A King's Ransom

by Lia Black

  "Keep it on."

  "It's going to get wet." Veyl frowned, then cocked his head, "Does my body repulse you? Or is it something else?"

  Veyl's tone was that same purr of silky seduction he'd used at the inn, and Kaidos didn't like what it was threatening to do to him. He needed to keep the whore at a distance. Their acquaintance was temporary.

  He glared, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe I should ask Lirin to keep an eye on you."

  The flash of alarm across Veyl's features was darkly satisfying. However, Kaidos was a little disgusted with himself for resorting to such a tactic. He didn't know what Lirin had whispered to him the night before, but he could guess.

  Veyl turned away with a small huff and began wading carefully into the river. Kaidos frowned as heat began to pool in his belly. He caught just a flash of Veyl's backside as he lifted his skirting, revealing one smooth, round buttock. Kaidos turned his head, wondering if the whore was doing it on purpose.

  "How can you let another man do that to you?" he asked, his mouth suddenly gone dry.

  "Do what, exactly?" Veyl was baiting him; Kaidos could hear the smile in his voice, though the whore did not turn to face him.

  "You know what I mean. Engel--the others who pay you. How can you have...relations with men?"

  Veyl sighed, a shiver going through his body as the water reached his thighs. "You think it is only women who can desire a man's touch?"

  "It's...unnatural..." Kaidos mumbled, although at this point his own body didn't appear to agree. He sat on a large rock and pressed down ruthlessly on the growing need between his legs. It had been far too long since he'd even taken himself in hand--nearly anything would arouse him. Unfortunately, right now that anything was bathing just a few yards away.

  Veyl shrugged. "It comes naturally enough to me."

  *~*~*

  As Veyl let the water run over his skin, he tried to forget that he was bathing in an ice-cold river under the watchful eye of his captor; and that no one would come to his rescue, not even Ahrn. Perhaps the guard captain might mourn his absence for a while, but Veyl understood that he was just a whore who could be replaced. There was no such thing as love; love was just a temporary loss of sanity that led one to make promises that were impossible to keep.

  Veyl took in a shuddering breath and tried to concentrate for a moment on his surroundings. Aside from the narrow animal path they'd come in on, this place seemed far removed from any sign of civilization. Veyl's gaze followed the river, wondering if it came near enough to Aaullsworthe that he could follow it and find his way home. He frowned when he realized he would never know. He'd never left the city, and Kaidos' mention of bandits, wild animals and his own brothers made Veyl realize how helpless he was outside of his own familiar world. He didn't even have so much as a sense of direction unless he could see the sun rising or setting. But then he had always been a pampered pet--not some stray dog like Kaidos Vailinn.

  At its highest point, the river was only to his waist, and it was cold enough to numb. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kaidos watching him. It was obvious to Veyl that he had an effect on the man--he had some effect on everyone regardless of age, sex, or station, but Kaidos was stubborn. Each time it appeared to Veyl that he was getting under his skin, Kaidos would retreat under the shelter of anger or violence. It seemed more of a panicked reaction than one born of hatred, judging by the bits of conversation he'd gotten out of him. He'd never experienced anything quite like it before. Some men would go out of their way trying to ignore him in public, but they would always come to him in private, abandoning their discomfort once out of the view of others. Kaidos seemed torn between his body and his conscience. Perhaps he'd been brought up to believe it was wrong, and so each time his body reacted otherwise, it sparked a battle that steered him into anger.

  Veyl guessed he'd get about as much information about that as he would on Kaidos' mystery woman, Adria. Not that he cared--but it wouldn't hurt to find a few weak points in Kaidos' façade that he could turn to his own advantage.

  Gathering his robes high against his chest, Veyl waded to the waterfall at the head of the river. To hell with Kaidos and his discomfort. He had no idea when he might get the chance to bathe again.

  He pulled his garment off over his head and hung it on a low branch then climbed under the spray. Veyl's pale yellow tresses ran like liquid gold over his shoulders as the falls doused him. He tipped up his face and caught some water in his open mouth, the spray creating tiny rainbow droplets as it bounced off of his skin. The water was cool but the warm sunlight kept him from shivering. He cast a discreet glance towards Kaidos and smiled to himself with a little feeling of satisfaction. Kaidos was staring with brazen interest, his lips parted and tongue playing occasionally between them.

  In response, Veyl felt a foreign sensation in his chest and in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't fear, but a rare sense of unease. He turned his back on Kaidos as he felt the color rising to his cheeks.

  *~*~*

  Kaidos opened his mouth to protest when he saw the flash of purple as Veyl whisked his frock off over his head, but his shout withered in his chest and his mouth went dry as the man put his beautiful body underneath the waterfall.

  Kaidos imagined what it would be like to feel that smooth wet skin against his own and he swore softly as his cock stirred in his pants.

  No. Regardless of how lovely Veyl was, he was a man, and Kaidos didn't think about men in that way. He'd just gone too long without a woman; the last he'd had was eight months ago--shortly after he'd been saved from the noose by his brothers when Adria betrayed him. The memory made a bitter taste in his mouth and he struggled to fill his mind with almost anything else.

  Kaidos hadn't realized how distracted he'd been until he saw that Veyl was standing over him. He grimaced. So far he was not doing an admirable job as a kidnapper with his mind wandering so much. But it was difficult to focus with Someone like Veyl around. When he focused too much on him, it made his mind travel off to uncomfortable places. Sometimes he envied Ruthgar and Lirin; one had a very simple mind, and the other's thoughts were unencumbered by conscience.

  "I'm finished." Veyl stated the obvious.

  He was once again dressed in his purple frock; the thin material was mostly dry, but clung to his damp skin in a very provocative manner. He'd twisted up his golden hair into a knot, and tiny diamonds of water sparked as they dripped from the loose pieces framing his face. With the sun behind him, Veyl looked every bit the part of an angel.

  Kaidos stood up and bound Veyl's hands once more. He was annoyed by the man's beauty. Despite his height, Veyl could so easily have been a woman that it was difficult not to want to treat him with some level of gentleness and reverence that a man simply did not deserve.

  "Move." Kaidos grunted. He went behind Veyl to give him a little shove walking.

  The walk back to camp was a lot slower. Kaidos was walking just in front of Veyl so he could grab him easily should the whore decide to flee. Veyl stumbled at one point, clutching Kaidos to keep from falling.

  "What's wrong with you?" Kaidos scowled, though he felt oddly reluctant to let him go, then his eyes fell to Veyl's bare feet and he uttered a soft curse under his breath. The whore's feet were bloody. The water must have softened them up and with each step, he seemed to have found every sharp stone or thorn on the path. At this rate it would take them forever to get back to camp, and injury brought with it a chance for infection.

  "Hey--!" Veyl gasped as Kaidos swept him up.

  Kaidos told himself that the gesture was less about Veyl's pain and more about damage to merchandise, though carrying him while conscious was quite a bit different than spiriting him away in the darkness as he had a few nights prior. Veyl would never know how long Kaidos had sat and stared at him while he lay unconscious. He'd certainly been tempted to treat this man's body as though it had been a woman's. But rape was never something to which he'd resort—despite the lies to the contrary. A man had morals, af
ter all.

  *~*~*

  When they arrived back at camp, Ahbrim and Ruthgar were playing Yuuki, a game involving wooden disks and dice, and Lirin was reclined on his bedroll near the newly built-up campfire, smoking his long pipe. Kaidos was aware of them sending furtive glances as he carried Veyl and set him down on a log near the fire. He then went to his pack, pulled out an old rag, and began tearing it into strips.

  The silence was weighty, saturating the air and making it uncomfortable to breathe. Kaidos crouched and rinsed Veyl's dirt-covered and bloody feet with some water from a nearby pot. There was a quiet reverence to his gestures, an almost intimate quality, as if he knelt in worship or was performing religious rites. It was an uncomfortable comparison that Kaidos tried to ignore.

  "Hey, that was going to be for the soup tonight--" Ahbrim protested, snapping Kaidos out of his trance.

  Kaidos shot him a heated glare, "Then go get some more." He began to wrap Veyl's damaged feet.

  "Fine," Ahbrim grumbled and snatched up the pot. "Let's go, Ruthgar."

  Ruthgar stood up, seemingly bewildered by the activities around him, but he followed his brother into the forest.

  "Praying at the feet of your goddess?" Lirin chuckled, relighting his pipe as the others left the clearing.

  "Shut up," Kaidos hissed at his brother and moved to wrap Veyl's other foot.

  "Really brother, such a pretty hostage. Did your time in captivity change you so much?"

  Kaidos' hand formed a tight fist and he closed his eyes. His spine ached with the effort it took to keep himself from launching at Lirin's throat. He should have known better than to think Lirin could just leave things alone—he seemed intent on controlling Kaidos' life and what better way than through reminding him of a time when he had no control at all.

  "I want you gone, Lirin." His voice was a low growl.

  "Gone, hm?" Lirin asked casually, the pipe smoke curled like dragon's breath from the corners of his mouth.

  Kaidos rose slowly and met Veyl's amber eyes with his own steely grey gaze. "Go." He pointed to the pallet that was Veyl's bed, and Veyl complied, moving gingerly on his bandaged feet.

  The tension in the air was growing, and violence would not be far behind. Lirin's gaze followed Veyl all the way to his bed before he once again looked at Kaidos.

  "I don't mind if you fuck him. In fact, I'm considering how to get in a round or two myself. He's not quite as young as I like them, but he is certainly more than pretty enough."

  Kaidos began to shake as the rigidity of his muscles increased and heat flooded his extremities. His own breathing was ragged in his ears and his world was slowly becoming clouded with an angry red haze. "After we reach Starlight Camp, I don't want you following us," Kaidos snarled.

  Lirin methodically set aside his pipe and he rose slowly. His face was creased by his wide, leering grin, showing off too many teeth to be confused for anything but the challenge it was. "Afraid I'll steal him away?" Lirin glanced over at Veyl. "Or are you jealous because you think I don't love you anymore?"

  "Shut. Up," Kaidos growled. The movement of his blood had become a roar through his skull.

  "Such passion, my bother. Shall I tell your lovely whore all about that passion of yours?"

  The bonds of restraint shattered and Kaidos rushed at Lirin, tackling him to the ground. Little clouds of dust and pine needles burst up around them as Lirin's back hit the dirt. The contact with the hard surface was jarring, but Kaidos, being on top, recovered quickly and began hammering his fists into Lirin's face.

  Kaidos' vision had gone dark around the edges—all he saw was blood as his knuckles made contact with flesh and bone. He felt the satisfying pain with each strike, shredding his own skin as much as he damaged Lirin's, his muscles flexing and contracting as he drew back and landed every punch.

  He became lost to his rage with the dark desire to splinter the man's skull into his brain, and didn't notice Lirin's hands until they tightened around his throat.

  The blackness of Kaidos' rage melted suddenly into the white blur of suffocation and his blows became struggles to stay alive. He fought against the hands squeezing his neck, his consciousness fracturing until a memory broke through the cracks. Darkness. The humid sensation of foreign breath on his face. Struggling against many hands holding him down. His clothing left burns as each piece was ripped from his body. And then crushing, suffocating weight. Stinking, sweaty skin muffling his screams…

  Kaidos felt the first painful snap of Lirin's fist against his eye and jerked his head back, falling to land in the dirt. He lay on his back, coughing as razor-sharp air was drawn into his lungs. Still half-lost in memory, Kaidos felt himself pulled up into familiar arms that terrified him as much as soothed.

  "It's okay, baby brother, I've got you."

  Kaidos choked through a sob and melted against the man who held him, feeling his body rocked. He clutched at the bruises forming around his neck, trying to wrestle his mind back from the dark abyss of childhood trauma. As soon as he did, nausea welled up in his throat. He was pale and sweating as he shoved Lirin away and crawled to collapse on the other side of the fire, closer to Veyl.

  "What the hell…?"

  Ahbrim and Ruthgar had returned from their mission, and Ahbrim ran to Kaidos.

  Kaidos swatted his brother's hands away as he tried to get a look at his injuries.

  "I thought you two could be left alone for a few minutes, but I guess I was wrong." Ahbrim's tone was scolding and Ruthgar cast worried looks between the two bleeding men.

  "Don't fight." He gnawed his lower lip, twisting the hem of his shirt with his big hands.

  Kaidos heaved himself up. His whole body ached as he moved forward and patted Ruthgar on the shoulder to soothe him. It was all he could offer as the blood pounding through his head threatened to burst through his ears.

  Veyl yipped in surprise as Kaidos grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the clearing. Behind him he could hear Lirin chuckling as Ahbrim tried to get whatever information out of him that he might deem useful. Always trying to be the peacekeeper, Kaidos knew his brother was desperately trying to fight a losing battle.

  Veyl stumbled along behind Kaidos and nearly fell. Kaidos stopped and scooped him up, flinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and carried him back down to the river.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Gathering Herbs

  Once they'd arrived at the river, Kaidos set Veyl down gently--much to Veyl's surprise--then proceeded to pace, raking his fingers over his scalp.

  Veyl sat on a large stone, folding his hands demurely as he waited for Kaidos to calm down. He had no idea what had initiated the fight, exactly, nor why it had ended the way it had, but there had been something desperate about Kaidos' reactions. He believed that Kaidos would have killed his brother in his fury, but he wasn't entirely convinced that Lirin wouldn't have done the same. There was something there between them, some dark shared history that Veyl believed went much farther back than the woman—Adria—whose name bothered Kaidos each time it came up. He pondered a moment if he could use any of this to his advantage, then discarded the idea for the time being. Lirin had said some things to him when they'd first met that had him convinced he was better off with Kaidos' angry brooding than the threat of Lirin's debauched brain. Of the group, Ahbrim and Ruthgar seemed the safest, but they took no apparent interest in Veyl's well-being. They might let him go, but they wouldn't necessarily escort him to safety.

  Veyl sighed and began looking around at the foliage, recognizing it for common healing herbs. His very first client had been a scholar, and he'd taught Veyl many things—one of which was how to read. He'd brought Veyl many books over the years, but the one Veyl had found of the most use was one on alchemy and herbalism.

  His wrists were starting to become raw from the rough hemp ropes, and he was bored watching Kaidos pace so he slid off the boulder and dropped to his knees, nearly falling over in the process. He grunted softly in frust
ration before righting himself, then commenced picking through the low-growing plants, shooing away a tiny spider here and there. The sound of splashing water suggested that Kaidos must be washing his damaged skin.

  After a moment he heard the soft tramp of boots and Kaidos' shadow stretched over him.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Gathering herbs for a salve." Veyl spoke to the ground.

  Kaidos cleared his throat. "Salve? What kind of salve?"

  "Healing salve," Veyl said, peering earnestly at a section of root.

  There was a pause and Veyl watched Kaidos' shadow bob against the rock as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You...you know alchemy?"

  "A little," Veyl mumbled.

  Kaidos crouched closer, watching Veyl's tapered fingers picking through the small weeds and grasses. Veyl was very aware of his presence. Water dripped against his hand from Kaidos' hair and he froze, watching the bead glaze his skin.

  "This salve is for your feet?" Kaidos' deep voice shook him out of his trance.

  Veyl turned his face and offered him a lopsided frown. "No, for you, idiot. Such simple remedies don't work on me. I'll heal naturally soon enough."

  Kaidos scowled, in reply. "How do I know you're not making something that will do more harm?"

  Veyl sat back, his finger resting on his chin as he fluttered his eyelashes. "Hmmm, hadn't thought of that." He feigned astonishment. Kaidos' heated glare made him realize that the man hadn't understood the sarcasm.

  Veyl rolled his eyes. "Would it make sense to only poison two of the four of you?"

  "Two? You're making enough for Lirin?"

  Veyl stood up, a little wobbly without the use of his hands. "I am making a salve. It's up to you what to do with it. If you want to poison everybody then smear it on some toasted bread and pass it around."

  This time Kaidos apparently understood that Veyl was teasing. "Why..." Kaidos looked down at the ground as he rose to his feet, his hand coming to steady Veyl. "Why would you do that?"

  Veyl glanced up at him, examining his bruised and bloody face. "I honestly wonder that myself."