5.5 - Under the Ice Blades by Lindsay Buroker Read Free Book Online

to have a chat with Zirkander on the way out,” Angulus said. “And someone in each of the fliers should know the way to the facility in case we’re separated for some reason.” Though he did not have to explain himself, he kept feeling compelled to, no doubt because he was thinking with his heart—or maybe a lower organ. People thinking with body parts other than their brain liked to make excuses to justify their foolishness.
    Ort nodded. “Of course, Sire.”
    “A chat with the king?” Zirkander murmured to Ort, his voice low enough that Angulus decided to pretend he hadn’t heard. “Will that be as fun for me as it sounds?”
    Ort’s eyes gleamed. “I hope so.”
    “General Braksonoth?” Kaika asked from a few feet away.
    The general had finished giving his officer instructions and was heading to Troskar’s flier. Kaika saluted him, but judging by the cool way he responded with, “Captain Kaika,” Braksonoth wasn’t pleased to see her here.
    Was it just because he thought a more senior officer should go? Or did he have an inkling of what had motivated Angulus to invite her? She was fully qualified for this. There was no reason to be huffy over the choice.
    “You’re going on the mission too?” Kaika must have been aware of her C.O.’s record, but she seemed surprised to see him here. Maybe she had no idea that her bespectacled and usually mild-mannered general still did occasional fieldwork when his talents were needed.
    “Yes. Stow your gear, Captain.” Braksonoth dismissed her and walked toward Angulus, who braced himself for a polite, respectful, and completely unmistakable lecture.
    “Sire, it’s not too late. I urge you to change your mind and stay here where it’s safe. Let us handle this, and then we’ll report back as soon as possible. You can come out as soon as we’ve dealt with the threat.”
    Braksonoth spoke quietly, without the earlier irritation, as if he were simply making a reasonable request to a comrade. And he was being reasonable. Angulus couldn’t help but feel like the unreasonable one here. He should stay behind, for his own safety and for the sake of the throne. The kingdom had already been disrupted once this spring. But Angulus wanted to be unreasonable for once in his adult life, to go out there and help, to show that he could. He had no intention of being a liability.
    “General,” he said slowly.
    “We were all extremely worried when you were kidnapped, Sire,” Braksonoth went on. “You know Tanders and I were stuck over in Moorage Baton and didn’t get back until the trail was cold, but don’t think I didn’t blame myself for losing you. My people— I —don’t want to risk losing you again.”
    Angulus’s shoulders slumped. What could he say to that? More specifically, what could he say that didn’t involve being an ass? He almost relented, agreeing to stay home for the ease of his men, but he caught Kaika and Zirkander looking in his direction. Their faces held very similar expressions, their eyes gleaming with the anticipation of adventure. Angulus should know better than to think of this mission as an adventure, especially when he knew the names of the families of the men who had died, but he couldn’t help thinking of it as a chance to escape, if only for a while. He wanted to flex his muscles and to show that he was more than a signature factory for the piles of papers that crossed his desk every day.
    “You won’t lose me, General. You’ll be right there at my side.” As he clapped Braksonoth on the shoulder and headed for Zirkander’s flier, Angulus did his best not to worry about the troubled expression on his general’s face.
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    The wind whipped at Angulus’s face, making him wonder why he hadn’t remembered a scarf. He had flown often enough to know it was always colder in the sky than it was down below. At least Zirkander hadn’t flipped them upside down yet. He was being admirably sedate as he flew behind and