Corsairs: Kaspar (Corsair Brothers 2) - Page 91

"I'm not a big fan of it either." He rubs my shoulders as we sit in our bed, and Sterre paces nearby. She hasn't left my side for a moment since Gloom arrived, which I'm hugely grateful for. We're at a loss of what to do with him. He offered to climb back into the pit as a show of trust. He says he was coming to meet me. That he heard me call out to him the other day and he initially ran because he thought it was a trap, but he had second thoughts. He heard another pair of glads mention finding an abandoned escape pod a while back, and he figured that we might be plotting to leave.

Gloom really, really wants to leave with us.

I think it all smells of bullshit.

For now though, he's on a bed of leaves at the bottom of the tree, and we have the ladder pulled up and Sterre guarding us. If he tries anything, we'll know about it in advance. Part of me hopes that Sterre's mate wanders into our territory and chews him to pieces, but I doubt that'll happen. After the initial mating, Sterre hasn't shown a bit of interest in finding her mate. She's more interested in staying at my side and guarding me. I guess that's why they make good protectors.

"Well, I could go kill him," Kas offers. "That would solve the problem of whether or not to trust him."

"Yeah, but what if he's just what he says he is?" I ask. "A goober that's not cutting it as a gladiator and wants out? I'd feel like a real asshole if he's legit and I don't trust him."

"Shit happens," Kas says, and I wonder if he knows that's a human saying. "You can't control the universe. If he stands in our way, I'll take him out."

Right now he's not, though. If anything, he's being ultra-friendly and helpful. "Go look at him," I tell Kaspar, gesturing at the base of the tree. "Go see what he's doing."

Kaspar gets to his feet, presses a quick kiss atop my head, and grabs a knife, then heads down the ladder. We've moved all of our weapons into the bedroom, too, because you can't be too careful. It's been a long, stressful day, and it doesn't help that it started before dawn. We must have talked to Gloom for hours. No wonder I'm tired and hungry.

Or maybe I'm just pregnant.

Still waiting for that sign from the universe.

A moment later, Kas pops his head into the bedroom. "He's down below on his bunk," my alien tells me.

"What's he doing?"

"Snoring."

I arch an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I'm dead serious. He's passed out." Kas shrugs. "Maybe he hasn't slept well in the last while? I know I wouldn't if I'm being hunted."

"No, you'd just be too busy digging pit traps," I tell him, and decide to climb down the bedroom ladder to see for myself. Sure enough, when I get to the lower level of the ship, I peer out the door and down below. In the same spot where we left him, Gloom is sprawled in the leaves, his hands behind his non-horned head. Snoring.

Either we have captured the worst gladiator ever, or he's putting on quite the show.

I'm starting to think it's not a show, though. If that's the case, then what? Are we now saddled with a big, dumb third wheel? Or will Gloom's masters start hunting for him when he doesn't show back up again? I glance back at Kaspar, who's trying to hide a laugh. "You think this guy's really this big of an idiot?"

He shakes his head. "If this is all true, I can see why he wants to leave. He's not going to last very long in the arena. They're a cutthroat bunch because they're born and raised to be. This one…" He shrugs. "I don't know what's going on with this one."

"I don't suppose you can just waltz up to the lord of this school as a fellow mesakkah and ask him to help rescue us?"

"Now, Sunshine." Kas pulls me against him, all smiles. "What kind of corsair would I be if I didn't have a healthy price on my head?"

"A rescued one," I mutter. But it's probably for the best. I'm not keen on putting my life in the hands of slavers.

Again.

We'll just have to figure something out. "We need to find a way to get Gloom to prove that he's the real deal."

And suddenly, I have a terrible, awful, mean idea.

62

KASPAR

I clear my throat and shake the tiny tube of dried inukni worms in front of Gloom's disgusted eyes. "If you want to be part of our crew, these are the rules."

Gloom swallows hard. "Really?"

"Really," Alice says in a hard voice. She adopts a spur-busting personality around him to intimidate the guy, and it's definitely working. At first he watched my female with a hungry sort of stare, but lately he watches her like a kicked animal, as if he's afraid to get her attention. I almost feel sorry for him…except I find it incredibly hot when Alice gets tough.

Tags: Ruby Dixon Corsair Brothers Fantasy
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