“Keep your money. You earned it today,” he said, burrowing for her palm and placing the coins within. “So what kind was it?”
“What kind was what?”
“The trap on the lock. What was it?”
“A spike. Remember those little holes all around the keyhole? They were full of spikes that would have shot out at the person in front of the lock. Unless you had the right key.”
“Or the right thief.”
She smiled a little. “Yeah.”
“You handled it well. You’ve proven yourself to be an invaluable member of the team. That means you get your ten percent.”
“But I thought…I thought we all just got what we took.”
“No. We pool our treasure and exchange it for pure coin then divide it among us fairly. We all have a part in the escapade so we all get our share. I get the lion’s share, of course.”
“Of course.”
“But the rest we divide in four parts, five now.”
“So fifty percent gets divided among us and fifty percent goes to you?”
“And that’s why I pay for passage, food, and other costs.” He reached out and smacked her hip, indicating she should move over in the bed. She did so and he lay down with a groan. “Wow. What a day. I’m exhausted.”
“Me too. Are we under way?”
“Yes. The captain says we’ll reach Calandria tomorrow late afternoon if the weather holds. And believe me when I say you should pray that it holds.”
“To which god?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t pray to the gods.”
There was a hard bitterness in his voice and she let it roll over her. He had made it clear how he felt about the gods. Personally, she found it risky to denounce them. She didn’t know whether she believed in the gods per se, but she was hedging her bets just in case. And after what she had seen today, she had to believe there were powerful things out there that she had no clue of.
“So what will we do now?” she asked.
“There you go again, asking questions.”
“I can’t help it. I feel a desperate need to know exactly what you have planned. Especially after what you led us into today.”
He regarded her a minute. “Actually, I don’t have a plan after this. I’m going to go where the next adventure leads me.”
“What does that mean?” she asked with a frown.
“It means…you’ll see what’s next tomorrow.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. She watched in silence as he slowly drifted off to sleep. She opened her hand and regarded the coins within. She realized the other men had stuffed their pouches with treasure and if she had a share of that, it meant she was suddenly a wealthy woman. She could take her earnings and get a nice little cottage for the winter months. She could live a quiet life of comfort for a while. It sounded like such a nice idea.
She looked down at his face.
If she stayed with him she would most likely get herself killed. He might be invulnerable, but she wasn’t.
She reached out gingerly and pulled aside the gaping neckline of his shirt until she could see the talisman. She wondered what it would feel like…to not be hurt by anything. But then that only protected the physical body. There wasn’t a talisman to protect the heart. If there were she would steal it and wear it to keep herself from getting hurt.
But since that kind of talisman didn’t exist, she was just going to have to protect herself the way she had always done. Very carefully.
That should be easy, she thought. There was little likelihood that her heart would become involved with any of these men. The nicest one there was Doisy. With his charm and easygoing personality it was hard not to like him. But when she left—and she would leave eventually—she wouldn’t be heartbroken about it.
Then there was shy Dru. He was really sweet and she could already see that she would miss him. But she wouldn’t feel any differently than she had for all the others she had left behind in her transient life.
Kilon…well, that went without saying. She would be glad to be quit of the surly, mean-tempered man.
As for Kyno, she didn’t know all that much about the lumbering half-orc. And it was best she kept it that way. Luckily his social skills left much to be desired and she wasn’t in any danger of becoming overly attached.
That left Maxum. Maxum was a whole other issue.
No. Wait. He was no different than any of the others. He had no real place of importance other than the fact that he had her life in his hands as he took them on these little journeys of his. She didn’t know him well enough otherwise. Although she had to admit she found something compelling about him. And, forcing herself to be honest, she found him very attractive. Not just because of the physical chemistry, though he certainly had that, but because of his dynamic personality and general presence. He was a force you couldn’t help but feel…whether he wanted to be or not. She suspected that, given a choice in the matter, he wouldn’t want any focus directed on him. He was far too busy with his own plans. He didn’t have time to play hero for anyone else.
But what were those plans? It was clear he was gathering power but to what purpose?
She might never know. She might leave without ever finding out the answer. She was fairly certain he wasn’t going to share the information willingly. But what should that matter to her? She should live her life and let everyone else live theirs, just as she’d always done.
Only right now her life was tied up with his and he seemed to have no compunctions about putting her neck on the line. All of their necks.
But who was worse? Him for doing it or them for going along with it? There was blame to be had all around, she supposed.
But right now this was where the money was. Being with Maxum had proven far more profitable than any one thing she’d ever taken part in before—and she’d lent her services to other groups in the past. Never with this much success. If Maxum could keep them raking in rewards like this, she could soon retire for the rest of her life, if she wanted to. A quiet life sounded nice in the winter months, but she was a nomad at heart, feeling best when she wandered about from place to place. Or maybe she just thought that way because it was what she’d always had to do to keep ahead of those she had stolen from.
She didn’t really know. And she would worry about it when the time came to worry about it. Right now she had to dedicate all of her focus onto her present situation. She had two things she absolutely had to do at all costs.
One, she had to keep herself from getting killed.
And two, she absolutely, positively had to keep out of Maxum’s bed. Not an easy trick so far. She’d been in his bed every night since they’d met. But she didn’t mean sleeping in his bed, she meant the part where she was in danger of having sex with him. His sexual magnetism was undeniable and she had an inching fear that he had the goods to back it up. She suspected he would be a damn good lover given the chance to prove himself. A thoughtful one to be sure.
But he had said he wanted her to come willingly to his bed and she was certain she wouldn’t be doing that. There was far too much on the line to risk it all for a few moments of passion with someone who wouldn’t be there the next time she turned around. And if she wanted to stay in the group without any conflicts it was best she kept her distance.
She lay back in the bed, staring up at the wooden planks of the ceiling for several minutes. As sleepiness overcame her she couldn’t help but think about how hard it was going to be to maintain a cool distance.
Because nothing about Maxum engendered keeping a level head and a safe distance.
—
When Maxum awoke the next morning the bunk was empty and the ship was rolling and bucking fiercely. He staggered to his feet, banging his head against the wall as he lurched to the side. Luckily, thanks to the talisman it didn’t hurt. But he doubted the others could say the same if they were being tossed about in the same manner.
The first thing he did was make it up on d
eck. There the decks were being lashed hard with rain and lightning was dancing along the edges of low black clouds all around them. The blue sun was so completely blocked out by the storm that it looked almost as if it were dusk. That thought disturbed him and he went in search of the captain. He found him in his quarters.
“What can I do for you, sir?” the captain asked, not sounding at all accommodating in spite of the pleasant address.
“When will we make Calandria?”
“No telling with this squall kicked up. Not until well past dark that’s for sure.”
Maxum swore violently in his head. “Is there anywhere closer we can put in?”
“I’m going to Calandria. The storm’s not bad enough to warrant changing my plans. It’ll blow over soon enough.”
“You don’t understand, I need to be on land by sunset.”
“No, you don’t understand, Calandria’s the nearest port I’m willing to go to. You’ll just have to delay whatever plans you have until after sunset.”
“Not going to happen,” Maxum muttered under his breath.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing…” He would have to deal with the problem when it came up. There was still a chance they could make it in time. If not…he had no idea what would happen if he was in the water. He knew one thing for certain…being over water wasn’t going to stop the curse from happening. In fact, until he had been freed he had been buried under the dirt and silt of the ocean floor—Sabo’s way of adding insult to injury. Not only was he buried underground, but he had been forced to bear the pressure of all of the ocean bearing down on him.
“Do your best, Captain,” he said shortly.
“Don’t need you to tell me that,” the captain grumbled.
Maxum ignored him and went in search of his men. He found most of them in the galley. Lanterns were swinging and swaying on their hooks, casting strange shadows on the faces before him. Of all of them, Kyno looked the worst. Apparently the rolling seas weren’t agreeing with his insides. Maxum had barely gotten two words out of him before he’d turned and vomited in a bucket.
“Been doing that all morning,” Kilon said. “You’d think the ass would have enough sense to stop eating.”
“I was hungry!”
Kyno erupted again.
“Where’s Airi?”
“I don’t keep tabs on her,” Kilon said. “She’s your piece. That’s your job.”
“She’s not my ‘piece.’ She’s an equal member of this crew due an equal share.”
“Equal share!” Kilon ejaculated. “Over my dead body.”
“Very well, where would you like my dagger, the neck or the chest?” Maxum asked coldly.
“Look, just because you’re fucking her doesn’t mean she’s got a right to an equal share of my profits!”
“I’m not fucking her. And even if I was, you wouldn’t have any of those profits if not for her.”
“She didn’t even have sense to pack a sack. She didn’t even fill her pockets!”
“She picked that lock and she gave Dru the idea of making us invisible to the dragon. If not for her you would likely be dead by now. She gets equal share and I’m done arguing about it.”
Kilon set his jaw, clearly wanting to take it further, but for all his foul temperament, he knew better than to cross Maxum. For now anyway. There might come a time when that would change.
Maxum would have to be vigilant to make sure the group didn’t lose its cohesiveness. He would be happier if he didn’t need Kilon, but as it stood he did need him. He was a great source of firepower and his skill with the bow was crucial when it came to fighting. If they’d been forced to fight that dragon yesterday, the only way they would have had a hope was if Kyno, Kilon, and he had somehow struck the right places at the right time.
It had definitely come too close for comfort.
He went in search of Airi. He had promised the captain he would keep her out of trouble, and he had a suspicion that trouble followed her everywhere she went. But a search of the crew decks came up empty and he was fairly certain she wasn’t up on the main deck. It took braver souls than she to bear up on a deck that was rolling and churning the way the top deck was. Not that she wasn’t brave; she had far more courage than she should for someone of her size and of her sex. But she wasn’t foolhardy either, and the men on deck had been bred to it.
He made his way down into the belly of the ship, coming into the fore cargo hold. When he opened the door it was to a sudden raucous shout. The shout of a crowd of men cheering and jeering all at the same time.
“Okay watch her now, boys…she’s going to scream this time!”
“Give it to her, Harry!”
“Oh!” the crowd cried in unison.
Maxum knew there was only one woman on board so he knew who the “her” was. With a worked up crowd like that, he could only anticipate the worst. He came around the barrels and crates in the hold ready for anything, ready to have to beat a crowd of men off her and rescue her from whatever hell she’d gotten into while he had slept peacefully by.
He stumbled onto the group just as the crowd groaned in unison once more. Then he saw a familiar platinum head pop up. There she was, crowded around a couple of lanterns, rolling dice between her hands as a group of eight men watched her. She rolled the dice and shouted with glee as she won the point.
“Ha! That’ll teach you to bet against a woman, Harry!” she cried. Harry chuckled good-naturedly.
“That’ll teach me to bet against you! Most women are bad luck…but you…I’ve never seen that kind of luck!”
“What can I say? It’s just my lucky day.”
“All right, boys, let me take her away before she robs you blind,” Maxum said, anxious to get her away from the room of rowdy sailors. She was lucky they were in a good mood. They could just as easily have turned against her. She was simply out of her mind for having engaged them in the first place. He wanted to wring her little neck for being so reckless.
He grabbed her arm and hauled her back to the entrance of the hold.
“Hey! I was having fun!” she cried as he dragged her through the entrance. He noted she still had the dice in her hand. He shut the hold door.
“Are those your dice?”
“Of course they are!”
“Are they loaded?”
“What?” She bit her lip. “Of course not.”
“You’re lying to me.”
“Will you keep your voice down!” she hissed at him.
He dragged her up to the crew deck and into their cabin, his teeth gritted in anger. He slammed the door shut and shoved her onto the bed.
“You are on a ship with rowdy, unmannered, coarse men and you have the gall to cheat them at dice? What in the eight hells is wrong with you?”
“I was just having fun!”
“Would it have been fun when they figured it out and hung you from the yardarm? That is, after they raped you. I’m amazed they weren’t all over you already!”
“Just because you can’t keep your hands to yourself where I’m concerned doesn’t mean everyone else can’t control themselves. Besides, I’m not the kind of woman people go crazy for. I’m too small.”
“For men like this any kind of woman is worth going crazy for!” He frowned. “And there’s nothing wrong with you, believe me. You have all the right things to drive a man to do…well…whatever a man wants to do.”
She gave him a once-over. “Am I supposed to be flattered by that?” she asked him. She tucked her dice away into a pocket of her pants.
“No. Yes. I don’t know. I’m just stating facts.”
“If I’m so desirable, why hasn’t Doisy gone after me? He goes after anything in a skirt. Maybe that’s it. Maybe I need to put on a dress.”
“You will not be putting on a dress!” That was the last thing he needed. To see her in traditional women’s clothing. That would really screw up his head about her.
“Why not? I bet I’d look good in a dres
s.”
She was purposely baiting him and it was written all over her face. Still he couldn’t help but mutter, “I have no doubt.”
“I wouldn’t be able to move, but I’d look good.”
“Just do me a favor. Don’t leave the cabin until we get to Calandria.”
“What? I’m supposed to stay locked away in here like some kind of prized virgin? No, thank you!”
She got up and went to push past him, but he planted his feet and refused to move. No mean feat in rolling seas. He grabbed hold of her and pushed her back down on the bed.
“What is it with you wanting me in your bed?”
“Just stay there!”
“You’re going to have to keep guard the whole time because that’s the only way you’re keeping me in here.”
He narrowed his eyes on her and slowly let his eyes travel the length of her compact but gorgeous body.
“It’s not the only way,” he said silkily.
That shut her up instantly.
“Okay fine. I’ll stay!”
“Good.” He watched her lie back with a sullen expression on her face and heard himself asking, “Would it really be so bad? Staying…with me?”
She knew what he was asking but played obtuse.
“I am staying with you. I have no choice. Besides, I haven’t gotten my share yet. I figure if I’m going to risk getting munched on by a dragon, I better get paid for it.”
He was disappointed by her dodge and he couldn’t figure out why. Couldn’t figure out why he was expecting her to act like anything other than what she was…a thief. And a very good one by the look of it. She’d conned a whole boatload of hardened sailors into thinking she was winning because of luck. Well the truth was she was lucky. Very lucky. Lucky they hadn’t caught on mostly. Lucky that he’d let her join them even after she stole his talisman. And what about that? Why had he taken on the trouble of a thieving little woman? It was clear Kilon hated her very presence. Despite what she thought, Doisy had noticed her. And he suspected Dru was well on his way to having a little crush on her. Especially after she had pushed him into that magic he’d never tried before. He had to say he was pretty surprised. It wasn’t the first time Dru had performed under the gun, but that had been really asking a lot of him.