Dragon Traders (7 page)

Katsu nodded reluctantly. "I learned as a child."

Ashe mulled that over, watching Katsu out of the corner of his eye. "You really don't like to talk about your past, do you?"

Katsu shook his head glumly. His dark brows pulled together over the bridge of his nose, mouth a tight line. The muscles along his neck and shoulders were tense, and he clutched the canteen as if ready to throttle something.

Ashe wanted to know more. He wanted to know where Katsu had come from, where Katsu had learned to kill with a touch and then learned to heal with those same hands. Instead, Ashe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Katsu relaxed just a hair. "Sure."

"No, I mean--" Ashe laughed. "Thank you for coming after me. For helping me get free."

Katsu looked at him slowly. His gaze was measuring, taking all of Ashe in before he nodded carefully. "You're welcome." He offered a small, rare smile, though it was still hesitant. "Wouldn't want you to think I didn't like you. Figured rescuing you from sure slavery was a pretty good sign. Easier than talking, too."

Ashe laughed, relaxed and delighted, and pushed himself to his feet. "Well, you'll probably have to do more talking. But I promise to try not to ask
too
many questions." He helped Katsu up, keeping pace as Katsu made slow, painful progress back toward the others.

"We're all right, then?" Katsu asked quietly as they neared the group. "You're not going to bolt?"

Ashe smiled. "I'm not going to bolt. I like you, too." Because obviously Katsu liked him enough to
work
at keeping him around. He looked over, grin widening. "And the sex is too good."

Katsu peered at him, then chuckled.

"There you are," Nate called, glancing at them as they approached. "I was getting ready to send out a search party."

Ashe grinned unrepentantly. "You haven't sent out a search party yet, and how often do I go missing?"

Nate snorted, echoed by Katsu. "Too often," Nate muttered.

"Hey," Katsu said suddenly. "If I didn't get paid, I don't owe you anything."

"You sure do," Ashe responded, easy with familiar banter. "You owe me for all of my stuff, and my horse, too."

"I sold those to get herbs for you--"

"Forget it, Katsu," Ashe said cheerfully. "I'm not giving that green egg back."

Katsu said nothing, giving Ashe a narrow-eyed look. Ashe just grinned wider.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

Dragon Traders

SINGLE SHOTS

An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers

PO Box 2545

Round Rock, TX 78680

Copyright 2011 by JB McDonald

Cover illustration by Alessia Brio

Published with permission

ISBN: 9
78-1-61040-288-0

www.torquerepress.com

All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.

First Torquere Press Printing: August 2011

Printed in the USA