Meta Gods War 3 by B. Miles (the ebook reader txt) 📕

Theus’s face were livid pink in the low light. Several men in half-leathers saluted Cam as he passed, and he nodded back, heading toward Theus’s small corner perch. He slipped onto the bench across from his friend and tried not to stare at the long patches of fresh skin.

“How’s the beer here?” Cam asked.

“Surprisingly good,” Theus said. “I think they brew it down in the belly of this pit though. I swear, it has a weird rocky aftertaste.”

Cam smiled a little and looked over toward where a bored Warden stood leaning against a long, low counter lined with wooden casks and small wooden cups. The Warden nodded at Cam, turned, filled a cup, brought it over, and returned to his perch, eyes heavy-lidded.

He sipped the beer. It was slightly bitter, a little sour and thin, but good. And there was the rocky taste: just a bit of chalk on the back of the tongue.

“I don’t see you around here much,” Theus said.

“I know,” Cam said. “Been busy.”

“What, with all the girls?” He grinned.

“And the new wife.”

“I heard about that. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry you didn’t come to the wedding. We kept it very, very small.”

“Political. I get it.” Theus shrugged, raised his cup in salute, and took a drink. “There’s a lot happening around here, and you seem to be at the center of most of it.”

“Not something I chose, you know.”

“Sure.” Theus smiled, touching his fingertips to his burn-scarred face. “So what brings you down here?”

“I was looking for you,” Cam said.

“Here I am, Theus the Great.”

Cam laughed. “I think we can come up with a better title for you.”

“Better than Great?” Theus rapped his fingers on the table. “How about, Theus the Magnificent. Or Theus the Well-Hung? Maybe I can start gathering a few girlfriends of my own.”

Cam leaned across the table toward his friend. “How about Theus the General?”

Theus laughed a little and drank his beer, sloshing some onto the table top. “That’s a good one.”

“I’m serious,” Cam said.

Theus paused, frowning. “About what?”

“I want you to be one of my Generals, Theus.”

Theus stared at him, mouth hanging open, which he promptly clapped shut. He shook his head, waving both his hands in the air.

“Oh, gods no,” he said. “No way. Absolutely no way.”

“Please,” Cam said. “I need people I trust around me.”

“I don’t know a thing about being a General,” Theus said. “I don’t know anything about… about… supply trains, or battle tactics.”

“You know more about battle tactics than most of the general staff,” Cam said. “Believe me, I’ve met them.”

“I’m not even in the army.”

“You are now.” Cam held his cup up. “I need you, Theus.”

Theus stared at the raised cup, groaned, then raised his own.

“This sucks,” he said.

They toasted and drank.

“Good man,” Cam said. “You’ll love it. You’re going to get to boss around so many people. And you’ll be one of the most eligible bachelors in this place.”

Theus brightened a bit at that. “True,” he said. “I’ll finally be marriage material.”

“Don’t rush into marriage,” he said. “Not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“It’s not?” Theus laughed. “You sure seemed intent on it.”

“Political reasons,” Cam said. “And besides—”

He was cut off by a figure striding toward them. Cam caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to face it, worried it was some attacker sent by Lord Remorn to gut him for the little show back in the council meeting.

Captain Brice stopped and stood a few feet away wearing a crisp navy tunic with silver buttons and a pair of loose, dark leggings tucked into heavy brown boots. She had a straight saber at her hip, and her hair up in a tight bun. Her pink lips were pulled into a straight line as she stared at Cam, then saluted him.

“Head General,” she said.

Cam smiled up at her. “Captain.”

“I wanted to report to you myself,” she said, dropping her salute.

“Sit,” Cam said. “Captain Brice, this is General Theus.”

Brice’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Theus. “I’ve never heard of you,” she said.

“And I’ve never heard of you,” Theus said. “Welcome to the shit show.”

She looked back at Cam. “I see you’re wasting no time.”

“I need people I can trust around me,” Cam said. “And Theus is an old, and very competent, friend.”

“I hope he’s more competent than the men I served under before.”

“I hope so too,” Theus grumbled.

“Please, sit down,” Cam said, gesturing at the bench next to him.

Brice hesitated then looked at the Warden. She gestured for a cup then took a seat next to Cam, her back straight, her straight blade rattling against the bench.

“I’m actually glad you found me,” Cam said as the Warden put a cup in front of Brice.

“Are you?” Brice sipped it and gave him a look. “I have a feeling you’re putting me to work already.”

“I am,” Cam said, “but I wouldn’t if I didn’t think you could handle it.”

“And what do you know about what I can handle?”

“I saw you fight. You’re good with a sword, good in that armor. Better with the armor off, though.”

Cam thought he saw a hint of red grace her cheeks.

“What do you need me to do?” she asked.

“There’s a man from Medlar village named Arter,” Cam said. “He leads a group that was imprisoned in the wolf pens. I need you to find him and his people and get them armed and armored. They’re going to be my personal guard.”

Theus choked on his beer. “Arter’s going to be your personal guard? I thought that old shit hated your guts.”

Cam nodded and sipped his drink. “I thought so too, but apparently he changed his mind after I saved his life.”

“Well, this really is a crazy time,” Theus said.

“Can you handle that for me, Brice?” Cam asked, looking back at her.

She nodded once. “Of course,” she said.

“I’m also going to need information on the army itself. How many men, how many weapons, food and supplies, everything you can find.”

Her eyes narrowed again. “Maybe that would be better coming from