Beside him, Iras stirred in her sleep. He glanced over at her, reaching out and brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers. She sighed, but didn't wake. Gavir watched her for a moment, then turned back to the controls. He could survive in the wild, for a time. A year, perhaps two, before they found him. But he couldn't ask that of her. They had to get to Maryst. If he could just get her inside the walls...

  By the time he heard Iras' breathing quicken and knew that she was awake, he'd come up with a plan. She'd never agree to it, but he had no intention of telling her the entire plan. Just her part.

  "You awake?"

  "Yes. Do you want me to drive, so you can sleep?"

  Gavir shook his head. "Thanks. But no. We'll be there... maybe an hour? Faster if I push it."

  "And they'll be waiting for us there," Iras said. "So, tell me what the incredibly brave, incredibly stupid plan is that you've come up with, so that I can shoot you now."

  Gavir turned and stared at her. "What?"

  "You're going to throw your life away, so that I can get into Maryst. Don't try and tell me I'm wrong. It's just the sort of terribly honorable and loving sacrifice I'd expect from you. And I will tell you now that if you even try it, I'll kill you myself. And then turn the gun on myself."

  "Iras!"

  "Then don't even think about making me live the rest of my life with your death driving stakes into my heart!" she snapped back. So much fear in her voice.

  Gavir licked his lips, then reached across and took her hand. "You're right. You're right, and I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. Do you have a plan?"

  "No. Other than we both go in, or we both die."

  "That sounds like more than I had. All right. We both go in, or we both die. I love you, Iras."

  "I love you, too. Can you land?"

  "What, now?" Gavir looked at the sensors. "Yes. Why? I mean, we do have a portable pot underneath the rear seat. It's not pleasant—"

  "That's not what I wanted," Iras interrupted. She paused, and Gavir realized what she was asking.

  "Oh. You... I... I see. Now?"

  "If we're going to die, I want a wedding night." Iras squeezed his hand. "Darling, I didn't think you would be shy about it."

  "I'm not!" Gavir blurted. "I just... I didn't think you would want to. Not until we were safe."

  "Are we ever going to be safe, Gavir?" Iras asked quietly. Gavir considered the question for a long moment, then nodded and set the controls to land. Once they were on the ground, he switched off the 'car's systems and listened to the heat ticking off the metal in the engines.

  "Iras, I don't have anything—" he started to say as he turned towards her, and caught her as she clambered into his lap, her mouth finding his and cutting off his words. She kissed him with a fervor he hadn't felt from her before, and it took him a moment before he realized what it was.

  Desperation. That he could understand, and he kissed her back with heat. There should have been more than just this one night. Should have been, and they both knew that there never would be. Just this one night to make up for all the tomorrows they would never have. It would have to do.

  He pulled away from her mouth long enough to gasp, "Back seat." He pushed her off his legs, but she refused to relinquish his mouth, tugging at his coat as they both stumbled over the seats and into the only-slightly more spacious rear seat. There, they tugged and tore at each other's clothes, scattering them over the floor and the bench, until at last they were both bare. Iras pushed Gavir down onto his back, straddling his hips and catching her hands in his own. She pushed them down, pinning them on either side of his head and smiling down at him.

  "I've got you," she declared, her voice husky. "You're mine now."

  "I always was yours," Gavir said. It didn't seem to matter that he was the predator, and she the prey. He'd fight for her, kill for her. Die for her. And kneel for her, if that was her wish. The roles were reversed, and he knew that it was right. She raised herself up, and slowly lowered herself over his cock, her cunt brushing against the head lightly enough that he gasped and thrust his hips up. The movement sent shooting pains through his ribs, and he gasped.

  "No. No, you're not allowed to hurt yourself," Iras chided him gently. "You're not allowed to move."

  "Yes, Iras." His voice sounded oddly meek to his ears, and apparently to hers, too—he saw the surprise on her face. Then she smiled and leaned down, nibbling lightly at his lip before kissing him slowly. When she rose, she let go of one of his hands, reaching down and guiding his cock into position, slowly taking him inside of her until her hips were sealed tightly against his. She didn't move for a moment, and Gavir bit the inside of his mouth until he tasted blood, fighting the urge to move, to roll her onto her back and claim her. But the claiming tonight was not for him to do, as Iras slowly started to move over him, around him, her breathing growing faster, more ragged. She let go of his hand, bracing herself with one hand on the rear bench, the other resting lightly on his stomach as she rode him, her head thrown back to reveal her throat. Gavir groaned, reaching out and running his hands down her thighs, catching her behind her knees and holding on as she peaked, gasping and moaning before she fell still. Gavir rubbed his hands up and down her legs, waiting until her breathing slowed before asking, "My turn?"

  She looked startled. "You... oh, Gavir. I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. That was wonderful to watch." He sat up slowly, wincing a little and not bothering to hide it, then pulled Iras into his arms. "You, lady-mine, are magnificent."

  She blushed, then wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. "Gavir, I don't want—"

  "I know," he answered. "I know. Neither do I."

  "Could we run?"

  Gavir shook his head, his cheek brushing against Iras' short hair. "They'd come after me. A rogue Sword? They'd hunt me down."

  "Then there's no choice." Iras hugged him harder, then pulled back. "Your turn, Gavir. I... I don't think we have anything you can use on me—"

  "You know, sex with me doesn't have to be bondage and pain," Gavir interrupted. "Unless you want it that way."

  Iras looked thoughtful. "I've never had sex with a Sword that was any other way."

  Gavir grinned and tapped her nose with one finger. "That's because your main purpose isn't sex, my dear. It's release. And honestly, I can do more to you with my hands than I could with anything I might find lying around at the Arena. If we had time—"

  "Show me."

  "Iras, we're running for our lives!" Gavir gasped, laughing. "We don't have the time for me to make you scream!"

  "Can you think of a better way to die?" she countered.

  Gavir stopped. Looked at her. Shook his head and started laughing. "When you put it that way. Up on the bench, woman. Sitting, facing me, knees apart."

  Iras clambered up onto the bench, getting into position, watching him eagerly. Gavir got up onto his knees, moving into place between her legs and resting his hands on her knees. "I wish I had the time to do this properly," he said. "I don't."

  "How long would it take?" Iras asked. Gavir grinned, rubbing her legs in long, lazy strokes.

  "I did this to another Sword once. I kept her on the edge for nearly an hour, and she damn near killed me before it was done."

  "An hour?" Iras's voice trembled slightly, and Gavir felt his smile grow broader.

  "And I didn't even tie her down." He pushed Iras' legs wider and ducked his head, kissing his way up her inner thigh. He heard her breath catch as he wrapped his arms around her legs, leaning down to kiss the top of her pubes. She shivered, and he felt her legs straining against his arms. He laughed.

  "Not until I'm done with you," he murmured, sliding his hands underneath her ass and lifting her. He lowered his head again, and started to slowly trace the edges of her labia with his tongue. She moaned, running her fingers through his hair, pulling hard when he started lapping at her clit. She started to struggle, and he tightened his hold on her legs, listening to her cries grow louder, more frantic, until she was shrieking and thrashing in his arms. That was his signal—he put her back down on the seat, setting her close to the edge, and rose up on his knees.

  She came as he pushed into her, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him deeper. He braced himself on the seat and started grinding against her, the only movement he could manage until she let her legs fall. Once she did, he started pumping, long, slow thrusts that left her limp and whimpering, building to another climax. Gavir took a long breath and reached between their bodies, finding her clit with his thumb. This time, she didn't scream—she went rigid, and her cunt clamped down around him like a fist. He howled as he came, slamming hard against her until he couldn't move any more and slumped over her, gasping.

  When he could finally breathe again, he pushed himself up and looked at her. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing growing regular. Grinning, he leaned down and kissed her between her breasts.

  "I love you, lady-mine," he said, his voice rough.

  Iras chuckled softly and opened her eyes. "I love you, too. An hour? Like that?"

  Gavir nodded, trying not to laugh. "She damn near killed me. Once she could see straight."

  "I can understand that. What I don't understand is why she didn't marry you." Iras sat up slowly, then leaned forward and caught Gavir's face between her hands. She kissed him hungrily, then wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Gavir held her close, rubbing her back with one hand.

  "We need to get dressed," he said softly. "Before they come looking for us."

  "I know. Just give me a moment." Iras snuggled closer, her head on his shoulder. He let her be, until at last she sighed and pulled away. "All right. Let's get dressed."

  Gavir dressed slowly, trying to put off the inevitable. But there was no way to stop it, and he finally he climbed back into the driver's seat and looked across at Iras, already strapped into the passenger seat.

  "Ready?" he asked.

  "No."

  "Are we going anyway?"

  She blinked quickly, looked away, then nodded. He smiled and reached out to take her hand.

  He didn't need two hands to drive anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  They entered the Gap without incident, although Iras kept a close watch on the proximity scanners. As they'd approached, Gavir had finally let go of her hand, and he was studying his controls with a fierce intensity.

  "Something?" she asked quietly.

  "Nothing." He glanced at her, an almost hopeful look on his face. "Maybe they gave up and went home?" He snorted and looked back at the controls. "I could wish."

  "Shouldn't we have seen something by now?"

  "Yes. That's what's worrying me." Gavir guided the 'car higher, skimming over the top of the rocky chasm that ran from Aakar to Tyese. "If I get enough height, they won't shoot us down. I hope. They want you alive, at least."

  Iras looked down at the gun in her lap. "They won't have me."

  "I know, love." Gavir said, his voice somber. They'd discussed this at length over the past hour. He knew what she wanted. Knew, and disliked it. "If I can get you alive into Maryst, I will."

  "Not without you," Iras repeated.

  Gavir sighed. "And if I can't... then we'll die together. I promised."

  "Thank you." Iras looked down at the screen, then frowned. "Gavir, there's something here."

  "Send it to my forward screen."

  Iras flicked her finger over the screen, and the image appeared, ghostly on the window in front of Gavir. He studied it for a moment, then nodded. Iras cleared the screen. "What is that?" she asked.

  "A squad carrier. Carries a dozen men or so. I'm willing to bet that's my squad on board, since Demarti is up to his ears in this."

  "Is that good or bad?"

  "Depends." Gavir scowled. "Some of my men are fiercely loyal to me. The ones that I've served with since my cadet squad. Some... aren't. They see me as an obstacle in the way of their advancement."

  "Like Demarti?"

  "Like Demarti. He isn't a ranking officer, but he is... charismatic. Men follow him. And when the smoke clears, they ask themselves what the fuck they were doing."

  Iras looked down at her screen. "Is there a way to avoid them?"

  "Considering they've probably been watching us for the past half an hour? No. This is it, love." Gavir looked over at her. "I love you. I wish we had more time."

  "I love you, too. Thank you, for what time we've had."

  Gavir smiled at her, reaching out and taking her hand. He kissed her palm, then let her go and put both hands back on the controls. "All right. Let's see how close we can get to Maryst."

  To Iras' surprise, there was no movement from the carrier; it remained stationary, hovering outside of the walls of the Neutral City as Gavir landed the aircar in the well-lit clearing near the gatehouse.

  "All right. Remember what I told you?" Gavir asked.

  "Once we're in the gatehouse, they can't touch us," Iras answered. Gavir nodded, drew his gun and looked at her, arching one eyebrow. Iras nodded and continued, "If anyone gets in our way, go through them. Your gun is set to stun. So is mine. We're not killing anyone. If we do, the Gatekeeper will refuse us entry."

  "Good. On three, we run for it. Three... two... go!" He threw open his door and started running, and Iras scrambled after him. She wasn't sure if he'd slowed his pace so she could keep up with him, or if she really was as fast as he was, but they ran side by side across the clearing. Iras allowed herself a brief glance over her shoulder, but could see nothing outside the circle of lights. Looking forward showed they were halfway to the gatehouse. The door ahead of them opened... and two Swords walked out. Gavir skidded to a stop, grabbing Iras' arm.

  "Back... back to the 'car..." he said, turning. He froze; Iras turned, and moaned softly, seeing now what the darkness had hidden. There were more Swords between them and the car.

  "To the gate?" she whispered.

  Gavir nodded once. Then he turned and charged forward, towards the gate. Iras could see now that he'd been holding back—he easily outpaced her, even though she was running as fast as she could. She heard guns firing, saw a flash from ahead of them, then saw Gavir jerk and slow in front of her. He growled, loud enough that she heard him, and kept on going, firing once. One of the Swords fell back. The other—and now Iras was close enough to see that it was Demarti—fired again. Gavir stumbled, falling to one knee. He tried to get up and fell forward. Iras hesitated, then ran to him, grabbing his arm and trying to drag him back to his feet, succeeding only in rolling him onto his back. There were no burns on his clothes, no blood, but the left side of his body was limp.

  ".. sorry..." he slurred. "..'m... 'm sorry... run..."

  "I'm not leaving you," Iras said. She looked at the gun that she still held in one hand, then shook her head, taking Gavir's right hand in hers. He squeezed her fingers, then jerked at the sound of footsteps, coming closer. Iras looked up to see Demarti standing over them.

  "Well, my Lady Red. I'd say it was a pleasure, but..." he smiled, looking down at Gavir. Demarti sneered, then spat, the glob landing on the front of Gavir's coat. "Actually, it is truly a pleasure." He raised his voice. "Take her. Secure her in the carrier while I deal with the rogue."

  "Deal... what do you mean, deal with the rogue?" Iras asked. She heard more footsteps, coming closer. "What do you mean?"

  "Rogue Swords are broken, Lady Red. Executed, by orders of the Council," Demarti answered. "Since he was a freak already, I don't suppose anyone will miss—"

  He never had a chance to finish; Iras brought her gun up and fired. At such close range, the stun blast knocked Demarti over backwards, and he dropped like a stone. There was a moment of silence, broken by a rusty, wheezing sound. Iras had just realized that it was Gavir, laughing, when something hit her in the back, knocking her forward into darkness.

  "YOU SHOT A CIVILIAN, in the back. A woman that you were charged with bringing safely to me. Have you lost your senses? Or is Demarti's sheer idiocy catching these days?"

  Iras vaguely knew the voice, and the tone... well, she hoped she'd never hear that level of derision focused at her. She'd want to curl up and die...

  Gavir. Where was Gavir? She groaned and forced her eyes open, only to find herself staring at a stark, white ceiling. Where was she?

  "She's waking. You're dismissed. Consider yourself on punishment detail until I forget you exist." That voice again. "Lady Sirase?" The derision was gone, and now she heard only concern. She blinked and turned towards the voice, immediately wishing that she hadn't. Her head felt like someone had used it to hammer dull nails into ferro-cement. A heavy hand patted her arm, and she felt a sharp pinprick in her other arm, followed by receding footsteps.. "Try not to move. Close range stun blasts can cause a bitch of a headache. Once that shot takes hold, you'll feel better."

  "Where's Gavir?" she forced herself to ask.

  "Three beds over, and under sedation."

  Iras blinked again, then managed to turn enough to see the owner of the voice. "Ran-ti-ar. Where am I?"

  "You are in the Ishkarin medical facility in Niran City. And I apologize for your treatment, Lady Sirase. It was not our intention."

  "My name is Iras," she whispered. "And Gavir explained."

  "Did he?" Quaran looked amused. "There are days when I'm glad to have at least one Sword who thinks. I wish more of them did, or we'd never be in this situation. Now... well, Demarti is on his way to the camps. He should never have fired on Gavir, or turned on him without an order from me. Unfortunately, I can't start an investigation in how he got the override codes for Gavir's wrist-comp, or how he got the squad carrier without my clearance. Yet. That would be tantamount to admitting that I ordered Gavir to steal you away."

 

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