He gave that cheeky, forehead-crinkling grin he’d inherited from All-father Hueryx. ‘Miss me?’
She ran and threw her arms around him. He lifted her right off her feet, swung her around, and planted a kiss on her cheek. How could she ever have doubted him? She hadn’t realised how much she missed his gift until she felt it again.
Ronnyn put her down and she pulled back to look at him. The Mieren had broken his nose, but it was fixed now. ‘Show me your arm.’
The twisted muscles had been smoothed out. It was not perfect, but it was not as mangled as it had been. Recalling how he’d suffered without complaint, she was glad. A sudden surge of emotion made her throat feel tight.
She looked up at him. ‘I swear you’ve grown.’
‘Are they treating you well?’ he asked. ‘My choice-mother said you’d be fostered with the all-father’s-voice.’
Someone moved behind him and she noticed a beautiful T’En girl. A stab of jealousy surprised her. ‘Who’s that?’
‘Him?’ Ronnyn laughed. ‘That’s just Sar, my choice-brother.’
The youth inclined his head ever so slightly. ‘Sardeon Choice-son Reoden, son of All-father Paragian.’
Ronnyn did not give her time to respond. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he urged her to turn a full circle so that he could admire her. ‘Don’t you look fine all dressed up? But why did you cut your beautiful hair? You should have seen it, Sar. It hung like dark red silk to her knees.’
‘Malaunje aren’t allowed to grow their hair past their waist. Ma should never have –’
‘What?’
The beautiful youth rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed? No Malaunje has a plait past their waist.’
Ronnyn shrugged this aside. ‘Well, I liked it. I thought it was pretty.’
Aravelle shrugged this aside. ‘How are Vittor and Tam? How’s baby Ashmyr? Oh, I wish I could see him.’
‘You will. I’ll find a way to bring them all to see you.’
‘Ronnyn...’ Sardeon muttered, radiating disapproval. ‘If you acknowledge your Malaunje kin, it must be done in private, with care for their autonomy.’
‘Tell you what, Sar.’ Ronnyn crinkled his forehead in annoyance. ‘Why don’t you go stand in the hall and keep watch? Warn me if someone comes.’
Aravelle hid a smile.
‘Very well.’ Sardeon sent Aravelle a warning look, as if to say,
you know better, we must protect him from himself
. And the strange thing was, she agreed.
Aravelle waited until Sardeon had stepped into the hall. ‘He’s not happy with you. Is it hard, living with the sisterhood?’
‘No, not at all. Healer Reoden is so kind that at first I felt disloyal for liking her. Where’s Itania? Can I see her?’
‘Not without everyone knowing you’ve come aboard. She’s down below in the cabin with the all-father’s-voice.’
‘I’m glad you’re her choice-daughters. Is she as nice as Healer Reoden?’
‘I don’t think anyone’s as nice as the healer.’ What else could she say? She didn’t want to tell him about Charsoria. As there was nothing he could do to help it would only upset him.
Maybe she was a bad person, but it pleased Aravelle to know that she still meant the world to Ronnyn. Even if she had to be careful of his gift.
‘Ronnyn?’ Sardeon darted through the door. ‘There’s a brotherhood warrior coming. We need to leave.’
‘Over here.’ Aravelle caught Ronnyn’s hand and ran to the door to the bathing chamber. ‘Hide in here. As soon as he enters this cabin, go out the other door and down the passage.’
She shoved them both in and closed the door, just as Voice-of-Reason Dragomyr entered.
He searched the cabin as he strode towards her. ‘I saw a beautiful young T’En woman come in here. What are you up to, Vella?’
She shook her head, remaining silent. No believable lie presented itself.
His gaze went to the only other door.
Instinctively, she spread her hands to prevent him passing her.
He slapped her so fast she didn’t see his hand move. Her feet left the ground and she landed on a pile of bedding with enough force to knock the wind out of her.
Her lip stung. She pressed her hand to her mouth and her fingers came away bright red with blood. ‘Wait.’
Too late, the voice-of-reason threw the door open.
Chapter Forty-Two
R
ONNYN LAUGHED AS
he landed on the mid-deck of his ship, rolled and came to his feet. He felt his gift empower him; felt like he could do anything. Sardeon followed one beat behind him. They steadied each other and looked back.
A brotherhood warrior charged out of the foredeck cabins.
Sardeon tensed. ‘That’s him.’
Ronnyn dropped to the deck, taking Sardeon with him. The pair of them lay there, hearts slamming against their ribs. Underneath the laughter, he could feel Sardeon’s gift, responding to the danger.
After a moment, Ronnyn came to his knees, crawled to the side and peered onto the deck of the brotherhood ship. Sardeon joined him.
‘Is he still looking?’ Sardeon whispered.
‘No.’
They both collapsed, laughing. Ronnyn laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes. Through blurry vision, he saw a pair of elegant bare female feet on the boards in front of him. Wiping his eyes he looked up at Nerazime. The brotherhood warrior she’d been dancing with came over.
The voice-of-reason put her hands on her hips. ‘Just what have you two boys been doing?’
Ronnyn glanced to Sardeon and they both dissolved into laughter again.
Nerazime shook her head. ‘Go to your cabin.’
The brotherhood warrior curled an arm around Nerazime’s waist and lifted her off her feet, drawing her back into the dance, and she didn’t protest.
Sardeon sobered up. ‘We should do what she says.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s like midsummer feast.’ He saw Ronnyn did not understand. ‘A time for unsanctioned trystings.’
Ronnyn tilted his head, intrigued. ‘In what way does trysting differ from shagging?’
‘Shagging is what animals and the Mieren do. Trysting is something else entirely.’ He tugged Ronnyn to his feet. ‘Come on.’
As they neared the door to the foredeck cabins, Reoden stepped out. She studied the revellers, searching for someone.
Nerazime paused in full swing, and the laughter stilled on her face.
Reoden said nothing.
Nerazime completed the circle, slipping under Toreon’s arm and into his embrace.
‘Go inside, boys,’ Reoden ordered sharply, proving she had noticed them. ‘Now.’
‘I told you,’ Sardeon whispered.
They ducked past her and she herded them down the passage to the empowered lads’ cabin, even as the music and laughter called to Ronnyn, stirring his gift.
‘Wait.’ She placed a hand on the door they’d been about to open. ‘Is that your gift I can sense, Sardeon?’
‘It’s back. I can call it.’ He lifted his hand, offering her a taste.
‘That’s good, but...’ She turned her face away. ‘That’s not appropriate. Besides, this power felt different.’
‘Then it was Ronnyn. Show her.’
He took the healer’s arm and called her power.
She pulled back, outraged. ‘How dare you!’
He lifted his hands, frightened by the force of her reaction. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t –’
‘He didn’t mean anything,’ Sardeon insisted.
She grimaced and rubbed her arm as if something repulsive had touched her. But when she lifted her eyes to them, she was the choice-mother Ronnyn knew and loved.
‘I would never do anything to hurt you,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I know. It’s just...’ She reached out to reassure him, but stopped before touching him. And Ronnyn realised there would be no more hugs from adult T’En unless they were both prepared.
‘He’s a summoner. It’s why my gift came back,’ Sardeon said. ‘He’s really lucky. It’s a high-stature gift.’
‘So it is,’ she said. But she seemed sad for him. ‘Off you go.’
‘I
MOSHEN
?’ E
GRAYNE CALLED
. ‘You need to see this.’
‘A moment.’ She tucked the blanket around Umaleni, then came to her feet.
Imoshen joined her voice-of-reason at the door to the deck. Wild music reached them. ‘What’s the problem? We all risked our lives tonight and the warriors paid the highest price. They deserve to celebrate.’
Her voice-of-reason said nothing, leading her over to the rail where they could look down on the mid-deck. Imoshen blinked. A dozen or more brotherhood warriors danced with the women from both sisterhoods.
Imoshen’s mouth dropped open. It was like midsummer’s night; a night for licence and daring. The music and gift readiness stirred Imoshen.
Egrayne snorted. ‘What are you going to do about this?’
‘Nothing.’ Imoshen shrugged. ‘No point fighting battles I can’t win. With everything we’ve been through, this is a natural reaction. They need this, Egrayne.’
Her voice-of-reason turned on her heel and strode off, returning to the cabin.
T
OBAZIM WATCHED THE
causare from the shadows near the steps. Imoshen said something to her voice-of-reason, who went back inside.
After a moment, Imoshen left the rail, heading for the cabins. The lambent blue light of the heatless flames still clung to the masts and rigging. It made Imoshen’s pale skin and hair glow. A smile played about her generous lips.
His mouth went dry with need and he nudged Ardonyx. ‘You’re the wordsmith. Sweet-talk her before she goes inside.’
His shield-brother laughed and pushed him into the light. ‘Do your own sweet-talking.’
Quick as a cat, the causare turned to face him.
‘Causare, I...’ He could not go on, as raw, primitive need gripped him.
He saw understanding dawn. She’d read him. But with the way he felt, she didn’t need to be a raedan to know what he wanted, not when it was written in his face and his body.
‘Causare.’ He managed to give a gracious obeisance. His voice dropped. ‘Imoshen.’
Her lips parted as she drew in a quick breath. He wanted to kiss those lips. He’d never trysted with a T’En woman, and he wanted the most powerful woman, who could kill with a touch. He must be mad.
But he could not do this alone. One unshielded taste of her gift and he’d be craving her power again. Reaching behind him, he caught Ardonyx’s arm and drew him out of the shadows. ‘My voice-of-reason, your fleet commander...’ If he’d been a wordsmith, he would have reminded her how Ardonyx had taken on the role of defender of the fleet, but all he could do was wait for her signal.
Her gaze went to Ardonyx and he thought she winced.
She turned to leave.
Tobazim caught her bare arm, skin to skin.
With a practised flick, she slipped from his grasp but, during that brief contact, his gift had recognised hers and it raged through him, driving him to place his hand to each side of her against the wall to block her retreat. ‘You reject us? Why?’
She stared pointedly at his arms.
He dropped them, although this cost him.
So close...
They were so close he could sense her gift on her skin, and it called to his. He wanted to roll naked in her power.
‘Contain your gift, all-father.’
Her words meant nothing to him. They were just strange sounds that became lost in the rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heart.
‘Tobazim.’ Ardonyx slid an arm around him, pressing against his back. Chin on Tobazim’s shoulder, he siphoned off a little of his excess power.
The causare – she was every bit the causare now, and not the sweet sister he’d glimpsed before – glared at Ardonyx. ‘How dare you bring him to me in this state?’
‘It’s you. You breached his walls the night you gift-infused him.’
Horrified to think his shield-brother had betrayed his weakness, Tobazim flung off Ardonyx’s restraining arm and ran across the deck, heading for his own ship. Shame stung his face, burning his cheeks, driving him to seek the privacy of his cabin.
He didn’t bother to light a lamp, but stood staring out the windows. How had it come to this?
His gift still raged for the causare and it took all his self-control to contain it. He didn’t know how long he stood there.
Eventually, the cabin door opened behind him and he turned, furious. ‘Why did you tell her? How could you shame me like that?’
‘What? After you’d already shamed yourself?’
He turned away, grasped the bulkhead above the bunk in both hands and thumped his forehead on the polished wood.
‘Tobazim.’ Ardonyx crossed the cabin, caught him around the chest. ‘Listen...’
Tobazim went to brush him off, but his shield-brother would not be diverted. Furious, Tobazim tried to overpower him. But, fast as he was, Ardonyx countered him. Neither went for painful blows, it was all quicksilver skill – even so, a chair went flying and Tobazim ended up pinned to the wall, panting with exertion and emotion.
Short of hurting himself or Ardonyx, he could not break free. He groaned and threw his head back, skull thumping against the wall. ‘She’ll think me a fool.’
‘She apologised.’
‘What?’
‘She apologised for breaching your walls. Said she would never have gift-infused you if she’d realised you had a concussion.’
‘Really?’
Ardonyx nodded.
They heard running feet, feminine laughter and a slamming door in the hallway outside.
‘She also said there was no privacy for trysting on board ship,’ Ardonyx said.
‘She’s not angry with me?’
His shield-brother shook his head. ‘She was angry with me for not protecting you as a shield-brother should.’
Tobazim took a moment to think this through. ‘We weren’t shield-brothers when I was gift-infused.’
‘No.’ Ardonyx grinned. ‘But I should have been looking out for you.’
Tobazim pulled him close, forehead to forehead. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I...’
Ardonyx kissed him.
And he forgot what he was about to say. He forgot everything, because he felt the causare’s gift riding his shield-brother.
He pulled back. ‘She –’
‘Gift-infused me. Her apology to you, through me. Don’t worry. Her power’s safe for you. I’ve taken the edge off it.’