Tony and the Buccaneers: Tony Johnson Novel 01

by D. R. Rosier

  The princess looked torn, and pensive, but she also looked like she was staying with us, at least for now.

  As for me? I was planning things in my mind, but I’d keep them to myself for now. We still had to escape the shore of Pheles, and quite possibly with a fleet following us every bit of the way. I thought this would have been a good time for my homing pigeon spell idea. We’d escaped, killed a diviner, one of five. Stolen the king’s daughter, and freed twenty-six sorceresses. I’d also killed close to thirty guards, from the four at the start, to the last five in the cell.

  Well, the ladies killed those last five, but I helped.

  The point was, the king would look weak if he let that all go. One thing tyrants never allowed, was for other people to think them weak or vulnerable.

  I had no doubt sorceress haven would be under siege soon, if we even made it that far…

  Chapter Twenty-four

  The captain surprised us all, by deciding to wait until night to leave. Her reasoning was sound, we knew the course we’d have to set, and our water sorceresses would be able to guide us by the sea floor after taking us in with magic.

  The only catch was that we had to hope we wouldn’t be found before then. The inlet for the cove wasn’t obvious, but surely they knew about it? We were well hidden, but that also meant we couldn’t see out to sea either, which meant I was on guard duty since I’d feel them coming before either they or us could see each other.

  The five of us, along with princess Daphne, had just given a report to the captain. Well, Daphne didn’t so much report, as we were keeping an eye on her. She wasn’t the most popular person right now, guilt by association. Most people could see past that, but she’d gotten a few nasty looks.

  Surprisingly, not from any of the young women we’d rescued, not after Daphne’s look of horror at that one girl’s tirade.

  My mother in-law did not look happy. I didn’t like that most of that ire was directed at Lia either. It made sense, she was the commander of the mission. It also wasn’t her fault, and she was my wife. One of them.

  “Let me get this straight. You killed one of the five diviners, over thirty guards, blew up the jail, kidnapped a princess, and then flew across the island?”

  Being an idiot, I opened my mouth.

  “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Just really bad timing. The plan worked perfectly until that diviner showed up and captured us. And… I’m the one that kidnapped Daphne. Lia said we didn’t have time to scout or figure things out, so I just… grabbed her right out of the house. I wasn’t going to leave her behind, what if she’d been just a regular girl that a noble took a liking too, if you get my drift.”

  It was a bit high handed, but I hoped that last would hit home. It was what had happened to her after all.

  The princess looked at me with amusement, once she’d gotten over her shock, she seemed to be looking at all this like an adventure. She was still conflicted about her parents, and her older brother who was heir, but she was also excited about the possibility of keeping her magic. She’d seemingly forgiven me as well, as soon as she’d figured out what I’d thought I’d been saving her from.

  The captain did not look amused, and then she sighed.

  “Your right, but you need to learn when to shut up. I wanted Lia’s insights into what happened and how things went so wrong, not yours. She’s my second in command, and although your impulse to shield your wife is commendable, it isn’t wise.”

  Lia gave me a look, and I knew I’d be getting an earful later. Sharon… looked amused. Jenna and Marie looked like they’d rather be somewhere else.

  I frowned in thought, I wasn’t really thinking straight. It had been a long day, and I still had a headache. I’d have thought better of going with my protective instinct otherwise, at least in this situation, Lia was more than capable, and first mate on this ship. Shit, I really wasn’t thinking straight. I channeled some healing magic from our healer and the ringing and throbbing in my head was soothed.

  “My apologies, I wasn’t thinking straight after what we’d been through. I also shouldn’t have grabbed Daphne like that before getting Lia’s approval for the plan. I know Lia can stand on her own and doesn’t need me to defend her, least of all to you.”

  The captain’s eyes narrowed and her voice was dangerous, “Are you finished?”

  Well, fuck, that’s not good. I nodded.

  Actually, fuck that. My apology had been for Lia, not her. I’m not in her chain of command, I was never asked to join the fucking crew. I’m some kind of volunteer, here to help out, not someone to be used as a tool. She was trying to put me in my place, and my whole being bristled at that. Her first reprimand had perhaps been earned, but the second one went too far. I wasn’t just some tool to be put in my place because things didn’t go perfectly. Or am I? Is that how the council saw me, and Melinda?

  That was a disturbing thought, because it meant she’d only approved of me marrying her daughter so she would have leverage over me.

  If it wasn’t for me the mission would never have gotten started, and everyone on the ground mission would have died, or possibly worse, gotten raped and abused, and then killed.

  I bit my tongue, not sure what to say. I wanted to strike back, with words, but despite what she said I did know when to be quiet. Mostly. I needed to think this through before I said or did anything I couldn’t take back. She did have a slight point, I wasn’t part of the crew, and I sure as hell didn’t outrank her either. Still, she could have worked with me as an equal, instead of trying to intimidate me.

  Because that sure as fuck wasn’t going to work.

  She also could have asked me to join the crew, but she never did. She just requested me on her ship, which was entirely different. I hadn’t really thought that through before, because I was getting what I wanted too. But… intentions matter.

  Lia frowned, “Captain, he’s right. It was just bad timing. If we’d gotten here a day earlier we’d have slipped in and out unseen.”

  Melinda looked at me coldly for a moment, and then turned to Lia and nodded sharply, “Find the princess a room, you’re responsible for her safety. You have a few hours to change and rest, I want you back up on deck at twilight.”

  Lia said sharply, “Yes captain.”

  Melinda nodded, “Dismissed.”

  We all filed out, and the five ladies headed downstairs. I walked over to the bow and took a seat. I was angry, but I wasn’t dumb enough to abandon my duty, and kept watch until it was time to go…

  We slipped out after sunset, and couldn’t see more than fifty feet. We didn’t see the enemy patrol ships that we knew must be out there, and they didn’t see us. We went quite a few miles under magical power only, before the captain raised the sails. Still we couldn’t go too fast, we only had a two-hundred-yard distance to stop or turn if we encountered any reefs.

  I turned in just over an hour later.

  Lia was on duty, and I wondered if the captain was making a point. Step out of line, and Lia would suffer. I wasn’t entirely sure, I didn’t want to believe that of the captain, but the more I thought about the end of the meeting, the more I felt like she’d been trying to make a point when giving Lia orders. Lia had just completed a hair raising all day mission, to put her on deck duty was a shitty thing to do.

  And my fault for not toeing the line?

  I considered talking to Sharon about it, and getting her opinion, but that sounded like a really bad idea. Melinda was her mother after all. I was beginning to think the witch was depending on that. Or maybe, I was just really paranoid and reading into things too much. I kind of doubted that I was though, I didn’t imagine Melinda made captain by being ignorant of politics, and manipulation.

  I on the other hand, wasn’t that great at it.

  I’d been reviewing all of our interactions in my mind, and although I hadn’t noticed at the time, she’d been treating me like someone under her command, or possibly a tool to be used, the whole time.

&nbs
p; I just hadn’t really taken note of that, because she’d never reprimanded me before, or tried to put me I my place. Which… I probably should have. I’d been too distracted by my idealistic notions of helping and making a difference, and I’d ignored it as unimportant. After all, I’d busted my ass for two months to be ready when the time came, and that made me a nice naïve tool.

  Fuck.

  Nothing is ever easy. I’d been making plans in my head, but how could I possibly get the council to listen to them when the captain wouldn’t even treat me like an equal and partner? Maybe through Amara? I knew she would at least listen.

  I held Sharon tightly as sleep eluded me, and wondered if I had to go my own way, would they follow me? We were bonded for life, but Lia was fully dedicated to the captain, the ship, and its mission. And Sharon… Melinda was her mother, and her captain.

  It bothered me a great deal that I didn’t know the answer to that question. It also made me feel selfish, because why should they both give up their chosen paths for me? Their careers. Still, it wouldn’t be for me, I wanted to make a bigger difference than we had today. Make real lasting change. These little raids wouldn’t do that, it was simply poking a hornets’ nest to save a few at a time. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, saving just one would have been worth today.

  But I wanted to rip the nest out, and destroy it utterly.

  Maybe that was naïve too.

  Eventually, Sharon’s scent and steady breaths soothed me enough that I managed to sleep…

  I woke up to a knock on the door. I felt Lia out there, and was confused as to why she was knocking, until I felt the magic of the princess right next to her.

  “Come on in,” I said loudly. I guessed she’d wanted to make sure we were decent. Unfortunately, we were. We were both too tired last night to have sex.

  Lia and Daphne came in, and Sharon and I looked up at them.

  Lia smiled, “Breakfast?”

  I nodded slowly, “You got some sleep?”

  Lia waved that away, “I stayed in your old quarters with Daphne, it was the captain’s idea just in case any of the crew got out of hand. Tensions seem to be high.”

  I frowned, and hated that I immediately suspected it to be another point. Lia wasn’t in my bed because of that, and the reason sounded thin. I couldn’t imagine anyone on the crew disobeying the captain and actually going after a sixteen-year-old girl, no matter who she was. I also noticed she was still in suppression bracelets and frowned.

  Maybe it wasn’t about me this time after all, maybe the captain didn’t trust the princess, and Lia was more guard than guardian. That kind of annoyed me too, what was she going to do? She was a princess and untrained in power, not a damned assassin or saboteur.

  Daphne hadn’t missed my glance, and smirked at me as if guessing my thoughts.

  “Breakfast sounds good. Status?”

  Lia replied, “There are over fifteen ships behind us, we keep picking up more. We’re going as fast as we can to buy some time to prepare the island. I doubt we’ll get more than two or three hours.”

  I nodded, “Will we be able to defend?”

  Sharon smiled, “I think so, yes. We have a lot of wielders, a much higher percentage, and there’s a few thousand people on the island. I suppose it depends on how many more ships they pick up by tomorrow. If there’s too many, we could lose the ship, and the docks.”

  Maybe, if there wasn’t another diviner in the fleet somewhere, or racing to join. They still had four left. Sharon and I got up and we headed up to the mess hall, grabbed some breakfast trays, and headed to a table. My mind was spinning with politics, and I wished I could go back to being ignorant and happy. Speaking of ignorant and happy…

  I looked at Daphne, and she met my eyes a moment and then looked away shyly. I studied her a moment more, and then made a decision.

  I asked, “Would you change it if you could? All of it?”

  Daphne looked at me thoughtfully, “I would of course. It’s a crime what’s being done to the sorceresses in the kingdom. Literally, I mean. If I could, I’d end the rapists, kill them, and enforce that law, because there is a law against it. Obviously, I wouldn’t be stripping power from anyone except criminals, male or female. What difference does that make though? Apparently I’m to either be a pirate, or a prisoner.”

  She added after a moment, “I don’t think they know which yet.”

  I nodded, “I’ve been there, they have trust issues, but they’re good people.” Mostly, though I didn’t say that last part.

  Sharon frowned at me, “Don’t you mean we?”

  Oh shit, it was all going to pour out. I grabbed some of Lia’s power and shielded the table. I didn’t need the whole crew to hear this.

  I shrugged, “What is my rank and standing on this ship? Do I have one? Do I have any say? Are my words worth listening too? I know that you, Lia, and I, are a we. But me and the Captain? If I’m not part of the crew, that makes me either a tool, or an ally. Since she feels free to treat me like the dirt under her boot, I can only assume she sees me as the former, a tool she feels free to denigrate, and control. A naïve fool with high ideals that she can manipulate. I respect the captain very much, but she doesn’t respect me at all. That’s a problem.”

  Lia frowned and looked honestly surprised, “What are you saying?”

  “I honestly don’t know, I have no ideas, suggestions, or actions. I’m simply frustrated. This is her ship and crew, she is god here and can do whatever she wants, and I wouldn’t ever dispute that. Like I said, I respect her. Let me ask you though, has she ever asked you to work all night after almost dying on an all day mission before?”

  Lia thought for a minute, and then reluctantly shook her head.

  “I think that was a political message to me, step in line or your lovely wife’s career will take a nose dive.”

  Sharon looked… distant, but thoughtful. That was kind of huge for her though, she usually rolled with everything.

  I was pretty sure the guarding the princess part was normal operations, after all, the captain had used Lia and Sharon to keep an eye on me. That didn’t mean she couldn’t have been killing two birds with one stone though, or sending a message that way as well. But I doubted it enough to not even mention it.

  I shrugged, “I just feel… ill-used. I also feel uneasy telling you about it. I trust both of you of course, we’re supposed to share with each other, but I don’t want to put you in the middle either. Just… don’t even worry about it. I suppose in the end it doesn’t matter, I’m just here to help. Right now this is the only game in town, so to speak.”

  Goddess, when did I turn into a whiny bitch man? Got my feelings hurt by my mother-in-law and suddenly I can’t let things go? Of course, it was possible I just wanted to know that my wives would stand with me, if I ever did go off on my own. So… selfish whiny bitch man?

  Still, a thank you and gratitude would have been nicer than kicks in the teeth. No good deed…

  I shrugged apologetically to the princess, who was getting an earful of my dirty laundry.

  Sharon grunted, “I… you’re probably right. I love my mother, but she isn’t captain because she’s nice, she’s captain because she’s ruthless and gets things done. No one else in the fleet has a better record of enemy engagements, sacked ships, or rescued sorceresses. We don’t have that many ships of course, but we have a few. I think she actually overreacted last night.”

  Right, because the mission going sour would hurt her record, so she lashed out at her tool. Me.

  Lia frowned, “I see it now too, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Not if we want to keep rescuing sorceresses.”

  I nodded, “Not now no.”

  Daphne looked at me curiously, “Why did you ask me that? If I would change things I mean.”

  I asked her another question, “Do you think your father should rule now that you know him to be a despot?”

  She shook her head, “No, but that isn’t likely to ch
ange any, no more than Melinda will start treating you with respect.”

  Ouch. I winced in mock pain.

  She raised an eyebrow.

  I sighed, “Fine, I’ll tell you. I wondered, because if there’s going to be a change in management, you seem like the obvious choice.”

  All three women looked at me like was insane. I laughed, and started to finish breakfast.

  Lia asked, “Seriously?”

  I nodded, “Royal, a sorceress, and dead set against rape and stripping magic.”

  I looked at Daphne and added, “You have the right bearing, I almost bowed to you a couple of times already. Plus, you have a legitimate claim, if the king is breaking the law, don’t you?”

  Daphne snorted, “You’re nuts. Did you have a plan, or should we just wing it?”

  “The plan isn’t ready yet. It’s like a ten-year plan, and it won’t be easy. It will also take convincing the elder council, so you’re probably right that I’m nuts. Umm, the elves kind of feature in my plans as well.”

  Lia frowned, “Our community is too small, where would you get an army.”

  I grinned, “That’s the easy part, the army is already in place. It just needs some training, which is why ten years. Plus, it will be our princess that gathers the army. She’ll be suspect at first, since she’s part of the current ruling family. But as the head of the rebellion campaigning change, and making those changes one part of the kingdom at a time, as well as being a fellow victim of the corrupt system, will settle that issue nicely I think.”

  Sharon tilted her head, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  I nodded, “Very. But I need to do some magical research first when we get back. I like rescuing sorceresses, but I’d much rather work myself out of a job, and concentrate on building a family with you two, and doing other things. I know it’s four against one, and I am wary of the other diviners, but look at what we accomplished yesterday. We practically captured a city, with just the five of us. We couldn’t have held it, but that’s still saying something. Isn’t it worth a try?”