by Renee Ryan
“Do not worry yourself, Ada. All these troubles will, no doubt, be resolved shortly.” The warmth of his palm covered the back of her hand. “You’ll soon be a bride.”
Ada jerked away from her father. “What? No, I cannot marry.”
*
Ada paced the bedchamber. She did not appreciate the fact that she’d been barred from the conversation, especially considering it concerned her. She sat on the cushioned mat and pulled her knees into her chest. Such was the lot of women. At least she held confidence that Nicolaus would defend her in any manner he could. She just wished she could be sure he and Asher would not destroy each other. How would she ever face Nicolaus if he brought harm to her brother or Asher if he harmed Nicolaus?
She sighed. If only she understood what Nicolaus meant by his endearment. Did he, in truth, love her, or were his words nothing more than…words? Would she be able to leave him if his heart belonged to her? Would her father allow her a choice? What of Nicolaus’s sister?
“Ada,” Chloe said as she walked into the room, the babe nestled against her chest. “Have you seen Galen?”
Ada shook her head. “I’ve only just returned. When is the last time you saw him?”
Color rose high in Chloe’s cheeks. “I cannot be certain. He and the babe were asleep when I took Edith down to bathe and break her fast. When I returned Galen was gone.” Tears formed in the nursemaid’s eyes. “I’ve looked everywhere as have a few of the servants. He is not to be found. I would inform Nicolaus, but he is in the andron with his father and brothers.”
As well as with her father and brother. She rose from the mat and ran her hands over the fabric of her chiton. “No bother, Chloe. I believe I know where Galen has taken off to. I will find him and bring him back posthaste.”
Searching for the boy would keep her mind from wandering to the men below and the fate they would ultimately decide for her.
“My thanks, Ada. I have been beside myself with worry.”
“As would I if I did not know this young man’s curiosity.” Ada offered the nursemaid a hug. “Now, if I do not return before the men are done with their discussions please inform Nicolaus I went to search the port for Galen.”
Chloe gasped and grabbed hold of her hand. “You cannot go down there, Ada. It is too dangerous.”
Ada nodded. “So it is and even more so for a curious little boy.”
*
Nicolaus ran his hand over his beard. He opted to lean against the wall and stare out the window overlooking the bay. Asher, Ada’s arrogant brother, took up a spot near the door leading to the courtyard as if to keep Nicolaus locked in his father’s home. He’d been glad when Jasen and Brison had arrived, perhaps, smug even. He could not help the way the corner of his mouth lifted at the tipping of the scales. If this young man chose to challenge him, his brothers would no doubt stand beside him.
Ada’s father lounged on one of the padded couches and plopped a grape into his mouth. He was like a dog with a meaty bone. Problem was Nicolaus could not figure out why. Did he think forcing Nicolaus to marry his daughter such an onerous task for him? “Pfft.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and expanded his muscles. If that was his thinking, he was wrong. Nicolaus would like nothing more than to spend the rest of his life in Ada’s company. He just wasn’t going to let Manus know that.
Jasen finished his game of knuckles with Brison and strode toward him. “What is the matter with you, Nicolaus? Father will not be too happy with the way you treat his guests.”
The corner of his eye twitched. “Hah, guests. More like thieves.”
Jasen shook his head. “I do not understand.”
“The elder,” Nicolaus said, motioning his head toward the man, “is Manus of Ashkelon. Ada’s father.”
Jasen laughed. “The glowering giant guarding the doorway must be her brother.”
“I find nothing humorous.” Nicolaus shoved his fingers through his hair and pushed from the wall. “What is taking Father so long?”
“Hmm.” Jasen tapped his chin. “Believe it or not, Mother said he was praying.”
A breath of air whooshed from Nicolaus’s chest. “As should I be.”
His brother clamped him on the shoulder. “Then do so. I’ll keep the giant from bothering you.”
Before his brother made it across the room, their father entered. “Manus, my old friend!”
Nicolaus froze and then glanced at Jasen, who seemed as surprised as he was. How did his father and Ada’s know each other?
Ada’s father rose from the reclining couch and clasped his father in a quick embrace. “Gavros, it is good to see you. However, I do wish it were under different circumstances.”
His father’s gaze shifted to Nicolaus, and then back to Manus. “Yes, yes, of course. However, I can assure you my son’s intentions were of good nature.”
Manus returned to the reclining couch and took a sip of water from his goblet. “I have no doubt they were.” His gaze shifted to Nicolaus. “I wish to thank you for rescuing my daughter from Ashkelon’s darkness.”
“I would do it all over again.”
“Of course. I did not realize the discord between my daughters. They have been punished for their part in Ada’s captivity. Harsh as it may seem, we received a fair price for them at Delos, all but my oldest, Dina, who will remain a slave in my household.”
The contents of Nicolaus’s stomach revolted in disgust. “A harsh punishment I would not wish on my worst enemies.”
“You may be assured they will consider their actions. Besides, I do not intend to leave them there. Once I am finished here I will return to Delos and retrieve my daughters. Now, I was prepared to offer thrice the price you paid for my daughter as I have a neighbor willing to pay that much for her hand in marriage.”
Nicolaus clenched his hands at his sides. Heat rose into his cheeks.
Manus fused his gaze to Nicolaus’s. “It is much more than I could have expected given she is the daughter of a Hebrew slave.”
His heart lurched into his chest at the implications. He now understood why Ada fought against the affection between them. Had her mother loved Ada’s father during her captivity?
“However, I fear rumors of my daughter being slung over a man’s shoulder and carried onto a boat have ruined her reputation, one I did all in my power to guard throughout the years.” He plucked a grape from the bowl. “If that were not enough, I hear rumors of how you carried her off your boat and into port, and then proceeded to reprimand your men for daring to look at my daughter.”
He recalled well the moment when he swept her into his arms and carried her from his vessel. Nothing could have prepared him for the way his heart had lurched at the comfort of holding her close, not even that small kiss they’d shared.
“I do not know about you, Gavros.” Manus looked to his father. “But I have never treated my slaves with such grace. If they refused my orders they were beaten, especially if they were as disobedient as my daughter.”
Nicolaus stiffened. Ada would never survive the beatings he’d received while in captivity.
“You must forgive my son. He was kidnapped and forced into slavery. It is fortunate his brother found him and paid a ransom for him. He bears the scars of brutality and would not treat another as such.”
“Gavros, we are old friends, are we not? We sailed together, traded together and went our separate ways. You made your riches and I mine. We helped make the world as it is.”
Thorns pricked Nicolaus’s neck. He did not like the tension in the air, and the way his brothers stood at attention showed they did not, either. “What is it you ask, Manus of Ashkelon?”
“Direct, much like your father, Nicolaus, son of Gavros.”
“I have no tolerance for games just as I have no stomach for beating obstinate slaves.”
Manus laughed. “You know my daughter well.” He took a sip from his goblet. “And I find you hidden away with her in the trees.”
His na
ils bit into his palms. “Forgive me, sir, but as my slave, I can do as I wish, and I did. However, as beautiful as your daughter is and as much as I desire to take your daughter as my wife, I respected her virtue.” He would not tell him about the stolen kiss. Not when he knew Ada wished to go home.
Manus rose and glided toward him until there was little space between them. The air in the andron thickened. “I know the look in your eyes. It is the look of a man in love. My daughters’ beauty has been known to weaken even the strongest of men, especially Ada. I’ve seen men go mad over a glimpse of her. It is why I pushed her away. I have done all I could to keep the dogs from stealing her from my house. Even telling her no man would want her because of her mixed blood. Of course, her mixed blood did little to keep my neighbors from offering. However, it kept her from encouraging them.”
Manus tucked his hands into the sleeves of his tunic and paced the room.
“What is it you wish from me?”
“I would see you marry my daughter. However, given her protest, I would seek her wishes.”
“I have already done so.” Nicolaus swallowed. As much as he disliked her marrying a neighbor, he would not keep her bound to him when she had no desire to. “She confided that she wished to return home.”
Manus tilted his head and started to speak but Jasen interrupted. “Did you tell her you love her?”
Before he could answer, he spied Chloe hovering outside the door in the courtyard. Her face was pale and she worried her fingers together. “Excuse me,” he said as he slipped past Asher. The man’s looming presence followed him. “What is it, Chloe? Has the babe taken ill?”
She bowed, and then shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. “No, it is Ada. She went to search for Galen at the port and has yet to return.”
Asher rushed back into the andron. Nicolaus squeezed her shoulders. “How long ago did she leave?” Chloe hiccupped on a quiet sob. “Chloe?”
“Shortly after you returned from your walk.”
“What has happened?” Manus and his father said at the same time.
“It seems Ada went in search of Galen, a young orphan boy,” he added for Manus and Asher. He tilted his head toward the sky. “She’s been gone near an hour. Too long for my liking.”
Manus nodded his head. “Shall we search for your bride?”
Nicolaus liked the sound of the words, but his heart refused to accept them just yet. When he found her, he would declare his love for her and once again give her the choice of staying with him or returning home with her father.
He took off running down the path.
Perhaps, she’d become lost, or even angry over being sent away while they discussed her future and had decided to find a quiet place to think. Ada may be obstinate, but she was not one to hide during trials. She’d proven that when she cared for the injured on his boat in the midst of her seasickness. Something told him she was in trouble.
He only prayed she’d not been taken out to sea by a band of thieves.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ada kicked at her abductor’s shin, but he yanked her back by her hair and tossed her to the planks. She clamped her hand to her head to halt the throbbing as she scooted against the side of the boat. Galen glared at the man who’d caused her harm. She pulled the boy down beside her and wrapped her arms around him. “We should not anger him further.”
The sailors busied about the deck, heeding the commands of their captain. Ada arched her neck and tried to look over the edge. Sighing, she sank down. Her insides quaked in fear, a fear she’d never known in the presence of Nicolaus, not even when he’d carried her on board his vessel. The captain’s shadow loomed over them and she glanced at him. A soiled cloth covered half his face, leaving one eye unsheltered. Fresh wounds, barely scabbed over, marred his forearms.
“You’ll fetch a nice coin.”
She scowled. “I already have a master.” Perhaps that bit of knowledge would cause the captain to release her and Galen.
He threw his head back and laughed. “I would challenge him for the rights to you, unless of course he does not care. What sort of master would allow a prize such as you to roam the port unattended?”
Heat rose in her cheeks. Nicolaus had warned her of the dangers, and yet because she did not heed them she was captured by an unsavory sailor. “Nicolaus, son of Gavros.”
His laughter died. Ada glanced up. The man’s eyes narrowed. “Brother of Jasen?”
She furrowed her brows and then nodded. The captain rested his chin against his fist and smiled as if he’d found a bag of silver. “He’ll pay a heavy ransom for you, especially after what he did to me”
Ada shook her head. Nicolaus had already spent a king’s ransom to rescue her from Ashkelon’s slave trader. She would not ask it of him, not when he needed coin to search for his sister. Her only hope was her father. She shivered. Rarely had her father parted with his riches and she doubted he’d do so now.
The captain snapped his fingers and motioned for the man who’d taken her to approach. “Do you know who this woman belongs to?”
The sailor tilted his head while he looked her over. “No, Captain.”
The captain burst into laughter. “You’ve done well, Joseph.” He glanced at Ada, his eyes narrowing to slits. “I’d come to speak with your master about some unfinished business between us. However, I had little hopes of success. With you in my hands, I do believe I may have a chance.” He crossed his arms over his chest and turned toward Joseph. “Inform the crew we leave now.”
“Captain, what of the men who remain on shore?”
The captain swung his arm out and grabbed hold of his man’s tunic. “Do you wish to face the wrath of Nicolaus in his own port, surrounded by his men? If you recall, the last we saw him he was none too happy with us. Just look at my face. He even threatened to hang us by our toes for all the vultures to feast upon, and now we have something which belongs to him.”
The man paled several shades and his eyes bulged as he glanced at Ada. The knot below his chin bobbed. “He’ll kill us.”
“Ay, if we do not leave now. If I lose my head because of your lack of haste, I will order yours to be lost, as well.”
Ada’s eyes grew wide. The blood drained further from the sailor’s face, and he looked to be ill. The captain spoke of Nicolaus as if he feared him. The captain knelt in front of her. She leaned away from his foul odor. “Did my man cause you harm?”
She shook her head as Galen spoke, his childlike voice carried over the planks. “The captain will kill that man for pulling Ada’s hair.”
Ada clamped her hand over the child’s mouth. “Do not provoke him, Galen.”
The captain ruffled Galen’s hair and then laughed as he rose. “I have no doubt that he will, boy. No doubt he’s killed greater men for lesser offenses.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. The Nicolaus she knew and loved could not be the fearsome man this sailor spoke of, could he? The man she knew was gentle and kind. Compassionate. Although she’d seen hints of his temper, he had never raised a hand to her. It was hard to fathom he’d cause harm to this man, unless he done something like take Nicolaus’s sister.
If the captain feared Nicolaus then why were they leaving port? Why not return her and Galen? Perhaps this captain intended to lure Nicolaus and cause him harm for the threats he’d made to the captain. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.
Ada reached deep into her soul for courage. “It would serve you well to release us before you leave.”
Reaching down, he gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his soulless eyes. His calloused fingers squeezed, bruising her flesh. “Your master has something that belongs to me, and I would retrieve it. Besides, I would not miss another chance to capture the deadliest captain of the Great Sea, not after what he’s done to me.”
Ada sucked in a sharp breath, the salty air stinging her lungs. Had this man caused the scars slashing Nicolaus’s back? The man straightened once again. “He cost me a
lot of coin and my pride when he freed my slaves, tormented me and stole my map.”
Ada recalled the small piece of leather with pictures drawn on it, but knew if Nicolaus had taken the map it was for a good reason. “You stole him, did you not?”
“Ay,” he said as he grinned. “My men did. Right from his ship. Stole his sister, too. I could not pass the chance to humble the great Sea Dragon. After years of service with Nicolaus I never thought a woman would be his ruin, not even his sister.”
Ada pressed her palms against the planks and stood. She laid her palm on his arm. “You know where Desma is?”
His upper lip curled. The corner of his eye twitched as he glanced at her palm against his arm. He jerked back a step. “No.”
“You stole her, and you do not know where she is?”
His gaze roamed over her, from head to toe and back again until he stared into her eyes. “Ay, I stole her. That does not mean I kept her.”
Ada shivered. Her hope at finding Desma plummeted to the bottom of the sea. Queasiness rocked her back on her heels. What sort of fate had this man sentenced Nicolaus’s sister to? The same Nicolaus had rescued her from? “What kind of a monster steals a man’s sister and sells her into slavery?”
“I am no different than Nicolaus, son of Gavros.”
“No greater falsehood has been told.” Her heart told her that truth about Nicolaus, even if the fear in their eyes when speaking of him lent to an unsavory past. He was no longer that man. She caught sight of Nicolaus approaching the wharf. Even from this distance she could tell it was him. Knew by the hardness of his jaw. He squeezed past men carrying crates and then stopped to speak with several young boys.
“I’ve no time to convince you otherwise.” The captain gave her a slight shove, forcing her to stumble before she landed on her backside. “Watch her,” he said to Joseph, and then he walked away.
