by Joe Jackson
“Deceived me?” he echoed with a confused look. “About what?”
“Being dirty,” she said. She looked away from him, ashamed.
Grakin grabbed her chin softly but firmly and turned her face back to him, and he kissed her nose to nose. “You are not dirty,” he insisted. “You are one of the best women – no, one of the best people I know. You are my mate, and nothing will ever change that: not my brothers, not your father, nothing short of death itself. And even then you will still be a part of me.”
“Then you’re not mad at me?” Kari asked.
“Mad?” he repeated, and he put his hand over his mouth as he bit back a sob. “Kari, I love you! The only thing that makes me mad is the thought of losing you.”
Kari hugged him tightly, and Eryn’s advice shone through the jumble of thoughts and emotions that washed through her like a rainstorm: Don’t be afraid to cry, or to be weak; just work to make sure that what makes you cry or what makes you weak also makes you stronger in the end. Kari quietly gave thanks to the gods for the circumstances that had led her to meet so many good friends, and most importantly her gentle and loving mate. After a few minutes, Kari pulled lightly away from Grakin’s embrace and met his stare evenly.
“Grakin, it…may be a few days before we can make love again,” she said before biting her lip. “I have to...make sure this doesn’t happen again, and that I don’t hit you again.”
Grakin waved off the comment and ran his fingers smoothly along her jaw. “Whenever you are ready; when you feel safe,” he said with a comforting smile. He rose from the bed and began to get dressed, and he turned to face her when he finished. “We should go down and join the others for breakfast so they know you are all right.”
Kari shook her head. “I’m not ready to share this with them, Grakin,” she said. “I think I can keep this in check, but it was hard enough to tell you about it. I’ve never told anyone else. Not even Suler, or Carly.”
“I understand,” he said. He sat down on the edge of the bed and touched her shoulder tenderly. “You need not give them the why of it, but you should let them know you are all right. You are part of our family now, and they are all worried about you. Take your own advice to me: let your friends be there for you.”
Kari didn’t bother to try to stop her tears. “You’re right,” she said, managing a smile. “I’ll be down in a little while; I’m going to take a bath. Can you just explain to them that it was something private, and that I’m sorry?”
Grakin glanced at the bathtub, and Kari wondered if he was considering what she’d said about being dirty. He waved off her comment. “I will tell them you are fine, and to leave it at that,” he said. “They will not butt into your business where there is no concern of theirs and they are not invited. And there is nothing to apologize for, Kari.”
Kari nodded and Grakin went to join his siblings for breakfast. Kari climbed into the tub, which was still full with now room-temperature water from earlier in the morning. She’d taken a hot bath when Typhonix and Eryn got her back to the inn the night before, to warm her back up after her naked jaunt through the cool evening. The shock of the water felt good, awakening her a little more fully after a poor night of sleep, and Kari washed herself off quickly before she lay back in the tub. She relaxed as much as she could and tried to keep her mind clear; Grakin had not rejected her. After a few minutes there was a knock at the door, and she called for whomever it was to enter. She looked up to behold the barmaid from the night before.
“Brought ye some fresh hot water,” Oksera said. She approached the tub and, once she received a nod from Kari, she slowly poured a bucket away from Kari’s flesh or delicate areas.
“Thank you,” Kari said, swirling the water around to mix the temperatures.
“My pleasure,” the woman said in her wondrous accent. “Would ye like a drink?”
Deep in her core, Kari thought that drowning her sorrows in a double-godhammer sounded like a wonderful idea. “No, thank you, I’ll be coming down to the commons soon enough,” she answered, resisting the temptation. She wondered if her abuse was what had driven her to drink or whether it was knowing she had Dracon's Bane; strangely, she couldn't remember. With Kari lost in thought, the fures-rir woman bowed politely and left. Kari closed her eyes and massaged her feelings with Grakin’s words: he’d said she wasn’t dirty, and that she was one of the best people he’d ever known. Typical sentiments coming from a mate, and Kari honestly had to wonder if he really understood everything she’d told him. In the end, she supposed it mattered little: he loved her, and hadn’t rejected her. That was as much as she could’ve hoped for. It made her wonder briefly how Suler Tumureldi might have reacted had she told him; she imagined in much the same way.
After a short bath, Kari rose from the water and pulled a towel from the nearby wardrobe to dry off. She dressed slowly and did her best to keep her thoughts in order. It was hard not to imagine that little wooden sign outside the school and the memories of her father it evoked, but Kari countered her fear and her pain with the love of her mate and how she’d felt when Grakin held her. It reminded her of Trigonh and the way he’d held her hand tightly until she fell asleep for the last time in her previous life. She remembered how Carly Bakhor had followed her into battle, the way thousands looked up to her as she relayed the orders of Kris Jir’tana, and of Suler Tumureldi, the only other man who’d ever made her feel as beautiful as Grakin did.
Finally Kari rose to her feet and reminded herself that she was one of the highest ranking and, more pointedly, most respected demonhunters in the history of the Order, that Zalkar stood with her, and that she had survived and succeeded despite all that had happened to her as a young woman. Such a perspective only countered the memories so much, but Kari smiled at the woman that looked back at her from the full-body mirror that stood in the corner of the room. Her image reminded her pointedly that she was a woman of strength, and that though the scared little girl her father had abused lived within her, that girl was now protected by someone even the demons feared. Satisfied that her emotions were in check, Kari made her way downstairs and joined her friends in the common room.
“Hey, there she is,” Typhonix said with a genuine smile. For some reason, of all the looks of concern Kari received from her companions, Ty’s was one of the most important to her.
Erik rose from his seat. “Are you all right?” he asked. Though he normally had an imposing countenance, Kari could tell it was more than just the leader in him asking.
“I’m sorry about last night,” she said somewhat sheepishly, trying not to fidget. “I guess I owe you all something of an explanation.”
Erik grabbed Kari's snout lightly to close her mouth and said, “You don’t owe us a thing. We all have things we don’t want to talk about. Just tell us you’ll be all right.”
Kari met the blue-eyed stare of the larger male evenly. “I’ll be all right,” she said confidently, and from Erik’s reaction, she could tell that confidence shone through in her eyes.
“Good,” Erik said. He gestured toward her seat. “We’ll be out of the city first thing tomorrow morning. If you like, I’ll give you a bit of coin and you and the girls can go look for some leisure clothes at one of the nicer shops today.”
Kari was a bit confused by that. “I have money,” she said as she took a seat.
“I know,” Erik said with a shrug. “But you’re my sister-in-law now.”
A comforting warmth spread through Kari when Erik smiled at her, and Grakin patted her knee beneath the table. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. Celia, the human barmaid, brought over hot buttermilk biscuits, honey, and coffee for breakfast. Kari enjoyed her meal while the group chatted about their plans for the day, and she felt her spirit lighten considerably. The more time she spent among her friends and with her mate, the more the shadowy figments of her childhood dispersed, giving way to the strength and conviction of a veteran demonhunter. Once the morning meal was done with, Eryn guided Kari, So
nja, and Katarina to one of the richer districts up the hill to do some shopping.
Kari was nervous about walking through the city again, but Eryn and Sonja kept the air light with chatter, discussing bra cuts and lace panties that Eryn was looking forward to picking up. Katarina seemed just as amused by the topic as Kari did, and Kari wondered if perhaps she should get something sexy that Grakin might enjoy removing. She had never owned anything she considered sexy, but as she thought about it, she realized it was largely because she’d never had a reason to. She considered what Grakin’s reaction might be if she shed her armor back at the inn to reveal some sexy lingerie. When she glanced at Eryn and Sonja, the two women were staring at her, and Kari blushed, sending all of the women into a fit of laughter.
They spent most of the day in a couple of fancy clothing shops, though only Kari and Katarina had any luck finding clothing or lingerie in their sizes. Sonja, who stood six-foot-seven, was simply too large for what the shops had in stock, and they didn’t have time to get measured clothes tailor-made. Eryn stood only four-foot-eleven, so she had the same problem, but the two women seemed to have enough fun watching Kari model sexy clothes. Despite the fact that she was a tomboy, Kari had a beautiful figure that was only accentuated by the purple garments her friends helped her pick out. Initially Kari had been looking at something in black, but Eryn changed her mind by suggesting she just go naked if she was going to wear something the same color as her skin.
The late morning and afternoon passed calmly and amusingly, and with the urging of her friends, Kari bought some sexy undergarments. Both of her half-demon friends also helped her pick a couple of sleek dresses and casual outfits. Katarina picked up a couple of additional outfits as well, though she seemed more interested in their utility than their fashion, which didn’t surprise Kari given where the human girl had grown up. Kari was content, thinking it would be nice to wear something on the deck of Karmi’s Sword other than the old leisure clothes she’d had stashed in the bottom of her pack for eight years. She knew Grakin would like all of the pieces she’d purchased: he was content when she wore nothing. The true test, she mused with a chuckle, would be what Jori-an said the first time she wore the new casual clothes up on deck.
Just before dinner the women stopped in a jewelry shop, where Eryn and Sonja bought small golden hoops for their pointed ears. Kari didn’t wear jewelry other than her dog tags, but she had always liked the way earrings looked and caved easily to the suggestions of her friends to get some for herself. Katarina’s ears weren’t pierced either, but Eryn and Sonja suggested she give earrings a try. Eryn pointed out that Katarina was no longer living among rir and might want to start trying to attract a mate, and despite the fact that it was mostly an attempt at humor, the young paladin agreed.
Kari had to admit she looked less tomboyish when she was wearing earrings, and she decided to try turning Eryn’s sharp sense of humor back on her. “Do either of you have piercings anywhere else?” she tried to ask nonchalantly, but she ended up giggling as she finished the question.
“Not I,” Sonja said with a hearty chuckle.
“What, like nipple rings?” Eryn asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Forget it. Honestly, if what I’ve already got isn’t enticing enough, sticking jewelry through it isn’t going to help.”
Kari cackled and put her hand over the end of her snout. It seemed impossible to outdo Eryn when it came to humor. Eryn and Sonja shared a chuckle over Kari's reaction. Katarina remained silent, but she was trying very hard to suppress an impish grin. “I was just wondering,” Kari said. “I look kinda plain, and thought maybe a body piercing would give Grakin more of an eyeful.”
Her three friends exchanged looks and shook their heads when their gazes fell back over Kari. “Trust me, you don’t need one,” Eryn said, her words echoed by nods from the others.
They joined the rest of their companions for dinner, and they passed the remainder of the evening quietly playing cards. Most of them had enjoyed the opportunity to get off of the ship, but to Kari, spending a night and day in the city didn’t compare to the calm and beauty of the tropical island they’d visited beforehand - even before taking her waking nightmare into account. She spent the evening getting to know their two human companions further. As it turned out, Sherman mentioned that he was an apprentice smith when he lived on the island, so he found that he and Serenjols had that in common. The largest of the Tesconis siblings didn’t speak much, but he listened to Sherman’s stories and seemed to understand much of the underlying humor better than his siblings did. Katarina, on the other hand, had a fondness for woodworking, and she chatted a bit about the art of the bowyer with Eryn while they played cards.
Later in the evening Kari and Grakin retired to their room. Kari had trouble suppressing a grin as she removed her armor and padded clothes to reveal the purple lingerie she bought earlier in the day. Grakin’s eyes lit up and he smiled broadly, approached, and traced a finger curiously along the fabric of her bra and then her panties. His eyes were drawn to the way the panties hugged her curves, and he spent nearly a minute admiring her before he straightened up and lightly touched her long, silky black hair. She waited for him to take her undergarments off, but instead he moved away and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her curiously. After a moment, she moved over to him, pushed him onto his back, straddled him, and leaned down for kisses.
Kari told him clearly without saying a word that despite what she had said earlier in the day, she was expecting a night of passion. Grakin recognized it and didn’t disappoint. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, and Kari prayed that her thoughts and dreams would remain calm and centered on her mate. She woke around the five o’clock hour, but it was that expectation of being awakened for guard duty, and not due to a nightmare. Kari turned to look at Grakin and found him watching her, concerned. She kissed him to ease his worries, and then she returned to sleep.
When Kari woke the following morning, she found Grakin seated cross-legged before the window in prayer, and she had little doubt that he had many things for which to thank his lord.
Chapter VIII – Arrival
Kari and her companions boarded the ship and got underway without any attention from the city, and began the final leg of their long journey. Karmi’s Sword sailed off the south coast of Terrassia for over a week, but passed by the massive port city of Awlsabre without stopping. Soon enough the entire continent disappeared over the horizon and it took the hurtful memories Kari had relived with it. Though they stayed with her and the monotony of the ship threatened to help break them free, she did her best to concentrate on her training and her relationship with Grakin instead. As Eryn had advised, Kari drew confidence from her efforts and strength from her confidence, and she kept the memories walled up.
It took another couple of weeks to reach Tsalbrin once they left the currents around the southern end of Terrassia, and Kari and her friends began to bristle with anticipation as their destination drew closer. Kari spent the final weeks of the voyage training exclusively with Aeligos, no longer sparring with either Erik or Typhonix. She wanted to learn as much of Aeligos’ unarmed technique as she could before they landed. Kari continued to demonstrate her incredible adaptability and hunger to learn, and Aeligos told her that she was learning in days what may have taken other students weeks or months. Kari had the legs and grace of a dancer but the strength and grip of a long-time warrior, and the two skill sets combined made her a fierce opponent.
Aeligos hurt her more than once, hyper-extending joints and nearly breaking bones as he fought to stay a step ahead of Kari’s speed and reactions. Kari hurt him nearly as many times, and once caught him in an arm lock so tight she nearly tore his shoulder apart when he tried to escape. Grakin was forced to minister his healing arts to them both on several occasions, but as much as he showed impatience toward his brother for hurting his mate, he was still clearly proud of Kari’s advancement under Aeligos’ tutelage.
As for the priest, he spent most
of his time educating the young paladins about the pantheon: he explained the histories, areas of control, tenets and doctrines, and relationships among each of the deities. Grakin’s dedication was to Kaelariel, the god of freedom and death, but Kari soon learned that he was well-educated when it came to the pantheon as a whole, and he was able to properly teach the youngsters about all of the gods equally well. He seemed to be very careful not to push his own beliefs too strongly, as he apparently wanted to make sure the youngsters chose a path that reflected their beliefs and motivations rather than simply choosing the one their teacher had. Grakin spent the most time speaking of Kris Fletcher, Carsius Coramin, and Carsius’ daughter Bek, all of whom were paladins or very close to it. Kari was pleased when, based on the diligent instruction of the priest, the twins decided to take up service to the Ghost and his primary spheres of control: honor and loyalty.
The others practiced their combative arts during the remainder of the trip: Eryn wowed crew and passengers alike as she shot down bottles hanging from the crow’s nest with her bow. Her hand-eye coordination was phenomenal, and the fact that she could adjust her shots to take the constant motion of the ship and the speed of the wind into account was astounding. Sonja received permission to begin spellcasting on the ship’s deck, and she frightened the marines more than a few times as she arced lightning bolts through the night sky or across the surface of the water, where they were mirrored on the waves as they flashed toward the horizon. Sonja eased the crew’s worries by demonstrating her defensive enchantments: one night, she conjured a water shield that kept dangerous swells from washing over the deck but still allowed the wind to pass through and keep the sails full. Sonja never spoke of her wizardry with great confidence, but it was clear to Kari that Sonja would bring a lot of utility to the group with her arcane power. All together the group practiced and encouraged. Erik worked hard to make sure everyone was ready for the trials that lay ahead, especially the twins, whose swordplay improved dramatically over the weeks training under Serenjols with help from Sonja.
