15. Gragash

15

GRAGASH

M y second awakening was a lot less pleasant than my first. There was an empty chill where my mate had lain, and instead, Captain Vaher leaned against the shining white wall, again engrossed in his holographic reports.

We were alone. Even if Ty'anii was right outside the door, she couldn't react fast enough if I attacked now. Tensing and untensing my muscles told me the nanites had done their work—none of my injuries would get in my way.

It was a pleasant fantasy, but nothing more. I couldn't kill this man until I'd somehow saved my kin and my mate.

"What do you want, Vaher? You're the last person I want to wake up to." Usually, I'd be more polite. After the fight I'd won and the money I'd made him, I figured the captain could deal with a bit of honesty.

It seemed I was right. Vaher swept his holograms away with a gesture and smiled his least-fake smile. "Ah, Gragash, old friend. I'm glad to see your spirits are high. You've done spectacularly."

"Good. Now fuck off and let me rest."

"Now, there are things we need to discuss first." Vaher stepped away from the wall, rubbing his palms together, and I waited stoically until he continued. "This is going to be a hard ask, old friend, but I need a favor from you. I need you to throw the fight with Korsar."

That startled a snorted laugh out of me, followed by a groan. My ribs weren't fully healed yet. "Are you going into comedy, Vaher? Giving up the piracy and going straight as an entertainer is a bold course, but I'd support you."

He just looked at me, one eyebrow raised, waiting until I continued. "I know that is a joke, because we're talking about a fight to the death. My honor would not permit me to throw any fight, but nobody would be stupid enough to die just so that you can clean up in some shady scam."

Vaher said nothing, which wasn't like him. I folded my arms and met silence with silence, sure that I could out-stubborn him. It didn't take long.

"Fine," he said, throwing his hands up in disgust. "This isn't about money, it's about us all not being murdered by Guild assassins. And by all, I include your precious Abigail and your kin. The fucking local Guildfather wants his pet fighter to win, so that's how it's got to be."

It wasn't funny, but I laughed anyway. My only other choice was to tear the hypocrite's head off, and that wouldn't help. "You're mad because someone else is rigging the matches, and you don't like to lose. Fuck that, we are not on the same side here. And if you're claiming you won't profit from this, you're insulting my intelligence."

"Yes, fine. I'm going to bet against you through a cutout, so I'll make a lot off this if you lose. Win and you'd ruin me, but the price would be everyone aboard Darha's Blessing."

I shrugged. "They'd move from being your slaves to being someone else's. I don't like that idea, but it's not that big a change, and I'd be alive to see them."

Vaher ground his teeth, then stopped as he realized what he was doing. "This a problem for both of us, and we can only face it together. I know this is a lot to ask, but I'll make sacrifices too. Your kin—I'll free them, give them each enough money to get by, and let them off at any nearby world they want."

My eyes narrowed, trying to judge the crimson-skinned slaver. There wasn't much point. I didn't trust him, and there wasn't anything he could do or say to change that. His fear seemed genuine, though, and that was the lynchpin of this proposal. Maybe he was being honest.

If not, there wasn't much I could do about it. Glaring at my captor, I nodded reluctantly. Even a chance of freeing Abigail and the rest of my family was worth sacrificing for.

She would disagree. I sighed. Saying goodbye would not be easy, and I expected to get punched again. "How can I trust you to keep your word?"

The captain relaxed visibly at my agreement. "I have a contract ready for our signatures and enforceable under Guild rules. Thank you for being reasonable, Gragash."

At his gesture, one of the hologram documents reappeared, and he turned it for me to see. It seemed to say what I needed it to, without specifying what services I provided in exchange. Would it bind him? I had no idea. It wasn't as though I had a lawyer to consult.

"Send my copy to Abigail," I said, pressing my thumb into the page to mark my agreement. "She's the one who'll need it."