Chapter 6
The Ugly Side of Privilege
Kerensa moved as fast as she dared from the room, her mind going in several directions at once. She was accustomed to thinking about several things at once, but something about the encounter made her feel uncomfortable, although she was not sure exactly what it was that she felt. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings, so she was a little surprised when she realized that she was already to her door. Pushing open the door, she was stopped by a voice.
“Velius?”
Kerensa turned to find the speaker, and was surprised to see the man who had held her up walking towards her.
“That is a strange name. Perhaps you are a foreigner too? It is most impressive if you are since you seem to have gotten very close with your accent.” Kerensa could only partly make out the man’s face as he walked towards her. Before she could respond, the man was a few steps from her. “Do you mind if was discuss a few things? I can enlighten you about the grace, civility, and famous hospitality of the Volsci, and you…” his eyes looked down her body.
Repulsed, Kerensa tried to excuse herself. “I do apologize for the disruption earlier. Perhaps we could talk some other time, but tonight, I really must finish some of my research on-”
“Now, now, what kind of exchange is this? We are on a boat,” he spread his arms out wide as if Kerensa did not already know that, “we have nothing but time. I am certain your research can wait just a little while longer.”
Kerensa looked the man in the eye, knowing that she was going to have to be as firm with him as she was with all of the suitors like him that she had turned down. A part of her noted how strange it was that she was comparing the man to a suitor, but mostly she was annoyed by his insistence that they talk. “I would love to have the chance to talk with you, but right now is inconvenient.” She tried to smile as she played a card that should have quieted the man, “Besides, should you not be with your fiancé? I thought you were celebrating.”
He waved a hand, “She has already retired. I’m sure even you have noticed how tiresome our women can be. You can’t get them to bed with you without a ring, and then they are only good for children after that. It is a sad state, but we men must make do with other companionship.”
He closed the distance between them. Kerensa took a step away from him into her room. “Sir, I must ask that you return to your-”
His hand shot out and pushed her shoulder, causing the young woman to stumble back into her room. The man stepped into her cabin and closed the door. Taking a deep breath he looked at her, “Ah, that must be the smell of real manly love. I can’t say that I have ever considered it before now. Well, not too much.” He walked toward her, blocking her way out of the room. Kerensa retreated into her room, but was too afraid to turn her back on the advancing man. She had doubted that he had meant anything he had said as the man knew nothing about her, not even her name until Heath had spoken it in front of the man. She did not even know his name.
Trying to keep herself calm, Kerensa was able to put a table between her and the man as he looked around, “I do not even know your name sir.”
He gave a huge sweeping bow. “Stinton Entrengo Brattle. I cannot tell you,” he lifted his head up and looked at her, “how pleased I am to hear you are taking an interest in me. I am not quite sure how to begin this. Do we just get right to it, or is there some other way with intellectuals? Never having been too interested in the scholarly type myself, I fear I have no idea how to even chat with you. If it is all the same to you, I would prefer just to get down to business.”
Kerensa placed her hands on the table, “If you are speaking of a cultural exchange-”
The man shook his head and knocked the table out of the way. The motion took Kerensa by surprise. The leg of the table caught her shin as she stepped away from the wooden table. Off balance, she felt a pair of rough hands take her arms.
“I want the kind of cultural exchange that does not require clothing.” The man’s face was inches from her own.
Kerensa kicked the man in the shin. As he leaned forward in pain, she tried to run for the door. A thick hand caught her wrist. “Is that how we do it? Rough?”
Without warning, Kerensa felt herself being dragged toward her bed. “Let me go you entitled buffoon!” Her voice was firm and cold, the kind of tone she used when men tried to correct her after she had provided them with a detailed explanation that they did not understand. “I am not here for your entertainment. I am here-” the young woman was trying to pull her arm free, but her ribs were beginning to burn as she struggled.
“Now, now, that is harsh language. I may think you do not like me.” Stinton pushed her roughly onto the bed, tearing her shirt as he did. Kerensa kicked out at him, nailing him in the stomach. He doubled over, but put a hand on her ankle. She kicked at his arm, trying to get him off of her, but he quickly grabbed her leg with his other hand.
“I don’t think you fully understand the position you are in,” the man growled at her. “I am never denied anything I want, and I am not about to be denied by some twisted little stick of a boy who thinks that he can turn me down. It just makes things that much more certain.”
His hand released her ankle and grabbed at the top of her pants. She tried to kick him, but the man pressed his body against her leg so that she could not do him any more harm.
“Get off me!” she demanded, her voice still calm and controlled. “If I tell the captain about this, you won’t even be a footnote in history.”
The man laughed, “Then that gives me every incentive to end the evening with a terrible accident.”
Kerensa scratched the man’s face as he leaned toward her. Instead of letting go of her as she expected, the man spat on her, “How dare you!”
A low rumble reverberated around the room, causing both Kerensa and her attacker to look around the room.
“How dare you is right, but it is directed at the wrong person.” Heath’s voice was like the sound of a silence proceeding a tidal wave.
Suddenly, the man flew backward across the room. Kerensa’s eyes went to where the man had been and saw Heath’s face looking down on her.
“Are you alright?” He reached out a hand and gently wiped the spit off her face.
Kerensa gave a little nod. His eyes scanned her body to verify her claim, then they fell on the torn pant leg where the table had struck her. Placing his cool hand on it, he looked up at her with concern in his eyes before turning his back on her. Heath strode towards the man, who was now trying to stand up on the other side of the room.
“You will pay for this foreigner! Do you have any idea who I am!” Stinton’s face was red with anger, but pain soon covered his face as he tumbled over, his leg apparently injured from being thrown across the room.
“You are an insignificant human who is puffed up like a boil that is ready to burst. It is always best to fix these things before they reach this point, but I will take great pleasure in fixing this now.”
Stinton pressed his back against the wall, indignation covering his face, “Of course I'm a human! I’m from one of the longest lines of nobility in all of Volsci! I will have you-” suddenly the man stopped and the color drained from his face. “Wait! You aren’t human?” The tone of his voice was entirely different as the meaning began to sink in. “Are you a wizard then? One of those horrid-”
Kerensa could not see the look on Heath’s face, but from the way he spoke, she could imagine that he was smiling. His movements were fluid and calm, but she could see his muscles tensed up. It reminded her of the descriptions she had read of some of the larger beasts as they stalked their prey. “No, no, I am not the type to rely on magic to do what needs to be done. You see, I am from the place that you call Vetitum. One word from me, and your entire pathetic nation will be nothing more than a lesson on the dangers of improper breeding and education. But don’t worry, I am not vengeful, just protective.” His posture suggested Heath was relaxed, but from her angle, Kerensa could see his muscles bunching up as if he were preparing to strike.
Stinton was either dumber than she realized or there was nothing obvious in Heath’s stance to let the man know that he was in trouble. Instead of feeling afraid, Stinton’s shoulders sagged a little in relief, “Thank the gods. I am sorry for messing with one of your things. If I would have realized who you were, I-”
Heath stepped closer to the man and lifted him easily by the front of his shirt, “You did not mess with anything that is mine. Velius is his own man, and the fact that you cannot understand that proves my point.” As if he were holding a pillow, Heath pulled the man back and slammed him against the wall. Even from across the room, Kerensa could hear the wind leave Stinton’s lungs. The words about how he taught came back to her.
If a student does not learn to my satisfaction, I tend to lose faith in instructing using the more traditional methods. You could say that I can be downright scary when I get bored or bothered.
Watching the shifter, she began to understand what he meant. Though he was doing it for her, Kerensa felt a hint of fear as Heath continued his lesson.
The shifter’s voice was low and threatening when he spoke again, his hand never leaving the man’s shirt, “Right now he is simply under my care as I have every desire to see his research end in success. You see, where I am from, intelligence is something to be revered, not blood and brute strength. Since you are clearly an obstacle to what my friend here is trying to do, I think that we need to remove you from being a potential problem in the future.”
The man closed his eyes tight, believing that the foreigner was about to kill him. Suddenly, the entire ship shook, and even Heath staggered. Still, he did not loosen his grip on the man.
“Aeolians!” Kerensa watched as the shifter turned and looked out the window. Without another word, Heath dropped the man and rushed over to Kerensa. As Heath began to try to dress her wound, Stinton took the opportunity to run out of the door.
Heath tried to steady himself as the ship lurched again.
Kerensa’s mind shifted just as rapidly as Heath’s, “You said that before. What are Aeolians?”
Heath looked over at her, “I said something about Aeolian?’
Kerensa nodded.
“That was what I forgot. Oh gods, Velius, I am so sorry. We have to get you out of here as quickly as possible. This ship is not prepared for an attack, and I will be very surprised if it’s still afloat in 10 minutes.”
“What are Aeolians?” Her mind was racing as she looked at Heath’s worried face. “Are they some kind of pirate?”
“Good gods, this is bad,” he muttered moving quickly over to Kerensa. His hands were remarkably fast as he took care of her newest wound. He finished just as the ship lurched again. Unlike the first attack on us as they left Berenice, these movements were more violent and frequent. What had felt like very unsteady waves before now felt like someone was hitting the ship with a battering ram.
Heath took a coat from a hook and wrapped Kerensa in it before picking her up. “I want to ask if you’re alright, but one look at you and that is the answer. What I have done will have to be enough for the time being.” His eyes were full of concern as he looked down at her in his arms.
Suddenly Chadwick appeared in the door, “My lady! We have to get to the rafts! There is a hole in the ship!”