Page 53 of Scorched Earth (Dark Shores #4)
The Thirty-Seventh all laughed. The Fifty-First did not. As Racker approached, in the company of both Thirty-Seventh and Fifty-First medics, Teriana felt ready to be sick. She opened her mouth to argue against it, but Nic’s hand closed on her arm, the young legatus shaking his head.
“Now, there would be a reason your commander would ask you to hold a line against a greater force,” Marcus said. “Else he’d pull you back. So let’s create some stakes.”
Gibzen approached with a large rock, around which was wrapped a chain, a pair of manacles fastened to it. Shouldering among the Fifty-First, he dropped it in the middle of their ranks.
Marcus gestured to the rock. “Austornic.”
Without argument, Nic walked to the rock and allowed Gibzen to shackle him to it.
“Every last one of you might be able to break and make it to the wall, but not your legatus,” Marcus said. “So for his sake, I suggest you hold your lines or Nic is going to be black and blue for a month.”
“All right,” Servius bellowed. “Only what’s in it for us?”
Marcus walked over to Nic and fastened the other manacle to his ankle, which resulted in the Thirty-Seventh all hooting loudly.
“If any of you hit him in the head, I’ll castrate you!” Racker shouted. “But feel free to nominate one of your ranks to kick him in the balls since they are what keeps getting him into trouble!”
The Thirty-Seventh all roared with delight, then howled, “Servius! Servius!” The big legionnaire held up his hand. “Would be my honor.”
Marcus gave a nod of agreement, then fixed his eyes on Teriana. “Willing to test your nerve?”
This was madness.
Racker approached. “A reminder, sir, given you clearly are feeling more yourself: head injuries compound. Another blow to the skull might render you jabbering and drooling, unable to wipe your own ass. Show some care.”
Marcus shrugged, then shouted, “Teriana is a civilian, so no one can hit her. But if she breaks and runs for it, I’ve heard that a certain outhouse isn’t up to camp standards.”
All the men screamed their approval.
She couldn’t very well decline when Nic faced a beating and she only faced scrubbing shit. “Fine.”
The boys parted to allow her to stand next to Nic, then tightened the formation around them. Teriana sucked in a breath as she looked out from behind three rows of spears. Three rows of shields. Three rows of armored bodies. With another behind her to protect her back.
None of which meant a gods-damned thing as Marcus shouted, “Remember the rules!” and the Thirty-Seventh retreated down the field.
“This isn’t for real, is it?” she asked Nic under her breath. “They won’t actually hurt you?”
“If we break, they’ll beat the ever-loving shit out of us,” Nic answered. “They must. Because if we break in battle, lives will be lost.”
“That’s not fair,” she hissed. “Because they’re sure as shit not going to kick him in the balls.”
Nic looked at her as though she’d just spouted pure idiocy. “He gave them permission. You really think they’re going to pass that opportunity up?”
Oh gods.
“This is stupid. This is reckless. Marcus, they are just children.”
“No,” he replied. “They are legionnaires of the Celendor Empire.”
Then he lifted his hand.
The Thirty-Seventh broke into a running charge toward them, a mass of muscle and armor, their faces twisted with grim determination. The ground shook, and behind her she heard one of the boys whisper, “Shit.”
Run.
Teriana’s body swayed, the instinct to shove her way through the boys and flee hitting her like a battering ram, only pride keeping her in place.
It’s fine, she told herself. This is just to scare Nic. To scare me. He’ll stop them. There is no danger.
Except they were coming closer with each passing second. Hands clenched into fists, mouths opened as they screamed, their faces a frenzied blur.
“Steady,” Nic said, and Teriana first thought the word for her but then she saw two of the spears waver. Saw hands flexing on weapons. Saw jaws tighten.
All while the Thirty-Seventh drew closer. Legionnaires who were older. Stronger. Infinitely more deadly.
“Steady.”
Oh gods, this is real.
He’s going to hurt them.
He’s punishing Nic for talking to me.
They were close enough now that she could see the sweat on their faces, their bared teeth, the marks in their armor.
“Stop this,” she whispered.
Marcus’s expression was impossible to read: impassive but not. Like there was no doubt in his mind that the boys surrounding him would follow his orders. “You are legionnaires of the Celendor Empire!” he shouted. “You do not break.”
The gap between the forces narrowed, raw terror pulsing through Teriana’s veins. Several of the boys near her were shaking.
“Steady!”
“Stop this!” she gasped, the wind blasting the smell of sweat and steel and impending pain over her face. “Don’t do this. Please!”
Her plea came out as a shriek of terror a heartbeat before the legions collided. Teriana threw herself through the line behind her, falling between two boys. Crawling on her hands and knees, every instinct demanding that she run.
Except instead of the thud of fists and screams of pain, laughter and shouts of congratulations reached her ears. Teriana stopped crawling.
It’s fine.
It was just a demonstration.
Yet she couldn’t move. Couldn’t stand up. Couldn’t gods-damned breathe.
“You all right?” Nic moved as far as the chain would allow him and reached down to pull her upright.
His face was unmoved, but she didn’t fail to notice that his palm was slick with sweat.
Off to the right, one of the boys was puking, several others sitting pale-faced in the dirt, barely seeming to hear the congratulations ringing in the air as they warred with unspent adrenaline.
“Well done,” Marcus said to them all, the manacle still locked around his ankle. “You kept your nerve, which means you live another day. And I don’t have to piss blood for a week, for which I am profoundly grateful.”
She hadn’t kept her nerve.
“Back to drills!”
The legionnaires all returned to what they’d been doing under Servius’s command, leaving her alone with Marcus and Nic.
“There are plans in play,” Marcus said to the younger legatus. “But if you wish to be privy to them, I have to be able to trust that you’ll keep my confidence. Lives are at stake, and loose lips might cost them. Earn my trust and you will be brought into the fold. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.” Nic saluted sharply. Catching the keys Gibzen tossed him, he unlocked the manacle, then the one around Marcus’s ankle before he straightened. “Thank you, sir.”
Teriana was certain Marcus would leave then. Would walk away, because it felt like every interaction caused the gulf between them to widen. Instead, as the manacle fell from his ankle, Marcus approached her.
“It is going to be hard,” he said so softly that none of the others would be able to hear, though they were surely trying. “Violent. Ugly. And you won’t be the same after it’s over. Do you still want to go through with it?”
“Will you win my people free?”
“Yes.” There was no arrogance in his voice, no vaingloriousness. Just utter certainty.
“Then do it,” she whispered.
Marcus’s eyes searched hers for a long moment, then he took her hand and uncurled her palm.
The hair ornament had dug deep into her flesh, her sweat tinged with blood, but he picked it up without comment.
Though hundreds, no, thousands of legionnaires watched on, he unwove one of the braids nearest to her face and strung the bead on her hair.
Her body trembled as he swiftly rebraided it, knotted the end, and stepped back. Showing not a care for the thousands of eyes judging the exchange.
Marcus had not lost his nerve.
Far from it.
“One last thing.” His voice was low, and Teriana couldn’t help but sway closer to him, anticipation burning in her chest as he said, “Make sure you do a good job. Servius will inspect after you’re finished, and it will need to be up to Thirty-Seventh standards.”
Her jaw dropped. “You aren’t serious? I’m not cleaning that mess.”
“Fair is fair.” He scrubbed a hand over freshly cut hair, surveying the training men before he met her gaze again. “I’ve requested the Thirty-First legion be sent to reinforce us. When they arrive, I’ll invade Gamdesh.”
Teriana’s heart lurched. Oh gods, it’s happening.
Marcus turned to walk away, but then paused and said, “Teriana, next time, don’t break.”