by Karen MacRae
Finn sat down next to her and took her hand in his. “I cannot believe a White Shaper would ever willingly harm a child, Anna. The very idea is preposterous.”
“I’m telling myself that, Finn, but I’m struggling. I mean, it’s not like we really knew her, did we?”
“Didn’t you read that book about her? Wasn’t it full of all the good she’d done?”
“You know as well as I do just how biased books can be.” Anna sighed. “I’m sorry, Finn. I’m doing my best to stay positive. I know how important it is.”
Finn nodded at Euan. A stern-faced Shaen nodded back, accepting the lack of reprimand as tacit forgiveness. Finn picked up the books and put them back in their bag. “If you’re done with these, I’ll hang onto them for now. Cherry knows a book mender. We’ll see if he can get them looking good enough to go back to the library. With any luck, no one will be any the wiser and we’ve removed the risk of anyone even attempting such an unspeakable thing in the future.”
“It will never happen again on Shae, I swear. Even if the knowledge lives on, it will never happen. On my life.”
The men nodded to each other again. Anna reached for Euan’s hand, sending love and support through their link.
“How are things in the city?” asked Seleste, changing the subject.
“All quiet,” said Finn. “No sign of Elona and the Concealer.”
“They should be here by now.”
“I know, but they’re either still aboard ship or we missed them and they’re stowed away in a safehouse somewhere in the city. All we can do is wait and stay vigilant.”
“Is it very busy with black gowns?” Anna asked, a hint of wistfulness tinting her voice.
Finn heard the longing in her voice. “They’d have had nothing to teach you, Anna. Your Reading’s nearly as good as my mother’s and none of the staff can Shape.”
“I know I’m being silly. Coming to Ionantis and joining the Quorum of Gifted was a dream for so long though. I can’t believe I’m here and I can’t even go and look.”
“One day,” said Seleste, trying to instil a little hope into Anna’s sad aura.
“Seleste, I’d like your input on rotas,” Finn told the assassin, his mind firmly back on business, as usual. “Anna, Euan, take a break. Your minds must be reeling. I’ll see you in the main cabin in an hour. Cherry, book mender first, please, then straight back to add to the plan.”
“No problem. I’m on it.”
Alone and free of work, the young couple snuggled on Anna’s bunk. They didn’t need to talk. They took comfort from the strength of their bond and the unswerving support they instinctively gave each other. Anna’s eyes closed and her mind began to drift.
She wasn’t surprised to find herself in the Crafter Hall with Euan. Was it Euan? He didn’t look like Euan. He was older, bulkier. Just as sexy though. She smiled and held out her hand to her lover. ‘Lover’? Not yet, she smiled. She was distracted by the absence of birthmarks on their hands. How strange. Still, the bond felt right; they were meant to be together. They took a torch from the entrance then walked through the Polishing Room. It was totally empty, theirs the only torchlight flickering on the peristone walls. Was it late? Early?... Late. Yes, very late… It would be hours before the first Crafter arrived.
They followed a stream that took them down several levels to a small chamber. It was empty but for a wide tower standing right in the centre. Euan smiled at her as she took off a necklace. He leaned in to kiss her and she felt her heart race and warmth spread through her body, but he pulled away to lead her over to the tower…
She felt the heat spreading from the bore as the first bead began to spin around it. Euan’s hands were clutching the tower’s rim, his face alight with brilliant red light. Anna saw the basin then and realised where she was. She fought to wake. She didn’t want the dream to continue. She didn’t want a babe to die.
Something dragged her back and she saw violet heat pouring from the bore, Euan’s face dripping with sweat as he nodded for her to add the final bead. No, not Euan. Breac. Her Breac. Her love.
She walked behind him and leaned her head on his shoulder then reached her long arms forward to lay her hands on top of his. Her white aura and his shining cobalt blue mingled, her power adding to his through their bond. She watched the blur of peristones circling the core of the tower, the violet light growing more and more intense, then the lilac stone joined it, spinning faster and faster until the light shone a brilliant white. Her gift called to the light, willed it to be pure, willed it to reject the impure. She let everything go and her soul answered her gift, sending her aura into the light. The blue went with her, Stone entwining with Light.
The explosion knocked them both against the far wall. Breac’s body was pinning her legs. He was unconscious, blood pouring from where his head had crashed against the stone wall. She felt warmth leaking from the back of her own head and struggled to sit. She drew energy from her crystal staff to renew herself then cupped Breac’s face in her hand and drew the blackness away from his aura and into her crystal necklace. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. They made love right there on the floor. Only afterwards did they look to see if they’d been successful.
They found the stones down in the depths of the hills. One black. One white. They threw the black into the underground river.
“They made it together,” Anna murmured, still half asleep. “Oh, Euan, they made it together.” She sent the memory and her relief through their link and Euan’s mouth found hers. The two joined together for the first time, re-enacting the moment their ancestors had made white peristone with their own, united auras. Around Ionantis, eight peristone bearers felt a torrent of energy, wonder and joy run through their auras.
“Oh! Wow!” said Beitris. “Remind me to find a soul mate, Jimmy.”
“You might already have, Beitris. He’s just a bit slow at realising it.”
Beitris smiled. “If that was anything to judge by, it’ll be worth the wait.”
Jimmy laughed. “I’m hoping so too, Dornie. At least you’re one step ahead. I don’t even have someone in mind yet.”
“Ach, he’ll show up soon enough. In the meantime, I think someone should warn Anna that feelings aren’t one way through these stones.”
“She’ll be mortified.”
“Ach, no. She’ll know we’re all glad she’s happy. Euan’s a good island lad. What’s not to like?”
Beitris’ gentle knock on the cabin door woke the sleeping lovers. She spoke through the door so they’d have time to get some clothes on. “I need a quick word, Anna, then Finn wants us all in the main cabin to discuss next steps.”
CHAPTER 36
T he Captain looked at the way his silk sheets clung to the woman’s curves and felt a moment of regret the relationship couldn’t continue past Rubra. It wasn’t often he came across a female who gave as good as she got. Her eyes opened to see him admiring her. She slipped the covers down to reveal her nakedness to him and caressed her body with her hands, inviting him to join her. The newly Healed scar stood out angrily against her creamy skin. She’d been lucky to survive. “We need to talk,” he said, ignoring her attempts at seduction.
She sat up, happy to conduct business naked. “You know what I need.”
“My men are unhappy you returned without their colleagues. They want more for any day they’re expected to pull a blade.”
“How much?”
“Thirty gold pieces each per day.”
She laughed. “Don’t be absurd.” But he didn’t blink and his aura was rock solid. “I’ll go up to ten” she offered. “That’s more than fair.”
“No, thirty or you’re on your own.”
“It’s more than they make in six months!”
“Five of my men died on Shae.”
Silence fell. Elona pulled the sheets up abruptly and drew her knees to her chest to make herself look small and vulnerable. She looked up at him through her lashes. “My master will never allow
it. Would you have me punished and possibly killed for going against his will?”
“He would kill you for succeeding in your mission?”
“Obedience is everything to him.”
The Captain looked at the warrior. Despite the obvious attempt to make him pity her, she meant what she said. This Nystrieth was not a man he would like to serve. Still, he’d yet to meet or hear of anyone he’d be happy to serve. “Perhaps I can reduce my cut a little. It depends on how many men and how many days.”
“Eight men, but I can’t be precise about timing. I’d estimate surveillance for two days, action for one. There may be downtime between. I’m not paying for that.”
He held her eye as he did some mental calculations. “Pay me what’s owed and one hundred and twenty gold upfront for Ionantis City and I’ll let you have them for three and twenty. Three for surveillance, twenty for action. Per day. That really is my final offer.”
His aura was resolute. He wouldn’t go lower. Elona wondered how to justify the spend to Nystrieth. She hadn’t been lying when she’d suggested he’d be furious when he heard how much this mission was costing. She wondered about killing Ebdry before they left so he couldn’t put his accounts in. No, it would be better to scare him into reducing the amount or offer him sex in repayment. Perhaps both. His eyes had been all over her whenever he thought she wasn’t looking. Yes, she could make it work.
“Seven experienced fighters plus yourself.”
“I told you before. You can’t afford me.”
Elona slid the sheets back down over her body. “Perhaps I can think of a way to make up the difference?” she said huskily.
The Captain laughed. “I assumed you were included in the deal. After all, we benefit equally.”
Elona frowned at his refusal, remembering his speed with a blade and his immense strength. He would be a significant asset. “I need your best and you’re the best on board.”
“I’m damn fine on dry land too, but a mere mortal in relative terms. My gift is bound to the ship. Would you risk losing your passage to Rubra for the marginal advantage of having me along in Ionantis? My crew may decide not to honour our agreement if I’m not there to insist.”
Elona had never heard of a gift bound to an object, but it explained how he’d been able to best her so easily when she’d first come on board. He literally had eyes in the back of his head and the strength of something that could withstand the power of the ocean. “Fine,” she agreed. “Eight of your best, including someone with the sense to coordinate and make useful reports, three gold per man for surveillance, twenty for action, one hundred and twenty of which will be paid by the end of the day we dock. It can’t be sooner. I need to source it.”
“Deal. We’ll berth at the city harbour in the morning. I’ll add you and Pyteor to the crew lists so you can come and go as needed. The tattoos will only take a few minutes and the Healer will make them look like they’re old.” Elona opened her mouth to argue, but the Captain spoke over her. “I will not budge on this, blondie. I have to be able to replenish my crew and that means Ionantis City. You will wear my badge or you will swim there.”
Elona shrugged. It wasn’t worth arguing over. “Tell me more about this festival while you help me choose some clothes. Three outfits, I think: one sexy, one demure and one to make me look like one of your men.” She opened two chests at the far end of the room. One was filled with the Captain’s own clothes. The other reeked of stale perfume and spilled over with the discarded clothing of dozens of previous consorts. “Did none of them have any taste?” she asked, tossing aside gaudy silks and satins. “Ah, now that is more like it,” she sighed, holding up a blue velvet with delicate lace trim.
“It also belonged to a brunette about ten inches shorter than you,” the Captain said, laughing. This might be a terrifying warrior before him, but she was a woman through and through. He pulled up a heavily patterned red silk from the pile she’d discounted. “This is the only one likely to fit,” he told her. He guffawed at her expression. “You may not like the fabric, but I guarantee it will do the job. Believe me, I thought my men might mutiny when I brought the woman on board and she wasn’t remotely in your league. It must have been made by a Fabric gifted. If you need another, my sailsman will be able to put something together for your long legs. He trained as a tailor. Just take him the fabrics you think will work.”
Elona pulled on the red silk and presented her back to the Captain. He did up the tiny buttons and spun her round to face him. It was a little short on her, but no one would notice. He defied any man or woman not to be distracted by the creamy flesh spilling from the slightly-too-tight and definitely-too-low, sweetheart neckline.
The warrior saw the Captain’s pupils dilate and his trousers become uncomfortably tight. She laughed, delighted at having such an effect without even the slightest effort. “Take off your clothes,” she growled. The Captain grinned and began unbuckling his belt. “They should fit me nicely,” she continued, a cheeky smile on her face. She pushed him away and bent to choose the least offensive blue clothes from the pile.
The Captain lounged on the bed, admiring his view of the red-clad harlot bending over the pile of dresses. “Best take your sword. It’s the only way you’ll make it there and back in one piece with that thing on.”
“What? Your men won’t honour their Captain’s claim?”
“My men won’t remember who I am when they see you in that!”
Elona laughed but picked up a sword and a dagger. She’d enjoy teasing these men who would charge her so much gold for their service, but she wasn’t foolish enough to do so unarmed.
Pyteor caught sight of her as she crossed the deck. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull at how little the dress left to the imagination. He closed his eyes straightaway and feverishly imagined old, wrinkly skin, rotting teeth, stinking breath and everything else vile he could think of. By the time he had himself under control and the Reader’s body dislodged from his brain, she’d disappeared inside the ship. He had to talk to her. She needed to share her plans. Telling him she had it in hand was not good enough. If she wanted him to take more responsibility, she needed to give him the opportunity.
She saw him start across the deck to her on her way back to the Captain’s cabin. “Later,” she told him, waving him away.
“No, now. You can’t spend the entire trip in that cabin and leave me completely in the dark. How am I supposed to plan Sifry’s escape if I don’t even know if he’ll be needed to grab the librarian?”
Elona noticed the Concealer was averting his eyes and smiled. She took a step closer and lifted his chin so he couldn’t help but look at her. “I said later. The Captain has a particularly large itch waiting for my attention. We’ll meet in… let’s say an hour. Unless you’d like to join us?”
Pyteor felt his knees almost buckle at the smell of sex on her fingers, her sultry voice and the way her eyes seem to suggest endless pleasure. It was no wonder few could resist her. He called up an image of the ugliest woman he’d ever seen and superimposed it on her. “Thank you, but no. I’ll wait for you on the quarter deck in one hour.”
An hour later, Pyteor arrived at the quarter deck to find nine sailors already waiting, one of whom was sporting a box of needles and ink. The ship’s boy arrived with a bundle of dirty clothes which he dumped in Pyteor’s lap.
“Yu’r t’ave a taoo,” he said before disappearing back the way he came.
“I’m to what?” Pyteor called after him.
“Have a tattoo. So you look like crew, I suppose,” said the sailor with the box. “The Captain’s sign’s a seven-point star on the right arm. Where d’you want it?”
“I don’t want it at all!” said Pyteor.
“I was told to bring dye too. Reckon you’ll be going brunette. Reckon the woman’s behind it.”
“You’d be right,” came a chilly voice. “We’re arriving behind our enemy, Pyteor. They will have eyes everywhere. We must look just like any other crew
member.”
Pyteor looked up to see a black-haired sailor with a scarred cheek and an ugly wart by his full, dark mouth. There was no mistaking the eyes or the voice though. “Nice disguise,” he said dryly. “Where’s your tattoo?”
Elona lifted her right hand. On its edge, just above her wrist, lay a seven-pointed star. It looked like it had been there forever. Pyteor sighed and held out his arm to the tattooist. “I don’t care where. Put it wherever most have it.”
As per usual, Elona’s plan was far from detailed, but she’d put more thought into it than usual, probably because she knew who’d be looking for them. Pyteor found it hard to concentrate when needles were being gouged into his arm, but it sounded good enough to him. The sailors would find work with the contractors building the staging for the Quorum’s festival and report back where Braxton’s spies were hiding. They’d already have spots picked out around the library and routines in place so it should be easy to identify them. The First Mate would make twice-daily reports in the Damsel’s Arms, a popular inn a couple of streets over from the harbour. Elona and Pyteor would use Ebdry’s recruits to lure in the librarian and they’d use the safehouse as a base. It was in a seedy part of the Rim, but that meant none of the neighbours would report the sound of a bit of torture if it were needed.
None of the eyes that watched the group of sailors leave the newly docked ship in the morning belonged to a Reader so a tall, dark-haired sailor’s lack of aura wasn’t noted. The Captain, his First Mate and a bevy of men who hadn’t seen a bath in an age laughed and joked about ale, women and earning a bit of cash at the festival as they left the harbour. All was quiet on the Lealta.
Ten of the group headed straight towards the labour market to pick up some casual work at the festival. Only eight arrived, but just about anyone watching would have missed the turn where two had held back and then vanished into the crowds of people, horses and carriages thronging the streets. Some minutes later, two sailors appeared three streets over, heading towards an area famous for its brothels. It was early, but they were just two of plenty making the same trip.
