The answer came to her so easily that she almost laughed. "Torius!"
*Not a good idea, Vreva. He hit you! I don't trust him.* Saffron's wave of dislike for Torius washed over Vreva.
"Well, I rather deserved it, don't you think?" She remembered perfectly the day Torius stormed into her apartment, threatened her at swordpoint, then knocked her flat with the back of his hand. It seemed fair payment for betraying him to Benrahi Ekhan. Seven Stargazers had died as a result of that betrayal, even though it hadn't been voluntary. The only lasting injury had been to her pride. Saffron had taken it more personally than she. "I did betray him, and some of his crew were killed as a result. Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't kill me outright when he discovered what I'd done."
*That wasn't your fault. You didn't have a choice.*
That was true enough. "Yes, well, it's all in the past, and I think Torius might be just the person to help us. Did I ever tell you that his pesh addict mother sold him into slavery when he was a child?"
*No, you didn't! How did you ever extract that bit of information from him?*
"I didn't. I was able to cast a charm on Celeste, and she told me. He harbors no love for slavers, but how far would he be willing to go down that road?"
*I still don't trust him. He's a pirate, Vreva. He's more likely to sell you to the Pactmasters.*
"There's only one way to find out, but don't worry. If I reveal what I really am to Torius Vin, I'll be ready."
*Ready for what?*
"Ready to kill him if he even thinks about selling me to the Masks."
*Well, at least you're thinking like a spy again.*
"I never stop thinking like a spy, my love. If I ever do, we're both dead."
*I know.* He nuzzled her neck again. *That's what worries me.*
Chapter Nine
The Hook
Truth or lies, deception or honesty? Celeste slithered back and forth across their tent. She had obsessed about Lord Astrus all day, and gotten not a wink of sleep. Did she continue to deceive one of her own kind, or risk divulging her true nature? She glanced out of the open ventilation flap. It would soon be time to meet with the others to decide on the night's schedule. Her opportunity to tell the truth, or continue the lie, came and went with the sunset.
Laughter from outside interrupted her thoughts, and Torius entered with dinner.
"So, have you made a decision?" He set down the plates and sat with his legs folded tailor-fashion. Some of his natural grace had returned. His hands were steadier, his face less pinched. He was getting over his withdrawal symptoms.
Getting over me.
She shook off the ridiculous thought and joined him at the table. Tonight's dinner, a stew of lentils and more of the ubiquitous barrel-meat, smelled more appetizing than it looked. In answer to his question, she shook her head. "Not really, no. You're looking better."
"I'm feeling better. Look." He held out a cup and poured wine into it with barely a tremor.
"Good." Celeste dipped a piece of flatbread into the stew and sampled it. Her mouth lit up with pepper and garlic. Raising her tin cup, she sipped her wine. "I know you think it's my decision what to tell Astrus, but it could affect all of us if he reacts poorly, so I'd like your opinion. What do you think I should do?"
Torius shrugged and swallowed a bite of stew before answering. "It's not like he could denounce you for what you are, or even for deceiving everyone else about it, since he's doing the same thing. He is arrogant, but he hasn't actually tried to lord his status over anyone. I say, do it. If you don't, you're going to keep obsessing and drive me crazy slithering back and forth all day long."
"Oh, so I should reveal myself to Astrus so you can get some sleep?" She flared involuntarily at his self-centered attitude.
"Yes, that's precisely it." He flashed a grin that revealed his little joke. "It is all about me, isn't it?"
Celeste appreciated his effort to lighten her mood, but didn't feel much like laughing. She considered nudging his wine cup into his lap in revenge, then reconsidered. He was right. She would never forgive herself if she let the opportunity pass. There was little to lose, and so much to gain.
"All right, then. After tonight's scheduling meeting, I'll talk to Lord Astrus."
"Do you want me to stick around?"
"Thank you, Torius, but no. He might consider an armed escort a threat."
"Good point." He took a bite of stew and chewed thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want him to bite me. Then I'd have to go through this whole damned withdrawal thing all over again."
They finished their dinner quickly, and Celeste cast the illusion that made her look like Windy Kate. As they emerged from the tent, the sun had just descended behind the distant mountains, and the heat of the day was ebbing. Grogul and the other Stargazers were sitting around the fire, eating their dinners and sipping grog. Their laughter faded in the distance as Celeste and Torius passed through the camp to the meeting place.
Hultey and Lochnal, the two clerics of Desna, were already there, their heads bent over a parchment covered in script. They greeted Celeste and Torius with polite nods and went back to their argument. She smiled at their vehemence. Even though they kept their rants to a whisper, everyone in the camp knew the two had serious disagreements over Desnan doctrine. Hultey maintained that the Observatory was a magically augmented magnification device for viewing the stars, whereas Lochnal believed the shrine simply put the viewer's mind into a dream state, and that the images they saw weren't real. Since Desna was goddess of both stars and dreams, neither seemed impossible. As usual, the Pathfinder, a lavender-haired gnome named Quizzik, was absent. He conducted his research during the daylight hours, and didn't take part in these meetings. A strangely intense little chap, he seemed very different than the fun-loving and mischievous Snick.
Torius sat down, and Celeste manipulated her illusory disguise into a sitting position. Moments later, Astrus emerged from his nearby tent. Now that Celeste knew that his outward appearance was an illusion, she had little difficulty piercing it to discern his true nature. The sight of long, sinuous coils so like her own sent a thrill through her.
"Good evening, everyone." Astrus took his place at the edge of the circle. "Does anyone require a change in the schedule for their observations tonight?"
Everyone indicated that they were happy with their current times.
"Then we'll keep the same schedule as we had last night: Hultey, then Lochnal, then Celeste and Torius, then myself for the predawn period."
So far, most of the meetings had been like this, with little exchange of observations or information, as if each observer were jealous of his own findings and unwilling to share. The attitude vexed Celeste. After reconciling herself to sharing the Observatory, she had imagined heady discussions of astronomy and the heavens. Maybe what she had to say to Astrus would change things, at least between them.
The meeting over, Hultey headed off to start his observations, and Lochnal to his tent. Astrus started to leave. Steeling her nerves, Celeste called out, "Lord Astrus. I'd like to speak with you, if you have a moment."
"Certainly." He turned to her, inclining his head but keeping his distance, his long, forked tongue flicking out to sample the air.
"I'll see you back at camp." Torius gave her a secret smile and nodded to Astrus before strolling away.
"It must be a matter of astronomy, then." At Celeste's questioning look, Astrus nodded after Torius. "Captain Vin is less passionate about the stars than you. If you wish to talk to me alone, it must be about something that concerns you and not him."
"Actually, this is a personal matter." She gestured away from the tents.
"I don't understand." Astrus followed her away from the camp and into the twilit desert. "What personal matter could I possibly help you with? We've known one another but a few days."
She wasn't sure how to broach the subject. "I thought it only polite to inform you that I've discovered something."
Astrus smiled condesce
ndingly. "Everyone who uses the Observatory makes discoveries. I'm happy for you, but I really have no interest—"
"It's not an astronomical discovery. This was the discovery that we have something in common besides our fascination with the stars." Celeste breathed deep and forged ahead. "I discovered that you cloak your true form with an illusion."
"What?" He stopped and stared at her, his features suddenly hard and guarded. His tail twitched nervously, and he flexed his coils, ready to strike.
"Please relax, Lord Astrus. You have nothing to fear from me. I penetrated your disguise because I'm using the same disguise for the same reason. My appearance right now is an illusion." She shuffled her scales on the hard, dry ground, keeping her illusory feet still. "If you listen, think, and concentrate, I'm sure you can penetrate it, as I did yours. We're more alike than we are different."
His eyes narrowed, then widened in shock, and she knew he saw her true form.
"I ...I see!" The muscles of his throat, the ones that controlled venom flow, relaxed. "That's ...astonishing!" He slithered around her in a quick circle, his face alight.
"I'm sorry I startled you." She undulated her coils in delight at his response. "I didn't know exactly how to broach the subject."
"Ha! Yes, I suppose ‘Hello, I'm a lunar naga' is rather a difficult way to begin a conversation." He chuckled. "Well, this changes everything! I should have known!"
"That I was a lunar naga? How could you?" They'd barely spoken except for the introduction he'd given them to the Observatory, and then her appearance had been an actual transformation, not an illusion. "Lord Astrus, I—"
"Please, there must be no formality between us. I insist that you call me Astrus." His smile, for the first time since they had arrived, seemed genuine. "I must confess, I had no idea. I simply don't pay much attention to humans, you see. If I had, I'd certainly have made the connection. Your followers are rather ...unorthodox, but I recognize the signs now."
"Followers?"
"Yes. I would have expected them to show more of an interest in the stars."
Celeste shook her head. "They're not my followers, they're my friends and shipmates."
His smile faded, and he furrowed his brow. "How do you control them?"
"I don't control them. We work together and respect one another."
"But your so-called Captain Vin." He glanced toward the pirates' camp. "His pallor, his shaking hands and unsteady gait. You're punishing him for some transgression by withholding your venom, are you not?"
Celeste reared back. "I am not! Torius is exactly what he told you he was, a ship's captain. And I am his navigator. He became addicted to my venom inadvertently, and is currently breaking that addiction of his own free will."
Astrus's expression now hovered between incredulity and disgust. "If you don't control them using your venom, how can you trust them not to turn on you?"
"I trust them with my life, Astrus, and they trust me with theirs." Celeste suppressed a hiss of disdain. After she'd defended the practice of keeping willing followers to Torius, Astrus made it sound like slavery. But she couldn't show that disdain if she wanted to work with him.
"The reason I decided to reveal my true nature to you has nothing to do with the company either of us keeps. It has to do with our shared natures." She nodded toward the Observatory. "We both love the stars, and can undoubtedly learn from each other. If we share our findings, we'll both be enriched."
"I see." Astrus sounded doubtful.
He circled her again, this time more slowly, eyeing her as if he suspected that her naga form was the real illusion. She flushed with the memory of Benrahi Ekhan circling her on Stargazer's last caper, appraising her like a prize camel for sale.
"Celeste, I have lived a very long time by being careful with whom I associate. There's no doubt that I can teach you much about the cosmos, but I'd like to know what you have to offer in return."
You arrogant ...Celeste met his scrutiny with firm confidence, not bothering to keep a burr of annoyance out of her voice. "I may not be as old as you are, Astrus, but I've experienced things that would shiver your scales. I've sailed from the Obari Ocean to the Steaming Sea. I can pinpoint my position anywhere on Golarion within a three-mile radius using only the stars and a sextant. I've charted comets and cataloged meteor showers from quadrants of the sky you've probably never seen."
Astrus paused, his expression shifting from doubtful to intrigued. "I meant no offense, Celeste. My own travels have been limited to northern Garund, and although I've never bothered to learn the art of celestial navigation, it does interest me. I'd also be interested in seeing your data on comets."
So, he admits to not knowing everything. That's something, at least. "Then you agree we could both benefit from our association?"
"Yes, and I'm willing to show you what I've learned in my time here."
...in my time here. The emphasis was slight but distinct. He would share, but set strict limits on how much. She could live with that, and acknowledged it with a nod. "And I'll teach you celestial navigation and share my data on comets."
"Excellent!" Astrus flashed a smug smile, but then his mouth turned down. "But I'm concerned about these ...people you associate with, Celeste. You say you trust them with your life, but I see no reason why I should. The knowledge of my nature must remain our secret."
"Torius already knows, but I won't tell anyone else if you agree to return the courtesy."
"You told Captain Vin?" Astrus's tail quivered. "I wish you hadn't done that."
"I share everything with Torius. I can't very well wipe the knowledge from his mind, but he's kept my secret for years. He has no motivation to betray your secret to anyone. You'll just have to trust me on that."
"While I might trust you, Celeste, I could never truly trust a human." His voice was hard-edged. "They're inherently deceitful and weak of will."
"Inherently deceitful?" Celeste couldn't help but laugh. "I find them no more deceitful than any other race, and as far as weak-willed, I think you're mistaken. Some are very strong-willed. Sometimes too strong-willed."
He shook his head. "I think we must agree to disagree on that point, Celeste, but if you promise to keep my nature a secret from the rest of your ...friends, I'll do the same for you."
"Very well. I agree." Of course, if Torius has already told the whole crew, there's nothing I can do about it. "I'll get my navigational instruments and we can begin."
"And when it's my turn at the Observatory, you may attend and observe so that I can instruct you."
Celeste nodded, and suppressed the desire to instruct him on common courtesy. She could learn a lot from him, if she didn't bite him for his arrogance first.
∗ ∗ ∗
"Torius, I have a proposition for you."
His dream—a very good dream about a flying corsair—faded, and a familiar form coalesced. Familiar, yet not. Instead of her usual courtesan's garb, Vreva wore a simple white gown with a high collar.
"Vreva? What are you—"
"I'm sorry to disturb you. I know you're probably on that trip you mentioned, but something has come up that I think will interest you."
"I'm not—"
"I'm in a difficult position here, even more difficult than I was in with Benrahi Ekhan. I need a ship's captain I can trust, and frankly, you're the only one I know."
What the hell is she talking about? Vreva's friends with every slaver in Okeno.
"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I won't lie to you, Torius. This is too serious a situation for anything but the truth. The job will be dangerous, though probably not any more than piracy. What's more, I believe it will mesh well with your ...moral code. And, of course, there will be payment. Very generous payment."
"What the hell do you know about my moral code?" Torius was inclined to dismiss the offer out of hand, but this didn't sound like the Vreva Jhafae he knew. For one thing, truth usually didn't play a large part in the courtesan's life. Also, she always seem
ed to have some quip or sultry double entendre on the tip of her tongue, but not a one had passed her lips yet.
"I must see you as soon as you can possibly get here. I'll give you the details face to face, not through a spell. Calistria help me if you're out in the middle of the desert, because I can't wait too long. If I don't see or hear from you within a week or so, I'll assume you're not interested, and make other arrangements." She barked a short, humorless laugh, completely unlike her usual musical mirth. "Although at this point, I don't have any other options."
"I don't know if I can—"
"This spell only works one way, so don't bother trying to answer. I can't see or hear you."
Well, I wish she'd said that earlier.
"Please, Torius, come quickly if you possibly can. If you can't ...well, never mind." Vreva smiled, but it looked forced, the first time he'd ever seen her do anything that didn't look completely natural. "Give my regards to Celeste."
When Torius woke, he remembered every word and gesture of her disturbing message.
∗ ∗ ∗
"What does she want thisss time?" Celeste had just returned from her first session with Astrus. Brimming with delight, she couldn't wait to describe their observations to Torius. Upon her arrival back at their tent, however, she had found Torius pacing and mumbling, obviously upset. When she'd asked what was wrong, he told her of the message from Vreva.
"I don't know what she wants. She wouldn't say, exactly. Only that something's come up that would interest me, pay well, and mesh with my moral code, whatever the hell that means."
"Since when is Vreva concerned about anyone's moral code?" Celeste had never warmed to the courtesan, despite the help she'd provided with their last job. Something Astrus had said came to mind. If anyone she'd ever met fit the description of inherently deceitful, that person would be Vreva Jhafae.
"I didn't even know I had one!" Torius flashed his best rakish grin.
"You have more of a moral code than she does, that's for certain!" Suspicion flared. "Vreva is friends with a great many slavers. What if this is another betrayal?"
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