Satan's Gambit (The Barrier War Book 3) Read Free

blue
scales before the clouds once more choked off the radiance from the
light-giving orb.
    The blue dakkan
glided lazily over the slopes of the mountains, following a silent urge within
his body as old as life and irresistible as time itself. His eyes skimmed the air
above him as well as the ground below, seeking the source of the overwhelming
hunger that had overtaken his awareness. He uttered two short, piercing cries,
announcing his presence to the one he knew was somewhere nearby, then bellowed
a long, fierce call to ward off any other males who might be scouring the area
as well.
    Somewhere in the
mists below, a loud, bugling call pierced the mists, and the blue dakkan
wheeled quickly and with sudden purpose toward the sound. It had recognized the
cry of a female dakkan in heat, the source of his sudden urge and hunger.
    There! The mists parted as a large green dakkan broke through the gray shroud and
launched herself into the clear air. She turned her head briefly and called to
the blue, taunting him to keep up with her, to catch her and claim her. She was
a fair-sized dakkan, almost equal to the blue. He immediately pumped his wings
and called out again, a declaration of his strength and longing. The blue
pursued the green as she vanished into the mists, and soon he, too, was
swallowed up by a swirl of the thick, gray veil.
    From his perch
atop a large boulder, Garnet jo’Garet watched the mating flight until the two
dakkans had vanished from sight. To witness the courtship of wild dakkans was a
rare privilege, and he’d remained silent and relaxed throughout the ritual. The
green female was swift, but he’d seen the power and obvious endurance of the
blue, and he was certain the ritual would end well for both dakkans. Dakkans
mated for life, so a good outcome now would bring them both fortune for
decades, perhaps centuries.
    “I hope that’s a
good sign for this expedition,” he murmured to himself. “It’s certainly more
positive than that moon and this damned mist.”
    Overhead, Sin
lingered in the sky, its full shape still visible through a break in the clouds
in what was called the Crow Moon. San was nowhere in sight and waning less than
half-full – even were it visible, its presence would pale in comparison with
its heavenly partner. The strong presence of Sin and the absence of San was a
dire omen to those who cared about such things – Garnet put little stock in
superstition, but even he was hard-pressed to ignore the unsettled feeling in
the pit of his stomach as he glanced at the baleful glimmer of Sin. Shoving
aside his ill ease, Garnet spared a few seconds more to look toward the sky
where the dakkans had vanished, hoping they might come back toward him in their
flight, but he quickly gave up that hope and turned his mind to the task at
hand.
    “Brican, give
me a status report on Shadow Company,” he thought, sending his mental voice
out to where he knew it would be heard.
    “Red, violet,
green, and yellow all report in position, sir,” came the reply as Garnet
heard Brican’s mental voice sound inside his head. “Blue and orange estimate
three and two minutes respectively.”
    “Relay to
Danner to get his ass moving. I want him in position by the time Marc is set
up. End,” Garnet said. “Relay to Marc, I want him in position before
Danner catches up and beats him. End.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Brican broke off
the mental contact, leaving Garnet alone again with his thoughts. He enjoyed a
long moment of silence until Brican again contacted him.
    “Blue and
Orange platoons both report in position, sir.”
    “Who won?” Garnet asked.
    “Blue, by a
hair.”
    Garnet smiled. “Good.
Now, how are our guests?”
    “Honestly,
they’re a handful, but they’re ready,” Brican kythed [3] , losing some of the military formality in
his voice. “I may never forgive you for making me babysit them, though.”
    “It’s good
experience for you,” Garnet said with a mental chuckle. “You said