By Jane Carver

“The promise of a woman—a Radiant—to Gambrel Sarjean.” Vangee stood before Captain Merlo with Gambrel at her side. The rest of the passengers and crew surrounded them. “I pledge my life to you, my body, heart, mind, and soul. I live for you as surely as you live for me. Our blood will continue on through our young and theirs. We live forever in that way. A Radiant is long-lived and shares the moons of our lives with our mate. Neither of us will live without the other. When we pass to the gods, we pass together. Our love will sustain us through the well and dire times. I take you to my heart, forever and always.”

“I accept you as my mate, Vangee Windrum. I pledge my love, my strength, my very being to your happiness and our young. May the best in both of us pass to those who come afterward. All the times of our togetherness will be a blessing from the gods of the universe. My life was made anew the day you spoke your love for me. May I ever deserve that love so freely given.”

Full hearts rejoiced as the Fenix limped with her ailing sisters to the port of Cabrilla. Three men remained apart from the celebration, secluded by choice while laughter, song and merriment filled several 60-brace before Gambrel took his mate by the hand and led her to their cabin.

 

* * * *

The burrblin cut off automatically when the Fenix entered an atmospheric height that provided air for its passengers. All breathed easier as the ship leveled off and skimmed the deep turquoise waves of Ambiax’s ocean. Gambrel leaned against the rail between Pessios and Vangee. The overwhelming contentment of being her mate vied at the moment with the excitement of making port.

Behind the Fenix, eleven other ships prepared to set down. According to Merlo, Haggin’s ship lay three rows back. It would rest at anchor at least two days before going in to the repair dock.

“Why the interest in the Unseen, ‘Brel?” Vangee leaned over the rail far enough to wave to Effie and Dara who stood at the other end of the deck. Jacon’s daughter, Bassik, elbowed her way in beside Pessios. The question went unanswered, forgotten in excitement.

“Will the captain allow us time to visit the markets?” The girl’s gaze sparkled in anticipation as she turned first one way then another, trying to take in all the activity on the dock.

“’Brel, what do you think?” Concern clouded Vangee’s features. This was an unknown planet. Even he advised caution.

“Folks here are friendly enough, but Captain Merlo will make the final decision without our influence.” Gambrel spoke to all but nodded to Bassik who dropped her shoulders in apparent disappointment.

“Perhaps if we traveled in a large group and promised to stay in the market and not venture beyond? Then do you think the captain would give his permission?” She seemed determined to leave the ship.

A humph escaped Gambrel as something heavy rammed into his boot.

“Dara. Where did you come from?” He raised the little one to ride the muscles of his arm. She threw both arms around his neck. Her squeeze barely gained his attention because she jabbered nonsense in his ear. Only she understood the conversation.

“You three make a striking view,” Pessios pointed out.

“How so, sire?” Vangee tugged one of Dara’s curls then took the child from her husband’s arms. For a moment she snuggled in the woman’s embrace. But shortly, she reached for Gambrel again.

“You are a vision in dark green gown and silver tunic, lady. The shawl forms an intriguing cowl around your face making you appear as mysterious as…well,” Pessios joked, “a Radiant.” He turned to Gambrel who tickled Dara. “And you, sire, imposing in dark leather and long flapping coat. Your height and mass. You intimidate those who know you not. Yet upon your arm sits an enchanting sprite. She enslaves you to her every whim, I think. Her brilliant burst of fiery color against such somber wear. A smile in contrast to your dour expression and Mistress Sarjean’s hidden beauty.” Pessios paused a breath before adding, “Captivating.”

Vangee started then smiled at Gambrel. Her new name sounded strange yet, but she told him often enough how proudly she bore it.

“Dara, where are you?” Effie pushed her way into the group around the couple. “I should have known.” A smile pulled at her lips. “She is too young to remember my mate. I think she choose you as the next best thing, Gambrel.”

Still too new at making small talk to be comfortable, he kissed the child and handed her to Effie. “Perhaps one day we will have a young one like her,” he whispered. “I would like that.” Faint color rode his roughened cheeks as the pair moved away.

“You do not help the crew this rise, Sarjean?” Behind him, Gastrojan approached, glowing red eyes, a sign of extreme agitation among those of his race. His two friends stood shoulder to shoulder with him. “Perhaps mated to a Radiant makes one…” His words trailed off but left a suggestion of weakness.

“I owe you no explanation, Gastrojan, but yet will say I am not learned in the ways of docking a ship. In this crisis, there was little time to teach me. I offered my help, but Domas declined.”

“Will the men aboard ship be allowed to venture ashore.” Gastrojan’s half bow mocked full courtesy.

“The captain may not allow such an important person ashore, Gastrojan.” Pharlie cast a scathing glance at Gambrel. Though he sounded sorry, his words too lacked respect. “Come, Lycol, let us approach Captain Merlo and ask if we,” he indicated the trio, “might leave the ship.” Throwing his arms around his friends’ shoulders, Pharlie led the group away.

“If those three think the captain has time to visit, they are sorrowfully mistaken.” Worn old crewmember, Domas, paused beside the group and nodded to the departing men. “Captain’s list is complete this full light. It don’t include social calls.” With a wheeze, the sailor chuckled and left.

* * * *

If others were allowed to leave the ships, Gambrel knew he would have no trouble finding the man called Haggin. Flustos and Herion, the two youths who dogged his steps and imitated everything he attempted, begged him to speak to the captain. Even Effie’s wistful gaze bespoke a desire to leave the now too-familiar decks of the Fenix.

As predicted, Captain Merlo refused to see Gastrojan and his friends. Their grumbles added to others’ wishes to stroll through the port, firm ground under their feet once again if only for a short time.

Gambrel sympathized but had more immediate reasons to get ashore. “Let me go among the Cabrillans, and learn if this is a safe place for our people to venture.” Only after asking did the former enforcer realize he accepted responsibility for the welfare of his fellow passengers. A transformation in attitude as surely as mating signified a change in his heart status.

“A sensible plan. Will you take someone with you?” Captain Merlo obviously thought Vangee should go. After all, who better to sense the temperament of a population than a Radiant?

At first, Gambrel wanted to protest taking anyone, much less his mate. However, suspicions would rise if he complained too loudly. “She will accompany me.”

No stranger to a fight, she made an excellent companion though the thought of her going among strangers did not set well with him. Did a streak of jealousy hide in his soul?

* * * *

“My mate.” His cheery greeting earned him a kiss as he pulled Vangee into his side in their cabin. “Captain Merlo gave his word we might scout Cabrilla. If the town proves safe then others may venture forth. We shall be here a full seven-days.”

A warm touch of lips and a heated embrace almost delayed the leaving as heat coursed through his blood. However, duty called. More than Vangee realized. Only recently had Gambrel’s heart opened enough to think of protection for those with him. But, as ever, that vital organ did not dictate what he needed to do. His soul cried out for vengeance, and only Haggin’s death would satisfy that craving.

* * * *

From the deck of the Fenix, the workers on the dock did not look overly tall. However once among them, the greater height of the Cabrillans almost overwhelmed Vangee.

“’Brel, they tower so. How will we ever see anything?” A half-laugh bubbled from her as she endured one more shove. The taller Cabrillans simply did not notice her moving somewhere around their waist.

“Once off the dock we will fare better, love.” One sharp elbow helped open a way for the pair. “The city market lies not far from the docks.”

They left the busy place with its salty smell and flapping flyers trying to carry off with water dwellers. For all the activity, the area remained strangely quiet. The Cabrillans whistled sharply to seek other’s attention and used hand signals to communicate once they were in visual range.

Away from the dock though, the noise picked up, and smells changed. Spices and wood, the fresh odor of clean clothe and the dyes used to color them flavored the breeze. A yeasty odor filled the air at times. Smoke spiraling out of a baker’s firebox indicated something baking. A light softer than that of the dying Ancadian sun sparkled off street banners and warmed the body.

Here people moved quicker. Most headed in the direction he took. “How does this place seem?” He leaned close to his mate.

Her cape and hood prevented him seeing his favorite sight, her face. “Other than the usual determination to reach market and deal with merchants, the concern for where one’s children are in the crowd, and the typical bickering over prices, all seems well.”

One hand on her arm to kept them close. He guided her to an open-air square with stalls marked by banners and shaded by bright awnings. Smoke rose where merchants cooked everything from meat to plants. Vendors thrust unknown food at them, all the while urging them to buy. Jewels glowed in the morning rise light and brilliantly colored cloth swayed with the breeze. Large tools almost blocked the path at one point. Beyond the tools was a stall where fabulous weapons, phasers, knives, longer blades and small boomers lay on display. Gambrel pushed his mate on while she pressed nearer to his side.

Rooms opened onto the square. Patrons purchased and ate food, sitting at small tables with benches. Nooks and crannies offered inviting niches where lovers could hide. Such darkness also bid the worst of the universe to shelter from the light of justice.

He remembered those places. Such hid justice breakers, and that’s where he looked. Even before he lay down his career as an enforcer and sought Haggin, he lived more in darkness than light.

As they scouted the area, Gambrel’s soul lay torn between revenge and his love for Vangee. Stopping now when the final murderer hid so near was no choice. Nor could he give up his mate, the splendor of his soul. What to say to her when he sought his final retribution? For the first time in his life, he felt like a coward, putting off the inevitable. She would foreswear him when he left for his final assignment.

He laid his somber thoughts aside for the moment to enjoy the morning rise with his mate. Out of the light for a bit, they enjoyed a meal of meat wrapped in soft edible leaves and sipped a clear drink that started sweet then left a sharp tang in one’s mouth. A group of musicians played nearby and serenaded the shoppers. Universal coins jiggled in the small basket in front of them when those passing by rewarded the players.

“Let us venture off the market place to see what the rest of Cabrilla looks like.” Vangee gestured beyond the crowded square. Once again, the throng did not seem threatening to the Radiant.

More than two city squares they traveled before stopping. Homes with large grassy plains in front of them caught her attention. “‘Brel, there. See the tiny one with the youth. And that furry animal.” She pointed out the greenery swaying above their heads. They lined the side of the path and shaded them from the sun that grew warmer with time. “Their flyers are smaller, more colorful.”

“And noisier,” Gambrel commented as flyers set up a singing kind of racket. She thumped him in the chest but laughed at his small joke. A deep sigh left her looking wistful.

“What is it, my love?” The large hand that snaked inside Vangee’s hood wrapped her neck in warmth. He sensed she wanted something.

“Nothing.”

“Something, I think.”

“I would our new home be this lovely in years to come. We have much to do to make it so, but if it please the gods some day it will be this peaceful.” Heartfelt words. Sincere and wishful.

“May it be so for your sake.” Gambrel’s kiss restored his mate’s smile. With little urging, they returned to the Fenix to report to Captain Merlo.

* * * *

Gambrel followed Gastrojan and his two friends at a discreet distance once the trio left the ship. He wasn’t interested in following so much as avoiding them. He planned to observe the Unseen from the edge of the dock. If Handid/Haggin sailed on her, he would not miss the opportunity to come ashore.

Fellow justice breakers tended to know where each other hid, and Gambrel wondered if Haggin knew such in Cabrilla. After all, his shipping enterprise put him in touch with all manner of unsavory characters.

“What the fick!” His shoulder hard against a grimy wall, Gambrel’s gaze followed a large man coming down the deporting plank from the Unseen. “Ah, so Walys is here too.” If Walys, Handin’s second-in-command years ago, was around then the leader was not be far behind.

Follow the second or wait for Haggin to leave? Gambrel debated then decided to follow the bulky man who walked quickly away from the area.

As suspected, Walys wound his way through the market and into an alley. Gambrel stopped at the head of the dark opening and scanned the surroundings before blending into the shadows. Old ways of search and survival served him well.

The second tapped at a door and entered when it opened. Gambrel climbed upon some stacks to observe through a dust-shadowed glanton. “Great universal gods, what do we have here?” Haggin’s man sat among seamy looking characters. Not the finest of Cabrilla’s population.

While Gambrel squatted in vile odors of filth, Walys gestured wildly, a dervish in the midst those made of ‘crete. The locals sat, stood, or leaned in total silence, nary a movement. From the shadows at one end of the room, a man of better appearance stepped forward. His clothes fit him and seemed cleaner than his companions. Trim cut hair and a fashionable beard, he appeared savvy among a group of miscreants.

Cursing the glanton, its cover of dust and lack of clear vision, Gambrel wanted to hear the conversation. Whatever Walys wanted, the man supplied, it seemed. They clasped arms as if in agreement. What did Haggin and his lieutenant want with such men? One scraggly looking man pushed off the wall where he leaned and gave the alley with a discreet scan. He ushered Walys out before closing the door with a definite click.

Gambrel stayed in his position until the second-in-command cleared the immediate area then trailed him, sure he would head back to the Unseen and report to Haggin. True to his years as Haggin’s second mate, the man returned to the ship. Neither appeared for several sixty-braces.

* * * *

Dara snuggled against Gambrel’s chest as his wife sort vid-squares in their cabin. “I think Effie likes Thacton,” Vangee ventured as she returned to her husband’s side on his bed. “She sounded quite excited when she asked if I would keep Dara for a sixty-brace while she spent time with him.” Vangee giggled when the child did a flip on the covers between them.

“Come here, tiny one. You will break your head doing such things.” Gambrel scooped up the child and tossed her in the air, encouraging Dara’s adventurous nature.

“Let her try her wings, wife. I will teach her to fly in safety.” Saying that, he taught Dara how to do a flip by tucking her shoulder in and rolling. In no time, the child turned four flips in a row across the bed, saved from dumping her body on the floor by Gambrel’s long arm.

“Enough, ‘Brel. She tires and might get hurt.” Vangee took Dara on her lap and brought up a vid-square of a childhood story. While his wife read to the girl, Gambrel wandered the cabin.

He planned to follow then eliminate Haggin. His plan to make the man’s death look like an accident kept getting sidetracked by Vangee’s soft voice.

Would she still speak so when she learned of his deed? Would she ever learn of it? With his talent as a killer, he could get away with this last bit of vengeance. Not murder. Nothing since Lindan’s death deserved the label murder. Haggin would die, whether fast or slow; whatever Gambrel choose, but die he would.

Then he might become the man he wanted to be, a husband, maybe a father. Again. Dara listened to Vangee, totally absorbed in her every word. What he wouldn’t give to have such a family.

This night would not see his plan laid with any conviction. The sight of the tiny one and his wife appealed to him more. He eased onto the bed next to Dara.

Some time later when Effie came to claim her child, Vangee nodded where her husband lay with the girl curled into his chest, one strong arm around her. To move one would wake the other. Both women agreed. Dara would stay the full-dark. Gambrel opened one eye as the door closed.

Aware her husband followed her every move, Vangee slipped into the gown he liked best…to tease him when they woke as a trio the next morning rise instead of a couple. She giggled behind her hand because her lusty husband’s desires would simmer until Dara left. Mirth turned to a sigh of satisfaction. What loving would follow. But night would be long. Her final sigh sounded heartfelt. She snuggled against her husband’s back after placing a kiss on his muscled shoulder. His breathy sigh matched hers—a long night indeed.

* * * *

Vangee and Gambrel often spent the full light apart, each taking care of whatever suited them. He still moved among crowds with a nagging sense of discomfort. After all, a man alone as he for so many seasons did not accept the company of others in such a short time.

“I will accompany you, friend.” Pessios scooted into a seat next to Gambrel at the morning meal. His calm demeanor always soothed. However, the enforcer did not want company.

“I have no need of a companion, Pessios, though I thank you for your offer.” He worked hard to maintain an even appearance and mental thought. His plan would fall to pieces if Vangee sensed his desire for Haggin’s skin. Pessios, he learned long ago, read his mind well.

Because his Lazzard race tracked through the sense of smell and taste, Pessios would probably follow him. He might get hurt. Let the man come or not?

“You need company this rise.” The Lizzardian ate without looking at his table mate. He seemed determined to go with or without his friend’s blessing. “You are aware that Canfanto and I can communicate mentally?”

Now why did the he throw out that piece of information? Gambrel chewed the tasty bread in silence as he adjusted his plan somewhat. Today he sought a place to set a trap. Nothing suspicious about walking around town. However, he could not be in two places at one time. He also must know if Haggin or Walys left the Unseen. Perhaps Canfanto could report to Pessios if either man departed the ship. But would the two help him without seeking explanation?

He hesitated to ask. Pessios answered his question as if it were spoken. “We two are bound to you. You saved both of us while learning the trade of sailing and during the flaming rock storm. Friends help friends. No explanation is necessary.”

A shiver raced down Gambrel’s spine. Too close. Pessios spoke too close to his own thinking. “Let us meet on deck and discuss a plan of action.” Pessios nodded once. Gambrel left knowing the others would find him as soon as possible.

* * * *

The tangy stench of the dock along with its weird silence fell behind Gambrel and Pessios. Their steps took them into the market place where other smells filled the air. The sound of haggling voices and the whine of tired children assailed the ears.

Armed with all his phasers, boomers and blades, Gambrel stayed close to the edge of the market rather than walk through it. Today he sought places a justice breaker would seek. Though Haggin now appeared to be a respected man of business, Walys’ actions proved he still dealt with the criminal world. Enlisting the help of locals threw a twist into Gambrel’s plan only because he did not know how Haggin planned to use them.

If his trap caught more than one breaker then so be it. Cabrilla would not suffer for the loss of those he saw talking to Walys. He moved through the crowd, ever watchful yet his thinking returned to seasons ago when no one owned his love or allegiance. Hard thoughts from a hard man.

His heart now claimed a wife and friends, such as the one who walked beside him, observing the same caution as he. Did not Pessios, Captain Merlo, Jacon and others on the ship claim his allegiance? Should he not open his full mind to his mate and share this trial?

The muscles in his face grew tight. No, he owed Vangee his love and Pessios peace. Their knowledge of his plan would not ensure peace of mind, so best they remain unaware.

Pessios stopped. He listened to something Gambrel did not hear. “Canfanto reports Haggin and his man, Walys, walk the deck of the Unseen, but make no attempt to leave the ship.”

How many times had he wished for the kind of talent the Lazzardians exhibited? He always worked alone. Seldom did he work with others on enforcer jobs. An underling with such skill would have been helpful though. He nodded to Pessios, acknowledging the information.

Four sixty-brace did the two meander among the structures of Cabrilla. Never did Gambrel indicate one location appealed to him more than another. Best not give Pessios any idea that he picked a spot for the trap.

“Let us join Canfanto, Pessios.”

The Unseen rode her anchor next to a dock cluttered with repair equipment. Local Cabrillans scrambled around the hull, pulling off smashed planking. New material lay stacked nearby. The sharp tapping of hammers against seasoned planks resounded through the air. The eye-watering reek of sealer permeated the area, leaving one momentarily gasping for breath.

The two men stopped next to Canfanto. Aboard the Unseen, Haggin moved toward the departure plank. A word to Walys sent the man below.

For the first time in five seasons, Gambrel observed his enemy. Haggin weighed more than he did when last they met. But the mass appeared more added muscles rather than the flab of old age and lack of exercise. The gray at the man’s temples lent dignity to smooth brows, a long shapely nose, and full lips.

A smile graced Gambrel’s lips when he noticed that Haggin still walked with a limp. A gift from their last meeting. His phaser blasted through the man’s thigh muscles. A marked man. A lifeless man still breathing. Haggin strolled to a shipwright’s building.

What did Haggin’s mate think of him? Did she know how he earned coins in the seasons before they met?

A chill swept Gambrel and left him shivering like an elder. Those same questions could be put to Vangee. No, she was unaware of how he earned a living. What would she think of him when…if…she learned of his plan? The man’s resolve hardened as he shook off his worries. This plan took precedent over everything. Avenge Lindan’s death. The only thing that mattered.

Hey, hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was long but leads up to some unexpected events.

Have you checked out The Sergeant and the Knight on Amazon yet? I loved writing that story. It’s so unusual!

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By Jane Carver

While Vangee made a point of ignoring him that morning rise, Dara did not. She seemed to be everywhere: at meal, on deck, and underfoot. When she tried to follow him up the rigging, Gambrel took her aside and reprimanded her for the first time.

Her eyes watered, her chin quivered, and a small feminine sniff of sorrow escaped. Her sadness distressed him but not enough to let the child endanger herself. Because Effie often told him she trusted her daughter’s life to his hands, he sought the mother out and deposited the child in her arms with a comment that Dara was becoming too independent. Effie scolded her about safety but did so in a gentle loving way.

Even the old sailor, Domas, disappointed him. The elder attempted to teach him new knots, but he could not focus long enough to get them correct. Pessios slapped him on the back and commiserated but even with one broken arm managed to tie the ropes well. While Domas scolded Gambrel’s fumbling fingers, Pessios laughed when he saw him watching Vangee.

“You watch her like a water flyer eyes his favorite fish. With hungry eyes, my friend. Problems?” Pessios’ question sounded innocent, but Gambrel knew he burned with curiosity.

“No problem. She is unhappy with me this full light, and I’m not sure…” For a moment, he forgot who sat beside him. Aware of the men’s intense gazes, a flush of hot blood burned his face.

Pessios clapped a slender hand on his shoulder to stay his retreat. “One of two things you might do, my friend. Wait her out until she loses the anger or explains it. Or declare yourself an ignorant male and ask what angers her.” A sympathetic squeeze then Pessios winked. “A dangerous path either way.”

“Thank you for that bit of wisdom.” Sarcasm coated Gambrel’s words. He couldn’t deny the choices he faced, but a large sigh escaped. A bad choice and a worse one, he judged. “Perhaps I will wait for her to speak.”

“A choice made then.” Domas handed him a length of rope. “Now, boy, concentrate.” The old man returned to the dogged task of teaching a new sailor old tricks.

* * * *

Gambrel read a vid-square when Vangee entered the cabin later. His decision to wait for her to speak did not sit well because she still ignored him. What had he said to anger her so? Nothing came to mind. So, he sat while she prepared for the night. This eventide, she did not join him at the table nor did she read her own vid-square. Instead, she climbed into her bed covers with no word to him. Not even a pleasant wishing for sleep. One more full light and another, he decided, his heart sore from her neglect.

* * * *

A loud thump somewhere in the middle of the night woke Gambrel. At first, he thought the sound something inside the ship. Always a light sleeper at the best of times, he slept poorly now. Vangee lay close yet not with him. After a minute of silence, he imagined the noise part of a dream. He almost fell back to sleep, but another thump shuddered along the side of the ship near the stern, close to the cabin.

Alarm drove slumber from his mind, but he could think of no explanation. He debated whether to rise when the bed covers across the room whispered. Vangee stirred.

“’Brel, did I hear something?”

About to suggest she shared his dream, someone knocked on the cabin door.

“What is the matter?” For an instant, she forgot her anger. Dark curls fell over her eyes as a small glow ignited.

A cover around his hips served to protect his visitor’s modesty since Gambrel knew not who waited outside the portal. With a finger to his lips, he signaled Vangee quiet and opened the door a crack.

“Pardon, sire, but Captain Merlo must speak with Mistress Windrum immediately.” Spoors, Merlo’s first mate, swayed nervously from foot to foot in the dark passageway.

“May I be of assistance as well?” Gambrel sensed Vangee behind him.

“Let the captain speak with the Radiant then he will call for you, if necessary, sire.”

The man delivered the message but was not at liberty to answer questions. Without moving from the doorway, he waited impatiently.

No time to dress properly at such a summons. Vangee gave him no glance.

“Come for me if there is a need, lady.”

She nodded before moving like a wraith down the dark silent corridor, clad only in night dress and robe.

When Gambrel closed the door, he tuned into the natural ship noises as he knew them. Something sounded wrong, but he wasn’t familiar with all the workings of the Fenix so made no guess what the problem might be.

For the first time in many moon times, he pulled out his leather tunic, trousers, and coat. While waiting for a likely summons to the captain’s quarters, he pondered a myriad of possibilities while eating.

The call came at last. Spoors appeared at the door once again, requesting he attend the captain and Mistress Windrum. Long strides ate up the distance, his worry so great.

“Sit and let me get you a clear-cut of wine.” Merlo indicated a chair at his large table next to Vangee. Behind him, the desk lay cluttered with maps. Several lay open on the table.

“Nothing for me, Captain. I ate not long ago. I suspect I will need a clear head this full-dark.”

“True about the head, but the problem needs something to help it along.” Merlo sat a clear-cut of dark ruby wine before Gambrel. The aroma of spices rose to fill the space around him. Vangee also held a clear-cut.

Worry sketched hard lines across her features. “The Fenix and several other ships ran afoul of another rock storm. It came and went so suddenly few were aware below decks.” She let the captain elaborate on the trouble.

“We lost a ship.” Merlo’s expression grew pensive. “I knew we would not finish this voyage with the fleet intact, but I hoped.” He walked the cabin and muttered, “I hoped.” He returned to the table. “Because the storm struck so suddenly and viciously, ships were unprepared. You remember how we took in the sails and cleared the decks? All hands and passengers sheltered before that first tempest became violent.”

Memories played through Gambrel’s mind. Crashing sounds when rocks hit the planks and sides of the vessel. The constant clamber stretched nerves unused to such things. No way to control what was happening. For a man used to dictating the terms in his life, he remembered the helplessness.

“Did the Fenix suffer damage, Captain?”

“Aye, sire, she did.”

Gambrel thought the ship invincible. At least he wanted her so. He did not want to think he sailed through open space with nothing around him save an invisible burrblin.

“What damage? Can it be repaired?” His gaze shifted to his lover. “How can she assist you?” Before either answered, he held up a hand. “Sorry. I forgot. A Radiant soothes those who hurt or are in shock. Were there injuries, sire?”

Vangee touched his arm, accepted his apology with that one contact. “Twelve ships sustained damage. Many were injured. A large flamer crashed through the side of the Fenix, in the engine room. Two crewmen are hurt.” Knowing his thoughts about the unseen protection around the ship, she whispered, “Though the Fenix still sails, we must find a planet that can repair the burrblin.”

Shock widened Gambrel’s eyes as he grasped her meaning. If the atmosphere around the ship failed, passengers would die. His throat closed as if the equipment already stopped supplying air. Pulse pounding, sweat gathered beneath his leather tunic and coated the inside of his leggings. Large hands gripped the table’s edge so hard that his fingers turned white. By massive effort did he pull himself together.

A faint glow at his side alerted him. Vangee sought to help. Though concerned with the ship’s fate, his spirit lightened. The same effect would spread beyond the captain’s cabin. Others needed the assurances of a Radiant.

Captain Merlo laid a map open on the table. “This is the sector in which we sail. You have travel extensively, sire. Do you know of any planet near our position that can accommodate a large number of ships?” He seemed calm yet determined to save his ships.

“I make a sorry statement to you, Captain. The thought of something happening to the Fenix or the fleet is hard to absorb.” Gambrel pulled the maps closer. “Let me see our position. Maybe I can help.”

Except for the occasional shuffling of charts, silence settled long in the cabin. Tension became a palatable object the longer he worked. After carefully examination, he pointed to a planet not too far away but not on the fleet’s designated course.

“Here. Ambiax. The people stand well above our heads, but they welcome strangers. I have ventured there several times while looking for an acquaintance.” He failed to mention he sought a murderer. Or that he had killed the man not long after.

“After I contact the Ambiax central port and gain permission to enter for repairs, I will signal the fleet. Do you know anyone on the planet?” A shake of the head told the captain he was on his own when talking to the Ambiaxans.

“Vangee, the damaged ships are in close proximity. If you will calm those aboard, I would appreciate it. I must contact the main port. I shall return soon. With good tidings, I hope.” Merlo left with a determined expression on his face.

Gambrel kept his eyes on the maps, but Vangee moved to the center of the room. “May I be of help?”

“Now you ask where before you told.” Her voice bit out the harsh sentence in low tones. She closed her eyes and spread her arms wide. Illumination brightened around her.

What did she mean, now you ask but before told? Confusion muddled his thoughts. Her words made no sense.

He turned in his chair to watch her. Optimism emanated through the cabin, reached far beyond the walls of their ship. His breathing calmed, his fingers relaxed, and tension eased from his body. Always when Vangee used her Radiant powers, a faint musky scent filled the air, not unpleasant, just uniquely hers.

As the glow from her radiance faded, Merlo returned to the cabin. “Good news, my friends. The main port, Cabrilla, will accept our fleet, help with repairs, and aid our wounded.”

“Good news indeed.” Vangee sat rather heavily, her strength tested but not found wanting.

“Captain, what ships anchor at Cabrilla?” Gambrel’s enemy Handid, or Haggin as he was now called, might dock. If so, he could finish the job he set out to do fifteen twelve-moons ago. Revenge for Lindan Mulis.

He would leave the fleet once he made the kill. No one would want a murderer sailing with them.

Regardless of what he called himself, enforcer, avenger, or hired gun, these kind folks would call him killer. Revenge lay too ingrained in his blood to back off now. Regret he must give up Vangee settled in his heart. She didn’t love him, but he loved her. Being near her soothed his soul. A deep sigh rattled the papers on the desk.

“I have the list here.” Merlo slid the paper across the table.

There it was…the Unseen. An unusual name for a ship, but then Haggin probably named it since he commissioned the vessel after he married the owner’s daughter. A slow lifting of lips created a tight smile of pleasure.

The door closed with a noticeable click. He looked around to find Vangee gone. “Where does she go?”

“On deck to survey the damage. Danger still abounds, and I tried to persuade her to wait until the rock shower passed. But,” Merlo lifted his shoulders in the universal shrug of a frustrated male, “a woman like her answers to few. She does what she thinks is right.”

Fearing for her safety, Gambrel hurried from the captain’s cabin. A screaming whistle neared, and he ducked as a single flamer flew over his shoulder headed straight for Vangee.

“Vangee!” Heart in throat, he ran across the deck. Not fast enough. The rock clipped her shoulder. She fell like a stone.

Terror choked him as he dropped to his knees beside her body. He gathered her into his arms, a sheen of tears watering his eyes. “Sweet one. Dearling, please wake. Hear me.” He smoothed her hair aside while he spoke nonsense, hoping she would hear and awake.

“Wake. I can’t breathe when you lie so still. I need you, Vangee.” His deepest desires poured from his soul. “Please, don’t leave me.”

A feminine groan of protest set his hulking heart hammering harder. “Are you well, my love?”

“Now you ask.” Vangee’s weak smile mirrored her still form lying in his arms.

“What does this mean, now I ask? You said that before, and your anger comes from those words, I think. But I do not understand, beloved.” No point pretending he cared any less than a true mate.

“’Brel, look at me.” A small hand cupped his face. “Remember the night we made love?” Her smile warmed him. “You said you loved me.”

In lieu of words, he gathered her close again and held her. Still afraid she might die.

“And then you told me I did not love you.” Her eyes drooped, and her smile faded. Unshed tears sparkled on her cheeks. “Never once did you ask if I loved you. You assumed not.” Her hand lay against his cheek. “How unfair of you, ‘Brel. Your superior male thoughts angered me.” She coughed. “Boratax? Boratax!” The name reverberated with ridicule. “I never loved him. Oh, I once thought I did.” She settled more comfortably in his embrace. “I never loved any man until I met you.”

His confused thoughts settled quickly on two points. She did not care for Boratax, the space explorer. And she implied she… loved him?

“Vangee, why were you so angry?” Her words would free his soul or send him to the depths of the underworld.

“You did not ask me if I loved you.” With a secret smile on her face, she snuggled close. “Ask me, ‘Brel. Ask.”

Afraid to do such a simple thing, his breath faltered. Fear like he had never known choked off his words. Breathe, he told his body. Breathe!

“Vangee?” Was the burrblin still working? Was he so air-depleted? Flaming rocks sporadically pelted the ship. He settled on his bottom on the deck, admired the sight of her hair where it flowed over the sleeve of his coat. His hug turned desperate as he tried again. “Vangee, do you, can you…love me?” He immediately closed his eyes and held his breath. Time marched like an old man moving through a thick bog, slow and heavy. When no answer came, he cautiously opened one eye.

Vangee lay relaxed in his arms, as if after a thorough loving. Sheer pleasure and delight flushed her features, and she glowed like she did the last time they made love.

“Open your eyes, hulking one.” The easy reminder of what she once called him brought a smile to his stiffened lips so he opened both. She caught his gaze and held it with her sparkling yellow slits. “I will not declare my love to one who will not look at me. He must know how sincere I am. I want my love to see the emotions: care, worship, adoration, and devotion. Love. I carry these in my heart. I pledge to share them with you, Gambrel Sarjean, if you will be my mate.”

Despair became hope. Gambrel awoke from his fear of her death to a new existence. Her love made him a new man. No more would he walk alone through this plane. What went before set the stage for completeness.

His head buried in her hair, he rocked her. They shared loving words, feelings and hopes, clearing up concerns and misunderstandings on the deck of a damaged ship in the middle of a fading rock attack. Nothing in space or time was as important as the treasure he held tucked close to his body. Nothing would ever be that important.

By Jane Carver

Warning: Adult Content

Gambrel woke sprawled in his bed, one side warmer than the other. One sleepy eyelid open, he spotted Vangee tucked into his embrace, her hair in disarray over his arm and chest. She sighed, stretched until one leg rode his thigh. Like any man who woke with a beautiful woman at hand, his thought turned to passion.

Coaxing his drowsy lover, he eased her up onto his body. She covered him like a small but seductive swathe. From there, he massaged the shapely muscles of her bottom. The warm smell of their lust drifted from her skin.

The windows in the rear wall remained opaque. Was it morning rise already? Black space surrounded the fleet now. Seven bells rang above decks. The early watch neared its end.

Vangee woke with a smile and a sigh so sweet that Gambrel’s heart flip-flopped in his breast. Soft kisses caressed his nipples. Her skin warmed more, and the scent of woman pressed into his senses. Slowly she reared above his body, her back arched, her hands working the muscles of his shoulders, chest, waist. The cheeks of her firm backside surrounded his shaft. Sensual words filled his ear as she knelt over his hips, got his hands where she wanted them then reached between her legs.

Gambrel almost came off the bed when she clutched his arousal in a firm velvet grip. With the skill of one recently taught, one who took pleasure from the lesson, Vangee guided his blood-filled erection to her opening.

“I want you.” Her last words as she lowered her sheath around him, her inner muscles squeezing and pressing. She drove him mad with need.

“Ride me. Pull my mind from my body.” His hands settled so hard against her waist she whimpered, but clasped them to her side when he tried to move them away.

“Never think you hurt me. Only if you go away.” She performed a sensual dance upon his shaft. “Never leave me,” she whispered and proceeded to drive him out of his mind.

He weathered her force and met her evenly, his own body powering into her softness, grinding his bones against hers, his injuries forgotten in the magic of loving Vangee.

Their climax erupted with such fury their screams surely rang along the lower decks. Neither noticed nor cared how much noise they made. Pure light filled them.

Vangee glowed. Her mystic light shown through his closed eyes. He imagined the brightness, but opened his eyes to see the illumination real. Astride his hips, head back, arms straight, fingers bruising his upper arms, a spectral beauty surrounded her.

The luminosity brightened further. He swore his body had been sucked into hers. The light faded, and he slowly reentered his own casket of bones, muscle, and blood.

“What happened?” Gambrel asked first because he drew breath sooner than her. She still appeared locked in some holy illumination. Did this have anything to do with being a Radiant?

The glow around her faded slowly.

He forgot his question when she collapsed like a boneless lump onto him. For a minute he worried she might be mind-lost or ill. When she blew a loud snort of air into the hairs of his chest, he smiled. Nothing wrong. Just worn out.

“Good?” He had to ask even as he knew the answer. She didn’t see his wide grin.

“I have nothing to compare with this,” Vangee admitted. “No man before you has come to me so I cannot say if you are better than any other.”

He stiffened in indignation.

She laughed. “I can certainly say this time was the best we have yet shared.”

With no modesty, she sprawled out upon him, one hand on a nipple, her legs wide across his hips. Her woman’s wetness still watered his shaft.

One large hand pushed her tangled purple curls off her face to lay down her back. “You are a wanton woman. And a fast learner,” he complimented with nothing but the truth. “Though my cock thinks it should be buried in your tempting body, we should get to our duties.”

A loud groan denied the necessity, but she got up. “You are a beautiful man.” She kissed him.

“Men are not beautiful, Vangee. Such words dig at our manhood.” He sounded insulted, but the denial of appearance came out sounding funny.

“Be that as you wish. You are a strikingly handsome man.” She wobbled when she stood.

Gambrel lay flat on his back but held out a hand to steady her. “You are sore?” After the activities of the full-dark, her slow walk across the deck to the dressing panel represented a feat of mind over bruised body. He refrained from chuckling in pleasure. She would think him laughing at her discomfort.

When ready to leave the cabin, Gambrel stopped Vangee. “A word.” How to say what he must? He hesitated so long she tried to go around him.

“I say this though it pains me. This is truth, however, and not to be denied. I love you. You don’t love me. You shared an incredible full-dark with me. You say I fascinated you from the beginning.”

She nodded but shot him an odd glance.

“Be that the way it is or not, we must be on our guard so others do not think less of you for what we did. Some day you will part from me, and this will be a fond memory. I would not change a sixty-brace of it. But you will forget it times from now. You will perhaps love Boratax, the explorer. I will no longer matter.”

Though he loved and wanted her more than his next breath, he assumed she did not share the same passion. She embraced wholeheartedly what they did in the dark, but that was not enough to build a future on.

A look he had never seen crossed her face.

“Are you finished?” Soft words hissed like the sound of an angry water flyer. Dark gray eyes snapped, the yellow slits narrow and cold looking. Her expression hardened into a deep scowl.

What did he say wrong?

Her fury burst over him. “You know what you think but never asked me what I think. You told me what I will believe.” A bottom-deep breath expanded her chest. “Do not think for me!” Vangee snarled his words back at him. “I might wish to forget this times from now? What do you know of what I wish? You never asked me.” She opened the door so hard it rattled. “Men!” The portal shook as she slammed it closed.

Gambrel stood with limp hands at his side and gaping mouth, lost in pure ignorance.