Forgotten Soldiers Read Free Page A

had closed the distance between us. I realized that because I saw fear creep into Ava’s eyes. It was odd. I hadn’t hit her since we were kids just being kids, yet I guess part of that older brother and younger sister dynamic remained.
    I backed away a step. I hated to see that look in her eyes. She could make me angrier than anyone, but I loved her.
    “Sorry,” I muttered. “Look, I’m done arguing. We’ve got orders, so we’ll have to continue this later. But I’m going to have to do something. This is getting elevated to the High Mages. Maybe if I take care of it on my own first, they’ll be more lenient.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Don’t do me any favors, big brother. Ao can curse the High Mages as far as I’m concerned. All the gods can,” she snapped.
    Ao, goddess of sorcery, was the mother of the gods within the Turine pantheon. All other gods and goddesses descended from her and her husband Molak, god of all things nature. They ruled the heavens according to our culture.
    However, ask any other nation and you’d find a completely different set of beliefs. Genesha’s religion was the most puzzling. One and only one god, Beel. A mean piece of garbage who, according to the Geneshans, cultivated power through human sacrifices.
    It seemed that they would have wised up long ago and suppressed Beel’s power by just ceasing the sacrifices. I’ve always been of the opinion that the fewer people meddling in my life, god or otherwise, the better.
    I shook my head in response to Ava’s curse. “I thought you’d say something like that.”
    Had she not burned so many bridges, she could have been a High Mage. She had the talent, just not the tutelage. No one wanted to take Ava on as an apprentice knowing they would have to contend with her temper.
    “Return to the unit and get mudded up,” I added.
    “I don’t need to do that. I can just cast a spell.”
    “Call it pre-punishment. Besides, no sorcery unless I say otherwise.”
    “Fine.” She stormed off with fire in her eyes.
    Nearby guards on patrol halted as they watched her depart. None wanted to cross her path.
    * * *
    In the woods, a night sky filled with stars and a full moon could be a blessing by making it easier to find water, shelter, or perhaps even some food. If nothing else, the extra light could go a long way in preventing a twisted ankle.
    None of that mattered when leading a unit behind enemy lines. Stealth was crucial. Light reflecting off the steel attached to each person could get a soldier killed.
    By the time I got back to my unit, Hamath had most everyone covered in mud. If someone missed a spot, another person eagerly helped conceal it. No one wanted to die because of another’s laziness.
    I jumped right in with the others and began picking up handfuls of sludge, slathering it on my legs. Before I even finished, hands from the other members of my unit were all over me. What I received from them came on extra thick.
    I took it in stride. Let them have their fun.
    The smell of the mud finally got to me, making me gag as I smoothed the last of it around my nose and lips. “Gods, Hamath. Did you haul this in from the latrines?”
    He chuckled. “At least the mosquitoes have finally left us alone.”
    Summers in Genesha were brutal. Besides the heat, mosquitoes the size of small birds hounded you.
    “Well, I guess that’s one positive.”
    Hamath grinned, white teeth rimmed in black muck. “I may not even wash this off when we’re done. Not if it means having a good night’s sleep without that constant buzzing at my ears.”
    I inclined my head. “You’re actually thinking of sleep? What about your traditional romp with one of the whores when we get back?”
    “I never said I wouldn’t pay them a visit first.”
    “Covered in mud?”
    “They’re not going to care what I’m covered in so long as my coin is good.”
    “You gotta remember, Ty,” said Ira, jumping into the conversation. “Hamath gave up on women long ago.