The other one.

“Bring me that one,” William said pointing through the group of three girls Miranda had shown him and towards the tanned Sylfaian.

Miranda paled for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. “My dear captain. I am afraid that one is not yet ready for purchase.”

William found his interest instantly piqued at being told he couldn’t have this woman.

“5 weights of silver,” William stated. It was a rich but not unheard-of price for a newly acquired maiden’s first time.

“I regret I cannot…”

“10 weights.”

“William, please. She’s… spirited.”

“20.”

The conversation around Miranda and William stopped as he said the unimaginable price for the girl. Fear and greed wared in Miranda’s eyes as she calculated the profit.

“As you wish,” Miranda relented.

Greed always won. “Have some supper sent to the southern suite. I’ll want to eat after I’ve bathed.”

A glance was shared between Miranda and her nearby doorman Marwan as William left the room and made his way to the rear courtyard of the bordello mansion.

Outback was a steam room and hot bath. William was greeted by a face full of steam as he pushed the thick wooden door open. It had edges had swollen from the moisture and stuck momentarily before pushing in. Inside was a central mosaic pool as well as rooms built entirely for capturing the heat and steam from braziers of hot rocks. An attendant acknowledged Captain’s Kent arrival with a nod but didn’t say anything.

William undressed on a bench beside the rippling hot pool. The servant took his garments and boots away to be clean as he stood up and stepped closer to the water. It was almost uncomfortably hot but by Lord did William love it. Scented oil carried by the steam entered his nose and he could forget the smell of the ocean, wood and other men at last. The pool and steam rooms were one of the main reasons William came to The Cat’s Meow. That and the quality of the ladies of course.

William would normally have enjoyed a long sweat in the other room before making his way upstairs but today he was unable to fully relax. The soot-dark eyes of the Sylfaian Stranger returned to his mind eye over and again. Getting out of the water, William wrapped a towel around himself and returned back through the courtyard and into the mansion. A rear stairwell was next to the back entrance and allowed William to get to the third floor of the house without having to walk through the crowded salon and the other guests nearly naked.

Another servant was just leaving Wiliam’s suite with an empty tray as Bill came to the top landing. Inside the chamber, the tanned beauty was pacing the room like a caged hunting cat. She was still in the same silver gown as well William had first seen her.

“Normally the girls are undressed and on the bed already when I come in,” he commented and went to the tray of food picking up a flaked almond and biting into it.

“I’m not like the other girls,” she fired back with uncontrolled hatred in her voice.

“Indeed, you are not,” Will agreed.

“I don’t belong here.”

William dipped a piece of bread into some black vinegar and oil before placing it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before making his way over to the woman in the end.

“You have the looks and the body for it,” he told her picking at the strings that held the bodice tight against her bosoms.

Quick as a whip a short sharp knife from produced from behind the girl's back and halted just a millimetre from the towel and William’s groin.

“Lay one finger on me against my will and I will cut you. You’ll bleed out before anyone can even get into this room,” she threatened with a flick of the blade tip towards William's femoral artery.

Undeterred Will indicated the door he’d come in through with his brows. “What? Through that door.”

She couldn’t stop herself from turning her attention where he’d directed.

Faster still than she produced the dagger, William grabbed her wrist and pulled it aside and then past him. The sudden motion pulled her forward as William light-footedly stepped left and behind the girl. Pulling their arms together William **** the knife up and up against the women’s jugular. “One cut and you will paint the ceiling before anyone even makes it to the first landing.”

To her credit, she wasn’t afraid and made a last-ditch effort to escape. Mercilessly William ground the girl's forearm bones together beneath her skin forcing her to drop the knife onto the floor in front of them. With a kick he sent it sliding across the floor away from them just as he released her, turning his back against her and returning casually to the food he’d been picking before. He reasoned she wouldn’t make another attempt to kill him just yet.

“What is your name?” he asked turning back towards her after he finished off a pair of dates.

It wasn’t what she’d been expecting. “Kia,” was all she’d tell him.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance Kia. How is it you came to be a whore in a brothel so far from Sylfia?”

Kia bristled. “I am not a whore. My brother is the.” She caught herself just before she was about to say something but then continued. “A vizier back in Sylfia. He will send a great ransom for my safe return.”

William pondered for a long moment. He felt he wasn’t getting the full truth of what Kia was telling. Something told him to keep the girl with him though.

“I can get you back to your brother. Or a message to him in any case.”

“How?”

“Give me the knife again. Nicely this time,” William said holding out his hands to show he meant no harm.

Kia seemed to be weighing things up as well. Eventually, she went and retrieved her weapon for him and gave it to William peacefully.

“In the harbour is a ship called The Catherine’s Fancy. It’s a three-masted Barque. It’s leaving on the dawn tide tomorrow. Make your way to it and ask for Jack Stirling by name. He’s my first mate. Tell him you’re to be sheltered in my cabin with as few people to know about you as possible.”

“But how do I get out of here? Melinda will never let me go.”

“You attacked me and jumped out the window,” William said matter-of-factly as he turned the knife on himself and cut a large slice across his cheek under his eye.

Kia stifled a shriek as deep red blood started to flow instantly down William’s face and onto the floor.

“Quickly now. I’m bleeding,” William had to coax Kia as she still hadn’t yet moved.

Jolted into action, Kia first grabbed at the skirt of her dress and ripped. Pulled the rich embroidered fabric away just below her hips. Darting for the window she unlatched it, climbed onto the sill and then jumped with just one final look back at the man offering to save her.

William counted to 20 in his mind as he watched the blood running down over his muscled stomach forming a spreading red stain on the white towel still wrapped around his waist. Reaching his count, Will dropped the knife to the floor and then screamed out in pain as if he’d just been cut. He lifted the table with the food up, tipping it over for good measure as he only then pressed his hand to his cheek.

In under a minute, there was a commotion coming from outside and the door was smashed open. Marwan sprung into the room, sword drawn and ready for ****. Behind him was Melinda, the fear returned to her face.

“That whore tried to kill me!” William screamed. “Don’t just stand there! Go after her. Kill her. She’s making for the hill and the jungle.” It was the best he could do to send Marwan in the wrong direction away from Kia.

“Oh, William! Your face,” Melinda wailed coming next into the bedroom once she knew it was safe, trading places with Marwan as he took off to find the escaped whore. “A healer! Send for a healer,” Merinda called out to the huddle of faces that were appearing in the corridor, and from other rooms, to see what all the commotion was.