Pirate's Honor, page 18
"Stop that!" Celeste snapped.
Vreva laughed, removed her hand from Torius's lap and sat back. "You see? I accomplished two things with my feigned clumsiness. First, I informed my male dining companion that I would very much welcome a dalliance with him, and second, I angered his lover, thus exposing her jealousy for all to see. And all of it planned from the beginning under the guise of disliking my dirty cup."
"That's ...devious!" Celeste felt a kind of disgusted awe. Vreva was very good at what she did.
"And you, too, must learn to be devious if you hope to deceive Benrahi Ekhan." Vreva picked up her fork and resumed eating, steadying her wineglass with one hand without appearing the slightest bit awkward. "Now, a courtesan must master the skill of doing many things at once, sometimes to use one action to disguise or conceal another. With that magic of yours, can you unbutton Torius's shirt from where you sit?"
"Yes," Celeste said, instantly suspicious.
"Show me, but don't stop eating and don't let your glass tilt."
Celeste did as the woman suggested, flipping open the buttons of his shirt in quick succession.
"Slowly ...slowly, my dear. You're not opening him up like a birthday present; you're undressing the man you love." She gestured to Torius. "Now button those back up, and let's try this again."
Celeste did as she was told, not really seeing the point, but willing to learn.
"Yes ..." the courtesan said with a slow smile as the buttons flipped out of their holes one at a time. "Oh, yes ...very good. This opens up all kinds of possibilities I hadn't even considered." She raised her glass in toast. "My dear, we're going to make you irresistible."
Celeste narrowed her eyes at Vreva, wondering if she was being sincere, but realized that, with the woman's skill at lying, she would never know. Torius glanced at Celeste, shrugged, and raised his own glass. Celeste lifted her glass and gave it the barest tilt of acknowledgment before sipping her wine. As its warmth worked its way to her belly, she felt intrigue begin to nudge at the abhorrence for Vreva that filled her heart.
∗ ∗ ∗
Celeste coiled in front of Grogul, swaying with the roll of the ship, her tail twitching with nervous tension, discomfort, and fatigue. He stood like a statue in the center of the cabin, his broad shoulders stiff and his face stern and disapproving. She shivered all over, wishing that she could slither out of the uncomfortable gown, but Vreva insisted she become accustomed to wearing clothes, as well as having her hair bound up so tightly it hurt. The little dangling tendrils tickled her neck, distracting her.
"I don't want to do this any longer today," she said, scowling at Vreva. "I'm exhausted."
"What you want isn't relevant, Celeste." The courtesan sighed in resignation. "I'm tired, too, but I neither show my fatigue nor complain about it. Again, please."
"Fine." Celeste widened her eyes in a feigned look of surprise, feeling rather foolish about it. As the ship rolled, she exclaimed, "Oh!" and toppled forward into Grogul, forcing him to catch her. "Oh, I'm sorry ..." She brushed his neck with her lips, then pulled away just enough to gaze up at him from beneath her eyelashes in a practiced look of innocence. "I'm so clumsy sometimes," she said, her lips so close they brushed his cheek.
"Good, but not good enough. Don't stretch so high; as a human you're not that tall." Vreva approached and repositioned Celeste, tilting her head and squaring her body. She seemed to have overcome her aversion to snakes and had no problem pushing Celeste this way and that. "There. You see? Temptation without flirtation. Remember." She backed away. "I think we're going to have to use a spell to get it right, but watch me go through it once more."
"Miss Jhafae, I don't think—"
"Dear Grogul, please!" Vreva said with a laugh. "We don't need you to think, so just relax and enjoy it."
"Yes, ma'am." The bosun resumed his stoic stance. Celeste slithered out of the way and positioned herself so she could watch Vreva closely. She still didn't like the woman, but she had to admit that she was a master of her art.
Vreva took a casual stance two steps away from Grogul, then, timing it perfectly with the ship's roll, she tripped and toppled into Grogul's arms, her exclamations of surprise sounding perfectly sincere even as her hands explored his muscular torso. She finished her last apology with her lips presented in a promised kiss. Pulling away, her hand pressed to her breast, she cast a last furtive glance back at him, as if regretting her departure.
"Got it?" Vreva smoothed her gown and moved out of the way.
"Yes, but I don't know if I can do that with my hands. I'm too clumsy."
"Let yourself be clumsy, Celeste. Remember: turn your weaknesses into strengths. You're frail, bewildered, clumsy, and vulnerable, and you find this new man fascinating; a welcome refuge in a sea of uncertainty."
"Why would Ekhan want a woman who's so helpless?" Celeste asked. "Torius wouldn't like that."
"Yes, well, Torius isn't like most men." Vreva motioned Celeste forward. "Which is another good reason we're not using him for this exercise. Now, cast the spell and try again."
Celeste stilled her mind, pictured herself in human form, and cast the spell. She felt the peculiar but now familiar sensation of her tail shortening and splitting into legs, causing her to teeter for a moment before she caught her balance. Arms sprouted from her sides, and she wiggled them into the sleeves of her gown. Breasts and hips swelled from her body, pressing against the dress's thin fabric, and her scales smoothed into flawless alabaster skin. She adjusted the dress, stumbled with the next roll of the ship, and fell into Grogul's arms.
"Oh!" She fumbled her fingers along the hardness of his chest, pressing her breasts against him. Her lips brushed his neck, and her breath caressed his skin as she whispered, "Oh, I'm sorry!" She pulled back only far enough so that her mouth was poised a fingerbreadth from his chin, the tips of her breasts still brushing his chest. She shivered with the sensation. Torius was the only man she had ever allowed so close; she remembered his comment about being unable to control his body's responses and better understood what he meant.
Pushing aside the distraction, she said, "I'm so clumsy sometimes," as she let her fingers trail away. She stepped back, bit her lip just so, and turned away, casting a longing glance back over her shoulder as she fled.
Then the dress tripped her and she sprawled to the deck.
"Shit!" she cursed, but Grogul was there in an instant to help her, his huge hands encircling her waist and lifting her. She accepted his help with what little grace she could muster and found herself once again pressed against him. He released her and they both backed away, mumbling apologies, embarrassed by the intimacy.
"Oh, that was fabulous!" Vreva exclaimed, clapping her hands and laughing merrily. "That last little improvisation was just glorious! You're learning so quickly, my dear! But don't say ‘shit'—Ekhan might not like it."
"I didn't improvise that," Celeste confessed, tugging the gown back into place. "I tripped."
"Really?" Vreva's eyebrows arched. "Well, it worked beautifully. The rest was very good, too, but you still need to work on your hands. Clumsy feet you can blame on the roll of the ship, but you've got to practice with your—"
Torius burst into the cabin. "Grogul! I need you on deck. Now."
"Give us just a few minutes, Captain." Vreva gestured to Celeste. "Celeste just cast a spell, and—"
"I decide what's important on my ship, Vreva, and you just got trumped by an Osirian warship. You'll have to do without my bosun for a while!"
The two men left, Torius slamming the door behind them. Celeste started to sit, but Vreva grabbed her arm.
"Oh no you don't." She handed Celeste two short sticks. "Here! Now walk back and forth and practice while the spell lasts."
"Fine!" Strolling back and forth across the cabin, she twirled the sticks in her fingers. She was pleased with the progress she'd made in just a few days, but she was still apt to fumble occasionally. When she did slip up, she could usually disguise the gaffe with a flick of magic. She badly wanted to show Torius what she could do, but things were still strained between them. They barely spoke, despite sharing the same cabin. Her eyes suddenly burned, and she fumbled one of the sticks, but caught it with magic before Vreva could comment. She glanced up, but the courtesan seemed lost in thought, chin cupped in one hand and her finger crooked over her lips.
"I wish I knew why he hates me so much," Vreva murmured as she leaned back against the table.
"Grogul? He just acts like he hates everyone."
"No, not Grogul, my dear. Your Captain Vin." She shook her head and sighed. "He's hated me from the moment we met, and I've never figured out why. That's the main reason I tease him so mercilessly, you know."
"He hates you because of what you are, Vreva," Celeste answered automatically.
"A woman?" She gave a short chuckle. "Nothing personal, my dear, but sometimes I think that's why he loves you. Now, sit down on the stool and stand up a few times without tripping over the dress, and don't forget your hands."
"Torius doesn't hate all women, just ..." She had learned not to call Vreva a whore, but the temptation still loomed.
"Just those who sell their favors to men?" Vreva finished.
Celeste sat carefully on the tiny stool and then stood up, moving as she'd been taught to offer fleeting glimpses of her legs and cleavage. She looked at her instructor as she answered her question. "Yes, that. You remind him of his mother."
"His mother?" Vreva's eyes widened in shock. "Why?"
"She was a pesh addict." She sat again and stood. "She turned to ...prostitution to support her habit. When that wasn't enough, she sold him into slavery. He's never forgiven her for that."
"For the love of Calistria! Neither would I!" Vreva's already pale complexion paled further. She took a deep breath and looked out a transom window, but she seemed calm enough when she turned back to Celeste. "Now bend over and pick up that chart like I showed you."
Celeste did as she was told, but suddenly felt a wash of guilt. Why had she told Vreva such a dark secret? Most of the crew didn't even know that much of their captain's history. One of Vreva's tricks, she thought anxiously. Using me to get information about Torius. What would Torius do if he found out Celeste had betrayed his trust? She looked at Vreva.
"Please don't tell Torius I told you that. It's a sensitive subject with him."
"I wouldn't dream of it, my dear," Vreva assured her. "Actually, it explains a great many things about our good Captain Vin. Thank you." Her face showed no hint of guile—but then, by her own admission, the woman was a consummate liar.
"You mean my Captain Vin, don't you?" Celeste asked with a practiced smile, using every trick she'd learned not to show her annoyance.
"Right you are. Now come here and we'll practice that touch on the neck I showed you, while you've still got fingers."
paizo.com #2495541, Ronald Hartman
Chapter Fourteen
Deceptions
Wonderful!" Torius lowered his spyglass. It was hardly necessary anyway—the Osirian war galley was less than two miles away and closing fast. The crew's tension was palpable as they awaited his next order: flee, fight, or hold course.
"It was bound to happen, Captain," Thillion pointed out, though he looked as nervous as Torius felt. "I mean, we're sailing to Sothis. We were bound to meet up with a galley somewhere."
"I know." Torius forced a smile. "I was just hoping to put it off as long as possible. Grogul! We're going to get boarded! Make sure everyone maintains our disguise. We're merchants hauling cargo to Sothis. Snick, make sure we're secure below."
"Aye, sir!" Grogul and Snick replied. The gnome dashed below while Grogul went forward to where he would pose as a foremast jack.
"Fenric, you're bosun. Got it?" Torius barked.
"Got it, sir!" She grinned and started shouting orders.
"What about Celeste?" Thillion asked.
"Gozreh's guts!" As if he didn't have enough to worry about, he had forgotten that Celeste and Vreva were below playing courtesan. He flexed his neck and took a deep breath to calm his taut nerves. "I'll go let them know this is the real thing. Take us two points to starboard to look like we just want to pass. If he changes course to intercept, heave to, but I should be back by then."
"Aye, sir." Thillion gave the order to Windy Kate as Torius went below.
When he opened his cabin door, he found Vreva and Celeste standing so close they were virtually in each other's arms. He stopped, taken aback, and Celeste stepped away from the courtesan, her cheeks flushing pink.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've got company. I didn't know you were ..." He waved a hand vaguely in their direction, not quite sure what it was that Vreva had been teaching.
"We weren't—" Celeste began, but Vreva stepped forward to interrupt.
"You took away our male subject, Captain." Vreva raised an eyebrow at him. "Rather than waste a spell, we continued our lesson. After all, if Celeste can act appropriately with me, she should have no problem with Ekhan."
"I see your point," he admitted, though he was amazed that Celeste was tolerating Vreva's proximity without sinking her fangs into the woman's throat. He changed the subject. "I came down to warn you that we're probably going to be boarded by the Osirian Navy. I think we're pretty well disguised, but no doubt they'll inspect us. They're looking for a brigantine, and we're still a brigantine. Vreva, you should go to your cabin. Celeste, if you think you're up for it, you could try out your disguise, but if you want to just hide in here invisibly, that's fine with me."
"I ..."
"Hiding her implies you have something to hide, Torius," Vreva said. "Disguising herself as human would be safer, though she's not ready to face inspection alone."
"What are you suggesting?"
"That I help." She turned to Celeste. "You can take any human form with that spell, yes?"
"Yes, but why would I want to look other than this?"
"You're too exotic not to draw questions you aren't ready to answer," the courtesan countered. "Can you manage to look Chelish, like me—similar in coloring and features, but not exactly the same—as if we were related?"
"I should be able to do that, yes."
"Good." Vreva turned back to Torius. "I propose we play sisters on our way to Sothis. That way I can be there to help Celeste with the deception."
"You ...would do that?" He couldn't keep the suspicion from his voice. Vreva had worked hard the past few days teaching Celeste, but he still didn't trust her.
"Trust me, Torius," she said as if she had read his mind. "It's in my best interest to help her get through this, and I promise you, nobody will give her a second glance if I'm with her."
Celeste whipped around to glare at the courtesan.
"I'm not sure if I like the idea of—"
"She's right, Torius," Celeste interrupted, stepping in front of Vreva. "It'll be better this way. Vreva can distract attention from me, but I'll be there in case something goes wrong." She startled him with a wink.
"Ah. All right." With Celeste in the room, Vreva couldn't easily betray them. He looked at her curiously; it seemed that her lessons with Vreva were making her sly. "If you're supposed to be sisters, then I suggest you wait in Vreva's cabin."
"Now you better go," Celeste said, an uneasy look on her face. "I'm getting itchy, which means that I am about to transform back to my natural state. Then I must figure out what to look like next, and I don't need your presence as a distraction."
"All right. I'll knock three times on the door and let you know I have officials with me to give you time to cast your spell. Be ready."
"We'll be ready, Torius." Vreva took Celeste's arm in a sisterly embrace. "Don't worry."
∗ ∗ ∗
Three knocks sounded on the door, and Torius's voice announced their visitor. Celeste glanced quickly at Vreva, concentrated on the form she wanted to take, and cast the spell.
"Just a moment!" Vreva called as she bustled to the door. She looked back at Celeste before opening it, and her eyes widened before she smiled and nodded approval.
Celeste straightened her dress and sat on the edge of the bunk; they had agreed that it would be easier if she didn't try to walk. She picked up a book to appear as if she had been reading. Vreva's white cat glared at her from where it lay on her pillow, its ears cocked back, yellow eyes narrow.
Vreva opened the door.
"Yes, Captain?"
Torius stood there with an Osirian naval officer and two glowering guards. The former wore pure-white robes and a cobra-inscribed torc of authority around his neck, while the latter were bare-chested, with white skirts about their hips and muscular legs. All of them were armed with the strange-looking khopeshes common in Osirion.
"I'm sorry to disturb you and your sister, Miss Jhafae, but we're being inspected by the Osirian Navy. Not to worry, it's all a matter of course." He turned to the official. "Captain Tetok, may I present our passengers, Miss Vreva Jhafae and her sister Celeste. They're traveling with us to your fine city of Sothis." He waved the official into the small cabin.
Celeste tried to smile, but her nervousness made her feel like she was grimacing, so she merely sat quietly and tried to look innocent—and human.
"Your purpose for visiting Osirion?" the captain asked, his dark eyes sweeping around the cabin before roving over the two women.
"Pleasure, Captain Tetok." Vreva smiled demurely. "We're taking an extended tour of many cities along the Inner Sea as part of my sister's education. Your country's history is legendary, and we wish to experience its wonders firsthand."
"And the two of you are traveling alone?" He seemed skeptical.
"Only as far as Sothis, Captain. There we will hire reputable guides, guards, and bearers for our luggage." She indicated the many trunks with a graceful wave. "In fact, we would welcome a recommendation if you know someone trustworthy."
