“Have you ever noticed that you talk a lot and say nothing of importance?”
“I’ve been known to rattle on.”
“What happened to you? Why aren’t you a courier anymore?”
Jak didn’t laugh off the question this time.
“You fight well, for a Chilalian,” he said.
“You fight well, for a human,” she retorted.
“The rumors about you aren’t true.”
“I’m not concerned with tattle.”
“I don’t find the purple strange at all. It’s extremely attractive.”
Rasha stiffened and kept her eyes forward. Jak laughed.
“Don’t be so nervous, I’m only giving you a compliment.”
“I’m hardly nervous,” Rasha gritted her teeth. His comment shouldn’t bother her. So why was she annoyed?
“No?” Jak leaned out to look at her face. Why did he have to be so intrusive?
Rasha jabbed his chest with her elbow. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but enough to warn him she wasn’t interested in being scrutinized. He took the hint but every time the beast came to a stop or made a quick movement his arm caught her waist again. She reasoned to herself that she was tired of pushing him away. It didn’t do any harm. Rasha had always imagined having someone looking after you once in a while would give you the sense of security. She didn’t feel secure. She felt vulnerable.
* * *
The sky was gold with the setting sun and one moon could be seen high in the sky when Jak stopped them at an inn.
“We can’t stay here,” Rasha said, and started to turn her tuskin.
“We can and we will,” Jak said. “I’ve got the credits, it’s not a problem.” He spoke as if he was aware of their troubles.
Rasha was debating whether to allow him to pay when the princess rode up next to them.
“A proper bath will be so nice. I can’t see prince Bashir in this state.”
“We’re staying here?” Lu asked as he joined them. “I might be able to get a proper link to the communicator and contact a few friends. They might tell us what’s up ahead.”
“Good thinking. Let’s go get settled,” Jak said.
Rasha didn’t know what to say. Her back was killing her, and she wasn’t sure she didn’t have a concussion because her head was still spinning. She didn’t know how to view his offer. Jak’s surprise arrival, tracking them, and apparently being on a mission running parallel to theirs, but they didn’t have any details. What if he planned to kidnap the princess? She couldn’t be sure until she had the truth.
What was that saying? ‘Keep the eye of your enemy in sight and your friends at your back.’ She’d do that and make sure that this Jak fellow didn’t hinder her delivery. It didn’t matter if he was a legendary courier and wielded his sword like an extension of his arm. Rasha refused to give any more thought to his skills or the lock of dark hair that fell in front of his gorgeous blue eyes when he spoke to her.
Jak climbed down from the beast first and pushed the lock of hair away from his eyes before reaching up to help her down.
“I’m not an invalid,” she said more forcefully than necessary.
“Of course,” Jak said, “but you need rest.”
He ordered them two rooms. Rasha and Chiza shared one, Jak and Lu took the other.
Rasha tried to thank Jak but the words stuck in her throat. It was Lu who expressed their gratitude. Chiza headed straight for the bath. Rasha wanted to lie down but knew she’d fall asleep. Instead she left the room to tend to their beasts. They’d need food.
Lu was already there.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting?” Lu said when he saw her.
“I’m not sure I should lie down just yet.”
“I see. Well, while you’re here, pass me the bristle brush there on the stool.”
“Grooming?” she asked as she passed him the tool.
“Yes, they need to brushed and their hooves checked. Small pebbles get in there and make it difficult for them to travel long distances. We’ve got a journey ahead of us yet.”
“Any word?” Rasha asked.
“No. I’ll keep checking, though. It was nice of Jak to pay for us to stay here. I don’t think Chiza could have slept on the ground one more night.”
“We can’t let Jak stay with us.”
“No.” Lu said without looking up from the hoof he was examining.
“It’s kind of him to help us, but this delivery is far more important than any one man.”
“Maybe he wants to make some new friends,” Lu suggested.
“If he wants to make friends with us, he can try when we’re not in the middle of this mess with the princess. Too many people have a stake in her arrival to the first kingdom.”
Lu nodded but didn’t answer.
“Does it matter I sort of like having him around?”
“No,” she said firmly, looking at him. When he met her eye, she gave him a sharp nod and turned to go.
* * *
When Rasha woke up, the room was empty and dark. Chiza must have gone out with Lu. They were never too far away from each other.
Rasha did herself and everyone else a favor and took a bath. The cleanliness rejuvenated her. She no longer had the nausea in her stomach. In fact, she was hungry. Rasha wondered how far Jak’s generosity stretched. Would he also pay for their meals? He hadn’t shared his plans so she’d set up a tab in his name with the barkeep. She smiled at the thought. Served him right for trying to take care of her.
She wondered why she wanted to punish him for it. Then the answer came. She didn’t trust him. She’d learned early on not to trust every person coming with an open hand and a smile. They always wanted something in return. Jak Ostari wouldn’t be any different. He wanted something. She couldn’t fathom what it was yet, but she’d find out.
15
Lu worked on his communicator, trying to reach anyone who had information on what was ahead of them. It didn’t look good. He’d already received two reports. There were a couple of illegal requests for hired men from the Wilds. Hunters and trackers for the tenth princess, as she’d been seen in the area.
He didn’t like the sound of that. Men from the Wilds were lawless, if you trusted the reports. Assuming the pay was high enough, they’d be ambushed again by morning. He got up and grabbed his communicator. Rasha would be down at the bar by now, sipping her juice. Jak might be down there too since he didn’t seem like the tuck-in-with-a-good-book kind of guy. He’d have the room to himself tonight, if Jak’s reputation proved true.
A soft knock at the door changed his plans. He opened it and the beauty before him made him forget everything else. Lu’s heart leaped into his throat every time he saw her, making it hard to speak. His face broke out in a smile. When the silence between them became uncomfortable, an idea formed in his mind. He imagined she’d be sleeping the night away, and he said so.
“I thought you’d be asleep by now.”
“I tried but I can’t seem to settle. May I come in?” she asked.
He held the door wide enough to allow her to pass.
“Sorry it’s so messy, I wasn’t expecting company.” Lu pushed his things off of the chair where he wanted her to sit, and sat on the bed across from her.
Chiza had changed into another one of her dresses. This one a simple pink, no doubt for sleeping. But the lace on the edges drew his eye, and he had to work not to wonder what was underneath all the sheer layers. What was wrong with him? Lu shook his head to clear it.
“I’m so sorry to intrude,” Chiza said as she surveyed the room.
“No, I like company. I miss having people around. My family is close and we talk about everything,” Lu replied as he picked at his boot buckle.
“Mine too.” Chiza cast her eyes to down to the floor. She seemed sad.
“Are you worried about them?” he asked.
“Yes, their worry is contagious. It doesn’t make any sense, I’m sure they’re fin
e.” Chiza said.
“But they’re anxious and it concerns you. I have the same problem at home.”
“Really? But what you do isn’t always this dangerous,” she said.
Lu remembered his last job and hanging from the ceiling on a hook waiting for Rash. What if things hadn’t gone according to plan?
“Well, it’s not as safe as they would like. My parents would prefer that I stay in the Twinlands and settle down and have a family.”
“Don’t you want that?” Chiza asked.
“Yes, I do. In the future, I mean, I’m still young. There are some things left to do while I can. I want adventure before I go back to ordinary life. The problem is my little sister. Like me, she wants adventure, something extraordinary. Unlike me, she often puts herself in danger. Which is another reason I have to do what I do. I enjoy being available to help out when I can.”
“I’ve always wished for a sister. With no siblings, all of my parent’s hopes for our kingdom rested on me.” Chiza dropped her gaze.
“Are you sure you want to go through with it?” Lu asked. The question tumbled out before his brain registered what he was asking. He made a quick recovery. “I mean, are you having doubts?” He realized too late that the second question wasn’t any better than the first, but Chiza answered it.
“To be honest, no. I know my duty and I’m thrilled with it. I’ve been studying the other princesses and the prince for years. I’m the ideal wife and partner for him. But will he see it too?”
“If he doesn’t, he’s a fool,” he blurted.
“Be careful of how you speak of our prince,” Chiza said with a flash of anger.
Lu held up his hand then chose his words with care. “I only meant if he can’t see what a treasure you are, then he might not be using all of his mental capacity.”
“That’s not any better,” Chiza retorted.
They both laughed.
“I know, and I am sorry for it.” Lu’s laughter died down and he asked her a serious question. “What do you want?”
Chiza pondered that for a moment. She understood there were many things wrapped up in that one question. “I guess I want the dream, the fairytale. No matter what happens, I want a family. I’d like to live a peaceful life and should prince Bashir choose me I’d like to improve on the kingdom as its queen and not make it worse.”
“How? I mean in what ways?” Lu leaned forward. She had his full attention now. What did she want to improve?
“Well, for one, it’s a shame that more people don’t learn the native languages of the nations within our realm. The Twinlands where you are from are proficient, it’s your culture, but the rest of us need to do more work. We have our common language but we lose a deeper understanding.”
“I’m intrigued. What else would you do?”
“I’d want to regulate our intergalactic trade. We need more tradesmen off world and more off world relations. We should explore alien cultures in more depth. There’s more we can do to help each other thrive.
“You speak like someone born to the Twinlands. My people also speak of the future this way. We want those things and more.”
“What’s one thing you would change, if you had the power to do so?”
“I wish for the prince or princess the freedom to marry whomever he or she chose. A union not based on bloodlines, but common interest and affection.” Lu swallowed hard. His mouth had gone dry and he wasn’t sure he hadn’t overstepped his bounds. She’d already said she desired to fulfill her promise and marry the prince if he chose her. So why did he have to keep sowing seeds of doubt?
At that moment, Temi decided he wasn’t getting enough attention, and he plopped over and put his large front paws on Chiza’s lap. When had he gotten big enough to do that? Lu wondered. Chiza giggled and stroked his belly the way he liked and Temi purred with happiness. She spoke to him in her language the way you would to a baby. Temi loved it. Lu admitted to himself he enjoyed it too. He watched them with a twinge of longing. He wanted to be the object of her affection. Something she was incapable of giving him without breaking her vow to the prince.
16
Rasha sat nursing a juice in the corner of the bar downstairs from their rooms. When Jak stumbled in with a girl on each arm, she felt something in her gut tighten. She wasn’t surprised to see him with multiple women. He’d made her think she was special. Here was the proof he’d misled her.
Jak sat at the bar drinking and singing, of all things. He was so embarrassing. Rasha hadn’t worn her cloak and now she wished she had. She could hide in it and go unnoticed. Not tonight, though. She’d come down here to think about what to do, not to hide from Jak. She couldn’t avoid him all night. She glanced up to see if he’d noticed her, only to meet his eye.
His smile widened, and he winked at her. Winked! She wanted to pull out her short swords and stab him. Instead, she looked away with a calm she didn’t feel and yawned. It was something she’d learned years ago. It had been an older man that time. A much older man, and he didn’t want to take no for an answer. So she yawned in his boring face and that had done it.
Rasha didn’t have to look at Jak this time to know his reaction. She hoped she’d injured him. Maybe then he’d leave her the yahtz alone. She sipped from her drink and stood up to go. But it seemed Jak hadn’t gotten her message.
“Rash, come on join us.”
“No, I’ve had enough.” She started for the door.
“I doubt you’ve had any,” he said with a knowing look at the ladies around him. They all cackled along with him. “Come on, at least have a dance with me.”
“No, thank you.” She bowed her head and turned to leave. But then he started singing again, to her.
“There was an old bard from hither and to, who traveled the lands meeting people like you.” He tapped a finger on the nose of the girl on his right.
“He sang and danced and pranced around gaily.” Jak separated himself from both girls and danced over to her.
“But deep in his heart he longed for a lady. A beautiful lady with long white hair.” He wrapped a finger in her hair and lowered his voice.
“To tell her his feelings he wouldn’t dare.” Jak dropped her hair and turned to the other ladies who spread their arms wide to welcome him back.
“She’d sneer, and she’d snap cause that’s what they do, Purple girls who love an old bard, Deep down yes they do.”
Cheers erupted all around—the entire bar was egging him on. Jak sang with a beautiful voice and no doubt sang well the language of the mermen. That explained the mermaid on his left arm. Jak held out his arms to Rasha, and she smiled back at him and took a step forward. He’d embarrassed her as he’d intended but she wasn’t interested in being another one of his decorative arm pieces. He’d have to learn his lesson and fast. She raised a finger and pointed in his direction.
Me? he mouthed as if surprised she’d been persuaded. She shook her head in the negative. Then pointed again. Over his right shoulder was a young man whose eyes had been stuck on her since she’d strolled into the bar. He was young and inexperienced with farmer’s clothing and unkempt hair. His first time in a bar, if she had to guess. His eyes lit up at everything he saw and he’d also been drinking a juice. All of this made him perfect.
When he noticed she was looking at him, he pointed to himself with a large grin. Rasha nodded and crooked her finger in a ‘come here’ gesture. He didn’t hesitate. He edged through the crowd until he was in front of her. She grasped his hand and wiggled five fingers back at Jak, whose jaw was on the floor. Rasha led the young man into the corridor leading to the inn. Once there in the half light, she pulled him in by the collar and kissed him hard.
Rasha didn’t think he’d ever kissed a girl before in his life. He didn’t understand his lips should be firm and his tongue inside of his mouth. She ran her hands roughly through his hair and pulled his shirt out of his pants as if she wanted more. The kiss left him dizzy. It put Rasha in a bad mood.
&
nbsp; “Good night,” she said, turning him toward the door to the bar and walking up the inn stairs.
“Good night to you, miss.” He smiled and sauntered back to the bar like someone who’d been kissed senseless.
“Good night Jak,” she whispered to herself.
Rasha reached the second floor, still hearing the revelry of the bar downstairs. She hoped Lu and Chiza hadn’t been listening to any of the nonsense in the bar. When she reached the door to her room she overheard Chiza’s unmistakable giggle. Not from inside, but from Lu and Jak’s room behind her. Rasha stood at the doorway—it was slightly ajar—and listened to Lu talk about princesses making their own choices. She clenched her fists. He was trying to make the princess doubt her duty. It wasn’t fair. She had too much to lose.
She knocked once on the door before pushing it open. They both jumped as if caught doing something they shouldn’t. Another bad sign.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked Lu.
Lu stood up and followed Rasha across the hall and into her room. She shut the door behind her and then spoke to him in a growl.
“What in the yahtz are you doing you pumseed?”
Lu’s hands came up in front of him. “What, what did I do?”
“I heard you,” she said with her jaws clenched.
“Chiza and I were just—”
“Oh, I know what you were just doing. You should stop before you both get hurt.”
Lu tried to speak, but she raised a hand.
“She’s not yours for the asking or the taking. She belongs to the prince and your interference might cost us this delivery, or worse, your life. Have you forgotten the last time someone came between a princess and the prince?”
Lu squared his shoulders.
“I didn’t realize you were taking on the role of my mother on this journey.”
The Courier's Code (The Bolaji Kingdoms Series Book 1) Page 6