"Torius ..." Her reflection dimmed, lost in swirling mists as the smoke was drawn into the mirror's burnished silver surface. She focused all her thoughts on him, until she could almost sense him standing behind her, taste his scent on her tongue, feel his hand in her hair, his breath on the back of her neck ...Finally, the eddying haze began to clear.
It's working! He's alive!
Torius lay huddled on a straw-littered floor with his back to her, facing a row of iron bars, one arm outstretched. Celeste willed the vision to shift, and hissed when she saw that his arm was thrust through the bars to embrace another figure in the adjacent cell. This other person—a woman, it seemed, though it was hard to tell—wore only a burlap shift, her hair disheveled and limbs smeared with grime. Her arm entwined Torius's, and she clutched his hand to her breast. Celeste shifted the view again, and finally recognized the woman.
"Vreva!"
The intimacy of their embrace sent a shiver down her spine. What in Hell ...She shook herself from head to tail and renewed her focus on the mirror. She needed to find out where Torius had been imprisoned, and why Vreva was in there with him.
"Thillion, the second scroll."
At the rustle of parchment, she turned and read the next spell. It was a simple incantation, but Kifalla had warned Celeste that casting it through a scrying would be tricky. Concentrating again on Torius, but excluding Vreva from the magical connection, Celeste whispered, "Torius! Wake up!"
He stirred, lifting his head from the filthy floor to look around. "Did you ..."
"Torius! It's Celeste!"
"Celeste?" He bolted to his feet, his eyes casting around the room. "Where ..."
Vreva unfolded from her fetal position and asked hoarsely, "What is it?"
Celeste saw blood on her wrists, and dark bruises through the grime on her face and limbs. She'd been beaten. Still, Celeste couldn't feel much pity for the courtesan. Even if Vreva hadn't given up Torius up to save herself, she'd been the one to lure him into this mess.
In a loud whisper, Torius said to Vreva, "It's Celeste! I heard—"
"Quiet, Torius! Don't draw attention! She can't hear me. This is a magical connection only for you."
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Katapesh. We need to know where you are so we can come for you. It looks like you're in a gaol again, but where?"
"We're not in a gaol, we're in a brig. They're taking us to Katapesh. Celeste, you've got to hurry!"
"When did you set sail, and what ship?"
Torius furrowed his brow, then turned to Vreva. "What time was it when they brought you aboard?"
"About midday." Vreva struggled to sit up, hugging her knees to her chest. "The day after you were captured. Why?"
"Because the Stargazers are coming for us, just like I told you they would." He grinned at Vreva, his face shining with hope, but little of it was mirrored in the courtesan's features. "We're aboard the Bloody Scourge, Celeste. She's a two-decker slave galley. They're beating an easy cadence on the oars, and not heeling much. Making five knots, maybe six. You've got to get us out of here before we reach Katapesh."
"We're coming, Torius. Now, where is the brig located in the ship?"
His face fell. "I have no idea. Vreva, did you notice where the brig was when they brought you aboard?"
"No, but I've been here before." Surprisingly, the courtesan gave exact directions.
"All right, Torius. Hold fast." Celeste did some quick calculations in her head. They'd have to act quickly to catch Bloody Scourge in time. "We're coming for you. It'll be tonight. It's about midmorning now."
"Okay." He sat back down, his back to the bars. "Thank you, Celeste. I'm sorry I got us into this."
"You didn't get us into anything, Torius. Vreva did." He stiffened at that, and Celeste knew she'd said the wrong thing. This wasn't the time to lay blame. "Don't worry, Torius. We'll be there tonight. Be ready."
"I will be." He smiled, but she could see that it was strained. "I love you, Celeste."
"And I love you, my captain." Though she hated to abandon him, Celeste broke the magical connection and turned to Thillion and Snick. From the confused looks on their faces, she knew that they had only heard her side of the conversation.
"They're aboard a two-decked slave galley, Bloody Scourge, one day out of Okeno, headed this way."
"They?" Thillion asked.
"Vreva's with him. They're in the brig, behind bars and manacled."
"Better than the Okeno gaol, at least," Snick mumbled.
"It'll be difficult enough. We can't fight our way aboard a galley that size." Celeste bit her lip. "We need a plan to sneak him out of there without getting captured."
Thillion nodded, his puzzle chain suddenly rattling in his hands. "The timing will be tight, but I believe it can be done. If we're to meet them at sea, we should leave Katapesh no later than dusk. But a two-decker ..."
"Come up with whatever tricks are necessary, and spare no expense. I can access Torius's account at the Immaculate Repository."
"Good. That's where he was heading anyway." At Celeste's raised eyebrow, Snick explained. "The captain was going to clean out his accounts in Katapesh, just in case somethin' like this happened. I figure we may as well do it while we're here. Who knows if we'll ever be back. Besides, I've got plenty of ways to spend the captain's money!"
"Excellent!" Celeste's cloak flew off its hook and settled about her. She gave Thillion a nod. "Buy whatever you need, and whatever you think you might need if things go badly. Get the best you can find: potions, armor, weapons, whatever. If we have to fight a two-decker, we're going to need every advantage we can get."
"Aye, Miss Celeste. We'll be off the dock before sunset. Don't worry about the crew." Thillion's almond-shaped eyes narrowed, his mild features hardening. "They saw what happened to the captain and Grogul, and they've been spoiling for a fight."
"Good. Because I won't stop until we get Torius back."
Chapter Twenty-Two
A Choice to Live
It felt good to be at sea again. The motion of the ship, the cool breeze, and the glittering stars soothed Celeste's tortured nerves. The last frantic hours in Katapesh had been maddening. She had planned to rest when they got underway, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Torius. Now, with their quarry finally in sight, her anxiety sharpened to a razor edge.
She raised her telescope and analyzed their target. That's Bloody Scourge, all right. It hadn't been difficult for Celeste to calculate the approximate position of the slave galley, and the ship had been easy to spot, with her lights shining into the clear night. Her sheer size made the galley unmistakable.
"Closer," she whispered to Thillion.
"Aye! A point to starboard, Windy."
"Aye!" Windy Kate eased the wheel over.
Stargazer, black sails rendering her as dark as the night itself, approached in the larger ship's wake, her bow wave masked by the foam of Bloody Scourge's passage. They'd done this dozens of times, but here their tactics would change. So outnumbered, it would be suicide to board her like they did merchant ships. Instead, Thillion had devised a different plan.
And Astrus called me reckless ...Sneaking aboard a slave galley packed with two hundred slavers seemed just short of insanity to Celeste. "Closer."
She raised her telescope again and peered into the broad stern gallery windows. Most of the ship was dark, but the aft cabin remained brilliantly lit. Within, a dark-haired figure in gleaming chainmail and white tabard paced back and forth. Celeste glimpsed a golden symbol on the tabard's breast.
The inquisitor ...She tore her gaze away. This wasn't the time to consider revenge. Looking lower, she spied their goal, a porthole low on the leeward aft quarter. Barely five feet above the waterline, it would hopefully open into an empty sleeping cabin on the lower deck. Celeste lowered the telescope and looked down at Snick.
"Are you ready?"
"Aye!" Snick wore a close-fitting leather jerkin covered with tiny
pockets, each holding a pick, tool, or vial, and soot-darkened daggers strapped to her wrists and ankles. A mixture of soot and pig fat darkened her face, hands, and hair. With her greasy locks tied back in a tight queue, she looked more like a goblin than a gnome. "Ready when you are."
"Good." Celeste's face, upper body, and hair were similarly blackened. She flexed to ensure that the snug leather harness girding her upper body didn't chafe. The harness held several scroll tubes, giving her a wider array of spells. She snapped her telescope closed and floated it into Thillion's waiting hand. "Close enough, Thillion. Hold station here."
"Aye!" He waved to Fenric to shorten sail. "We'll be ready for your return."
"Just keep an eye peeled." Celeste turned to Snick. "It's time."
"Right!" The gnome straddled Celeste and grasped the leather harness. "Ready!"
"Hold fast!" Celeste withdrew a blue-tinted potion and downed it. Looking out at the dark sea, she hoped the enchantment was working. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell until they went over the side. She cast two spells from scrolls in quick succession, and she and Snick faded from view. "Farewell, Thillion."
"Pirate's luck to you." The elf touched his brow in salute.
Celeste slithered down to the main deck and over the rail. As they dropped toward the water, she heard Snick's panicked yip and felt the gnome's legs tighten around her, but the naga barely touched the surface before the magic of the potion buoyed her up. She cast yet another spell, and her coils writhed with speed, propelling her across the waves like a bolt from a crossbow. In moments, they passed beneath the view of the glowing stern windows and reached the porthole. Now came the tricky part. Though the seas weren't high, the waves rose and fell, and the ship rolled with them.
"Hold still!" the gnome hissed in her ear, her voice barely above the rush of water.
"I'm trying!" A large wave passed beneath her, and she jostled her rider badly.
"Oh, for Desna's sake!" Snick muttered something under her breath. A soft squeak of hinges followed. "Got it! Now, get me up there!"
Celeste arched, and Snick's weight left her back. Looking up, she could see the dark opening in the hull, but not inside. She heard nothing over the hiss of foam streaming down the ship's side, the beat of the taskmaster's drum, and the rip-rip of oars. After a disturbingly long moment, the gnome's head poked out of the port.
Her invisibility failed! Something must have—
"Come on!"
Celeste didn't hesitate. She heaved herself up and through the port. It was a tight squeeze, and her harness and scroll cases hung up on the edge, but she slithered through. What she found on the other side, however, brought her up short. Two corpses swung in their hammocks. One's throat gaped wide and bloody. The other had a dagger stuck hilt-deep in his eye.
Snick retrieved her dagger, cleaned it on the corpse's collar, and sheathed it with a predatory grin. "Desna's luck, they were both sleeping, but I need a new spell."
Celeste shuddered at the gnome's cold tone and brutal efficiency. She knew Snick didn't care for violence. The bloodlust in her eyes seemed disturbingly incongruous. "You ...um ..."
"Butchered them in their sleep." Snick tossed her head as if dismissing a trivial inconvenience. "Yep. So cast the spell already. Sand through the glass, you know!"
"I just never thought of you as much of a killer." Celeste slithered forward and cast the spell, but before the gnome's features faded from view, she caught a glimpse of a dangerous sneer.
"They killed my friend and snatched my captain, Celeste. Bastards don't know who they messed with!"
"All right." Celeste could only agree with the sentiment. "Lead on. I'll be right behind you. Two decks down, and forward about fifty feet. Look for a companionway amidships."
"Right." The door to the cabin swung open to dim lamplight. "Stay close and keep quiet!"
∗ ∗ ∗
A thump outside the door snapped Vreva from a horrific nightmare: hard blows, pliers, the slap of leather against her back, torturing magic, and Zarina's face contorted with madness. She shivered, and the pain of all her torments returned. Not a nightmare ...A memory ...
Another thump, quieter this time, and she grasped Torius desperately. Dear Calistria, no ...Behind her, Torius tensed. Reluctantly, she released her stranglehold on his hand, immediately missing the warm connection to another living being.
"Someone's outside," he whispered in her ear. "It might just be the guard being relieved."
Or it might be something else ...someone else. Vreva's gut twisted. Pain was one thing, but she couldn't face Zarina's eyes again.
The lock clicked, and she grasped Torius through the bars. "Now, Torius! Don't let them take me! Send me to Calistria! Please!"
He reached through and looped the rough chain of his shackles around her neck. The cold iron against her throat sent a chill down her back, but she welcomed it. One quick jerk and it would be over. She'd be with Saffron again.
He hesitated. "It might not be—"
The door creaked, and Vreva found her eyes drawn to the gaping portal ...a black face, huge wide eyes, a bloody dagger ...then another shape, long and sinuous ...a dark serpent ...
"Celeste! Snick!" Torius flipped the chain from around her neck and staggered to his feet.
"What?" It took a moment for recognition to seep through Vreva's terror.
"Why were you holding her like that, Toriusss?" Celeste hissed.
"Come on, Celeste! It's not what you think. I wasn't—"
"Everybody shut the hell up!" Snick ordered. "We're in shit so deep I can't breathe, and you want to bicker? Come on, Celeste. Help me. He's too heavy for me to lift alone."
"Fine." Celeste turned to lunge at something beyond the door, then dragged the limp form of a guard into the brig. She dumped him in the corner and shook loose her fangs, then reared back up and shot a glare at Vreva. The courtesan swallowed hard as she noticed that the guard's throat had been torn out, and the naga's lips were smeared with blood. Celeste turned toward Torius with a decidedly less hostile gaze.
"My captain." She slithered to his cell.
Torius reached through the bars and drew Celeste into a kiss, heedless of the blood. "I knew you'd come."
Vreva watched the two lovers, and unbidden memories of tender moments with Zarina came to her. She'll never let me go. The relief she'd felt at seeing their rescuers melted away. She might escape the Bloody Scourge, but the inquisitor would track her down. She would never relent.
The lock on Torius's cell door clicked open, and Snick scooted inside to make quick work of the manacles on his wrists and ankles.
"One down," she muttered as she darted to the door to Vreva's cell.
"Leave her, Snick! We have what we came for."
Vreva's heart sank. She should have known better than to hope.
Snick froze at Celeste's command, and looked toward Torius. "Captain?"
"Unlock it, Snick."
Celeste reared back. "Toriusss! She is the reassson you're in here! Jussst because you had an intimate moment—"
"Celeste, there was nothing intimate about it! We were just ...getting ready in case it wasn't you coming in." Torius rubbed his wrists. "She asked me to kill her."
"Kill her?" Snick opened Vreva's cell, then knelt to insert her picks into the manacles. "Why?"
"Because she can't let herself be interrogated by the Pactmasters." Torius moved to the fallen guard and took his cutlass and dagger.
"Then kill her, and let'sss go!"
"Celeste!" The sword drooped in Torius's grasp. "You can't be serious!"
"I am ssserious! She's the whole cause of this! She tricked you into helping her, and got you caught." She turned to Vreva. "Thisss is all her fault!"
Vreva looked into the naga's black eyes and found not a speck of pity, but she did see something she hadn't expected. Release. Escape. Solace from the pain. Saffron ...
"She's right." Vreva pulled her hands away from Snick, gripped the iron bars,
and heaved herself to her feet. She staggered, her legs stiff, and every ache, bruise, and contusion flaring in pain. She steadied herself and met the naga's rage with cold conviction, putting every ounce of sincerity she could into her lie. "I tricked you, Torius. I used magic to make you want to help me. Besides, Zarina will never let me go. She'll hunt me down. Taking me along will only put you and your crew in more danger. Please. You promised." Please, Calistria, make him send me to you.
"No." Torius's tone brooked no dissent. "No, we're not going to kill her, Celeste. She's lying. I made my own choice. All she did was make the offer. It was my fault that we were caught, not hers!"
"Torius, please!" Vreva pulled herself along the bars, tried to take a step toward him, but the room spun, and she sagged. Unexpectedly, she didn't hit the floor. Instead, a strong arm encircled her waist.
"Celeste, no more arguments. And Vreva, don't ask me again. We're all getting out of here."
Tears seeped from Vreva's eyes. Torius was facing down the woman he loved ...for her.
"Not going anywhere unless I can get these manacles off her." Snick twisted and turned her picks in the locks, to no avail. "Bloody damned ...Why can't I get this?"
"They're magical." Vreva had forgotten that unwelcome fact.
Celeste squinted at her and murmured something, then drew a sharp breath. "She's right. They are magical. But why—"
"She's a sorcerer, Celeste." Torius sounded impatient. "There's a lot I have to tell you, but it can wait until we get back to Stargazer. We have to get out of here! Snick, is there anything you can do with them?"
"Oh, sure! We'll just do this the easy way." The gnome drew an odd-looking wand from a pocket of her jerkin. It looked like a hundred keys all melted and twisted together around a grinning skeleton. Pointing it at the locked manacles, she said, "Tickle my tumblers." The bindings popped open. Snick tucked the wand into a pocket, mumbling, "Wizards really need to stifle the humor when they make this stuff up. It's embarrassing!"
Pirate's Promise Page 28