Page 18 of Pregnant With Their Babes

Llyr gazed over one shoulder and eyed Dagr before focusing back on Oz. “I need protection for the six remaining days I have left.” He glanced at Dagr again. “One of youmustbe willing to lend me assistance. I sense you’re both honorable men.Please… I’m at your mercy.”

Oz clenched his jaw, fighting off the spiraling need filling him. His gaze went to Dagr’s. His lover’s face was void of emotion—as it often was when others were around. No one knew how to hide what he was thinking better than his Dagr.

Only in moments like this it left him without guidance. “Dagr and I will… discuss this.Alone.You remain here. I’ll have food and drink sent up for your dinner in a bit.”

“You’ll leave me a prisoner in this room?”

Oz shook his head. “I never said you were a prisoner here. You’re free to. If you’re not here when we come back from our discussion, we’ll assume you made our choice for us.”

Llyr looked utterly defeated. “Could I not come down and listen to the men sing? They sound as if they’re havingsomuch fun.”

Oz sighed. “You heard the doctor. You need rest. Not that you’ll get much with them downstairs, but rest you need.” He eyed the door and then concentrated on Dagr. “Coming?”

Dagr glanced at Llyr one last time before trailing behind Oz and on down the hall. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Oz cracked his neck a time or two before grabbing a pint of ale from a passing barmaid. She spun to chastise him, but smiled instead when she saw his face.

“Well, I’ll be… my Ozzy is back again.”

Oz grinned down at her. “Hello, Myra… how’ve you been?”

“Better now that I’ve seen that handsome face of yers,” Myra said before giving him a half hug, turning her tray away. “Andthis gent of yers,” she murmured before smiling at Dagr. “Commander… how are ya, m’love?”

Dagr gave her a kiss to her ample cheek. “Happy to see such a welcoming face after too long at sea.”

Myra handed Dagr another of the pints from her tray. “Grab yerself a table. Will you be needing a meal?”

“Yes, but not now. Also, there’s someone in our room who needs a meal and drink,” Oz murmured. He pulled out a coin and handed it over. “I hear the constable should be coming in soon. Make sure he finds his way to our table?”

Myra tucked the coin into her plentiful bosom and nodded. “Aye that. Anything else, m’love?”

“Just keep the ale flowing,” Oz said.

“Yessir!” she saluted before taking her tray through the crowd.

He and Dagr wended their way through the nearly full tavern and found one of the last empty tables along the back wall. Sitting side by side, they both scanned the crowd in silence. Oz replayed the scene they’d scarcely had moments before, realizing they had botched the conversation.

“You were hard on him,” Oz finally said.

“It nearly killed me,” Dagr replied. “But we agreed we needed to keep hands off. I doubt either of us will be able to adhere to that if he remains. Distance is what we need.”

“I know you’re right.” He slanted his gaze to the side. “But do you really think we’d be able to sail away without him?”

Dagr was silent a moment. “No. I knew it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. But we must. You understand that as well as I do.”

Oz rested his head back against the wall, watching his men enjoying themselves across the tavern. “Perhaps it’ll be good to let him sweat a little. If he thinks we’re leaving him, he might become desperate and show his hand—that is,ifhe’s up to something.”

“We should’ve questioned him more,” Dagr stated before taking a drink from his pint.

“You wanted to hear more of his fantasies from under the sea?”

Dagr scoffed. “No… but I think we should find out more about this sorceress of his. There is magic surrounding him. Perhaps it’s some kind of love spell I’ve never seen before.”

“It’s a rather specific spell if that’s what it is. The doctor was unaffected,” Oz replied. “None of the men have suffered, either. Only you and I. We’re the only fools so far.”

“Wewere the first two to touch him,” Dagr countered.

“True, but I thought those spells affected everyone around the one with the spell? The crew was close enough to feel the effects of magic. As was the doctor—the man touched Llyr with no effect.”

“The doctor is ancient. Who knows if his parts would work enough to be affected.”

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