EPILOGUE TWO
VALI
Five Years Later
I watch the oncoming ship approach with interest, a stolen spyglass held up to my eye. Akara is in her spot, blocking the narrow strait with her large body, and the approaching ship is just now about to figure that out. We’re at the other end of the channel on a raft, and when the two ships slowly make their way into the channel, we move in behind them, neatly blocking them in the pass.
“A more agile ship could avoid all this,” Ranan comments, musing. “You would think the Aventinians would learn.”
“I’m glad they haven’t,” I tell my husband. “Their ships are the easiest to rob.”
“And the easiest to tip,” he agrees, smiling at my enthusiasm. “Are you ready to board, my sweet wife?”
I put on the fake slave collar we’ve made for such adventures and adjust my torn, tattered clothing. I love the pretending most of all. “Ready.”
He puts a hand on my shoulders, mouth twitching. “Quit looking so happy. You’re supposed to be a slave.”
I adjust my features, trying to put an appropriately grim expression on my face. Truth is, I love this. I love the thrill of robbing bad people. I love that we’re taking their spoils from them and giving them to the people we love or using that money for ourselves. I love that after we’re done, my husband’s blood runs hot and we make love like wild demons.
So yes, I absolutely love a life of piracy.
We watch as the ships come along the bend, skirting the jagged rocks and moving close to the cliffs. The straits are narrow here, and they’ve yet to notice that we’re behind them. I want to laugh at how low the long, heavy ship is in the waters. There’s one smaller boat and a much larger one with rowers. It’s the one with all the cargo. I count heads. They have far too many people on board, and not all of them are rowing. “Slave ship,” I point out to my husband.
“Aye, I see it.”
“Can we rescue them? The slaves?”
“Always.”
Another reason why I love the man. I hide my feral grin as the occupants on the ship notice us behind them and begin pointing. Time for the acting to begin. I pick up the large copper bell at my feet and ring it with the striker. As I do, I put on my “slave” expression. I make my face worried and fretful as I step forward. I ring the bell again and again as the two boats slowly approach Akara. Someone turns around in the boats and points at our raft behind them, and a cry goes up.
“Stay where you are,” I call out. “Listen to my master and no one gets hurt!”
We’d had the idea for me to pretend to be his slave the moment I volunteered to assist him. I can’t do the things he can in the water, and I don’t have the strength he does. But if people view me as an unwilling servant, they’re more likely to keep their focus on Ranan instead of taking out their anger on me.
And if that doesn’t work, I have a few strategically placed knives under my costume. I’m not afraid to jump overboard, and that stops most people from following me.
The ships pull up closer to Akara, and the captain of one stands up at the prow of the small boat, the men lifting their oars from the waters. “There’s a turtle blocking the way! We can’t pass!”
“The turtle belongs to my master,” I reply. “Do as he says and no one will come to harm!”
The captain’s face turns ugly. “You’re interfering with Aventinian ships. Tell your master to move through.”
“He will not,” I call out, stepping forward. “Not until you give us your valuables and your slaves. Then he’ll command the turtle to move.”
“Robbing sea-ogres,” the man snarls, stabbing a finger at Ranan. “You can’t do this!”
Rude.
Ranan gestures at the water, indicating that they have an alternative route. They can always swim all the way back to Aventine.
“Please,” I say, adding desperation to my voice. “My master will not be swayed. Just put your valuables in the basket he brings you and send your slaves over and he’ll let you pass.”
“Or we’ll fight you—”
“Then you’ll still have to turn around,” I point out. They always get desperate before they give in. “He can speak to the turtle, I cannot. She will only move if he tells her to move. If you harm him, she might lash out and sink your ships.”
“Why would we do as you say?” the captain yells back. “We can just turn our ships around and move right past you.”
The men shoot panicked looks at that. They know as well as I do that the heavy ships, laden with goods, don’t move easily through the waters. They’ll have to go through us, or through Akara. Ranan takes the basket from my hands, and I act dramatically frightened. He dives into the water and while I shiver and act like a fearful idiot, he surfaces and immediately pulls on the prow of the boat to haul himself in. The men shout and immediately move to the other side to counterbalance, and the captain almost falls in himself.
I jump into the water, too, moving over to the smaller boat. I have a bag tucked into my belt, a knife in my teeth. When I climb on board, they all scurry to the far side of the craft like I’ve got the plague. I pull out the bag and gesture to it. “Valuables in here.”
“This is ridiculous,” cries the captain of the other ship.
“Don’t upset my master,” I yell out. “He’s likely to do something drastic.”
The captain isn’t buying it. He marches up to Ranan, moving down the narrow aisle between the rowers. He puts a finger in my husband’s scowling face. “You—”
Before he can finish the statement, Ranan picks him up and tosses him overboard as if he weighs nothing.
Someone screams. Another person sobs aloud.
“He can’t swim,” one of the men says, getting to his feet. “Help him and we’ll give you what we have.”
Ranan crosses his arms, ignoring the request.
The man in the water splashes and flounders, his head never breaking the surface.
This is all part of the play-acting, too. “Please, my master,” I say, glancing at the bubbles on the surface of the water, the only sign that the armor-wearing man was here. “Spare his life? I’m sure they’ll all do as you say now.”
He glares at me. “Slave…”
I clasp my hands under my chin. “Please, my lord. Please! I’ll collect the funds and slaves and be quick about it!”
With a heavy sigh, Ranan scowls in my direction—and I have to admit, it arouses me. He’s just so good at being cranky and domineering. I’m getting better at hiding the fact that I’m turned on, but if this goes on for too long, I’ll lose my composure. The trick with our raids is to startle everyone, quickly get in and steal what we want, and then send them on their way.
And then afterwards, Ranan and I go through our booty and then frantically make love, our blood rushing from the excitement of it all.
Ranan continues to glare at me, and everyone looks anxious. There’s a bit of thrashing in the water from the man that went overboard, but he doesn’t surface.
“Please!” I cry again. I know Ranan won’t let him drown, but it doesn’t hurt to seem nervous.
My husband looks at the people on the ship. The man in front of him immediately takes off a heavy golden necklace and dumps it in the basket. “Just save Bridic.”
With that, Ranan sighs and dives overboard, sending the boat rocking and people scrambling to hold on once more.
It’s my turn to play things up. “You all need to do what he says,” I yell out dramatically. “He tore apart a man on the last ship for disobeying him! Please don’t make him angry!”