Treasure (23 page)

"Three dragons to build Kundou. One man to kill them all and steal their power," Kyo said bitterly.

Taka froze at the words, shocked by them. "What in the storms' names do you mean kill them and steal their power? That is not—"

Kyo abruptly stood up, nearly knocking Taka over in his haste. "Nothing," he said. "If you really want to learn magic, then come along. It is best to do it in the open so you can see the effects of it." He did not wait for a reply, but simply left, not quite slamming the door behind him.

What had Kyo meant by such a—a blasphemous statement? The dragons gave their power to King Taiseiyou I before choosing to vanish forever. No mortal could kill a god. What was Kyo talking about? Why would he say something so absurd? Scowling, Taka stood to follow him outside.

After a moment, he saw Kyo standing on the port side, staring out at the sea. Joining him, Taka demanded, "What did you mean by that—about someone killing—"

"Nothing," Kyo said. "Forget I said it."

"No!" Taka snarled. "You would not say something that
mad
unless you believed it to be true, Kyo! I am tired of you being so elusive and secretive. Whatever it is you are not telling me, it is breaking you. Tell me!"

Kyo stared at him, and Taka recoiled in surprise when Kyo's eyes shifted to dragon form—then cried out in pain when something seemed to
snap
in his mind and forced him to his knees. Cradling his temples, he drew a ragged breath and tried to look up and glare, but his hair flying about his face ruined the effect. "Must you be a spine fish about this?"

The wind kicked up again, then abruptly calmed as Kyo knelt in front of him. "Soak your head," he said. "Can you feel it, Taka? That wind was mostly you until I calmed it. Close your eyes and feel it, Taka."

"Soak
your
head," Taka snapped, but obeyed because he
did
feel it—mostly as a heavy queasiness in the bottom of his stomach and an ache throughout his body that was like his headache on a much grander scale. "I think you were right:  I don't like this. How long will it take to become accustomed?"

He startled when Kyo's hands cupped his face and slid up so that his thumbs pressed against his temples, hands curving around his head. "In your defense, Taka, you are being hit with very nearly the full brunt of the Eye of the Storm. When I was first introduced, it was already spread amongst my family and several relatives. That you haven't passed out is remarkable and speaks well of you. Stop thinking of how ill you want to be and instead think of something that makes you happy, something that calms you."

Taka didn't know what that was. Paperwork was calming in its monotony, but thinking of it then just reminded him he was no longer a secretary and did anything but calm him. Thinking of his mother just made him sad. When was the last time he had felt calm about anything?

No, he couldn't think of anything that calmed him. But happy—that brought to mind Raiden, which surprised and dismayed him. Unfortunately, it was true. The last time he'd been happy, for just a moment, was the other night when he had spoken with Raiden. The way Raiden had been adamant that Taka was still Taka, the way Raiden had made him laugh when Taka had been certain nothing could. The way he looked like he wanted to throw Taka down on the nearest surface and fuck him until he passed out. That soft brush of lips as Raiden had put the new necklace on him.

He hated to admit it, but Raiden was luring him in.

"That's better," Kyo murmured, breaking into his thoughts. "Hold that thought." His hands slid away from Taka's head, and he took Taka's hands, holding them firmly. "Whatever we do next, hold on to that thought. It's called a 'port thought' because it is where you always return when the magic carries you away."

Taka had the sudden urge, a burning
need
, to know Kyo's port thought. He bit the question back, however, knowing Kyo wouldn't tell him. "Now, still holding on to your port thought, think of the wind, Taka. Feel it like a good wine rushing through you."

To his surprise, doing so was remarkably easy. Taka made a soft, startled noise and jerked when he could, indeed, feel the wind. His eyes opened, and he stared at Kyo. "This is what you feel all the time?"

"Yes," Kyo said, "though never so acutely until I stole the Eye. Now that you are sharing it …"

He trailed off, and Taka smirked. "It's easier?"

"A bit, yes," Kyo conceded. "But you have a long way to go, so do not get arrogant."

"You do not have any land to stand upon to call anyone arrogant," Taka replied. "So I can feel the wind. What else can I do?"

Kyo's mouth quirked. "Control it, to a point, once you have learned more. Go swimming in the shark pool if—when we return to Kundou. Actually cause lightning to strike your merchant."

"Or your captain," Taka retorted.

Ignoring him, Kyo continued, "Manipulate storms and keep the mermaids at bay, though I think perhaps I cannot actually do that the way I thought. They have been staying away since … " He trailed off again, mouth tightening. "Hopefully they stay that way since from what I have gleaned, Kin killed someone of importance."

"I heard some of the sailors talking about it," Taka said quietly. "They said Kin killed his grandmother."

Kyo's eyes widened for a moment, and then he stared down at their clasped hands. "I see," he said softly. He seemed to shake himself. "It's a pity we cannot go swimming. That is often the best way to learn to use magic quickly. Acquiring gills is disconcerting at first, but it does not take long to grow accustomed. As much as you like to swim, you would love it. Come on." Keeping hold of Taka's hands, he pulled them to their feet.

He let go of one hand, but kept hold of the other, explaining, "Contact helps when teaching magic. I think it will work all the more since we are twins, though that is only a theory." Kyo reached out to touch Taka's face, wonder on his own. "I still cannot believe it, Taka. All this time we were twins. I wonder if my parents know you are alive."

"I doubt it," Taka said. "Though it makes me wonder what they believe." It hurt too much to think that, the entire time, the king had been so cold. That Kyo's brothers—He shuddered as he recalled the way Taiseiyou had looked him, not doubting that if he had stayed behind and not been given to Raiden—

Taka froze with realization. "You sold me to protect me."

Kyo's brows shot up. "What has that to do with learning magic?"

"Why would you do that?" Taka said. "It isn't necessary. There was no reason to sell me to Raiden when I was still working for you unless you thought I would not be working for you after we returned to Kundou. A moment ago you almost said 'if' but corrected it to when. You are not planning to return to Kundou. Why not?"

Sighing, Kyo rested a hand on the ship railing. "Why should I? I am doing what my father wants, and the price of my cooperation is freedom. That's all."

"You weren't going to ask me to go with you?" Taka asked, hurt and angry.

Kyo turned to look at him in surprise. "Why would I do that? You have your own life, Taka—"

"Stop being such a sea-addled idiot! Such a spoiled brat!" Taka snarled, giving in to a long-suppressed urge to grab Kyo and shake him. The wind kicked up around them, and the ship gave an alarming lurch, but he barely noticed. "We just discussed this! You keep everything to yourself, you hold on to it even as it drags you under instead of just letting go and allowing someone else to help! Why must you do that? When are you going to accept that you are the kind of fish meant to swim in a group, Kyo? When?"

"Taka, stop—"

"I'm not stopping!" Taka bellowed, too angry to quit. "If you even attempt to make me hold my breath, I will—" His words turned into a startled cry as the ship lurched again, sending them stumbling back. Kyo grabbed on to one of the many ropes that Taka thought had to do with the sails, barely keeping them up, but while they were still fumbling for balance the ship jerked again, and they stumbled the other way—and with a cry went overboard.

Taka held tightly to Kyo as they hit the water, panic mingling with the thought that he was never going to be allowed to forget that his temper tantrum had caused them to fall overboard. If Raiden laughed at him, he was going to throw Raiden overboard.

Kyo shoved him away, then grabbed his arm and pulled. Taka flailed when he realized he couldn't breathe—then realized just as suddenly that he could. He slapped a hand to his neck, which felt wrong. His whole body felt wrong, what was going on—

Gills, he realized. Kyo had mentioned that. Kyo grabbed hold of his arm again, and Taka focused on him, not thinking about anything else.

They broke the surface what seemed an age later, and Taka gasped for breath as his body changed again. He shivered in the water. "S-s-sorry," he said, forcing himself to look at Kyo.

Kyo just smiled at him, one of the easy, playful smiles that Taka had not seen since they'd set sail. He'd missed Kyo's smiles—missed Kyo, who seemed to withdraw a little more every day. "Pitching us overboard is trifling, Taka. Taiseiyou sank an entire ship. Thankfully it was a long-disused one, and only he and my father were on it at the time. My mother apparently caused a rainstorm that lasted an entire week. By comparison, your first misstep is positively boring. Here comes our rescue."

Taka cringed as the longboat reached them, but accepted the hand that Kin held out to him. He shivered as he sat down in the boat, the sunshine not quite enough to fight off the brisk wind blowing through his soaked clothes. A moment later, Kyo sat beside him, still looking amused.

"Thank you, Captain," Kyo said. "I apologize for the disruption."

Snorting in amusement, Kin replied, "You have never apologized for disruptions before, highness. Are you feeling well?"

"A bit damp, but otherwise fine," Kyo said.

Taka rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest in a futile attempt to block some of the wind. "I realize this entire debacle is my fault, but could you two please wait until we're back on the
Kumiko
to flirt?"

Kyo stiffened beside him and fell silent. Kin jerked his gaze away. Taka rolled his eyes at both of them, and they returned in silence to the ship. When he was finally back aboard, he sighed when he saw Raiden waiting with a grin already on his face. "One word, merchant, and I will throw you into the sea. Which would be doing everyone a favor, really, as it would ruin that indigo paisley monstrosity you are wearing."

Raiden's grin widened. "I don't know, Taka. You do not suffer from having your clothes soaked and plastered to your skin."

"Hold your breath," Taka replied, though he could not manage to muster his usual acerbic tone.

"Now who is flirting?" Kyo muttered beside him.

Taka rolled his eyes and went to go change.

Kin hated to admit it, even in just his own head, but he was going mad from sexual frustration. That he was completely hooked by Kyo just made it that much worse. They had been sailing for a month and a half, were halfway to their goal, and he could barely do his job because he was distracted by memories of Kyo writhing under him.

Damn Midori for interrupting. Kin felt he would have been a good deal less frustrated if they had been able to finish what they had started. Not that they should have started at all, he tried to remind himself for the millionth time. It was one thing to dally with a duke, but quite another to involve himself in any way with a prince.

No matter how beautiful or compelling that prince might be. Kyo sighed and rubbed his forehead, wishing desperately for a tavern, plenty of beer, and something pretty to distract him. He sensed that even the most accomplished whore in Pozhar would not be able to distract him from what he really wanted, however, no matter how much he wished he didn't want it. Him.

Kin stared broodingly out at the dark water, admiring the way the moonlight moved across it. The night was clear and crisp and almost too cold for him despite the fact his scales were almost constantly out. Since that morning when they had finally seen the back of Midori, and Kin had managed to catch Kyo alone in his quarters …

His body tensed at the memory, the feel of being pressed again Kyo, fingers tight around Kyo's wrists and pinning him in place while Kin explored every last bit of that haughty, smirking mouth. The untutored whimpers, the lack of artifice in Kyo's reply, had been the best and worst part. Someone as beautiful as Kyo, as experienced as he clearly was at manipulating the sharks of court, should have been at least as experienced in bed. But the gossip was correct:  Kyo was an innocent there. Kin had never had a taste for innocence, but the realization that Kyo was precisely that had shot through him hotter and more intoxicating than the finest Pozhar vodka.

He needed to stop thinking about it, but he may as well have stopped breathing. The most alluring part of all of it was how eager Kyo had been. However aloof and downright icy he was every other moment of the day, he had melted like snow before a fire in bed, and Kin wanted to be there again—wanted to be the one who showed Kyo everything he had been missing.

Wanted to be the only one who saw him melt.

Grimacing at himself, disgusted that he was being so melodramatic, Kin tried to think of something else before he embarrassed himself by strutting around the ship with an obvious bulge in his breeches.

The ship was quiet, and all but the watch were asleep. Kin should have been asleep, but with every day that passed, sleep became increasingly difficult to find. Not that he really needed it. Kin flexed his hands and frowned out at the ocean, hating the reminder of why it was stupid to ever do more than dally. What would a lover think, say, or do when he realized that while he aged Kin remained the same?

His men had not yet noticed, but in another few years they would, and that would be when the real trouble started. It twisted his gut to think that someday he would still appear to be in his thirties as, one-by-one all the people who mattered returned to the sea.