Trystan gave her a smile when it was the two of them in the closed cabin. “Bed is yours. I have a hammock.” He tossed his cane and knelt to dig into one of the four bags one of the men had delivered.
“I can sleep in the hammock,” she offered.
His blue eyes sparkled as he shook his head and laughed. “Are you kidding me? Colin would kill me if I made you sleep in the hammock all the way there. Although, death would be welcomed considering what hell he will put me through if he ever finds out we shared a bed. Me touching your ass is going to cost me as it is, sorry about that by the way.”
She assisted him in hanging the hammock. “Lord Clifton is your friend.”
He nodded. “My best friend. However, you, Miss Najja, are the woman he loves.”
Love. There went that word again. It made her belly flip and flop.
“Mr. Wilkes, how the earl believes he feels about me is moot. I am not the woman for him.”
Trystan shot her a disbelieving look. “You are the only one for him, and if you think he is going to accept your leaving so simply…” he shrugged and turned back to his bags.
His words gave her a moment’s pause. Then she squashed the budding hope. Colin Faulkner, Earl of Clifton was her past. Her life was back in Africa, with Father.
She sighed. “Mr. Wilkes.”
“Call me Trystan.” He faced her. “What?”
“If you hurt Jo, I will find my way back to England and flay the flesh from your bones.”
He stared at her with wide eyes. “Very descriptive.”
She didn’t respond, her warning had been understood. A few hours later the ship began to move and with Trystan by her side, Najja watched England’s coast begin to fade into the bleak gray skies. Her heart screamed for Jo, Colin, Fineas, and Indrani. She was grateful for Trystan’s arm, which slipped around her waist in offer of quiet comfort. The final leg of her journey had begun.
Colin strode into Falcon House, a jaunty whistle on his lips. He waved to Pug as the lad scampered by and out the door. He’d missed him. The boy looked better each day. Colin had been in London for a little over a fortnight checking on Berry for one and some other things. Now that those issues were set it was time for him to go after the sole thing he desired.
“Abel, I will take a tray in my study.”
“Very well, my lord.”
He entered the room and sat at his desk eyeing the stack of unanswered correspondence waiting for him. A small square shaped object resided on the top. Interesting. He set it aside and got to work going through the rest. Abel brought him some food then left him alone.
After eating, he replaced the pen in its holder and rolled his shoulders. Paperwork is not very exciting. He placed the leather square before him and untied the bow. Once that was done he opened it. The object staring back at him froze his heartbeat. A bone white tooth lay there, a rawhide thong turned it into a necklace.
“A leopard.”
“Who gave it to you?”
“I earned it. When I was younger.”
“What did you have to do in order to earn this?”
“Survive.”
He remembered their conversation like they’d had it yesterday. This was Najja’s.
He reached out and placed it in the palm of his hand. Cool to the touch unlike when he’d lifted it from her skin. Then it had retained some warmth from resting against her skin.
If this is here… He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.
No note accompanied the item and he curved his fingers around the leopard’s canine and dashed to the door. “Abel! I need Salvage!”
Colin stepped to a window and paused at his reflection. He appeared harried. Without thought he slid the necklace over his head and settled it along his skin.
Najja.
“My lord,” Abel said. “Your horse is here.”
He blinked, aware he’d spaced out for a moment there. “Thank you. See to Pug.”
Coat on, he turned on his heel and strode to the door. He vaulted into the saddle with ease and Salvage moved out even before he’d settled. Giving the gelding his head, he tried to ignore the deepening dread which closed about him.
Finally, Kittle Manor came into view and Salvage thundered up the road only to stop before the steps. A footman hurried up and took the reins. Colin had just lifted his hand to knock when the door opened, leaving him facing Fowler.
“Good day, my lord.”
“Where is she?” he demanded, his anger hitting full force.
“Let him in, Fowler.” Jo’s voice came from the left. “Bring us some refreshments.” She barely looked at him, at either of them, before she walked away. He followed.
Once in the receiving room, she sat on a blue damask sofa, her hands clasped on her lap. He sat opposite her and stared. Jo seemed half of how he recalled her. No sparkle in her big blue eyes and there were dark circles under them. Her face was pinched.
“Mama and Papa are still in London. I do not know when they will return. If you wish to leave a message I will pass it along.”
A light knock preceded a maid carrying in a tray of tea and sandwiches.
“I have it, Lily, thank you.” Jo smiled at the maid who bobbed and left. Silent, Jo fixed him a cup of tea and placed a few sandwiches on a plate. Then she took some for herself.
He smelled the strong mint eat and flashed back to when he’d brought some to Najja. “Where is she, Jo?”
“On her way back to Africa.”
His heart clenched. “Why?”
Jo shrugged. “She had to go back to her father. She always does.”
“When did she leave?” He ate a sandwich in one bite.
“The day after you and Pug had dinner here. Mr. Wilkes came for her.”
He froze for a moment before white-hot rage poured through him. “Tryst came for her?” The question was more of a deadly growl than anything.
“Said he needed her expertise over there, so he took her.”
A red haze clouded his vision. All he could see was Tryst’s hands on Najja. I will kill him. A touch on his arm snapped him free of the single minded desire to kill Trystan.
“Bring her home.” Jo’s eyes implored. “Please, I will do anything.”
He exchanged cup for her hand and squeezed it gently. “I will find her, Jo.” I promise. How or where he had no clue but he did have a place to start. His blood thrummed with the excitement of being back out to sea and he released Jo’s hand then stood. At the door she called his name and he glanced back. “Yes?”
“Najja is different over there. If she does not wish to be found you will not be successful. If you go to the port where we departed from someone will be able to send you in the direction of where we used to live.”
“As opposed to finding her father.”
“She obeys him without question. Go to our old house. When you get there,” she stood and approached, “do what is on this paper.”
He read it and frowned. “And this will…?”
She gripped his hand. “Are you willing to fight for her?”
“Of course,” he replied immediately.
“Then trust me. Do what is on the paper. If she is in the area, she will find you.”
“Thank you, Jo.”
“She is my sister. I know she loves you, she just would not ever do anything about it.”
Najja loved him. That soothed some of the fury about Trystan, not all, but some.
“Because of her father?”
“Yes. She will never defy him.” A slight pause. “Not for herself anyway.”
He shared a look with Jo before he exited the room and went back to Salvage. There was a lot to do and he had to get going now. Back at his house, he was throwing things in a bag when someone cleared their throat behind him.
Pug.
“Something you needed?” Colin asked. He placed his sword by the pack.
“I want to go.” Determination was stamped all over his features.
He loo
ked at the boy. “Go where?”
“Find Najja.” Pug moved closer. “You are going after ’er, right?”
“I am.”
“Me too.”
“Ship life is not easy.” The boy didn’t blink. “Months at sea, storms. This what you want?”
Pug stood straight. “They say you were in ’is Majesty’s Royal Navy. I can do it. She should be here. Besides, she saved me, and she needs us to save ’er now.”
Pride smacked him dead center. “Africa’s not like England.”
“I know, Najja told me.”
“Did she now.” A firm nod from Pug. “Alright. You can go. You have to listen to me though, Pug. I do not want you getting hurt. Go grab some clothes.”
The lad’s grin split his face from ear to ear. Pulling on the rope, he gave orders for his carriage to be readied. He had a talk with Abel and before dark Colin and Pug sat in the coach taking them to his ship. Everything else here had been attended to.
When they arrived, he hopped out and waited for Pug. The boy stayed right with him as they strode down the docks. His boots clipped with each step.
“Commander!”
He paused and searched for the person belonging to the voice. “Trackston!” The willowy man neared and they shook hands. Samuel Trackston had been his lieutenant. “Good to see you.”
“And you. The men are ready. Happy to be serving under you again.”
“We should go.” He’d arranged for some of his old crew to be part of this voyage, needing men he trusted. Gesturing to Pug, he made introductions. As they boarded the swift clipper, a sharp cry caught his attention. Above the gulls fighting for scraps soared a larger bird.
Indrani. She’d left both bird and horse behind. He watched the gyrfalcon settle up near the top of the main mast. They got their things stowed and he stood on deck with Pug as they begin their journey.
Chapter Twenty
Africa
Najja sat on the thick branch while she waited for Trystan. They had arrived a week ago. Trystan had some contacts to make, so while he did that she’d spent her time away from the bustling port city. Trystan had agreed to meet her on the outskirts of the town, despite him wanting her to stay with him as she had the previous days. She needed to be alone.
The heat sank deep into her bones chasing away the lingering remnants of the cold English winter. She reclined on a branch which kept her hidden from below and exposed her to the sun’s welcoming rays. One leg dangled over the branch. Eyes closed, she just allowed the familiar sounds of Africa to embrace her. One moment the forest buzzed with noise and the next silence descended. Najja opened her eyes and readjusted to a crouched position.
Danger approaches! The forest screamed.
Moving stealthily, she made her way to where she could see the road and any who may approach. Trystan on horseback with another in tow. She dropped the rest of the way to the ground and stepped from the trees. Far enough back so she didn’t scare his horse.
The man nearing looked nothing like the dandy he’d portrayed on the voyage. His skin gleamed bronze and he had a tightly clipped beard. Then there was this air about him, one that screamed danger. He raised a brow as he neared and gave her a wink.
“This what you normally wear?”
“Skirts are not favorable for running in the trees, Mr. Wilkes.”
She wore her leathers, sais, and had her whip coiled at her side. He tossed her the reins and she swung up on the riderless horse.
“Looks fine to me,” he said. His rakish smile evident.
There was no offense to be taken. She had grown close to Trystan over the months at sea. A tease and a flirt, sure, but she had nothing to fear. As he told her their first night in the cabin on board, “You are Colin’s woman and therefore off limits to me.” A statement which had been followed by, “Such a shame though.”
They’d spent every night in the same room, switching bed and hammock but never sharing. She liked him. More than that, she respected him.
“We have a few days’ ride to get to that camp,” she announced after he said where they needed to go.
Najja was no one’s fool. She knew her “talents” weren’t needed for Trystan. He could have easily hired a local guide to take him but he chose her. She had not a clue why. Since it offered her a few more days before returning to Father, she didn’t question it.
“Can I ask you a question, Najja?” He spoke after they’d ridden in companionable quiet for a while.
“Of course.” She observed him from lowered lids.
“Why did you not stay in England with Colin?”
“It is not my place. Lord Clifton--”
“Colin.”
She sighed. “Colin is an earl.”
“He is. But that does not change how he feels about you. Nor you about him I would wager.”
“There are some things that are not meant to be.”
“True.” He rotated his head and speared her with his blue eyes. “Yet there are some that are meant to be.”
“Why do you care?” She broke the hold of his gaze taking in their surroundings, using the sounds of the surrounding forest to tell her what was going on.
“Colin is my best friend. I want him happy.”
With a noncommittal grunt, she returned her attention to the road. Even so, her mind weighed Trystan’s words. And Colin’s. She could no longer lie to herself, she loved him more than she believed possible. But he would be better off without her. Wouldn’t he?
Does not matter! She reprimanded herself. Love is not a luxury I am afforded.
They rode until late afternoon and set up a camp. Her mind lingered upon memories of Colin even while she gathered wood for the fire.
The following days progressed in a similar fashion. At least once a day he brought up Colin, making another chink in her armor. They paused a short distance from the village and she dismounted before handing him the reins.
“I assume you have no need of me further so I will thank you for the escort home, Mr. Wilkes.”
He tossed her a pouch and she snatched it out of the air. “Be safe, Najja. Until we meet again.” With a touch of his heels, he continued on.
“Good bye, Trystan,” she murmured before spinning around and heading toward the edge of the forest. There she paused and took one more look back. Then she allowed the trees and vines to swallow her up.
Days later, she slipped from the shadows and made her way into Father’s camp. Unerringly, she strode across the encampment to the main hut. Father’s hut.
She knocked and waited to be admitted entrance.
“Come.”
The voice sounded tired and rough. She didn’t refuse, entered, and approached. Her eyes reacted to the low light and it took her a moment to see clearly. Father sat on his raised dais, covered waist down by a robe of furs. One man stood on each side of him and a woman knelt before the trio.
Without speaking, she walked to the center and halted. Then she waited, head bowed and hands at her sides.
“Daughter. You have again returned to me.”
She untied the bag Trystan had given her from her waist and reached out her hand. One man took it and returned it to him. Father looked inside and back to her.
“Lord Adrys gave this to you?”
“No, Father. After I finished, a friend of theirs needed a guide. That is from him.”
He grunted. “Leave us.”
The men hastened to obey, the kneeling, naked woman jerked roughly to her feet and out of the hut. Najja knew what had transpired, and kept her face impassive.
“Come.”
She obeyed, moving to the base of his chair and lowering her head in a sign of submission and subservience.
“It may be time for you to take a mate. You are strong and would give me strong warriors.”
Bile rushed up in her throat, yet she managed not to react. Father continued on, telling her the candidates he debated between. Her belly heaved and rolled at the simple thought of another ma
n’s touch on her. She didn’t want another’s child.
“Go rest. We will discuss this more come morning.”
She retreated immediately and headed for her waiting hut. As usual, stares followed her progress. In her hut, she stared around at the bleak walls then slipped out and made her way to the surrounding woods. With an agile leap, she climbed up onto familiar thick branches and used them to head to her destination.
The crystalline pool sparkled in the sunlight, inviting her to dive in. Although pretty sure she was safe, she still scouted the area. This was an oasis in the middle of the jungle. Quicksand traps were all around, branches were the way to arrive. Content with her aloneness, she swung down and made her way to the edge where she stripped and dove in.
The cold water poured over her and she pushed up, brushing loose hair back. Moments later, it was all free and she set to the task of scrubbing herself clean, removing all the grime from the trip.
Bath done, she redressed and made her way back into the trees. Hair braided, she plucked a wide branch and lay in the sun. Contentment coursed through her. She was home. Except, in the back of her mind, something…or someone was missing. With a groan she did her best to ignore those thoughts. Tomorrow would be time enough for her to deal with Father and her thoughts about Colin.
The moment Colin saw him, rage hit him so hard he shook from the force of it. His fingers gripped the handle of his sword until he wondered if it would break or not. Trystan sat surrounded by three whores all of whom doted on him like their lives depended on it.
He stalked over there and growled, “Leave.” Trystan barely risen from his seat before Colin punched him in the jaw.
“Shite!” Trystan hollered, falling back.
Colin pursued, the only thing on his mind was ripping Tryst apart. A low roar of anger exploded from his chest as he continued to pummel Trystan.
“Stop it, Colin!” Trystan cried as he blocked another blow to the face. “Damn it man, stop!”
He didn’t want to but did. His fists hurt but Colin didn’t mind. Blood streamed from Trystan’s mouth and nose.
“Where. Is. She.”
“We parted ways.” Colin took a menacing step and his beaten friend held up his hands in defeat. “Calm down, Colin. You are drawing a crowd.”
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