for this, for jealousy. She was his wife, he had to trust to her, not some random girl he’d found for crew, a girl who made Van itch. Maybe—
Of course. This Rillen was playing Ilsa. She’d never been away from home before, never tasted Estovan and its devious delights, never dealt with racks or merchanters who’d con you or deal you out of a fortune as soon as look at you. Ilsa believed what people told her, because she’d no reason not to—a bonded man would rarely lie, couldn’t lie unless his master ordered it. She’d known nothing but bonded men and women until the bonds had gone. Maybe this was her madness, as the men had suffered their rages. Or Rillen had fooled her—he must have, must have found out whose ship she was on, played her and drawn it out of her. She was his victim, not the instigator.
“You’re wrong,” he said. “You must be.” She must be because his mistake, his guilt, couldn’t be the cause of Van and Josie being in those cells. “You’re wrong.”
She took his hand and started to say something, but he shook her off.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, what lies you’re spinning, but you’re wrong. And you’re going to help me get Van and Josie out of those cells, and Ilsa out from Rillen’s clutches. Right now.”
* * *
Van Gast tested the door while Josie called through the grille.
“Skrymir?”
The answering voice was faint but determined. “Aye, Josie. I’m still here. It’s not as bad as it looks. The mail took the worst of it. Haban’s patched me, enough for now. Enough to get out of this stink pit.”
“How’s Haban?” Van Gast called. “I never thanked him for not handing me over about that diamond.”
“I’m alive at least.” Haban’s voice had lost its boom and ghosted down the corridor. “You can thank me by getting me out of here. Any idea how we’ll manage that?”
“Good question.” Van Gast straightened up. Nothing short of the right key or an explosion would get that lock open. He hadn’t really thought it would, but always best to check the simple things.
“They took everything off you?” Josie called.
“Of course,” Skrymir replied. “How in Oku’s name did they find out?”
“A traitor in the ship,” Van Gast said. “Gilda, I’m thinking.”
“Gilda? That’s my niece,” Haban said. “Don’t think too badly of her. She’s been trying to get me out of here.”
Van Gast’s answer was drowned out by the rasping sound of the far door—the door to freedom. It was tantalizingly close yet as unobtainable as the moon. Its dark and tempting prospect was not enhanced by Rillen’s appearance, or who he brought with him.
Four blank-eyed bond-slaves carried a litter padded with soft cushions. The reek of the mage preceded him, a stink that made dark memories swirl in Van Gast’s head and made Josie’s face tighten in hatred and fear. Only for a moment though.
The slaves placed the litter on the floor and the mage sat, glittering and marvelous, beautiful and malevolent. Van Gast swallowed hard. He had no way now to avoid Rillen’s choice, no time, no crafty plan. Nothing but the choice itself. His hand found Josie’s and squeezed it. For once in his life he was going to keep a promise, despite the fear that made his face clammy and his skin feel like it belonged to someone else, someone a lot smaller than him.
The next figure shocked him enough he almost forgot the mage.
“Ilsa?”
Josie cocked an eyebrow his way. “Someone I should feel jealous of?”
He shrugged nonchalantly and flashed her a grin, glad to have her here, glad to have something to take his mind and eye away from the bond he saw in Rillen’s hand. “Depends. She’s Holden’s wife. A lot of things suddenly make sense.”
A bunch of guards followed them down the corridor, all with pistols drawn. Two checked on Skrymir’s cell and stood guard there. Rillen stopped a yard from Van’s cell and the guards came on. In the face of those pistols, Van Gast decided that biding his time might work well. He could probably down two, no problem, but with the guards at Skrymir’s cell, and the others ready to shoot anyone, picking his time was essential, because there was stupid and there was suicidal, and there was probably no way out of this except to do it.
“Bring Van Gast out,” Rillen snapped. “You two, my lady here wishes to speak with Josie. You shall make sure she