Release Me When the Sun Goes Down (34 page)

I didn’t call either Jakob or Lodinn when we first got back to town.  There were too many variables I needed to bring under control first.  First and foremost, for my plan to go down I needed to reach Laveda for a spot of advice.  The trouble was, Rob’s cousin wasn’t the easiest person to get a hold of, and I left multiple messages for her to get back to me before I decided to text her what I needed.

Nelleke hadn’t warmed up to us much on the trip home, spending her waking hours guarding the spear from non-existent threats.   I did manage to learn that she hadn’t spent her entire life in the hidden valley and had actually attended college in
Oslo for a few years.  When I asked her why she’d chosen to go back to such a rustic lifestyle, she’d simply shrugged and said it was her home. 

But she got all wide eyed and dreamy when she caught sight of Jakob’s penthouse apartment, especially when I told her she could have his master suite.  Okay, so I know you’re not supposed to buy anybody’s love, but damn if it didn’t work.  After a good night’s sleep in Jakob’s huge bed and a swim in his tub, Nelleke emerged much more relaxed and less standoffish.  Magg
ie helped ease that transition, her gift for making people feel at ease going a long way toward drawing the blonde out.  She still wasn’t the most smiley thing, but then again, that wasn’t a requirement for my crew.   

I approached Rob as soon as he rose that night, eager to put the next part of my plan into action.  “I have a proposition for you,” I said, taking a seat on the side of the bed
.

“Do you now?” he said, his eyes lingering over my curves.  “I’m listening.”

“Not like that,” I scoffed, pushing lightly at his shoulder.  “I want you to show me how to handle a weapon.”

His eyes dropped to the part of him barely covered by the sheet.  “You did fine with it last night,” he teased, and it took my best efforts not to give in and focus on
that
weapon for a while, but we didn’t have the time to monkey around. 

“Would you be serious for a minute?  I’ll be going up against Lodinn in a day or two and I want to at least have some idea how to fight with the thing.”  I could tell it was the last thing he wanted to do with his
night, but he gave a short nod.

“Alright, I’ll be out in two shakes to show you proper.” 

I didn’t bother to grab my shoes, figuring we’d go barefoot like we did when we were sparring, even if we had to go down to the lobby to find a space big enough to practice.  Rob surprised me by handing over a dagger and leading me into the living room.  It was roughly the same size as the spear head, but curved slightly to a wicked point.  He held an identical one in his right hand.

“Shouldn’t we be doing this in a big open space?”  I objected when he wiggled his fingers, motioning me forward. 

“Are you going to be fighting him in a big open space?”

“Mmmno, there will probably be stuff around,” I allowed.

“Do you give a shit if we damage any of his majesty’s furniture?”

“No, definitely not.”

“Then this is the best place to learn.” 

I hefted the dagger in my hand, not sure how best to grip the thing.  What if I screwed up and hurt him?  “Are you sure you want to train with real knives?”

“That’s the best way to learn.”

“But what if I cut you?”

Rob seemed unconcerned.  “You tell me.  What happens if we cut each other to ribbons?”

“We heal like we’re made of a polymimetic alloy, but that’s not the point.  Neither one of us is a machine, it’ll still hurt.” 

“And you have to be willing to receive and inflict that hurt.  Don’t worry now, I can take it,” he assured me with every confidence.  “Right then, you’ll want to hold the dagger like this, easy now, not so tight.”  Rob spent the next fifteen minutes showing me the best grip, which I didn’t mind at all.  His touch was soothing and gentle and I could tell he enjoyed taking on the role of teacher again. 

Maggie, Lee
, and Nelleke watched with interest as we got started with actual sparring, which had the side effect of making me even more clumsy with my efforts.  At least that was my story for sucking on such an epic level.  I don’t know why I was so worried about cutting him, I didn’t even come close to nicking him once. 

“See, I told you I needed the practice,” I panted after picking up my dropped knife
again
.  “At this rate I might as well march in there and hand over the spear.  There’s no way I’m going to come close enough to using it and he’s ten times faster than you are.”

“It ain’t as bad as all that.”

“Ow…” I sucked in a breath, only then noticing a cut along the side of my hand.

“Sorry ‘bout that, luv.  Get caught did you?”  He brought my hand up to his mouth and laved his tongue across the red stripe.  The touch of his tongue made my insides clench in anticipation, but he didn’t suck on the wound.  In a few seconds it was healed over anyway and I forgot about the pain. 

“She is not telling jokes, Anja is very terrible,” Nelleke agreed from the sidelines, reminding me that we weren’t alone. 

“To be fair
, she only tripped over her own feet once,” Maggie defended me and I shot her a sour grin. 

“I seen worse,” Lee chimed in.  “Course I can’t rightly recall when that was exactly,” he chuckled. 

Rob’s eyes narrowed at them as he let go of my hand.  “Oi, that’s enough from you lot unless you think you can do better.”   

Lee’s smile widened.  “That sounds like a challenge to me.  Come on, Nelly, let’s show ‘em how it’s done.”

At first I thought she’d refuse, or possibly cut him for calling her Nelly, but the statuesque blonde stepped forward, holding her hand out to take my knife.  “I am accepting the challenge.”

“Hey, neither one of you can heal as fast as we do,” I objected.

“And neither one of us is so clumsy we’d let the other get hurt,” Lee drawled, taking Rob’s knife.  “This is just to show you good form.”

Rob led me away from the strike zone to where Maggie watched.  “By all means then, show away.” 

It was fascinating to watch the pair as they circled each other, lashing out with lightning fast strokes, much faster than Rob had with me.  Nelleke proved herself fairly proficient in speed and agility and gripped the knife as it if was a natural extension of her body.  Lee moved much faster than an old guy had a right to, confirming Rob’s confidence in his abilities.

All the while Rob bent near my ear, calling out what to watch in particular about their form or footwork or the graceful arc of an effective block.  They tangled together, not just using the daggers as a focus of their attack, but their whole bodies.  Very impressive, and when they were done, neither one of them bore a single wound. 

“I could use a girl like you if you ever decide to take a break from the vale,” I offered with a smile.

“You have a use for a shieldmaiden in the new world?”

“More of a bodyguard, I guess. It’s a bonus that you can be out and about in daylight and you get along with Lee.”

“But who says I get along with her?” Lee teased with a broad wink, heading straight for the fridge to get a beer. 

Nelleke shook her head.  “Thank you for the offering, but my place is with Maeja.”

“
Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”

“And you will be finding me in the bubbles bath.”

“Again?  That girl must be part fish,” Rob scowled.

“Never get between a girl and her bathtub, I’m pretty sure that’s a law, right Maggie?” I said, trying to draw her out.  Ever since Marcus’ death she’d been
as quiet as The Gentlemen.  She managed a faint smile, but didn’t reply.  “I guess maybe I’ll go take a bath myself.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Rob said, catching the loop of my jeans with a single finger and pulling me backwards.  “Back to work until you get it right.”

But it was obvious I was hopeless.  It wasn’t like sparring where I’d learned how not to pull my punches with him.  Despite the knowledge that he’d heal any wound I inflicted, I was too chicken to be brutal when I needed to be.  It was pretty much a bust and that highlighted for me that I wouldn’t be able to face Lodinn head on.  I’d have to be sneakier than that.   

* * *

Finally, I got the text I needed from Laveda later that night. 
Alright, alright, I’m here.  You don’t got to wear m’phone out.

Did you find out what I need to know?
  I sent, not daring to risk an actual phone call.

Yeah, but I don’t see why you’d want to ass around with something like this.

Can you help me or not?  I don’t have much time.
  There was a long pause and I wasn’t sure if I’d offended her or not, but then she responded. 

I ain’t no witch.  Bitch maybe…

Laveda, please.  I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it wasn’t crazy important.
  I’d get down on my knees and beg if I had to, I needed her to set things in motion.

Yeah, count me in.

Shiny, meet me there just after dawn.

I still think you should bring Rob in on this
.

I cocked my head, listening for the sound of his gravelly voice.  He was in the kitchen with Lee and Nell, arguing over whether throwing daggers or close
-in fighting knives were the best way to take out an opponent. 
Are you kidding me?  He’d kill me if he knew what I was planning.

Maybe he’s got the right of it?  This idea is bollocks.  If this don’t work out as planned you got no protection against him.

She was right, but it didn’t change things. 
If this doesn’t work out as planned it won’t matter because we’ll all be dead or worse.  I’ll see you at dawn.
 

* * *

When it was done, I dragged myself back to the apartment, peeling off the scarf and hat I’d used to cover most of my exposed skin from the damaging rays of the sun.  I was dead tired, but hadn’t wanted to take any stims so I could be sure to get a good day’s sleep once I got home.  I did my best to ignore Lee’s stern disapproval as I passed him in the hall; I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture, I knew what I was doing. 

“Tell Nelleke to be ready to go tonight,” I said in passing, shuffling my way to the room I shared with Rob.  “We’ll leave as soon as the sun goes down.”

“You sure you know what you’re doin’?”

“We’ll find out, won’t we?”

Wearily, I climbed into bed and curled myself up around Rob’s sleeping form, taking comfort in his quiet strength.  “We’ll find out,” I whispered, letting the sweet oblivion of sleep overtake me. 

Nervous?  Boy howdy, was I a bundle of nerves when I rose the next night.  Dressing swiftly in jeans and a pretty, pink shirt, I pulled my hair back into a sleek pony tail to get it up and out of the way.  I avoided looking at Rob, who slumbered on, oblivious to my preparations.  It was the only way. 

On the way to find my shoes I stopped by Nelleke’s bedroom door, glad to see her already up and about.  She
was in the process of strapping several knives to her body that I had to wonder how she’d gotten through customs. 

“Hey
, Nell?  You don’t mind if I call you Nell, do you?”

“No, I am liking it,” she replied, tugging her pants leg down over another knife strapped to her boot.

“You’re going to be meeting Jakob today and if all goes well, you’ll probably have the occasion to talk to him.”

An unreadable emotion registered across her face but it was gone before I could interpret it.  “Yes, I would say so.”

“So um… I think it’s safe to say that he’s a very jealous guy.”

“Yes, Maeja is saying this before.  Why you are telling me this now?”  Her forehead bunched with worry.

“I’m hoping you can understand why I wouldn’t want you to mention anything private you might’ve seen or heard about my relationship with Rob.  It could prove disastrous for both of us.”

“I am no tattles tale.  It is no business of his who you are
loving.”

“Thanks, Nell, I’m very glad to hear that,” I replied, suppressing a smile over her choice of words.   

“Would you like if I braid your hair for battle?”  Her own hair was braided back from each temple to pull the hair away from her face, secured with thin leather ties that ended behind her ears. 

I found the gesture touching and wished I could take her up on it.  “Ordinarily I would, and I appreciate the offer, but today we’re going for subterfuge.  I want to look like the least threatening thing possible.”

“Take off this then,” she said, brushing her fingers through my pony tail and I reached up and pulled it free.  Nell made a point of arranging my hair around my shoulders, tucking it behind one ear.   Her hands slid down the front of my top next, boldly tugging the neckline lower and pushing my breasts up for a deeper display of cleavage. “There, you look like a puff of cream.  Good enough for eating.”