Geared for Pleasure (16 page)

She stepped forward, fear for him renewing her courage. “Until? But then he will be returned unharmed?”

The captain put her hands on her hips, her disappointment in Dare obvious even without her abilities. “Emotions are weakness, Blue. But of course, if the flesh peddler gives me what I need, I will land near a cozy shoreline where he will be free to contact his ship.” She shrugged tightly. “If he resists, no promises. Be satisfied—that is the only assurance I will give.”

She raised her voice so the men behind her could hear. “Lash up and stow the landing dodger, then bring up the moorings. I want us well on our way before the locals are done with their morning adulations.”

Her mind reeling, Dare watched them all move with determination and purpose toward the rocks. The only phrase she’d understood was morning adulation. At sunrise and sunset, every civilized population in Theorrey turned their collective gazes toward the
location of the Copper Palace. Toward Queen Idony. Or the nearest house idol or automaton facsimile of Her Majesty.

The Wode of her regiment had done it without fail, and she along with them until she’d arrived at the palace herself. Her father had told her it was done in remembrance and reverence. To bless the eternal queen and the peace she had brought out of the chaos of the old world. Here, in Two Moon Bay, they had no idea that they were looking in the wrong direction. The palace had a resident, but it was no longer the true queen.

Phina nudged her with her hip, still dressed in her sensual Siren uniform. “If you stare at your boots for too long you will miss the show. Bodhan thrilled you with the view of his tin bath toy, yes? Be prepared to witness the Deviant. She is the true beauty.”

Dare shook her head, but lifted her gaze obediently. “Do the mixtures in your bracelet induce delusions as well as sleep and death? I see nothing but men clambering atop rock and over corpses on the ground.”

“I knew that would bother you.” Phina fingered Dare’s jacket, distracting her. That she could affect her in this stress-filled situation was a testament to her skills at seduction. No, not skills. Talent. It just came naturally for her to emit sensuality, even when she was speaking of killing.

“I would say the captain is not vicious, but we’d both know I was lying. She is hard and colder than ice on a good day. She is also a good judge of character. Those men were new and they were already balking. They would have run to the nearest alehouse or crowded corner smelling of fear and dripping gossip. The reason the captain is so good at what she does is that only a handful know of her. Know of the Deviant. She does what she must. But if it makes you feel any better, I doubt she has any intention of hurting Bodhan. They are more alike than you know.”

Dare was only partially listening, her heart wrenching a bit at
the sound of Bodhan’s name. But it was hard to concentrate on anything but what was right in front of her.

Nothing she had been through thus far had prepared her for all she’d experienced in recent days. The Siren. Ministers purchasing pleasure under cover of the dark and dangerous sea. A Felidae who mingled with humans as an equal, freely and without judgment or impediment. Her first attempt at pretense and seduction and her discovery of intimacy and passion with Bodhan.

And now this…

Perhaps she should have expected to be astounded, though how anyone could expect to see a beautifully ornate, full-size sailing vessel appear out of thin air was beyond where her rational mind could take her.

Not only was it nowhere near the water, but the pile of rock that had stood there only moments before was disappearing as the Deviant came into view.

It was a grand ship made of ironwood, with fin-shaped sails folded against its side and a fanned tail for a rudder—a design that could surely sail the sea with ease, if it were meant to. A contraption reminiscent of a long fluffy cloud floated restrained in thick webbing above the Deviant’s length. It looked nothing like a main sail to Dare.

She squinted, seeing one of the still-breathing members of the crew standing on a high deck near the back of the vessel. His face was red, his arms straining as he worked a braided rope hoist, and his actions caused Dare to notice something else. A curved brass bar elegantly encircled the entire ship. The bar was lined with small rings that appeared in even increments as the illusion dissipated and the real object was revealed. It was an optical illusion, an elaborate one that Dare was at a loss to explain.

The ship’s name, Deviant, was etched deep in the bow and inlaid with gold, making it clear to Dare that this was indeed the ship she’d
been sent to find. The woman
was
the captain she’d been encouraged to trust.

She stumbled as she stepped closer, and Phina put a comforting arm around her. “There now, fair Dare, I’ve got you. Amazing, yes?”

Dare nodded. “How did they do that?”

Phina tugged her forward, toward a rope ladder that had dropped from the ship, which hovered only a few feet off the ground.
Hovered
. Dare felt the blood leave her face and her mouth go dry.

The Felidae didn’t notice. “You mean how did a rock become a ship? Would you believe me if I told you this magical invention uses the blood of ancient monsters? No? Well, the skin then. Ancient Felidae would, no doubt, weep for the lack of respect.” The grip on Dare’s arm tightened for a moment. “I choose to think that this way they get to fly while they help to hide our more nefarious doings. That is respect enough.”

“Monsters? Phina, what are you—”

“Seraphina Felidae, get your tail on deck before I leave the both of you behind. Maybe the Siren’s guards will forgive you for their leader’s loss. Maybe the Wode who walk the bay’s perimeter won’t mind the two dead men beside you. Are those chances you want to take?”

“Just my tail?” Phina grinned at Dare playfully but hurried her up the swinging ladder, following closely behind her. “I know how fond of it you are, Captain, but there are other parts of me worth saving as well.”

The captain made a sound of aggravation, pushing away from the wooden railing and disappearing from view—too swiftly to see Phina’s hand reaching up to pinch Dare’s behind.

“You have nice parts, too, Dare,” she teased. “But the entertainment, as well as the grand tour, will have to wait. Our fearless leader is in a snit. She will feel better once we’re sailing and your lover is awake for her to question.”

Bodhan. Her lover. Her first. This morning had turned out nothing like she’d imagined. But then, had anything since she left the palace?

Solid ground was further from her grasp than ever.

Bodhan’s head throbbed and his body felt as though he’d been banged against the spire reefs at Theorrey’s End. What parts he
could
feel, that was. His hands were numb, no doubt from the shackles digging sharply into his wrists as they were forced to hold the weight of his limp body.

At least someone had the presence of mind to put on his pants.

He’d been sure he would wake with the same sense of peace, of bone-deep pleasure he had fallen asleep to. That Dare would still be in his arms. That she would say yes when he asked her to stay. Or tell him a truth he already knew. As small of stature as she was—Dare was Wode. Training and all. And he would wager she had lived on the Hill until she’d arrived on the Siren.

Dare. He had
not
expected what he found after they’d shared their pleasure together. He’d been looking for the mark of the Wode, not that. Just when he believed he had her figured out, that he understood what she was, a new mystery arrived to bedevil him.

If anyone had harmed her…

“Are the accommodations as luxurious as you’re used to?” A honeyed voice that did not belong to Dare spoke on the other side of the room. Bodhan kept his eyes closed, attempting to gather his wits before he faced his abductor.

She had no need for his acknowledgment. “I hope you enjoy it. Think of it as my gift. Now you can tell the innocent you bought and defiled that you, too, know how it feels to be chained against your will. Fair is fair.”

That brought his head up. He opened his eyes and squinted in
pain. Too bright. A large circular window with a view that consisted of clear, unfiltered, sunlit sky greeted him, making it difficult for him to focus.

He sensed the familiar hum beneath his feet, felt the sway and knew. He was in the air, and the elevated rail did not climb this high.

That left two options, neither of them promising. Luckily, if he was right, he’d found his way to the lesser of two evils.

He forced himself to smile, though every tooth in his mouth hurt at the action. Whatever they’d given him had been enough to fell five men. “Captain Amaranthe. As ever, your etiquette is only matched by your ever-present good humor. And beauty, I see. The rumors never do us justice, do they?”

She remained silent. Did she think him so uninformed? If conversation kept her off balance, perhaps he could discover if her reference to Dare meant she, too, was on board. Discover what it might take to get to her and get them off this floating boat in one piece.

“My business is information, you know that.” His tone was reasonable, giving him time to slowly get accustomed to the exceedingly well-lit room and put more weight on his feet. It eased the pain in his wrists slightly. “And before you say it, allow me to correct myself.
A portion
of my business is information. It is a portion I am known for excelling in. Hence, the successful relationship we have shared over the years. Distant though it may have been.”

She took a step closer, her face coming into focus. Despite his words, her beauty had surprised him. Her expression of judgment did not. Her first mate, however, completely lived up to his mythical reputation.

The captain squinted, her hazel eyes nearly disappearing in the process. “What is wrong with your eyes? They have no color. Are you ill or have you just spent too long underwater?”

“No need to be rude. My eyes may be bloodshot but they were still blue the last time I checked. And I may be a bit worse for wear,
but I can hear perfectly.” Bodhan nodded toward the silent, hulking shadow. “I suppose I’ve him to thank for my current condition.”

That got a quick response from the captain. “As if you could match him. He carried you like a sleeping babe to the ship, made sure you were as decent as a man like you
can
be before I could welcome you personally. You should thank him.”

Though her reply was defensive and protective, the man seemed more than capable of handling himself. The intelligence in his eyes, as much as the mass of his body, told Bodhan the stories did not do him justice. Not just muscle beneath that mop of yellow hair, then.

He looked respectfully into eyes the color of river gold. “I humbly thank you for my pants, sir. Man to much larger man, you’ll understand if I never spin the part of this yarn where you carried me with such ease. Some stories do not need to be told. I have a reputation.”

Her first mate’s lips quirked, but Captain Amaranthe snarled and pulled a jagged-toothed dagger from the sheath on her thigh. That would make a painful mark. “Are you still doped on Phina’s damn dart juice? Do you think for a moment that your situation could not get worse?”

Bodhan’s smile grew. He was getting to her. He
was
good at his job. He allowed his anger to hone his wits, to soothe him. “Seraphina.
That
is a piece of information I didn’t have before. That she is part of your crew. That would clear up the mystery of why she broke into my suite the other night. And this morning, of course. Does she add anything particularly noxious in her sleeping elixirs? Because they certainly pack a punch.”

He would have to remember to pay her back for that. “I must be losing my touch. I would not have taken the merciless Captain Amaranthe for a come-as-you-please employer. Had you figured for the in-for-life-or-dead type. I also thought you were smarter.”

She, too, had calmed. He had heard she was at her most serene
with a blade in her hand. “You know nothing about me. And we have no time for pleasantries. I brought you here for a reason.”

He shook his head. “We always have time for pleasantries, my lady captain. And I obviously know more about you than you thought I did. Though I would love to know why you felt the need to steal me from my ship. I would also appreciate knowing the how. Security, you understand.”

He let his expression harden, his gaze narrow on hers. “This is not how this long distance relationship usually works, Captain. Our mutual friend believes it best to strive for inconspicuous as opposed to sloppy. Or have you forgotten?”

She refused to look away. “I haven’t forgotten anything. I have no loyalty to you. I disagree with what you do. With what you force women to do for you. And now, you seem to be forgetting your end of the bargain. This relationship, as you call it, was based on a sharing of information.” Her dagger came up to tap his chest lightly. “
All
information. You have been keeping more than your share of secrets from me. Not the least of which is Phina’s little blue-haired friend. Any idea who she is? Or did that not matter when you decided to fuck her?”

Bodhan was no longer in the mood to play this game. He rattled the short chains of his shackles when he leaned into the tip of the dagger. The prick of pain was worth the surprise in her eyes and the pinpoint break in his skin. “Where is she?” When she didn’t answer he growled. “I swear by our queen, you’ll get no answers from me until I see her with my own eyes.”

A behemoth-sized hand touched the captain’s shoulder and she turned toward her first mate, locking her gaze with his in silent communication.

She stepped back, lowering her dagger and shrugging off the masculine touch. She appeared shaken, but she tried to hide it with a snide, “If there were more time I might make you wait for
entertainment’s sake alone. It was my understanding the infamous Bodhan was too clever to allow his emotions to rule him. But there is no more time. You have what I need, and I have what you want. Perhaps a trade can be arranged.”