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H
ara came to stand by Gideon, who was in his favourite spot on the bridge, a chair that looked through the large windows at the front.
She asked, “What do you see?”
He had better eyesight than her in any of his forms. “He has stripped the land.”
Hara leaned over to see down onto the land. It was all cultivated and the land torn from farming for more people than the Duchy could reasonably hold. He must be selling the excess. Hara wondered what he would need the money for.
The castle itself came into view and Gideon said, “If you want to make an entrance, cut the engines soon and bank left. Hard.”
Hara gave the order to Alice, who was at the helm. The Blazing Blunderbuss skidded across the sky. Hara wasn’t worried, though everyone on the bridge was holding on as they tipped precariously. Gideon had been in the air all his life and he knew the specs for the ship so he could make calculations in his head.
The Blazing Blunderbuss came to a rocky stop. Hara looked out of the window and saw that they were above the wall of the castle. Several soldiers were pointing weapons at them but they didn’t dare shoot. If they clipped the envelope, they might cause an explosion and even if they didn’t and brought the airship down, it would take out the whole east tower.
Hara pursed her lips, impressed by how close Gideon’s calculations had brought them. She turned and gave orders to Liam to secure them. She went out to the deck and called down to the soldiers, “We are here to see the Duke. We have a business proposition for him.”
One soldier peeled off and dashed down the stairs. They would hear soon enough if they were permitted to stay. Hara hoped the fancy flying would convince the Duke that they were the kind of flyers that he needed to move his goods. Considering the way the Duke had stripped his land, she knew he would have a lot to move.
A woman came out. She had red hair in a braid and wore a sumptuous velvet gown, though Hara could imagine her in similar clothes as her own of leather breeches. The woman studied them with a hand on her waist. “What brings you all here?”
Her Roshian accent was subtle, telling Hara that the woman had been living outside of Rosh for a while. But Hara had been listening to a lot of Roshian accents recently and knew that was the woman’s origins. Curious to have a Roshian woman in the Empire questioning them for the Duke.
Hara understood now the Emperor’s concerns. Hara called down, “We heard you might need an airship to move cargo and we are the best. Do you think we can come down and talk like civilised people?”
The Roshian woman studied them with narrowed eyes but eventually nodded her head. Hara descended the rope ladder with Gideon. The others waited above.
The Roshian woman eyed the two of them. “Who are you?”
Hara offered a hand which the woman ignored but Hara simply shrugged it off. “I am Captain Hara and this is my mate Gideon.”
The woman looked at Gideon. “What are you?”
Gideon smiled with his teeth before he answered, “I’m a mathematician.” He motioned to the ship. “How do you think we knew when to cut the engines to make a move like that?”
The Roshian woman shook her head, clearly expecting another answer. Instead, she introduced herself. “I am Helena. The Duke says you may stay for the night and then you will leave in the morning.” The usual guesting laws.
Hara grinned. “Perfect. We will have him convinced before supper that we are the ones he needs.”
Hara whistled and Alice sent the lift down with the others. They had decided that most of them would go into the castle just in case Hara needed the muscle. But Alice along with Henry and their passenger Puck would remain on the airship to help them escape when they needed to. Single file, the crew of Blazing Blunderbuss followed Helena into the castle and off the wall.
Gideon ran his hand over the wall and said to himself, “Interesting.”
Hara wondered if it was an ‘interesting’ he could share in a mixed crowd or whether she would have to wait until they were private. Gideon obviously thought it was safe to share as he turned to her. “The walls are very thick. Very thick.” He emphasised the last sentence.
Helena glanced over her shoulder. “The castle which was here before didn’t suit the Duke. He has made some improvements since his wife’s death.” Helena glanced at Gideon and added in a reverent voice, “Most people don’t even notice.”
Gideon flashed Helena a grin. “I told you I’m good with numbers.”
Helena lowered her lashes. “I’m sure that isn’t the only thing you are good at.”
Hara let a smirk touch her lips. It seemed that no matter where they went, people would flirt with Gideon.
Hara put the girl out of her misery. “He is taken.” Helena looked at Hara and raised an eyebrow in question so Hara answered, “Yes, he is mine.”
Gideon corrected her. “Actually, she is mine. We are still negotiating about me being hers but I have high hopes it will be agreed upon soon.”
Hara blushed. She knew what Gideon was talking about and it wasn’t just about collections. It was about sharing his bed.
Hara hissed at Gideon. “Is there a reason you are sharing this information with strangers?”
Gideon shrugged but otherwise didn’t answer. Helena brought them into a large hall where the Duke was draped over an elaborate throne. When he saw Gideon, though, he quickly got to his feet. He stalked towards the crew and Gideon.
Duke Lysander was a tall man with striking features. He wore black with a white blousy shirt. He studied Gideon as he approached. “What brings such interesting people to my door?”
Hara knew she needed to set the tone so said crisply, “Money. We heard you need things moved and you pay well for a diverse crew.”
The Duke turned his attention to her. He stalked towards her like a panther. He caught Hara’s hands and brought them up to his lips, one hand at a time.
He kissed the knuckles of one hand as he said, “Diverse? Certainly beauty is part of what makes your crew diverse.”
Murphy smacked Liam on the arm. “See, the Duke also thinks you are cute.”
Talen snapped. “Shush. He must be lying, as no one would think you are cute, Murphy, and he included the whole crew.”
Murphy looked offended. “Excuse me. I was once sold as a sex slave. They said I had a stunning physique.” He demonstrated by flexing his muscles.
The Duke looked confused at the debate amongst Hara’s crew so she took his hands and drew him away. Gideon could make sure the rest didn’t get into trouble. “Why don’t we discuss this in private, my lord? I’m sure we could come to some accommodation.”
The Duke thread her hand through the crook of his arm and flashed her a brilliant smile. “I think that is a marvellous idea, my flower.”
Hara wanted to gag. The Duke took her to a study and released her to pour a drink. He motioned with the brandy bottle for her to take a seat. Playing to her part, she sat on the edge of the table and picked up something random.
She said casually, “You have a nice place here. I heard the missus gave it to you when she started pushing up daisies.”
“Over two years now. She would have been proud of what I have made of her former home. But I don’t really want to speak of deceased spouses. Tell me about the dragon that is with you.” He finished pouring his drink.
“Gideon? What is there to tell? He is annoying but he is useful. I can guarantee you won’t have to worry about pirates or anyone else messing with your cargo. That is the special extras that only my crew can offer and worth every penny.” Hara hated sometimes when she used her acting skills she had learnt at her father’s knee.
The Duke gave her a glass of brandy and asked, “Will the dragon mind if he shared you?” Over his dead body.
Hara was in desperate need for a shower. She didn’t understand how he had convinced a naive girl that he was safe enough to find refuge with. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Hara purred.
The Duke put his hand over her hand, which held her glass. “Shall we seal our deal now or later?”
Hara smiled flirtatiously but inside she was thinking of ways to gouge out his eyes. “Tonight after everyone is asleep. I will come to your room.”
The Duke leant down to give her a kiss but at the last moment she turned her head so he kissed her cheek.
When he pulled back and frowned at her evasion, she said, “Tonight. I want you to be patient and trust me, it will be worth it.” Hara reached out and ran a hand over his chest. She hopped off the table. “Now let us set in writing the deal. I’m sure you will want us to get to work straight away.”
The Duke eyed her for a long while. “I will have my man of affairs see to it. Have dinner with us tonight and it should be ready when you come to see me tonight.”
“Tonight.” She even batted her eyelashes. Mostly because she needed to hide the shudder of disgust that ran down her spine.
When Hara left the study to find the others, she found Helena had taken them to their rooms. Only Gideon was waiting for her. She rushed over to him and tugged on his hand to take them somewhere private. She shuddered as she thought of the Duke.
When she looked at Gideon, he had a strange look on his face.
Hara asked, “Are you alright?”
Gideon asked, “Did he flirt with you?”
“Outrageously. He expects me to warm his bed in order to get the shipping deal. How crass?”
“Do you feel like I do when the noble women flirt with me?”
An interesting question. She hadn’t liked it when the noblewomen had flirted with him back at the court but she had known he wouldn’t do anything about it. He had lived a very long time. He had once lived at court as well and he had decided that she was interesting enough to add to his collection. She didn’t think the noble women had anything that was new or interesting to him.
She answered cautiously, “Yes.”
He pulled her close against his body. “Then I’ll make sure the servants send up a bath to your room.”
He was right. She felt the urge to scrub every inch of skin the man had touched. It also made her realise that the noble women really didn’t hold any appeal for him.
Hara let herself settle against his chest. “We have to play nice for supper tonight. You think you can do that?”
“Yes. As doing anything else will put us in danger.”
She liked that he was practical like that. She asked, worried, “You don’t mind waiting for me to be ready?”
“I’m a dragon. I have waited this long for you. Months and weeks are a mere drop in the ocean of time I have already lived. I can wait.” He said with enough fervour that she knew he was telling the truth.
Hara took in a deep breath with relief. She realised Gideon smelt different to every other man she had been close to. He smelt pleasant but she couldn’t put her finger on what made his scent different. It just was. She could stay there in his arms all night.