The Kraken King by Meljean Brook Read Free Book Online Page B

up as the other flyers began to descend, using her free hand to shield her eyes against the sun. Pink tinged her cheeks.
    “My head must not be as big as you thought,” he said. “You should have ridden with your skirt up.”
    She laughed and her gaze flew back to his. The pink deepened. Not a sunburn. A blush.
    Good. Ariq wanted to lay waste to her, too. Fire in her blood was a promising start.
    But not one he could pursue any further now. Commander Saito spoke behind him.
    “Good afternoon, Governor Jagungar.” The formality of his greeting didn’t conceal his amusement.
    Reluctantly, Ariq released Zenobia’s hand. She glanced at the commander, then up at Ariq again. A slight frown formed between her brows. Her halting ‘thank you’ earlier had probably been all of the Nipponese that she knew. Now she must be uncertain whom Saito had been talking to.
    “I’ll speak with him. See that your friends are well,” he told her.
    Saito waited at the ship’s side, looking to the west. A dense column of smoke rose from the burning airship. “Did any others survive?”
    “In the lifeboats.” Ariq watched the sailors tether Taka’s flyer. “I’ll quarter the passengers and aviators in my town until the French can come for them.”
    “Of course you will,” Saito said, stroking his short beard. Ariq suspected that the commander had grown it to give his features a more mature appearance—and to conceal his ready smile. The man was never serious for long. “My insignificant boat cannot hold a small complement of aviators.”
    Ariq grinned. A full city could be housed on this ship. Ten years ago, it had housed a city’s worth of soldiers and patrolled the waters to the north that marked the boundary between the territories claimed by the Nipponese and the Golden Empire. But in the past decade, the Khagan had begun to withdraw his forces, recalling them to the mainland. Now the ironship sailed with minimal crew and no objective other than to remain prepared for another war with the Golden Empire.
    The recent attacks had given them all more to do. Ariq glanced back at Zenobia. “The woman who arrived with me might have been the marauders’ target.”
    “And my ship’s poor defenses cannot protect one woman.”
    “They wouldn’t come for her here.”
    “Most would not dare attack your town, either.” But Saito nodded, his shrewd gaze falling on Zenobia. “And most wouldn’t have fired on a French battleship.”
    “If they’re after her, they’ll risk my town.”
    “ Are they after her?”
    “We’ll find out if they come.” And if they didn’t, Ariq would have the additional time with her that he’d wanted.
    If he could get to her. The female mercenary had quickly alighted from the seat behind Taka and moved to Zenobia’s side. The male mercenary jumped from his flyer—and landed with a resounding thunk on the iron deck.
    Mechanical legs. Perhaps more of his body had been altered, as well.
    Saito studied the man for a long moment before looking to Zenobia again. “Who is she?”
    “I don’t know yet.”
    “And the other woman . . . is her sister?”
    “An ambassador’s wife.” Who was looking in Saito’s direction while Zenobia spoke to her. “He’s in the Red City.”
    “The one who arrived with you—is her husband there, as well?”
    Husband? Dread thickened in Ariq’s gut. He hadn’t even considered that she might be married. “I don’t know.”
    “I believe we will soon.” Saito assumed his polite expression as the woman left Zenobia’s side and approached them with a determined stride and a warm smile. Before she reached them, he added softly, “I see that you found your brother.”
    “Yes.”
    And now Taka stood stiffly by his flyer, his gaze forward, focused on nothing. The sailors nearest to him carefully avoided looking in his direction. Worse than looking through him as if he didn’t exist—yet better than the stares from the sailors who stood farther away.
    Ariq