A month or so had passed and Alec Kruzika still had not found an avenue to apologize to his sister. There had been glimpses of moments, seconds in time that he felt he had enough bravery to admit his wrongs. Yet those were either ruined by some urgent delegation she needed to attend to, or Kaid’s presence. Alec would not apologize with him present in the same room. The disgust would overcome any of his desire to make amends with his sister.
His mission was equally time sensitive yet unable to be rushed. Failure meant this entire operation could collapse and the Continent would pay for it with a blood soaked war. Alec, as devious as he thought himself, did not want war. No, the more he began to grow comfortable in his home and interact with others, the more he too believed war would not solve this issue.
Alec didn’t pick sides, he picked people. Not people to show loyalty to, but people he wanted to plot against. He’d ally himself with anyone who hated his own enemy, regardless of the cost of friendships. He held no ill will towards Vrah or any of the Lungorian Empire. He held no ill intent towards his sister. In fact, he was beginning to really admire her. But he hated Kaid Al-Yami.
He fucking hated him.
Alec had thought the dismembering of the Guardian’s left hand would be a serious maim, a plight he could not solve. Yet, the Uhkhtarian never viewed it as an impasse to progress. No. The very essence of his injury challenged him. Despite his disability, he eagerly outperformed most of the Vitross Guards in training. He could do more push-ups with one arm alone than the others could with two, pull himself above gymnastic bars with no problem, and most of all, get thunderous applause every single morning after winning every duel.
The only time he wasn’t the object of attention was only when his sister would join in the mornings. At least she could still compete against him, whether outpacing him in a run or bend her way out of a wrestling match with him. Alec did take pride whenever Jessamine kicked his ass, figuratively of course. While Alec wished for the courage to duel Kaid in a training spar, he knew he lacked the discipline to not try and kill the man.
Killing him was part of the plan, but to do so in front of an audience was definitely not part of it.
When Alec entered the Empress’ office, he was met with a view of Kaid Al-Yami quickly lifting his pants up and adjusting his belt, struggling with the applied pressure of his wrist as his other hand assisted with the notches. Jessamine stood to the side, fixing her tousled hair before glancing at her brother.
“I’m sorry, was I interrupting something?” Alec asked, wondering what the hell Kaid could have been doing with his trousers practically unsecured.
“I see you have forgotten your manners about knocking on doors before entering,” Jessamine remarked, “I was helping Kaid try out some new belts. He’s not a fan of the elastic ones Christine invented for him as he tore the fabric too easily. Alas, we will continue to find accommodations for him.”
“And if not, then a normal belt is fine,” Kaid grunted, finally getting it done correctly without Jessamine’s help before his eyes met Alec. He could see Alec wasn’t all entirely convinced of Jessamine’s quick improvisation. “We have to make do with what we have.”
“I see,” Alec hummed, turning towards his sister, “May I speak to you privately?”
“I would say yes, but we have a Council to attend to. Can it wait until after?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle.
“You could join us, if you’d like,” Kaid offered, wanting to find some compromise. The fact that accommodation came from Kaid only made Alec want to reject it. That, and he shouldn’t have to be asked. It was by his own birthright he should be allowed into those meetings, meetings where decisions were made to use family funds or empirical judgements.
“Well that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Jessamine smiled at the notion, genuinely looking happy. Alec couldn’t deny it now, seeing just how pleased it made her.
“Fine,” Alec agreed, leaving his speculation and burning desire to apologize to the side. For now. When he turned back towards the hallway, Jessamine had glanced over at Kaid.
It was a playful kind, of course, with a hint of warning: That was way too close.
Good thing Kaid could at least slow time enough to get his pants back on, clean up the small mess…and adjust Jessamine’s dress. Of course, Kaid only held a proud smirk on his face as Alec had turned his back, making Jessamine blush in return.
Yeah, that was way too fucking close.
-
Governor Harken cleared his throat as he glanced over at Governor Ramin, “What news from Uhkhtar?”
“Relations between the villagers of my region with Uhkhtar have improved dramatically. Trade has become easier with the railroad and any raids from various nomadic tribes have stopped. The word is that Sabine has done a great job in controlling the volatile nature of the desert people. The economy is beginning to steady itself, if not flourish. There is a high demand for international goods, so we must make sure to maintain a steady supply.”
“Despite her denial for any Vitross turbines, she seems eager to work with us,” Kassandra added, “All of our delegations and letters have been positive.”
Good, Kaid thought to himself, knowing Sabine never answered any of the letters he had sent her. Then again, Jessamine had advised him to give her time. She was still recovering from her heartache, and there was no distinct window of time of when that wound would heal.
“Yes, there are rumors she denies another, as well,” Ramin half chuckled, “It seems Vrah, despite his proposal rejection in Uhkhtar to Empress Jessamine, offered another proposal in secret to Sabine.”
“That man is eager to be married,” Harken teased, the others laughing. Even Jessamine smiled at the small chaff but Kaid could tell she was slightly worried if Sabine would take that offer. Why wouldn’t she? She had a lot to gain with an alliance like that, and Jessamine knew she found Vrah attractive.
Although, Jessamine felt if Sabine learned the truth of Vrah being related to Kaid, that would turn her away from him entirely.
Kaid remained silent, unless directed otherwise. Jessamine had already warned him of mixed feelings of his return beforehand. And while most of them remained cordial, it was obvious Harken out of them all was not pleased to see Kaid back, and Jessamine not engaged. Then again, his region being closest to Lungor would see a great benefit in an alliance secured in marriage. Governor Ramin had been troublesome at first, but upon seeing the Vitross citizens happy with Kaid’s return, had changed his tune to reflect that.
“The death of Pestilence has made these meetings much easier. I suppose we have Lord Protector Kaid to thank for that,” Bowen jeered.
“It came at a cost. One I was more than willing to pay,” Kaid clenched his jaw. He hated lying. He hated the entire story that the reason his left hand was gone was because of a man he had easily suffocated with a pile of sand. Yet, it was a lie he’d have to continue with. The real reason stood awkwardly in the back, leaning against the marble walls and having nothing to say. He merely observed.
Despite what most people might think, Kaid still struggled with overcoming his disability. Accommodations were wonderful, of course, everyone was generous to help whenever possible. Jessamine always made sure his food was cut beforehand, or she’d cut it herself. Christine had been more than helpful in trying to find inventive clothing to ease his struggles. Hell, some even had the idea of molding an artificial hand for him but Kaid dejected that idea. He’d just have to make do with what he had. Yet there was still this phantom pain that existed. It was all mental, of course. Cadize could not find any source of physical ailment and told Kaid this would just take time.
Time, time, time.
Kaid knew that time could heal a lot of things in his life. It already has. Yet, being the master of it, sometimes he felt fairly impatient. The pain Alec had caused him had been swallowed down because in that moment, it was his only choice. Kaid knew they wouldn’t be where they were now, relatively safe in Vitross, if he hadn’t swallowed his pride, his ego, his anger, and most of all his pain. However, it sat there like a pit in his core.
Had Kaid truly forgiven Alec, or did he merely convince himself he had?
The ending of the Council was interrupted with the throne doors opening, everyone surprised by the disruption as Kiev walked in with a fisherman. Both were drenched by the soaking rain. Vitross had been under severe weather for this past week which was normal at this end of the season. Yet, seeing a seasoned fisherman with some fear in his eyes had everyone on edge.
“Apologies, Empress. But this is Sir Jonah, fisherman foreman of the Northern Coast,” Kiev escorted him over, both of the men bowing their heads with politeness.
“Council, why don’t we adjourn for another sixty days?” Kassandra asked, wanting them removed from the vicinity. While they all seemed eagerly curious as to what this interruption was about, they knew Kassandra was ushering them out for good reason.
“Sir Jonah,” Jessamine smiled warmly as the room was left vacant of all politicians, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“It has to do with the breeding grounds, your highness,” Jonah’s voice held dismay in them, “I’m not sure how to explain it, but the whales are dying. We noticed nearly a hundred had not returned to the breeding area given the end of the season. We searched for days for them, only to find their corpses breached near Swallows Bay.”
That smile no longer lingered on Jessamine’s face, only dread remained.
“We returned right away to give you the news. Once this storm passes, we hope we can gather more information for you,” Jonah explained, “I apologize-”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jessamine stated, her eyes momentarily glancing at the stained glass windows and the rain pelting against it, “Can you show them to me, now?”
“I’m afraid the rest of my crew all went home for the late evening but I can try-”
“No need for that. There are plenty of able-bodied sailors in this room that can assist. Of course, if you don’t mind Jonah in escorting me,” Jessamine immediately walked towards him, knowing action must be taken.
“Oh, it would be an honor, Empress,” Jonah bowed his head, “I will go ready the ship once more. We should depart soon, otherwise this storm will be more troublesome on the way there.”
“Thank you, Jonah. Your steadfastness may very well prevent a calamity,” Jessamine encouraged, looking at Kiev, “Kiev, will you sail with me?”
“Of course,” he smiled.
Alec, who no longer lingered in the back lurched forward, “I can help.”
Jessamine was surprised at his eagerness, but she knew that while it had been a long time, sailing was in her brother’s blood. Alec would be of great assistance, rather than a hindrance for once.
“Thank you Alec. We shall meet at the harbor by the end of the hour. Dress warmly and appropriately, we cannot underestimate this storm,” Jessamine ordered, “Kiev, please alert Cadize of this issue as well. He must be made aware and join us if he chooses.”
“Shall I see if we can get any other volunteers?” he inquired.
“No,” she answered almost immediately, “this must stay between us. I’m sure with the four of us and Jonah’s experience, we shall be alright.”
Alec and Kiev left immediately, exchanging a worrisome glance to each other before parting ways. Kaid could see Jessamine’s strong posture falter for a moment, clenching her jaw.
“Are you sure you want me coming? I’m not sure what help I can be with just one hand,” Kaid finally spoke, moving to let his hand rest gently on her backside.
“Of course. I’ll need you. And you are a good sailor, despite what you might think,” she chuckled briefly, finding comfort in his touch.
“Jess…how bad is this?” Kaid asked, sensing from her demeanor alone this was much more serious than she was giving off. The fact the governors were dismissed, that she’d deny assistance from other volunteers…it seemed like she wanted to keep this close. Very close.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Do you think the Time Paradox might have something to do with it?” Kaid’s voice was concerned with sorrow. What if all of this had been his doing? A lot of livelihoods depended on a good whaling season, in more ways than one. An action committed two years ago in this very room could be reaping its consequences right now.
“No, darling, I don’t,” Jessamine assured him, moving close to cup his face with her cold fingers, “we won’t know until we see this ourselves. Trust me when I say, Kaid: this is not of your doing.”
Kaid nodded, knowing he was getting into his own head, “If I didn’t say it enough times this morning, Jessamine, I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, placing a quick kiss on his lips, “now, let’s go show my brother how great of a sailor you are.”
Kaid laughed at that, knowing for certain there would be nothing he could ever do to impress Alexander Kruzika. But, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t give it a shot.
-
The rain felt like a bullet of needles with the rapid wind. Every inch of the sailors above deck were drenched with cold, icy water. The only one that was below deck was poor Cadize, who was growing sea sick and vomiting every few minutes. The waves were treacherous, but with both Jessamine and Jonah near the helm barking orders, the ship endured.
Kaid’s right hand burned with friction from the rope, wishing he had brought gloves. Yet the rain would have worsened any sense of grip he might have to secure riggings. There were plenty of moments in the storm that Kaid would have to be side by side with Alec, adjusting riggings, working together to keep the ropes steady. Kaid swallowed down any awkwardness, focusing on the mission instead which was to follow all of Jessamine’s orders.
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Alec was surprised at Kaid’s knowledge of sailing, especially for a man who spent most of his life locked away in a cage. Jessamine must have taken him sailing fairly often if he seemed so familiar with the process. That, or, he applied knowledge from all those damned books he read. Whenever Alec found Kaid unoccupied with his sister, he was always reading. Whether in the library with Mara’s obnoxious kid or in the gardens, Kaid always held a book in his hand.
But finally, all their effort had come to fruition upon reaching the edge of the storm. The waves had calmed and there was only a few sprinkles of rain here and there.
“My Lord, you are a fine sailor,” Jonah complimented Kaid as he approached, taking Jessamine’s place as she went below deck to check in on Cadize.
“Hardly, I am just good at following orders,” Kaid laughed softly, “I appreciate the compliment, though. Empress Jessamine has taught me as best as she could.”
“She is the finest helmsman in the Continent. It is such an honor she is even on my ship to begin with,” the older man blushed at the notion, “should war be on the horizon, as long as she is in charge of our navy, I have no worries about victory.”
“Is war on the horizon?” Kaid asked, finding the timing of the sentence odd.
“With your return, my Lord-”
“Please, call me Kaid,” he insisted politely, caring not for any formalities especially in a situation like this.
“Kaid, your return has brought contention, as expected. But now a graveyard of carcasses washes upon our shores. It is either a sign of the end of times, or a sign that our enemy has uncovered our coveted resource,” Jonah hummed, seeing the confusion on Kaid’s face.
“Resource?” Kaid inquired. Of course Kaid knew all about using whales as a major resource. An entire whale could feed a village properly for months to come, whether fresh, raw, or salted to last an entire year if needed. Every single part of a whale had a function, even the fat used in soaps or lamps prior to the use of turbines. Kaid knew Jessamine had conducted studies to keep the whale population flourishing after long periods of over-hunting, which is why he thought the breeding grounds were so important. But it seems they also had another purpose.
“She hasn’t told you?” Jonah seemed surprised.
As Jessamine resurfaced from the deck, she noticed the two talking, about to reveal the truth herself. But the wind pushed towards them with a pungence of death, the Empress almost gagging at first contact. Kaid was quick to pull out a dry handkerchief from his belongings, handing it to Jessamine to relieve the malodour infesting her senses.
“Fuck, that’s bad,” Kiev covered his own nose along with Alec.
The only one who didn’t seem bothered by the smell was Cadize, finally arriving above deck. Of course, he probably just exhumed all his breakfast already, but he didn’t seem as disgusted by the stench as everyone else. Yet, even he seemed worried.
“Here, it is over behind this cliffside,” Jonah assured them, steering with one hand while the other did its best to pinch his nose.
The black clouds and cliff sides of sand gave off a shadowed presence when aligned with these dark waters. Kaid had always found a comforting sensation with the climate of Vitross, but when paired with this unpleasant odor, he could tell the peace of this last month was ending. A wreckoning was beginning, and he wouldn’t know how damaging until Jessamine filled him in with all he had missed.
Jessamine was the first to throw up, lurching to the edge of the ship and letting the pressure against her stomach encourage the purge. Kaid was quick to approach her, keeping stray strands of hair away and making sure she was alright. Kiev and Alec were soon to follow with their retching. Kaid was the only fortunate one of the Vitross palace personnel to luckily not throw up.
“I’m okay,” Jessamine whispered assurances to Kaid, who kept rubbing her soaking wet backside.
“I know,” he smiled faintly, “Do you want me to get your pair of dry clothes now or…?”
“No, I wish to go ashore, see this mess for myself,” she shook her head, “Hopefully my nose will turn blind to this stench eventually. How are you not throwing up about this?”
Kaid shrugged slightly, Jessamine smiling at the way his curls were dampened by the rain, “I’ve smelled a lot of horrible shit in my life.”
Jessamine was about to comment until her eyes glanced towards the waves below her. The blackness of the sea was tainted, darkened even further with crimson. Small blotches of blood soon became the entirety of the area around them, enhancing the smell even further. As Jonah steered around the cliffside, they were met with corpses washed ashore akin to a battlefield. Instead of a human graveyard, however, it was that of Vitross’ greatest ecological resource.
Whales upon whales, mostly cows given their size, were breached and rotten on the shoreline. Their rough exterior showed no signs of serious injuries, such as being stabbed to death by fishing hooks or spears. Some had large cuts from the rocky shoreline, explaining the blood. Yet there was no obvious malady that appeared a reason for such a graveyard.
“Stop here, Jonah. Cadize and I will investigate the shore. How many will the dingy support?” she asked.
“Only three, Lady Jessamine,” he answered.
“Kaid, come with, since you seem rather unaffected by the smell,” she ordered, although she wanted him around for a different purpose entirely. Kaid nodded, moving to help with the rigging and anchoring of the ship before lowering the small dingy for transport.
Alec stood to the side, not finding any place to help yet but just stare at the massive pile of animal corpses in front of him. He had never seen or heard of anything in his lifetime, nothing in all his readings or teachings when becoming Emperor. This must have something to do with the Paradox, would it not?
“Thank you for your help so far,” Jessamine whispered, approaching her brother. He had been a tremendous help in navigating that storm, and seeing the concern in his eyes meant he did care about what happened to Vitross. If just the sight of whales could cause him to react this way, then there was still hope for him.
“Odd that the sharks haven’t bothered to touch them either,” Alec observed, his mind too focused on the calamity in front of him to even notice Jessamine’s thanks. He was right. Sharks would have loved the opportunity for a free hunt such as this without any trouble. Sharks would eat just about anything in this area, but this rotten feast seemed a warning sign for them to stay far away.
Alec finally noticed the dingy on the portside bow being lowered to the sea, Kaid climbing down the side ladder very carefully with Cadize following.
“You should have asked me,” Alec hummed at the observation, “An Empress shouldn’t have to row herself.”
There was no way in hell Kaid could do so with just one functional hand.
“Well, this Empress doesn’t mind. Thank you for your concern. We will return once our observations are complete. Keep this ship ready for us,” Jessamine retorted, knowing his observation was spoken mostly out of concern. But if he was so concerned with Kaid’s ability to be at her side, he shouldn’t have cut his hand off.
Jessamine climbed down, feeling Kaid’s sturdy hand holding her arm before helping her adjust to the unsteady dingy. She thanked him with a smile before taking the middle seat, grabbing the oars to pull them to shore. The waves only helped, it would be the row back that would kill the muscles in her arms.
Once ashore, Kaid secured the dingy before Cadize immediately approached the closest corpse, studying it. The stench was only worse up close but thankfully Kaid was slowly adjusting to it. Jessamine still covered her nose when she could, staring at the whales as flies and maggots seemed to begin to eat away. It just didn’t make any sense. What Alec had mentioned about the sharks was certainly intriguing.
Cadize only had to lay one hand on the whale, using his Oblivion to get a sense of what could have happened. Not only could he heal a wound, but he could definitely identify how a corpse was killed, both human or animal. That was certainly a good enhancement to his already powerful magic.
“This whale is…or was, rather, diseased. And I am beginning to sense the others are as well,” Cadize sighed.
“Diseased, with what?” Jessamine’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I won’t know until I can get a good look at its insides,” Cadize mumbled, looking over at Kaid, “Do you mind putting your sword to use?”
“Not at all,” Kaid unfolded his blade, having Cadize pinpoint the best spot to make the incision easier to cut. As soon as he did, entrails upon entrails spilled out at Kaid’s feet. That alone almost made him throw up, but he clenched his jaw and fist to hold his bearing. It wasn’t until that cut reached near the tail that an unborn calf plopped into the dark sands.
“Fuck,” Jessamine cursed, having to look away.
It was sickening. This was a tragedy alone, but to know that this whale along with probably many others were pregnant…or had been, it didn’t sit well with Kaid. The umbilical cord was still attached, yet the stem was black and frayed, another sign of disease. It had gone all the way to it’s unborn calf, almost as if intentional. When Kaid let his eyes move up to Jessamine, he could see her brushing a tear away with her thumb.
“Brucellosis, it seems,” Cadize observed, “an acute form of it at that. It’s a bacteria commonly found in marine mammals, but not as severe as this. In the cows, the female whales, it can cause miscarriages. If it spreads to males, and they don’t die, it could cause infertility.”
“What are you saying, Cadize?” Jessamine could tell there was a speculation at the tip of his tongue.
“I won’t know more until I can run more tests,” he sighed.
“Cadize,” Jessamine urged, “spit it out.”
“Sabotage, Empress. This looks like sabotage. Someone knew this would cause issues in our breeding endeavors and wanted to put a stop to it,” he finally answered.
“Well, we still have the whales near the South, do we not?” Kaid asked, trying to find a silver lining. Cadize and Jessamine both looked at each other, knowing they had to tell the truth.
“Kaid, Cadize found a unique oil developed from these types of humpbacks amongst the calves. That’s what these breeding grounds were for, half to steady the population, the other to extract oil from a very specific spleen. It stops developing nearly after a year, and we found a way to extract it while keeping the calves alive. It’s only found in this breed,” Jessamine explained.
“And…what is this oil good for?” Kaid inquired, his mind spiraling with this new knowledge.
Cadize sighed for a moment, “Kaid, how do you put out a fire caused by oil?”
“Well, you contain it, deprive it of oxygen. But that’s only on a small scale. On a much larger scale…you have to just let it burn,” Kaid declared, seeing Cadize nod.
“This oil we’ve found is like graphite on a liquid level. It will be a catalyst with any flame nearby. We are still in the experiment stages of course, but…” Cadize couldn’t finish the words.
“Even in a time of peace, I needed to make sure we still had weapons of war at our disposal,” Jessamine finished the sentence for him, “Look, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you.”
“I understand, Empress,” Kaid shook his head, not wanting her to think he was upset. He wasn’t. Despite knowing Jessamine had turned to a more gentler nature, particularly with her people and her friends, he knew there was a tenacious darkness to her that would never fade. If she had to strike, she intended to kill. If this were to turn into war, she wouldn’t go into it ill prepared.
Jessamine was grateful at his understanding, hoping he didn’t think she deliberately hid this from him, “Cadize, how do we stop this…brucellosis?”
“Medicine, which will take time for me to conjure,” he replied, “if I had to think like our enemy and use this bacteria…I would have put it in the food supply. To me, however, given how acute the symptoms are, it seems reckless.”
“How so?”
“I think their plan was to have subtle miscarriages in the whale cows. That way, we wouldn’t be able to exactly pinpoint the root cause to the problem. If the bacteria spread to the entire food supply, then it most likely multiplied into a dangerous level that could kill. Instead of a long, drawn out investigation, it’s only taken a matter of hours. They got sloppy.”
“How would anyone have found out? This was just between us and the fishermen foreman,” Jessamine closed her eyes, knowing this was a very serious problem.
“Let’s see, a man with the Oblivion to turn invisible had plenty of opportunities to roam the Vitross palace undetected. The same man who now knows the truth about what happened with Mattias. Jessamine, this isn’t sloppy. This is intentional. This is a message,” Kaid clenched his jaw, pointing his finger at the dead whale calf at his feet, “This is sickening.”
His brother was sick, sick in the head. It could be very well that Vrah only got the intelligence to create this plan, not be the mastermind himself. But the more he knew about his brother, what he had seen in Uhkhtar and his reaction to Jessamine’s rage…this was his way of mocking her after she had mocked him. Regardless of who was the mastermind for this twisted idea, Vrah knew it would hurt Jessamine in more ways than one.
Not just the economy, not just armaments for a potential war. But psychologically. His half brother wanted to get inside the Empress’ head and contort it the same way she could.
Jessamine knew Kaid was right. It was a Lungorian trait to always want to get the last word in an argument. Vrah that last day he was here did not get that last word, Jessamine did not allow him the slightest chance. This was his revenge: dead whales and most importantly, unborn calves.
“We keep this between us, for now. We can explain the whales are sick, but we mention nothing of sabotage to anyone. Not Mara, Kassandra, or the Council. Not until we have proof,” Jessamine clenched her jaw, holding her composure for now, “surely there is a witness out there, somewhere. And I intend to find them. We will work on a cure for these whales, and work on a sabotage of our own. Cadize, I need-”
“Oh, Empress, I know where you’re going with this,” Cadize stood up, walking over to her, “Please don’t ask me to speak with him again. He will refuse to see me.”
Kaid remembered Cadize mentioning having a lover, once upon a time. Given Cadize’s reaction, it seemed like a forced reunion was in the future. For whatever reason, only Jessamine knew. But if Jessamine had conjured the idea, it had to be a good one.
“We don’t need to summon him, we need to invite him. Particularly to a place he won’t suspect. You know him, he won’t deny a good party with a bunch of intellects around,” Jessamine assured him, “Cadize, please, if anyone could convince him to find a flaw in Lungor’s workings, it would be you.”
“He won’t come to Vitross,” Cadize shook his head.
“He doesn’t have to,” Kaid hummed, “Not exactly, anyways. The Southern Isles is a perfect destination for any holiday, and the Sand Castle a perfect place for a party, is it not?”
“He’d have no reason to believe you’d be there,” Jessamine agreed with Kaid’s idea, looking at Cadize.
He took a long moment to think before sighing, glancing at his friends, “I must try. For the sake of these, whales, for the kingdoms…and to stop a war before it even begins.”
The next hour, Cadize collected all the samples he could, Jessamine moving towards the sea in hopes the salt would help with the stench. It wouldn’t. Kaid tried to distract his thoughts elsewhere, but his eyes kept drifting towards the whale embryo. Is that why Vrah seemed so adamant in the beginning with Jessamine to be intimate? Did he intend to impregnate her, not knowing the truth just yet? Or was this just pure mockery of Jessamine’s permanent ailment?
Kaid’s thoughts of ever giving his half-brother a chance at explaining himself, of speaking alone to him in person, were gone with this violent wind. Gone, unlike the odor that remained.
-
Upon return to Vitross, despite the warm and clean clothes and the fading storm, everyone departed the ship with wobbly legs and exhaustion. A lot lingered on everyone’s minds, but nothing as deep as the guilt in Alec’s heart.
“Jessamine, can we speak?” he asked, much more gentler and polite than he had asked earlier this morning. Jessamine glanced at Kaid who nodded, moving to the side knowing this was not a conversation he needed to be privy to. Jessamine agreed with her brother, walking along the edges of the docks to provide further privacy.
“Thank you, again,” she whispered, crossing her arms mostly to keep her warm, despite Kaid’s jacket on top of her own.
Alec shook his head, “You needed sailors and I could help. Jessamine, I’m sorry. You have been more than welcoming and I have been nothing but a thorn at your side. With everything that happened with Pestilence, I never expected to be back in your life, let alone return home. It’s all happened so fast and I have not handled it properly.”
“I knew it would just take time,” she nodded.
“And I’m sorry for telling Vrah about everything that happened. I genuinely thought he knew, given I thought you two were romantically involved and well, that he’d propose. I had no idea your relationship was so…contentious. If I had known, it never would have crossed my mind to tell him. It was none of my business to share such of your past.”
Jessamine could both see and feel the genuine guilt in his eyes, sense the want for forgiveness in his heart.
“I forgive you, Alec,” Jessamine whispered. She forgave him for leaving, for fearing for his life and leaving her to this ruin. She forgave him for the secret he had shared with her newest enemy. The only thing she didn’t think she could forgive him for, was cutting off her lover’s hand. There was nothing, however, she could do about those feelings. That was entirely up to Kaid.
Alec seemed relieved at her forgiveness, “You are a better Kruzika than I could ever be, and an even better sibling than myself. Give me the chance to prove myself, and I won’t disappoint you, sis.”
“There is nothing to prove,” she flashed a small smile, “How about we go sailing, just you and me sometime?”
He couldn’t help but smile in return, “I’d like that. But what about…”
He didn’t say Kaid, but did let his eyes wander his way. Kaid was merely standing back, out of ear shot, watching the waves gently rock all the ships in the harbor.
“He doesn’t need to be with me all the time. He will understand,” Jessamine assured him, “Besides, the idea of us sailing together to bond was his idea.”
“I’m sure it was…” Alec hummed, one eye looking at his sister with adoration, and the other on the man behind her with nothing but hate.