Chapter Eight

I don't know how long Captain Aras sliced me up, pausing only to lick my wounds. Yeah, that's right. He licked the wounds he made. I can now confirm that a Hulfin's tongue is rough. And that roughness caused even more pain as it ironically helped to heal me. There's something in a Hulfrin's saliva that stops bleeding and speeds up healing. Plus, I think he liked the taste of blood.

There he went again, purring happily as he lapped at my wound. This one was on my thigh. The Captain had run out of space on my shoulders and arms. So now, I was bare from the waist down too, only a few bits of fabric caught under the ropes. And the ropes weren't there to restrain me but to hold me up. Without them, I would have fallen to the floor.

I looked down at that big head between my thighs. Aras had a black mane, thick and glossy. When he rolled his stare up to mine, it looked erotic. But my cock didn't so much as twitch. Wasn't possible with the rest of me in so much pain.

Aras gripped my thighs, claws digging in as he pushed himself up. With a half-lidded stare, I watched him lick his lips. I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. I'd lost a lot of blood. I'd survive thanks to my immortality, but the more blood I lost, the more I needed to get into the water. Neraky needed to submerge themselves every few weeks under normal conditions. But with blood loss like this, I'd start to wither in a few hours. Then my body would start to draw in the moisture to my torso to protect my organs. I wouldn't be so pretty after that.

"I commend you, pirate," Captain Aras said. "You've lasted longer than anyone I've tortured. Well done."

He stood up, and I was a little surprised to see that he wasn't sporting an erection. With all the moaning he'd been doing, I thought he was getting off on the torture. I guess he was just enjoying the taste of my blood.

The Captain went to the door and opened it. "Baellius!" He watched me as he waited.

A few minutes later, Baellius appeared. He glanced at me, eyes widening, then focused on the Captain. "Yes, Captain?"

"He's a tough one," the Captain said. "But he's still a Neraky. I don't have to touch him to torture him. He's already drained. Take him to a cell. He'll be talking by the end of the week."

"Yes, Captain! Uh, we make land tomorrow."

"I know. If he lasts that long, which I suspect he will, we'll take him with us."

"Yes, Captain!" Baellius grabbed the back of my chair, picked me up with it, and carried me out of the cabin.

Captain Aras grinned as he stood in the doorway and watched me get dragged away. "I'll check on you later tonight, Zix." Then he shut the door.

Baellius chuckled. "That was impressive, Neraky. Most don't last an hour with my captain."

My head lolled and my breath came in ragged pants. Spots appeared in my vision. Still, I saw the worn wood pass beneath me. Things grew darker. We went lower. The clang of metal came.

"You hear me, pirate?" Baellius said as he set my chair down.

I looked up. I was in a cell. He sliced away the rope. I crumpled to the straw-covered floor, the strips of my clothes falling away until only my undershorts remained. At least the cell was clean. And I was the only prisoner. No, these weren't men who kept prisoners. Not for long.

"Pirate?" Baellius toed me.

I grunted. "I'm a little busy healing right now, Baellius. Can we have this conversation later?"

Baellius chuckled. "Damn. Still fighting, eh?" He crouched and rolled me onto my back. His stare moved over my body, taking in the sealed wounds—sealed but not completely healed. He poked at one, and I hissed. "You'll heal by tonight. Then the Captain will be back. Think about that, pirate. What good is your loyalty if you die?"

"I believe dying for someone is the highest form of loyalty."

Baellius grunted and stood up. "Fair enough. It's a shame that your loyalty is misplaced. I may have liked you if we'd met under other conditions."

"Really? Because I think you're a prick."

Baellius burst into laughter and strode out of the cell. He closed the door, locked it, and left, still laughing.