Water Viper Read online

  “I don’t want fun. I want answers.”

  Cleo shook his head. “Some things are best discovered on your own. I can’t tell you when you’ll shift, either. I simply don’t know. Your body is ready to handle the shift, but beyond that, it could be today or it could be years from now. The first shift isn’t exactly a science, and no one really knows what triggers it.”

  “So I’m not a house cat?”

  “I can confirm, without a doubt, you are not a house cat.”

  “Don’t feel bad, Jesse. He won’t tell me, either, and I’m the one who pays him and provides all his lab equipment.” Todd sighed, hopped to his feet, and strode to the door. “I have a lot of preparations to do. Get something to eat and get dressed. It’s going to be a busy few hours until it’s time to go. Keep an eye on her, Cleo.”

  The stallion left, gracing me with one final glare before disappearing down the hall.

  “She’s not made of glass, you know,” Cleo muttered, soft enough I doubted the stallion heard him. “Ignore him. He’s just cranky he has to show off on someone else’s terms. Don’t let him fool you. A stallion secure enough in his masculinity to carry some unknown orphan mercenary is someone every mare in attendance is going to want mounting her. He’s looking forward to expanding his herd, and he isn’t above using you to do it.”

  “So glad I can be of help,” I grumbled, shaking my head. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  Todd’s mares descended on me armed with a dress, makeup, and everything a woman needed to become beautiful. I almost made it to the hallway before two of them grabbed me, hauled me back into my room, and blocked my route of escape.

  The true lead mare’s name was Marie, and she viewed words as weapons, limiting herself to grunts, the occasional chuckle, and annoyed snorts unless speaking proved mandatory. I got the feeling if it did, I’d be in a lot of trouble.

  I realized the other mare was one of Todd’s daughters, and she was attending the banquet in hopes of finding a suitor matching her sire’s excessive standards. Danielle didn’t seem to mind, her excitement manifesting as bright smiles and eager whinnies.

  They tore my pajamas in their haste to rid me of my clothes, and while I dressed, Cleo turned his back to preserve my sense of modesty. When I caught the jackass sneaking peeks in the mirror, I flipped him to the floor and kicked my discarded pajamas over his face.

  He brayed his laughter but stayed down until I finished dressing.

  The silk of my floor length, black gown clung to me. The slit ran all the way to my hip, and if I wasn’t careful, there’d be nothing left to anyone’s imagination, especially since the lace lingerie partnered with it didn’t do a whole lot to protect my modesty. The bra offered support, but I suspected it was to give my breasts the cleavage required for the gown’s top, which dipped a little too low for my comfort. While a pair of Todd’s mares went to work on my hair, Cleo strapped several sheaths to my legs, adjusting them until I could reach the weapons without much effort.

  “Am I going to a ball or a massacre?” I shifted my leg to get a better look at the various daggers and knives strapped to me. “Four throwing knives, two daggers, and I’m not even sure what the hell that thing is for.”

  The black leather box reminded me of an ammunition holster, a relic from pre-Starfall. I’d used one a time or two, although most who had them kept them as status symbols or keepsakes.

  “It’s for this.” Cleo headed to a box on my dresser, which had been loaded for everything the mares needed to transform me from uncouth mercenary into a debutante. Lifting up a pale wooden box, he offered it to me.

  I set it on the bed and opened the lid.

  Gleaming silvered steel engraved with blowing leaves and horses rested on a bed of black velvet. The handle, fashioned of a dark, reddish wood, was carved in the likeness of a flowing mane. Lifting the gun out, I turned it over in my hands, my eyes widening as I took in its pristine condition.

  Long before Starfall, someone had cared for the weapon a great deal. In the decades following, when the weapon could no longer serve its purpose, someone had continued to pay it a great deal of respect, keeping it in good working order.

  “I can’t take this,” I spluttered.

  “If luck’s with you, it even works.” Cleo sat beside me, taking the gun out of my hand. “This is a Colt revolver, built in 1873. It was a custom build, though no one knows who it was made for or why. Todd’s sire gave it to him when he took his first mare and began his herd. His orders are simple. If anyone you don’t want touching you does, shove the pistol down his pants and fire.”

  The mares giggled, and I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh, too. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “He’s expecting it back in mint condition, so you can’t get into any trouble.” Cleo grinned at me. “He’ll show you how to use it tonight, but it’s loaded and ready to go, so unless you need to reload, all you have to do is aim, cock the hammer, and fire until you’re out of rounds. There are custom holsters designed to go with each of your dresses. There are a few spots to stash things hidden in each holster. To complete your ensemble, there is a purse for each of your outfits.”

  “I’m pretty certain this is the definition of excessive.”

  “It’s a power game. You’re a part of his household at the moment, even if you aren’t a true part of his herd. Someone placed a bounty on you while you were living under his roof. He must answer the insult, and you wearing his gun, dressed in the city’s finest, with a retinue of his lead mare and his eldest daughter, is a declaration of his herd’s strength and a challenge to the bounty’s issuer. It’s a statement.” Cleo paused, staring at the gun in my hands. “The gun is worth more than the bounty. That is important.”

  My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped open. “Holy shit.”

  Marie patted my back. “To us, this is a game. Don’t worry about it. If Todd believed any of us were in actual danger, he’d pull out of the banquet without hesitation. He’s told the mayor as much, too. It’ll bring his guild prestige and honor by standing with you rather than turning you in for the bounty, too. Only the foolish, the brave, or the confident defy a Dawnfire bounty. You will bring my daughter much attention and maximize her chances of finding a worthy stallion. Much, I will say, to her sire’s dismay.”

  “This is going to be so much fun,” Todd’s daughter chirped, clapping her hands together.

  Fun for them, maybe. For me? I had my doubts, but I was too polite to argue.

  Chapter Ten

  Three of Todd’s colts had answered his call, and they were almost a match for their sire—almost. Height distinguished them from the herd’s lead stallion, who towered over his sons, both ears turned back. Instead of a saddle, the Lancers’ Alliance guild master wore a cloak draped over his withers and back, which was secured around his neck with golden chains. While I watched, Cleo clasped several more golden chains around Todd’s barrel, securing the black fabric trimmed with gold in place.

  Despite Cleo claiming his drugs would wear off in a few hours, my head ached, and when I didn’t pay attention, I swayed. If I got some time alone with him, I’d beat the jackass black and blue, and when I finished with him, I’d let him know if he ever sedated me again without a damned good—and medical—reason, I’d turn him into a new pair of leather boots.

  I straightened, waiting for Todd and his colts to finish their preparations, staring down at my feet, which were trapped in a pair of black heels. If I needed to, I could kick them off with little effort, which was the only reason I hadn’t bludgeoned or stabbed Todd or Cleo with them.

  “You won’t have anything to worry about with Todd,” Marie said, stepping to my side. “He grudgingly permitted us to put weights on his back to acclimate him to a rider. He wasn’t pleased with it, but he no longer bucks out of reflex now. Our colts are even more prepared. He refused to allow us to ride until he had made certain his colts would behave.”

  I tried to imagine Todd riding one of his sleek,
black colts and failed. “Those little cloaks aren’t going to stay in place.”

  “They will. They’re mystic made. After the chains are clasped, they will not slide or fall. I’ve been told you have ridden horses before?”

  “I’m a decent hand with them.” I hesitated, looking Todd over, and marveled at his sheer size. “He’s at least nineteen hands tall, isn’t he?”

  “Twenty-one. His toothpick legs make him look shorter, because there’s no way such spindly legs can support such ego and majesty.”

  Todd whipped his head in our direction, slammed his hoof on the ground, and snorted.

  Laughing, Marie waved him away. “Don’t mind him, Miss Jesse. He’s a grumpy old man and had to beg our precious sons for the favor of their company. Look at them. Aren’t they splendid? They’re smart enough to bow to their sire’s will for first pick of mares at the banquet, but he promised to give them a fair chance to expand their herds if they showed up and postured with him.”

  “They’re all herd leaders?”

  “Don’t say it too loud, or their sire’s ego will surely burst with the vibrancy of a Starfall stone.”

  I somehow managed not to wince at the reminder I had one stuffed in my holster’s pocket. Smuggling it in without anyone noticing had taken effort. Instead of trying to remove it from its pouch, I’d cut the whole thing off my sword belt when no one had been looking.

  At least I had a sword to go with Todd’s Colt. I’d used a katana before, and I had found its weight comfortable in my hand. At first glance, I had thought the weapon pretentious. A gold and platinum guard featured a tiger and dragon eternally chasing each other around the blade. Sapphire blue showed through the gaps in the black leather wrap, and instead of the standard metal engraved pommel, a dark blue stone gleamed in the afternoon light.

  I loathed form over function. Then I had made the mistake of swinging it too aggressively in my bedroom, clipping the bedpost in my annoyance at the parading required of me.

  The blade had sliced through the wood with such ease I had tripped in my heels and landed flat on my ass. While I had gaped at the damage I’d done to the bed, Cleo, Marie, and Danielle had laughed.

  When the time came to return it, I’d regret its loss. I fingered the immaculate leather grips, eager for a chance to use the blade in earnest.

  Marie’s gaze lowered to the sword. “What will you name it when it tastes blood for the first time?”

  My eyes widened. “It’s never been used?”

  “You are its first wielder. Todd keeps his word, and you demanded of him a blade, did you not? He gets bored, so he collects things. He won the katana from a shifter smith who learned why it is never wise to make wagers with a prideful stallion.” With a smile that reached her eyes, Marie touched the pommel stone. “Diamond.” When I froze in place, the mare shifted her fingertips to the gaps in the leather grips. “Blue fire opal.”

  “Gold and platinum for the guard?”

  “Platinum for strength, gold for beauty. I know of the smith, and I believe this blade is one of his treasured pieces. Perhaps not his life’s crowning work, but still beautiful beyond compare. I think he would find it appropriate for it to be wielded by a woman. It was never meant to hang on a wall as a trophy.”

  Great. I had a half a million dollar bounty on my head, a pulsing Starfall stone in my pocket, and a sword probably worth more than my life and everything on me—including the Colt—sheathed at my side.

  “I said he had to provide weapons, not a bloody masterpiece,” I mumbled.

  “I think you’re confused.”

  I stared at Marie. “Now I am.”

  “Was not your agreement for him to provide you with weapons? Yours to keep, as part of your fee?”

  “Well, yes.”

  Todd’s lead mare gestured towards the katana. “That is part of your fee. Of course, I think he feels a little guilty his mystic drugged you, but for such a young donkey, Cleo is wise in the ways of the world. You needed the rest and care. You also needed to not be kidnapped. That’s a bit important, too.”

  “I can’t accept this,” I blurted. “This is too much.”

  Todd snorted. Trotting to me, he arched his neck and turned his head to glare at me with a baleful, fire-bright eye.

  “He disagrees. A mercenary is only as good as her skill and her blade. I told him you seemed the type to have a great deal of pride. Do you know what he told me to tell you?”

  If Todd had been a true horse, I wouldn’t have taken my eyes off him for a second. By forcing all my attention to his lead mare, I tempted fate and challenged him. His huff made me smirk at having won a small part of the battle. “What?”

  “You have had that sword of yours since you were a child, and it has served you well, but it’s time to grow up and use a sword worthy of a grown woman rather than a blade meant for a child’s hands. He’s right, you know. Your other sword? It is a nice weapon, and it has served you well, but it is tired and worn. You will have little sword-bearing children of your own someday, yes? Save your old blade for them, so they might carry your legacy with them into battle.”

  Equines. They couldn’t stop thinking about producing children, could they? I sighed. “I’ve been tricked, haven’t I?”

  “His guild’s honor and pride is worth far more to him than a blade he’ll never use. He respects women who choose to become mercenaries, but it’s the last thing he wants for any of his daughters. We talked about it at length. Even more importantly, it’s all about the nature of bounties. The starting price is never nearly as much as the target is actually worth. By giving you that sword and loaning you his sire’s gun, he is making a challenge and statement of his own while giving you the means to protect yourself. I also reminded him that if he tried to cage you, a woman who has been independent for so long, you would ruin all of his carefully laid plans. If he wants to protect you, all he needs to do is give you the means to protect yourself and the backup should you need it.”

  Todd’s ruthlessness sometimes frightened me, but I understood why he’d chosen Marie as his lead mare. I’d always assumed stallions ruled over all within the herd, but I got the feeling Marie was as much of a mastermind as him.

  I needed to take a step back and rethink my initial impressions of herd life. Straightening and lifting my chin, I met Todd’s blazing eyes. “You honor me.”

  For a long moment, Todd regarded me, the fire in his eyes glowing brighter with every passing moment before he nodded his acceptance; honor was worth far more than thanks in the world of steel and blood, and we both knew it.

  He presented his back to me.

  Cleo stepped to me as though to offer me a hand onto Todd’s broad back, but I waved him away, tested my slit skirt and heels for how well I’d move in them, clenched my teeth, and vaulted onto Todd’s back. Instead of landing astride, I twisted and bounced hard, drawing a knee up in a mimicry of a sidesaddle. He grunted and stood still while I sorted myself.

  Without a saddle, it proved tricky. The katana banged against my leg, and the Colt’s holster dug into my ribs. I shifted my weight and made myself as comfortable as I could. Without reins, I’d have to rely on Todd to keep his gait smooth and even. While his mane would help me stay balanced, I had no control over the stallion, and we both knew it.

  It was all a part of the game we’d play for the banquet, an honor we gave each other. I trusted him to keep me mounted, and he trusted me to respect the privilege he had given me. In a way, I regretted my refusals. Then again, I didn’t.

  Mercenaries had few friends, and somehow, Todd had become one of mine. Later, I’d thank him for that, too, although he often drove me to the brink of insanity with his pressuring. For the moment, I’d do my best to live up to his pride in his herd and in me.

  Once settled, I relaxed and seized a handful of his mane. “Well, then. If you don’t buck me off, I won’t have to hamstring you, Todd.”

  If I needed to dismount, all I had to do was slide to the ground and hop
e my heels held.

  Todd lifted his head and stared at me, his eye glowing sun bright. With a snort of amusement, he ambled his way to the front gate to wait for his lead mare and prized daughter, who rode his precious colts. Whether in retaliation for having drugged me or just because he could, one of Todd’s sons bit Cleo before allowing him to mount.

  I laughed.

  Wherever Todd went, he drew attention, no matter which form he took. As a horse, as a premier stallion, the people on the street stopped and stared. In so many ways, I felt like a songbird perched high up in a tree while riding him. I’d never been on an animal—shifter or mundane—quite so tall before, and I understood the stallion’s tolerance of me was the only reason I remained mounted. He picked his steps with care, lifting his legs high and proud while he pranced his way across the city.

  On a real horse, I might’ve eaten dirt even with a saddle and reins to help keep me balanced. No matter how long I studied him, I couldn’t figure out how he trotted and pranced so fancifully while keeping his gait smooth enough I could sit without risk of falling.

  At the rate Todd showed off, I’d need the sword and the gun to protect myself from the jealous crowd. He took his sweet time crossing the city, and anyone with a mundane horse could have easily beat us anywhere with time to spare. It was only a matter of time before someone realized they could claim a lot of money if they bagged me.

  My gut instinct demanded I turn tail and run as far and fast as I could to some other city—or maybe a small town hidden deep in the woods. Even Miami seemed safer than going to a banquet in the heart of Charlotte while I topped the city’s Most Wanted list.

  If Cleo hadn’t drugged me, I would’ve had time to think and make my escape. Instead, I faced possible capture, humiliation, and festivities fated to end in a brawl. The rowdy, instinct-driven shifters would love it.