Pirate's Honor, page 12
"Grogul!"
"Aye, Captain!" The half-orc still stood on the foredeck directing the boats.
"Pier number four." It was closer to the slaver docks than they usually put in, but that meant it was also closer to Vreva's inn, which could mean the difference between life and death—or worse—if things went poorly. He gritted his teeth at the thought of a running fight through the Fleshfairs, Celeste drawing the eyes of every slavemaster.
"Aye, sir!" Grogul's call banished the horrific image, and Torius steadied himself. This was the plan they had all agreed on; it was time to follow through.
The painfully slow process of docking the ship with no wind did not calm Torius's mood in the slightest. When the last line was finally tied and the boats were stowed, he called Thillion down and they met Grogul and Snick on deck.
"Grogul, take your team and go. Thillion, pay the dockmaster, then find a coach and bring it to the head of the dock. Take some crew with you to keep the way clear. Snick, keep your mates on the ballistae until we're back aboard. And keep an eye on things; Gozreh only knows what might show up."
"Like a bunch of assassins waiting for you to come back?" She flashed a wry grin as the bosun and first mate hurried off on their tasks.
"Something like that." He tried to grin back at her, but his mouth didn't want to cooperate. "I'm counting on you, Snick. If things go bad, we'll need every trick you've got to get out of here alive."
"I'm with you, sir!" she said with a flashy salute.
"Good. I'll be in my cabin. Give a shout when Thillion gets back with the coach."
"Aye, sir!"
He strode to his cabin, took a deep breath, and entered. Celeste was slithering back and forth, whacking the table leg with her tail on each circuit. He wasn't sure if she was nervous or just tired of waiting. Either way, it might behoove him to keep out of striking distance. He forced a casual smile and strode to his bunk.
"Well?" She ceased her slithering, but her tail still twitched.
"Grogul's off to the inn and Thillion's getting us a coach." He donned his kaftan and headscarf, grateful for the garment's subtle cooling enchantment in the sweltering air. He tucked his cutlass through the sash, then added his daggers and usual sundry tricks to his pockets. "You're sure you're okay with this? I can probably get the information on my—"
"I'm going with you!" she insisted, slithering up to him and flaring her body in a subtle challenge. He knew better than to disagree with her when she was in this mood. Then she surprised him, leaning in quick, almost a strike, to plant a kiss on his lips. "I need to exact another promise from you, though."
"Anything you want ...within reason." He wanted to put her at ease, but hedged in case she revived the subject of killing Vreva.
"If things go bad, don't let slavers take me." Her tone was edged like a knife. "I will not spend the rest of my life chained in an alchemist's shop or wizard's laboratory, or stuck behind bars in some menagerie. You must promise me you won't let that happen."
"I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't, Celeste. You know that."
"Everything?" she asked. "Even ...kill me?"
"I—" Torius broke out in a sweat that even the most enchanted kaftan could not alleviate. How could she ask that? But by her tone, he knew she was deadly serious. She'd been a slave before, and knew as well as he what that entailed. Like Snick had said, death was easier. He clenched his jaw until his head pounded, then cupped her beautiful face in his hands and gazed steadily into her luminous dark eyes. "Yes, even that. But I'll fight like all the devils in Hell before it comes to that."
"Oh, so will I, my captain. On that you can rely!" She leaned in again and kissed him hard, parting with a flick of her forked tongue and a smile.
"Good." He returned her smile and took a step back. "Now, how do I look?" He struck a pose, hand on sword hilt and flashing her his most rakish smile. Her laughter lightened his dread mood.
"Like a pirate prince, my captain."
"I was trying for pirate king, but I'll settle for—"
"Captain!" Snick called from above. "Coach is here."
"All right, Snick." He turned back to Celeste. "Ready?"
"Ready." She muttered a spell and vanished before his eyes.
"Right. Follow close, and try not to trip anyone with your tail."
The carriage ride was miserable; a ten-foot lunar naga coiled in a space designed for four human-sized passengers didn't leave much room. His kaftan kept him cool, but the air within quickly became stuffy. Celeste's spell wore off, and they couldn't open the drapes for fear that some passerby would spot her. The city choked under a miasmic pall, the stench of sweat, dung, and slavery enough to make him gag. By the time they stopped in front of the Inn of the Eighth Sin, Torius found himself longing for a breath of fresh sea air.
He parted the shade a crack and peered out to see Grogul striding over.
"Let's go." He turned to Celeste, but she had already cast her spell. It looked as if he were alone in the carriage, though he could still feel her weight against him. Torius opened the carriage door and stepped out into the sweltering midday sun. Flipping a coin to the driver, he said, "Wait for us," and adjusted his kaftan to give Celeste a few seconds to exit the carriage. He saw the vehicle's frame lurch and felt a gentle nudge between his shoulder blades; she was ready.
"This way, sir." Grogul gave a short whistle and two squads of pirates emerged from the alleys to the left and right of the inn. One man stayed with the carriage—both to make sure the driver didn't leave and to keep an eye on the streets—while the rest formed up on either side of them, hands on their sword hilts and faces grim.
"Stay close, Celeste," Torius murmured as they mounted the steps to the inn's foyer.
Torius strode into the Inn of the Eighth Sin as if he owned the place, his white kaftan billowing and his pirates flanking him like an honor guard. Their sudden entrance captured the innkeeper's undivided attention. Quopek stood and smiled, at first glance obviously expecting a rich customer with his entourage. The smile fell when he recognized Torius and his forbidding escort.
"Captain Vin!" Quopek bustled out from behind his desk faster than his corpulent frame would have suggested possible, his arms wide and suspicion spreading across his blubbery features. "To what do I owe this sudden and unannounced ...invasion?" With a subtle flick of his wrists, four burly guards emerged from alcoves set around the lobby. They were all easily the size of Grogul, with massive arms and huge scimitars tucked through the sashes at their waists.
"Nothing to concern yourself about, Master Quopek." Torius swept the man a fluid bow, but didn't slow his stride. "We will be gone from your fine establishment in a trice. But first, I have important business with Vreva Jhafae that cannot be delayed. Please indulge my men while my bodyguard and I visit the lady."
"But Captain!" Quopek protested as Torius, Grogul, and the invisible Celeste ascended the broad stair to the upper floors. "The lady is entertaining!"
"Not to worry, Master Quopek! Not to worry at all!" Torius glanced back as they rounded the first landing. Six stern-faced pirates stood at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed and hands on the hilts of their swords. Fenric, Grogul's new bosun's mate, had one huge arm around the stunned innkeeper's shoulders as if they were old friends, though her other hand rested on the dirk at her belt. The innkeeper's guards, each facing his own pirate attendant, looked unsure. Thankfully the rest of the lobby remained quiet.
They reached the top floor quickly and Torius gestured to the ornate double doors. "There."
Grogul tried the latch and shook his head. "Locked."
"Kick it."
Without the slightest hesitation, Grogul smashed one huge booted foot into the juncture between the doors, fracturing the latch and flinging them wide. Torius strode into the opulent apartments, but stopped so suddenly that Celeste bumped into him, nearly knocking him to his knees. He heard her soft hiss, but was unsure if it was due to their collision or the sight of what lay before them.
"Torius!" Vreva Jhafae sat perched atop her pale, soft-fleshed guest upon a low divan. Both their bodies glistened with oil and the sweat of their amorous exertions, but while this enhanced Vreva's exquisite physique, her client merely looked slimy.
The man beneath her cried out in alarm and promptly bucked her right off and onto the floor. The courtesan squealed in protest, but the man paid her no heed, vaulting to his feet and reaching for his discarded yellow robes. Torius drew his sword and leveled it at him.
"You," he growled. "Out. Now."
The terrified man reached for his shoes, took one look at the captain's naked blade and the hulking half-orc with his axe, and decided his need for footwear was suddenly less pressing than his need to vacate the premises. He clutched the robes to cover himself and dashed for the door. Grogul slammed the portal closed and took station there, axe in hand. By the time Torius turned back, Vreva had managed not only to stand, but also to don a robe and regain her composure.
"I don't recall inviting you into my chambers, Captain," she said, fastening the tie of her red silk robe loose enough to provide an expansive view as she bent to pick up her white cat. The animal lay at the foot of the divan, apparently unperturbed by the intrusion, though its tail lashed back and forth like a taskmaster's whip. Vreva stroked its alabaster fur, cast Torius an acerbic glance, and sauntered to the sideboard to pour a glass of pale wine. "Please tell me this is a business call, because I'm simply exhausted and I don't think I could ...fit you in, otherwise."
"Oh, this is business all right." Torius's anger flared at her nonchalance. He advanced, brandishing his sword. "This is the business of seven dead sailors, three Osirian war galleys, and the deceitful, traitorous bitch who set me up!" He lashed out with his cutlass, shattering the glass in her hand. Her cat leapt away in a hissing panic, leaving scratches on her forearm.
Vreva looked at the blood slowly welling from her pale skin, then back at him, amazingly unruffled. She inspected the stem of the wineglass in her hand and put it back on the sideboard. "I am completely sure that I have no idea what you're talking about, dear Torius." She turned away from the sideboard and strolled fluidly toward the divan. "If something went wrong with your endeavor, I assure you, it was no fault of mine."
For a fleeting instant, he almost believed her. Then he recalled the dying screams of his crew and his resolve firmed. He took three long steps and brought the flat of his blade against her throat, halting her progress.
"Explain to me then, dear Vreva, how three Osirian warships knew exactly where to intercept me after I had taken the Star of Thumen. Explain to me how they recognized my ship." He brought the back edge of the sword up under her jaw, where one deft twist could end her life in a spray of blood. "Explain to me why my people are dead, Vreva, when you were the only person who knew exactly where and when we were going to strike!"
"I said, I don't know, Torius." She turned to face him, risking a cut from his blade. "Perhaps you've got a traitor among your crew. That's happened before, or so you told me."
"Yes, it has," he seethed, straining to keep his mien neutral. In fact, he hadn't considered a traitor. After Caliel, he had thoroughly reassessed each and every member of his crew and deemed them trustworthy. Only Thillion was new. Thillion, an elf who was so hard to read, who had suggested they throw the Star of Thumen overboard, suggested that they allow the navy to board ...No! He remembered the timely shot that had saved his life. Not Thillion. Hoping to all the gods he was right, he shifted his cutlass until the tip rested at the hollow of her throat. "I told you what would happen if you ever betrayed me."
To his astonishment, she laughed at him. Not just a subtle chuckle but a deep, musical laugh of unbridled mirth. He longed to end that music with a quick thrust of his sword, but he couldn't. Not yet.
"You honestly think to kill me, Torius Vin? You wouldn't make it back to your ship in one piece! I've more friends in this city than you have in the entire world! Rich, powerful friends who pay very well for my favors. Imagine their anger if they discovered that you took me from them. Even if you did make it out of Okeno alive, you wouldn't find a safe harbor anywhere on the Inner Sea!"
Torius fumed at the truth of her words. He lowered his sword and turned away, then whirled back and lashed out with the back of his left hand. The blow wasn't as hard as he wanted it to be, but it caught her squarely and sent her sprawling to the floor. He put the tip of his sword to her exquisite breast and pressed just hard enough to prick the skin.
"Tell me who paid you to do this, Vreva."
She wiped the blood from her lip and smiled at him. "Did that make you feel good, Torius? Because I can arrange entertainment like that for you, if that's what you like." She licked her lip and sighed. "Does your ladyfriend let you slap her around? Is that why you're so devoted to her?"
Torius flushed hot with rage, longing to simply extend his elbow, to drive the tip of his sword into Vreva's heart and watch the surprise spread across her face as she died. Unfortunately, he needed more from her than revenge; he needed information. He stepped back and sheathed his sword.
"You have an unhealthy interest in my ladyfriend, Vreva," he said. "The last time we met, you said you wanted to meet her one day. Well, today is that day. Vreva Jhafae, meet Celeste."
∗ ∗ ∗
Celeste cancelled her invisibility with a thought as she surged forward and wound herself around Vreva. Barely able to keep her anger under control as she watched the woman taunt Torius, she now brushed her black scales against the courtesan's soft, pale skin and hissed. A truncated scream escaped Vreva's throat as she recoiled. Celeste hissed again, showing her fangs as she bent forward, her face inches from the courtesan's.
"Who paid you to betray Toriusss Vin?" she asked, tightening her coils until the woman was pressed into a cowering ball.
"Torius!" Vreva cried, showing much more fear now than she had when the pirate's sword pricked her breast. "What manner of monster is this?"
"Celeste is a lunar naga, Vreva." His voice sounded hard and dangerous. "She is also my navigator and my lover, and she means the world to me. And neither of us appreciates your insults. So if you don't want her fangs in your throat, I suggest you answer her question."
"This is your lady? You have sex with this ...creature?" Vreva shuddered in open revulsion. "That's disgusting!"
"Coming from a woman who lies with slavers for money, that's possibly the most asinine statement I've ever heard!" His voice shook with rage. "Not that you'd understand, but we love one another. Now, answer her question, Vreva."
"I ...can't."
Celeste felt the woman try to pull away from the smooth coils that surrounded her, but Celeste just coiled tighter. The muscles of Vreva's jaw bunched, her pulse pounding at her throat.
"I can't tell you," Vreva repeated. "He's powerful, Torius. He threatened to destroy me."
"Fine, I'll just let Celeste ask the questions then."
Celeste smiled into Vreva's terrified face and whispered her spell. She felt the enchantment grasp Vreva's mind, cradling it and soothing it. "Vreva, tell us who paid you to betray Toriusss."
"I ...can't!" Vreva closed her eyes and turned her face away, and Celeste's felt her influence on the woman's mind fail.
Celeste narrowed her eyes, looking closely at Vreva. The courtesan's face was flushed, her hands trembled, and her skin was slick with a sheen of sweat that had nothing to do with the heat or her earlier exertions. Whoever this person was, Vreva had taken his threats to heart. Mere coercion would not work here. Reluctantly, Celeste relaxed her coils and pulled back. She cast her spell once more, felt it take hold, and phrased her question more carefully. "Vreva, we understand that you are frightened. Tell us who paid you to betray Torius, and we will protect you. You need not be afraid of this man. We can't protect you unless we know his name."
Vreva Jhafae opened her eyes, and her expression transformed from terror to hope. This close, Celeste couldn't help but understand the secret of the woman's success. For a human, she truly was exquisite, with wide, dark eyes; flawless skin; and full, sensuous lips. Celeste hated her all the more for that beauty.
"Benrahi Ekhan of Azir," the courtesan said finally, sighing in relief. "He's a powerful merchant prince who somehow discovered that I was one of your informants. He sent someone. One of his thugs. He offered me two thousand scarabs. I turned him down, but he said Ekhan would destroy me if I didn't help him. Promise you'll protect me from him!"
Celeste reared back; she knew that name. They had intercepted a magical relic destined for Benrahi Ekhan not long ago; a religious relic that the merchant intended to smuggle into Rahadoum.
"Vreva, how did he—" A piercing whistle from outside the balcony interrupted her.
"City guard's coming!" Grogul barked. "We got maybe two minutes."
"We've got to go!" Torius said. "Come on, Celeste. We got what we came for."
Celeste glanced at Vreva, then at Torius, exposing her fangs. "May I?"
"There's no sense in killing her, Celeste." Torius glowered at Vreva and shook his head. "She was just a pawn. Besides, I'm sure Benrahi Ekhan will do the job for us when he finds out who gave us his name."
"Torius!" Vreva's eyes widened in panic. "You can't! You said—she said you would protect me!"
Celeste slithered away from the horrified courtesan, incensed at Torius's decision. The woman had just admitted to betraying them, and he was going to let her live. She cancelled the mind charm, relishing the sight of hope draining into shock on the woman's face. Vreva knew she'd been enchanted into telling them the truth.
"Come now, Vreva," Torius said as he turned away and started for the door. "I know from experience that you're an accomplished liar. Surely you can't expect other people to tell the truth when you don't."
Celeste cast her invisibility and followed Grogul out.
"Torius! Please!" Vreva cried as the doors slammed behind them.
As they descended the stairs, Celeste thought that the woman's muffled pleas of despair were just about the sweetest sound she had ever heard.
