10. Kavian
Ifind myself glancing at the human woman often as we walk to the harbor. Of course, I must keep an eye on her in this busy area—she could easily be separated from me in the crowd. Not only would that mean I wasted ipia and nodals on her, but she could tip off Gorran about my plans.
“Stay close,” I bark at her and pull her closer to me, somewhat surprised at the delicate feel of her skin and wrist.
Meera defiantly tries to pull herself out of my grip but she’s too weak. I laugh at the feeble attempt and get pinned by her glare. Yet, she says nothing.
Clever creature. Making a scene will attract the wrong kind of attention.
We approach the boat on which I’ve secured a place for us. This one is in much better condition than the one I took here and promises to offer a more comfortable journey.
She stares at the crew as we walk past them, seemingly fascinated by what they’re doing.
“Have you not traveled on a vessel like this before?” I ask the question before I can consider why I’m even interested.
“Not this big, no.” Her attention is drawn away by the shrill and annoying caw of mynahs flying overhead.
Growing weary of the atmosphere, I grab her wrist again. “Come.”
I can feel her body stiffen at my touch and a grin creeps onto my face. Her spirit is unbroken yet, and it fascinates me how such a weak human can be so resolute.
Our cabin is small but clean. The bed in the center of the room is covered by a thin, faded cloth. There is a washbasin with no water and a lopsided chest of drawers missing half of its drawers.
I sigh, looking forward to returning home.
“Are we… sharing the bed?”
I glance at Meera as I dump my bag on the bed and sit down next to it.
“You’re welcome to sleep on the floor if you so wish.” I watch her closely to see what kind of reaction I’ll get.
She looks down at the wooden floorboards as if to consider it before shaking her head, likely deterred by the many stains and layers of grime.
“If you try anything with me, I’ll scratch your eyes out.” Her eyes fix on me and I laugh.
“I would love to see you try.”
The click of her tongue tells me she doesn’t find me funny and this amuses me even more. I watch her as she sits down on the bed, as far from me as possible.
Though she wears exhaustion like a cloak, its heavy folds pushing down on her, she still radiates a serene kind of beauty.
What is this? Am I… am I actually attracted to this pathetic little human? Impossible. I must be tired.
Once more my eyes are drawn to her and I snort when I see that she’s fallen asleep. Her feet are still on the ground but her head is resting on the flat pillows.
I stand up and walk around the bed towards her, my eyes fixated on her face. Something inside me stirs but I don’t have words to describe it. It’s an unfamiliar feeling, one that I’ve never wanted to feel before. A desire to protect, above all feelings of rationality. I’ve only ever wanted to protect my legacy, my reputation, my wealth. But this is different.
I stop myself short, almost about to lift her legs and make her more comfortable.
This is ridiculous. Why should I care about the comfort of a human? A slave human, no less!
Frowning, I walk to the door, eager to get out of this room and away from her sleeping body that seems to wordlessly invite me to join her.
The deck is a cacophony of shouts and the noise of preparation. Crew members scurry like insects, their movements synchronized. Some haul on ropes, their muscles straining against the weight of canvas as they hoist the sails to catch the wind”s eager embrace.
Others scramble across the gangplanks, laden with crates of provisions and barrels of fresh water.
I take in the sights and sounds and start to work on my plans to ruin Gorran. A smirk forms on my lips. I’m excited and look forward to seeing his expression when he realizes I’m the one to blame for his downfall.
The next few days blur into each other as I work on my plans and spend my time in the cabin. I write many notes, planning for the different ways to free the slaves.
Meera’s choice to keep her distance from me does not bother me. I prefer it that way. It could be troublesome if the girl decides to get attached to me.
Satisfied with my plans for now, I step onto the deck for some well-needed fresh air but my nose is greeted by the harsh smell of staleness. Sea travel truly isn’t for the faint-hearted.
A woman’s laughter draws my attention from the gray sky and to my surprise I see Meera sitting with a group of five human men.
They are likely slaves like her, working on the boat against their will.
I approach them and Meera’s smile fades a little when she sees me. My heart reacts strangely to the sight and annoyance fills my mind.
She stands up, holding out a grilled molusket. “Appo is the chef onboard and got me a few of these for free.”
Appo pales when I look at him. He gives me a respectful smile and stands at attention. “H-here, I have zhisk as w-well. Not as good as I’m sure y-you’re used to but still pretty g?—”
I silence the stuttering man with the back of my hand.
Meera gasps and takes a step back. I grab her wrist and drag her away. She tries to fight back but I strengthen my grip on her, no doubt bruising her skin. I don’t let go of her until we’re in our cabin.
I snap at her the moment the door is closed. “What the fuck are you thinking? Consorting with the crew like that is dangerous and stupid!”
She stands in silence, too shocked to speak. Despite the obvious fear in her eyes, she keeps her back straightened.
Impressive. She won’t be easy to break. I like that.
I slowly walk over to her, making sure to stand at my full height and loom over her smaller form.
“I know they are humans and you want to free all of them, but Gorran has spies everywhere. One wrong word and my entire plan goes to shit. What did you tell them?”
Her fear is replaced by indignance.
“You must really think I’m a fool. I didn’t tell them anything. Sure, I befriended them to get food and drink, but that’s your fault.”
I frown. “My fault?”
She gives me an accusatory glare. “Well, when was the last time you gave me something to eat? You don’t even acknowledge my presence at all.”
“Oh.” I had been so enraptured by my planning that I forgot all about her needs. I tend to forgo eating when I start focusing on Gorran.
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I can take care of myself.” She shows me a brown cloth bag filled with cheese, dried fish and meat, and some kind of biscuit. There are even several dried fruits stuffed in it.
Impressed, I look into her eyes and spot the shimmer of pride in them. I turn away, dismissing her moment of joy.
“I will ensure you eat from now on. Stay away from the crew and other passengers. I can’t risk you foiling my plans before they’re set in motion.”
The cabin suddenly becomes stifling, and I can sense that Meera is upset with me.
Shit. If I don’t treat her right, she could easily betray me. Nothing is stopping her from walking out of this cabin and never looking back at me. I could kill her, of course, but I don’t want to.
I clear my throat and turn to her. Anger and distrust are clearly visible on her face.
“You want to help me free more human slaves, right? Then you must do as I say. I’ve been at this longer than you. I know how he operates.”
Her expression eases into calm resignation. “I understand that. But I’m not some stupid child. I know what’s at stake and I don’t trust anyone.”
The look in her eyes tells me I’m counted in with that ‘anyone.’
I simply nod and sit down on the bed, gathering the scrolls of paper I’ve been immersed in these last few days.
“Come. Let’s discuss some of my ideas.”
Her sudden smile takes me by surprise, and once again I feel an unfamiliar emotion flutter in my chest.
I shake my head to clear my head and we go over the intel I’ve gathered and go into detail about Gorran’s dealings.
At night, we sleep side by side and I often find myself looking at her sleeping form. The peaceful expression on her face seems to have a calming effect on me. Thinking about her also seems to help me think better, plan better.
This is extremely peculiar. Is it a good thing or is her effect on me something dangerous that should be stopped?
We never talk about anything private or personal and I’m relieved that she’s not interested in making small talk. Our focus is solely on working together to free the slaves and bring an end to Gorran once and for all.
The days continue to melt into a giant stretch of time spent in the cabin with her. Although I dismiss all of the ideas she comes up with, I am surprised by her intelligence and sharp attention to detail.
After another night of little sleep and pouring over details in the light of a candle, I leave the cabin for fresh air. Meera is sleeping, a half-eaten biscuit clutched in her hand.
I’m met with a heavy fog obscuring my view of the ocean and I can see the muted reddish hue of Ikoth’s sky.
My heart soars. I’m almost home.
Now I can truly start setting my plans into action.
I think of the mansion and its luxuries and wonder what Meera would think of it. I know I shouldn’t care but the curiosity remains looming in the back of my mind as we near Ikoth.