by Lia Black
As wrong as it should have been by any moral standards, Veyl couldn't help but feel warmed by Kaidos' desire to have seen him avenged. He felt the prickling of Kaidos' beard, the wiry hairs tangling with the hair on the top of his head as he rested his cheek against Kaidos' beating heart. "I hate the beard." He said morosely, which was not really what he'd wanted to say.
"I do too," Kaidos said softly, though neither man moved.
"I'm scared, Kai."
"I know."
Veyl felt Kai press a kiss to the top of his head. Kaidos was holding him, gently but not gingerly, and rubbing small circles along his back. This was fine. Just like this, it was more than he could have hoped for.
Veyl sighed as he succumbed to the unpleasantness of logic and drew back so he could look at Kaidos' scruffy face. "Won't you get into trouble with the ship's captain?"
"Not now, I'm supposed to be in my bunk, sleeping. Besides, Engel can't watch you all by himself--especially while he's being sick as a dog--and aside from the captain, I'm his safest bet."
Veyl quirked his mouth, "Are you sure about that?" He watched Kaidos' eyes move over his face, and could almost feel the hot trail left by his gaze.
"I'm sure that I belong wherever you are." Kaidos said earnestly and cupped his cheek, running the rough pad of his thumb across the corner of Veyl's mouth.
Veyl felt that same tightness in his chest that he used to feel when he was younger and foolish and believed it when men told him they loved him. He closed his eyes, anticipating Kaidos' kiss of raw need and hunger, but what he received--while not chaste--was extremely gentle. It reminded him of the kiss Kaidos had given to him after the first time they'd made love.
Veyl's hand slid down and cupped Kaidos through his breeches, and while his body responded and his breath staggered, he reached down and clasped Veyl's hand in his, moving it away.
"No," he said, breaking the kiss, "that's not what I want right now."
"If you're worried about hurting me, I can do you with my mouth." Veyl imbued his voice with the seductive purr he used to make such promises in the brothel.
"That may be, but I won't accept it. Veyl, it's not about your body. I want everything, all of you." The hand that was holding Veyl's squeezed lightly, and Veyl looked down at it to avoid meeting Kaidos' eyes.
Pretty promises. He'd heard them all before. Admittedly, Kaidos had been the first man to come back from the dead to say them. But as much as he wanted to just enjoy this moment and feign ignorance of his fate, he couldn't do it. The invisible weight on his shoulders grew heavier and he slumped beneath it, "I've become property to someone else. Once we reach Dandre--"
"Once we reach Dandre I will find out where you're being taken, and I'll come for you."
Veyl chuckled softly. "I actually believe you."
Kaidos smiled and pulled Veyl into another hug.
Veyl had only a moment to settle into the warmth when the door opened and a furious Guard Captain Engel filled up the frame.
They were startled out of their embrace, but not soon enough. Engel drew out his sword and pointed it at Kaidos.
"You, get away from him." Engel gestured with the blade.
Kaidos raised his hands and stood up slowly but Veyl was instantly between them.
"No. You'll not take this from me."
A look of surprise washed over Ahrn's face but settled back into a frown, "Veyl, step aside."
Veyl took a step closer so that the point of the blade was pressing against his chest, "You've taken everything away from me, including my freedom. If you take Kai away, then I'll make certain you take my life as well."
"Kai?" The surprise stuck this time and Ahrn stared at Kaidos. "Kaidos Vailinn? I thought I'd killed you..."
Veyl tapped his fingernail against the flat of the sword. "You did," he said firmly, daring Ahrn to challenge.
Ahrn's attention returned to Veyl and he must have understood the entirety of his conviction, because he lowered his sword and grudgingly put it away.
"You're certain about this..." Engel's voice sounded weary and ragged, and Veyl finally saw the apology in his eyes.
"It's all I have left, Ahrn. I-I love him. Please don't take him from me twice."
Engel winced upon hearing those words, but he regained his composure quickly. "If he hurts you..."
"He won't. He never has." Veyl smiled back over his shoulder at Kaidos who still stood with his hands raised near his ears. Kaidos returned the smile with some understandable hesitation.
"Fine. I'm not going to be capable of watching you every minute." Ahrn stared hard at Kaidos, squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw. "I'll let the captain know you've been deputized, and if anything happens to Veyl, I'll gut you." He swayed and swallowed hard, then turned and left the room, closing the door.
Veyl stood frozen for several heartbeats. He'd been almost certain that his demands would go unanswered--just as his pleas for freedom had been. And then warm, solid arms slipped around him from behind and Veyl sighed, crossing his arms over the ones that held him. He settled back into the warm embrace, wishing that he could just sink back and stay inside the safe heat forever.
"You said that you love me." Kaidos loosened his grip to let Veyl turn in his arms.
"Kai, I was a fool to run from you, but you came after me. Even though you knew that there was nothing you could do to stop this, you're here with me now. That's something I never could have imagined." And he wasn't certain he truly deserved.
Kaidos frowned, and in his eyes lingered despair. "I only hope it will be enough."
Veyl laid his head on Kaidos' shoulder. "It's enough."
It was enough. For the first time, Veyl was not terrified of what his future might bring. Even if after they reached Dandre he never saw Kaidos again, in his heart and his mind he would always believe that a reunion could be possible, and it would be so for as long as he lived.
"I need to rest." Veyl sighed, and Kaidos let him slip out of the circle of his embrace.
"Should I leave?"
Veyl turned his head and scowled, "Did I ask you to leave?" He allowed his features to soften and he smiled. "Come lie with me."
Kaidos blew out a slow breath. "All right, but you need sleep."
"I will sleep." Veyl nodded and lay down on the bed, extending his arm towards Kaidos, who approached without hesitation. He climbed in behind Veyl and wrapped himself against him, holding him from behind.
Veyl settled back into his strong body. His future seemed bleak, and his fate was unknown, but Kaidos was here, Kaidos loved him, and right now, that was all that mattered.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Of Mermaids
Kaidos realized that he might have been dead if Veyl had not put himself at the point of Engel's sword. By that time, Engel had to have figured out there was more between them than just a first time meeting. When Engel learned the truth of who Kaidos was, to his credit, the guard captain had conceded defeat. Of course, it hadn't been quite as simple or tidy as that. The guard captain had tried to keep him away, but considering it was Kaidos following him around with the mop-bucket every time he got sick, and the lascivious conversations by the crew about their mysterious guest, Kaidos was the lesser of all evils. Although Ahrn was reluctant, he relinquished his control for the time being.
In his arms, Veyl felt both strong and fragile at the same time. Though his body was weak, Veyl projected a strength Kaidos wouldn't have thought possible for a man so hopelessly bound to his fate.
Although he hadn't meant to, Kaidos dozed off, lulled by the steady rhythm of Veyl's breathing, in time with the gentle roll of the waves, and the comfort of his familiar warmth. When he woke up, Veyl was thankfully still in his arms, but they weren't alone.
Engel sat in a chair near the bed. The cabin had grown darker as day faded to night and a dim lantern lit the planes of Engel's face, setting them into a startling high relief.
"You're on watch. I couldn't get you out of it tonight." Enge
l said, his voice low and graveled. He did not look at Kaidos, staring instead at Veyl's sleeping face. Kaidos could see traces of deep emotion in his eyes
"I wasn't expecting you would try...but I appreciate the effort." Kaidos yawned and stretched a little to disentangle his limbs from Veyl's. Veyl murmured in his sleep as he was disturbed, and Kaidos leaned down to kiss his cheek.
"I have to go on deck for a few hours, but I'll be back," Kaidos murmured, kissing the edge of his tapered ear.
"Kai..." Veyl mumbled, trying to reach for him in his sleep, but Kaidos took his hand and kissed it, then set it back down on the bed.
Engel followed him out into the passageway.
"You were paid to kidnap him. He was a stranger to you. So why are you here now?"
Kaidos chuckled, pushing his hair back from his forehead. "You've known him his whole life. I think a more appropriate question would be why are you here, guard captain?"
He saw Engel's jaw tighten as he ground his teeth, and knew he had struck a raw nerve.
"What do you hope to gain? You know there is no money in it for you even if you could get him to the king yourself."
"King? So it is true. What does a king want with a male prostitute from a small southern town?"
Engle dropped his gaze, "I won't tell you that."
"But you know the answer," Kaidos said, knowing that he did.
"Be back here by dawn." Engel grumbled and turned his back on him, returning to Veyl's room.
"Blackie! Hurry your ass up here!" Wick barked at him from the main deck.
Kaidos scratched at his beard as he headed off to watch, musing over the strange irony of this triangle in which he'd found himself a corner.
*~*~*
"Kai... "
Kaidos had been on watch for an hour, passing the time by coiling rope and gazing up at the stars, when he heard Veyl call his name softly.
As Veyl approached him, Kaidos could see Ahrn over his shoulder near the stairs, looking grim, but slightly less seasick.
"What are you doing here? It's too cold..." Kaidos shivered under his cloak as if to drive the point home.
"I can't sleep when you're not with me. I thought you'd run away." Veyl hugged Kaidos and he saw Engel look away.
"Where would I go? Do you think I'd leave you for some mermaid?" Kaidos took Veyl's face in his hands and kissed his lips softly. At one time, he wouldn't have wanted anyone to see him showing such signs of affection towards another man. But that was when he'd been poisoned by the memories of his brother's abuse--half brother.
Dead brother.
Kaidos had let Lirin take his shame to the grave, and he hoped that the man would suffer as excrement in the bellies of worms until there was nothing left.
He rubbed Veyl's smooth golden cheeks with his thumbs and made a surprised little noise when Veyl turned his head and took one of Kaidos' thumbs into his mouth.
"Veyl..." Kaidos grunted as his breeches began to get tight.
Veyl's autumn-moon eyes flashed from under his thick lashes, and he held Kaidos' thumb gently between his teeth.
A disturbing thought came to Kaidos, and although he wanted to push it away, he had to ask. "Are you doing this to punish Ahrn?"
Veyl released his thumb with a small gasp and glanced back over his shoulder. He caught Engel's eyes and dropped his head, looking away. "If I were?"
Kaidos didn't believe that Veyl was trying to hurt Ahrn--at least not consciously. But he knew that Veyl believed his only power came from sex. It was as natural a defense to Veyl as Kaidos' knives were to him. Both, he understood, could cut equally as deep.
"Let's not do this here. Come on; keep me company for a while." Kaidos shot a glance to Ahrn as he opened his cloak to let Veyl inside to share the warmth.
Ahrn gave him a small nod, then turned and went back down the stairs.
Veyl leaned into him as they sat on the foredeck, looking up at the stars and out along the black sea.
"You didn't have to come for me..." Veyl said after a long stretch of silence.
"I didn't have to. I wanted to." Kaidos looked at his profile. Who wouldn't have come after something so beautiful? It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of Veyl. Kaidos only wanted his heart.
"Veylisshe."
"What?" Kaidos asked as Veyl turned to him.
"My name. My full name is Veylisshe. It means beloved one in elvish." Veyl looked back out at the still water, "Engel once told me that my mother kept repeating it as she was dying. It's not really a name, I suppose, but it's what I've got, and I wanted to share it with you."
Kaidos had no words, so he said nothing. It seemed like Veyl had shared such an intimate piece of his past, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to hear more.
"Most of the people in the town thought I would bring bad luck. That maybe I'd bring the wrath of my mother's people upon them. But they were her people, not mine. I'd heard that one of her clan had come to claim me early on, but once they saw that I was not a pureblood, they didn't want me anymore. Humans didn't want me for the elven blood, and elves didn't want me because of the human part of me. It was easier in the brothel. No matter what names men called me, they paid for having the pleasure of doing it while they fucked me. And then, as I got older and prettier, those same men told me they loved me."
"I'm not one of those men, Veyl. I don't care what you are or what you were. I'd love you regardless."
Veyl winced and closed his eyes. He giggled, softly but it was still uncontrolled. "I've longed to hear you say those words. Now it's too late..."
"Veyl...Veylisshe, it's not too late. It will never be too late because I won't stop following you until I have you."
Veyl looked at him thoughtfully until Kaidos could no longer handle the scrutiny. He reddened and looked away. "What?"
"I want to shave off your beard. Will you let me?"
Kaidos knew that Veyl's change of subject reflected his discomfort, but let him do it anyway. "You hate it that much?"
"It hides your handsome face... your beautiful lips..." Veyl reached over and gently traced the outline of his lips through the wiry hairs on his face. Then he leaned in and tried to find them with his mouth.
Kaidos opened to his kiss, letting Veyl guide him, to take that control that he would give him willingly. A moan--his own--brought Kaidos back to reality.
"I'm supposed to be keeping watch." He said, moving his head enough to separate their lips. He glanced around at the other five posts where the men were stationed on their watches and caught more than a few leering grins.
"Watch for what?" Veyl pouted.
"Pirates, storms, sea monsters..."
"Mermaids?" Veyl lifted an arched brow.
"Only if they pose a threat to you."
"Ah," Veyl pushed up off of Kaidos and sat up, "so it's for me, then."
"I won't see you harmed, regardless of whether you belong to me or the king--"
"King?" Veyl drew back.
Kaidos sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat up, "Yeah. I believe that's why Engel had to do it. He had no other options."
Veyl's face was a mask of frustration. His eyes scanned the water as his brows knit. "Do you know about this king?"
Kaidos shook his head. "Only that he's willing to kill to have you." The words, although true, had slipped out before Kaidos could stop and consider how they might be received.
But Veyl gave no indication that the words had any impact, other than to add to his confusion. "But why would a king in a foreign land want me? I'm sure he could have a harem of concubines... What's so special about me?!"
Kaidos heard the very words he'd tried to wound Veyl with back at the Wanderer's camp. He pulled Veyl into his arms to try and soothe him. "It doesn't matter. He won't get to keep you. You're mine, Veylisshe. I want you with me."
Kaidos held Veyl for a long time as he trembled without making a sound. He hated that there was nothing he could do right now to fix this, and short of them jumping into the o
cean to die, there was no escape. Not yet anyway.
"He's exhausted, Vailinn." Engel stood over them as they huddled together on deck. When Kaidos looked around; he could see the first purple streaks of the approaching sunrise on the horizon, and realized that hours had passed as if they had only been minutes.
"I have him." Kaidos said and stood, carrying Veyl in his arms. "I'll put him to bed."
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
A Close Shave
The days passed too quickly, and one morning Veyl woke up to voices--quiet conversation outside the door to his room. A few minutes later, Kaidos came in with Engel lingering behind him.
"Conspiring?" Veyl yawned, leaning up on one elbow.
"If you like." Kaidos winked at him.
"I've arranged a bath. It won't be luxurious, but it will be warm." Engel said standing just inside the door. "And you can get into some fresh clothing."
Veyl sighed and lay his head back down. They had to be getting closer to Dandre. Each passing hour felt like one less hour he'd be alive. It was at least one less hour that he'd be free. He'd been purposefully keeping it from his mind, wanting to wring out every second of time with Kaidos until the bitter end.
He felt the mattress depress as Kaidos sat with him.
"Kai..." Veyl reached up and Kaidos caught his hand, kissing the knuckles. "It won't be much longer, will it."
Kaidos squeezed his hand and shook his head. "We'll arrive after sunrise tomorrow."
Veyl winced. He hadn't expected it would be quite so soon.
He watched one man carrying in the small tub, which was really more like a large barrel cut in half, and others came in with buckets of water and began to fill it up. It didn't take very long and then he and Kaidos were alone in the room together.
"You should go too," Veyl said without looking at Kaidos.
"What? Why?"
Veyl swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. At least he could do so now properly without pain. "I don't want you to see my body like this."
Despite the time spent together, there had been no sexual intimacy between them. He understood that Kaidos was still concerned about his health, and besides, Engel had been making it a point to appear all hours of the day and night. Veyl wouldn't mind letting him catch them in mid-fuck, but Kaidos was much kinder and refused to torture the man. Engel knowing they were together had already accomplished a lot.
