by Megan Derr
"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Highness," Raiden said, smiling in a way that made Taka nervous, though he could say why.
He did not wait for whatever Raiden might have said to him in parting, merely turned and wended his way back through the warehouse. He shivered in the cold air while he waited irritably for Kyo to rejoin him.
When Kyo finally appeared, Taka did not wait for him to speak, simply resumed walking. They walked in silence for several minutes before he finally could no longer take it and lost his temper. "Why would you do this to me? Just—throw me to some merchant? I don't understand—"
"Exactly," Kyo cut in. "You don't understand."
Taka fell silent and just stared at Kyo, realizing belatedly they had both failed to restore their hoods. He reached out automatically to take the fold of fabric around Kyo's shoulders and wind it up around his head. Kyo grabbed his hands before he could withdraw them, face invisible between the dark and the hood. "Taka, you have to trust me."
"I'd be happier if you told me what you are doing."
"If I told you, you'd try to stop me, and I can't have that," Kyo said, squeezing his hands tightly. "I would never betray you, Taka. I believe you'll be safe with Raiden, and that's all I want. All right?" He let go of Taka's hands to restore Taka's hood, then flicked his nose.
Taka jerked back and swatted at him. "Stop that."
Kyo laughed. "Anyway, Taka, you could do much worse than Raiden. He will keep you busy; he likes to collect jewels, and I would be willing to bet he'd be more than happy to let you wear them whenever—"
"Only if I let him fuck me," Taka said scathingly. "I am not my peers to trade tokens for sex, I do not care how fashionable or common it is."
"Your finest quality."
Taka rolled his eyes as they resumed walking. "For all the good it does me when the entire palace and half the population is convinced we are sleeping together."
"I get enough of your demands out of bed, I certainly do not want them following me into bed," Kyo replied, smiling in that playful way he only displayed when there was no one else around. It made Taka sad to think no one else ever saw Kyo's playful side.
"Don't think I'm done being mad at you," Taka said. "You had no business just throwing my contract at a merchant; I do not care what the law says."
Kyo sighed softly, a sound Taka hated to hear because it meant there were problems that Kyo would not share. By the Storms, he hated Kyo's stubborn refusal to ever let someone else help him. "You don't have to do everything alone, Kyo. Just tell me what is going on."
"I am afraid, my friend, that I do have to do this alone. But look on the bright side, Taka: now that you belong to the handsome merchant, you will get to come along. Now hurry up, before the first morning bells ring. I have enough to contend with today where my father is concerned. I do not need another lecture on being out past curfew."
Heaving a long, loud sigh, Taka nevertheless quickened his pace as they headed back to the palace.
Chapter Two: Bad Blood
Kin refilled their wine glasses, then sat back in his seat. "There aren't many people willing to travel the seas these days, your grace." It was admirable, though Kin did not bother saying that.
More and more, people stayed safely in their own countries. From what he heard in the various ports, people were hardly even leaving their villages, anymore. They were increasingly unwilling to brave the ever worsening elements, the dangerous creatures that roamed in ever-greater numbers, and the criminals taking advantage of the situation.
He didn't care how dangerous it became—the idea of land-locking himself was a fate worse than death. Kin took a generous swallow of the bitter North Kundou wine that he had chosen for dinner, regarding his dinner companion over the rim of the cup.
It was rare anyone sought passage from him, and rarer still a noble did so—and positively unheard of for one of the White Beasts of Verde. But right across from him sat Lord Ailill le Blanc, one of the White Beasts, though Kin did not know which Beast he was, as it was rude to ask, and his knowledge of Verde nobility was sorely lacking.
He wouldn't have known even that much except the Beasts were marked by their white hair—as white as his own, though they did not possess his bone white skin. A holy color, white, but also an ominous one. Ailill wasn't as pretty as Kin usually preferred, but he was confident and lacking in pretension, with a touch of recklessness, all of which Kin found more appealing than mere looks. He certainly wasn't going to dismiss the offer Ailill had been making all evening just because he was more handsome than pretty.
He'd been at sea for months, and all his time in port and on land was spent selling off goods and buying more before shipping off for the next port. They were making excellent time, but he was sick of traders, sick of storms, sick of those storming sea-bitches. He wanted a few days on land with something pretty and eager to please.
In the meantime, he was going to accept Ailill's offer to let Kin fuck him.
"Duty leads and I can only follow," Ailill finally replied to his comment, sipping his own wine, pale green eyes bright and sharp with anticipation. "I would say you are far braver, Captain, to have survived so many years at sea. I assume you have been doing this for years. Certainly the scars on your arms and throat indicate the seas are an old nemesis of yours."
Kin grunted. "The sea is my love, always, for I am a child of Kundou. But the sea-bitches, they are my nemeses, by the dragons I do vow it."
"Mm," Ailill said thoughtfully. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one, though this is my third trip at sea."
"You are blessed, then, because I encounter them every voyage and often more than once." He did not bother to say it was entirely personal that he was sought out so often.
Ailill set his wine aside and finished off the last few bites of the stew they'd had for dinner. "Is it true that because of the mermaids, women are not allowed to sail?"
Kin nodded. "Yes. Mermaids loathe men and will kill them, but they prefer to drag their 'sisters' down into the depths and turn them. Most believe that is how they keep their numbers up, though some believe they can breed other ways. Unfortunately, they steal too many women every year by sneaking into coastal towns and snatching them from their beds." He finished his wine and poured a third glass.
"We've lost them in Verde that way," Ailill said. "It's all the more admirable, then, that you have survived so many attacks. I think most would have given up the sea by now."
Shrugging, Kin replied, "A child of Kundou who is afraid of the sea is like a child of Verde who is not comfortable in both his skins."
Ailill smirked. "I was just thinking I would be more comfortable in just my skin."
Matching the smirk, Kin finished his wine and beckoned Ailill close. He stood as Ailill rose and moved around the table, reaching out to drag him close. They were very nearly the same height, making Ailill easy to kiss. Kin slid his arms around Ailill's waist, smiling at the arms that wrapped around his neck, the fingers that ran through his hair.
He was just grateful that Ailill hadn't asked why he was so white when most of the citizens of Kundou had hair in the various shades of the sea. Only his blue-gray eyes marked him as Kundou.
He shoved a hand up under Ailill's fancy jacket, seeking smooth skin, eager to get to the part where he plowed into Ailill's fine ass. For the moment, however, he was still mostly willing to take his time. Ailill moaned, nails scraping the back of Kin's neck and teasing down beneath the collar of his shirt. Kin drew back, sucking on Ailill's bottom lip. "You have—"
His words were cut off by a sudden hard bang, followed immediately by a piercing whistle that was a warning for only one thing. "Dragons drag them to the depths and leave them there!" Kin snarled, pulling away from Ailill. "Stay here, your grace, and bar the door behind me unless you want to experience what it is like to be eaten by a mermaid."
Not waiting for a reply, Kin snatched up the sword he had left on the table and left the Captain's quarters to help hi
s men drive off the mermaids. He closed the door behind him, but didn't wait to confirm that Ailill did as Kin had told him and barred it.
Drawing his sword, he discarded the scabbard and threw himself into the fray, yanking one mermaid off a nearby sailor and slamming her into the wall, then throwing her to the ground. The sailor he saved yanked her head up and slit her throat, and Kin moved on to the next target, gutting her easily before she noticed he had arrived.
But the next two saw him, snarling and screaming when they saw two of their sisters dead. They threw themselves at him, their skin wet and glistening in the light of the full moon. Kin snarled right back at them, his front teeth becoming fangs as being around the mermaids brought out his own unwanted heritage.
The fight was nasty, as they always were, because creatures who survived the ocean knew no other way to fight. Kin lost his sword somewhere in the middle of it all, but he hardly needed it by that point, as willing as the mermaids were to use claws and teeth and sheer brutal strength to fight. He slammed one into the main mast, swearing when he was driven back by another a moment later, and nearly went over the edge, keeping his balance only at the last and bracing himself on the railing as the ship was tossed about by seas that said a storm was coming.
Another came at him, and he kicked her in the stomach, then grabbed her hair and drove his knee into her face, breaking her nose. Yanking her up again, he used her moment of stunned compliance to grab her head in one hand, wrap his other arm around her throat, and yank her head around just so, snapping her neck.
He threw her body forward as another mermaid screamed and lunged at him. Kin disabled her just as two more came at him from either side. He went for the one on his right side, catching her around the waist and bellowing in pain when her teeth sank into his arm, her nails into his back.
Reaching the railing, he threw her over—and roared as someone shoved him from behind, sending him toppling into the depths with her.
The water was black and cold, and he choked briefly before the ocean stripped away whatever remained of his land-walker nature. Kin swore silently in annoyance and immediately grabbed the bitch that came at him, sinking his claws into her arms, jerking slightly to the side when she tried to go for his throat—and went for her throat, sinking his teeth into her cold flesh and tearing a chunk of it away.
She convulsed as blood poured out and water poured in, and Kin withdrew his nails from her arms to finish the job on her throat. For added precaution, he slit her gut as well, then shoved the body away to swim back up to the surface, tail moving back and forth with ease in the water.
Bursting to the surface, he scowled in annoyance and made for the ship that was already some distance away, moving swiftly through the water, grimacing at the wounds that pulled and spilled blood, and he hoped they were well away before the sharks and other feeders showed to feast on the remains of the fight.
Reaching the ship, he swam to the hand-holds that had been carved into one side, climbing halfway up the makeshift ladder before it finally became too difficult to support his own weight with just his arms. He clung there, waiting impatiently for his merman nature to fade off more—then grunted in surprise and relief when a rope appeared beside him. Grabbing it, he allowed his crew to haul him up.
"Captain," his first mate said in relief, helping him over the side.
Kin collapsed on the deck, closing his eyes and drawing deep, steady breaths until at last he returned to being more human than merman. A dull pain throbbed through his lower body as his tail collapsed and his body was restored from the waist down. He hated that part, especially when he had an audience.
Grimacing, he stood up, letting his first mate steady him until his legs stopped trembling. "Mr. Samé, how is the crew?"
"Twelve injured, three badly, but all will likely survive. We owe his grace for helping us after you went over."
"His grace?" Kin echoed, and nodded in gratitude to the sailor who brought him fresh clothes. He yanked on the black breeches, then pulled on a gray undertunic followed by a black tunic, both sleeveless. Another sailor handed him a fresh sash, reminding Kin that the blue one he'd lost had been one of his favorites. Ah, well. He had the money to commission more clothes when they reached port, and if he were lucky, Raiden would let him stay in port long enough to actually pick them up after a few days instead of a few months. He tied his sash in place, admiring the blood red fabric absently even as he looked around the ship to take stock for himself. "Any mermaids alive?"
"None we saw, but they're slippery, I'm sure a couple got away," Samé replied. "As often as they try to kill us, one of these days we'll finally succeed in killing every last one of the mad children, Dragons willing."
Kin grunted. "Where is his—" he broke off as the question answered itself when he saw an enormous white panther leap down neatly from the poop deck, then stand idly on the main deck, licking a paw clean as though it had nothing better to do. Snorting in amusement, Kin shrugged off Samé's steadying arm, touched his shoulder lightly in thanks, then strode across the deck to Ailill. "I see you take orders as well as any noble."
Ailill stopped licking his paw and gently butted his head against Kin's thigh. He then turned around and headed back for the captain's quarters, pushing the door open with one giant paw and then slipping smoothly inside.
Kin sighed at the wasted evening, wishing that he and Ailill were inside, warm and ready for a second round. Instead, he was tired, sore, blood was drying and flaking on his various wounds, and he and the crew would spend the rest of the night doing what they could for repairs by the light of the moon and all of the next day doing the real work.
He looked around at the crew and beckoned Samé to his side. "What are the damages?"
"Nothing too major, actually," Samé replied. "They were going more for stealth this time around, and your ship is the finest on the sea."
Kin nodded in agreement, pride flaring as it always did. She might have taken more than her fair share of beatings, but the Kumiko was still unmatched, a two-masted beauty that could sail faster, longer, and just plain better than any other ship on the sea.
One day, old memories whispered, one day she would finally fulfill a promise. Kin hoped, anyway. His fingers twitched with a need to hold the dagger he kept safely stowed when he sailed, though he preferred to keep it on his person. "Will the repairs keep 'til morning?"
"Aye, Captain."
"Then double the watches and order the rest of the men to bed," Kin replied and strode off, grimacing at the smears of blood and gore mixed in amongst the excess of seawater on the deck. It would take hours of additional labor to set the Kumiko to rights again, but at least there was no serious repair work. Raiden would kill him if they wound up dead in the water like too many other ships.
He ignored the voice that liked to remind him that were he not on the ship, the number of attacks they faced would drop to just a few a year, instead of at least one every time he was onboard. He dreaded the day the men turned on him, realized they were much better off without him.
Why they followed him anyway, Kin had never been inclined to ask or look too closely at. He wanted to be on the sea and would be until he died or someone land-locked him, at which point he would take his own life.
In his quarters, he raked a hand through his short hair, grimacing when his hand came away bloody and annoyed that his brief dunk in the ocean had somehow not gotten rid of it all.
Ailill was human once more and had opened another bottle of wine. He crossed the room to hand a glass to Kin. "I had wondered why you were so shockingly white when, so far as I know, the only mark of divine power in Kundou is the blue hair of the royal family."
"Thanks for the wine," Kin said. "Also the assistance; I doubt we would have gotten away without fatalities if not for you. Samé said you made all the difference."
Ailill shrugged. "I'm used to handling myself in a fight. I've been to Piedre a dozen times or more and Pozhar twice."
"Impressive,
" Kin conceded. "I do not like going to Piedre, and you see what I deal with here on the seas."
"When I thought you merely a sailor, or even a sailor with some sort of secret divine ability, I thought it was impressive you had survived so long. That you have done so because you are a mermaid—well, merman, technically—makes you all the more impressive. I thought they made more by kidnapping women and turning them."
Kin made a face. He hated his lineage, for all that he had loved his mother dearly. "They can copulate and procreate as well as any other living creature; they just don't because they hate men. My mother was a rare exception, and when they found her, they made an example of her."
Ailill looked at him with genuine sympathy. "I am sorry. I would imagine she'd be very proud of you."
"She'd be furious with me," Kin said, a faint smile curving his mouth. "Looking back at what little I remember, I suspect she wanted nothing more than to flee Kundou and find some mountains in another country where the sea was more story than reality."
"My parents always wanted to live by the sea," Ailill said. "I suppose that's the way it goes, though. Those mermaids were even more brutal than all the stories I have heard."
Kin sighed and finally crossed to the cabinets by his desk, pulling out a cloth to clean himself up. He reached up briefly to touch the black pearl still in his ear, relieved he had not lost it. There were precious few baubles to which he was attached, but to those few he was very attached.
Discarding the towel he'd used to clean up, Kin opened the topmost drawer in his desk and triggered the catch for the secret drawer. He pulled out a ring of keys, then turned back to the cabinets built into the wall and unlocked one. Inside, he pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle tied with a ribbon. Undoing the ribbon, he unrolled the fabric to reveal a jeweled dagger than had lost none of its luster over the years.
The blade itself was quality steel, the finest that Verde could make. But it was the hilt that was truly impressive: silver carved into whorls and whirls that imitated a writhing sea and set with priceless saphir that gleamed like the ocean at the peak of day.