Venture Unbroken

by R. H. Russell

  With Fisher disqualified and all his wins erased, Calling had claimed the second place spot. He, too, ought to be preparing to take his place on the stage.

  “Let’s get you out of here. Get you safe. You know you can’t trust the guards. I’ve got the guys from Warrior’s and Beamer and some of his trainers, too. We’re all going to take you out the back door.”

  “I can’t not go out there.” Venture pointed toward the arena, where the empty stage was waiting. “I can’t just sneak out the back door.”

  “Vent,” Calling said, more gently, “enough people know who Jade Fieldstone is. They recognized her out there. Lance told me she used to go to Beamer’s when you were younger. That you two were close. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but you owe it to that girl to stay alive.”

  Venture had kissed Jade, a lady of Society—passionately—in the arena, in front of everyone. An uncomfortable silence settled among the men as Venture absorbed Calling’s words. What sort of future would Jade have now, if something happened to him?

  “You’re right,” he said finally, “I can’t trust the guards, but I trust you, Call. Get Foster and bring him back here. Tell him I appreciate the gesture, but I’d rather we all went up to that stage together.”

  Calling’s frown slowly turned into a smile. “All right. We’ll be there, right beside you.”

  Venture turned to Justice. “I won’t stay. I won’t answer any questions. I’ll just say my thank-yous and get my prize and go. Chance, make sure the carriage is ready and brought around the front. Calling, tell Beamer and all your guys that we’ll be going out that way. If they’re going to try anything, everyone’s going to see it.”

  Justice glanced at Venture. “I’ll go with Chance.”

  Venture hesitated. He studied his brother, who’d been so reluctant to support his career as a fighter. Who’d forbidden him to come here, once he found out he was seriously involved with Jade. If he went with Chance, Justice wouldn’t be there to see him on the stage. But that wasn’t what this was about. What was clearly written on Justice’s face was concern for Chance.

  Did his enemies know Chance’s face now? Would they be keeping track of him, too? How many people had he put at risk today?

  Earnest gripped his elbow. “Vent. Let’s go do what you need to do.”

  #

  Venture’s heart was pounding, pounding with the rhythm of the crowd chanting his name. A fresh wave of elation washed over him. He felt lightheaded with the sweetness of victory. An official held out Venture’s prize money, drawing his attention away from the crowd, breaking the spell.

  A heavy bag of coins made up a portion of his winnings. The rest was in paper promise notes. Venture hesitated. If he took the bag in his left hand, he was afraid his stitches would rip through as his muscle flexed. And if he took it in his right—well, there was no way his right arm could hold up that weight, even for a moment. Venture gestured for Dasher to take it. There was no use trying to speak over the voice of the crowd.

  His friends from Beamer’s and Warrior’s surrounded the stage, forming a tight ring within the circle of guards. Jade stood just to the side of the stage with Grant. Grant was visibly furious that there was no way to get her out of there without making a scene.

  When Venture stepped down from the stage, Beamer was waiting to shake his hand.

  “Venture Delving, it’s good to see you up there.”

  Venture stifled a gasp of pain, and Beamer stopped pumping his hand and gave his elbow a look of concern.

  Venture pushed past the pain and squeezed Beamer’s hand back to reassure him. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “I told you that you have what it takes.” Beamer released his hand and lowered his voice. “You have more, Vent Delving. More than what it takes to be a champion. You have what it takes to deal with the rest of this. You’ve come a long way. Don’t let them take you backwards.”

  Backwards. Back to when he was a hotheaded kid, out of control, and then in trouble, and then sorry for it, time and time again. He couldn’t let them make him feel like that kid again. Act like that kid again.

  “I won’t,” Venture promised.

  Jade fell into step right beside Venture as he headed out, but Grant kept her arm, sending a clear signal. She’s not yours.

  They worked their way out of the arena as quickly as they could, ignoring the shouted questions of interviewers and spectators alike.

  “Tell us about Force Delving! Tell us about your father!”

  “What would your father think of this, Mr. Delving?”

  The interviewers had figured out almost immediately just how personal Fisher’s grudge was. No doubt the Cresteds had made sure of that. Their attempt to have Venture killed had failed, but their plan to cover their tracks had not.

  Venture wanted to scream at them to stop saying his father’s name. He just wanted to see Justice and Chance, safe with the carriage, then get behind locked doors at Regal’s and have a hot bath. Though he’d washed up already, his body was crying for a good soak and a soft bed. And food. Earnest had been pouring water down him all day, but he was famished.

  Venture exited the arena and blinked into the bright afternoon sunlight. Grant had hired a carriage, and Venture insisted that Dasher accompany Grant and Jade and make sure they got to Regal’s safely. Dasher assured him he’d take care of it and see that Regal’s made room for the Fieldstones. Everything’s taken care of, he told himself. I’m almost there. Almost away from the crowd, from everything that had happened in the arena. Almost safe.

  #

  They had all arrived at Regal’s and were making their way to the door, when a well-dressed man stopped Grant, interrupting the dinner order Venture had been busy visualizing—a venison steak, rosemary potatoes—

  “Grant Fieldstone!” the officer shook his hand.

  “Commander Huff,” said Grant.

  Venture saw who the middle-aged Commander was with, and he lost his appetite completely.

  “I suppose you know Border,” Commander Huff said to Grant.

  Venture locked eyes with the slender young man at the Commander’s side. He wore the uniform of a new recruit and his shock of black hair had been cropped short, but it was still sticking straight up, as always.

  “He’s from Twin Rivers, too. One of my best first-year Officer School students.”

  “Yes, his father and I used to do business.” Stiffly, Grant offered his hand to Border, who shook it with a sour smile.

  “If I had known you were going to be in town, I would’ve sent you an invitation, Grant,” Commander Huff said. “I have a little post-Championship get-together planned at my place this evening. Why don’t you and your daughter join us?”

  Before Grant could answer, Border opened his mouth. “What a great idea. Then we might even get to spend the evening with the new Champion of All Richland. That is, if Mr. Fieldstone’s daughter wants to bring her . . . ah . . .” His mouth twisted in a sneer, and he gave what was supposed to pass as a perplexed shrug. A glint of malice sparked in his dark eyes. “I must say, I didn’t know that Venture Delving was courting your daughter, Mr. Fieldstone. What a surprise.”

  Venture forced his hands to stay at his sides, not to reach out and throttle Border. “I imagine there are a great many things you don’t know, Mr. Wisecarver,” he said to Border.

  “Indeed.” Grant gave Venture a tight smile. “We’ll see you there. All of us.” Grant included Venture in his gesture. A gesture that announced to Society that Venture Delving was not his bondsman, or anyone else’s either. A bondsman would never be included in such an invitation.

  An angry flush swept up Border’s neck, and confusion and anger shadowed his eyes. He’d made his remark only to embarrass Grant, and to remind Venture of his place. A place Border had no way of knowing that he no longer held. Perhaps Border had expected his mentor, Commander Huff, to laugh.

  Instead Huff frowned at Border, but quickly replaced it with a polite, uneasy
smile. “What better guest for a post-Championship party than the new Champion of All Richland? And last year’s as well?”

  “Of course,” Dasher said. “I’d be happy to join you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Venture said. “I appreciate the invitation.” To Border, he said nothing. “If you’ll excuse us, it’s been a long day.” And now it was going to be an even longer one.

  “A party?” Jade said once the pair had left them.

  “Yes, a party.” Grant pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. “He’s the Champion of All Richland, isn’t he?”

  “You don’t have to go, Vent,” Jade said. “You don’t have to do this.” She turned to her father. “Commander Huff is only second class, and Uncrested, but there might be Crested officers there.”

  Before Grant could respond, Venture said, “It’s no big deal. I’ll meet you there.”

  He certainly couldn’t pick Jade up. Grant had made it clear that he wasn’t courting her. But what the blazes was he doing, then? In the moment, Grant had decided to deny that Venture had been his bondsman when he kissed his daughter so openly and passionately. He certainly couldn’t act like Grant’s servant tonight. That would defeat the purpose of this whole ridiculous attempt at saving face.

  What decision would Grant have made if Border hadn’t forced this one? Was he regretting it even now? No, he was probably regretting the day he’d agreed to let such a trouble-making boy into his house.

  Chance had the good sense to get a bucket of ice from the kitchen while the rest of them tried to navigate upstairs and away from the other guests of Regal’s and their seemingly endless congratulations and questions. By the time they reached their rooms, Chance was back with the ice.

  The Fieldstones went to their own room down the hall, and Dasher helped Venture into theirs. Venture stumbled at the threshold, and Dasher caught him.

  Earnest slammed the door shut and locked it behind them. The bucket of ice was heavy, and Justice hurried to take it from Chance.

  Venture eyed the bed. He wanted to collapse on it, but he might not be able to get back up again this week, let alone this evening, if he did. He snatched up a pillow and flung it at the wall instead. “How am I supposed to act? What does he expect me to do?” Venture’s voice was raw with the pain tearing through his arm.

  “Act like a free man, Champ,” Dasher said. “That’s what you are.”

  Earnest unleashed a stream of curses. “If you don’t stop using that blasted arm, Vent, I’m done with you! Sit down and get some ice on your elbow!”

  Venture sank down on the bed. He let Earnest wrap bundles of ice around his arm. Earnest was shaking as he worked.

  “It’ll be all right,” Venture said quietly.

  “Will it?” Earnest snapped. Earnest ran his hand through his thick, dark hair. He let out a long breath. “I’m sorry, Vent.”

  “What just happened?” Venture said. “What the blazes just happened?”

  Earnest just shook his head. “It won’t be all right if you don’t take care of it.”

  “Take care of it?”

  “Your elbow, for goodness sake! You shouldn’t be going to a blasted party. You should be resting.”

  “I don’t have a choice.” Here he was, spending his first hours as a free man, trapped.

  “You’re my fighter. Being a fighter—being the Champion of All Richland, living up to that title, keeping that title, is enough to worry about without all the rest.”

  “I’ve always had to worry about more than other fighters. I always will.”

  And it’s too much. It’s just too much. Somewhere inside him a voice kept saying it. But it couldn’t be. He couldn’t let it be. He was a champion, he was free, and he was going to have everything he’d ever wanted.

  Chapter Two

  Jade scanned Commander Huff’s banquet room for a friendly face, trying to hide her concern behind a smile. She was no good at these things. Worse at pretending not to feel what she was feeling. Her father was no less tense than she was. She hoped he regretted his rash words, regretted getting them all into this.

  The walls of the banquet room were hung with tapestries depicting battles from the old wartimes. Battles Venture’s marauding ancestors had lost. Jade studied the anguished face of an enemy warrior, at the end of a victorious Richlander’s blade. He was wearing a Portuan helmet and boots. Was Venture Portuan? Illesian? No one knew anymore. He was a mixture, just like any other Richlander. Except that most other Richlanders were descended from those who’d settled here peacefully. Venture had suffered today for who his father was, and he’d fought to pay off the debts inherited not just from his parents, but from his forefathers.

  “Jade!”

  Her father waved her over. He sounded strangely jittery. Then she saw the attractive woman standing beside him. As Jade made her way to him, her father leaned close to the woman. Jade couldn’t make out what Father said, but the woman responded with laughter. And he seemed not only absolutely captivated by the warmth of that laugh, but boyishly pleased with himself at causing it. Father, interested in a woman? Could it be?

  “Mrs. Fairbanks, this is my daughter, Jade.”

  “So nice to meet you,” Mrs. Fairbanks said. Her eyes were dark and sincere.

  In spite of the strange tightening in her chest, the flood of blurry memories of her parents together, Jade wanted to like this woman.

  “It’s a pleasure.” Jade fought back her emotions with a smile.

  “Your father and I met at his resort in Sunnyside a couple of years ago. And we seem to run into each other on occasion when he’s here on business.”

  “Oh, you live in Founders Rock?”

  “Yes, ever since my husband passed away ten years ago, I’ve lived here with my sister.”

  Jade couldn’t stop glancing from the woman to her father. How was it that moments ago he’d been so hard and angry? And she’d been angry with him.

  She was still angry with him. She couldn’t stay here, watching him flirt with this woman, half hoping he might find love and companionship, when he was so determined to oppose her and Venture having even a moment’s happiness together.

  “Will you—um—excuse me, please. I’m so sorry.” Jade turned on her heel and virtually fled. She made herself take deep breaths. She was not going to cry. Not here.

  “Good evening, Miss Fieldstone.” Border Wisecarver cut in front of her. His eyes narrowed with their usual malicious gleam, nearly as bright as the buttons on his dress uniform. He’d find a way to cause trouble for Venture tonight—if Venture didn’t cause any himself first.

  “Good evening.” Jade forced a smile, but declined to offer him her hand.

  She tried to reassure herself with the knowledge that Venture was coming to this party with Dasher, who knew his way inside and out of social circles of all sorts. But Dasher was shaken up after what had happened with Will Fisher. And even if Dasher managed to be himself tonight, would Venture follow his lead? He’d seemed determined enough to give this his best shot, for her, but surely the exhaustion was setting in. Once he got here, once Border pushed him . . .

  The crowd of party-goers stirred.

  “Two champions,” Border said, “Honoring us with their presence. And what an honor for you, to have such . . . ah . . . special knowledge of both of them.” He grinned crookedly at Jade.

  Jade’s eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open just as their host, Commander Huff, appeared at Border’s side. Jade shut her mouth, hoping he hadn’t caught Border’s remark.

  But Border wasn’t done. “Does Delving know just how well you know Mr. Glen?” He shrugged. “I suppose he’s used to such situations, after Hunter Longlake.”

  Nobody knew about Dasher. Nobody but her family and Venture. And there was nothing to know, beyond a botched marriage arrangement. What was Border implying he knew about Hunter? Just what sort of trouble was he willing to make for an old grudge—or worse, for his powerful Crested friends?

  Jade swallow
ed her angry retort, the threats she wanted to make on Venture’s behalf.

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about any more than Venture does,” she said.

  Jade turned toward the door. There was Dasher, smiling and shaking hands, his scuffed and swollen knuckles the only sign of the side of him that had emerged in the arena. Behind him was Venture, dressed in a fine, tailored suit she’d seen before—on another man. Dasher had given Venture his best one to wear tonight. Jade might have hugged Dasher in gratitude, but Venture stepped out from behind his Crested friend. One look into his dark blue eyes, searching the room for her, and she forgot everything but how it felt to be in Venture’s arms. How much she wanted to be there again.

  “Excuse me, please, Commander Huff.” The words were a mere afterthought, thrown over her shoulder as she hurried to Venture, nearly at a run.

  When she reached his side, he took a step back and gave her a little bow. Of course. How foolish of her to think she could rush into his arms in front of all these people. She offered him her hand instead. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it like a perfect gentleman, and his eyes betrayed his relief—and his desire. His grin, even after all he’d been through, still hinted at his mischievous heart.

  How could a man look so put together even with his face bruised and swollen, with his body and soul so battered?

  Venture let Dasher greet her likewise, but Dasher quickly excused himself, allowing them to drift into an empty corner.

  Venture’s eyes went straight to Jade’s chest. “Nice dress.”

  Jade fought back a blush and almost slapped his arm before she remembered the stitches. She lifted her chin. “I know how you love to see me in low-cut gowns, Vent.”

  She could tell he wanted to cross his arms as he gave her that disapproving look of his. His injuries made the full effect impossible, but he managed to pull off the rebuke.

  “I had nothing to wear.”

  “How about my coat?” he growled.

  “Stop it. I had to hurry to Tempest’s and borrow this. My cousin doesn’t own any modest gowns.”