Diamond in the Rough

by Evey Brett

Chapter Four: Crimson Flowers

"He's resting, although not comfortably," Chakori said. She'd taken Anandi into the foyer outside Ravi's room, although they left the door cracked open. "I've done what I can for him. The rest he's going to have to do on his own."

Anandi handed her another purse.

She tucked it away in her pocket. "Tell me again why you're going to such trouble over this one?"

"It's business. Besides, if I'd left him behind, he would have been killed." And he still might, if the Maurya-Rahm find out what he told me.

"Do I sense your icy heart melting a little?"

He eyed her, discomfited by her bluntness. "A courtesan doesn't love. You know that."

"That's your own stupid rule. Besides, I never said you had to. It's just..." She gestured to her patient. "He's pretty. Or he will be, at least."

"He's a low-caste orphan, raised in filth. It doesn't matter whether he's pretty or not. He can't stay here." Even if I weren't afraid for his life.

"You're just worried that the Maurya-Rahm will hear you're consorting with a pirate's brat, which will keep you on their bad side."

"Don't go there."

She just stared at him. "You're an intelligent, capable man, but you can be so damn blind, sometimes."

Before Anandi could think of a reply, she walked away.

Damn her. And damn Ravi. Once Asa answers my request...

Although there was no guarantee Asa would get his message at all.

∗ ∗ ∗

Anandi was sitting at Ravi's bedside when the half-elf woke, none too happy to see him.

"Damn you." Ravi's expression was wild with hatred. "This ain't what I wanted. You didn't even ask. This is torture. The captain was never so cruel."

"He left you in that awful little cabin to lie in your own filth and then he let his crew treat you like an animal. Tell me, did you enjoy being used and ridden like a pony?"

"He didn't... they didn't... Damn you." Ravi clenched his jaw, anger mingled with grief.

"I plucked you out of hell and set you down in paradise."

"Some paradise, keeping me locked up in here. Get me some wine, at least."

"Not until you tell me who paid the captain to kill me."

Ravi laughed. "How the hell should I know?"

Anandi hadn't known anyone so frustrating other than the Maurya-Rahm. "You told me you did."

A bitter smile twisted Ravi's lips. "You brought me here for nothing, fancy man. Cap kept it a secret."

The nickname was growing irritating. So was Ravi's attitude. "My name is Anandi. You may address me as Master Anandi."

Ravi caught his wrist in a bruising grip. "Master of what?"

Taking a bit of enjoyment in his patient's discomfort, he said, "I'm an instructor of courtesans."

Ravi's face went slack. He sank back against the pillows, looking even more wan and exhausted. "I should have known what kind of a fancy man you were when you started feeling me up back there in that cave. Most men are rough, but you..."

"I'm not the kind that gets a man drunk and drugged in order to sleep with him. Neither do I beat him to make myself feel better."

"You're a self-righteous son of a bitch."

"And you're an annoying little bastard."

"Go to hell."

"You first."

Ravi threw a pillow at him, but missed. "I'm the captain's boy. Not yours. Take me home."

"He'll kill you. He tried, remember?"

"He was after you. Not me." A second pillow followed the first. This time, it hit Anandi on the shoulder. Ravi's laugh was bitter and chilling. "I know why you brought me. You just want the same as everyone else, Master Anandi. I've heard the whispers. You only got your position because you used to be—"

"Shut up." Anandi clenched a pillow, barely resisting the temptation to use it to smother the insolent youth.

Ravi's face tightened into a mask of hatred. "What are you waiting for?"

"For you to realize I'm not your enemy." He threw the pillow back at Ravi and stalked toward the door.

From behind him came the sound of either choked laughter or sobbing. Anandi didn't bother to see which it was.

∗ ∗ ∗

Later that evening, Anandi had his answer from Asa.

"He will not see you, but he bade me give you this." The Maurya-Rahm handed him an envelope sealed with Asa's mark along with a small, silk-wrapped item.

Anandi waited until she left to open the envelope. The card inside was scented with Asa's favorite cologne.

Dearest Ari,
Your service to Jalmeray has not gone unnoticed. This is but a small token of my regard.

A.

Anandi walks the razor's edge between love and politics.

The terse, emotionless message in Asa's hand dashed the last of his hopes. Anandi opened the package. Inside the silken wrappings was a wooden box containing the dried fragile petals of a white flower, the kind found in the gardens near the thakur's palace. The two of them had spent hours there, laughing, talking, and making love. Once, Anandi had teasingly plucked a bloom and tucked it behind Asa's ear.

This, he was sure, was the same flower. He dumped the petals into his palm, heartbroken by the gift, and feeling whatever love he'd once had harden into an impenetrable ball. Anything he'd once shared with Asa was finally, definitely over.

He sank down onto his bed, suddenly exhausted. The trip had been a death sentence. That was all. Likely Asa hadn't even known he was gone.

A cramping pain shot through his hand and fingers. Anandi cursed and flexed his fingers, which were sluggish and slow to respond. Inspecting his hand, he saw that one of the petals had turned crimson around the edges. Anandi pushed it aside to see blood welling from a pinprick in his palm. How...?

A sudden, agonizing pain lanced up his arm. A moment later, it receded and he drew in a shaky breath. His hand had gone numb and frozen in a fist that crushed the fragile petals.

Panicked, Anandi surged to his feet just as a new cramp flared through his chest, so excruciating it took his breath away. Whimpering in pain, he staggered into the hallway toward Ravi's room.

Oh, gods. Irori spare me. Why would Asa...

But Anandi knew his former lover too well. Asa would never poison him, but the other Maurya-Rahm would.

The guards took one look at him and paled. "Help..." Anandi croaked. One guard caught him as he collapsed. The other raced toward the healer's quarters.

The cramps came more frequently, jabbing at his gut. Numbness spread throughout his body until it was all he could do to keep breathing.

"Fancy man?"

Anandi could just make out a blurry figure crouched beside him.

Ravi took the guard's place and slapped Anandi's face, causing it to burn and sting. "Did you eat something? Touch something?"

"The box..." It would have been easy to conceal a needle.

Ravi pried the box from Anandi's hand and used the silken wrapping to hold it for inspection. "Damn."

Anandi couldn't answer. He could barely drag air into his uncooperative lungs.

Ravi set the box aside and laid Anandi flat on his back. "Breathe, damn it." He curled his fingers together, one hand atop the other, and placed the heel of his hand in the center of Anandi's chest. He pushed down. Hard.

Oh, hell, that hurts.

Ravi kept up the compressions. "Don't leave me here alone, you bastard. You owe me."

Anandi supposed he did, but it was a little late for that, now. Poor Ravi. The Conservatory would throw him into the streets if the Maurya-Rahm didn't kill him first.

Footsteps pounded down the hall. "What have you done, you filthy devil?" Chakori's sharp cry cut through Anandi's rapidly fading awareness. "After all he did for you..."

"I didn't!" Ravi protested. "I ain't the kind to poison a man!"

So what kind are you? Anandi wondered as blackness swallowed him.

∗ ∗ ∗

From the angle of the sunlight, it was late morning when Anandi woke. His aching body felt too heavy to move.

"Easy," Chakori said. She was sitting in a chair next to his bed. "I almost lost you. In fact, I would have, if it weren't for..." She nodded at Ravi, who hovered nearby, looking uncomfortable.

"Thanks." It wasn't enough, but he was too tired to say more.

"We know who did it. We traced her through her operative, and when she was interrogated, she panicked and tried to make a run for it. I don't know what kind of pressure the Maurya-Rahm who conducted the interrogation put her under, but she confessed to forging Asa's note and copying his seal in order to poison you. Seems she'd overheard Asa mention how much he missed your company, and given the success you've made of yourself at the Conservatory, decided to eliminate you before your influence grew any stronger. The Maurya-Rahm—how shall I put it?—have one fewer member in their prestigious ranks this morning."

Anandi winced. At least that meant Asa still cared about him. "Leave us," he said to Chakori. When she was gone, Anandi asked, "How...?"

Ravi shrugged. "Cap seen a lot of men stuck by a lionfish and taught me what to do."

"Why?"

Jaw set, Ravi said, "I ain't the kind to let a man die if I can help it. Even if it's a man that kidnapped me." After a while, he sighed and took the chair vacated by Chakori. "You were right about Cap, you know. I thought..."

"You thought he loved you." Like Asa loved me until he couldn't and sent me away to keep me safe.

Ravi nodded and slumped in defeat. "What happens now? I ain't any use to you."

"Not true." Anandi gazed at the young half-elf, past the flushed face, seeing once again the inner strength and intelligence that had allowed Ravi to survive for so long. "You're my diamond in the rough. Once I get you cut and polished, you'll shine like few other men do."

As he'd hoped, Ravi's eyes glittered with desire. "Why me? Why not some other poor pirate's brat?"

"I'll show you."

He summoned a djinni who procured Ravi a set of silk pantaloons, a matching vest, and sandals. Ravi already had a gold hoop in his ear, which Anandi left, but he hung a thick gold chain around Ravi's neck. Then Anandi sat Ravi on a stool, had the djinni fetch his cosmetics with which he added color to Ravi's cheeks and eyes and drew long, intricate designs to highlight his features.

When he was done, he turned Ravi to face the mirror. "There. That's a man who can have anything in the world that he wants if he knows how to get it."

Ravi was silent for a long time as he stared at his reflection. "Like you? Do you have everything you want?"

"I did, once."

"And now?"

"Now..." he shrugged. He ached for Asa's touch, but it was gone, never to be his again. He took Ravi's hand in his. "Now I have a diamond. The question is, how brightly will you shine?"

"Brighter than all the stars in the sky," Ravi said, and squeezed.

Coming Next Week: A sample chapter from Gary Kloster's upcoming Pathfinder Tales novel, Firesoul!

Evey Brett is the author of numerous novels and short stories. She holds a Master's degree in writing, and is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and Taos Toolbox. Find her online here.

Illustration by Mike Burns.

Diamond in the Rough

by Evey Brett

Chapter Three: Loyalties

An hour's walk took them to a small cave along the rocky shoreline, one exposed by the low tide and grown brown and slippery with algae. Anandi followed Ravi inside, careful of his footing. "Well?" he asked, impatient.

Instead of answering, Ravi curled his hand around the back of Anandi's neck and pulled him close. The kiss tasted of wine and pesh. Anandi let it last longer than he should have, surprised by how much he liked feeling the firm body pressed against his. Gently, Anandi pushed him back. "Is this your price?"

"I owe you for taking care of me."

"You owe me nothing."

"But..."

"Nothing. Understand?"

Ravi didn't. Anandi could see his confusion and wished he had a way to explain it better, but he didn't have time. Two can play this game. He cupped Ravi's face in his palms and kissed him. As he'd expected, Ravi sank into his arms, pliable as soft clay. Anandi was tender with him, working from his mouth to his neck and shoulders. Ravi tried to return the gestures, but Anandi nudged him against the wall and pinned him there, mindful of Ravi's bruises. Once he'd gotten Ravi properly aroused, he said, "The bottle isn't here, is it?"

Ravi froze. "No. It is. I swear."

"Where, then?"

"I can't tell you." Ravi turned his head to the side, cringing as if expecting a blow.

Gods grant me patience. Anandi kissed him again, nibbling gently at his ear and neck. "I won't hurt you, and I promise I won't tell the captain."

For once, Anandi had cause to be glad of the pesh addiction. The effects were wearing off, which made Ravi's emotions unstable. He started to ramble. "He'll kill me if I tell. I wasn't supposed to see. It was an accident I came along in the first place. I followed them, because I thought it might be fun to... you know... out on the beach and all... but when Cap saw me, he gave me an awful beating. Said I was dead if I ever told."

"Now that wasn't very nice of him. If you tell me, I'll give you a treat." He ran a finger down Ravi's chest, stopping just below his navel. "Where's the bottle, Ravi?"

Trembling, Ravi jerked his head at the beach. "Out there near the water. It's in the tide pool."

"Show me."

Ravi led him unerringly to the aforementioned tide pool. Lying on his belly on the slick rocks, he fished in the water with his hand and soon drew out a lead casket sealed with wax. "In there." He slid it toward Anandi, then sat up with his knees pulled to his chest, rocking back and forth.

There weren't any sigils of warding on the box, but that didn't mean the lock wasn't spelled or set with a trap. Anandi spent a few moments inspecting the lock, then dug out a pick from his pouch and worked it open. Inside, nestled in a bed of silk, was the bottle.

As soon as he saw the plain-looking stopper, the hastily scratched runes and fresh wax on the seal, he knew why it had been so shoddily protected, and his heart sank. He glanced back at Ravi, wondering if he knew the truth or if he was being used once again.

Not wanting to draw suspicion, Anandi tucked the bottle into his purse, then hastily locked and resealed the box. He found the hiding place without too much difficulty. The tide was already coming in, which meant their tracks would soon be covered over.

"Thanks. I owe you," Anandi said. He pulled out a small purse of coins and tossed it to Ravi, even though he knew it would only be wasted on drink and drugs.

Ravi made no move to touch it. He sat gazing glumly out toward the water.

Damn it. He hadn't meant to hurt the man's feelings. "Ravi? What's wrong?"

For a long time, Ravi was silent. Then his face crumpled. "I'm sorry."

"You haven't done anything that—"

"About them."

Anandi looked up the beach, where at least ten pirates were bearing down on them, fast. He was more than capable of using the sword buckled to his waist, but it wouldn't do much good when he was this outnumbered. Captain Maldak wasn't taking any chances.

"Why?" Anandi asked.

"Because Cap and I got paid to set you up."

Figures. The Maurya-Rahm probably sent me over here knowing I'd get killed, and this way they could tell Asa I'd gotten myself into trouble. "By whom?"

"I just did what Cap told me."

Anandi yanked the half-elf to his feet and set a dagger to his throat. Ravi was dazed, giggling as he saw his pirate friends with swords and knives drawn. With a sickening feeling, Anandi guessed it wasn't the first time Ravi had been used as a bartering chip.

"Touch me, and I'll kill him," Anandi told the captain.

Captain Maldak never passes up an opportunity to make some gold.

Maldak waved his men to halt, then shrugged. "He's of no more use to me."

"Liar!" Ravi shouted back. "You need me."

"There are always more whores, boy."

Ravi let out a screech of anguish that burned Anandi's ears. "Come on," he told Ravi. He grabbed the half-elf's wrist and hauled him up the slope that rose to the old city.

Once in the streets, Anandi grabbed Ravi's wrist and hung on as he dodged past vendors, drunkards, and traders. He kept the western side of the island in sight. Beyond the crumbling city's wall were the cane fields, now neglected and overrun. Anandi dragged Ravi toward them. "In there. Give me any trouble, and I'll stab you in the gut." Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. He didn't want to harm the half-elf, and injuring him would only slow their progress.

The threat worked, however, as did Anandi's dagger-tip lightly pressed against Ravi's spine. Anandi didn't let up as they ran blindly through the tall cane and hoped like hell the pirates wouldn't be able to track them.

"Let me go. I'll kill that son of a bitch. I'll kill him. He promised. He promised..."

Whatever the captain had promised, Anandi didn't find out. Ravi broke down sobbing, tears and snot streaming down his face. The only benefit was that his anger gave him speed, and he ran hard, heedless of where he was going.

Anandi herded him to the coast, where he called the two djinn that he'd left there when he'd arrived. Ravi dropped in the dirt, his face a mask of fury.

The pirates weren't far behind. Ravi looked over his shoulder, saw them, and rose shakily to his feet.

Ravi will die if he goes back to them. But I can't take him back to the Conservatory...

Maldak was nearly upon them, sword aimed straight at Ravi's heart.

Anandi shoved Ravi at the nearest djinni. "Get us out of here."

The djinn obeyed without question, lifting both him and Ravi and whisking them across the sea toward the safety of Grand Sarret. The rush of air didn't cool Ravi's fury. Almost immediately he started wriggling and trying to escape. When that failed, he settled for clawing at the djinni's arms and cursing loudly. Their landing in the courtyard of the Conservatory attracted attention from a number of people, many of whom grumbled about being disturbed by such racket. Anandi was glad to see Chakori, one of the resident healers, in the crowd.

"I need you," Anandi said, guiding her, Ravi, and the djinni still holding him to one of the spare rooms in the courtesans' building.

It took two soldiers and a djinni to hold Ravi still long enough for Chakori to tend to him. Even so, he wriggled and thrashed as she forced him to open his mouth and drink the tincture. She gave Anandi a dark look that said, You owe me.

A light tinkling of bells alerted him to another visitor. Damn. There was nothing he hated more than the thakur's insipid little advisors trying to coax information out of him. "His Eminence would like a report of your journey," said this one, a woman whose name he couldn't remember.

They always invoked the thakur's name, even when Anandi knew for certain the thakur didn't give a damn what was going on. "Here." He turned his back to everyone in the room but the advisor and took out the bottle. "We damn near got killed getting it for you."

He watched her face, searching for the slightest hint of betrayal, but her expression showed nothing beyond banal gratitude. "Excellent. I'm sure His Eminence will reward you for your efforts." She took the bottle, wrapped it in a cloth, and tucked it away in a pouch at her waist.

"Tell Asa I want to see him. Please."

"I'll take that under advisement," she said.

"Tell him." He handed her a heavy purse.

She nodded. "I will do my best. But tell me, what reason did you have to bring that with you?" She jerked her pretty chin at the unkempt figure on the bed.

"There's no one better to ask about the pirates. Trust me."

She raised an eyebrow. "The Conservatory isn't the place to keep that sort of rubbish. His Eminence will be most displeased."

Which meant the Maurya-Rahm did not approve. Anandi wondered if he'd just earned himself another attempt on either his life or Ravi's. "He won't be here for long. I'm only keeping him to answer a few questions on subjects that might prove of interest to the thakur. I'll send you a full report, of course."

"Of course." To his relief, she left him in peace. The two guards remained nearby, and the djinni aided Chakori, fetching cloths and bowls of ointments.

At last the healer came over to him, scowling. "That's a right little bastard you have in there. No manners at all. Where did you find him? In a slave's galley?"

"Close to it," Anandi admitted. "He was a pirate's boy. How is he?"

She shrugged. "Going without that damned drug is doing a number on him. There's not much I can do, and in my experience, it's better to let them suffer a little so they can learn. Make it too easy, and they'll go right back to pesh the first chance they get."

"What else?"

"I'm not going to bother telling you everything I found. You can probably guess. I will say that he's now clean and I mended as many of his bumps and bruises as I could. Other than that, he's malnourished and dehydrated, and he's going to get worse before he gets better."

"Thank you," Anandi said, and handed her a small purse for her troubles.

"That's all?"

He kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later."

"You'd better."

∗ ∗ ∗

"You bastard. Why the hell am I here? What do you want from me?" Ravi paced the room like a wild thing in a cage, circling round and round. "I'm not going to tell you a damn thing. Take me home."

Anandi sat calmly in a chair near the door, having sent the guards to stand outside. They were there to protect Ravi as much as to protect others from him, but no need to make the young man any more nervous by telling him that. "If I take you home, they'll kill us both."

"You don't know them like I do. All it'll take is a little sweet-talking and I'll be back in their good graces. I've done it before."

"You mean, you'll be back in their beds."

Ravi shot him a dirty look and kept walking. "It's the best place to knife them while they sleep."

Anandi had patience. It was only a matter of time before the Ravi exhausted himself. The djinni hovered nearby, serenely watching half-elf's agitated movements, alert for any request.

An hour passed. Desperation replaced the anger in Ravi's expression. "I need some pesh. I'll do whatever you want. Just... please."

"You're not getting any more pesh. Ever."

Ravi snarled and tore at the bedclothes, flinging pillows, sheets, and comforter to the floor. Then, with a show of strength, he ripped off the mattress and sent it hurtling against the wall. The effort tired him. He doubled over, panting and trembling while the djinni remade the bed.

After two more hours, the pleading grew more frantic. He knelt beside Anandi's chair and clawed at Anandi's pants. "I need some pesh. Please. If you don't give it to me, I'm going to die."

"You're not going to die. I promise you that." He gripped Ravi's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "Hear me? I won't let you die. I need your help."

Ravi laughed, a hollow, depressing sound. "There's only one thing people need my help for." He broke away and resumed his pacing. He shivered and chafed his arms. "It's freezing in here."

Anandi found the temperature quite pleasant, almost too warm, but recognized the symptoms of withdrawal. "I'll get you a blanket."

"You can get me some pesh or a bottle of wine, at least."

"No." Anandi gestured to the djinni, who magicked a blanket into existence and draped it around Ravi's shoulders. Ravi tossed it aside. "It itches."

By nightfall, Ravi had slumped against the bed and was shivering uncontrollably. Again, the djinni covered him with the blanket. This time, Ravi left it where it was. "Please," he begged, though his voice was hoarse now. "I don't want to die."

"Come on. Into bed." He went to help the youth up. Ravi shook so badly he could barely stand. Even so, he jerked away from Anandi's touch.

"Easy," Anandi said, gripping his arms and setting him on the bed. Hoping Ravi had been broken down enough to answer, he asked, "Who paid off your captain to have me killed?"

"Will you get me some pesh?" He was childlike now.

Anandi hated himself for lying. "If you tell me the truth. Who was it?"

"I..."

But it was too late. Ravi's eyes rolled back and he convulsed in Anandi's arms.

Coming Next Week: The long arm of power in Chapter Four of Evey Brett's "Diamond in the Rough."

Evey Brett is the author of numerous novels and short stories. She holds a Master's degree in writing, and is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and Taos Toolbox. Find her online here.

Illustration by Mike Burns.

Diamond in the Rough

by Evey Brett

Chapter Two: The Pirate Den

At sunset, Anandi returned to the captain's villa where a few silver coins to the doorkeeper saw him inside. The party had already begun, made lively by the musicians and acrobats in the ballroom. The human man seated in the chair covered in velvet and gold filigree was obviously the captain. A thick brown beard trailed down his chest, resting lightly on the blue brocade coat studded with golden buttons and trim. The jeweled goblet in his hand was already filled with wine and a servant stood by with a bottle at the ready.

A line of admirers had formed to vie for his attention. Anandi sighed. It was going to be a long night before he had a chance to get near enough to introduce himself, let alone arrange for a meeting. Annoyed, he scanned the room, looking for an alternative opportunity.

Ravi was easy to spot, and he wasn't the only prostitute working the room. At least a dozen women were there in tight, low-cut dresses. Two other pretty young men flirted with one guest after another.

Yet Ravi was different. He clung to the men, letting them pour wine down his throat in exchange for a kiss. Twice, one of the men drew him off into a secluded corner from which they emerged flushed and disheveled. The drunker Ravi got, the worse the men treated him.

I'd never let my students be so ill-used. Never.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Anandi turned, surprised to see the captain at his side. "Yes, sir. I am. I appreciate your generosity."

"Good." He sipped his wine. "I've been told you wanted to speak with me."

"On behalf of a friend, yes. I'm told you're the man to see if I want a good selection of magical items."

"Aye, that's true." He eyed Anandi. "Why don't you come back tomorrow afternoon and we'll have a bit of a chat about just what you're looking for?"

"I will. Thank you."

Laughter came from the corner, where a shirtless Ravi was on his hands and knees lapping up a puddle of spilled wine. Anandi's stomach curdled, but the captain laughed. "Fine boy, isn't he? My favorite."

"Indeed," Anandi said, and excused himself before his anger caused him to say something he'd regret.

∗ ∗ ∗

Anandi took a room at the dilapidated museum that had been refitted to serve as an inn, paying extra to have the space to himself. He barred the door and kept a knife under his pillow, trusting neither the proprietor nor his customers. The wine and delicacies from the party rested sourly in his stomach.

The image of Ravi, kneeling on the floor and grinning like a dog, wouldn't leave his head. The young man was starved for affection, as many addicts were. Anandi had seen enough of them to know the pain they were desperate to cover up, but he'd never had much luck finding a way to help them.

Better he stays here, where he belongs.

The echoes of drunken carousing meant a fitful sleep punctured by images of Ravi dying, wasting away in pesh-induced dreams, knifed, or meeting some other equally brutal end. He couldn't see any better options at the Conservatory; Ravi was ignorant, unkempt, and far too wild to fit in.

It doesn't matter. I just need him for information. A courtesan doesn't love anyone, especially another courtesan. The love he held in reserve for Asa had hardened him to anyone else's attentions, anyway.

By the time Anandi staggered out of bed in the late morning, he'd firmly convinced himself that it was absolutely impossible to take Ravi back to the Conservatory.

No matter how much he wanted to.

∗ ∗ ∗

Ravi lives his life in the moment.

"Back for more?" the pirate asked as Anandi approached the villa.

"Captain asked to meet with me this afternoon," Anandi replied.

"Cap's busy for a bit. He said to tell you to wait."

"Ravi around, then?" He scanned the villa and grounds, but Ravi was nowhere in sight.

"Boy's... indisposed."

From the derisive way the woman spoke, he guessed Ravi was either high or sleeping off wine sickness. He wasn't surprised after everything that had happened the night before, but he was concerned. "Perhaps I could take a look at him. I've a knack for healing."

"Ain't a good idea, fancy man. Best to leave him be. There're a few other boys hereabouts. Might be one of them could do you just as well."

Anandi slipped off the ruby-and-gold ring one of his patrons had given him for protection. "I'm afraid Ravi's quite captured my interest. I'd like to see him." He held out the ring.

The pirate fitted it to her finger then admired the way it glinted in the sunlight. "He's in the little room next to the captain's, which is the one with that balcony. Cap lets Ravi sleep it off there, sometimes."

Anandi hurried inside, ignoring the catcalls and snide comments from the crew scattered throughout the interior. He found the room easily enough, but just as he'd feared, it reeked with sickness. Neither was it particularly habitable. The crumbling plaster walls were speckled with mold, and the only furniture was a rotting bed, a three-legged night table propped against the wall and a splintering chair. The occasional squeak and rustle of tiny clawed feet hinted at other occupants that, to Anandi's relief, stayed out of sight.

Ravi was splayed on the bed, pale and unconscious. The worn blanket barely covered his nakedness, leaving numerous welts and bruises visible. Anandi laid a hand against his forehead and frowned at the heat emanating from the young half-elf's body.

Ravi opened his eyes at the touch. "I need some pesh. I need..."

"You need something to settle your stomach." He opened the door and peered about. Finding a halfling dressed as a servant, he tossed her a coin and she ran off to fetch some hot water and broth. When she brought them, he dug through his pockets for one of his packets of herbs and dropped them in the mug of hot water. "Drink this."

Ravi wrinkled his nose. "It smells vile."

"So do you. Drink it anyway." Anandi helped Ravi sit up enough to swallow the contents a few sips at a time.

When Ravi lay back down, he said, "Hey. There's only one of you now."

"Good."

"You going to pay me for my time?"

"Shut up and eat."

Ravi gave him a pout, but he let Anandi spoon-feed him the broth. "Why you being so nice?"

"You aren't used to it, are you?" Inwardly, he was glad. It would make his job that much easier.

"That ain't true. I got a nice room and all sorts of pretties from my friends."

"But I'm not asking for anything in return."

Ravi was silent as he finished the rest of the broth. "You're an odd one, fancy man."

There was a sharp knock. Anandi turned in time to see Captain Maldak open the door. "How's he doing?"

Anandi was in no mood to be civil. "As well as can be expected after a night of carousing."

The captain shrugged. "He's used to it."

"Your crew was rough with him last night." He drew the blanket back just enough to expose the welts and bruises along Ravi's back.

"They usually are. Not much I can do. Boy makes his own choices. Here, Ravi." He tossed a small bottle onto the mattress. Ravi pounced on it and tore at the cork with his teeth. Then he stuck the bottle between his lips and drank greedily.

The stink of sour cactus milk turned Anandi's stomach, but he resisted the temptation to snatch the bottle away. Now wasn't the time to break him of the habit, not when it was likely one of his few pleasures.

Sighing happily, Ravi nuzzled the pillows. Within a few minutes, the tension left his body, and he wore a glazed, vacant expression.

"That's a good boy." The captain strode over and patted Ravi's cheek. "He'll be all right by tonight. You'll see," he said to Anandi.

Anandi hoped he wouldn't be here long enough for that. Seeing Ravi's poor treatment sickened him.

"Share a drink with me, fancy man. Looks like you could use one."

Reluctant as he was to leave Ravi, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Anandi followed the captain next door. The room was as gaudy as Anandi would have expected for a wealthy captain's lodgings. The silken bedclothes were piled high with pillows. The desk and chairs were covered in gilt, as was the bed. Anger filled him again that Ravi was treated poorly when the captain lived so well.

The captain gestured to a small table. "Sit." He picked up a decanter and two glasses and joined Anandi. As he poured, he said, "Now, suppose you tell me your real interest in prowling around my villa."

"As I told your guard, I'm in the market for an item for a certain wizard friend of mine." He waited until the captain drank before taking a sip of the wine. Delicious.

"Magic trinkets and the sort? My hold's full of them. I might be willing to let you have one or two, for the right price."

"You're generous, sir, but the item I seek wouldn't be kept so casually in a ship's hold. It's far too dangerous should it fall into the wrong hands."

The captain's face showed nothing. "And there's some reason you think I have this... item with me?"

"Rumors. That's all. My patron sent me to find out."

"What, exactly, are you looking for?"

"Just a little thing, really. A small brass bottle engraved with sigils of binding and capped with a tiger-headed stopper."

The captain laughed and slapped the table so hard the glasses jumped. "You take me for a fool. The Bottle of the Bound has been lost for centuries. And even if I did find it, what use would it be to me? I don't know the word to release the fiendish army within it, let alone the one to put it back."

No one did, although it was rumored the bottle could be opened and the army freed without the proper words. The consequences if that happened would be disastrous, which was likely why the Maurya-Rahm wanted the bottle in safekeeping.

"I assure you, sir, that bottle is not to be found on my ship nor anywhere in this villa."

Anandi believed him. No one would keep such a valuable item on a ship prone to attack and storms. But that doesn't mean he doesn't know where it's at. There were so many ruins on Veedesha it would be easy to hide such a small thing as a bottle and almost impossible to find it without aid. "I appreciate your candor, Captain. And I would be interested in looking at some of your other treasures."

"Of course. This way."

They spent an hour sorting through the captain's trove. Anandi picked out and paid for a few knickknacks, items of little interest to the Maurya-Rahm. In the end, he expressed his disappointment and took his leave on what, he hoped, were good terms.

When he went back to Ravi, the half-elf had the glazed expression of someone who'd just had a most pleasant dream. "Hey, fancy man. Care to join me?" He threw back the covers.

Anandi stared pointedly at the floor. "No. I've got business to attend to." Anything to get out of this festering stinkhole.

"Like finding that bottle?"

Fixing his gaze on Ravi's face—only his face—Anandi asked, "What bottle?"

Ravi reached under the bed for his clothes. "I ain't stupid. That old bottle. The one Cap probably told you he didn't have. I'll show you where it's at, for a price."

"Which is?" Anandi held out a hand to steady the half-elf, who teetered as he dressed.

The sly smile hinted at something Anandi knew all too well. "Show you when we get there."

Coming Next Week: Treacherous shores in Chapter Three of Evey Brett's "Diamond in the Rough."

Evey Brett is the author of numerous novels and short stories. She holds a Master's degree in writing, and is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and Taos Toolbox. Find her online here.

Illustration by Mike Burns.

Diamond in the Rough

by Evey Brett

Chapter One: Mission to the Ruins

No sane person would leave Jalmeray to venture to the small, lawless island of Veedesha, which lay just off the coast, but Anandi had business there on behalf of the thakur.

The business of his Maurya-Rahm, more likely. The thakur's advisors had heard rumors of illicit trades going on in Veedesha, and while they often turned a blind eye to such occurrences when they didn't concern them, this time reports of a certain potentially devastating magical item had them on edge.

And do they send a soldier or a monk? No, they send Jalmeray’s best courtesan.

He wasn't fond of the Maurya-Rahm, who'd been instrumental in arranging his dismissal as Asa's consort five years before. Asa, being a Maurya-Rahm elevated enough to have the thakur's ear, had made no secret of his fondness for Anandi and his skills. Unfortunately, he'd also been particularly vulnerable to those coveting his position, and after a spate of bitter rumors had been forced to send Anandi away. The severing had been abrupt, brutal, and still stung.

The others were jealous, that’s all, because I was loyal to one man alone and kept his trust. Although the Maurya-Rahm had thought to shame him by reducing him to a mere instructor of courtesan at the Conservatory, he'd quickly proven talented at the job. That was his one comfort. Now he had his choice of patrons and a collection of well-trained acolytes to send out across Golarion to collect more secrets for Jalmeray's vaults.

Yet separation from Asa didn't seem to be enough to prove to the Maurya-Rahm that Anandi had no interest in their machinations.

So here I am on a fool’s errand to prove my loyalty.

He'd chosen his wardrobe carefully, including a simple sword and leather boots. Dressing too poorly would make him an easy target, as would dressing too richly. Better to be a carefree man given to spending whatever money he earned lest he not live to see the next day.

After arriving with the aid of two djinn who had flown him across the ocean from the island of Grand Sarret, he walked through the decaying cane fields to the old city, which was now little more than ruins. The original buildings were still being used, though. Nearly every habitable place had been taken over by rogues and pirates of all sorts. A market had been set up in the central plaza, and purveyors of food, weapons repair, and supplies were doing a brisk business. Ships littered the harbor, everything from pirates' galleons to yellow-sailed slavers to smaller barques and luggers, speedy vessels meant for smuggling and trade.

All in all, this was a place Anandi didn't want to be, but when the Maurya-Rahm called...

I obey, in the sad, sad hope that I might prove to them I’m a harmless, biddable servant.

It wasn't going to happen, he knew, but he kept trying.

A flag bearing Captain Maldak's emblem alerted him to the proper abode, a villa that was in somewhat better shape than many of the other buildings. Some of the pirates had laid claim to one or another of the houses, and when in port, they liked to come ashore and indulge in various entertainments.

One of those entertainments leaned drunkenly over the balcony. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a braid to reveal pointed ears, and from the tailored shirt and pants, gold hoop earring, and rings on his fingers, he was definitely a favored pet. The laces on his shirt were undone, exposing an enticing portion of bare skin.

Anandi raked his attention away and turned it toward the pirate keeping guard outside the villa's gate. She sat in a wooden chair and tilted it back, her leg propped against a low wall. The sharp rasp of a whetstone echoed in the stony courtyard as she honed her dagger. "What brings you to the house of Captain Maldak?" she asked without looking up.

He leaned casually against the wall. "Wizard friend of mine sent me to look for a few things."

"In the market, are you? Come back at sunset and the captain'll be in. Likes to entertain visitors then, he does."

Impatient as he was to get what information he could and leave, Anandi decided to try a different tactic. "Where'd he come from?" He nodded at the young man above them.

"Him? No one knows for sure. Been here as long as we can remember."

"He's a pretty one."

"That he is. Want a tumble with him?" The pirate gave Anandi a sly wink. "He don't mind who he beds, so long as he gets a bit of coin to buy his pesh."

Not only is he a whore, he's a drug-addicted one, Anandi thought sourly. Still, he knew better than anyone that a prostitute could be an excellent source of information for the right price.

"What's his name?"

"Ravi. Ain't got no other." Then, without asking permission, she stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Ravi, boy. You got a customer."

Anandi stood his ground, both curious and repulsed as the gaudy creature disappeared inside and reappeared a moment later strolling out the doorway. The young man paused to give the woman a peck on the cheek and leaned against her as he studied Anandi. "My, he's a fancy man, ain't he?"

"How much?" Anandi asked.

"How much you got?"

He took a gold coin from his purse and tossed it to the man. "Will that give me an hour of your time?"

The young man grinned and gave him a mocking bow. "This way, good sir."

When it comes to island-hopping, there's no better way to fly than with a djinni.

"Mind you bring him back, now," the pirate said. "Cap'll be asking for him later."

Anandi doffed his cap and forced a smile. Then he followed Ravi along the beach until they reached a trysting place sheltered behind a few boulders. The place was little more than a lean-to, a roof covering a ragged mattress. Disgust rose in Anandi's throat.

"Not to your liking, sir?" Ravi asked.

"I'm not interested in sharing your bed. I just want to talk."

"Talk? Ain't no one who wants to just talk." To emphasize his point, he pulled off his fine shirt to reveal a slender, too-thin body marred by a few fading bruises. He sidled up to Anandi and wrapped his arms around the older man's waist.

Anandi resisted the urge to cover his nose to block the reek of sweat and wine-scented breath. "Perhaps a swim?"

Ravi grinned and shucked his pants. "Last one in's a sand devil's dinner!"

He ran haphazardly toward the water. Anandi watched him go, annoyed by the ease with which he'd become distracted. Ravi was filthy, crude, and likely had no information of use.

Yet he couldn't help grinning as he watched Ravi bounce around, seemingly uncaring about how idiotic he appeared. Ravi went out a little farther and dove under.

When he came back up, he was waving frantically and screaming something unintelligible.

Shit.

Anandi tore off his shirt and raced toward the water, yanking his boots off along the way. He dove in, paddling hard until he reached the half-elf...

...who wasn't drowning. Anandi stood up and yanked Ravi to his feet. The water was waist high, and while subsequent waves hit his chest, there was no risk of being pulled under. "What the hell are you playing at?"

Ravi clasped his face and pressed their lips together. Anandi caught the bitter taste of wine before Ravi pulled back. "You're awfully stiff for a fancy man."

"I'm soaked, and it's your fault. Come on, wretch. Out."

He shoved Ravi toward the beach. Once there, he peeled off his wet pants and laid them out to dry in the sun. He ignored Ravi's stares and various lewd gestures, determined not to get too close despite his interest in the young man. For an instructor of courtesans to return home diseased would be a disgrace.

Defeated, Ravi sprawled out in the sand, eyes closed. Anandi perched on a boulder and gazed down at him, his mind starting to turn. The young man was likely older than he appeared, being a half-elf, but he still had the look of an eighteen- or twenty-year-old Vudrani. Spending any more thought on him was likely a waste of time, but there was something about him that kept Anandi's attention. Behind those drink-glazed eyes was a glint of intelligence, and he must have a great deal of skill at manipulating people to have survived so long in this den of rogues and murderers. Unlike some of the other slaves and prostitutes Anandi had seen, this one hadn't given up. He knew how to play the game and meant to keep winning. It didn't take much to imagine Ravi dressed in the fine, gauzy outfits favored at the Conservatory with cosmetics darkening his eyes and set loose among some of Jalmeray's well-positioned denizens.

What the hell am I thinking? I don't want anything to do with an ignorant pesh addict like this. If I brought him back to the Conservatory, the Maurya-Rahm would find a way to be rid of me for sure.

He forced the possibility from his mind. There was work to do, after all, and Ravi was nothing more than a means to an end. "That captain must be a profitable one, seeing as how you have all those fine clothes."

Ravi shaded his eyes with a hand and gazed up at him. "I know what you're fishing for, fancy man, and you ain't going to get it. What the captain hauls is his business. Not mine, and definitely not yours."

"I was looking to make a trade. I've got a wizard friend of mine looking for a very particular item."

"Then it's the captain you'll be wanting. Not me."

"Have you ever seen him with any kind of ancient artifacts? Mirrors, statues, a small brass bottle capped with lead?"

"I seen all kinds of things, but Cap would use me for kraken bait if he even thought I'd spilled any of his secrets," he said with such finality that Anandi knew it was useless to pry any more. After a while, Ravi started to shiver. "You got any pesh on you?"

"No. I most certainly do not." Annoyance crept into his voice. This afternoon had been a waste. He should have known better than to bother with addicts.

Ravi sat up and reached for his clothes. "Too bad. Listen, I got to get back to the villa. It's been fun and all, but..."

"But you need your pesh." He stared at Ravi, calculating how best to earn his trust. "Do you like living this way?"

"Ain't so bad," Ravi said as he dressed. "I got everything I need." He flashed his gem-studded rings for emphasis.

"Everything?"

"I don't need your pity, fancy man. I got a life here and I ain't ashamed. I got lots of people who want me."

"But do they want you or just the fantasies you give them?"

The saucy grin couldn't hide the pain in Ravi's eyes. "Go home, fancy man. I ain't got nothing you want." He walked away, leaving Anandi feeling oddly guilty.

Then he shook it aside. A few hours more and he'd be able to speak to the captain and get the hell off this blasted island.

Coming Next Week: Meeting the pirate captain in Chapter Two of Evey Brett's "Diamond in the Rough."

Evey Brett is the author of numerous novels and short stories. She holds a Master's degree in writing, and is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and Taos Toolbox. Find her online here.

Illustration by Mike Burns.