Chapter 29

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Out on deck, Stella and Dom joined Zahir and Nico at the helm.

"Is it them?" Stella asked.

Nico passed her his spyglass. "I believe so. They don’t seem to have much of a crew on board."

"We need to find out where they are headed and see if we can take the Varangians captive," Dom said.

"Let’s see how loyal Ciro is to his new masters," Nico replied and then called out, "Prepare to board!"

They expected a fight, but crew members came out on decks waving white flags as soon as they drew near.

"Cowards," Nico muttered.

"It’s a good thing. You didn’t want to have to fire on them and risk harming anyone innocent on board, did you?" Zahir said.

"They are human traffickers. Don’t talk to me of innocence," Nico snapped, striding away and giving orders to secure the Princess of Zadar.

Once they had a put across a boarding bridge, Stella followed Dom over, careful not to look down at the swirling ocean between the ships.

"Where is Ciro?" Dom demanded.

"Dead, about an hour ago," one of the crew said, pointing to the cabin. Stella opened the door, and sure enough, Ciro lay in his bunk, blood staining his sheets.

"I killed him with that blade I threw," she said numbly.

The shrike’s face was contorted in pain, but she didn’t feel any pity for him. Dom covered Ciro’s face with the sheet as Stella took the ring of keys from his clenched fingers.

"Let’s see what’s downstairs," she said.

Outside, Nico had the quartermaster pinned to the deck and was beating the shit out of him. The refined commander was gone, and only violent fury remained.

"What happened?" Dom demanded.

"Someone didn’t want to tell us where they were going, so Nico is showing him the error of his ways. I swear, this boy has so much pent-up frustration about the pirate problem that this might be good for him," Zahir replied.

Stella and Dom took two of Nico’s men and went below decks. Stella gagged as the smell of despair, vomit, and shit hit her nose. It was the scent of lots of suffering people in close quarters.

"Get me some light," Dom commanded, and the soldiers hurried to turn on the artificer lamps. Bars lined the sloping hull of the ship, and inside the cells were people.

Stella fumbled with the keys, trying them one by one. "We are here to rescue you," she said, tears running down her face.

She opened one cage and moved to the next, Dom and the soldiers helping the scared people to the stairs.

"Stella?" a voice said in the heavy darkness.

"Claudia!" Stella ripped open the door and hurried inside the cage. She was filthy, covered in bruises and blood, her ankle swollen. Stella grabbed her and held her tight. "I’m here. Can you walk?"

"No. I think they broke my ankle. As it turns out, I make a terrible prisoner," Claudia said, a flash of fire in her busted face.

"I need help!" Stella shouted. Nico appeared, and Claudia’s eyes widened.

"Allow me, signorina," he said and lifted Claudia up in his strong arms.

"Stella, am I dreaming?" she whispered.

"No, there really is a handsome man carrying you right now."

"Good to know," Claudia murmured.

"Please, don’t call me handsome in front of your mate, Stella. I’d hate to have to kick his ass when he overreacts," Nico said as they neared the stairs.

Claudia’s dark eyes turned back to Stella. "What damn mate?"

"Long story," Stella replied.

"And one we don’t have time for. We need to get going. There is a trade of other kidnapped victims apparently due to take place tonight in Baška. We don’t have time to get back to Venice, so we are going to press on," Nico explained as they got back up onto the main deck.

Disoriented and dirty people were mingling in scared groups. The Princess’s crew were in chains, and soldiers were guarding them.

"Ah, the damsel in distress that caused such problems," Zahir teased as Nico carried Claudia on board. "Let’s see what we can do about those injuries?"

"O-okay," she replied, a little dazed.

"You must be Claudia. I’m delighted to meet you," Dom said, gracing her with a double dimple smile as he put an arm around Stella’s shoulders.

"You’re Domenico Aladoro," Claudia said, even more confused.

"I am."

"What in San Marco’s holy name have you been up to?" Claudia stared at Stella as Nico set her down on a bench, and she knew that as soon as Claudia was better, she would have so much explaining to do.

* * *

Baška wasa city on the small island of Krk and had been used as a busy trading port since the New Republic had been re-established. It was a pretty historic place that wasn’t expecting the Commander and his warship. By the time they made it ashore, the mayor and a welcoming party were already waiting for them.

Dom let Nico take over the pleasantries, which consisted of the Commander telling them to stay out of his way, and they all descended on the warehouse the quartermaster led them to.

Soldiers broke through the doors and ran in to clear the place, but Dom knew by the smell that they were too late.

There were cages, but all were empty. They found two dead bodies in a supply closet.

"The Varangians cleaned up their loose ends," Nico commented grimly and touched the bodies. "They are only a few hours old. We were so close."

Dom felt sick every time he thought about his father being responsible for such suffering. And to side with Varangians? He still struggled to believe that Rodrigo had betrayed the Republic so thoroughly.

"I don’t understand why they would want unregistered magic users," Dom said as he, Zahir, and Stella went through a tiny office scattered in papers.

"Maybe she’s making an army," Stella said, pointing at the framed propaganda poster of the Wolf Mage above the door. The living saint looked down on them with distant eyes.

"If that was the case, then why not recruit Varangians. God knows we are still getting refugees trying to get away from their anti-magic regime," Dom replied.

"It’s war. It doesn’t make sense at the best of times. Help me gather all this up for Arkon. He’s going to be so mad that we missed them."

Zahir reached up and grabbed the picture of the Wolf Mage off the wall. "We better not forget his favorite lady."

* * *

Stella spentmost of the trip home sitting next to Claudia, explaining all that had happened since she went missing.

"It was Andreas who betrayed me," Claudia told Stella, anger filling her dark eyes. "He pretended to be my boyfriend because he was working with Ciro and was assigned to watch me when I started to get too close."

"What happened to him? I have a fancy stiletto with his name on it," Stella growled, the sound surprising her. You’ve been hanging around too many shifters.

"I don’t know. He disappeared after he delivered me, the bastard."

"If he’s still in Venice, we’ll find him and hand him over to Nico. The guy has a mean right hook."

"As long as I can watch, I really did like the bastard." Claudia pointed to a curvy, red-haired woman sitting with the other passengers. "In case you are wondering, that’s Clarissa. Massimo might decide not to kill you if you take her to him," she said with a small laugh. "I still can’t believe you were dumb enough to go into his gambling den."

"Hey, I was in distress and not thinking clearly. I had just lost my best friend," Stella replied, holding Claudia’s hand tightly.

Claudia snorted. "I’m sure Domenico Aladoro soothed your worries."

"More like he caused a lot more." Stella’s eyes found Dom where he was talking with some of the ex-prisoners.

"Is he really your mate?"

"Apparently. Don’t even bother asking me how I feel about it because I haven’t had a chance to properly process it," Stella said.

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out." Claudia smiled and put her arms around her. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Stella held onto her, her tears flowing as the stress of the last twenty-four hours finally caught up with her. "Never."