a long moment. Then, "Better I don't."
Ashe didn't quite know what to say to that. He shifted, crossing his legs in front of him. "Hard to trust when I don't know what's going on."
Katsu studied his own hands. "Your choice."
It wasn't really a choice, Ashe realized. They were over the border; Nate and the crew were too far away. Close enough to help if he were hurt, perhaps. Not close enough to save them. "All right," he said at last, and offered a weak smile. "I guess I'll trust you blind."
The news didn't seem to please Katsu. He nodded seriously, lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he glanced up at Ashe. With a deep breath, he relaxed, fussing with the chain that bound him to the wall, a look of intense dissatisfaction on his face. "If I'd known we weren't going to have any padding, I'd have brought your cloak, too."
Ashe made himself more comfortable, relieved to have Katsu and a plan -- even if he didn't know the details of it. . "Yeah. Damned thoughtless kidnappers."
It earned a small upward curve to Katsu's mouth.
***
It was only a short time later when the wagon lurched to a stop. Ashe and Katsu watched each other as voices rang outside. Hooves clopped, something banged.
"One of the horses went down," Katsu murmured.
Ashe watched him, wondering how he knew. What he'd done. What he was planning. "You have a strange sort of magic."
Katsu didn't respond. Ashe wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't the blank expression Katsu wore, as if purposely not hearing what Ashe said.
The wagon started again some time later, and faltered shortly thereafter. The third time they came to a stop, the door opened and Byron came striding in.
He spared a glance for Ashe, then dismissed him from the conversation, focusing instead on Katsu. "What have you done?"
Katsu stared up at him, unmoved by fear. He looked bored, as if all this were beneath him. "Spread a plague," he said at last.
Ashe stared at him. It was a ruse. It had to be a ruse.
And yet, Ashe didn't know what Katsu's plans were. All Ashe knew was that it might cost his life. He'd imagined being cut down trying to escape, not dying slowly from some sort of disease.
Byron was staring at Katsu the same way Ashe was, though horror and disbelief vied for dominance. Wordlessly, Byron turned and left the wagon.
"You're lying, right?" Ashe murmured. "You don't go around carrying plague."
Katsu pulled a small bag from a thong around his neck, opening it with blunt fingers. "Take this," he said, offering it to Ashe. "It'll help."
A few pinches of herbs sat within, crushed and smelling faintly of pepper. "Take how much?" Ashe asked. Something stopped his hand, a suspicion he didn't want. "Is this going to give me plague? Or -- whatever you're faking?"
Katsu hesitated, gaze on the bag. "You're going to get very ill," he said at last. His tone was carefully even, everything about him carefully still. "But no matter how sick you get, don't be afraid."
Hesitantly, trying not to listen to the part of him that screamed this was a bad idea, Ashe took a pinch. He looked once more at Katsu. "I'd rather be a slave than face certain death," he said warily.
Katsu still didn't meet his gaze. "You will be very ill, but this isn't certain death."
Ashe could have sworn the words, Not if things go right, hung in the air between them. How many times had he trusted Nate with a plan that, gone wrong, meant death for many of them? How many times had he trusted Nate even when they knew that some of them wouldn't make it? Soldiers, warriors, thieves, all signing on with a fearsome crew to steal or fight or guard, even go to war if the price was right.
Ashe put the herbal mixture on his tongue, worked up saliva, and swallowed.
Now Katsu was looking at him, tying the bag closed, putting it back in place. Katsu moved closer, and Ashe didn't move away. Katsu's hands were cool on his skin, fingers wrapping around the back of his neck, thumbs brushing his jaw. It was intimate and
Ashe didn't quite know what to say to that. He shifted, crossing his legs in front of him. "Hard to trust when I don't know what's going on."
Katsu studied his own hands. "Your choice."
It wasn't really a choice, Ashe realized. They were over the border; Nate and the crew were too far away. Close enough to help if he were hurt, perhaps. Not close enough to save them. "All right," he said at last, and offered a weak smile. "I guess I'll trust you blind."
The news didn't seem to please Katsu. He nodded seriously, lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he glanced up at Ashe. With a deep breath, he relaxed, fussing with the chain that bound him to the wall, a look of intense dissatisfaction on his face. "If I'd known we weren't going to have any padding, I'd have brought your cloak, too."
Ashe made himself more comfortable, relieved to have Katsu and a plan -- even if he didn't know the details of it. . "Yeah. Damned thoughtless kidnappers."
It earned a small upward curve to Katsu's mouth.
***
It was only a short time later when the wagon lurched to a stop. Ashe and Katsu watched each other as voices rang outside. Hooves clopped, something banged.
"One of the horses went down," Katsu murmured.
Ashe watched him, wondering how he knew. What he'd done. What he was planning. "You have a strange sort of magic."
Katsu didn't respond. Ashe wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't the blank expression Katsu wore, as if purposely not hearing what Ashe said.
The wagon started again some time later, and faltered shortly thereafter. The third time they came to a stop, the door opened and Byron came striding in.
He spared a glance for Ashe, then dismissed him from the conversation, focusing instead on Katsu. "What have you done?"
Katsu stared up at him, unmoved by fear. He looked bored, as if all this were beneath him. "Spread a plague," he said at last.
Ashe stared at him. It was a ruse. It had to be a ruse.
And yet, Ashe didn't know what Katsu's plans were. All Ashe knew was that it might cost his life. He'd imagined being cut down trying to escape, not dying slowly from some sort of disease.
Byron was staring at Katsu the same way Ashe was, though horror and disbelief vied for dominance. Wordlessly, Byron turned and left the wagon.
"You're lying, right?" Ashe murmured. "You don't go around carrying plague."
Katsu pulled a small bag from a thong around his neck, opening it with blunt fingers. "Take this," he said, offering it to Ashe. "It'll help."
A few pinches of herbs sat within, crushed and smelling faintly of pepper. "Take how much?" Ashe asked. Something stopped his hand, a suspicion he didn't want. "Is this going to give me plague? Or -- whatever you're faking?"
Katsu hesitated, gaze on the bag. "You're going to get very ill," he said at last. His tone was carefully even, everything about him carefully still. "But no matter how sick you get, don't be afraid."
Hesitantly, trying not to listen to the part of him that screamed this was a bad idea, Ashe took a pinch. He looked once more at Katsu. "I'd rather be a slave than face certain death," he said warily.
Katsu still didn't meet his gaze. "You will be very ill, but this isn't certain death."
Ashe could have sworn the words, Not if things go right, hung in the air between them. How many times had he trusted Nate with a plan that, gone wrong, meant death for many of them? How many times had he trusted Nate even when they knew that some of them wouldn't make it? Soldiers, warriors, thieves, all signing on with a fearsome crew to steal or fight or guard, even go to war if the price was right.
Ashe put the herbal mixture on his tongue, worked up saliva, and swallowed.
Now Katsu was looking at him, tying the bag closed, putting it back in place. Katsu moved closer, and Ashe didn't move away. Katsu's hands were cool on his skin, fingers wrapping around the back of his neck, thumbs brushing his jaw. It was intimate and
Similar Books
True Love and Other Disasters
Rachel Gibson
Horrible Harry Moves up to the Third Grade
Suzy Kline
Dark Age
Felix O. Hartmann
A Preacher's Passion
Lutishia Lovely
Devourer
Liu Cixin
Honeybee
Naomi Shihab Nye
Deadly Obsession
Mary Duncan
The Year of the Jackpot
Robert Heinlein
