“Your sister arrived with the crew of the Indefatigable. They’re friends with the king of Viros, and they stay at the castle.”
That was what Jazen’s tracker was telling him, yet her presence in the castle made little sense. A warrant-taker didn’t flaunt their existence. They skulked in the background. She’d told him she was on the trail of a bounty but hadn’t given away specifics. Her sticking to these people had to mean a large bounty. One big enough for her to take risks.
Chobe tapped his chin, considering. “Is she working at the castle? She often uses work to get closer to a target.” That had to be it. Nothing else made sense.
“I watched the comings and goings at the staff entrance. I saw no one matching the depiction you gave me. Does she have the same ability to change appearance as you?”
“No, she’d resemble the depiction.”
“I haven’t asked questions of the staff yet because I didn’t want to draw attention to my presence. They have security on the front and rear entrances. The soldiers are well-trained. You can’t sneak inside to locate your sister.”
“Her tracker doesn’t move.” Chobe confined his frustration to scratching at the faint scales on the back of his right hand when the urge to yank on his black hair, lift his gaze to the skies and holler rode him like a demon-hunter.
“Is she dead?”
“Possibly, but why would they keep a body in the middle of the castle? If she was dead, they’d move her.”
Hanoid ran his finger around the top of his tankard. “That is true. They’d attempt to contact the next of kin. You would’ve heard.”
Chobe sipped his ale, considering his options. “If Jazen doesn’t move from her current position, I’ll have to enter the castle and search for her myself.”
“Why don’t you front up and ask to speak to her?”
“They might ask nosy questions.” Chobe tapped his fingers on the rough tabletop.
“Tell them you want to see your sister, and she told you she was staying at the castle.”
Chobe sighed. Hanoid was right. It was the logical behavior, yet something about this situation made his stomach lurch with uncharacteristic fear. He’d learned not to ignore his gut, yet he couldn’t fathom what was causing his unease. Shoving aside his reservations, he gave a decisive nod.
“I’ll present myself at the castle gate and tell them I’ve come to visit my sister. A surprise reunion since we’re seldom in the same city. Where is Sergy? I’ll take her with me. The wife is an excellent touch. A pity we sold that last kid. He could’ve passed as Raffey.”
“Sergy has set up business in the hotel room we hired for her. She had a line of men waiting to fuck her when I passed.” Hanoid laughed, the harsh bray at odds with his pristine hair and dress. “The fake wife and son has helped us in the finance stakes. Hell, the fake wife has other advantages too, since she’s still earning us funds. A pity I don’t have a gullible sister.”
Chobe chuckled. “You do all right with contributing to the partnership. We’re even. I’ll collect Sergy and we’ll present ourselves at the castle. I’ll meet you back here this evening. Either way, we’ll move on with our plan. I’ll get funds from Jazen or at least learn where she is and how to get to her.”
A pity he’d failed at duplicating her hand print and retina read, the identification required to seize her stock of funds from the banker vault. While he could morph into a duplicate of his sister, the minute details were impossible for him to copy, which made this meeting and his other trickery important.
Later that afternoon, Chobe ambled toward the castle gates with Sergy on his arm. The blonde half-cyborg was the perfect foil to his own darkness, and they made an excellent team, working together for mutual benefit. She brought in currency and he offered his security and protection.
As they approached the gate, the two soldiers on the outer gate straightened, their gazes assessing them for danger.
“You there,” one said. “What is your business?”
“I have come to visit my sister.”
“Your sister? What is her name?”
“Jazen Yelhsa,” Chobe stated, praying that his sister still used the same false name they’d used during their early days of warrant-taking.
“Where does she work?”
Chobe offered his best charming smile. “To be honest, I’m not sure what she is doing now. It’s rarely our paths cross. She is a capable cook and sometimes takes kitchen jobs. She is also skilled at nursing and medicine. Let me speak to her, and you’ll soon learn I’m telling the truth.”
One dark-haired soldier assessed him, suspicion in his flinty gaze. After a drawn-out sec during which Chobe forced himself to remain affable, the soldier capitulated, the muscles in his austere face relaxing. “I shall consult with my superior.” He marched through the gate to the next set of gates, his navy-blue uniform smart and crisp.
The remaining soldier kept his weapon at hand and didn’t lose sight of his responsibilities even though Sergy attempted to flirt with him. Chobe’s first impressions were borne out. These soldiers were well-trained and disciplined. This efficiency made sneaking inside the castle difficult.
The first soldier returned, the whitelight reflecting off the golden braid trimming his uniform. “I’m to show you through to the assembly room. Captain Ryman Coppersmith will speak to you there.”
Interesting. The captain of the Indefatigable intended to speak with him. At least the soldier hadn’t foisted him off on an underling.
Chobe and Sergy followed the soldier to the second entrance gate. Another soldier stood waiting to escort them into the castle. They entered a side door into a luxury Chobe seldom witnessed. A glossy cream stone covered the floors. Matching pillars in a darker hue reminded him of a row of soldiers on duty. Artwork covered the walls. Portraits. Scenery. Sculptures stood in recesses within the wall, some small enough to secret into a pocket for later disposal. His fingers itched as he took in the wealth on display.
The soldier led them along a red carpet, so soft Chobe glanced back to see if they’d left a row of footprints behind them.
Once the carpet ended, the soldier wheeled left, and they entered a smaller, more informal room. Large windows overlooked a garden or what Chobe suspected was a garden since the tips of green-and-purple trees flickered in and out of his vision.
“Have a seat and help yourselves to refreshments,” the soldier said. “The captain will be with you shortly.” He stepped back and closed the door behind him.
“Should I pour you a drink, Chobe?” Sergy asked, excitement displayed on her tawny-beige face.
“What?” Chobe raked his hand through his hair, tense because of the closed door. It reminded him of the room he used to stay in at the brothel, although this room was a much prettier cage. More luxurious and cleaner. But a cage nonetheless.
“A drink?” Sergy repeated patiently.
“Please.” If he were Captain Coppersmith, he’d keep them waiting to ensure they remained off-balance. Or was he overthinking the situation?
The door opened as Sergy handed him a drink. Two men strolled into the room. Chobe recognized Captain Coppersmith by his black hair and piercing green gaze. This was a man who missed nothing, a man who’d make a bad enemy.
The second man was from an unfamiliar race. Although humanoid, his visage changed color as Chobe pivoted to greet him. Streaks of black dissected his features and melted into his white skin to create gray. Freaky. It was difficult not to gape, and he fixed his attention on the captain so as to not make a fool of himself.
“Good whitelight.” Captain Coppersmith inclined his head. “This is our medic, Mogens. You caught us on our way to visit the queen and her children.”
“Greetings,” Chobe said. “I am Chobe Lav. Thank you for agreeing to see me. I believe my sister is working with you, and I welcome this chance to see her. We haven’t seen each other in person for almost two rotations, although we are in frequent contact via comm.”
�
�I’m sorry, but Jazen isn’t here,” Coppersmith said.
Chobe blinked at the bald-faced lie. “But last time we spoke… I thought she intended to travel from Narenda to Viros with you.”
“No,” Coppersmith said. “At the last min, it was decided that she should stay to nurse the leader of the dragon race on Narenda. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your trip here. You’ll find your sister on Narenda.”
“I attempted to contact Jazen to inform her we’d be in the region and intended to visit,” Chobe said. “For some reason, she is not answering her comm.”
“Occasionally, bad storms rage between here and Narenda,” Mogens said. “Remember that storm that Ellard and Gweneth navigated? They were lucky to survive the push into the meteor field.”
Chobe scratched his head, needing to do something to stop his gaze straying to the medic again. The man’s face was growing darker, his chin and nose an ebony black with more streaks of black darkening his slate gray cheeks. “Ah… Yes, I’ll try to contact her again. We’ll be staying on Viros until repairs on our ship are completed.”
Coppersmith remained enigmatic, calm and in full control. “I’m sorry for your wasted journey. Narenda is a closed planet. I can put you in touch with the officials there so you can start your application for permission to land.”
A chill worked down Chobe’s spine, and once again, he was at a loss to explain the frisson of unease. This man—both these men—pushed him off-balance and left him floundering and irritated. At least he’d not displayed his frustration.
“That is an excellent idea,” he said. “They have promised our ship repairs will be complete within three cycles. Give me the direction for the officials, I’ll start the necessary communications.”
Coppersmith pulled a comm from his jacket and opened it. He tapped several commands, then held up his unit.
Chobe pressed his comm to Coppersmith’s and secs later, both beeped, signaling the exchange of information.
“We must leave now,” Coppersmith said. “Finish your drinks. The soldier will escort you out once you are ready to leave.”
“Thank you,” Chobe said, struggling to maintain his air of politeness. He knew his phrullin’ sister was somewhere in this castle, and if plan A didn’t work, he’d move onto plan B.
A Matter Of Trust
The last of the three cycles he’d promised Jazen arrived. Urgency and traces of outright panic thrummed through Nanu. Kaya would’ve scoffed at his uncharacteristic behavior, but he refused to go back on his promise to Jazen.
This was his problem, not hers.
His beast had chosen a woman of another race. Perhaps their genes weren’t compatible enough to form a child.
He ached inside, despite his broad smile for his lover.
Nanu reached for her hand, twining their fingers together and savoring the innocent contact despite his growing disquiet. This walk through the forest to the waterfall and hot pool felt like a march of an execution. He forced the doom and gloom to the back of his mind, determined to focus on his captivating and irresistible Jazen.
She remained quiet, but it was a companionable silence. Despite the crew on the Indy, who were his best friends, he realized he’d been lonely for this soul-deep connection with another being.
He sighed, accepting the truth. The bond was one-sided, and he had to release Jazen and pray she’d keep his word to him.
“Tell me more about your pie shop,” he said. “You must’ve needed a little more currency to complete your purchase. Where are you starting your business?”
She hesitated, her brow crinkling, then seemed to come to a decision. “My brother is always in trouble. He required more funds, and I promised I’d give—lend—it to him, which I did. I’d written a budget and required a little more to reach my target amount. After… I required the proceeds of one more job. Two, if I’d helped Chobe yet again and didn’t dip into my savings. I haven’t decided if I’ll still fund my brother again. My mind goes back and forward on the wisdom of this loan that never gets repaid.”
Nanu admired the way she told him about the jobs without apology. It wasn’t her fault he had a bounty on his head. And this business with her brother—interesting. What trouble? Was this why he’d arrived in Viros? To collect more of Jazen’s currency? He hated to pry too much.
“What if I lent you the funds?” he asked. “To start your business.”
Her head jerked up, and she halted by a large tree. Her brows lifted to arch above her pretty eyes. “A bribe.”
He took a sec to realize his question had upset her and those glorious eyes of hers were shooting salvos of wrath. “What? A bribe? No! That’s not what I meant. All the crew on the Indy own a share. Although Ry is in charge, we reap the financial benefits of a successful contract. I require little since we live at the castle when we’re on Viros. Our friend Jannike is the queen, and we offer the ruling triad help as and when they require it.”
“You are truly friends with the queen?”
“We told you our reasons for leaving Narenda. Camryn and Mogens were required at the birth of the royal babies.”
The tension seeped from Jazen’s muscles. “I didn’t believe you. I decided it was a tale to stop me from collecting the bounty on your head.”
“I don’t know if the king and duke have heard of my past. Jannike is aware of the facts. In truth, she’s more likely to shoot or punch if someone threatens one of her friends. She’s still new at royal duties, although she threatens to toss us in the dungeon if we poke fun at her.” He smiled in memory. “Telling her she was big enough to have twins was a good way of getting the dungeon threat.”
“Has she had her baby?”
Was that wistfulness he glimpsed? “She had twins and has decided she adores the babies now that they are born. But she told Shiloh and Lynx it was lucky they had two offspring because she refused to go through that ordeal again. She told them it was worse than going to war or fighting pirates.”
“Pirates?”
“In our early days, we skirted the law and took risks to save for a bigger ship. Our current ship is the second Indefatigable. Our first ship was lucky and we kept the name, even though we’d outgrown her.”
“It sounds as if you had fun. Have you visited interesting places?”
“We have.” Nanu spoke carefully, considering his level of confidence. For Amme’s sake he’d never mention Earth. “Ornum was interesting. We captured a hell-horse and Camryn trained her to race. My brother died on Ornum.”
“I’m sorry.” She continued walking, and he followed, still holding her hand.
Nanu bowed his head, accepting her commiseration as he waited for acute pain to strike and rob his breath. This time, although there was pain and a sense of loss, the squeeze of Jazen’s fingers, the offer of sympathy, helped him to collect himself.
“My offer of a loan comes with no ties or expectations. I value your company, and I’d enjoy helping you achieve your dreams.”
Jazen stopped again, her brow wrinkled as she whipped around to face him. “You truly mean that, even though I might deceive you at any sec.”
Whitelight highlighted her features. The splash and tumble of falling water sounded closer now, and an owl—a new addition to his chamber—flew overhead to perch on a branch. The landscape outside his gattoc bore subtle differences each cycle, and Nanu sensed that Leeam and Sheera were enjoying themselves with this task. He made a mental note to do something extra special for the two youngsters.
“I cherish you,” he said. “My abducting you hasn’t inspired your confidence, but I’ve yet to hear your list of objections. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in my gattoc.”
One of those soft blushes collected in her cheeks. “I have enjoyed myself, although your highhandedness upset me at first.”
“This is our last cycle together. What will you do next? You didn’t tell me where you will ply your trade.”
“I haven’t decided where I’ll start my pie shop. I’ve planned the
menu and have decided on pricing, but I haven’t discovered a location that suits me yet.”
“Check out Viros,” Nanu suggested, his spirit leaping in anticipation. What if she stayed with him voluntarily? She might come to appreciate him as he cared for her.
“Are you serious about offering me a loan? I have enough currency for rent on a reasonable size building for a rotation.”
“Yes, I’m serious,” Nanu said, an idea occurring to him. “What if you started smaller and applied to rent a stall in the evening market here on Viros? It would allow you to test your product and learn if your pies appealed to customers.”
“Is this possible?” Clear excitement blazed in her face and Nanu relaxed.
“I think so. Or, if a stall isn’t available, I have a friend who has one. They might let you trial your product. That would be a start for you.”
“You would do this for me? Even though I intended to apprehend you?”
Nanu’s hair tendrils hummed as he tested his feelings. His mind and body swelled with longing, and he took a figurative leap. “I trust you. I don’t believe you’d betray me once you’ve given your word.”
Jazen leaned forward and kissed him—a slow, tender caress that made his pulse bound in excitement and his hair tendrils sway against his cheek.
When their lips parted, she reached up to cup his face with one hand. “I believe you when you say you didn’t murder that woman. Besides, the warrant is old and most warrant-takers only search the newer ones.”
“I’m surprised the corporation man is still alive,” Nanu said. “He seemed old when I knew him.”
“You haven’t tried to find out?”
“No, I didn’t wish to raise any alarms. Are you ready for a swim? Hot pool or waterfall?”
“The pool.”
“The hot pool it is. Last one in is a rotten egg.”
Jazen took off at a sprint, and Nanu jogged after her, enjoying the jiggle of feminine flesh. Leaving his chamber would mean donning clothing again. If Jazen stayed, perhaps he could talk her into sharing his chamber.
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