“She left you in my keeping.”
Bion swayed again. “ Why would she do something like that? We were going to get to know each other.”
“Because you’ll be working for me from now on.”
“Now see here,” Peter argued. “He’s not yours. You haven’t paid for him. I could get a lot for him down on the dock, what with the way he’s on his feet after all I gave him.”
“I’m buying,” the man in the center said. “But if he’s lying, I’ll toss him overboard and be back to take my money out of your hide for setting me up.”
One of the men handed over a wad of folded bills.
“See now,” Bion stammered, “what’s this business? You can’t be buying a man just like that. I’ve got me a ship, made me mark on the roster. I just came looking for a pretty girl before—”
“Now you have a new ship”—one of the men pulled out his pistol, aiming it at Bion’s heart—“and a Navigator for you to train. Unless you want to admit you were lying?”
Bion shuffled back a step only to run into Peter’s thugs. A moment later, pain split his skull as someone clubbed him from behind. There was no fending off the blackness; it jerked him away from consciousness in a blinding flash.
***
“This is a rash plan.”
“I think our good captain will agree with you—once he wakes up, that is,” Lykos whispered softly to Decima. He stroked her side with a delicate motion, chuckling when she made a disgruntled sound. In the dark alley, he pulled her closer and buried his head in her hair.
“Do remember to play the part, my dear. You are, after all, a veteran Hunter and should know how to blend in to your surroundings.”
“And you are an experienced Guardian. Do try not to sound so pleased,” Decima whispered against his neck. “It is a sure sign of a lack of professionalism.”
Lykos chuckled and pressed a kiss against her temple. He kept his gaze on Bion’s slumped form and the men doing their best to lift him, but it was a struggle. Lykos had to admit that his attention was trying to wander to the sweet opportunity attempting to wiggle out of his embrace.
“You are correct.” But Lykos tightened his embrace for a fraction of a moment before he forced himself to return to duty. “Frustratingly so.”
Decima opened her lips to argue or perhaps chastise him, but he pressed his mouth against hers, sealing whatever she’d intended to hurl at him beneath a hard kiss. It wasn’t as passionate as he would have liked, more of a declaration of his intentions once time permitted him the luxury of giving in to his impulses.
She hissed at him when he relaxed his hold, pushing against him until he released her completely. In the dingy alley she was even more stunning, despite the tattered dress she wore.
“Until later,” he offered with a slight inclination of his head.
She turned her back on him, using their duty like some fortress that would offer her protection. Some day very soon, he was going to enjoy storming her defenses.
***
Bion rolled over and landed facedown on the floor.
His elbows smarted, but it was nothing compared to the way the back of his skull felt. Cracking an eye open, he realized he’d been lying in a hammock.
“On your feet.”
Bion was happy to comply, but the man standing over him wasn’t very pleased when he ended up looking up into Bion’s furious glare. Bion rolled his shoulders and his neck popped as he stared down into the smaller man’s face. “Who clubbed me? You?”
“No.” The man swallowed roughly. “Captain Aetos wanted to see you now that we’re off the ground.”
There was a dull hissing sound and the deck beneath his feet vibrated a tiny amount. Bion knew the feel of a ship—he was more at home in the sky than on the surface of the Earth—but this was not an Illuminist ship. The air was stale because the hatches that would have allowed a breeze in were closed shut. Not far ahead, a trapdoor opened to the deck above, sunlight pouring down over the ladder leading up, out of the hold.
“This way. It isn’t wise to keep the captain waiting. He’s right fond of tossing men overboard when he doesn’t have any use for them—or those that just piss him off. He tosses those over the rail too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Bion grinned at the crewman’s back. It was a savage expression and he didn’t bother to control it. He climbed out of the hold, sweeping the deck with a critical glance on his way to the captain’s cabin at the back of the ship. The crewman rapped on the door and pushed it open when someone hollered inside.
But the crewman stayed outside, holding the door open for Bion. There was a look in the man’s eyes that confirmed Captain Aetos was everything Bion expected of an airship pirate. He maintained order on the vessel like countless other lawless men had done through the ages, through merciless savagery.
“About time you rolled out of your rack.” Captain Aetos had just finished grooming, the scent of soap lingering in the cabin. He was inspecting his short beard in a small mirror. “I don’t suffer lazy dogs aboard the Soiled Dove.”
“Never met a captain who did.”
Aetos put the mirror down on a desk that had several charts unrolled on its top. “And I don’t care for arrogant men among my crew either.”
Bion folded his arms over his chest in response. Aetos rose, standing eye to eye with Bion. “If you have a problem with my authority, speak plainly.”
“Can’t really do that just yet, since I haven’t heard what it is you are expecting of me. Where are we bound?”
A gleam of anticipation flickered in the captain’s eyes. “You’re an opportunistic one.”
Bion inclined his head.
Aetos laughed softly. “I like that in a man.” He tapped the charts on his desktop. “Since you aren’t demanding to know what manner of vessel this is, you’ve proven yourself a man of his word. You did just get off ship and you weren’t at sea.”
“Sounds like I said a little too much.”
“Better sold to me than a whaling ship.”
Bion wasn’t willing to agree so quickly. “I like a good opportunity but not when it comes with a billy club across me skull.”
Aetos didn’t even blink. “I needed a man who could train a Navigator, and I don’t need any complications from the Illuminist authorities.” His eyes narrowed. “What captain did you sail with?”
Bion truly hated the man in that moment. For the innocent sailor caught in his net, there wouldn’t be a hope of answering the question correctly. It was clear the crew member cowering outside the cabin door had reason to fear Aetos.
“Kyros.”
Aetos grinned, the expression more victorious than pleased. “What position did you hold?”
“I was his first officer.”
The captain shifted, moving his right hand toward the butt of the pistol strapped to his hip.
“Kyros was a Helikeian and I knew it,” Bion admitted. “But I wasn’t there for any order’s benefit. I was there to get my hands on a Root Ball.” Bion stepped forward and boldly looked at the charts. “So when are you going to get around to telling me what sort of venture this is?”
“You just might have been worth what I paid for you.”
Bion looked up, locking gazes with the captain. “I look out for myself first. If you don’t like it, toss me off your ship because I won’t be changing.”
Aetos’s face darkened, but he held back his first comment. Bion didn’t move his attention away. He continued to stare at the man, making it clear that he wouldn’t be backing down. It was a risk, one that might just end with him free-falling through the clouds, but there was no way he was going to behave like the crewman cowering outside the door.
“If you get the Navigator working, I just might be able to put that Root Ball in your hands.”
“I know my craft and I don’t take anyone interfering in my methods,” Bion shot back.
“With the exception of myself, I agree.” Aetos nodded. “But no one sta
ys on this ship without producing results.”
“In that case, you’d better introduce me to this Navigator.”
***
Someone threw water on her and Sophia jumped. The air was cool and she shivered as the cold water soaked her hair and bodice. She wiped it out of her eyes.
Someone laughed and then several others joined in. She opened her eyes and stared into the faces of the roughest lot of men she’d ever set eyes on. They were every bit as repulsive as the gossips had speculated ungentlemanly men might be. Some sported unkempt beards—a clean-scraped chin was nowhere in sight. Their clothing was mismatched, many with collars open halfway down their chests. They were clustered around her, some straining onto their toes to see over the shoulders of the ones in front of them. What chilled her further was the number of pistols stuck into belts and waistbands.
“Well now, this is a bit of finery.”
Sophia struggled to her feet to face the man addressing her. The rest of the group seemed to be waiting on him. They leered at her but looked toward him before saying anything.
“I do believe I owe you a bit of thanks, Compatriot Grainger.”
She spun around, searching for her nemesis and felt her legs protest. Several spots hurt and one ankle felt twisted. Memory rushed back, reminding her of the struggle she’d had with the burly guard. She smiled slowly, happy to know she hadn’t gone down without a fight.
“She is a prize,” Grainger informed them, but there was a note of disgust in his tone that pleased Sophia. “My prize.”
“No, Compatriot. I am captain of the Soiled Dove. If she’s my Navigator, she’s my prize and a member of my crew from here forward.”
Sophia turned to look at the captain. He was a large man, and obviously not one concerned with appearances. His dark hair was long and held back from his face. Unlike a good many of his crew, his beard was trimmed and clean. His shirt was open to his chest and the shirtsleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. The skin of his lower arms was tanned from the sun, proving that he was quite at ease half dressed.
“I am Captain Aetos,” he offered as he stepped closer and peered into her eyes. His were a brilliant shade of blue, and Sophia looked away from them.
He instantly grabbed a handful of her wet bodice and jerked her close.
“Let me see your eyes.”
Sophia sent an icy glare at him, then she very precisely peeled his hand off her using one of the techniques Bion had insisted she learn in Asian fighting class.
“You’re going to be stubborn,” the captain declared as he let her move a few paces away from him. There really was nowhere to go and a hiss from behind her drew her attention. She gasped when she turned her head. Two large exhaust pipes stuck out behind the deck she stood on. She was actually on an airship, built for carrying cargo in its holds. Hovering above the deck she was on were three rectangular balloons attached to the ship by heavy netting.
“Look your fill. You’ll have plenty of time to memorize every detail of the Soiled Dove,” Captain Aetos informed her softly to the delight of his gathered crew members. “You belong to me now.”
“She does not!” Grainger interjected, earning a scowl from the captain. “I created her—”
“Lock your jaw, Compatriot.” The captain’s voice took on the sting of a leather whip. “Keep forgetting who is captain of this vessel and I will have you tossed over the rail, no matter our altitude.”
There were a few snickers in response from the crew, proving the captain was a man of his word. There was a solid-looking railing running along the edges of the deck, but it rose only about a meter. Tossing someone over wouldn’t prove too difficult. Sophia’s throat went dry as she realized there were clouds floating past and beneath them.
Grainger sniffed and thrust his chin out. His features twisted in an odd manner before he yanked a polished knife out of his sleeve. “I created her and I shall control her. You will not take away my triumph!”
The tension was so tight in the air around her, she could practically taste it. She shuffled back, away from Grainger. His head snapped around in her direction and he reached toward her, his hand looking so much like a talon that she recoiled from it. The sunlight flashed off the knife blade, turning her stomach. He would spill her blood, she was absolutely sure of it. Someone grabbed her wrist, jerking her away from Grainger.
Sophia stumbled and looked up in time to see Grainger being thrown over the railing of the airship. His scream faded rapidly until only the hissing of steam could be heard.
“You there, stand steady.” Captain Aetos pointed at the man who had tossed Grainger overboard. He was every bit as large as Aetos and turned to face the rest of the crew.
Sophia clamped her teeth down so hard she tasted blood from her lower lip. Maybe she was still caught in the hold of the chloroform because she was certain the man she faced was Bion Donkova.
It couldn’t be. She was snapping under the pressure, her mind taking refuge in delusions. She was as mad as Grainger.
“I warned you that I give the orders aboard this vessel. That includes deciding who stays aboard,” Aetos informed Bion.
Bion shrugged and folded his arms across his chest. The pose was branded into her memory, sending a rush of relief through her that was squelched a moment later when she realized that Aetos was narrowing his eyes. The captain wasn’t angry over the death that had just occurred; he was furious at the thought of his authority being usurped.
Bion might just follow Grainger.
“You told me my duty was to keep the Navigator working at her station and I warned you that I look out for myself first. If she’s my ticket to a Root Ball, I’ll have an issue with any man who threatens her.”
“That doesn’t grant you permission to throw anyone off this vessel,” Aetos growled.
The captain’s razor-edged tone didn’t seem to bother Bion. He stood straight and unwavering, as the rest of the crew waited to see if there would be another man tossed overboard. Some of them appeared eager for the entertainment. Sophia’s belly twisted again.
“To my way of thinking, it does,” Bion answered. “I’m only working for you so long as I get my payment. Anyone who pulls a knife on the method of my earning that payment is someone I consider a threat, and I never let a threat go unanswered.”
Surprise registered on the faces of many of the crew. They looked toward their captain, waiting to see what he’d decide. The deck was silent except for the soft hissing of steam.
Aetos suddenly chuckled and slapped Bion on the shoulder. “You have a pirate’s heart, my good man. You should thank sweet Lucy for picking you out of the crowd for my crew. You’re right at home.” His tone suddenly hardened. “Providing you can do what you said you could. I want her working on the bridge.” Aetos shifted his gaze to Sophia. “Beat her, seduce her—I don’t care. As long as I see results. I’m going to enjoy surprising those Illuminist cargo ships. The profits will be high.”
The crew cheered, showing off their missing teeth as they smiled.
“Navigators don’t work like that. It takes time for their sight to come all the way in. She looks pretty young. I doubt she has full dimension sight,” Bion warned. “Besides, I don’t see a crystal array on the bow either. Her sight is worthless without the array to open the seams between dimensions.”
The crew quieted, casting worried looks back at Aetos again. Tension knotted the muscles along Sophia’s neck as she realized the game Bion was playing.
Aetos cursed low and long. Her cheeks heated at the profanity. She had to admit that the curses she’d heard previously were nothing compared to what her current situation might offer. The stain brightening her cheeks drew his attention.
Captain Aetos laughed. “I haven’t seen a female blush in a very long time—not since I buggered my best friend’s cousin in the hen house while her mother thought I was pitching hay.” He waved his hand. “Get back to your posts. I already have to waste one man on this fledgling Navigator. The rest
of you will earn your keep or get off my ship!”
The crew jumped and scurried back to their positions. Some climbed the netting that secured the large balloons above them. They held binoculars to their eyes as they scanned the skies around them.
“Find out what she can do,” Aetos ordered. “I don’t suffer useless members of my crew. And leave getting an array to me.” He turned and surveyed his crew at their posts and paused to look back at Bion. “You did well enough today. Grainger was a damned nuisance, one we’re well rid of. You might live past dawn after all. She gets the small cabin on the port side since her eyes are delicate. You can share it with her—maybe she’ll decide she likes ruffians.”
“I do not,” Sophia blurted out. “And I shall not keep close quarters with any gentleman.”
“Well now, it seems we have an understanding,” the captain responded happily, flashing a grin at her. “No gentleman shall invade your privacy because there isn’t a single gentleman on this vessel.”
The crew hooted with laughter, more than one of them making obscene gestures that burned into her mind.
“Your vulgarities are revolting,” she protested. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that she was very much at the man’s mercy. Bion might be near, but he was also stranded on the Soiled Dove. Panic clawed at her, refusing to be banished no matter how hard she tried.
Aetos frowned at her. “I liked you better when you were biting your lip out of fear.” He moved toward her and stopped only a single step away. “If keeping you terrified keeps your mouth from annoying me with useless chatter… that can be arranged, Miss Stevenson. You’re a member of my crew, just as the fellow who just tossed a man overboard in your defense is. Up here, it’s in everyone’s best interest to remember your crewmate is your best friend”—his eyes narrowed dangerously—“your only friend. I’m captain of this vessel and I’ll use any means at my disposal to win the prize. The Illuminists are moving Deep Earth Crystals through the dimension gates and you will help me chase them down. Your only choice is how much motivation you will require to perform to my specifications. I promise you, my worst is far more revolting than having one gentleman invading your privacy. Now get back to your cabin. You’ll find glasses there to protect your eyes.”
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