“Captain,” a voice called from outside. “There’s a group of angry men trying to board the ship. They want to speak with you.”
“It’s just one thing after another.” She muttered and made her way to the deck. I followed close behind, looking for any and all distractions to keep me from running back to Brie’s home and begging her to let me try out the book’s suggestions and my new rune. If I was ever going to gain her trust, I at least needed to give her space. As terrible of a concept it was.
Balabash went forward first and waited near the ship’s entry. His intimidating size was enough to keep the gaggle of angry men planted firmly on the dock. They scowled and clenched their pitchforks and axes, but none dared to step on the bridge to challenge him.
“They seem like a friendly bunch.” I said.
Usha sighed beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t have to turn around to feel the burning glare Ambrose sent my way. The lamia was never far from the captain. Watching over to make sure some unfortunate man didn’t make the mistake of staring at her too long. “Felix, you and Holly are the only other two sane people on this ship. And she’s off fucking that hero girl somewhere. Please don’t let me lose my temper on these men.”
Feeling mischievous, I threw an arm around her shoulders and smiled in Ambrose’s direction. “So long as you keep your bodyguard from tearing off my limbs.”
Ambrose was a stoic man and hardly ever showed any emotion on his face. Someone who didn’t know him well would probably think he’d just been staring off into space. But if you were paying attention, you would notice the way his fingers dug into his palms or the way his snake half coiled just a little tighter into himself, like a viper ready to strike. The brief hints of anger were barely there, but that just made him all the more fun to tease. And I did it often.
She threw a look back at him and rolled her eyes. “He’ll be fine.” Taking a deep breath, Usha shook me off and donned a friendly smile. “Gentlemen, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
A balding man with an ax stepping forward. “Two of our women went missing last night! We know it was your damn demons who took them! We will not stand by as you heathens take our women in the night to boil in your soups. Hand them over now!” A chorus of shouts sounded off behind him. Each of the men shook their pitiful weapons in the air. I doubted it would be much effort for even one of us to take out the lot of them. But we were trying to build a community here. And it wouldn’t do to go off killing villagers every time one shook a pitchfork at us.
“That’s ridiculous!” Lothur shouted. The minotaur stomped his way to the side of the ship and snorted. “Females are rare and precious. None of us would ever hurt one!”
“But you would take them!” The man shouted. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? There’s only one female demon in your crew, so you monsters have set out to take ours!”
“Who went missing?” Balabash asked. His face turned ashen as he scanned the docks. “Who is gone? Is it my Sunbeam?” Cold fear shot down my spine at his words. Could Brie have been taken after I left? I spent so much time trying to keep away from her that I left her completely undefended. The surrounding voices continued to shout at each other, but they grew farther and farther away as darkness clouded my thoughts.
I left her. I left her and she could be in danger. She could be dead.
Usha took my hand in hers and squeezed. Grounding me back to reality. She held her head high and addressed the leader of the group. “My men would never steal anyone. But you are free to search the ship with me. What are their names?”
The balding man grinned, as if he’d won some sort of prize. “Serena and Kitty.”
Not Brie or Sunbeam. Thank the stars.I turned to Bash, who nodded. As soon as the human men left the ship, we’d check on them both. It was fortunate that Bash had found his mate at the same time as I did. Orcs didn’t imprint like werewolves, but they had a certain knowing about them and were fiercely protective. Some males even choose to pursue a woman as a group for better protection.
Even if we were separate species, Bash and I were raised together after his father took me in. There was no one in the world I could count on more. We’d help look for the missing women and destroy whoever thought to harm them in the first place.
Brie and Sunbeam were fine.
I was fine.
I’m fine.
But when the men searched the ship and came up empty-handed, we helped them search the docks to find nothing. We searched Serena and Kitty’s homes to find no trace. Not even my superior nose could trace them anywhere in the village. With each dead end, my nerves became more fried. Worse still, a frantic mother had approached the search party to inform us that her daughter had gone missing as well. All women were in their twenties. All unmarried. Gone without a trace.
I’m not fine.
A frantic Balabash crashed through the door of Sunbeam’s home above her bar. She was livid, but safe. The orc crushed her to him, breathing a sigh of relief as she swatted at his face. “What is wrong with you?” She snapped.
“Sunbeam, my beautiful sunflower. I thought you were taken in the night!” The red orc looked near tears as he checked the barmaid for any signs of injury. After explaining the morning’s events. The woman calmed and allowed Bash to search her home for any signs of trouble. What should have been relief only turned to more fear in my gut. Sunbeam was safe. But was Brie?
Chapter 4
Brie
Marriage was a strange beast. Or maybe it was just Cinnamon’s marriage. “Beloved,” my friend said, her shoulders slumping in exasperation. “You don’t grow facial hair. What am I supposed to shave?”
Fallon glared at his wife from his spot in the doorway. Their home had been updated with larger frames to accommodate his freakishly tall stature. But he still looked like a giant in the quaint little cottage. The smoke rising from his arms made me concerned for the ancient-looking books in his hands. He was sent to retrieve any books Cin’s Ma had on magic. But if he didn’t calm down, that task would burn to cinders. “We could still go through the motions of it. Your father said it was an important bonding ritual between him and your mother.”
She put an elbow on the kitchen table and rested her chin in her hand. “Pa can grow a beard.”
More smoke rose from the dragon shifter. “Maybe you could trim his hair?” I offered, desperate to find common ground before it was too late.
