Traveler (14 page)

Meanwhile, completely unaware of her silent observer, Brileia nervously stood before the door to the Captain’s cabin, clutching the old rabbit close while trying to bolster her resolve.  She had to know the truth.  There were simply too many inconsistencies.  The more answers she got, the more questions she had.  Taking a deep breath, she lifted a small hand and knocked lightly on the door.

Rahim had been in his quarters, poring over a letter clutched in his hands.  
The bird is coming dangerously close to being in the snake’s grasp,
the letter said.  
The bird seems to be flying in the dragon’s direction, if he knows how to catch it
.  

Rahim’s hands trembled.  The letter..had come a few days too late.  The bird was already aboard his ship...and Rahim had been too much a fool to see it right away.  His cabins were sparsely decorated, with nautical maps on the wall and a small bed against the wall.  It was dominated by a large desk in the middle, and this was what he was sitting behind.  “Come in,” he rumbled in answer to the knock, not looking up from the letter, lost in his own thoughts.  He thought it one of his sailors coming in with a report.

Hearing the deep voice of the Captain through the door, the petite girl took a deep breath before opening his door and stepping inside.  Dark blue silk swayed gracefully around dainty ankles as she paused for a moment to close the door behind her.  Then she turned to look at the man, holding the bunny against her abdomen.  She could do this...she could do it....she had to do it.  Taking another deep breath, she approached his desk with slow, measured steps, silently praying that she would not start shaking the moment he looked up.  “Captain?”

Rahim looked up, startled, from his perusal of the letter, his eyes narrowing slightly as he realized who it was that stood before him.  “Brileia.  To what do I have the pleasure?” he asked calmly, folding the letter in front of him and leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he slipped the letter into a breast pocket.

Determination shone in her eyes as she stared at him, the remnants of her earlier tears still quite visible.  The tip of her tongue slid over her bottom lip slowly before she finally spoke softly, keeping her fingers tight on the stuffed animal to keep from betraying her anxiety.  “I wanted to ask you a question...regarding the answers you gave...Aislin earlier.”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes.  What could she want to ask him about Aislin’s conversation with him earlier?  “Of course....ask away.  Sit down, if you need to, please.”

Brileia shook her head slowly, giving a faint smile that quickly disappeared.  “No...thank you, Captain, but that is probably not the best idea at the moment.”  She took a deep breath before continuing.  “How did you know my name and my nickname?  I never told either to you.  You told Aislin that he told you...about my nickname...and about what I looked like, did you not?”

Shit.
 “  Aislin told me, when she went to visit me earlier.  And I did, yes.  Is there a problem with that answer?”  Rahim already knew the answer.  The problem was he hadn’t seen her since she was four.  That was the problem.  Shit for him being an idiot and letting too much go.  He needed to get out of this mess somehow.
                “As a matter of fact...yes...yes, there is...you see...there is no way that he could have told you what I looked like so accurately when I was barely four years old the last time he saw me.  Also...he and I never told our real names to the others...at least, he didn’t before he disappeared, and only my parents know mine. So why would he break that confidence by telling you?” She asked quietly, clutching the bunny close to her chest.  

His expression was calm, but inside he was panicking.  He needed to figure out how to talk his way out of this.  The letter burned like a brand in his pocket.  His Bird was finally in front of him, and she was quickly preparing to fly out of his life again.  “He came ashore to watch you, while you grew up.  Every year, we made port in the city you grew up in, and every year he would go ashore for a day to find you.  He watched you grow, bird, and he confided in me, his only friend, about everything he was feeling for you and everything he was going through.  He divulged the secret of your name to me one morning after he had found out you were betrothed.  His heart broke, that day.”  He hated lying to her.

The pain was visible in her cerulean eyes as she stared at the Captain silently, trying to gather her thoughts.  Her voice was very quiet when she finally spoke.  “I see.  When did he die?”  His answer to her question would either verify her suspicions or his statement;  though she wasn’t certain which one she wanted to be true.

He thought for a moment.  What was a good timeframe for something like this?  He looked at her with a straight expression, his eyes meeting hers.  Her father had sent her a single missive, hinting at what had happened around six months before, but the timeframe was off, but by how much time Rahim did not know.  Rahim had nearly died, reading that missive.  “It must be...six months ago now, I think.  Before you sailed to the islands.”

Brileia nodded slowly, still looking at him.  “Funny...he learned of my betrothal before I did.” Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at the pendant she had worn constantly since she’d received it.  And for the first time in twelve years, she took it off.  She let out a breath before setting it down on his desk along with the old stuffed rabbit.  “Well, if he...cared for me as much as you claim, he would have tried to see me all those times he was supposedly looking for me.  You don’t need to lie for him any more.  Tell him...I won’t look for him any more.”  And with that she turned on her heel and walked out of his cabin, managing to keep her head held high even though she wanted to burst into tears.

He wanted to run to her and hug her, but the man she wanted him to be had died that day on the docks when he had left her.  The pendant...that pendant he hadn’t seen in twelve years, and to see her take it off, he wanted to reach out and stop her.  Instead, she had to walk away...and he had to let her go, had to let her hurt. “I’m sorry bird,” he whispered as the door closed behind her.  “I’ll keep you close to my heart, now, even if you hate me for it later.”  He took the pendant and slipped it over his head, hiding it underneath his black silk shirt.  The pendant brushed against the letter in his breast pocket.  “You didn’t have to look in the first place.  But now I know you’re safe.”

Alexander had listened shamelessly as the girl and the Captain spoke, slightly worried that he might do something untoward to her. He frowned, watching as she barely made it into her cabin before bursting into silent tears.  As sad as it was, there was nothing he could do for her at the moment...not right now.  He had other places to be and someone waiting for him to return.

Slipping unseen into the cabin that Aislin had been staying in, he quickly searched every inch until he was certain that he had gathered up everything that could be linked to her.  Thankfully she hadn’t brought anything with her the first time...so everything fit in the small bag he had brought with him.  Closing his eyes, he felt the magic flare to life over him and the sudden displacement, and when he opened his eyes, he was back at home.

***

                In the Capital, standing on a balcony overlooking the sprawling mass that was his city, the man called Silvertongue reached out and caught the falcon that was flying towards him on his heavily gloved forearm.  The man had bright green eyes and blonde hair that went to his shoulders, and a tan face.  The falcon looked weary, as if it had been gone on a long journey.  “What are you doing here, my pretty?” he asked, petting the hawk’s head with a finger.  He took off the parchment that was attached to its leg, then handed the bird off to a falconer.  “Ensure he is rested before he returns to his master’s ship.  If that Captain ever knew he had a traitor among his crew, he would kill him faster than could be calculated.  And see if you can find the location of Arielle and Darius.  My children have been entirely too wayward of late--we need to keep closer tabs on them, please.”  

Silvertongue walked off the balcony, into his private sitting room.  The room was richly decorated in scarlet and gold, with a blazing fire in the fireplace.  He opened the parchment, scanning its simple contents with a smile growing on his face, a predatory smirk.  
The Bird has shown herself.  Be prepared.  The trap will be ready.  Give me the signal when you are ready to spring it.
 He had placed spies in every major organization across this damned continent to find out when she showed herself, so he could follow his own suspicions.   Snake, evidently, hadn’t been able to keep his grip on her.

“Rafi,” Silvertongue called, and a man-in-waiting in black and gold livery stepped up and bowed.  “Yes, highness?”  “Prepare for a journey.  We have a little bird we need to put back in her cage. And be prepared; she will have company.”

Chapter 10

Aislin had rested in Alexander’s bed, as he had asked her to, using the lilac soap she had brought with her from her stepfather’s house.  She had slept in her black lacy panties and a black tank top, putting the rest of her clothing back in her room to put away later.  His bed was so comfortable, more so than she thought it ever would be.  She stirred, and got up, stretching her arms above her head, eyes still heavy with sleep.  She opened his bedroom door, going into the kitchen to get a glass of water.  It was nearly eight in the morning; she had slept the night away in his bed.

From the time he had returned from the pirate ship, Alexander had spent the remaining hours of the night wisely.  He had slept.  He had decided to sleep on the couch, not wanting to disturb his new roommate after her trying day.  As was his habit, he got up early, going to several different stores while Aislin slept undisturbed and safe in his bed.  He had gone to the grocery store last, picking up several fresh foods to restock his pantry.  Now that he had a roommate, one that was nearly college aged, he needed to be more responsible and make certain there was food to eat at all times.  At the moment he was putting the perishable items away, his thoughts flying a mile a minute.  Hopefully she would stay asleep for only a little longer so they could go to complete their much needed shopping.  She still needed a bed, among other things.  He turned back towards the table to grab the boxes of dried pasta and froze, his eyes widening in surprise when he caught sight of Aislin in just her underwear.

Aislin nearly dropped the glass of water in her hand, a blush deepening her cheeks to a scarlet color.  She looked around in a panic, not knowing if she should drop the glass or set it down.  All she knew was she wanted to run away from him and hide.  “Um...” was all she could answer, setting the glass on the table.  “Sorry about that...I didn’t think you’d be home so soon,” she mumbled, turning to run away, having to move very close to him to put the water on a safe surface.

“It has been all night, Aislin.  Besides...I didn’t want to do too much shopping without you.  It is your room after all.”  He murmured quietly, taking care not to look too closely and trying really hard not to think about it.  “We still have some time to find your bedroom furniture today...if you feel up to it.” Well, it was either that or she would end up sleeping in his bed again.

She blushed again. “I see...well...let me go get dressed then...okay?”  she practically ran to her room, her long legs flashing as she did.  She pulled on a pair of her shorts, wishing fervently  that she had something else to wear during the summer in Phoenix besides short, cutoff denim.  “I can sleep on the couch tonight,” she shrugged easily.  “It doesn’t matter to me.  That way tif we don’t have time we don’t have to rush through shopping...if that’s okay.”

“It is no trouble, Aislin.  Besides..it’s not late at all, it’s still early.  We have all day.”  He replied calmly, putting the last box away.  “I think it would be best to at least handle the furniture and necessities today.  Tomorrow can be more about the extra things.” Then he looked her directly in the eyes. “I am not going to take no for an answer.”

She blushed again.  “Okay, Alexander.  Then we’ll get it done today,”  Aislin said, her tone placating. She couldn’t meet his gaze.  She moved into the kitchen to grab her glass of water again.  “Should we go try to get the bed again?  With no jumping into the book world this time, hopefully?”

“Yes...hopefully we can get this handled without any incidents.  But even if you do, I will come and find you wherever you are.  So don’t worry over that.”  He gave her a reassuring smile before tossing her a keyring.  “Come on and when we’re through, we’ll talk...about everything, alright?”

Aislin nodded and followed him out to the car, going to the same store as before to pick out her bed and bookshelves.  She didn’t want to talk much while they were out, her mind still on Brileia, and on the fact that Alexander had practically seen her naked.  The thought still mortified her and if she dwelled on it too long a deep scarlet blush stained her cheeks.  She didn’t need to realize at that particular moment in time that the man she was living with now was just that--a man.  She walked over to the beds, careful not to lay down on the bed in case she got sucked in again.  There was one that she found without much looking, a soft down mattress that would be a dream to sleep on.  She turned and smiled slightly at Alex.  “I like this one,” she murmured.

“Then that is the one we’ll get.  Pick out a dresser for clothes and a desk.  You’ll need both.” He replied easily, glancing around for a salesperson. Another thought occurred to him, and he looked back to her.  “Don’t forget about bedding, Aislin.”

She nodded and began to navigate the aisles for bedding and the like.  She found a set, a rich comforter of deep purple and silver, and dark purple sheets to match.  She placed them in the cart, still not able to look at him, not speaking, then went to go look for a dresser, finding one of dark cherry wood, and a desk that matched, with handles made of what looked like tiger’s eye.  “I found everything I need, I think,” she murmured.