Vérzavar Ház

Chapter 8: You Certainly Have a Way with Them

"Mordoc. The Hind. The Harpy."

She stilled. Her fire guttered to that violet blue. "They are lethal. If you're caught, you will be lucky to just be killed."

Ruhn crossed an ankle over a knee. "Believe me, I know that."

"Mordoc is a monster."

-House of Sky and Breath, pg. 383

Lidia tightly wrapped her long, low ponytail into her trademark neat bun at the nape of her neck, adding a few pins for good measure to keep everything in place. As she pushed back any stray flyaways and tucked them into the twist she surveyed herself in the mirror, turning her body from side to side. The under-eye circles were less, and she'd managed to gain a little weight, undoubtedly from the absence of Pollux. But sleep still didn't come easily. It likely never would.

Trying to ignore the silver around her neck, she turned and strode out of her room. Her destination was the training complex, where the dreadwolves worked day after day to perfect their strategies, formations, and combat skills. She'd left the legion under Mordoc's supervision during her visit to Lunathion. They would observe together today, as they needed to make assignments for the coming events. Which wolves would stand against Ophion? Which would accompany Asteri or Archangels? Today it would be decided.

She had been sure to spray a light fragrance against her neck, knowing that Mordoc's abilities were the most dangerous to her cover. And that he may just be able to sniff out her connection to Ruhn. She wasn't willing to take any chances, and she hoped the airy scent was enough to confuse his senses. Anything more pungent would have earned the bloodhound's suspicions and would have stuck in her nose and given her a terrible headache.

When she arrived at the facility she made her way to her office, nodding curtly to any officers who passed and exchanging polite pleasantries. How droll this daily grind was. Reading reports and observing violent people perfecting their methods of accomplishing violent tasks. She hated all of it, hated that she had begun feeling detached from this role and hated the implications of it. Her apathy weeded its way into her gut, shame cutting into her with the knowledge that her decisions and her leadership of these squadrons would lead to countless innocent deaths.

Lidia's wandering musings led her to her desk, where she found a short stack of papers waiting for her. Reports. Observations. Disciplinary actions. Intelligence. All in a day's work. The reports were nothing special. Some additional details about upcoming missions that would require involvement from her forces. She thumbed through the observations and disciplinary paperwork, skimming over the words before tucking them into a folder, wanting to have the information on hand when she and Mordoc began their stroll through the ranks.

There was nothing new in the neatly stacked pile of "intelligence". No new reports of Ophion rebel activity, at least of enough importance for the Hind or her dreadwolves to be involved, and nothing of note that the rebellion may want to know either. After filing what was necessary and shredding the intel, she rose, tugged down on her uniform, and tucked the folder under her arm as she left in search of her second-in-command.

"You look like shit," he drawled as she approached. The shifter rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning, Mordoc," Lidia crooned in response, stopping next to him and looking down from the balcony overlooking the training field. The wolf scoffed.

"Must be chafing without Antonius around, huh? Can't get a good night's sleep without the Hammer hammering you into exhaustion?" Her stomach roiled at his disgusting words, and she thought she might vomit. She turned a baleful glare toward him, and was met with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I could help you out, you know. Take the edge off. Pollux never has to know."