Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions (Death's Handmaiden Book 3) by Niall Teasdale (best summer reads txt) 📕

lips quirked, very much as though he was trying to suppress a broad grin. ‘We might be officers, Mel, but we’re not some sort of ancient aristocracy. Cutlery choice is a factor in our training, but it’s mostly recognising the difference between steak and fish knives. I’ll help if there’s anything too complex involved.’ Pause. ‘And you won’t need my help.’

‘You say that now…’

The dining hall was laid out with circular tables set for eight. There was also a long table at one end where the VIPs would be sitting. Melissa had a sudden rush of horror at the thought that someone might have decided that Naomi was a VIP, but she was quickly disabused of that worry. It was probably impossible to always arrange it with interspersed male and female diners, but their table had been arranged that way. Naomi and Kyle had been seated together, or more accurately, the two couples had been with Melissa on one end of the foursome and Kyle on the other.

Melissa looked at the array of cutlery dubiously, wondered whether she could possibly use the napkin which had been so carefully folded to stand at her place setting, and then tried to work out the best way of sitting in the dress Mitsuko had bought for her. It was a fairly simple, ankle-length, strapless gown in red. Melissa had been sort of impressed with the lack of nudity. It did have a split up the left leg wide enough that her leg was exposed almost to the hip in its entirety and there was a black mesh V-shape let into the top to show off more cleavage. Basically, however, Melissa considered herself well covered. Making sure her skirt covered her panties when she sat down was, however, a priority. She managed it well enough.

As best as Melissa could tell, Courtney was not wearing any underwear. It was a little difficult to tell. Her gown was more of a mini; at least, the front hem was very short even if the back fell as a train to pool on the floor behind her. The dress was sleeveless and had a fairly high collar, but the back dipped almost to her buttocks, making wearing anything under it difficult. The fabric was red with a brocade pattern woven into it, stabilised by a dense mesh which gave strong hints of the body beneath without showing anything. Still, it did not show anything resembling panties either…

Leaning to her right, Melissa checked the name on the seating card beside her seat. She made a strangled sort of noise which caused Naomi to raise an eyebrow in her direction. She pointed at the card. ‘Colonel Myron Seward Voll,’ she explained.

Naomi considered this for a second. ‘Don’t know the man. I only guaranteed you wouldn’t be talking to vice admirals or generals.’

Melissa glowered.

Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery.

‘Think they’ve started yet?’ Mitsuko asked. She was up to her chest in the sento. It was early; they had not had their evening meal yet, but there were reasons for being in the sento.

‘I’d imagine they’re getting seated for the meal,’ Nava replied. ‘There are probably going to be speeches. I see something like that having speeches. Long speeches.’

‘I’d imagine you’re right.’ Short pause. ‘It means we have the house to ourselves until morning.’

‘I’m aware.’ Nava knew exactly what her lover was thinking, and she had one small proviso she needed clearing up before she was entirely happy with it. ‘We are going to stop for food at some point, right?’

‘Of course. Right after we’ve christened the kitchen.’

Admiral Aurora Trenton Advanced Training Centre.

Colonel Myron was in his late thirties and not too hard to talk to. Maybe Melissa had expected senior ASF officers to be more stuck-up. Myron was a strategy instructor at the ATC and seemed pretty down to earth, especially for a Voll. Melissa recalled that one of his family members by the name of Brigitta had been Nava’s understudy in the play the year before, but it turned out that the relationship was distant.

‘I don’t suppose you’ve studied much strategy yet,’ Myron said.

‘No, sir,’ Melissa replied. ‘I’m support stream, so we don’t get involved with that kind of thing until the last two years. And then it would be an elective. We do small unit tactics, mostly so we know how best to support assault troops.’

‘However, Colonel,’ Naomi said, leaning forward to include himself in the conversation, ‘Melissa has proven herself quite capable of handling combat situations already.’

Both men ignored the reddening of Melissa’s cheeks. ‘She has?’ Myron asked. ‘Since when are we involving students in actual combat?’

‘Melissa was involved with the Free Beherbergen incident last summer. Not that she, or anyone else who was there, has ever given me details, but I was informed that she acquitted herself well. There was also an incident in Jukai Forest last autumn. An attack by a group of mercenaries on a school survival field trip. I heard more detail about that. Melissa’s defensive walls saved lives.’

‘Force Wall,’ Myron said, nodding with a pleased smile on his face. ‘That’s an underestimated spell. I’m not a sorcerer myself, but the best use of magicians in tactical and strategic manners is something we’re constantly researching and experimenting with. Of course, a derivative of the Force Wall spell is used in many of our ships, but practical deployment of defensive barriers in ground combat is still something we haven’t really optimised.’

‘M-mine are pretty weak,’ Melissa said, hoping to lower the enthusiasm level a little. ‘One bullet will normally bring one down. They’re more useful at keeping people out of an area than stopping gunfire or anything more dramatic.’

Myron’s eyes narrowed a little. ‘And yet, I suspect you’ve come up with a way of making them more useful against armed assailants if that story about Jukai is correct.’

‘Uh, well, if I layer a lot of them… It was only really practical because my friend was taking care of the mercenaries while I shielded our position.’

‘Your friend?’

‘Nava Greyling