“Dammit, what kind of stories have you been hearing?”
The boy had stood partially behind two of the women.Now he stepped out into view.His eyes were wide, not with fear or apprehension, but with … excitement?
Alobaz harrumphed.
“I heard stories!”the boy said.“Not from my grannies only ’cause I ain’t got grannies.Ain’t got a ma either.But I heard all about your conquests anyhow.I asked anybody who’d talk to me about it.”
His eyes glittered.His smile was all teeth and gums.“Alobaz Hawxley.General of all the emperor’s armies.Prince, too, though not set to inherit the empire ’cause he’s—you’re—more valuable as a general.The empire needs you too much to have you rule.”
“Strange way to look at it,” Moncho muttered under his breath.
“Known as ‘The Razer’ across the Opalese.Known to his friends as ‘Baz.’He’s—you’re—unmatched when it comes to military strategy, warfare, pretty much military anything.”
“He’s not wrong about that,” Moncho said.
“Alobaz is the most amazing, incredible, awesome man ever—who ever lived—who everwilllive.Anywhere.There ain’t no one like ’im, never will be again.”
Alobaz couldn’t scowl any harder.
“Then there’s Ramone Vásquez, better known as ‘Moncho.’An incredible fighter no one but Alobaz can best.”
The boy bounced on his feet, the words spilling rapidly as if he wanted to speak them all at once.“Then there’s Edwidge Shmooly, known as ‘Ed.’A badass warrior.A woman who fights better than most men.”
Aziza bristled.“Hey, watch yourself, kid.Women can be amazing fighters too.”
He nodded eagerly.“No doubt.Aziza Lennel.Nickname: ‘Zi.’Unparalleled fighter.Her small stature means opponents underestimate her a lot.And they don’t live to tell the tale.”
Aziza repressed a proud smile, but Alobaz still caught a glimmer of it in the twitch of her lips.
“Ooh, ooh, ooh.Then there’s ‘Night.’The most mysterious of ’em all.Barely talks.No one knows his real name or if he’s even got another name.But he don’t need to talk to flatten anyone who tries to take him or his friends down.”
Night grunted.
“And then there’s Levin Brant.”
“Last but not least, eh?”Levin said.
“Known as ‘Lev’ to his friends, he’s so fast n’ agile, no one sees ’im coming till it’s too late.Strong too.A lethal combo between Moncho and Félix.Where’s Félix?”
A woman behind him tugged on his shirt.“Don’t ask questions like that,” she whispered, even though Alobaz and his crew would all hear just fine.
Humans often forgot a sänglure’s senses were so much more potent than theirs.
The boy wiggled free of her grip, taking a bold step forward.“All together, they’re known as the Bazrian Seven.”He hopped from foot to foot.“I can’t buh-lieve I get to meet y’all.And to be bought by you…” The boy nearly swooned.
Alobaz grunted, sounding like Night.“Alright, alright.That’s enough of that.Now get your asses across that bridge.”
Maybe it was the way he growled it.Or maybe it was that Alobaz was used to commanding soldiers, legions of them.
Clutching their skirts, the females staggered forward to obey.The boy was in front.
When he lowered his foot to the bridge, Alobaz grabbed his arm.“What’s your name, kid?”
“Crute.”
“Why?”
“’Cause I’m ‘twice as much trouble n’ half as ugly.’”The scrawny kid said it like it was a good thing.
