Calthraca: Secrets And The Sea [A Calthraca Novel]

by Camryn Cutler

  In any event there wasn't time to consider his feelings for long.

  As expected, there were four Andalosian ships close enough to read his colors and they would all know who he was by now.

  If there was any fortunate side to this situation, it was that the clustered ships were not all clippers. There were three carracks—cargo ships, lightly armed, and slow as mud. They were most likely laden with goods from Tartak and Silania.

  The ship Esteban was most concerned with was the speedy little clipper he could see preparing to flee. The crew was moving hurriedly upon the decks, hauling sails and tightening everything down for flight.

  "Take out the clipper. Then train the heavy guns on the carracks. One shot across the farthest bow,” he ordered and Manuel scrambled to convey his orders to the gunners.

  Once the clipper was gone, he knew he would have to deal with the three carracks. They usually carried twenty guns, each ten pounders, but he was wagering they would not have all twenty guns aboard. They rode too high in the water, and the arrogant Andalosians would never expect to be accosted so close to the coastline.

  Well, they'd approached him. He hadn't been looking for plunder.

  By firing a single shot across the bow of the farthest ship, he would send them a powerful message. None of them were safe within this range, and none could outrun him now.

  Barely five minutes after his initial orders, two shots boomed deeply from the gunwales of the Viceroy. One flew long and true across the bow of the farthest carrack. The second one struck the low clipper broadside and split it nearly in half. He turned his attention from the sinking ship to the carracks.

  He could see men scrambling on the decks and one by one, three white flags ran up their masts.

  Esteban smiled.

  The booty from the three ships was remarkable and quite valuable. Manuel brought him the ships’ lists and he read what their cargo was.

  Iron and gold from Tartak and silk and spices from Silania. There was also wine, olive oil and wool from Minalos.

  Pleased at the take, he knew they would make a fat profit. He'd sell the ships at Dolcit and unload the rest of the cargo in Carador or Lyros. Everyone would share in a percentage of the plunder.

  Esteban ordered his crew to pare down the crews from the captured ships to only the minimum—just enough to sail the ships under the watchful eyes of his own men.

  The remaining crew members, officers and those they had fished out of the ocean from the sunken clipper were secured in his brig upon the Viceroy. He'd make a profit on them as well. He would let the Lyrosian navy conscript them, or let them buy their freedom. Either way there would be money from them.

  Once everything was stowed and ready to be moved, he gave orders to be underway again.

  He stood upon the bridge watching his men and thinking about the woman in his bed.

  A sailor nudged his arm and he turned quickly to look. It was Katherine.

  She was dressed in his breeches and loose shirt and was barefooted like the other sailors. She had tied her long hair up into a braid and wore one of his old hats.

  "Katherine?"

  She grinned happily at him.

  "Wow, Esteban, this is incredible,” she marveled, looking around. “It's just like the movies."

  Regaining his composure he stepped over to her and took her by the elbow. “What are you doing?” he hissed. “Did I not tell you to stay belowdecks?"

  "Yes, you did. Ouch, you're hurting me.” She jerked her elbow away. “You also told me Quima would bring me clothes, and she wasn't around, so I borrowed yours."

  He began pulling her toward the hatchway doors. “I ought to spank you again,” he growled. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be out here? Do you ever listen?"

  "What do you mean, dangerous? You're out here. You won, right? How is it dangerous?"

  He stopped and looked at her. “I am not sure if that was three or four questions."

  "It was three.” She smiled sweetly.

  "Arrrgh, impossible woman,” he muttered and kept walking.

  When they reached his quarters he pulled her in front of him and closed the door with his foot.

  He didn't say anything; he just let his gaze roam over her from head to toe. Finally he shook his head and moved to take the hat from hers.

  She shook her hair down and all the moisture left his mouth.

  "Ah...” he began, and then realized he didn't know what he wanted to say. He held her by the arms and pulled her close, kissing her deeply.

  When he released her he brought a hand up to caress her cheek. Kate opened her eyes slowly, almost dreamily, and covered his hand with hers. “That was a very nice kiss,” she said faintly.

  He grinned and began to untie the front of the shirt she wore. He was incredibly aroused and the sight of her, so sexy and desirable was hard to resist. Lust after combat wasn't something he normally felt, but just the idea that she was here and his made his cock throb. He made a concerted effort not to simply tear her clothes off.

  "It is unsafe for you to be on deck when there are Andalosians or Basaltics about. I am considered an outlaw to them, and my ship is fair game."

  "And these guys were Andalosian?” she asked slowly.

  "Yes.” He kissed the spot where the tops of her breasts were just slightly exposed.

  She sighed as he pushed the shirt back off of her shoulders. “I ... I didn't know it was dangerous,” she whispered as he moved to pull the flies on the pants she wore.

  "I know.” He bent his head and kissed the tip of her nipple, then ran his tongue around the aureole, enjoying the way her skin puckered. She made a small sound.

  He pushed the pants down and she stepped out of them and into his embrace, naked and warm. He swallowed hard at the sight of her and bent to lift her, cradling her in his arms. The idea of her being lost or even worse, captured, made his stomach turn. She was his and no one would touch her as long as he drew breath.

  "What would happen if they caught you?” she whispered.

  "They would hang me.” He began kissing her neck.

  "What would happen if they caught me?” She wasn't really listening now, focusing instead upon what he was doing to her.

  "When they found you were my woman, they would ravage you.” He set her down upon the big bed. “And there would be no mercy."

  He lay on top of her now, forcing her to lie back. She felt his cock, a solid presence against her thigh in the tight pants he wore. He ground himself against her.

  "Oh,” she whispered and surrendered to him again.

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  Chapter 6

  They made Dolcit in fourteen days. By that time what had started out as merely a way to find some comfort for Kate had become a heavily emotional and physical relationship.

  They spent every free moment together, which was not often, much to Kate's displeasure, although she did have Aria to talk with.

  In two weeks Kate and Esteban had learned more about each other than either of them had ever known about anyone else. There was a genuine chemistry that was blatantly obvious to anyone who looked. They had shared intimate details about their lives, and their dreams, and Katherine had tried to explain further to him about her world, but she didn't think he believed her. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and laughed outright when she told him about cruise ships that traveled from port to port loaded with rich passengers, and he asked her to tell him more. As much as she could she also explained the modern navy to him and how ships were gunned.

  "I wish I could see your world,” he said quietly one night after they had made love. The oil lamps had been trimmed and glowed magically. They had turned to look out at the stars upon the ocean, and were tangled together sleepily. “More than just the pictures."

  "I wish you could too.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, I don't even know how I got here, much less how to get back. Much, much less how to bring anyone with me. I guess I'll just have to keep playing
Scheherazade for um ... nine hundred and some-odd more nights.” She giggled when she realized he had no idea what she was talking about, noting the strange half-smile on his handsome face.

  "You confuse me endlessly, Katherine.” He pulled her closer and pointed out at the stars. “Do you know the constellations? Are they the same here as in your world?” he asked.

  "I know the big dipper and the little dipper,” she started.

  He shook his head. “We do not have ‘dippers’ here.” He sat up slightly and pulled a pillow under his head, then pointed out the window again. “Look there—do you see the cluster of four stars with the brightest one beneath?"

  "Yes, I see it."

  "That is Argriar, the Centaur. To the west, in the lower side of the sky, can you see one bright star followed by four more red stars?” He pointed.

  "I see it."

  "That is Volceptus, the winged serpent.” He lowered his hand and watched her looking at the stars. Kate blinked and yawned.

  "Oh excuse me, I'm sorry.” She laughed. “Tell me a story from this land, Esteban."

  He looked at her for a long moment, then spoke. “I will tell you the story of Santiago."

  She settled in more comfortably against his side.

  "Once there was a young boy named Santiago Cristóbal. He was a good boy, well loved by his parents, the Condé and Condéssa of Diamánde. He lived a happy life surrounded by four sisters and two brothers; Santiago was the baby.

  "One day, Santiago was out riding with the head groom, learning to ride a proper horse, not a pony as he'd had for so long. He learned well and wanted to show his papa what he could do. When they returned to the villa, they found a massacre. Andalosian ships and sailors had attacked his home while they were gone. His parents and his brothers were killed, and his sisters carried off. The groom, loyal to the end, concealed Santiago in his house to protect the boy, calling him his son.

  "Santiago was very sad and cried for his mama and his family, and the poor groom felt so badly for the boy that he searched high and low for some relation, anyone to take the child."

  "Oh, that poor baby,” Kate murmured. She was dropping off to sleep.

  "After a year of searching, an old great-uncle was found. He was the Grand Vizier for a Tarkir prince. The uncle did not wish to be burdened with a child, but felt some loyalty to his sister's daughter, and took pity upon her son.

  "Never realizing the child was of the nobility, he arranged for Santiago to become a cabin boy upon a packet ship, which traded along the coast of Tartak and Silania.” He paused and slowly raised a hand to wipe his eyes.

  Katherine had fallen asleep, but he kept on talking, feeling the need to tell this story. He needed to give it a voice, to make it real again.

  "The boy grew into a man and became a ship's captain. He used means, both fair and foul to advance himself and became known as El pirata sediento de la sangre but in his heart, he will always be Santiago Cristóbal, El Condé du Diamánde."

  * * * *

  Dawn broke fiery gold, red and orange waking him slowly. He basked in the sunlight and the comfort of her warmth and softness against him as she slept.

  He loved her.

  He knew he'd loved her from the day she'd helped him with his headache. Her kindness to someone who did not deserve it stirred feelings in him that he had never experienced for anyone.

  Esteban had spent a great deal of time making love to women. He'd had his first whore when he was fourteen, but he'd never been burdened by emotions over them. They served a purpose, and it felt incredible to have his body joined with a willing and eager partner, but he'd never experienced the feelings for them that he had for Kate.

  Waves of fierce protectiveness washed over him when he thought about her being away from him. She had asked him if she could go to town with some of the women when they docked and he had flatly refused, saying it was too dangerous. The truth of it was that he felt nauseated by the idea that she could be taken from him. It was purely selfish.

  He knew he could never bear to be parted from her, and although she had stopped talking about returning to her world, he still wanted some way to bind her to him. Maybe if he got her with child she would be forced to stay. Perhaps he already had.

  He looked down at her still asleep in the crook of his arm, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she dreamed, and Esteban shook his head sadly. He couldn't do that to them. A child needed a safe home, and a secure life. The life of a pirate was hardly safe and secure. Nonetheless, he loved her, and if she truly wished to go, then he would have to let her, but first he would ask her to be his wife.

  Later that morning, Esteban found Manuel standing upon the wheel deck of Viceroy, watching an approaching pinnace. He handed his captain a telescope. Esteban lifted it to his eye scanning the horizon, searching for the small schooner, and at last resting briefly upon the flag of the ship. A golden snake wrapped around an axe upon a red background—Andalosians.

  He smiled.

  The pinnace was fast. Her captain obviously knew these waters and felt confident in traveling unaccompanied, and Esteban wondered if they had spotted his colors yet.

  "Make ready. I want that ship.” He swung down from the wheel deck.

  Manuel nodded and moved to the ship's master, giving him Esteban's orders, and soon the ship was turning, tacking in the direction of the oncoming pinnace.

  Viceroy closed the distance and Esteban noted she was a transport. Perhaps there would be a ransom.

  As during any battle, the men worked together as a well-trained unit. Those assigned to the guns moved belowdeck and the remaining sailors continued to maneuver the ship to an attack position. Soon they were ready to fire and a warning shot boomed out over the bow of the smaller ship.

  Esteban preferred not to destroy the smaller ships he took if it was at all possible because they were valuable and easy to sell.

  This would be a simple capture.

  Much to his and everyone else's surprise, the pinnace fired a volley back, striking Viceroy above the middle deck, punching a hole through the hull, starboard aft. Esteban heard the surprised shouts and screams of those below and turned to look back at the other ship, narrowing his eyes.

  They were preparing to fire again.

  He'd counted eight guns when he looked earlier and all eight were trained upon them now.

  "Take down her mast, prepare to board, and check the damage below!” Esteban shouted. His crew scrambled to obey.

  He caught a sailor who passed him and pulled him face to face. “Go below and make sure my woman is unharmed. Move her and the others amidships, into the corridor."

  "Aye, sir.” The sailor nodded vigorously and ran for the hatchway.

  Another shot thundered through the air, and Esteban braced himself upon the rail for the impact.

  Below, Kate and Aria had taken refuge in the wardroom. They hoped they were safely out of the range of the cannonballs. Kate felt only slightly safer with another room between them.

  At that moment, a sailor burst into the wardroom and called to her.

  She turned as the volley of four rounds struck the ship, rocking it hard. Kate, unprepared for the concussion of the blast, was flung into Esteban's desk, striking her head before she fell to the floor. She heard the young sailor and Aria cry out in surprise as well. Before she could regain her feet, another volley struck them broadside.

  * * * *

  A chain-shot from one of Viceroy's demicannons sailed long and true, striking the mast of the pinnace. It exploded into thousands of deadly splinters and shards, leaving a blasted stump. Esteban could hear the cries of the men aboard the smaller ship as the sails and rigging collapsed upon them.

  "Come about and ram them!” Esteban yelled to the master who nodded gravely. He swung them about once more and slammed broadside into the side of the now-crippled pinnace.

  Like spider webs, the grappling hooks and lines flew across to the other ship, holding her fast to Viceroy. She
was theirs.

  Esteban, along with his boarding party of eleven men, leaped across to the other ship, immediately encountering a small but fierce group of regular army soldiers ready to repel them.

  "There must be something valuable aboard this ship.” Esteban heard one of his men say to another. Inclined to agree, he didn't have much time to consider it, as he was engaged by a large, axe-wielding seaman as soon as he set foot upon the pinnace's deck.

  Esteban backed up, trying to find a clear path, but he was blocked by a large stack of crates. The sailor swung his weapon in a vicious sideways arc, which closed the gap between them with deadly efficiency. Esteban leaped back and upward onto the lowest crate and narrowly avoided being sliced in half.

  The man growled fiercely and attempted another swing.

  Esteban brought his cutlass down across the axe handle, and this coupled with the ferocity of the swing drove it down into the deck where it stuck fast. The sailor realized his weapon was now useless and instead seized the pirate captain by the throat with both hands. Esteban dropped his sword and drew back to punch the man in the belly. The sailor woofed out a breath and bent slightly. Esteban threw his head forward, smashing the other man with his forehead, which had no effect. Axe man grinned at him but loosened his grip, giving Esteban time to manage a gasping breath and draw his pistol from his belt. He pressed the muzzle under the man's chin and pulled the trigger, then shoved his body back.

  Stepping over his dead assailant, he was approached by another sailor at once.

  The skirmish was brief but fierce and the pirates were eventually victorious.

  After clearing the decks of the dead, the fallen sail and other debris, the pirates lined up all of the remaining officers and soldiers aboard the pinnace. Currently they were seated upon the deck, most in various states of injury.

  Esteban was furious. He moved to the captain and crouched before him. “Why did you not simply surrender the ship?” he demanded. “Were these deaths necessary?"

  "I had my orders,” the captain said grimly.

  "Your orders have lost you your ship and your freedom.” Esteban shook his head and stood.