Iron Pirate (The Deviant Future Book 5)

by Eve Langlais

  His own fault, really. He’d not listened to her wishes. Not respected her choice. But he would support it if she’d give him another chance.

  The streets of Lazuli proved barren of people. The incoming bad weather more than enough to keep everyone inside. Although, from what Pomme said, this city, the capital of the Lazuli kingdom, didn’t have a ton of citizens.

  The incident at the Crimson Keep must have done more damage than was known. Or was there another problem?

  A good sense of direction meant he retraced his steps to the building they’d left the day before. Ugly and square, the only break in its surface was the plain door set within it.

  It had no handle, so he banged on it. “Open up!”

  Almost immediately, the door slid open, and to his surprise, he didn’t have to fight his way in. No guards stood waiting to shoot him or take him into custody.

  On the contrary, Dr. Pomme waited for him. “Captain Darius. I was expecting you.”

  “Where is she?” he demanded without politeness or preamble. “What have you done with Shereen?”

  “Only what she asked.”

  “I want to see her. Take me to her right now.”

  “Of course.”

  The doctor led him back into that barren stairwell, only two flights this time, and then to a room larger than before. A medical chamber with machines. His gaze went to the bed and the woman lying so still upon it.

  “Is she sleeping?” Darius asked, approaching her. He noted the rapid flutter under her eyelids.

  “Of a sort.”

  Darius cast a glare at the doctor. “I don’t need your half-answers. What’s happening to her? What have you done?”

  “She ingested the counter-serum of her own free will. It immediately put her into a dream state.”

  “A dream state?” His brow creased. “So she is sleeping while the potion does its thing.”

  “It’s more complicated than that. The counter-serum would have immediately gone to work reversing the blockage on her psionic abilities, but a full cure requires some input from the princess.”

  “What kind of input?” Darius asked.

  Shereen whimpered and thrashed. He reached for her hand.

  “Think of the suppression as a series of locks. Every time she ingested some of the blocking serum, another lock was added.”

  “But she’s no longer being drugged. Shouldn’t those locks disappear?” Darius tried to make sense of the logic, but science wasn’t a strong suit of his.

  “Some have fallen, others loosened. However, others were placed during periods of development, which renders them a tad trickier.”

  “Why?”

  “Because her own magic is now what holds them together. Those magical locks that she inadvertently reinforced are the ones she must destroy.”

  “And how does she do that?” he asked.

  “She has to open herself completely up and feel. The burn of anger. The elation of achievement. The affection for another. Sorrow. Each of those emotions, if strong enough, will act as a key to unlocking her gift.”

  It took a moment to filter the meaning. “In other words, you’re mentally torturing her.” His lips flattened, and he went rigid as she cried out and flailed in her sleep. “You sick fuck.”

  Pomme remained unapologetic. “None of what she’s experiencing is real.”

  “You say that, and yet she’s hurting.” He only had to glance at her expression to see it.

  “But it’s not a real pain,” Pomme reiterated. “Just a nightmare. Once she wakes, she’ll forget all about it.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  “You have to understand it’s the only way.”

  “When will we know if it worked?” Darius asked.

  Pomme cocked his head, a sly smile on his lips. “Listen.”

  In the distance, despite the muffling walls, he could hear the distant boom of thunder. Feel the tremble of the building as it was buffeted by yet another storm. So many since he’d met Shereen.

  The understanding hit him suddenly. “Holy fuck, she’s the one causing the storms.”

  “Yes. By our observations, the locks on that power began slipping a short while ago. It was a gift passed down by her mother. But it’s not her only one.” The low words held a hint of avarice, and Darius didn’t like the way the doctor eyed Shereen.

  “Two magics?” Darius said rather skeptically.

  “I’d say more than two, actually.”

  “That’s rare.”

  “Rare but it happens.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Why else would the king have been so worried?” Pomme tucked his hands behind his back. “Storm psions are plentiful. If she’d only shown storm, despite her bloodline, she would have never even been considered for the crown but shuffled off to some lesser role in the court. She wouldn’t have been a threat. Unlike her brothers with their water magic.”

  “I guess storm and water psionics combined would make for a pretty powerful combination.”

  “Extremely. Add in a third power, maybe even a fourth ability… The kind of things that could be accomplished.” There was almost a reverence to Pomme’s statement. “Now you begin to understand why she is so valuable. Why the bounty we offered was so large.”

  The blood in his veins froze. “What the fuck did you say?”

  “No need to be coy. Your reputation precedes you. Excellent work delivering the princess. You saved us a fee with the broker by coming to us direct. You’ll find the ten bags of Dust, with a little something extra for the prompt delivery, already loaded in the hold of your ship.”

  Disbelief filled Darius as he realized just how badly they’d erred. “I didn’t bring her here because of a bounty.” He’d have sailed far away in the opposite direction if he’d known.

  “Then consider it a bonus, given the princess isn’t exactly wealthy at the moment.”

  Still wrapping his mind around the whole thing, Darius said, “Have your people been the ones hounding us this entire journey?”

  “We don’t leave the kingdom much, not anymore, but we do have our sources. A hunter that was keeping watch for us sent word that he’d seen her at the Crimson Keep and would try to take her into custody. I assume he failed since he never reported back in.”

  Darius’s lips twisted. “Your hunter got jumped by the ghouls in the old castle.”

  “You don’t say? Pity about the Crimson Keep showing signs of infestation. We’d hoped to, one day, return. We’ll have to send a demolition squad to handle it.”

  “You’re going to blow it up?”

  Pomme continued talking as if he’d not heard. “Despite our hunter being taken out of commission, we had other means of watching. It’s how we knew your ship was sailing up the Crocanile. At that point it became clear you were delivering her to us, and we chose to shadow your movements.”

  “If you were shadowing, why did you let her get caught by the chimpetis?”

  “A miscalculation on our part. They weren’t taught how to swim, but evolution is a wonderful thing.”

  “Those things aren’t a result of evolution but twisted science.”

  “According to you. In many respects, I see them as a grand success. They have thrived past our wildest expectations.”

  He could have choked at the pride in Pomme’s voice. “They kidnapped the princess for a vile ritual.”

  “She would have survived.”

  “With nightmares for life,” Darius retorted.

  As if Shereen heard them arguing, she cried out. Just one word. “Darius!”

  His name was a shriek on her lips, but what disturbed him most was the tears. They rolled from her closed lids. Darius held her hand and whispered, “Don’t cry, princess, I’m here.”

  But she didn’t hear him.

  The building shook with the force of the wind outside, but what startled was the sudden blaring of a speaker that exclaimed, “It’s raining”—which didn’t sound too bad until the
voice added—“at a rate of an inch per minute.”

  Which even Darius knew was insane.

  Pomme stared in fascination at Shereen. “She must have reached the point of greatest loss in her journey.”

  “Does that mean she’s going to wake up soon?” Darius asked, stroking her hair back from her sweaty cheek while also debating his next move.

  Wait for Shereen to wake? Or not? He didn’t like how calm Pomme appeared. The man should be begging for his life by now—because he would die for what he’d done.

  “That depends on how she handles the emotions she’s unlocked, along with how much magic she consumes before she burns out.”

  “From the sounds of that storm, seems like she’s already expended quite a bit.”

  “Her strength is astonishing. Few storm mages can hold a weather pattern of that magnitude for very long.” Pomme appeared utterly fascinated.

  It was more than Darius could handle. “This is insane. I’m waking her up, and we’re leaving.”

  “I don’t think so. We had a deal, for which you were paid.”

  “Fuck your deal. I never agreed to shit, so you can take back your bags of Dust. Shereen is not staying here.” Darius pulled back the sheet and saw she still wore her own clothes. The doctor hadn’t wasted time when he got his hands on her.

  Pomme kept opening his mouth and yapping, making his death more and more certain with each syllable. “The princess cannot leave until she pays for the treatment.”

  “I thought you offered to fix her.”

  “We did, but not for free.”

  Greedy fuckers. But doing things for money was something Darius understood. His jaw went rigid. “How much does she owe you?”

  “The original offer had two options. Thirty humans of varying age and sex.”

  “Slaves?”

  “More like medical volunteers. Human subjects are required when it comes to testing.”

  The very idea made him twitch. “She would never give you people to experiment on. What’s the other payment option?”

  “We would also accept the princess remaining with us for the period of one year.”

  The odd statement made his brows rise. “Why would you keep her?”

  “Because she’s more genetically valuable than a hundred people put together. The things we could do with her genes, and her eggs.” The avarice in Pomme’s gaze chilled him through and through.

  “You’re a sick bastard.” As a pirate, Darius didn’t have many morals. Stealing, killing, lying, he’d done it all. But there was something inherently wrong with messing with people.

  “Don’t pretend you’re any better. We are quite familiar with the bodies you’ve left strewn across the islands.”

  “Fair fights, not this drugging bullshit where she doesn’t stand a chance.” He swept a hand to encompass her comatose form.

  “Always with the violence.” Pomme sniffed.

  “Trying to say you never fight?”

  “Not all battles have to end in injury or death. It’s a waste.”

  “Yeah, because you wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to fuck with their genes instead.” Darius rolled his eyes.

  “Speaking of, did anyone ever tell you that you have an interesting genetic code?”

  A stillness froze his limbs. “I’m perfectly normal.”

  “Please. We both know that’s not true. After all, look at who you are related to. Your brother is off the charts when it comes to his abilities.”

  “I can’t do mind tricks.” Nor could he make storms or talk to animals. “I’m just a pirate.”

  “With the most impressive record when it comes to sailing the seas.” Pomme wasn’t giving up.

  “Guess I’m lucky.”

  “No, that would be Gunner of Haven. We are still trying to decode which marker gives him that particular ability.”

  The unexpected reply had him blurting out, “How many people outside of Lazuli are you studying?”

  “Only the interesting ones.” Which wasn’t really an answer.

  The speaker erupted with static before the high-pitched voice of the person manning it said, “Doctor Pomme, the rain hasn’t abated and is beginning to accumulate. It has reached ten inches and still rising. The first levels are beginning to flood.”

  “No need to panic. I’m sure the storm will soon pass, as I doubt she can keep this up much longer.”

  Darius wasn’t so sure. He glanced at Shereen and the big fat tears that seeped from her closed eyes. Thick sorrow rolled from her as she mourned inside her nightmare. He wasn’t waiting for her magic to fizzle out.

  “This farce is done.” Darius leaned over and swept her into his arms. He turned to see Pomme in his way, expression placid, hands tucked behind his back.

  “Move,” Darius snapped.

  “Not without payment. Tell you what, I’ll make you a new deal. Let us harvest her ovaries, plus throw in a quart of your blood and your first mate.”

  “You want Jorah?” Darius couldn’t help the high note of query.

  “The other one. The female.”

  The man wanted Tanzie. Still not happening. “I am not giving you anyone,” Darius growled.

  “Then I’m afraid you cannot leave.” The doctor appeared much too calm.

  Funny thing was Darius felt pretty calm, too. The message inside his bionic eye from Clyde was simple. Clear.

  “If you’re expecting reinforcements, don’t. They’re somewhat occupied at the moment.”

  “Impossible.” The doctor brought his hand forward. He clicked at a comm unit but got no reply.

  “Did you really think I came alone?”

  “Our cameras would have—”

  “Seen me and me alone. My crew managed to snag two of your cloaking devices. Handy things for sneaking in places, wouldn’t you say?”

  “If you leave, you won’t escape. I’ll put out more bounties. Bigger ones. You’ll be hounded everywhere you go,” Pomme spat, his cheeks bright with color and his eyes sparking with indignation.

  “You really shouldn’t have threatened me.” Shifting Shereen so she hung over his shoulder left him with his hands free. Darius felt nothing as he slit the doctor’s throat.

  Eyes wide, hands clutching at the gushing blood, Pomme slipped to the floor. An idiot who might have been science smart but was dumb when it came to the real world.

  For one, he’d forgotten the prime rule: trust nothing and no one. Especially not a pirate.

  Darius stepped over the body as he left with Shereen still over his shoulder. He needed his hands in case he had to fight.

  Easing into the hall, he paused to listen. There was no alarm. As a matter of fact, there was nobody to stop him. Obviously, the work of his crew, but he had to wonder. He’d seen few people, and Tanzie had mentioned how empty the city seemed. The people might have escaped the death of the red waters, only to stagnate elsewhere. Perhaps Pomme and his ilk should have spent less time playing with people and more time cultivating them.

  The door on the main floor was closed, but that didn’t stop the water from seeping past it and rising. Cold water that worked on submerging the third step. How high would it go?

  It took some yanking to open the door and then stare at the deluge, a pouring sorrow that soaked him to the skin the moment he stepped into it. How long could she keep it going? She’d already done it for much too long.

  In the moisture, he could feel the bitter grief. What did she dream that made her so sad? How could he wake her from this nightmare?

  Darius hugged her body tight and whispered, “Now, now, princess, surely it can’t be that bad? I’ve got you. And I won’t let that nasty doctor hurt you again.”

  Perhaps she heard him, because the rain eased a bit. A hint of movement. His organic eye saw nothing, but the bionic one caught the blur of a shape. Clyde? Or was it Aquata? Didn’t matter, he felt better knowing they remained nearby.

  Despite the flooding, he slogged as quickly as he could to the
ship, hoping his crew had solved the problem of escaping the harbor. They needed to set sail. Now.

  The rain might have lightened, and yet the streets remained dead. Too quiet. He kept a wary gaze around him, waiting for the soldiers. The attack.

  It seemed too easy.

  He’d almost reached the dock when an alarm finally sounded. It actually relieved him. Splashing in the knee-high water, he took long strides to his ship, noting a few new dents in the hull. The wind had knocked it about a fair bit, slamming it against the solid metal dock, but he saw no breaches.

  From atop the mast, Ralf shouted, “Captain is incoming with cargo.”

  Before Darius even reached the ship, the ladder dropped over the side and he saw Jorah peering down at him. “Grab hold.”

  Darius only had to hook his arm in a rung to be hoisted aboard, Shereen slung over his shoulder, with one of his arms looped over her thighs to keep her in place.

  Once he hit the deck, Jorah lowered the ladder again for Clyde and Aquata, who clambered up quickly. The holographic device was turned off, meaning he could see their pleased grins.

  “You’re looking a tad too happy,” Darius noted.

  “I think I’ve got an idea on how to make this work with the ship.” Clyde shook the little box at Darius.

  “A cloaked ship?” The idea had merit. “Would love to see it, but first, let’s get the Avenger moving before company arrives.”

  Since Darius wasn’t letting Shereen out of his sight and time was of essence, he took her to the bridge, barking, “Someone bring me a few blankets.” Then to Jorah, “What’s the situation on the gate across the harbor? We need out of this port now.”

  His first mate eyed him. “Who did ya kill dis time?”

  “A bad man.”

  Jorah snorted. “And people think they should fear me.”

  His lip lifted. “Never mess with a pirate.” Or a pirate’s princess.

  “Whas wrong with da princess?” Jorah glanced at her.

  “They injected her with some crap, and now she’s having nasty, trippy dreams.” He hoped the gentling weather meant she was coming out of it. “Where’s Tanzie?”

  “Placing charges on da structure in da way.”

  “She’s going to blow it up? With what?”

  “Bombs.”