“Put up your weapons. There’s no need for that here,” the woman said in Commonwealth Basic. The silence indicated the demons’ hesitation, as did the woman’s impatient ‘hem-hem.’ It was only after a brief shuffling I heard the woman’s heels clack imperiously on the stone floor.
“What’s going on here?” Lady d’Lyre asked.
“The prisoner attacked our guard,” a soldier replied, his voice thick as he spoke around his oversized fangs.
“And why was a guard in the cell to be attacked? Did not Prince Selnikov order you to leave the former Consort unharmed?” Lady d’Lyre replied. An uncomfortable silence followed. I could imagine all too clearly Bridgette’s raised eyebrow, her contemptuous smile.
“Captain Boylan, please release the Imperial sergeant,” Lady d’Lyre called.
Anger flared inside me, and I nearly ran the demoness through out of sheer spite. Instead, I called back, “Her body is the only protection I have. I’ll not let it walk away without return.”
“You have my word you will not be harmed,” Lady d’Lyre said.
I snarled. “You forget: I know how little your word is worth.”
Bridgette’s tittering laughter nearly sent me over the edge. “Captain, you know as well as I these guards will shoot down their comrade rather than let you leave. Let her go, and they’ll let you live. Keep hold of her, and you’ll die before I can save you. Call me romantic, but I rather like you, and I’d hate to see you die in a jail cell. I’m sentimental like that.”
I hesitated, wondering if I could trust her. As my brain ran through the possibilities, I knew I had none. I couldn’t hope to drag a four-hundred-kilogram demon soldier at sword point. Eventually, she’d overpower me, and I’d be dead. If I stabbed her, her comrades would open fire, and I’d be dead. If I ran for it, they would run me down, and I’d be dead. I was still as much a prisoner as when the force screens were active and the lamiglass door shut, only I could decide if I died alone or took an Imp with me as I went. I was tempted to end the charade now in a blaze of glory, but my sense of self-preservation was too strong. I released the demoness’s hair and stepped back, throwing her short sword to the floor and raising my hands in supplication.
The guard’s reaction was immediate. She spun around and hammer-fisted me across the cheek. I felt something give, and I flew into the wall before collapsing.
Lady d’Lyre screeched, “I said he was not to be harmed.”
“We don’t take orders from you,” the female guard hissed.
“But you do take orders from Prince Selnikov, do you not? I happen to know the future Emperor will not be pleased to know you disregarded his orders.” I rolled over to see Lady d’Lyre, standing prim and proper, staring down demon soldiers twice her size. Apparently, she saw some threat in their eyes, as she spoke again. “I also know you have orders to leave me unharmed. How will you explain if I wind up bloodied, much less dead? I imagine Selnikov will have your heads.”
The threat did its work, as Lady d’Lyre flounced her way to me and knelt at my side, gently caressing my bruised cheekbone. “Oh, my dear Captain. You always have to make things so hard on yourself.”
I coughed, spitting up warm salty blood. “Funny. I thought it was you and the Imps making things hard on me.”
“You always need to swim against the current. Just accept the way things are and go with the flow,” Bridgette said. For a moment, I imagined I saw real concern in her eyes, but a treacherous snake such as she couldn’t possibly have any real concern for the tool they’d used.
“I promised my Queen and my country I would always strive to do the right thing,” I murmured, the pain catching up to me. I grimaced. “No one ever said it would be easy or painless or popular. That doesn’t mean it’s not right.”
Lady d’Lyre’s hand rested tenderly upon my chest. “You always have to be too noble for your own good. You make the rest of us look positively sinful.”
I laughed, only once, though. It fucking hurt to laugh. “I’m no saint. I’ve sinned plenty.”
“But you believe so strongly,” Bridgette said consolingly. “You truly believe what you are doing is right. Even when you’re wrong, you believe you’re fighting for a good cause. It’s blinding sometimes, and very endearing. How could I let so fervent a believer die at the hands of such heathens as these?” Lady d’Lyre said, gesturing at the armed demons behind her.
I had no response for her.
“On your feet, soldier,” Lady d’Lyre said, not bothering to offer me a hand up.
I collapsed back onto the cold floor. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather die here than be moved to a more formal location.”
Lady d’Lyre tittered again. “Silly, you’re not going to be executed. You are to be exchanged to your own government. They want you back. I arranged the deal myself.”
I figured there was little to lose, so I levered myself onto my knees and lurched to my feet. Pleased, Lady d’Lyre extended her arm. As physically battered and spiritually weary as I felt, I took her hand in mine and let her gently lead me from the prison block into the corridors of the Crystal Palace proper.
We walked in silence for a while, but Lady d’Lyre felt the need to speak. “So solemn, Captain. You’re going home. Why the long face?”
“You should know. You had a leading hand in destroying my nation, despite my best efforts,” I said bitterly.
Lady d’Lyre laughed. “You mustn’t be so hard on yourself. You made a valiant show of resistance, but honestly, did you think I had no backup plan in place?”
“I’m a soldier, a beast of war. I’m afraid I’m poorly suited to politics,” I said. “Even so, I hadn’t imagined the Federation made such friendly contact with Imperial dissidents.”
