Pirate's Promise

by Chris A. Jackson

  Warmth spread through Vreva as her magic returned, and with it a sliver of something she had never thought to feel again: hope.

  "Killing her probably would have been kinder." Celeste slithered to the door and cocked her head to listen. "We're in worse trouble than you think, Torius. I used up all my invisibility spells dealing with guards on our way in. We won't get out of here without a fight, especially if someone's got to carry her."

  "Oh, right!" Snick withdrew a slim vial from her jerkin. "Wasn't even thinking. Here, Vreva. Drink up. We gotta go!"

  Vreva stared at the vial in her hand.

  "Vreva." Torius's voice was low and intense. "You can do this. You can escape, but you've got to want to live."

  "I do want to live." The truth in the words surprised her, but there it was. What had changed in the last few minutes? Just that sliver of hope. Vreva popped the tiny cork and downed the contents of the vial. Cool magic washed through her, easing some of her pain, lending her strength, and steadying her legs. "And I can help us escape."

  "How?" Celeste looked at her skeptically.

  Vreva stepped out of Torius's supporting embrace and murmured a spell. Torius vanished. Celeste hissed, but the captain's disembodied voice reassured her.

  "It's okay, Celeste. I told you she was a sorcerer. If we're going to get out of here, you're going to have to accept her help."

  Vreva paused. "How will we stay together, and what's your plan for getting off the ship?"

  "Easy!" Snick grabbed Celeste's harness and held out her other hand. "Once we're on deck, we just jump overboard. Stargazer's right on our heels, and they'll scoop us up."

  Vreva's stomach knotted anew, but she felt Torius's warm hand grasp hers, and she cast the rest of the spells. As they slipped out of the brig, she leaned in close to where she hoped Torius's ear was. She didn't want Celeste to overhear. "Torius, you'll have to help me in the water. I can't swim."

  She barely caught his anxious reply of, "Marvelous!"

  ∗ ∗ ∗

  The door ahead opened, and Torius caught a whiff of fresh sea air. Snick squeezed his hand and tugged him forward. He pulled Vreva along in turn, and they crept onto the deck. Though the night watch was sparse compared to the ship's full complement, there were still plenty of slavers about. Their goal, the ship's rail, stood only thirty feet away.

  A deep "whuuuf" from behind and above stopped them in their tracks.

  Atop the quarterdeck stood the captain of the Bloody Scourge. At his side, fully waist-high on the half-orc, squatted a scaly, misshapen beast sporting teeth as long as Torius's fingers. It sniffed the air and growled, staring straight at them, a parody of a bird dog pointing at a hidden pheasant. Nekhtal's hand drifted to his sword—My sword!—as he scanned the deck.

  "Crap!" Snick's whispered curse snapped their paralysis. "Come on!"

  Nekhtal's eyes flicked to the sound of the gnome's voice. The hound strained at its chain, growling and snapping, gouts of putrid saliva spraying from its maw. The slaver captain jerked a pin from the beast's iron collar, and the chain fell away. "Kill!"

  The unfettered creature leapt from the quarterdeck and charged.

  "Move!" Torius released his grips on Snick and Vreva and drew his stolen cutlass. If he could deter the beast long enough for the others to reach the rail, he knew he could break free and dive overboard. But the ravening beast wasn't charging at him, but to his left—toward Vreva. He reached out to jerk her out of its way, but his hand met only air.

  "Vreva! Move!" Torius could only hope that she had moved as he stepped to intercept the beast's charge. Before it reached him, thunder split the air, and a bolt of searing electricity blasted the creature off its feet.

  Celeste flickered into visibility.

  Shouts rang out as the slavers on deck drew weapons, and Captain Nekhtal bellowed commands. The huge hound rolled to its feet and snarled, ignoring the deep burn in its pustular hide.

  "Go!" Celeste slithered past Torius, crashing into the ravening beast in a tangle of flashing fangs and snapping jaws. The naga wrapped her long black coils around the hound and buried her fangs in its thick hide. Its powerful jaws latched onto her, teeth punching through her scales.

  "Like Hell I will!" Torius lunged, cutting a deep furrow in the thing's broad back. The hound released its hold on Celeste to snap at him, it jaws clashing an inch from his leg with the force of a bear trap. Celeste struck again, burying her fangs to the gums in the beast's neck. Flexing her powerful coils, she flung the mass of muscle and bone aside. The creature flopped and tried to stand, but Celeste's poison had done its work.

  Sailors advanced hesitantly, blades and belaying pins raised, but daunted by the sudden appearance of a lunar naga. Clearly, there were too many for Torius and Celeste to fight off.

  "To the rail!" they both shouted together. They shared an astonished glance, and he flashed a grin. It felt good to be together again. Before they could even turn, however, the sterncastle door slammed open and the inquisitor strode forth. Her eyes snapped to Torius and Celeste, then widened and swept the deck.

  "Vreva!"

  Torius heard a gasp. The inquisitor obviously heard it, too.

  Stepping forward, she cried, "Abadar, reveal that which is hidden!" A golden light pulsed from the holy icon at her hip, and in its wave of illumination, Vreva and Snick flickered into sight. The gnome crouched on the rail, ready to jump, but Vreva stood stock-still, staring at the inquisitor as if transfixed.

  "Nets! Capture them!" the inquisitor shouted. "Don't let them get over the side!"

  Celeste cast another bolt of lightning, not at the inquisitor, but toward the quarterdeck. Captain Nekhtal leapt aside as the spear of energy struck the ship's binnacle, blasting the compass, the wheel, and the helmsman into splinters and hunks of charred meat.

  Brilliant! Torius thought, as they fled toward the rail. Disabling the ship's steering would earn them valuable time, if they could just make the rail. That hope dimmed as a torrent of slavers flooded onto the deck.

  Captain Nekhtal struggled to his feet. "Shoot them!"

  "No!" The inquisitor's shout was drowned out by the rip of crossbows.

  Celeste and Torius fled amid a hail of bolts. One burned across Torius's neck, and another plunged into Celeste's scales with a sickening crunch. Just ahead of them, Vreva raised her hands and uttered arcane words. A bolt caught her in the side just as the spell manifested, the impact spinning her around. A mist formed over the deck, so thick that Torius lost sight of Vreva even as he flung an arm around her waist in passing. Casting aside his cutlass, he hoisted her over his shoulder. More bolts buzzed past, the archers' aim ruined by the impenetrable fog.

  "Overboard, Snick!" Torius heard a splash and caught a glimpse of Celeste's tail slithering over the side. He twisted and let his momentum tumble them over the rail. An oar slammed into his shoulder an instant before the sea enveloped them. Holding onto Vreva, he kicked off his boots and oriented himself. The surface seemed a mile away, but he kicked hard and finally broke through, gulping sweet salt air. Vreva hung limp in his grasp, unconscious. As he crested a wave, he sighted Bloody Scourge, already a far bowshot away and receding fast.

  "Celeste!"

  "Here, Torius!"

  He caught a glimpse of her, Snick clinging to her harness like a half-drowned rat. They swam toward one another, and met just as he heard a hail on the wind. He looked around but couldn't see Stargazer, and neither, he imagined, could they see him.

  "Celeste! They can't see us! How—"

  "Grab onto my harness!"

  He gripped the stout leather with his free hand, fighting to keep Vreva's head out of the water. He felt Celeste writhe, and her scales came alight with a shimmering glow.

  "Ha! I forgot you could do that!"

  "There! Two points to port!"

  "Cargo net in the water! Ready on the mains'l haul!"

  Torius thought he'd never heard a sweeter sound than Thillion's orders, nor seen a more beautiful sight
than his ship looming out of the darkness. A cargo net hung suspended out on a boom, ready to scoop them up like a prize catch.

  "This is gonna hurt!"

  Snick's prediction proved accurate. They struck the net hard, and Torius fought to grab hold while hanging on to Vreva. Celeste's long tail lashed, smacking into him as she thrashed to grasp one of the thick hemp ropes with her teeth. Amid shouts and a gut-wrenching lurch, they were hauled out of the water.

  "Haul inboard! Hard aport, Windy, course one-four-zero. Fenric, set all sail she'll bear."

  A chorus of "Aye" rang out as the heavy net swung over the side. When they thumped to the deck, soaked and half-drowned, Thillion stood there waiting.

  "Welcome aboard, Captain!" His grin faded when he saw the blood. Fortunately, they were prepared for injuries. "Potions! Healer's kit, quick!"

  "Celeste! Are you all right?" Torius hastily lay Vreva down and turned to his lover.

  "I'll live." Celeste winced as Snick dropped down from her back. "I'll feel better after someone cuts this crossbow bolt out of me."

  "Got it!" Snick produced a knife.

  Celeste gasped as the gnome inserted the blade between her scales.

  "Don't move!" Snick cut the barbed bolt free and pulled it from the wound. "There. Now a potion."

  Fenric produced one, and she eagerly drank it down, sighing with relief. The ghastly bite wound in her side closed to a puckered scab.

  "That's better. Thank you, Snick. I—"

  "Captain!" Thillion's worried tone turned their heads. "Miss Jhafae doesn't seem to be breathing."

  "Gozreh's guts! Snick, get over here."

  The gnome squished over and knelt beside the sodden courtesan. "Bolt's in a bad spot, lodged between a couple'a ribs. And there's that not-breathing thing. Gotta get that bolt out before healin' her up. Good she's unconscious, 'cause it's gonna hurt." She wiped her bloody knife on her pant leg and looked to Torius. "I'll make the cut, Captain. You hold her ribs apart until I get the bolt out. Then we'll give her a potion."

  "Um ...okay." The thought of Snick cutting Vreva open made him feel ill, but he could hardly refuse to help. "Go ahead."

  Snick sliced open Vreva's sodden shift to expose the wound. Using her shirt sleeve, she wiped some of the filth off of Vreva's pale skin, then parted the smooth flesh with a single deft pass of the blade. Wedging her slim fingers into the wound, she pulled it open until the crimson fissure gaped, and blood welled in a frothy pink flow.

  "Bolt's in her lung. Here! Hold this open."

  Swallowing hard, Torius wedged his fingers into the warm, living wound, and pulled the ribs apart.

  "Good!" Snick pulled carefully on the bolt, slicing the pink lung tissue away from the barbed tip. Finally, it came free, and Torius pulled his fingers from the wound. "Now! Give her a potion!"

  Fenric dumped the contents into Vreva's mouth.

  "She's got to swallow it, and she's still not breathing," Snick observed.

  "She probably took in some water."

  Snick pressed hard on Vreva's flat belly, and water gushed from the courtesan's mouth. "Yep, she's waterlogged, but I don't want to push too much. Might be broken ribs, and that lung ..."

  "Give me another potion!" Fenric pressed a bottle into his captain's hand. Torius turned Vreva's head to empty the water from her mouth, then bent her neck back to open her windpipe, and poured the contents of the bottle into her mouth.

  "But if she can't swallow it ..."

  "I can get it down." Pinching Vreva's nose tight, he put his mouth over hers and exhaled hard into her lungs, forcing the potion down with it. He heard a gurgling sound, but still she didn't breathe. He tried again, taking a deep breath and exhaling into her mouth.

  He was rewarded by a sudden choking retch, and a mouthful of seawater, blood, and vomit. Torius turned aside and spat, nearly retching himself, but the fit of coughing and spitting from Vreva was worth it. She was alive.

  The closely packed crowd of Stargazers erupted in a cheer.

  "Belay that!" Torius stood and regarded his crew with a mixed annoyance and affection. "What's the use in sailing with black canvas and no lights if we're going to tell Bloody Scourge where we are with the noise? Everyone back to work, and keep it quiet."

  The crew scattered, unabashed by his scolding. Perhaps the giddy smile stretched across his face took the sting out of his words. He and Vreva were both alive and safe, rescued from a fate worse than death by the woman he loved.

  "Fenric, take Vreva to my cabin and wrap her up. Get her some food, and a hot toddy wouldn't hurt if she'll drink it. Snick, see to her injuries."

  "Mind if I clean up first, Captain?" The gnome ran her fingers through her greasy hair.

  "Good idea." Torius wiped the bloody grime from his face, dreaming of a hot bath. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave the deck quiet yet with that galley so close. "Thillion, get someone aloft with a spyglass and keep an eye on Bloody Scourge." In moments, only he and Celeste remained, grinning at one another in silent, silly adoration. Torius slid one hand down her scaly side. "Thank you, Celeste. You saved my life. Again."

  "Well ...I do love you, you know."

  "And that was absolutely brilliant blasting their binnacle!"

  "Thank you."

  He reached to brush his hand through her darkened hair, but stopped at her warning look.

  "I don't think you want to do that. It's pretty foul."

  "I don't care." Undeterred, he ran his fingers through the greasy, sodden strands. "I love you more than anything in the world." He bent forward to kiss her, but as their lips neared, they both suddenly stopped, eyes wide.

  Celeste looked a little ill. "Ah ...maybe we should brush our teeth before ..."

  "Good idea. Your breath smells like that dog thing."

  "And yours smells like Vreva."

  "Oh, yeah." Torius wiped his mouth, grimacing at the taste. "Sorry about that."

  "It's all right. But did you have to kiss her in front of everybody?"

  "Celeste! It wasn't—"

  Laughing, she winked and nudged him with one of her coils. "I know, Torius."

  "Can you watch her until Snick comes to check? She's been through a lot."

  She grimaced again. "For you, my captain, yes. But I don't promise to be nice."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Healing a Broken Heart

  Thank you, Fenric." Celeste exchanged a bundle of Torius's dry clothes for a tray of hot porridge, toasted cheese, and steaming hot toddy. She floated the food to the table. "Could you sit with Vreva while I go get cleaned up? Snick should be here soon."

  "Sorry, Miss Celeste, but the captain needs me on deck. Without Grogul an' all ..." He pointed to the nook where Torius kept his shaving things. "There's soap and water there."

  "Yes, well, all right. Tell Torius that if he needs an accurate position to send word right away." She knew where they were, but any excuse to get out of Vreva's company would suit her very fine.

  "Aye." Fenric glanced to the silent shivering courtesan and nodded. "Give a shout if you need anything."

  "I will." As the door closed, Celeste turned to Vreva. She sat swathed in blankets on Torius's bunk, her back against the hull. She had neither moved nor spoken since Fenric brought her in, but only stared blankly across the cabin. "Are you hungry?"

  No response. Celeste approached cautiously, wondering if the woman's mind had snapped. Or she might be ignoring me because I suggested killing her. It seemed a viable option at the time. Celeste still blamed Vreva for this whole thing, but she'd told Torius she'd watch over her.

  "You should drink some of this." Celeste lifted the steaming toddy and passed it under Vreva's nose. "It'll warm you and settle your nerves."

  The pungent aroma of cloves, honey, and spiced rum seemed to revive the woman slightly. She blinked, but only looked at the cup and shook her head.

  "All right, but you should take something." Celeste floated the cup back onto the tray.

  Vreva
just stared.

  Not knowing what else to do, Celeste started cleaning herself of the greasy residue that darkened her skin and hair. Her face was clean, and her hair a mottled gray, when the door opened to admit Snick with a steaming kettle and her healer's kit.

  "Came to see my patients!" The gnome's face shone a healthy pink, her hair a mass of wet, green ringlets like a mop of seaweed. Putting the kettle down, she turned to Celeste. "You still got any hurts?"

  "I'm fine, Snick." Celeste peered down at the tiny puckered scar of the arrow wound, then the larger scabbed wound from the bite. It still ached, but she could move well enough. "There's just a scab left, and that'll go away next time I shed my skin."

  "Maybe, but that thing was pretty icky. Wouldn't want you to break out in a fever." She approached with a bottle of liquid and a pair of tweezers. "Bite like that can go septic if it's not clean."

  "I don't think it's—"

  "She's right."

  They both looked to Vreva in surprise. "What?"

  "I said, she's right." Vreva focused on them, but her expression remained blank. "Trollhound bites can cause blood fever. You should let her clean the wound with an astringent, and drink some willow bark tea."

  "All right." Celeste nodded to Snick, and held still as the gnome probed the wound and scrubbed it with witch hazel. It stung, but was over quickly.

  "Okay, now your turn." Snick turned to Vreva with a smile and an easy manner. "I brought soap and hot water. Our little dip in the sea washed off some of the grime, but we'll have to scrub off the rest to see if there's any more damage."

  Celeste picked up her navigational instruments and started for the door.

  "There's no need." Vreva huddled back in the bunk, clutching the blankets. "You shouldn't have saved me. Now Zarina will be hunting you, too."

  Exasperated, Celeste turned back. "Maybe you're right, but we did save you. The least you could do is show a little gratitude! You told Torius that you wanted to live."

  "I'm sorry." Vreva's eyes dropped. "I should be grateful, but ...I know you're angry with me, and I don't blame you. This is all my fault. I asked Torius to help me, knowing it would put him in danger. I seduced Zarina, and she fell in love with me. She'll never let me go." Her eyes lifted, and there were tears trailing down her cheeks. "There's only one escape for me. If you want to kill me, Celeste, do it now and save Snick the effort of healing me."