Page 3 of Across the Sapphire Sea
On the other side of the deck, Aella, the red-haired head witch of Bran Vigny, spoke with the ship’s captain. Ash, an older vampire who’d never uttered a word to Elias, also watched the argument, the expression on his face bordering on amusement. Ash was the delegate sent from their rulers, The Dozen, and the only official ambassador on the mission. Hopefully Valeri would let him get a word in when the time came.
Five vampires, one witch, two weeks confined to this ship, and none of them thrilled over the prospect.
“Is Mahu worth all this trouble?” asked Elias, but the moment the words escaped his lips he regretted them. It was a selfish sentiment, to want to stay somewhere safe when another so desperately needed their help.
Remy considered him.
If Elias could still blush, he would have. “I’m sorry, I—”
“No need to apologize. I understand. This journey is a lot to ask of us, a dangerous voyage, an outcome unknown. But yes, I believe Mahu is worth the risk.”
“Of course,” Elias rushed to agree. He didn’t want to offend Remy.
But Remy didn’t look offended. “Did you have a chance to meet him? Mahu? Before…”
It was well known Mahu’s descent into madness had progressed faster over the cold season. No one knew why the disease’s symptoms had spiked, only that his remaining time dwindled along with his sanity. He lingered abed, calling out nonsense from fevered dreams.
“No, I haven’t met him,” said Elias. “I saw him once, from a distance, but he looked like he wished to be alone so I didn’t greet him.”
“If it wasn’t for Mahu, my transformation would have failed.” Remy’s tone grew serious. “Laurence would have watched me die in his arms. We owe him a debt. But you don’t. Why are you taking this risk?”
As if I ever have a choice in anything I do. Elias put a hand on his queasy stomach, trying in vain to cure seasickness with touch. “The mission is important to Valeri.”
Remy’s gaze was tinged with scrutiny. “Why?”
“He wants to get back into The Dozen’s good graces, earn a place at court. He thinks acquiring a cure for the aging sickness Mahu suffers will accomplish those things.”
“Yes, but why risk your safety also?”
Elias gave a sad burst of laughter. “Would you tell Laurence no if he asked you to do something you didn’t want to do?”
Remy pressed his lips into a tight line. “If Laurence asked me to do something I didn’t want to do, I suspect he’d have a very good reason. I wouldn’t say no without talking to him first. I trust him.”
Must be nice,thought Elias.
Whatever their sires had been fighting about, they’d finished. Valeri stormed over, took Elias by the arm, and said, “Come.”
Elias cast an apologetic glance to Remy and left without a word, knowing if he didn’t follow along, Valeri was likely to drag him. A look over his shoulder showed Remy returning to Laurence’s side. Laurence’s arm went around his waist in a move so practiced he’d surely done it a thousand times.
A flare of longing panged Elias. Valeri had gentled his hold on his arm, but it paled in comparison to the sweet, loving touches Remy and Laurence shared.
They crossed the broad deck of the ship, Valeri in the lead, and took the stairs down to the cabins below. The stale air of the narrow hall smelled dank and salty. Small capsule rooms with wooden walls, floors, ceilings, and bunks lined the galley. Brown, damp, cold, and not much else. Their luggage had already been deposited in the corner.
Valeri closed the door behind them. Elias’s stomach protested all the movement. It didn’t seem fair; he hadn’t eaten a morsel of food in the four years since he’d been turned into a vampire, yet seasickness could still claim him within minutes of boarding a ship. Feeling sorry for himself, he reached for his lover.
Valeri closed his arms around Elias’s shoulders and rubbed his back. “Sick already?”
Elias clutched his waist and nodded against the cool skin of his neck. He breathed in the coppery scent of blood flowing close to the surface and suppressed the urge to bite.
“You can if you like,” Valeri offered.
“Thank you, but I’ll wait until later.” Drinking now might make the nausea worse. Instead he kissed the juncture at Valeri’s neck and shoulder.
“What were you and the little witch talking about?”
There it was, the paranoia Elias had grown to expect. “His name is Remy.”
Valeri pushed him back far enough to stare into his face. “I know that. I asked what you were talking about.”
