Chapter Seventeen
A month and a few days later, I stood on the prow of my merchant vessel, the Reprisal, as we entered Sunsho's bay.
My gaze went to the manor on the highest cliff, its domes gleaming in the sunshine.
Was my mate there, waiting for me? Or had he decided that I demanded too much?
I imagined Vas in the gazebo at the tip of the garden, watching the water every day for any sign of me. But that was too romantic for my life.
Then movement caught my eye. A flash of gold in long chestnut hair that moved with the ocean breeze. Vasren stepped out of the shadow of the gazebo and lifted his hand. My heart stuttered. He was so far away. Was Dragon eyesight that good? Could he see my face?
I lifted my hand to my lips and then flung it to him.
Vasren turned away.
My chest went tight, my stuttering heart stopping in shock. I shouldn't have been surprised. I knew this was a possibility. Still, it hurt. I felt foolish for staring across the channel every night that I'd been away, hoping that he was staring back at me. Again, that was too romantic for my life.
Maybe I should make my fresh start in Weiha.
But no. I told Vasren I wouldn't run. I told him I'd return.
If he didn't want me, I wouldn't change my plans.
I had already secured a home—one that I felt was perfect for my Hallaxgral persona.
I wasn't going to uproot myself again. This was where I would make my stand and help as many people as I could. With or without Vasren Tsai.
I left the prow, the ship's crew nodding respectfully to me as I passed.
A group of men waited for me on the main deck, their faces and bodies marked by violence and shaped with power.
There was no underestimating these men. They wore the proof of their prowess on their skin and in their muscles.
But off to the side, in the shadow of the hull, stood three Raltven, one of whom was a woman.
People never underestimated Raltven, despite their small stature, but they weren't known for their physical prowess either.
The Shadow Folk could become nearly invisible, blending into the darkness.
It made them exceptional thieves and assassins.
Unfortunately, their talent practically forced them into illegal occupations.
They were rarely offered honest work. Which meant I had many to choose from when I went looking for some to pad my crew.
But the reason it had taken me so long to return to Sunsho wasn't that I was assembling a new team.
It was because I wanted a crew composed of men and women who were more than brutes or killers.
I searched for people who shared my vision.
People who were tired of doing bad things for bad employers.
Men and women who were comfortable with crime and would be brutes and killers when necessary, but who also wanted to help people.
They needed to be powerful, intimidating, and willing to do whatever needed to be done.
The combination was tough to find. I had searched many cities and sent out word, interviewing hundreds of people before I settled on these fourteen.
Looking face to face, I was pleased with my choices.
I had offered them more than a way to atone for their past and more than an honorable career—I enticed them with a better future.
A place to call home. Stability. Loyalty.
A team to rely on. I've always been good at reading people, but I'd gone further with them.
I looked deeper until I was certain. Each member of my crew was like a well-made blade—hardened but with a good heart, flexible and true. Together, we would do great things.
I didn't need a Dragon mate. I had five Brandvas, four Tyasmorans, three Raltven, and two Hulfrin.
None were a match for Vasren, granted. They couldn't protect me from a Dragon, especially not a Dragon knight.
But I didn't need protection from my mate.
He would respect me, or he would never see me again.
“Welcome to Sunsho,” I said to my new crew. “I don't know what sort of reception we'll receive, but I believe we can make a home for ourselves here.”
Behez looked over my shoulder, his Brandva tail twitching. “You didn't tell us there would be Dragons to deal with.”
“What?” I turned just as the ship came abreast of the dock.
There, standing before his carriage, was Vasren Tsai. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed.
“Did that Dragon just bow to you, boss?” Yesmic stepped up beside me, his membranous Tyasmoran wings folding tighter against his back.
Dear Gods, the man could take me from the greatest height to the lowest depth and back again in seconds. The tightness in my chest instantly eased, and a smirk spread across my face. Fuck the gangplank; it wasn't that far to jump.
“That Dragon is my mate.” I left my stunned crew on the deck and jumped over the side onto the dock.
Vasren met me halfway, his arms opening wide. I wanted to run into them, but I knew that would set a bad precedent. Plus, my crew was watching. Oh, fuck it. I didn't run, but I did quicken my steps and go into his embrace.
Vasren folded over me with a sigh and a shudder. “My Kat. At last. My mate is home.”
“Vas,” I whispered. “I've missed you.”
He let out a trembling breath. “Then will you come back to me?”
I eased away enough to look up at him. “We are starting over, remember? It's up to you now.”
Vas swallowed roughly and nodded. “Just tell me what you need.”
I looked over my shoulder at my disembarking crew, striding down the gangplank like normal people. When they noticed my stare, they came over.
“So, you're his mate?” Baelxa asked.
Rigin, Baelxa's brother, smacked Baelxa with his tail. “Not appropriate.”
The smack didn't bother Bae in the least. “Why not? He told us. I'm just confirming with the Dragon.”
Vas lifted an eyebrow at me. “You told them we're mates?”
“Yes, of course.” I looked from him to the men and back. “I suppose I'll have to explain our unique situation. But later. Right now, we have to move into our new home.”
“These men will be living with you?” Vasren growled.
“You asked what I needed. I need you to push down that possessive instinct.”
Vasren's face twitched. “Who are they?”
“This is my crew. They're going to help me with my work.”
“Right. Your work.”
I stepped out of his arms. “Have you thought about things?”
Vasren cracked his neck, glared at my crew—who admirably held their ground—and then nodded. “I will support you, Mate.”
I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. “Thank you, Vas. And thank you for coming down to meet me.”
“You can hire transport for them, but I'd like to take you to your new residence.” He motioned to the carriage. “If you'll permit me to.”
I turned to look at one of the Hulfrin. “Netrax.”
He stepped up beside me. “Boss?”
I handed him a silver coin. “You know the address. Hire a cart and see to the transportation of our belongings.”
“Boss, I don't think anyone is going to take this coin from me.”
I looked around. The fine residents of Sunsho were watching us.
There were two other merchant ships docked.
Both were in the process of unloading goods.
The crew brought the crates to the dock, where buyers paid for them and loaded them onto carts.
The crew didn't leave the docks. This wasn't a place that catered to their needs.
Not that there weren't laborers in Sunsho.
The wealthy didn't do much for themselves.
In fact, there were probably more working-class people in the city than the elite.
But those workers generally lived on their masters' manors and dressed appropriately.
In other words, they didn't look capable of slicing a man's throat and leaving him to die.
One of the things I valued about my crew would actually make it difficult for them to be accepted here. But that wasn't new to any of us.
The other ships with their uncouth sailors would leave as soon as they sold off their cargo and sail down to Weisha for a more comfortable stay.
My ship would be heading to Weisha as well, but not for a few days.
For now, it was staying. Sunsho would simply have to adjust to it and all of us.
That being said, such adjustments took time.
“Very well.” I took the coin back. “Give me a moment. I will secure a cart.”
“Katai.” Vasren laid a hand on my shoulder. “Would you permit me to help?”
“Vas, I told you I don't need—”
“I can send my driver for a cart. It's nothing. Please.”
I grimaced, knowing a small gesture could transform into a larger one.
But I couldn't say no to Vas when he looked at me like that.
He was behaving well, especially in front of strangers who had just traveled across the channel with his mate.
It was more than I had expected. More than I had hoped for, to be honest.
“All right. But he'll pay with my coin.” I handed it to Vasren.
Vas grinned, kissed my cheek, and then called for his driver. He passed on the coin with the instructions. Then he glanced at my crew. “Are you going to introduce me? I assume these people will be a big part of your new life.”
I lifted my eyebrows and then cleared my throat.
“Of course.” I went through them in groups of race, starting with the Brandva.
“The brothers—Rigin, Grekan, and Baelxa. Then Tesal and Behez.” I motioned to the Tyasmorans next.
“Yesmic, Tanseir, Ruspo, and Sion.” I waved the Raltven forward and hid my smile as they darted from shadow to shadow, coming to rest in those cast by the rest of the team.
“Navin, Cesha, and Sudar.” At last, I motioned to the Hulfrin men.
“Netrax and Drellan. Crew, this is my mate, Sir Vasren Tsai of the Rushao Dread.”
Everyone had nodded at Vas as they'd been named.
Vas nodded at the end, when I introduced him. “Be loyal to my mate and respect our bond. Do those two things, and we won't have a problem.”
“Fair enough,” Yesmic said. He looked at the others. “Right?”
The rest of them nodded.
Netrax, who still stood beside me, looked Vasren over, his whiskers twitching. “A Dragon and a human. That explains the scent.”
“What scent?” Vasren asked.
“The boss doesn't smell human. Not entirely. It has vexed me.”
Several of my men grunted in agreement.
Baelxa said, “Yup. Couldn't figure it out. Thought maybe he was a magic-user.”
“Does this mean we'll be living with him?” Sion pointed at Vasren.
“No,” I said. “My mate and I are still working out the details of our relationship.”
“A Dragon who allows his mate to live apart from him?” Sion made a face. “I didn't know that happened.”
“There is no allowing,” Vas said before I could speak up. “My mate does as he wishes.” He stroked my back. Then he looked to the side. “Ah, here is your cart.”
I looked over and saw Vasren's driver jump off the front ledge of a hired horse-cart. He said a few things to the cart's driver and then nodded at Vas. Vasren looked at me. No expectation in his eyes, only patience.
“All right. Load up the cart and take everything to the house,” I said to Netrax. I'll be going ahead with Vasren.”
“Yes, boss.” Netrax waved at the others. “Let's go.”
“Is this your ship?” Vasren asked as I turned toward him, his gaze on the prow, where the name was painted. “The Reprisal?” He lifted an eyebrow. “How fitting.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Vas made a noncommittal sound and waved at his carriage. “Shall we?”
I nodded and followed him. I even allowed Vas to open the door for me. Courtesy was not the same as possessiveness. I climbed in and sat against the back wall. Vas waited outside, looking at me expectantly.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The driver will need to know where we're going.”
“Oh.” I chuckled and then gave him the address.
Vas passed it on to the driver and then got inside. As he settled next to me and we got moving, he said, “That sounds familiar.”
“It should. It's where you were briefly imprisoned.”
Vasren straightened. “You bought Seina's estate?”
“Yes.” I grinned. “It was suddenly available and at a great price. Fully furnished, no less. Something about bloodstains in the basement.”
Vasren made a startled sound and then laughed. “Dear Gods, that's unsettling, but it also feels a little like justice.”
“Well, look at that.” I stroked his hair back as he liked to do with me. “We might just make you into a vigilante yet, Sir Vasren.”
Vasren leaned in and nuzzled my cheek. “If you would just kiss me, I'll be anything you want.”
The words echoed through me and lodged deep. It hadn't been so long ago that I had offered him something similar. To have him speak those words to me made me feel . . . I didn't know yet. But I liked it.
So, I kissed him. And I immediately wished that I hadn't.
With the first touch of Vasren's lips, my body remembered why I had offered to repress most of myself for him.
The pleasure he gave me with this simple touch was so great that it threatened to overturn all of my plans.
I was back in the role of Kat, my body craving Vas, urging me to claim him in any way I could.
Be it on my knees, my back, or my belly. However he wanted me, I wanted him.
But I refused to go backward.
I eased away from Vas, my entire being screaming in denial.
I comforted myself with the knowledge that this was temporary.
We were playing to win it all now—not just Vas but Vas and me together.
He would be mine, and I would remain who I was.
I had made that vow to myself on the journey back to Sunsho.
And I never broke my vows.