The Pirate of Fathoms Deep (9 page)

As promised, someone had come while he slept and taken his boots off for cleaning. They hadn't looked that nice when he'd bought them used in a small shop at the ass end of Rilien. He pulled them on, then quickly ate a breakfast that was as wonderful as dinner had been.

When he was done with that, he bound his heavy hair loosely back, pulled a jacket from the wardrobe, and shrugged into it as he headed out.

The guard posted at his door, the same one who'd woken him, stopped him with a lifted hand. "Pardon, sir, I forgot to give this to you earlier." He held out a small leather coin purse that proved to be shockingly heavy. There must be at least twenty regals in it. "The rest of the party will meet you in the courtyard."

"Thank you," Shemal said and tucked the coins away, biting back questions about why he was being given money for no reason because no way was he giving them the chance to change their minds. "Uh. Where is the courtyard?"

Grinning, the guard motioned for him to follow. "I'll show you. Everyone is in quite the tizzy over you. The last time the Commander had a lover, it was some snotty jackass who was all sweetness and sunshine in front of the Commander and then turned into an evil little gremlin lord the moment he was out of sight."

"Uh—" Shemal floundered. "Did he live after Lesto found out?"

"Barely. I hear he hasn't left Delfaste since he ran home for protection." The guard looked over his shoulder. "Did you really punch him?"

Shemal made a face. "Yes, and I'm regretting it more and more. I can't be the only person who's punched Lesto and lived."

"His Majesty is the only other one that I've heard about," the guard replied. "Those two hit and shove each other all the time."

That surprised Shemal not a bit. The way they talked about each other, it was clear they were as tight as brothers. If it wasn't so obvious Sarrica was smitten with his consort, Shemal might have been afraid. Well,
more
afraid.

His thoughts skittered away as they reached the courtyard and he was immediately distracted by the sight of Lesto—rather, someone who looked a lot like Lesto, though on closer look, he was prettier, younger, not nearly as interesting. There was also the fact he had both eyes. He was speaking with the same young woman who'd been standing guard outside the High King's office the previous day. They looked up at the sound of footsteps, and the man's smile was very much like Lesto's. "Good morning. You must be the pirate I've heard so much about. I'm sorry we didn't meet last night; I was out with the guards rounding up Treya Mencee officials here in the city to see what information might be gleaned."

"Learn anything?"

"Maybe," the man said with a shrug. "The guards are still talking to them, but they'll send word to Brimin if they learn anything. It's the ones back at Harkenesten that will more likely be of use, and by now, they should have all been arrested." He extended a hand. "Rene Arseni. You can call me Rene." He shook Shemal's hand, but there was a stiffness to the movement.  "This is Jac Denali, bodyguard to High Consort Allen."

"Shemal shey Variago. An honor to meet you."

"And you," Jac said with a grin. "So you punched the High Commander
and
the High King. Impressive." She winked when he groaned. "I'd better go, I'll see you later, Lord Rene."

Ren lifted a hand in farewell, and Shemal looked more closely at it. "You broke your hand."

Rene grimaced. "Yes, last year when a mission in Cartha went poorly. I'm lucky it works at all." He motioned to the waiting horses, falling into step alongside Shemal as they went to join the others. "So it is true you're the very same pirate who punched him?"

"I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?" Shemal asked.

"No, probably not," Rene said with a laugh. "However, it's Lesto everyone will enjoy teasing relentlessly. He doesn't normally make it this easy for us to poke fun at him." He grinned again and turned to the others. "Good Morning, Your Majesties."

"It will be merrier when I am back in my own bed," Sarrica groused as he swung up into the saddle. "Move your ass, let's get this over with."

Allen rolled his eyes as he swung up into his own horse, and smiled at Jac as she rode up to settle at his side. He moved closer to Sarrica, leaned over to kiss him softly. "Try to behave. I'll see you back home in a couple of weeks."

Sarrica grunted and stole a longer kiss before letting him go. He cast a glare toward the gathered guards who seemed to be serving as Allen's escort. When he was satisfied his glare had done whatever he wanted, he turned back to Rene and Shemal. "Mount up, let's go." After Shemal had mounted the horse a guard brought to him, Sarrica smirked and said, "So the guards have been telling me stories."

Shemal groaned again and buried his face in his hands. "That wasn't the deal."

"I'm the High King. Who did you think they were going to obey in the end? I can't wait to see Lesto. He's had this coming for a long time." Before Shemal could reply, he turned to the guards that had mounted up and gathered around them. "Are we ready?"

"Ready, Your Majesty."

"Then move out!"

A chorus of 'Yes, Majesty' filled the courtyard, and then they were racing out of the garrison and through the city, finally headed back to Lesto.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Lesto bellowed, storming across the courtyard, armor and sword belt jangling.

Sarrica laughed. "It's good to see your health is improving."

Lesto gave him a hard shove. "Laugh one more time and see what happens to you. What in the fucking Realms are you doing here, you useless excuse for a High King? How many times do I have to tell you to stay where you're safe?" Sarrica opened his mouth, but Lesto whipped around to face Rene and kept going. "And you! When I'm not around, it's your job to keep him from being this stupid!"

"Even you can't keep him from being stupid on a good day," Rene replied. "I don't know why you expect me to do any better."

Lesto's expression darkened further as he took a step closer—and was reeled back by Sarrica.

"Calm down, Commander," Sarrica said, still grinning. "Honestly, you should be pleased that Allen didn't come this far. Once we knew you were well, he headed home. Well, he left the following morning, strictly speaking, but he did promptly volunteer—"

"Why did he come at all?!" Lesto said, knocking Sarrica's arm away and shoving him again. "Sarrica, I'm going to knock every last one of your teeth out!"

Sarrica lifted his hands to placate. "If it makes you feel any better, your lover already punched me."

"I don't care who—" Lesto stopped, jaw dropping. "What?"

Grin returning, Sarrica turned around, reached out, and dragged someone into their little circle.

The knot of fear that had settled in Lesto's chest began to loosen and unwind as he stared at Shemal. Then Sarrica's words came back to him. "You punched Sarrica?"

Shemal looked like he was going to be sick. "I didn't mean to."

Lesto rounded on Sarrica again. "What did you do?"

"You are in exceptional form today," Rene groused. "When are the healers going to listen to my advice and tie you down?"

"Be quiet unless you want to be knocked unconscious for a week," Lesto snapped, then turned back to Sarrica. "What did you do to him?"

Sarrica huffed. "I was making certain his intentions were honorable—"

Lesto punched him, sending Sarrica stumbling back a couple of steps. "I hope you meant that as a poor attempt at a joke."

"I'm being perfectly serious. I have a right to look after my brother," Sarrica said, touching his fingertips to his bleeding, swollen lip. "There is a gross lack of respect for the High King around here."

Lesto tensed to punch him again. "If you want respect, stop being a reckless fool and an interfering little brat. I swear to the Pantheon—"

"You're bleeding!" Shemal stepped in close, one of his hands going to Lesto's shoulder, the other to his side, where, sure enough, it looked like Lesto had probably torn his stitches. Again. Mishi was going to harangue him for hours if he found out. Damn it.

Lesto looked at Shemal, gently pulled away the hand on his side and held it fast, voice gruff as he said, "I'm fine. The stitches were supposed to be coming out soon anyway."

Shemal's frowned deepened. "If the wound was healed enough for them to come out, you wouldn't be bleeding like this."

"I'm fine, I promise," Lesto said.

"Oh, my gods," Sarrica and Rene said together.

Ire returning at the reminder of their presence, Lesto turned back and glared at them as nastily as he knew how. "If you think I'm done trying to beat sense into you halfwits, you are painfully mistaken."

"You
melted
," Rene said, still gaping. "He touched you, and you melted like
butter.
I didn't know you could
do
that."

Lesto stepped toward him, hands curling into fists.

Rene just broke into a grin. "You really are smitten, I can't believe it. With a pirate. Of
course
you are. It's
you.
"

"Shut up," Lesto snapped. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my sight the rest of the day." He gave Rene a rough shove then whipped around to Sarrica and jabbed him hard in the chest. "You had better be ready to return home in the morning."

Sarrica grabbed hold of him. "Are you going to stop being mad long enough for us to say we're happy you're alive and safe? You do remember you were kidnapped and we've been worried about you, right?"

Shoulders slumping as his anger faded, Lesto gave a jerky nod. "If you were so damned worried about me, you halfwit, you should have stayed where you were safe so we didn't have to worry about you coming to harm as well."

"Shut up," Sarrica said and hugged him tightly. Lesto returned it, finally letting relief wash through him.

Letting go of Sarrica, he turned to hug Rene. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Rene chuckled as he drew back. "We were more worried about how much destruction you would cause. Of all the people to get kidnapped."

"Stop talking," Lesto said gruffly and pushed him away. "Get out of my sight before I remember how much I still want to punch you." He jabbed Sarrica's chest. "I wasn't kidding about going home tomorrow. See that you're ready to leave at first light." He turned away before Sarrica could reply, taking hold of Shemal's hand again as he walked off.

Shemal pulled his hand free a few steps later. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, just surrounded by halfwits and tired of being wounded," Lesto said with a sigh, some of his tension bleeding away. "Are you all right? I know you must be exhausted after saving me and then heading almost immediately back out…" He looked up at Shemal, steps slowing until they stopped in the middle of the long hall they were in.

Shemal smiled, a little sweet, a little impish. "I'm fine. They even let me sleep in the High Commander's bed last night. Wish I had a bed like that every night."

"You will," Lesto said, a hint of growl in his voice. He pushed until Shemal was against the wall then leaned in and kissed him hard, hungry and impatient, needing to feel and taste for himself that all was well again. That Shemal still wanted him even after all the days they'd been apart, all the trouble that Lesto had already proven to be.

That he would always be, because of his proximity to the High King. Sarrica was a flame, and those who stood too close learned to live with the heat, ran away, or were destroyed by it.

Shemal made a soft noise against his mouth, and then his hands, warm and heavy and calloused, framed Lesto's face as the kiss slowly eased, turning soft and lingering. The finest tremor ran through his body as Lesto's fingers skated down his side.

Drawing back, Lesto stared into those too-pretty eyes. "I'm sorry, this is all probably way more hassle than you wanted. As much as I hated it when I thought you'd run away, I never really blamed you for that decision. You're not the first to make it."

"Nobles are a bunch of soft, whiny children," Shemal said, mouth ticking up in a small grin. "Mainlanders in general are useless. So it's not like any of this ruckus is a
surprise
."

Lesto jabbed him in the gut.
Hard.
"You're one to talk of ruckus. First you punched me, then you punched the High King? I can't tell if you're brave, mad, or trying to die."

"Can we please not talk about me punching the High King?" Shemal replied, eyes pinching shut. "I didn't mean to, it just happened. I didn't like his implication that I was lying to you, using you. Like I would even know what to do with a duchy or whatever."

"We're all overprotective of each other," Lesto said, reluctantly pulling away. "If Allen had appeared out of nowhere instead of being meticulously selected, I'd have asked the same questions—and probably been a lot meaner about it."

Shemal laughed. "Yes, I can see why so many people go running when they hear your name. The man who picks a fight with the High King on a daily basis has little reason to fear the rest of the world, which would make you positively terrifying to most. That's part of the reason I punched you. When you walked out of the palace that day we met, you had everyone enthralled. They were scared but also adoring. I wanted to see what would happen if I hit you."

"Did you get what you expected?" Lesto asked, though he wasn't at all certain he wanted to know the answer. Obviously his reaction hadn't driven Shemal away, but…

Shemal smiled, all mischief and secrets. "No. You've never been what I expected." He leaned forward and dragged his mouth across Lesto's, leaving a trail of fire and sending a hot rush down Lesto's spine. "I like the unexpected." He drew back, licked his lips. "It's more attractive than it should be that you're not afraid of anything."

"I'm afraid of plenty," Lesto said as they resumed walking again. "I was afraid you might not come back, for one."

"I promised—"

"That wasn't it," Lesto cut in hastily, stopping them again. "Like I said, my life is a bit much for anyone to put up with." He stared into Shemal's eyes, drunk on just how fucking pretty they were, all the life that filled them. "You'd be surprised how many people decided that even an annual income of forty thousand crowns wasn't worth the trouble."