by Brandon Fox
Ander watched the newcomers warily from his perch near the helm. There were two men and a woman in the group. The woman wore pale blue skirts and shimmery gold veils; she moved with the studied sensuality that, to Ander’s practiced eye, signified a courtesan. One man was a heavily laden porter. It was the second man who gave Ander pause.
The middle-aged man wore black leathers and boots, and the metal skullcap of a priest of Yataghan. He scowled as he surveyed the ship’s crew, his eyes squinting and his lips pressed together inside an oval formed by a closely trimmed moustache and beard. When he saw the captain on the upper deck, he beckoned imperiously. Ander edged closer, lurking behind the main mast as the captain responded to the summons.
Captain Jiang bowed to the new arrivals, her face impassive. “You must excuse me. We sail shortly and have no time for business in Jaffna. You’ll have to—”
“My apologies,” the man with the skullcap said. “I’m Varian, sayyid priest in the Order of Yataghan. An urgent matter requires that I travel east.”
“I am sorry, but I cannot—”
“The owners of this ship have guaranteed passage to imperial representatives, by long-standing treaty.” A snap of his fingers and the porter handed him a leather folio. He withdrew a parchment bearing a wax seal. “My order has been commissioned by the zamindar himself. As we now represent the zamindar, you must grant passage to me and my dependents.” He handed the parchment to the captain, then turned and gestured for his porter to pick up his bundles.
Captain Jiang read the imperial commission, her eyebrows pulled down in a fierce frown. Even from a distance, Ander could see her anger.
Varian turned back to the captain and crossed his arms. “It’s all in order, captain. It’s not your decision. Now, where will we be quartered?”
Captain Jiang bowed again, stiffly this time. “I’ll have the crew prepare a cabin for you in the stern quarter gallery, master Varian. I’m afraid it won’t be much—”
“I’ll require two cabins,” Varian said as he sat on a cask. “I don’t want my porter or woman in the way when I don’t need them.” Captain Jiang looked furious but said nothing. She nodded and stalked away from the new passengers.
Ander went below deck and knocked on their cabin’s door. Thane opened it, looking relieved to see him.
“We’re leaving port?”
“Something’s happened,” Ander said as he shut the door. “A passenger boarded. A priest of Yataghan and his servants. Varian. He told the captain he’s on the zamindar’s business and forced her to give him passage.”
Thane stood motionless. “Did he say what kind of business?”
“No. But he said it was urgent. And from what Erik said, it sounds like you’ve become the zamindar’s obsession. Maybe we should get off the ship while we still can.”
Thane scowled and crossed his arms. Ander felt frustration and anger seeping through their bond, but determination was even stronger. “No. We might not have another chance to find passage east. And we don’t know if he’s heard about me. He could be on other business.”
“But what if he does know about you? There’s no way to prevent him seeing the color of your eyes.”
“I’ll stay in the cabin until we’re sure it’s safe. You can tell Captain Jiang I’m sick.”
Ander wasn’t surprised. His partner’s stubborn spirit was as unchanging as his body. Relenting, he took one of Thane’s hands and drew him near. “Maybe it’s a good plan. At least I’ll finally have you to myself.” He leaned close and kissed Thane on the side of his neck.
There was another way Thane hadn’t changed: he responded instantly to a lover’s touch. He moaned softly as Ander’s lips brushed his skin. Ander felt the strong pulse quicken in his lover’s throat as he continued his gentle explorations. He gripped the bottom of Thane’s shirt and lifted it off. His partner’s muscular torso, tanned from long hours working in the lyceum’s gardens and fields, flexed with sinuous grace as he shimmied out of the garment.
Ander pulled off his own shirt, then wrapped his arms around Thane. Hard flesh, warm and satiny smooth, pressed against his chest. He lowered his hands to Thane’s hips and pulled their crotches together.
Someone thumped the cabin door.
Ander groaned and released his partner. “Ships are too crowded, I think.” He turned and opened the latch.
Skorri waited on the other side. He glanced at Ander’s bare chest and the bulge at his crotch. “Should I come back later? You look busy.”
Despite the polite offer, his interest was plain. Skorri’s sunny charm was matched by an insatiable enthusiasm for sex. Ander opened the door to let him in. “Where’s Erik?” he asked.
“Did you see that priest who boarded a few minutes ago?”
Ander nodded as he closed and latched the door.
“Erik has a feel for dangerous animals, and he thinks the priest looks like trouble. He wanted to watch without being noticed. So I decided to come down here while he does his spying.”
Thane put an arm around Skorri and pulled him close to make him feel welcome. They were a sexy pair, Skorri with his blond curls and northern features, Thane with short brown hair and the intense masculinity of a young wrestler.
Ander approached Skorri from behind and pressed against him. He cupped a hand over his crotch and felt his cock stiffening beneath soft leather. The shaft, longer than Ander’s hand, pulsed as his excitement mounted. Skorri opened his mouth to Thane’s inquisitive tongue.
Ander unbuckled Skorri’s belt and unfastened his trousers. The garment slid down his slender hips and pooled around his feet. Circling the embracing pair, he repeated the service for Thane before removing his own boots and pants.
Thane released Skorri, who seemed dazed, then turned to Ander. “He’s ready for us. See?” He wrapped his fingers around Skorri’s upthrust phallus and squeezed it lightly. A droplet oozed from the tip and smeared his fingers.
Ander shivered with anticipation as Thane sat on a bed’s edge and pulled off his boots. His body beckoned with taut lines and effortless grace. Though he was Ander’s height, he was more muscular. Broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and powerful legs, and his skin was honey brown except for a narrow band where he wore a loincloth while working in the lyceum’s gardens. Hard muscle shifted beneath smooth skin, etching his chest and abdomen with clean lines. His thick erection curved up from a bush of brown hair to touch his flat belly above the navel.
Skorri pulled off his shirt and boots. He was flushed, and a long strand drooled from the tip of his rigid cock. As soon as he was nude, he turned and reached for Thane’s cock. Ander put his hand beside Skorri’s. Their two hands almost covered the shaft from root to glans.
“Let us pleasure you for a change,” Ander said. “Erik and Skorri did it for me the last time we shared a tumble. You’ll like it.”
“We had him panting like a dog on the hottest day of summer,” Skorri said, looking proud of himself. Ander blushed at Skorri’s claim but didn’t dispute it.
Thane laughed and touched his cheek. “Show me. Then next time we’ll see if we can make Skorri pant.”
Ander went to the pile of saddlebags in the corner and fetched a small clay pot, then put the pot on the floor and untied the bindings that held its lid in place while Skorri knelt between Thane’s legs.
Thane sprawled on the bunk with his arms propped behind his back, powerful muscles bulging, long legs splayed wide. Skorri pulled the erection upright, making a clear strand droop between the dusky glans and Thane’s midriff. He waited while Ander knelt on the bunk, then slid his fingers to the base of the cock.
Leaning forward and supporting himself with a hand on each side of Thane’s waist, Ander slid his lips over the slippery glans. Their bond strengthened with the intimate contact; the sensation of wet warmth engulfed his own aching cock. He tightened his lips around the flaring crown and tugged, feeling the soft pressure as if lips circled his own flesh.
Thane reached betwe
en Ander’s legs and cupped his balls, kneading them gently. “You feel it too. I can tell by how hard you are.”
Ander focused on the straining cock between his lips. He let a trickle of spit escape, then followed it all the way down the shaft. Thane groaned, deep in his chest. Ander appreciated the sentiment; the pleasure surging through their bond resonated through his own body.
“That’s good,” Skorri said as he brushed Ander’s cheek with his fingertips. “Now let me see it again.”
Ander eagerly followed the advice. Thane’s strong body flexed beneath him, muscles standing out in cleanly etched lines as he started a slow glide back up the shaft.
Thane lifted his hips an inch off the bed, the muscles of his legs bunching. His cock emerged inch by inch, glistening, from the encircling lips.
When his lips reached the glans, Ander reversed direction. He sucked hungrily, his tongue pressing the cock with wet pressure, euphoric at the sensations flowing through their bond. The shaft was smooth and hard and fit his throat comfortably.
Skorri dipped a finger in the clay pot and stirred, coating the finger with a layer of clear gel. Mint fragrance filled the air. He placed his fingertip in the cleft between Thane’s buttocks and slowly massaged lubricant over the sensitive flesh, probing until the tip of his finger slipped inside the ring of muscle. He eased in deeper, twisting gently to spread lubricant evenly. Finally, timing his movements to coordinate with Ander’s leisurely sucking, he slipped his finger all the way into Thane’s body.
Though his heart raced, Ander maintained his rhythmic strokes as Skorri’s gentle probing echoed in his own body. The young northerner dipped his other hand in the pot of lubricant, then began to stroke his cock while continuing to slide a finger in and out of Thane’s opening.
Ander basked in the shared feel of lips moving along his erection and a finger massaging the sensitive spot inside his body. His cock drooled steadily as he pleasured Thane with all his skill, using their link to keep him within a heartbeat of coming.
Thane began to writhe. Ander shared the tingling sensation sweeping his lover’s body. A pleasurable itch tickled his cock, rapidly spreading and swelling almost beyond the limits flesh could bear. A red nimbus shimmered into existence around Thane. The aura blossomed, engulfing all three of them, as shared pleasure soared.
Skorri gasped as his cock spat a geyser of semen. He threw his head back, blond curls glinting in the dim light, while his cock pulsed. Come coated his fingers and cock in white gobs.
Though he was panting, Skorri didn’t neglect his partners. He released his cock and reached up to squeeze Ander’s phallus in his slippery palm while continuing to stroke inside Thane with his other hand.
The warmth of Skorri’s seed on his flesh hit Ander like lightning. Semen and lubricant bathed his glans with wet heat. Then Skorri’s slick fingers wrapped around his straining erection and gave it a slippery stroke. There was no holding back.
Ander’s orgasm rocked him as a bolt of pleasure traveled from his cock through the length of his body. He heard Thane’s sharp intake of breath, felt the sensation of Thane’s body clamping tight on Skorri’s probing finger, and then a blast of musky come filled his mouth as Thane’s seed gushed over his tongue.
He continued sucking, coating Thane’s phallus with a sheen of semen as their pleasure reverberated between linked minds. Sucking Thane’s cock was like sucking his own, and Thane’s seed could have been his own. Skorri added to the exquisite torment by capturing Ander’s ejaculation in his palm and smearing the cream against the glans as it continued to spit.
When their orgasms finally subsided, Ander let Thane’s cock slip from his mouth. He rolled onto his back, breathing hard, his head resting on his partner’s lap. Thane leaned down and kissed him. The red halo that had been created when they’d touched the kei slowly faded. They all fell into a heap on the crowded bunk, their spent bodies slick with sweat and come.
The Anshan had reached the sea and was many leagues from Jaffna before Ander’s thoughts turned back to the unwelcome passenger, Varian.
Chapter Three
CAPTAIN Jiang greeted Ander graciously when he arrived at her cabin for dinner, guitar in hand. “Where’s Thane?” she asked. “I have much to discuss with him.”
“He’s not feeling well. I think the sea is making him unsteady. Erik and Skorri are keeping him company until he gets better.”
Genuine concern showed in the captain’s eyes. “Please give him my regrets. It can take time to get accustomed to the waves.”
“I will,” Ander said. He bowed and entered the ornate cabin. The low table was set, as it had been the night before, with delicate porcelain dishes and wine goblets.
“Please be seated,” the captain said. “I invited two other guests tonight, a priest of Yataghan named Varian and his companion. You might have seen him when he boarded.”
“Yes,” Ander said as he sat cross-legged on the floor opposite the captain’s position at the table. He laid his guitar by his side. “I don’t know much about his order, though. We didn’t have a Yataghan priest in the town where I grew up. He looked… severe.”
“Severe is a diplomatic way to put it. The Order of Yataghan is brutal. They use torture as a sacrament. They’re also shrewd. They’ve even insinuated themselves with the zamindar.” Her scowl was probably more revealing than she intended.
Ander looked at the captain curiously. “Forgive my boldness, captain, but you don’t seem to like him. May I ask why you’re taking dinner with him?”
The captain closed the door and turned to Ander. She looked older than she had the night before, and worry wrinkled her brow. “Take care,” she said softly. “The man is dangerous, his superiors have great influence. Even Mikados Lanzhou, who owns this ship and many others, fears their power. I don’t want to antagonize Varian. Neither should you.”
Ander dipped his head, then met the captain’s gaze. “Thank you for the counsel. I’ll heed it.”
Her expression softened. “I’m glad you’re here tonight. I’d much prefer your music to priestly lectures.”
Ander nodded. “Religion is always a good topic to avoid, captain. It’s a lesson I learned early. Did Thane tell you I grew up in a house of companionship? When a customer starts talking about religion, companions always change the subject.”
“A house of companionship? Did Thane work there too? I imagine he’d be an intriguing companion.”
Someone pounded on the door as Ander was starting to answer. The door opened before Captain Jiang reached it, and Varian strode into the cabin. He glanced around the paneled chamber with disdain before giving the captain a perfunctory nod.
Captain Jiang bowed stiffly. “Welcome, master Varian. I hope your quarters are acceptable.”
Varian sat down and reached for a bowl of figs. “Don’t worry, captain. It’s a trivial matter. I have far greater problems demanding my attention.” He poked through the bowl to find the best fig, then popped it into his mouth.
Keeping his eyes downcast, Ander surreptitiously watched the priest eat. The man moved with force and decisiveness. Whatever his faults, lack of confidence wasn’t one of his failings. His black leathers and hard features made him look more soldier than priest, and his aggressive manner bolstered the impression.
Captain Jiang sat at the head of the table, maintaining a dignified bearing despite Varian’s provocations. She poured wine into a goblet and handed it to the priest. “I had assumed your companion would dine with us,” she said. “I hope she’s well.”
Varian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before accepting the goblet. “I didn’t hire her for conversation,” he said. “Whores should stay on their backs with their mouths shut.”
Ander tried to conceal his frown. He saw Captain Jiang give him a sympathetic glance, and remembered her advice not to antagonize the priest. He picked up a piece of bread covered with flakes of peppery spice and had started to eat it when Varian tossed an almond at him. Startled, he l
ooked up and met the priest’s eyes.
“Brown,” Varian said. “Too bad.”
Captain Jiang froze, incredulous, with the wine flask in one hand and Ander’s goblet in the other. “Brown? His name is Ander. I was about to introduce you.”
Varian resumed eating, scooping fried rice onto his plate with his fingers. “Never mind. Just checking something.”
A frown pulled at the captain’s lips, but she said nothing. She handed Ander his wine before filling her own goblet. “Eat well,” she said. “There’s food enough for five, but only the three of us. Unfortunate.”
“Five?” Varian asked, looking up from the plate he was filling to overflowing with delicacies. “Us, my woman, and who else?”
“A friend of Ander’s. A remarkable young man named Thane. You’d find him very interesting, I’m sure.”
Varian squinted at Ander and grunted. “I doubt it. I’ve no interest in pretty boys. But tell me, what color are his eyes?”
Panic surged through Ander as the captain blinked at the unexpected question. He picked up his guitar before she could answer. “Blue,” he said, a little too loudly. “Pale blue, like a northerner. Um, would you like some music, sir? I’d be glad to play while you dine. No trouble at all.” He saw Captain Jiang looking at him strangely and realized he was blathering but didn’t know what else to do. A careless word from the captain would be disastrous. The lighting in here is weak. Maybe she’s not sure about Thane’s eyes. He hoped the captain’s dislike for Varian would keep her from pursuing the issue.
He began to play a difficult jig. It felt awkward with the others watching him as if he had taken leave of his senses, but he concentrated on music and tried to draw them into the spirited tune. Soon they returned to their meals. Captain Jiang appeared to appreciate his efforts while the priest seemed oblivious.
Ander’s hands ached by the time the others were done eating. Fortunately Varian didn’t look inclined to socialize after dinner. As soon as he finished his wine, he stood and gave Captain Jiang a short nod. “You have a good cook, captain. I think I’ll take the rest of my meals here.” He turned to Ander. “You’re not bad. Not equal to our temple musicians, but of course you haven’t had their training. Your technique is better than some I’ve heard.”