Page 39 of Lhora
Kalfis put the wagon in gear. “After I left the dungeon, I found it sitting near a stall not too far from the building. I figured I needed it worse than they did.”
“You stole it?” Lhora inquired.
“Nah. I traded for it.” The man laughed again. “In exchange, they got one of the Sarpen’s nice little red coaches.”
“That explains why Kalfis didn’t come through the tunnel with us,” she remarked, looking directly at his brother. “If he didn’t let the guards see him leaving, they would have gone looking for him, and discovered us missing earlier than we hoped.” Pullid didn’t reply, but the smug smile on his face confirmed her hypothesis.
Lon waved for them to keep low. “We don’t need to attract any attention, even if the populace believes we’re just another load of prisoners. Stay down until we reach the harbor.”
Tucking her arm under her head, Lhora sat prone as the wagon jolted over the uneven road. The heel of Lon’s boot was in her line of sight, and someone’s back pressed against hers. It was crowded in the bottom of the wagon, but fortunately the sides were high enough to keep them from being spotted as long as they didn’t venture into a town.
Even with the bouncing and jostling, she found herself dozing off. She’d gotten little sleep last night, and her body was still sore in more ways than one. It had been a night of exploration and discovery for her and Duren, punctuated with short rests to get a drink, or to eat something to help them keep up their strength. Or to actually relax when their bodies called a truce and made them shut down for a while, whether they wanted to or not.
She could recall every caress of his calloused palms. The way his lips made her soar when he ran them over the soft flesh of her inner thighs. The fire that raged between her legs when his tongue invaded her. No spot on her body was off-limits. Her only regret was that she hadn’t been able to do the same to him. Not that she couldn’t. He’d nearly launched himself off the floor when she suggested a few things she wanted to do to reciprocate. There just hadn’t been enough time or energy.
A tiny smile played about her lips. She’d accused him of being nothing like his father. In a way, she’d been right. But there were things she saw in him that proved he was his father’s son. The least of which was his ruthlessness.
He must have gotten that tender side from his mother.
She wanted to see him again, but not just for the sex. She wanted to get to know him better. To talk with him about anything…everything…or nothing whatsoever. She wanted to compare childhoods, considering they must have had somewhat similar upbringings, being who they were.
What are you doing right now, Duren? What are you thinking? Are you thinking of me? Of us?
There had to be a way the two of them could be reunited. There had to be a way outside of kidnapping one or the other…again.
Her smile widened.If I’d suspected what you’d planned to do, if I’d had any sort of warning, I know things would have gone differently. You and me, Duren, sword to sword, face to face. Who do you think would have been victor?
The shadow of something passed overhead. Lhora glanced up to the see the prow of a ship go by. Fishbirds soared within view as they fought for the langos that rose to the water’s surface during the early morning hours.
Lon’s heel disappeared from her line of sight, and she heard him raise up enough to peer over the side of the wagon. A hand patted her head to get her attention.
“Is that the frigate?”
Rolling over, she got to her knees and looked. “Yeah. That’s the one. With the wave sprite figurehead.”
The Vadris nodded. “She’s a beauty. Looks like she holds a full complement of weaponry, too.”
Kalfis brought the wagon around to where the tailgate faced the landing. Parking the vehicle, he leaped from the driver’s seat and went around to lower the rear opening. Quickly and stealthily, they hurried up the gangplank and into the ship. Once they were on board, Lon began issuing orders to find their positions and make ready to sail. They had to get away from the harbor and up into the air as fast as they could.
Lhora went straight to the bridge, taking the navigator’s seat. By the time the Vadris arrived to take his position, she’d plotted a course away from Coltross.
“How did you learn to do that? I thought you were a guard at the Esstika’s manse,” he inquired.
“We guards don’t hold one position indefinitely. We’re required to take training in several fields, including serving at least one stint on board one of our battlecruisers.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Course set to get us out of here as soon as you command, Vadris,” she stated with a grin.
“Where to?”
She pointed overhead. “That way, for starters.”
Pullid took his position at the wheel as four others joined them. The man whose seat she’d taken gave Lon a confused look.
“Go below and get me inventory of all our armory! I need to know what we have and what we can use.”
The man nodded and hurried for the ladder. Lon turned to the spinner. “Launch sails up!”
“Launch sails up!
“Engines!”
