Elaina, never one to shy away from a little physical exertion, set hands and feet to rope for the third time that day and started climbing.
She’d been to a few brothels in her time – sometimes the places even had boy whores to her satisfaction – and one thing she hated about all of them was the smell. Stale perfume, stale booze, and stale sex filled the air, turning it thick with the stench. The noise was almost as bad. From the common room she could hear the clatter of badly played instruments and general revelry, but there was also the noise behind that. The grunts and gasps, the squeals and screams. Some men liked their women to be noisy and would happily pay extra for the fantasy that she was enjoying their clumsy attentions. The whores, being what they were, were always accommodating.
As she finished her climb, Elaina found one of her father’s men waiting at the top of the rope. It wasn’t uncommon for him to post sentries at each of the ways up, but Elaina instantly wished she’d picked a different entrance. Tanner Black’s first mate, Mace, was leaning against the outer wall of The Nymph. He leered at her with everything he was worth, which in Elaina’s opinion was less than nothing. The bastard didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to. They both remembered what had happened the last time they’d seen each other, and the memory sent shivers of rage coursing through Elaina’s veins every time she thought about it.
She had to restrain herself from attacking the leering bastard. She was armed with a sword and he only a wooden kosh, but even if she did prevail and send the monster stabbed and bleeding over the edge to his death below, her father would find out and punish her for it. Sometimes it was better to forget and live on no matter how difficult, and now was unfortunately one of those times. Elaina strode past the man, feeling his eyes on her the entire time, and fought the urge to hurry. Fought the urge to scream. Even worse was the knowledge that she would have to suffer him again later. If she used a different exit the bastard would think she was scared of him, and she couldn’t have that.
Pushing open the door and stepping over the threshold, Elaina was struck by everything she hated about brothels all over again. The smell inside was tragic, and the noise was viscous, but the atmosphere was contagious. Pirates sang, pirates danced, pirates fucked their way through a dozen prostitutes, and pirates paid respects to the man who allowed it all to happen around him.
Tanner Black sat in a large alcove, surrounded by whores and pirates all hanging on his every word and drinking on his generosity. The rest of the world may hate him, but here in Fango he was a king, and soon the rest of the isles would see him that way too.
An effeminate young man with plucked eyebrows, oiled hair, and a shaved chest sauntered over to Elaina. He was dressed only in shallow britches, and his sun-bronzed chest was hard with muscle. Some might mistake Quell for just another male whore attempting to stake a claim on a newly arrived customer – they would be wrong, and then some. He was the host, and management of both the house and the whores was his responsibility. Those who knew Quell respected him, and those that didn’t soon learned their mistake. There was some debate as to whether Quell preferred the company of men or women, but those that shared his bed, if any, kept quiet on the matter.
“Elaina,” he said softly. “Wonderful to see you again. Would you like a drink brought over to your father’s alcove?”
“Do ya have any mulled spirits? Rum can get a little tiresome, living aboard a ship.”
“Thankfully not all of the patrons share your misgivings,” Quell said with a practised smile of his silky lips. “We have some spiced whiskey from the northlands of the Five Kingdoms.”
Elaina narrowed her eyes at him. Goods from the Five Kingdoms were becoming rarer and rarer out in the isles. “The big bastard here just a couple of weeks ago?”
Quell nodded. “Captain T’ruck Khan. Apparently he still has some contacts from his homeland.”
“Aye, bring me a mug.”
“As you wish. And…” He flashed Elaina a genuine smile, though it was laced with pity. “I heard about… well, you know. Please try not to anger him here; I have a business to run, and violence is not it.”
Elaina stepped close to Quell, close enough to smell the sharp perfume he wore and see the individual hairs on his head.
“Oh, don’t you worry your pretty little face about that, mate. I’ll try not to get myself raped in your establishment.” It was all she could do not to spit at him, a man she usually got on very well with.
“I never meant to imply…” Elaina had heard it said that it was hard to make a whore blush, so what it said about her that the host was now turning an uncomfortable shade of red, she’d rather not know. Without waiting to hear the rest of his apology, she turned and approached her father’s court.
Tanner Black, never one to miss a beat, had likely been watching Elaina since she entered the brothel. Now, his eyes followed her all the way to his alcove, where any number of his men stood ready between him and any newcomers. It was a carefully chosen position within the brothel, as defensible as a fort, with high wooden chairs either side and a table as sturdy as a bulkhead that could be tipped up to provide extra cover. Elaina thought about speaking first, before her father could greet her in his usual derogatory way, but Tanner Black always had to get in the first and the last words. To deny him either would only rouse his anger, so Elaina waited for him to acknowledge her.
“Well, boys, will ya look at that,” Tanner said, ignoring the two whores and the female pirate all crowded into his court. “Arrived this mornin’, me daughter did. Sailed right up next ta me own ship, an’ only now does she think ta come an’ see Cap’n Black.” Her father had an annoying habit of talking about himself as if he were someone else. It was something Elaina had always hated.
“Rude, is what that is, Cap’n,” said one of Tanner’s crew, a burly pirate with a mouth full of rotting teeth.
“Careful, Flow.” Tanner glanced at the pirate. “That’s me daughter ya speakin’ of, an’ she’s worth ten of all of ya.”
Elaina almost smiled, but her father would turn on her if he caught it, and she was counting on staying in his good graces this visit. “I went ta see Ma.”
“Aye?”
“Aye.”
All of Tanner’s court went silent, and the music and singing and fucking nearby seemed all the louder for it. Everyone knew that Elaina’s mother was cracked in the head and crazier than a deep blue storm, but no one dared mention that fact with Tanner around. The last man who had had found himself staked down and cut open from groin to collar, left to rot for a week until maggots erupted from the open wound and ate him from the inside. It was the first and last time anyone but family had mentioned Oljanka’s illness to Tanner’s face, and even family only spoke of it in private.
“Is she well?” Tanner’s dark eyes searched Elaina’s face for any hidden message. She gave none.
“Strong as a woman half her age,” Elaina said proudly, knowing that much was true at least.
“Aye. Well, she misses you.”
“She asked after Blu.”
Tanner growled. “Ungrateful cur hasn’t been ta see her in years. Carried an’ raised him, an’ he don’t even know he’s born.”
This time Elaina did smile; turning her father against Blu had always been one of her favourite pastimes. Unfortunately, turning Tanner right back against Elaina had always been one of Blu’s.
“I’ve a hold full of goods ya might like, Da,” she said, deciding not to push her luck. “Fancy spice wines from the desert. Some rugs look like they’re made of snake skin. And a bunch of gems right for the cutting.”
“Aye? Well, girl, ya best take a seat an’ get ta drinkin’ that shit Quell’s brought ya. Cap’n Black ain’t nothin’ if not generous ta those that are generous ta him.”