“Oh, thank the goddess you’re here!” Aster stumbled forward toward Prin, with a big sigh of relief.

  He put his hands out to steady her, taking both of her arms firmly.

  It seemed to Aster his grip was just a little too firm after all, but she was still feeling no pain from whatever the doctor had given her, so it didn’t matter.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in foreeeever.” Aster said, aware that she sounded drunk but unable to do anything about it.

  “What are you doing?” Prin asked. His voice was soft and sweet, like talking to a small child.

  “I’m not drunk, if that’s what you –” Aster gestured behind herself. “I just got the works thrown at me by a mad doctor and . . . you know, arm got redone and all. I guess my captain wasn’t such a good seamstress after all. Though he did seem quite competent while doing it! And sort of sexy . . .” Aster sighed again. “Oh bunny, I’m just so tired.”

  Aster looked at the floor, the boards under their feet looking slightly blurred although she couldn’t be certain whether it was salt and sand or poor vision. Also, whether the floor was swaying or she was, was definitely in question. When she looked up again, she saw herself reflected in Prin’s beautiful eyes. So small and so weak.

  Prin continued to smile at her. “Poor thing. I’ll bet you are.”

  Why did it feel like all the hairs on the back of her neck stood up?

  “Where’s your little friend?” Prin made a vague gesture toward Aster’s hair.

  “Who? Oh, I dunno. I’m not my sister’s keeper.” Aster said. Her voice sounded distant to her own ears, like something from the other end of a tunnel. Was she about to pass out?”

  Suddenly, Prin picked her up in his arms, holding her like a baby.

  “This isn’t necessary.” Aster’s protests were not convincing.

  Prin turned around and walked down the corridor, not showing any signs of effort or imposition.

  “You’re so strong!” Aster declared. “With those scrawny arms, I’m surprised.” She used his collar bone as a pillow. Something didn’t seem right but she couldn’t put her finger on it, and didn’t feel capable of any complex thought or reasoning.

  “I’ve come a long way from what I once was.” Prin said. “You didn’t know me then. I’m more worried about you.”

  “No need, no need. I’m sure I’ll sleep it off and wake up right as rain. Like I always do.” Aster’s voice was muffled in Prin’s shirt, but that’s what she was trying to say. Whether he understood it or not was another matter.

  Aster could feel herself drifting but then, a thought occurred that widened her eyes. His smell. Was that what it was? His smell was not like himself. Aster could recognize a person by their smell, a weird little skill, that could have been an inborn talent, or something picked up from being intimate with a wide variety of people. There was the home element, the body and hair care products, perfumes and colognes, food and drink, but mostly an individual’s sweat was almost as distinct as a fingerprint.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Prin’s clothes did not smell freshly laundered, they still had the scent of the onboard boutique where they were purchased. Was there a sweet undertone to his sweat? Like blood oranges and cotton candy? Aster would almost expect it to be a perfume, and a very nice one at that, but it didn’t lay on top of everything else, the way a perfume would. And Prin wasn’t the type.

  Unless it was someone else’s smell! But that would mean Prin was cheating on Elwin? Innocent Prin. No, if he decided to do something like that, surely Aster would know. And, she could not imagine it happening.

  Aster almost asked, but she had worn herself out overthinking the thing and fallen asleep again by the time they reached her cabin door.

  “Here we are.” Prin said, his voice like folding paper inches above her ear.

  Aster tried to fumble with her skirts, looking for a hidden pocket that contained the key.

  Prin slid his hand along her body and retrieved the key himself, seeming to take no notice of where his hand grazed as he reached the key.

  Aster shivered.

  Prin gave a low chuckle as he unlocked the door. Maybe he did notice after all.

  Something was wrong. But Aster was having too much trouble clearing the cobwebs to figure it out.

  Prin opened the door, balancing Aster in one arm, and went into the room.

  “He-ey! Where’ve you—?” Dru came out of the bathroom, her face and hair wet and shining. She tilted her head to the side and retrieved her round glasses from the bedside table. “Hi.” She said, more subdued.

  “Hi.” Prin said. He put Aster down on her bed and leaned in close. “Be good, little one.” He laughed as he straightened back up. It was an odd sound. Nothing like a Prin laugh, that was usually closer to a giggle and filled with child-like glee. This was a stranger’s laugh.

  Aster sat up straight. She bit her lower lip hard enough to bleed.

  Prin waved to them and casually left the room as if he had never been there at all.

  “What was that?” Dru asked.

  “Barricade the door.” Aster said.

  *

  Elwin’s feet hurt. He had been back and forth across the ship for hours, looking for Prin. Or any sign of commotion, he guessed.

  He had to go back to his room occasionally to see if Prin had returned, but it didn’t look like he ever had. If circumstances had been different . . . he would have worried that Prin were kidnapped or fell overboard. Elwin didn’t know which was worse.

  But as it stood, he figured he knew what had happened. Where Prin had gone, even if not where he was.

  Prin had gotten tired of waiting for Elwin to come through with his request. Elwin, find me a bad person. Is that what he has said? Something like that anyway. If Elwin was being honest with himself, Prin was right, despite his intentions, he was never going to find someone worthy to serve up to Prin. Death on a silver platter. Not on short notice anyway.

  Elwin hadn’t stopped to eat or pee. Some of the staff had started to notice his continuous circuits of the publicly accessible parts of the large ship, although they hadn’t gotten to the point of saying anything to him. Yet. He was trying to work out what to say when they did.

  This time when Elwin went back to their room again, it was finally starting to get dark outside, which would make it even harder to spot Prin. He needed to catch his breath and rethink his plan which wasn’t working in the slightest.

  Elwin went to the bathroom and got a drink of water. He sat down on the corner of their bed and tried to think. Prin, where are you!

  It occurred to Elwin that he must be laying in wait somewhere. Like a spider in its web. He shuddered. Or he was already finished with his meal and sleeping it off. If so, Elwin really hoped he was well hidden while he slept, or that he would hurry back to their room first, as inconspicuously as he could.

  Prin would come back. He was sure of it. Wasn’t he? Prin wouldn’t just ditch him the first time he wasn’t able to help . . .? No, this was still Prin. After he slept off his meal, he would be Elwin’s Prin again. And that Prin would never even think of leaving him.

  Elwin decided to leave Prin a note before he left again, in case he did come back to their room. In whatever condition he may be in at that time.

  He looked around on the side table for a piece of paper and a pen. Curiously there was a piece of paper there already, with a simple number 613. It took a moment for the fragments of his thoughts to click one to the other, and then he remembered being handed it by a pretty boy with glittering broaches and self depreciating banter. Kit.

  And Prin had surely seen this.

  Suddenly Elwin knew where the spider would be building his web. He could just follow the numbers.