“As you know, we don’t attack unarmed sites that are not engaged in the slave trade,” Wex said. “You’ll recall that we pledged that we never would. It was a condition for one of your warriors to join our crew.”
“He isn’t part of your crew right now, is he?” Detrey asked.
Tok and Wex exchanged looks. “He’s settling something. He was falsely imprisoned.”
The big warrior, Darx, spat a furious curse and leaned forward with a fierce scowl. He spoke rapidly and angrily in Kettura. Varse held up a hand.
“Why weren’t we told?” Varse asked.
“He said not to contact you,” Wex said.
The warriors exchanged glances and a few words.
“Where will he go?” Varse asked.
“We don’t know,” Wex said.
“Your opinion, hunter. Where?” Darx demanded.
Tok shook his head.
Varse’s dark gaze hardened. “Where?”
Tok shook his head. “Not even if your blade was against my throat.”
“You think your claim on him is greater than ours!” Darx roared.
Varse held up a hand. “He’s spoken.”
Darx skinned his long blade and pointed the tip directly into the screen. “Mark me, hunter. If he has gone rogue and is hurting a girl and you’ve aided him by delaying our search, you and I are going to see which of us is a better killer.”
“Rogue, is it?” Wex said, making a fuck-off hand gesture. “Stolen any princesses lately?”
As Darx and Wex shouted insults at each other, the screen went dead from the Ketturan side.
Tok shook his head. “Challenging Ketturan warriors now? Darx skins spike fish bigger than you.”
“I don’t care. Fuck them.”
“I guess. And ourselves too.”
Wex exhaled, pacing. “What now? Warn Linc?”
“No, no.”
“You think they’ll try to track him through a signal from us?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“I can predict the places he might choose, given his needs.”
Wex’s gaze slid to Tok. “Again, I ask. What now?”
Tok put a hand on the side of his brother’s neck. “Go home. Spend some treasure.” Tok put his forehead against Wex’s for a moment, then let go.
Tok pulled a pack from under the console and started to load it.
