Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles #4) - Ilona Andrews Page 0,68

blatant. Karat was shifting her forces to compensate, but she was doing it slowly, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Arland strode over. The only open seat was next to Otubar. Arland picked it up, moved it next to her, and sat down.

“Opinion?” Ilemina asked him.

He studied the field. “Nothing in either Kozor’s or Serak’s tactics up until now indicates a preference for direct assault.”

“It’s a feint,” Otubar said.

“The question is, where are they going with this?” Ilemina murmured. “Did you finish the comparative analysis?”

Arland grimaced. “There was not enough data for a definitive conclusion. What data we have from the known pirate assaults is consistent with the known tactical patterns of our cherished guests. Similarity isn’t proof, however.”

“What about the lees’ data?” Otubar asked.

“Nuan Cee is stalling,” Arland said.

“Perhaps something can be done to persuade him to share.” Lady Ilemina glanced at Maud.

They were speaking in front of her as if she was already part of the House, and more, they were asking for her advice. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or upset that everyone at the table viewed her joining House Krahr as a foregone conclusion.

“Give me something to trade,” she said. “It is a common misconception that the lees love money above all else. That’s not exactly true. They love a bargain; they love getting a good deal. Getting more for less is the foundation of their society. Let me take something to them they will find irresistible.”

“I find haggling distasteful.” Ilemina frowned. “Mostly because I’m terrible at it. I prefer a fair price, which I can pay without any negotiations.”

“And they think you weaker for it.” Maud shrugged.

When you bargained with a lees, the first price they quoted you was always outrageous. It was a test and you had three options: first, you could pay the price and be known as a fool by their great-great grandchildren; second, you could walk away and be judged too rigid to become a business partner or an ally; and third, you could bargain. Only the third option brought respect.

On the lawn, House Serak engaged Karat’s left flank. She’d shifted her formation into a rough oval ring, with two ends facing Serak and Kozor. Karat stood in the middle by the pillar, her practice blade ready in her hand.

The Serak’s assault hammered the Krahr, but the left flank held. On the right, nearly twenty-five yards away, the Kozor formed a wedge with Seveline as the tip of the spear. The two vampire knights directly behind her looked like they had jumped out of a production of an ancient saga, each of them almost as large as Otubar.

The wedge charged. The knights thundered forward, picking up speed, like a herd of enraged rhinos.

“Hold!” Karat’s voice rang out. The defenders braced themselves, doing their best impersonation of an immovable object about to meet an unstoppable force.

Now the plan made more sense. If it wasn’t for Serak, Karat’s forces could scatter, leaving only a few defenders in the middle to slow the charge as it penetrated the circle while the majority of her knights cut at the mass of invaders from the sides. Maud had seen that maneuver before. Done correctly, it absorbed the kinetic energy of the charge like a sponge. But with Serak at her back, Karat had no opportunity to maneuver. The steady pressure at her back left her only one choice—to hold.

The Kozor were almost on them. Maud held her breath, bracing herself as if she were in the line of defenders.

The wedge parted slightly, Seveline slipping through the ranks to the back. The final row of the wedge swept her off her feet and up. Seveline dashed across the armored shoulders and backs of Kozor knights and leaped. For a moment she flew, her lean form silhouetted against the blue sky, sunlight gleaming from her armor, then she landed in the circle. Karat shied to the right, avoiding getting knocked down by a hair.

Seveline struck at her, spinning fast like a dervish. Karat blocked, backing up, straight into the back of her own armored line. Seveline was a whirlwind. Her strikes pierced Karat’s defense in a flurry, so fast Maud could barely follow. Damn. Karat blocked and dodged but she had nowhere to go. Red streaks slashed her armor, the blows of Seveline’s practice sword leaving their mark.

Damn it.

Karat’s headpiece flashed white. Seveline had scored a mortal wound. Karat swore and threw her sword to the ground. Seveline laughed and fell onto the Krahr’s defensive