Page 49 of Shadows and Flames
And the captain’s startled expression, complete with a blush visible over top his thick beard. The human faces behind him were a range of scowls and curled lips.
Tomás continued smoothly, “How can we help?”
“Would you and your, ah, friends please come with us?”
So they could murder us in the corridor? I caught Meline’s rolling eyes from across the room. Her Shadow remained facing the door, but I saw his body’s shift closer to hers.
“You said that someone was attacked. What happened? Are we in danger?” Tomás slightly stiffened his posture but continued to lean in a nonthreatening manner.
“We are not certain. But, given your race… you could see why we’d be concerned.”
From the movement of his arm, I gathered Tomás had reached out and was now touching the captain’s coat, probably twisting the fabric suggestively. “I’m not sure when this happened, but I’ve been with you for most of the evening.”
“I know?—”
“But not all. Not to mention the rest of you,” someone shouted from behind the captain.
“Well, my friends and myself make a point of never taking someone unwilling. Which could be said for most of our kind, as well. We can certainly help, but we also don’t appreciate being presumed evil beasts.”
More disdainful rumblings stirred, and I grasped the hilt of my dagger. Elián and Meline peeled their backs off the wall. By the symphony of hearts beating, the scents flooding through the doorway, nearly one fourth of the passengers and crew were part of this vengeful party. How many of them were armed? I tracked the tensing of muscle in Tomás’s back as someone shoved aside the captain. They stood abreast while the big human in fine travel-wear jutted a finger at Tomás. “Shut your weaseling mouth. One of you bloodsuckers assaulted mysister.”
This time, the deep silk of Tomás’s words shifted. Even though I was unable to see his face, it sent a prickle down my spine. The warning of a predator. “You’ll do well to never touch me again, boy.”
I stood, and a howl of wind crashed against the windows. The waters had remained fairly calm, but perhaps that was about to change as well.
Before he could strike, Meline stepped forward, and Elián frowned harder. She rested a hand on Tomás’s shoulder. “None of us are going anywhere, and we certainly don’t want any trouble. My cousin and I have some knowledge in healing. Perhaps we can be of assistance in that regard? Is your sister resting all right?”
“Don’t you fucking dare—” he started to spit in Meline’s face, and Elián was at her back in an instant. She raised a hand to halt his defending her, but it was the captain who spoke next.
The human’s swallow was audible, as was the fast beating of his heart. “I believe some rest is best.” I could no longer see him, but his voice turned, as if he was now facing the mob of humans. “Our focus should be on young Rebeka, and the guilty party willundoubtedly be turned over to the authorities once we arrive. A night’s sleep will benefit us all.”
No one took up my cousin’s offer to truly help the injured one in this scenario, but that wasn’t surprising either. There was a possibility the Vyrkos male had been lying before, about this Rebeka approaching him enthusiastically, but something told me that he was speaking truthfully.
Already, I could tell that this was about honor more than protection.
Gathering a hold of the humans, the captain ushered them away, making promises to reconvene tomorrow with fresh minds and eyes, but he was a fool if he thought the worst among them wouldn’t be plotting past sunrise.
We all remained at the ready until the last of them retreated, but there would most likely be not a wink of sleep between us. Would a bold human or two attempt to attack us unawares? I tapped the pad of my finger against the tip of my blade. It was due a sharpening, and it was looking as though I’d have the time.
Tomás sagged against the door, head tilted toward the wooden ceiling. I sat again on the firm mattress, something other than fear weighing on my shoulders.
We were opposing a group of humans instead of Vyrkos like the war decades past, but it brought up memories all the same. Tales of massacres, whole villages of Lylithan and Vyrkos alike wiped out, and for what? The horrors of The Killings weren’t often in my thoughts, but this whole affair was bringing them back up. Hiding, looking over my shoulder.
Hatred for another race killed my father, and where did that get us? At the end of it all, my uncle, aunt, and so many others had been killed because of what?
Nothing. They’d died for nothing.
I blinked back tears of frustration. Though the war between our peoples seemed to be a tale from a faraway place to these humans, it should have been a warning.
But, wasn’t that always the way? Blaming others instead of inspecting the true reasons within. Pointing at the differences to fuel the malice until it raged out of control.
“They’re going to kill him before we reach the port.” The others didn’t necessarily ignore me, but they didn’t respond either. I pressed on, “We are able to fight off any attack, but if enough of them try, they may succeed.”
“And we tried to bring him here. Protect him. But once they realize another blood drinker is on this ship, if they haven’t already, he will have to fend for himself.”
Meline was right. Of course she was, but her cold acceptance of letting the Vyrkos die didn’t sit well with me. Through the training and contracts I’d participated in, I kept waiting for the inclination toward kindness to wither. I could remove the digits from a man who’d never wronged me, slit the throat of another while relieving his home of all valuables available.
And yet, refusing assistance when it was so easy to give—that felt wrong.
