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“I love you.”
Those words entered his head, dwelled in his thoughts, swirled in his blood; passing through his body until he understood completely what she was telling him. However, it was too late. He belonged to someone else and they both understood this.
“I love you too, Laer." The tone in his voice didn’t carry the same tone of jealousy as hers. He hugged her and kissed her head as they both lay on the sandy beach. “You’re like a sister to me.” Laerchel snickered for a moment and rested her head against his shoulder, her hand touching his bandaged chest, careful not to hurt him. “You’ll like her. Davina. You’ll see.”
“I’m sure I will.” Cris wasn’t sure how to decode that tone in her voice, but it was a good response to him.
“You’re welcome to stay onboard tonight, dear. Go ahead and take my cabin. I’ll take a cot below.”
“You’re welcome to stay onboard tonight, dear. Go ahead and take my cabin. I’ll take a cot below.”
Laerchel propped herself on her elbow and looked at him, her golden hair looking like platinum under the bright moon. “Absolutely not. You need your rest, Captain. I’ll perch up in the crow’s nest.”
Cris wasn’t’ going to complain. He did need rest and a soft bed would be good. Besides, if Niela arrived later on, he feared her reaction to seeing Laerchel in his bed. “Just make sure Amy isn’t up there sleeping.”
“Aye, Captain.” She rose off the sand and helped him get up before heading onto the ship. Once on board, Laerchel turned and kissed Cris’ cheek. “Good night.” She turned and began to climb the mast in her dress. Cris chuckled and headed to the wooden stairs leading below deck. However, he didn’t notice Tia’Zula standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed and gray eyes staring at him.
“Joo suppose ta be asleep.”
“I’m going.”
“No wit sand in joo hair. Bath be ready.” Cris rolled his eyes and walked down the steps, past his cabin and one more deck below, where a tub was waiting for him filled with water. Tia followed close behind him and when he stopped, she said, “Undress.” Her troll hands began to undo the bandages around his chest as Cris began to undo his pants. Once he was completely naked, Tia held his arms so that he could carefully guide himself into the tub with her kneeling beside it.
“You treat me like a child sometimes, Tia.”
“Joo act like one, Cristianno.” She took a bowl and began to pour water over his hair and body. Cris pouted a bit and let her bathe him. She stared at him for a moment, particularly at his neck, where the missing teeth once hung. “I be fixin dat tomorrah.” Tia took the soap and began to rub his body with it. “Tell me, Cristianno, who be joor woman?”
Cris looked up at her between wet strands of auburn hair. “What do you mean?” Tia stopped and stared at him. It was a stare that made Cris sink a little into the water and turn away, but he repeated. “Tia, what do you mean?”
“Be it Laerchel or the Elf?”
He turned back to her. “It’s Niela. Why do you ask?”
Tia smirked and continued to wash him. “Den joo need ta stop bein so close ta Laerchel.”
“She’s my friend, Tia. She’s more than a friend. She’s…”
“Joo lovah?”
“What? No. She’s a sister to me. We’re family.”
With a grin, Tia dropped the soap into the water between his legs. Cris’ eyes widened as her blue arm reached in, grabbing more than just the soap. He turned to look at Tia. “Huh, no change. We be like family, Cristianno.” She smirked for a moment before letting go of him and taking the soap. “But if Laerchel ‘ad dropped the soap?”
Cris narrowed his eyes. “You-you’re talking nonsense, Tia.” He reached into the water, covering his parts with his hand. Tia laughed and continued to soap his body.
“Jus sayin’, Cristianno.”
“And I’m saying that Niela is my woman. We’re married and…” He stopped and looked at Tia with widened eyes.
“I tought so.” Removing his hand from the water, he covered his eyes and sighed. “Joo canno hide anyting from me, Cristianno. Anyting.” Her final word made him turn to her, watching her cautiously.
“What do you want, Tia?”
“I want joo alive. So does Ziggly. The last woman try ta kill joo. We dun need anotha doin da same.”
“Niela has no reason to kill me.”
“ ‘Oo said it ‘ad ta be da Elf?”
Cris threw his head back and sighed, his eyes fixated on the wooden ceiling. “Laer is not going to kill me.” The words Laerchel had told him earlier in the night ran through his mind. I was yours the moment you captured me and I will be yours until the planet dies. Cris gulped. “She wouldn’t kill me.”
Tia moved to the side and looked at him from above. “Joo nevah know, Cristianno.” She leaned down and kissed his lips, her tusks cold against his skin. “But we need joo alive.” She moved back to the side and Cris lifted his head, looking at her. “Joo two nevah had a blessing over joor vows, eh?”
Cris hung his head, shrugging. “Guess not.”
“When she return, I be giving joo a blessing. It be only fair, no?”
“Why do I suspect you’re going to do something other then a ‘blessing’?”
“Cristianno, would I evah do someting like dat?”
“Yes.”
Tia grinned. “It be an ol’ troll blessing. I promise no voodoo.” She began to wash off the soap, water cascading down his hair again. “But, if joo stray, den you be sorry.”
He turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”
“Do I need tah drop da soap again?”
“NO! No…”
“Good. Same will go for ‘er.” Tia rose off her knees and walked to where she had hung the towel. “Get up.” Cris struggled to get up from the wooden the tub, but he did with little help. “Joo getting bettah. No need fo’ bandages.” She walked to him and helped him out of the tub. Wrapping the towel around him, she glanced at the large shark tooth and touched it. “Dat be a good soul.”
“Niela…got it.”
“I like ‘er.”
Cris smiled and nodded. “Me too.”
Tia smiled as well. “Gud. Much bettah than the last weakling joo had. She be pitiful.”
“Tell me about it.” He shook his head. “No, don’t tell me about it. That’s done.”
The troll took some of the towel and began to dry his hair. “Joo need a cleansing. We need ta find joo one.”
“Can’t you do it?”
“One without biases.” Tia grinned at him. “I be checkin my connections and let ya know. Get dressed and go tah bed. And remembah, I know everting about joo, Cristianno.” Cris nodded and walked up the steps toward his cabin. The bath tired him out, perhaps Tia’s doing, but he decided to simply crawl into his bed without getting dressed.
Sometime between consciousness and sleep, he felt a delicate hand across his bandage-free chest. He smiled and wrapped an arm around the nude body beside him. Without opening his eyes, he nuzzled her. With a sleepy whisper, he simply said, “I love you, Niela.”
His wife’s familiar voice whispered against his neck. “I love you, Cristianno.” There was something lingering in her voice, as if she had more to say, but noticing that he was half-awake, she decided to wait.
He held her close before drifting away to sleep.
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