Page 35 of Lhora
“You’re not allowed…” The ugly truth hit her as she recalled the sentences handed down by the High Council.
You will remain imprisoned until that time when the Sarpi decrees you’ve paid your penance.
“Thatfilthyson of a gerope! Theywon’tbe releasedeverbecause the Sarpi knows that if he does, the truth will get out about what really happened!” She noticed the man glaring at her. “The Sarpi had me kidnapped when they were on Beinight. The original intent of their visit was to discuss the growing presence of Tra’Mell on the southern tip of the planet. That evening, I was attacked, and when I awoke, I was being held captive in the Sarpi’s brig.”
The man was intrigued by her story, but he still teetered on the edge as to whether or not to believe her. “Why would they capture you?”
“Because I’m the captain in charge of the Esstika’s security. I guess they figured I was as high up the chain of command as they could find at the moment, which meant I was privy to much of what the Esstika discussed with her counsel and commanders. If you know so much about the High Council’s sentencing, then you know the Sarpi wants to use me as a bargaining tool to help free five of his men from the Beinight dungeon.”
The man’s eyes dropped a third time to the sword lying at her feet. “That’s why you’re armed.”
Lhora ignored the remark and continued. “I’ve spent time on space-faring vessels. I know the layout of our ships. From what I could gather, I figured the configuration of Coltrosstian ships were very similar to ours. I heard the cannons being deployed but not fired. I didn’t know who was attacking the Sarpi’s ship, but I managed to escape during the confusion. Vadris Lon’s ship snagged me and drew my lifeboat, thinking I was a Coltrosstian.” She forced herself to stop and take a deep breath so that her growing anger didn’t get the better of her. The driver kept his eyes on the road, but she knew she had his full attention.
“The Vadris was going to take me prisoner when I told him the Sarpi had deployed his cannons but hadn’t fired them. The Tra’Mell had theCleedasurrounded with three of their vessels. All the Sarpi needed was a chance to fire his weapons.”
“Why didn’t the Sarpi fire in the first place? Why did he allow himself to be surrounded by the enemy?”
“I don’t know. Neither does the Vadris. His ship was the only vessel in that region, and there were no others available who could reach them in time. So he made the decision to go in under his shields and attack the two smaller ships. That gave the Sarpi the chance to fire on the Tra’Mellian warship and destroy it.”
She turned to face the road ahead. “When the Sarpi came on board, he saw me there. That’s when he accused the Vadris of collusion, and put him and his crew under arrest. Sarpi Sov knows the truth, but he doesn’t want it to get out, and we don’t know why.” Casting her eyes sideways, she saw the man studying her. “If there is any way you can get word to your brother, he’ll tell you the same thing.”
He believed her…almost.
“Why are you here? Why am I taking you to Kotill?”
“The Sarpen came to my cell and offered me a deal. If I slept with him, he’d have me a boat waiting for me there so I could escape back to my country.”
The man’s eyes widened. “Why am I not surprised?”
Lhora grinned, unable to stop herself. “I take it the Sarpen is a ladies’ man.”
“Like father, like son.”
Like father? “Just for the sake of my own curiosity, where is the Sarpen’s mother? The Sarpi’s mate?”
The driver snorted. “The Sarpi has no mate. Never did. The Sarpen’s mother was one of his concubines who bore him a son. Realizing he may never beget another heir, the Sarpi declared the boy to be his Sarpen.”
Lhora nodded to herself. “Thank you for that. By the way, my name’s Lhora.”
The driver nodded. “Kalfis.” There was a slight pause, then Kalfis remarked, “I take it the Sarpi has no knowledge of you escaping.”
“He will. Sooner or later.”
“There’s going to be hellfa to pay when he discovers his bargaining chip has escaped.”
“To be honest, Kalfis, I don’t think he was going to trade me anyway. After all, I know the truth, too. And he couldn’t let any of that knowledge get out in any way or in any form. I think he would have strung the Esstika along indefinitely, getting her to release as many of your countrymen as possible before I was no longer relevant.”
“At which time you’d suffer an accident of some sort and die,” the driver finished.
Lhora nodded. “Exactly.”
Once they cleared the busier part of the city, she noticed them nearing the seaport. No, she corrected herself. Not the seaport. A harbor. A landing harbor.
Lhora stared at a barque coming in for a landing. Its solar sails were fully open and extended as it angled down toward the waters. When it hit the surface, it sliced over the waves, sending plumes of spray high into the air. It was a perfect landing and beautifully executed.
She scanned the harbor and the ships already there. One in particular caught her eye.
“Hey.” Reaching over, she tapped Kalfis on the arm. “Hey, pull up.”
