Any criminal would tell you it was those minute
details that would warn you of trouble. Things like a man’s shoes being too
nice could tell you whether he was a spy for the Provost’s Marshal. Yes, those
little details were important enough to make her cautious. Tate trusted her
instincts, which were telling her to tread lightly around this woman.

Regardless, she couldn’t walk away.
Learning the stakes involved had changed things. She didn’t care much about
others outside those she considered her friends, which mainly consisted of
Danny, Ripley and Trent, maybe Jost, but one thing she knew beyond any doubt
was she had to be able to face herself in the mirror at the end of each day
without shame or regret. No way did she want to have the deaths of an entire
family on her conscience. Not if all she had to do was guide these people
through their dealings in the Lower.

As for the
trust
piece of
the puzzle. She could live with that. Trust came with time. Right now she
didn’t trust them anymore than they did her.

“Alright.” There was a large relieved
breath at her words. Umi’s posture relaxed marginally in relief before steel
snapped back into her spine. “I’m not making any promises, but I’ll do what I
can to help. Ryu’s plan sounds like a good place to start. We’ll see what we
can find out and go from there.”

Umi was nodding vigorously before
Tate had even finished speaking. Though dark circles still lined her eyes, the
endless night of them lightened marginally and gleamed with hope.

It would be easy to stare into the
full black of Umi’s eyes and get lost. Though unsettling, they weren’t as
startling as they’d been the first time she’d seen them.

Ryu stood. “Since that’s settled,
I’ll be getting on with my business.”

“Wait.” Tate lurched across the bed
and grabbed his sleeve. She didn’t release him even when he gave a pointed
glance at the hand on his arm. She didn’t trust him to answer if she didn’t
hold him here. “You’re leaving?”

“I’ll be pursuing the search from
another avenue.”

“What avenue? Shouldn’t you keep us
informed so we don’t waste time going over the same ground?” she asked a little
desperately.

“Did you think I’d be tagging along
every step of the way?”

She flushed. That was exactly what
she’d thought. Agreeing to help had been one thing. Doing this herself,
another. She wasn’t equipped for this and had planned to rely heavily on Ryu
while providing backup in case anything went wrong. Being the mastermind behind
the search wasn’t how she worked.

Barely started and things were
already snow balling on her. It was not a good sign.

“Relax,” Ryu said rubbing Tate’s
shoulder. “Trust your instincts. I’ve seen you work before. I wouldn’t have
recommended you for this if I hadn’t thought you were capable of it.”

Tingles ran down her arms from
where he touched. A rumbling sound, very like purring, came from Ryu. It was
barely audible, felt more than heard, but muscles that had been tight with
nerves began to loosen, lulled into relaxation by the sound.

Tate shook off the effects of Ryu’s
purr. That sound had made her feel the most peace she’d had since waking up
cold with no memory of her past. While nice, she needed her anger and wits to
do battle with Ryu.

“I still think it makes more sense
to know what you are up to so we don’t end up doing the same thing,” she
argued.

He picked up a strand of her hair
and rubbed it between his fingers, watching the way the light flickered on it
with a completely absorbed expression.

“Ryu,” Tate said frustrated. She
tugged her hair from his fingers. She didn’t know what his fixation was with
her hair, but it was beginning to make her mad.

“Don’t worry. We won’t cover the
same ground.”

“You seem very certain of that,”
she said combatively.

“Yes. I am.”

He didn’t say anything else. Just
waited for her to accept that this was the way things would be. She hated when
he did that. No matter how hard someone kicked and struggled they always ended
up doing what he wanted. It wasn’t fair.

Seeing the fight run out of her,
Ryu nodded and turned to Umi. He knelt on the floor and took her hands in his
as he murmured in her language, the words a melody that trickled over the
senses. Jealousy panged as Umi gazed down at him as if he were her hero come to
rescue her. In a way, he was. Not many would go to the lengths he was going to
ensure she had the help she needed to complete her task.

What was their relationship? It
must be rather strong for the amount of trouble he was going through for her.
Tate stared at them a little wistfully. It must be nice to have someone come
riding to the rescue. She wondered if she had had that in her other life. But,
as always when she tried to remember, her mind slid off the blank wall where
her memories should have been.

She shrugged the melancholy away
and watched Ryu finish his conversation. He strode out of the room with a last
look at Tate who remained seated on the bed with her arms crossed protectively
in front of her chest.

The door closed quietly behind him.
Now that Ryu was gone it felt awkward. She hadn’t realized how much of a buffer
he provided.

There was a certain weighted
consideration in the air as the three looked Tate over. She met their regard
straight on, keeping her shoulders square and head held high. She had nothing
to prove. They’d come to her, not the other way around.

“I don’t suppose any of you know
where this underground market is?” Tate asked arching an eyebrow when nobody
seemed inclined to speak.

“We do.” Kadien was coolly reserved
from his post by the window. “We were there last night.”

“Get any results?”

“It did not go well.” From his
tone, Tate could tell that was an understatement.

“They tried to kidnap Umi didn’t
they?” she asked with a smirk.

“Yes.”

“How did you know?” Tempest’s
question was hostile, and Tate could see the wheels turning in his head. It
wouldn’t be long before he accused her of being responsible.

She raised her hand to forestall
the next words out of his mouth. “It’s not hard. You all dress like the highest
rung of society, and you two hover around her like she’s a prized possession.
Even a criminal with nothing between his ears would know she’s worth money to
the right people.”

“We’re bodyguards,” Tempest
snapped. “We can’t do our job if we’re not close to the body we’re guarding.”

“That would be true in most
situations,” Tate conceded. “However, you walked into the criminal underbelly
of the city and practically shouted ‘big score here. Kidnap and never worry
about money again.’ When you’re trying to gather information in a place like
that the point is to blend in. Not stand out like a shiny new toy. Going in
like you did attracted the wrong kind of attention and scared off anybody who
would have helped.”

Tate sighed. She never had to
explain things like this to Jost’s crew. They usually explained them to her.
Now that she was on the other side, she realized how tedious that must have
been.

“We’re not complete idiots,”
Tempest snapped. “We dressed down.”

Working with nobility was going to
be difficult, she could already tell.

“I seriously doubt it. Besides it’s
not just your clothes, it’s your posture and the way you act.”

“I do not understand,” Umi said
softly.

Tate sighed. The way they held
themselves was probably so deeply ingrained they didn’t even realize it. It’d
be simpler to demonstrate.

She whipped her pillow at Umi.
Kadien moved smoothly to intercept. One moment the pillow was flying towards
Umi, the next it was in two pieces on the ground, feathers drifting through the
air.

Kadien crouched in front of her
protectively with his katana drawn and his eyes focused coldly on Tate. Tempest
held his katana to Tate’s throat, the steel cold against the skin.

She didn’t move. Her point had been
made. Maybe a little too well.

“I see,” Kadien said grimly. He
straightened and sheathed his sword. He motioned Tempest back.

“I don’t,” Tempest protested.
Though reluctant he withdrew his katana and retreated to the door.

“Normal people wouldn’t have
reacted like that,” Tate explained. “Your entire focus is on her. You move like
bodyguards, you observe like bodyguards. By simply being here you’re saying
‘this is my guardee.’ Umi isn’t any better. See the way she’s sitting.”

They all turned to Umi. The
attention unnerved her and she sat up even straighter.

“Now look at the way I sit.”

Tate, by contrast, lounged back on
the bed, not quite lying down, but definitely slouched and comfortable.

“People in the Lower sit like
this.” Tate gestured at herself. “Not that.” She pointed at Umi. “We’re in an
informal setting right now. Yet she acts as if she has a poker jammed down her
dress. Most people recline or hunch over when in a chair. She sits like a
queen. The pickpockets and robbers especially are trained to spot marks and you
guys are top of the line, juicy meat to them.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Umi
asked quietly.

“I don’t suppose you’d let me or
one of your guards go to the underground and search for you?”

Tate hadn’t even finished her
question before Umi was shaking her head. Determination shone on her face. “I
cannot. My family’s honor demands that I be there for the search even if it
places me in danger.”

“Honor doesn’t mean much if you’re
dead,” Tate pointed out.

“It does to us,” Umi said, quietly
determined. She was like the ocean relentless against the shore. “Honor is the
very foundation of our lives. Without it we would cease to be.”

That was a little melodramatic.

In this they would have to agree to
disagree. For Tate, risking your life needlessly was not honor. Getting the
object back and saving her family regardless of how you had to do it, would be
much more honorable. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to convince Umi of
that though.

“Which is more important? Your
honor? Or the object?” Tate asked.

Umi’s body was still as she
considered Tate’s question. Silently, Tate urged her to make the right choice.
To stay behind and make Tate’s job infinitely easier.

“I cannot. I must participate in
the search. Too much is riding on this to do otherwise.”

Damn.

Umi’s voice was stiff and formal as
she answered Tate’s question. Her bearing was as rigid as stone. Just as cold
and implacable too.

“Fine,” Tate said after studying
Umi.

The woman’s resolve was noble if
nothing else. Tate respected will in a way she didn’t honor.

She’d never had much use for ideas
like honor and nobility, but a part of her admired those who did. “If you want
my help you’ll do as I say when we’re down there even if you think it’s beneath
you. Same goes for your guards. If we’re attacked because you’re too proud to
blend in, I won’t lift a hand to help you and will think of my safety first. Do
you understand?”

Tempest moved restlessly. When Tate
glanced at him he had a sneer on his face. It was clear that he thought her
little better than a mercenary. That was fine as long as he did what he was
told. If not, well, they’d see just how mercenary she could be.

“I understand,” Umi said meeting
Tate’s eyes squarely.

“My lady,” Tempest protested,
looking startled at her answer. “We can’t trust her. She just said she would
let us die.”

“That’s enough,” Umi said frost
studding her words.

“But-“

“It is my battle,” she suddenly
shouted. “Mine. This is my mission. I would not expect, nor want, a stranger to
trade their life or freedom for mine. If this is what she needs to help us, we
will give it to her.”

Running out of stream she wilted in
her chair panting. If Tate hadn’t just seen the fish wife, she wouldn’t have
believed the very proper woman in front of her capable of such fierceness. From
the way Tempest gaped at her, he wouldn’t have believed it either. He blinked
rapidly.

“Maiko, that is enough. This path
is the one our lady has chosen. We will follow her wishes to the end.” Kadien’s
voice was calm and reasonable compared to Umi’s. It also left no room for
argument. Tempest’s mouth shut with a click and he hunched in looking like a
puppy soundly scolded by his master. “If you cannot do this, withdraw. I am
sure Raito will be happy for your help.

“No! Please. I will do as our lady
wants.” Tempest looked devastated at the threat of being cut from the hunt. He
looked as young as Trent, just a scared kid rebelling for the sake of
rebelling.