Chapter Nine

The Captain was right. He didn't need to torture me further. All he had to do was leave me in that cell, naked and suffering from blood loss. As a Neraky, I could handle extreme cold, so the blood loss didn't bother me as far as body heat was concerned. It did, however, deplete my precious moisture. Which hurt. And I knew it would only get worse.

When the Captain came by that night, I ignored him. It wasn't so hard to do, what with the dryness of my mouth. Would have been harder to speak. He went away after a while. I can't even recall what he said. Maybe he hadn't been there at all. It was very possible that I was hallucinating. But if that were the case, my mind chose a poor subject. I would have been happier to see Vaxarion. Or maybe not. Maybe seeing him would have been another form of torture.

Hours passed. The ship stopped moving. My only comfort was that my friends—most of them—were safe. Poor Herru. He'd been a good guy. Always smiling. But that described most of the crew. Just thinking about them solidified my will. I'd die to make sure they continued to be safe.

Shouldn't be long now.

"Come on, pirate. Are you giving up already?" Baellius was back. He tossed something at me. "Get dressed."

I didn't move.

"Are you dead?" He pushed me with his boot.

I groaned and even that hurt.

"Good. Get dressed."

I didn't move.

"Fuck," he grumbled as he sat me up and dressed my floppy body like a doll. "The Captain took too much blood. He gets carried away sometimes. He does enjoy fresh fish."

I didn't rise to the bait.

To the bait. Oh, that would have been good if I'd been up to laughing. As it was, I could barely think. My blood was like mud in my veins. My heartbeats were so slow. Like the drumbeat of death. The pain was far worse than anything Aras had done. I fell backward onto the ground as Baellius pulled some pants on me.

"Your skin is healed. Come on. You'll be fine."

I didn't even open my eyes.

"Fuck. All right." He propped me up against his chest, sitting down to hold me like a child. "Drink, damn you."

Something pressed against my lips. I smelled water. With a groan of need, I pushed past the pain and opened my mouth. Dried-up flesh tore, but that cool liquid was a salve worth the pain. Instantly, my body sucked up the moisture, drawing it from my throat and mouth before it even reached my stomach. I gasped and gulped more. Flesh mended and plumped. Water sank into my blood. My hearts leapt back into action, pushing the refreshed blood through my body.

"All right. Easy now. That's enough." He took it away. "I can't have the Captain seeing you in good health. This is just to keep you alive for questioning. Get it?"

I groaned. "One more sip. Please."

"No. You have to look pitiful or I'm in trouble." He stood up, yanking me with him, then tossed me over his shoulder. "You gonna live?"

I grunted.

"Good." Baellius strode off with me.

My nictating membranes fluttered over my eyes, spreading the precious moisture. I was able to see for the first time in what felt like forever. Slowly, I let light penetrate my sensitive eyes. I couldn't lift my head, but I could see the change in the floorboards. We were going up. Then there was more light. Sunlight. I smelled the sea. Oddly enough, that meant we were at the shore. The sea doesn't smell when you're out on open water. Not like that. It was only where it met the land that things got a bit rank. Because the sea was sassy. She liked to shove her shit onto land.

I managed to lift my head once Baellius left the gangplank. I wanted to see what shore I was going to die on. I knew most of the docks in the world, though it was harder to recall them in my fucked up state. And they all look similar. But then I spotted a few landmarks that triggered my memory.

Holy fuck, we were back at Renris. The very same port where I had met the Sea King two days ago. Yeah, two days. That's all. We had left Renris, attacked the Tiger's Claw, and then the damn thing had brought me right back here like a piece of flotsam. Hope bloomed in my chest. Would he . . . ? But no. King Vaxarion was supposed to leave the day before. And even if he hadn't left, and was still there, he wouldn't think to look for me like this. It was foolish to even think it. But hope is always a bit foolish.

"We're taking that piece of sea shit with us?" someone asked.

"Captain's orders," Baellius said. "He doesn't want this fucker out of his sight."

"But we're going to the castle. We can't take a pirate to the castle."

I started wheezing through a sardonic laugh.

"Is he fucking laughing?" the voice turned horrified.

"Been there already," I whispered. "So take that."

"What he say?"

"I think he said he'd been there already."

"Met the King." I panted. "Two of them. Only fucked the one, though."

"He's delirious," Baellius said with a snort. "Ignore him."

I laughed again, unable to stop despite how painful it was.

Baellius carried me to a cart that was being filled with crates. He carelessly tossed me atop some of them.

"Hey!" someone growled. "Easy with that asshole. That's the crates of porcelain you threw him on."

"Sorry," Baellius grunted.

I felt the cart shift as more crates were loaded. The back of Baellius's head came into view. I shifted my head to look up at the clear blue sky instead. The rectangle of sky was edged by the buildings of Renris, Crown City of Gavemor. Unbelievable. I had never returned to a port so quickly.

"You gonna leave him like that?" someone asked.

"Like he's gonna make a run for it?" Baellius laughed.

I laughed too—that pathetic wheeze. It made Baellius laugh harder and shake his head.

"You gotta hand it to him," Baellius said. "The fucker is as tough as one of us. He's nearly a piece of fish jerky and he's still laughing."

The other man grunted and then we were moving.

If only Baellius had known how very tough I was—what I had survived in my youth. There was a reason I was loyal to Teng and the crew of the Lu-Ken. Especially Captain Tengven. As a child, I'd been captured by a band of rebel Gashi. Gashi are one of the larger underwater races. They have thick, dark skin and fully black eyes. Most of them are nice enough. They generally obey the laws of the sea. But these Gashi, as mentioned, were rebels. There were more rebels back then when the Sea Dragons were hibernating. All sorts of otherwise peaceful people ran amok. It's easy to break the rules when no one enforces them.

The Gashi rebels enslaved me, keeping me collared and chained constantly. I was only ten years old, but they had me doing hard labor that would have strained grown men. And I did it. Because if I didn't, I got beaten. It toughened me, but beneath my thick skin, it left an ocean of fear. That fear was one of the reasons I didn't go with King Vaxarion. I knew the Sea Kings only took willing slaves, but I couldn't be a slave again. Not even willing. The thought of a collar around my throat made chills race down my spine. No, never again. I'd rather die like this, withering to death on land, than live in a slave collar. Even if that collar was made of gold and I was chained to a king.

No. I know that's a leap. Vaxarion hadn't threatened to enslave me. But the possibility existed. He could have changed his mind once we reached Shasenai and collared me instead of making me his concubine. Kings do whatever the fuck they want. And there's more than one type of slavery.

Not that it mattered anymore. I was about to get my wish and die on land. I knew it, knew that fleeting hope was just my mind's way of trying to keep me sane. But down deep, the fact was that I had been caught, and I had to pay for my crimes. Fair enough. I was a criminal. That was the truth. It didn't matter that I became one because Tengven saved me.

Captain Teng and a few members of his crew had been on a necessary submergence, taking some time to refresh themselves but also to sell some of their latest take to the undersea folk. They came across the Gashi rebel camp and saw me and the other slaves, chained and wounded. They didn't even hesitate. They attacked the Gashi, killed them all, and freed us. The other slaves scattered, going home, but I had no one to go home to. The Gashi had killed my parents. I was fourteen by then, had spent four years as a slave, and never thought to be free again. But I was tough, as I said, and Teng saw potential in me. He took me under his wing, showed me how to be a pirate, and I found freedom above the water. I'd been with him ever since. Sixty-three years. Long enough to work my way up the ranks. I'd be First Mate if Ry hadn't earned that title long before they found me. But I didn't envy him. Frankly, I didn't want the responsibility. I was happy as I was. Or I had been. The crew of the Lu-Ken was my family, and Teng, though we never spoke of it, was like my father.

I would gladly give my life for him. For all of them.

The cart came to a stop all too soon.

"What the fuck? Is that a Neraky?" someone asked.

"Yeah. Our slave," Baellius said. "We wore him out."

The man chuckled. "Don't let the King see him."

"He doesn't approve of slaves?"

"He might think he's a present and take him from you."

"He already tried that," I muttered.

Oblivious to me, the men laughed, and the cart rolled on. Oh, yes, it's all very amusing, talking about a slave getting used. At least I wasn't a slave. They could call me one all they wanted, but I wasn't. I was a prisoner, but I wouldn't be slaving for them. Nope. I'd die first. Pretty soon, actually. Baellius had bought me a few hours at most.

Then I was being carried again. I didn't get to go in through the front door this time. Nope, I got carted around back. The sound of voices came, then faded. Someone escorted Baellius to the Captain's guest quarters, and then I was tossed again, this time onto a stone floor. I sighed and stretched out on it.

"You comfortable, pirate?" Captain Aras drawled.

I cracked open my eyes. "Aye, Captain!"

Aras snorted. "Baellius, give him some food and a few sips of water. I don't want him to die yet."

I jerked upright at the last word.

"Oh, that got your attention, did it?" Aras crouched before me.

Meanwhile, Baellius went to a tray of refreshments atop a low table between some couches. He tossed some things on a plate. The food would be welcome, but mainly for the additional moisture it would provide. It was the water I craved. Like a starving beast, I watched Baellius pour a little water into a glass. Then he brought it all to me.

"Thank you," I said and took the water. I gulped it without even looking at the food.

Baellius set the plate beside me, then went to make another for his captain. Captain Aras took a seat nearby, then accepted the plate. He watched me as he ate, but I didn't watch him back. The time for flirting was past. Even if I'd wanted to, I wasn't in a state to tempt anyone. Flesh still sunken, dressed in old clothes that threatened to fall off me, and probably as rank as the shoreline. I was not at my best.

Once I finished the water, I fell upon the food, gobbling it up before Aras could change his mind and take it away. Then I sighed as more of my flesh plumped and the remaining pain receded.

"You healed well," the Captain noted. "Still a bit sunken in the cheeks, but not as bad as I expected."

I didn't even glance at Baellius. I don't betray people who do me a good turn, even if they're my enemies.

"I'm not going to give you those names," I said.

He nodded. "I'm a stubborn man. But not to the point of stupidity. I see that your loyalty won't be shaken. That's admirable. But it leaves me in a quandary. How do I make my money back?" He popped a tiny bit of food in his mouth and chewed. "I'll have to sell you."

A shiver ran down my spine.

"Interesting," Aras murmured as he leaned forward. "You looked terrified, Zixin. You faced torture with a grin and death with a joke, but slavery terrifies you?"

I lifted my chin. "Of course not. Do what you gotta do."

Aras narrowed his eyes at me. "I know just where to sell you. Zaru. They have a booming sex slave trade there, despite their King's distaste for it. And you're a pretty fish. Perfect for someone's aquarium. You might even fetch more than the goods your friends stole are worth."

A sex slave. How ironic. That was the very fate I was trying to avoid by turning down the Sea King. But I wouldn't let these men see how the possibility frightened me. Sex was the greatest part of life for me, second only to freedom. And they were threatening to take away one and taint the other. I had never been raped when I was a slave. That was the one thing my age saved me from. The one line my captors wouldn't cross. But now, as an adult, I'd be valued as a slave for that alone.

I lifted my chin and smirked. "Sounds fun. I love to fuck."

Captain Aras grinned, seeing right through my ploy. "All you have to do is give me the information I want, and I'll let you go, Zixin. After I verify that information by finding them, of course."

I got onto my hands and knees, then licked my lips. "How about I start now? You can sample the goods, Daddy. I could suck you off if you'd like." I snapped my teeth at him.

Baellius snorted as the Captain grinned.

"You're very amusing," Aras said. "I'm glad I've decided to sell you instead of killing you." He stroked a hand over my head and into my hair, threading his fingers in my braid, and yanked my head forward. "Enjoy sucking cock, do you? Good. You'll have plenty of dicks to drain in Zaru. Maybe you'll be bought by a pleasure house. Then you'll have new cocks to gobble up every day."

Another chill went down my spine. No. They could sell me, but that didn't mean I would obey. All this meant was that I got to live a little longer. I kept that thought in my head and used it to steel myself.

"No?" Captain Aras asked. "Still not talking?"

"No, Captain," I said. Then I licked my lips and looked at his crotch. "But my offer still stands. I've never had a Hulfrin. Is it true that your dicks are more pointed than others?"

Aras made a rumbling sound in his chest and shoved me away. "Tie him to the foot of the bed."

Baellius lifted his brows at that—the thick black stripes above his eyes going up with them. But he still said, "Yes, Captain."

And oh, look at that, Baellius had come prepared. He went to one of the crates stacked against the wall and opened it. Out came a length of chain and a shackle. Not a rope this time. Oh, fuck.

I began to tremble. Ropes weren't a problem, but chains reminded me of the Gashi. At least there wasn't a collar, but the chains were worse. Without the chains, I could convince myself that a collar was merely a necklace, but the chains couldn't be denied. Chains meant no escape. They meant no freedom. They meant I was a slave.

I shot to my feet, then swayed and nearly fell. Baellius grabbed my arm and hauled me into the adjoining bedroom. He tossed me onto the floor near the gigantic bed, then, as I struggled to get up, smacked a shackle around my ankle. The chain attached to it got wound around the bedpost, then locked in place.

"No," I whispered.

"What was that, Zixin?" Aras asked casually.

"No." I yanked at the chain. "No!"

"Shut up!" Baellius hissed.

"Let me go!" I cried. "Let me go! Get it off me!" I lost my composure. All my precious calm gone. The mask destroyed. With strength I didn't know I had left in me, I pulled at the chain and knocked into the bed with my shoulder, trying to crack the wood. "Get it off! Take it off now, motherfuckers! Not again! Never again! I'll fucking kill you all! I'll kill you! Let me go now!"

"What the fuck?" Aras whispered.

"Shut up, pirate!" Baellius backhanded me.

I snarled at him and slashed out with my claws. Baellius jumped back.

"Fascinating," Aras murmured as he watched me.

"Let me go!" I shrieked. Then it sank in that I was truly trapped, and I whimpered. "Please, take it off me. Please!"

Captain Aras crouched beside me again. "You know what you have to do to get free, Zixin. Give me the names."

I made a broken sound and curled into a ball.

"What do you want me to do, Captain?" Baellius asked.

"Nothing." Captain Aras said. "Leave him as he is. I think we've stumbled upon the perfect form of torture. But stay here with him. Make sure he doesn't chew off his own leg like a fucking animal. I have to meet with King Lyrandir." His tone went grimmer, "And find a way to mollify him."

"Yes, Captain."

It was the last words I heard before I sank into the past, drowning in it. Pulled under by flashes of white teeth against dark skin. A raised fist. The pain of overworked muscles combined with fresh wounds. Knives sliced into me. Blood in the water. So much blood.