Odessa had been pleasantly surprised that Nexilus were assigned personal quarters. She slept free from any snorers, farters, and other nightmare bunkmates she had grown used to among Legionnaires. Her own room to wallow in for the night. It hadn’t helped her sleep quality much. There was still a looming disbelief that this was truly happening. That she was a Nexilus, instead of being dead.
Disbelief or no, she had to follow the demanding rumbling of her stomach to the mess hall. The others stationed at the garrison had apparently figured out her identity. She was met with sneers and scowls that she forced not to bother her. Another well-practiced lie.
I deserve to be here. I earned this.
She kept her chin high as she snaked her way around the larger groups of people. She knew when Viago awoke not by seeing or hearing him, but by the warm welcome from others in the garrison.
“Oh, Nexilus Vega! Happy to have you stationed here,” they said, simpering and smiling.
Kiss-asses. Her shoulders tensed, quickening her pace to avoid him.
“Nexilus Odessa!”
She almost didn’t react, not used to the title preceding her name. Then she considered ignoring him anyway. Jaw tensing, she turned towards him.
Viago approached moments later, a laughably practiced smile on his features. She noted that he didn’t have his cane this morning. “Good morning,” he said. “I wanted to start over. Wouldn’t want to begin our partnership on the wrong foot.”
Odessa scowled, scanning him slowly so he knew she was distinctly unimpressed. His words were disgustingly placating. “Drop the act. We don’t have to like each other.”
His eye twitched. His smile forcibly widened. “We’ll have to at least be civil. Wouldn’t want to be miserable. May I eat with you?”
“Or you could fuck off,” Odessa snapped instead, leaning towards him. “I can tell how fucking fake this is. And you know what? I don’t give a shit. I’d rather be miserable and honest. I’m not going to suck up to you like everyone else, and I’m not going to let you ruin this for me.”
Viago’s pleasant expression fell. “That’s funny, coming from you. From what I’ve heard, you’ll have no problem fucking things up yourself.”
A burning tension shot from the ground up through her body. It drove her to move before she could think. He had barely finished the sentence when her fist hit him square in the jaw. “Say it again, Vega.”
He stumbled back a step, blinking once before his face contorted with anger. “Fuck up!” he snarled, and swung.
Odessa let out a cry of anger. She batted his fist aside with one arm, creating an opening for her other fist to connect with the bottom of his chin, knocking him back. “Do you listen to every fucking rumor you hear?” She pulled on his arm, jerking him forward before shoving her knee into his stomach. “Everything mommy and daddy tells you?”
“Rumors?” Viago snarled, surging towards her. His shoulder hit her diaphragm and knocked the wind from her lungs. “I’ve read the reports. You’re a fucking curse, Legionnaire! Nothing more than vampire fodder.”
Odessa brought her elbow down sharply into his back. “You fucking bastard.” Her pulse thundered in her ears, breath ragged. Curse. Failure. Fuck up. That familiar guilt twisted her heart in a vice-grip. She hurled him around her, slamming him onto his back in the middle of the courtyard. She was on him a moment later, blows landing along his face with each word. “You don’t fucking know me.” Odessa was fast. Forceful. Like she was made for this, which, she was. An attack dog. Vampire fodder. “Say it again, Vega. Say it fucking again!” she cried, knuckles splitting against bone.
He jerked his chin up, defiance burning in his gaze. “Fuck up!” he shouted, blood spattering from his mouth with his words.
Odessa pulled back to swing again. Viago spat blood aside. Before her blow could land, his hand latched onto her left ankle. The moment he touched her, the skin beneath his hand began to burn, black pepper sharpened the scent of flesh burning her nostrils.
She jerked back, a cry of pain wrenching from her gut. Yanking at his arm did not free his grasp. Her skin bubbled beneath his hand, cementing it to her.
“That is enough!”
The voice of the Tribunus bellowed from the second story, gift causing the sound to tear through everyones eardrums. Even the onlookers winced and curled in pain. Gelmain leapt from the landing and was peeling the two apart a moment later. “What in the Undying Emperors name is wrong with you two?!”
Viago spat out another mouthful of blood with a cough. “It was her,” he croaked.
“You little fucking-” Odessa moved to lunge at him again, but two legionnaires moved to grab her by the arms.
“What are you, tattling to your parents? I don’t give a damn,” the Tribunus snapped. “Pull yourselves together. You are Nexilus, act like it! Now report to the brig before I have you dragged there!”
Odessa, for one, was already being partially dragged. She jerked against the hold, finally shaking their hands. “I can fucking walk,” she snapped.
The ‘brig’ wasn’t large, just a small rectangular cell with a bench. Suitable for one person to be held a few hours. Likely used when a legionnaire needed to sober up. Any more drastic charge would result in expedient termination, so the room needn’t house more than one at a time.
Until now.
Odessa took a seat on the bench, huffing as she scowled at her split knuckles where her hands remained clenched on her knees. Viago sat as far as he could from her, wincing and stretching his right leg in front of him.
They sat in silence, each ignoring the other.
When her adrenaline calmed she began to recognize the searing at her ankle. She tried to peel the fabric away, but it was fused to her raw skin. Odessa bit the inside of her cheek to hold back a whimper.
Eventually, the Tribunus and Inquisitor entered. It was hard for her to tell which one seemed more pissed.
“Are you two brain-dead?” Gelmain snapped.
“He would have been if I got a few more hits in,” Odessa muttered.
“What is wrong with you two?” the Inquisitor said, voice low and icy. “Explain yourselves.”
Viago immediately sat up straight and cleared his throat. “I apologize, sir, ma’am,” he said. “I shouldn’t have let her goad me into a fight.”
“Not much of a fight, was it?” Odessa snapped.
“Shut your mouth, Nexilus,” the Inquisitor growled at her.
The Tribunus narrowed his eyes at Viago. “You’re right. You should be above that. You were about to use your magic on her,” he snarled. “Over a childish squabble?”
Odessa flinched. Childish.
“And you,” he said, turning towards her. “You cannot be flying off the handle like that. I will not have Nexilus disgracing my garrison, is that clear?”
“Yes sir,” Odessa mumbled in time with Viago’s reply.
“Apologies, sir. It won’t happen again,” Viago added, like the fucking kiss-ass he also was.
“It had better not. Are you both aware that attacking another of your Venatrii brethren is against the Order codes?” the Inquisitor asked, hands clasping behind her back. “Such a display could result in demotion. Termination, if repeated. Do you understand the implications?”
Odessa remained silent.
“Yes, ma’am,” Viago said, voice tight and tense. He hung his head. “I will accept whatever punishment the Inquisition deems fitting.”
The Inquisitor scoffed. “Your partnership is punishment enough. You will control yourselves. You will work together. And if either of you falls in battle, the Inquisition will presume betrayal, and the survivor will be terminated immediately.”
Odessa flinched again, looking to the other woman in shock. “What?”
“You heard her,” the Tribunus said flatly. “Consider yourselves lucky that you are getting your first assignment today, else I would have you both on latrine duty. Report to the medicus, then obtain your job details.”
“Yes sir,” Odessa and Viago both said.
Tribunus Gelmain turned and exited without further comment.
The Inquisitor folded her arms, casting Viago a specifically charged glower. “If either of you see me again, it will be your last day on the Wheel,” she warned before leaving after Gelmain.
Once again, Odessa found herself stalking away from Viago with the thought of, Fucking. Perfect.
Chapter four!!!! Happy Friday, I’ve sat on this one too long to wait any further. What do you think of their new partnership? Thanks again for reading!
Until next time,
M.K. Moretti