degrees of flaming oil.”
At Rin Shikou’s words, Meeker clung tighter to Iriya.
“It’s okay.”
That was all Iriya said. The indestructibility of dhampirs, with their Noble blood, was quite well established. But flames burning at three thousand degrees would char him right down to the bone. In fact, the fallen D wasn’t moving, and oily black smoke billowed from him.
“That takes him out of the way,” Rin said, breathing a sigh of relief. His eyes blazed with desire as he looked at Iriya. “I’ve gotta get you to my employer before the day is out. He’s waiting in an abandoned village called Vinmel about six miles from here. Don’t drag your feet.”
Iriya and Meeker were still soaked with oil, and a flame danced in Rin’s maw.
“Got that? Let’s get a move on,” Iriya told Meeker, turning her back to the bounty hunter and briskly heading toward the door.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Rin asked, teeth bared in surprise and anger.
Over her shoulder the girl replied, “You’re a fool not to know what a dhampir can do.”
“What are you—”
Suddenly, fear lanced Rin’s heart and he tottered, his body bisected lengthwise. His lips, now split down the middle, trembled as he said, “A Noble . . . would’ve burned to death . . . How . . . ?”
“See, this guy’s human.”
Before the hoarse voice had finished its reply, Rin’s body opened like a folding fan, the halves arcing to either side to hit the floor.
Iriya gazed intently at D as he sheathed his sword. She’d held Meeker’s face against her belly so he wouldn’t look, but now she relinquished her hold on him.
“Don’t look,” she told the boy, turning his head the other way before she continued. “You’re even better than I’ve heard—you don’t have a drop of blood on your blade! I get the impression you could slice someone open, and they might not even notice for two or three days.”
“You familiar with Vinmel?” D asked flatly.
Iriya somehow managed to adjust her tone, saying, “I’ve heard about it. I’m pretty sure it’s what they call ‘The Village of Those Who Wait.’ ”
“Oh, so that’s where that is?” the hoarse voice suddenly said, and Iriya stared at D’s left hand. She gave an unsettled nod.
“That’s right. One of the last ‘mystery spots’ left on the Frontier. There was a village there once, but they say no one knows what it really is.”
“Well, that Noble mustn’t value his life much if he’d pick that place for a meet-up. Probably planned on getting rid of the bounty hunters,” the hoarse voice declared in a tone so crusty its face, if it’d had one, would have been wearing a look of skepticism. “First Mitterhaus—and now this one seems pretty stuck on you, too. Any idea why?” the hoarse voice inquired.
“Nope,” Iriya replied, looking D straight in the eye. “I’d sure like to know, too. But all that aside, what are we supposed to do about the kid?” Staring down sadly at the little boy, who was still looking the other way, she continued, “If we were to bring him back to Clements, we’d be a good half day late getting to Vinmel. Whoever hired these two might try a different tack. If I want to kill him, I’d better set out on time. Or would you be willing to bring the boy back to Clements for me, D?”
Two pairs of eyes were trained on Meeker.
A few minutes later they were off. The boy had responded to the warrior woman’s query with a grin that made it clear there was only one possible answer: “I’m going with you.”
“Well met,” said the shadowy voice that flowed from the darkness. It had the ring of a man who’d known the pride and privilege of a ruler since the day he was born—the voice of a Noble. “So good of you to bring the woman. I shall give you your reward. Come.”
He was brief and to the point.
The mounted figure beside Iriya rode forward.
“Your attire has changed, has it not?” said the Noble.
“It got sliced up,” the
At Rin Shikou’s words, Meeker clung tighter to Iriya.
“It’s okay.”
That was all Iriya said. The indestructibility of dhampirs, with their Noble blood, was quite well established. But flames burning at three thousand degrees would char him right down to the bone. In fact, the fallen D wasn’t moving, and oily black smoke billowed from him.
“That takes him out of the way,” Rin said, breathing a sigh of relief. His eyes blazed with desire as he looked at Iriya. “I’ve gotta get you to my employer before the day is out. He’s waiting in an abandoned village called Vinmel about six miles from here. Don’t drag your feet.”
Iriya and Meeker were still soaked with oil, and a flame danced in Rin’s maw.
“Got that? Let’s get a move on,” Iriya told Meeker, turning her back to the bounty hunter and briskly heading toward the door.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Rin asked, teeth bared in surprise and anger.
Over her shoulder the girl replied, “You’re a fool not to know what a dhampir can do.”
“What are you—”
Suddenly, fear lanced Rin’s heart and he tottered, his body bisected lengthwise. His lips, now split down the middle, trembled as he said, “A Noble . . . would’ve burned to death . . . How . . . ?”
“See, this guy’s human.”
Before the hoarse voice had finished its reply, Rin’s body opened like a folding fan, the halves arcing to either side to hit the floor.
Iriya gazed intently at D as he sheathed his sword. She’d held Meeker’s face against her belly so he wouldn’t look, but now she relinquished her hold on him.
“Don’t look,” she told the boy, turning his head the other way before she continued. “You’re even better than I’ve heard—you don’t have a drop of blood on your blade! I get the impression you could slice someone open, and they might not even notice for two or three days.”
“You familiar with Vinmel?” D asked flatly.
Iriya somehow managed to adjust her tone, saying, “I’ve heard about it. I’m pretty sure it’s what they call ‘The Village of Those Who Wait.’ ”
“Oh, so that’s where that is?” the hoarse voice suddenly said, and Iriya stared at D’s left hand. She gave an unsettled nod.
“That’s right. One of the last ‘mystery spots’ left on the Frontier. There was a village there once, but they say no one knows what it really is.”
“Well, that Noble mustn’t value his life much if he’d pick that place for a meet-up. Probably planned on getting rid of the bounty hunters,” the hoarse voice declared in a tone so crusty its face, if it’d had one, would have been wearing a look of skepticism. “First Mitterhaus—and now this one seems pretty stuck on you, too. Any idea why?” the hoarse voice inquired.
“Nope,” Iriya replied, looking D straight in the eye. “I’d sure like to know, too. But all that aside, what are we supposed to do about the kid?” Staring down sadly at the little boy, who was still looking the other way, she continued, “If we were to bring him back to Clements, we’d be a good half day late getting to Vinmel. Whoever hired these two might try a different tack. If I want to kill him, I’d better set out on time. Or would you be willing to bring the boy back to Clements for me, D?”
Two pairs of eyes were trained on Meeker.
A few minutes later they were off. The boy had responded to the warrior woman’s query with a grin that made it clear there was only one possible answer: “I’m going with you.”
“Well met,” said the shadowy voice that flowed from the darkness. It had the ring of a man who’d known the pride and privilege of a ruler since the day he was born—the voice of a Noble. “So good of you to bring the woman. I shall give you your reward. Come.”
He was brief and to the point.
The mounted figure beside Iriya rode forward.
“Your attire has changed, has it not?” said the Noble.
“It got sliced up,” the
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