It seemed that once I’d moved thatdo not crosstape, the men had been only too happy to take advantage.
Not that I hadn’t enjoyed it. Where I’d never understood the obsession with sex before, I got the appeal far more, now.
“No horny thoughts when we’re cuddling,” Kaidan said, false censure in his voice.
I elbowed him in the side but didn’t move away. “Any new estimates on when The Pitt will open?”
“Nothing substantial. There are far more small portals opening in the area, so they’ve got a more narrowed idea of where it’ll appear, but that’s it.”
I knew about the smaller portals, as Carter and Ingram especially would disappear to take care of them. They didn’t always seem to be assigned, but that didn’t stop the men from going. A few times I’d heard stories the next day about how a dungeon no one had even noticed had been cleared, but no one knew by who.
The scent of monster blood in the middle of the night usually clued me in, however.
What would anyone think to know that Reject Squad, the laughing stock of the entire Guild, was out dealing with such dangers on their own, without back up, and without being asked to?
It again made me wonder about the story I’d heard, the idea that they’d left people to die in a dungeon. It didn’t seem possible. I’d thought that when I’d heard about it, but the more time I spent with them, the less it made any sense.
“What really happened the last time, in The Pitt?”
“So you’re curious now, huh?” Kaidan let out a soft chuckle, though it didn’t hold much humor. “You sure you want to know? Because it isn’t all that flattering to them.”
Them.We both knew exactly who we were talking about.
“I need to know.”
Kaidan sighed, then told me the story of the last time the dungeon had opened, or at least the parts I didn’t know. The fear? The terror? Those things I had experienced myself, but I’d gone through it as a kid, as a teenage civilian stuck in chaos I had never known about before.
Kaidan and the others, though? They’d approached it as professionals doing a job, and as it turned out, that made it a very different story.
* * * *
Kaidan
Ten years ago
People talked about the scent of monster blood, but no one ever mentioned that the portal itself had a smell.
It was acidic, sharp, tart like black cherries. Something that should have been sweet but wasn’t, somehow.
It was my second time here, at this dungeon, but this time was different. Ten years ago, when I’d been only twelve, staring up at the massive portal, I’d been in training. I’d been there primarily to observe, though I’d guided as well.
This time I was a full-fledged and blooded guide, someone others listened to, someone who made decisions that mattered. I’d chosen to work the portal, to take on espers who had to be evacuated and needed immediate guiding to save their lives.
It was one of the most dangerous places for a guide, putting them in the crosshairs of any monsters who happened to breakfree of the lines meant to contain them. Even without that risk, this was the place where espers could become corrupted. Few guides wanted to work here, preferring the safety of the trailers set further back.
Not me, though. What was the point of being so far away from the action?
A familiar group walked up, dressed in black, covered in weapons, with the same ‘I’m about to kick ass’ attitude that most espers wore like armor.
Squad S412.
I’d gotten a few requests to consider joining their squad. They had a guide, but there didn’t seem a bond between them. The Guild thought I might fit that position well, though judging from the men I saw there, I had a feeling our tastes might not align.
I didn’t mind casual guiding, but anything longer-term just wasn’t in the cards for me.
Carter, their combat specialist and de facto leader, paused just to my left. “How many injuries?”
I shrugged. “No serious extractions yet, but we’ve only had two squads enter so far.”
