by Rachel Grace
Seraphina cupped Dare’s bare shoulders in her hands, turning her back toward the mirror where she could see them both reflected in the beveled glass. The heat of her bare breasts pressed against Dare’s back enticingly.
Dare’s eyes, indigo blue to match her hair, were wide and dilated. Her hair had been left down, curls flowing toward the middle of her back in a wild, abandoned style that was so unlike her usual tight braid.
Beside the gloriously colorful Seraphina, Dare should have felt dowdy and plain. But as she studied herself in the mirror, the silver threaded corset that cinched her waist in tight, her own not insignificant breasts plumping above the fabric, she felt intensely female. Powerful. New.
Seraphina lowered her voice, her lips brushing against her teasingly. “But just so you know. If you’re not nice? I’ll show you my claws instead.”
The threat left Dare oddly unafraid. There was something in those exotic, kohl-lined green eyes that reminded her of Nephi. Something she trusted instinctively.
“Save it for the men, Phina. Help me get her dress on,” Lavender prodded, shattering the moment. Both women lifted the gown, made of the same silver and white material as her underthings, and lowered it over Dare’s head.
“My, my. The boss must think to make a fortune on the virgin market. This dress is fit for the eternal queen herself. Maybe you are the reason he went off all mysterious.” The woman who’d spoken looked at the others, who were nodding thoughtfully.
Dare held up her arms, jerking as Lavender started yet another round of lacing. She missed her Chalice uniform more with each passing moment. It was loose and comfortable. Sexless and laceless.
She would be able to breathe.
“You are mistaken.” She gulped her denial along with another quick breath. “I have no idea where he was before I woke up in this place, but it had nothing to do with me. I was taken by a woman named Lucy Thrice and her oafish twits against my will.”
Another younger woman in pink came forward with a vigorous nod. “It’s true. Our handsome guard, James Stacy?” She blushed as she mentioned his name to the women around her, her gaze darting toward the eavesdropping guard. “He told me Thrice’s latest sidekicks drugged and trussed her up, but they’d claimed they had no other choice. She had beaten the two men soundly. Broke a nose and one of their arms. James said the boss shot them both when he found them dumping her, naked and tied up onshore. He let Lucy go free, being that she’s a woman and all. You know what a gentleman he is.”
She had only beaten Nettles, but Dare wasn’t going to contradict the story, not when the women began looking at her differently. When she could feel what they felt. Admiration. Curiosity. Emotions preferable to the pity and detached judgment they’d sent her way when Lavender had first brought her to the suite.
It was a dormitory of sorts, still richly decorated but with narrow beds made only for sleeping, the sitting area, and a few small windows revealing the deep water that encased them.
Dare noticed something else. The sconces along the wall emitted light but did not flicker. Neither did she detect the scent of fumes. It seemed the Siren was not only offering illegal services, but its entire construct was criminal. Theorrite was the only explanation for a submersible containing the kind of power that was reserved for scientific and royal use alone. How had Bodhan stolen enough to create at this scale without attracting attention?
The women gathered round, peppering her with questions. Where did she learn how to fight? How did she break such a big man’s arm? They wanted to know every detail.
All but Seraphina. She stood back, arms crossed, staring at Dare with a challenge in her expression. “The element of surprise will not always work, regardless of your size. You beat the man but you underestimated the woman.” She shrugged. “I know Lucy Thrice. She is dangerously clever. A mad chemist with poisons and sleeping draughts, that one. She has enviable survival instincts and is… sexually energetic if the mood is right. She was by far the greater threat. All you were in danger of from Nettles was a disappointing prick.”
Dare lifted her chin, oddly hurt that this woman she was so drawn to seemed to be mocking her. And ashamed of herself for not being more suspicious of Lucy Thrice. “He would have forced himself on me. No man should take away a woman’s control.”
Seraphina’s exotically slanted eyes glittered like emeralds. “Not in that scenario, of course. Still, my heightened instincts say you would enjoy the wonder of submitting to another. Allowing yourself to be thrown over a man’s lap, your skirt tossed above your head as he spanks your sweetly glowing cheeks. No?” She chuckled at Dare’s blush. “I admit it isn’t my first choice. I would much rather be the one giving the spanking, since I’ve yet to meet a man who is my match. You’d be surprised how easily the biggest toughs fold when I get them alone. How they like to bend over and have me—”
“Well, I think Dare was very brave,” Lavender interrupted as a few of the other women laughed bawdily. “I also think she doesn’t need to hear about your infamous escapades. Not today.”
Seraphina smirked. “I tease, Lavender. You know how I love to tease.” She met Dare’s gaze, curiosity a living thing in her eyes. “So fair Dare of the bluest hair, if it wasn’t for your sake, then why do you think our boss disappeared for days without letting anyone know where he was going?”
Dare tilted her head, wondering why everyone was so fascinated with Bodhan’s actions. It was, however, a fascination she shared. Everything about him interested her. Intrigued her. Worried her. “How long was he gone?”
“Five days,” the lady in pink piped up. “And James said he’d been sure he heard the boss mumbling about treasure, but he came back with his pockets empty.” She smirked. “And an armful of you.”
Dare’s senses went on alert with the information. The treasure she’d made an oath to guard—Queen Idony—had disappeared in that time frame. Could Bodhan have anything to do with the theft of Theorrey’s heart?
It was horrifying to think she could have kissed a man, fantasized about a man, who was capable of such villainy. He was a criminal whose trade was based on divining the desires of others. Yet even as those thoughts crossed her mind she doubted their substance.
She would have felt malice in him. Darkness. Surely it would have been clear.
“Look at the gears turning in that brain of hers.” The redheaded Felidae licked her lips, meeting Dare’s gaze with a speaking wink. “Smart and sexy, with a name like Dare? I definitely need to keep my eyes on you.”
“Seraphina.”
The deep voice startled Dare out of her daze. Seraphina rolled her eyes. “He always interrupts my fun. Look lively ladies, our lord and master has come a-calling. Do I get my whip back tonight? I promise I’ll behave.”
Bodhan only smiled. “You promise that every night.”
Dare watched the vivacious female sway toward where Bodhan stood in the doorway, the guard now gone from view. The movements of Seraphina’s hips were more pronounced than they had been moments before. Feline.
She gestured toward Dare with a sweep of her arm. “How true, but she should know that is why you keep taking me back, smart man that you are. Speaking of men, if you were aiming to scare all the exciting clientele away, you have succeeded. You’ve covered all our new girl’s biggest selling points in your best virginal finery.”
Dare bit her lip, looking down at her clenched hands, knowing Bodhan scanned every inch of her, from her silken slippers to her modest bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves. The outfit did belong more to a ball on Queen’s Hill than a brothel. Although her bodice was still lower than she would like.
She refused to meet his eyes. She would not allow him to practice his charm on her once more. A little over three days and she would be free. She doubted their paths would cross again. Surely she could resist this unnatural and decidedly unwelcome attraction until then. And perhaps she could discover his secret. Discover whether or not he was connected to her mission.
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nbsp; The room was filled with silent speculation. Dare could sense the women studying them, wondering at the obvious tension between their boss and the new arrival.
Seraphina chuckled, breaking the silence. “I can see we have all left him speechless. Perhaps we should take Dare downstairs where she will be more appreciated.” She moved toward Dare, where she stood by the mirror, but Bodhan’s touch on her elbow stopped her.
“That was why I disturbed your privacy. The Siren’s parlor is full of men vying to appreciate all of you. As usual, Seraphina, you and your whip are much in demand.” His gaze included the other women. “I appreciate the warm welcome you have given our guest, but you are all far too beautiful to stay hidden in your rooms.”
He guided them out the door, and Lavender murmured behind her, “He called you our guest, Dare. That means you won’t be joining us tonight, more’s the pity. You do look pretty.”
“Dare and I have business to discuss. Don’t worry, Lavender, I’ll take good care of her.” Bodhan followed the group of flamboyant women to a curtained balcony, while Dare and Seraphina lagged behind.
The sounds of muffled male revelry could be heard beyond the velvet drapes. Dare could hear music and the sound of glasses clinking. How many men were down there? Curiosity made her reach out to pull the curtains aside but Seraphina, whose back had been turned away from her, caught her hand before she could touch the fabric.
She shook her head and glanced over her shoulder. “If they see you, catch a glimpse of that lovely head of hair, tonight’s free pass will be over. He will be obliged to present you. I am sure neither you, nor our handsome proprietor, would like what happened next.”
Bodhan went to the far end of the balcony, where the railing was missing, and pushed a long golden lever forward. Dare heard the distinct sound of gears grinding, and a spiral stairwell appeared, rising from somewhere down below.
The men had obviously taken that as a sign that the night was about to take a more enjoyable turn. The appreciative shouts and applause grew louder, the perspective customers clearly enjoying the drama of the moment. As were the women around her. Dare could feel their expectance, their arousal. She was suddenly grateful she was no longer tied up in the Echo Chamber. Now that she knew the women, listening to their cries of pleasure would be that much more disconcerting.
When the stairs clicked into place, Bodhan turned to face the women once more. “Remember, you are in control. You choose whom you wish to pleasure, whom you wish to pleasure you. If any man’s advances are unwelcome, if they offend you in word or deed, I and the Siren’s guards are standing by to protect you as always. Now go enjoy.”
That didn’t sound like the speech of a vulgar seller of flesh. Dare studied the women. They were all gazing up at him as though he were too good to be true. A paragon who was even now directing them to descend the stairs and find a man to seduce.
She shook her head.
Seraphina sauntered past him, looking down at his formfitting trousers before licking her lips. “You are unwise to hide such a talent this far beneath the sea. With your gifts and knowledge, you could run the world. Don’t you think so, Dare?”
Dare had a feeling she was not merely speaking of his oratory skills. She decided silence was the most sensible course of action.
Bodhan and Seraphina shared a speaking look before she shrugged, walking slowly, tauntingly, toward the stairs. Try as she might, Dare could not make out her tail beneath the bustled skirt.
When they were alone, Bodhan met her gaze. “Seraphina can be aggressive. I hope she did not distress you.”
Dare shook her head, too distracted to hold her tongue. “Not at all, sir. Truly, I am more fascinated than distressed.”
His smile was sardonic, his strong jaw shadowed with stubble. It gave him more of a rakish air. “You are not alone in that. I have never seen another female so enjoy her work. This visit she is more voracious than usual. It seems she wishes to sample every pleasure the Siren has to offer before the month’s end.” He came closer. “And I believe I told you, my name is Bodhan.”
“Very well, Bodhan.”
He held out his arm gallantly. “Good. I enjoy hearing the sound of your voice. So distinctive. As a rule, I’ve only heard that style of speech from those educated on the Hill. Is that where you were raised?”
She placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscle beneath her palm, and bit her cheek to hold back a smile. The interrogation had begun, but she could sense the lightness of his mood. She was in no danger at the moment. Though she should have known he would not readily give up.
“Yours is far more distinctive than mine,” she demurred. “So distinctive I cannot place it. Will you tell me where you are from as well? If you have been there recently?” His silence made her lips tighten. “Regardless of where I came from, I am here now. I believe I would have remembered if anyone requested references before tying me up like wild game for a feast.”
His arm tensed beneath her fingers, but he didn’t argue. She did not ask where they were going. In fact, touching him was once again making it difficult for her to concentrate. She should be taking in every detail, every door and hallway. Yet it seemed a pointless endeavor. There was nowhere to escape to as long as they remained submerged.
After a few moments walking in the opposite direction of the staircase, past the women’s suite and farther down the hall, they stood in front of a narrow door she had assumed led to a water or utility closet. When he opened it she looked inside and inhaled sharply.
She attempted to pull away from him. “Unhand me. I had your word you would take me to Two Moon Bay.”
He turned his arm to grip her hand in his. “And I will. What is it, Dare? Is the view truly that terrifying?”
The view was an iron gangplank that led to… nothing. The abyss. Water above and below and on every side. There was no purchase. No balance. She wondered how she was breathing at all. Why the sea was not crashing in around her…
He huffed a surprised breath. “You are shivering. Breathe, woman, and take a closer look. The sides and ceiling are clear, but they are there. The illusion can fool you.” He pointed with his free hand. “See there, at the end of the walkway? There is a latch for a door. And can you make out the brass framing a small lit-up room beyond? That is the Siren’s lift, a room that takes us up or down, to other levels on the ship. There is even a cushioned bench inside it for you to sit on while you travel.” His fingers squeezed hers securely. “I meant to surprise you, to show you something I’d imagined you would enjoy. To show you how beautiful the Siren could be. Not for you to think I—what? Had decided to sacrifice you to some sort of angry sea gods?”
“The thought had crossed my mind.” She placed her free hand on her chest, feeling her heart race. A lift. It was merely a lift. She had seen several that led from the Copper Palace to the Theorrean Raj’s inner sanctum and science labs below. But this was… “How? How does it work? How can mere glass hold back so much water? And I see no winches or wires. What makes it move?”
There was a smile in Bodhan’s voice as he guided her down the walkway. “Inquisitive but not confused,” he murmured. “Interesting. In answer, I can tell you there is nothing mere about my Siren. The windows, the lift, every rivet on her frame is unique. The glass is of a special resilience not used or known of in the world above. She is more than she seems. She reminds me of you in that way.”
Now that she had regained a few of her scattered wits she noticed the filigreed brass and wood handrail along the plank that led through what seemed to be a short glass tunnel. The watery view was intermittently broken by the delicate brass framing each pane.
His hand on her lower back led her into the small glass room that was the lift itself and closed the door behind them, sealing it with a nerve-inducing finality. Dare looked down, relieved to see a solid floor beneath her feet. Despite the rail and floor and the few latches that dogged the door, she felt as if she were in a soap bubble. Insubstantial. Capabl
e of floating away at any moment.
Breakable.
She had almost no sense of movement when their descent began, save for the hall she’d walked through soaring away overhead and the steel sides of the Siren rushing past her as they dropped.
Heightened by the close proximity and the adrenaline of fear, her senses were sharply enhanced. She inhaled his darkly masculine scent, an aroma that was more intense than Seraphina’s had been. Spicier.
Dare had a sudden, overwhelming urge to lean against him, to touch him. To bury her nose in his neck and breathe him in. A ridiculous but tantalizing notion, in spite of her current circumstances. Was this den of sin compromising her principles so swiftly, then?
Or was it him? Bodhan, alone, who did this to her?
His thumb caressed the flesh of her hand and she shivered. Perhaps her initial instincts about his abilities with mesmerism were correct. How else could she explain her reaction each time he was near?
She watched him flip open the clasps of the wide leather brace at his wrist, saw a telling glow beneath the fingers of his free hand, and remembered herself. That was no timepiece, but more proof of his criminal behavior. Bodhan, too, was more than he seemed. She would need all of her faculties to discover just how much more, and what, if anything, it had to do with Queen Idony.
“You aren’t looking, princess.” Something locked into place as the lift stopped mid-journey. “The Siren deserves to be admired.”
“I would rather not, thank you. Where are you taking me?”
“On a tour as my guest. We are now in a singular spot on the lift. The spot where you can see the entirety of my lady love and replace your fear with awe. Or have you changed your mind? Would you rather join the others for the evening?”
His threat was subtle but perfectly clear. She could obey, or she could earn her passage with the rest of the women.
Dare followed his instructions and her mouth opened in astonishment. “Impossible.”
Someday you and I will travel in one the size of a small city.
