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“It’s a note with the words ‘Bridge Tour’ written on it.” Buffy shredded the paper, tossing it into a nearby trash can. “Let’s go.”

By the time they located an employee who could actually explain when and where the next tour started, they discovered they had a scant ten minutes to rush up two flights of stairs and join the group of fifteen waiting in the hall.

They had managed to weave their way through the group, standing nonchalantly beside Aria as the tour guide coughed and called for attention. He began a monotone lecture on the history of the ship while motioning the group through a doorway.

Aria hung back while the group dutifully filed through the door. Glancing at Spike and Buffy, she turned into a small side corridor and stopped at one of several unmarked doors.

Once they were inside the small lounge, Aria locked the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, she dropped on a couch. “It’s okay now, we can talk. I didn’t want anyone to overhear us. The ship doesn’t have any type of security cameras, but employees use this corridor.”

She waited while the couple made themselves comfortable on the couch across from her. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your names.”

“I’m Buffy Summers and this is my partner Spike. You’ve already met Empress.” Buffy surveyed the room and noticed a pale, thin demon standing quietly in the shadowy corner. “Who are you?”

“He’s with me. This is Dargo, my Tamarit.”

The silent man raised a hand in greeting. He had large gray eyes and shoulder length white hair. His skin was ivory, almost translucent in its paleness. The overall effect made Buffy think immediately of Casper the friendly ghost. If he wore jeans and Topsiders. “What’s a Tarma whoozit?”

Spike arched an eyebrow at Aria. “I’m sorry, pet, but you’re goin’ to have to explain. Neither of us has ever heard that term before.”

“I’m not surprised; the word doesn’t exist in human vocabulary. A Tamarit is sort of a combination bodyguard and companion. Dargo has been with me since I was a young child. I trust him completely.”

Buffy nodded. “Okay, I get that.” She turned to the quiet being. “What’s your take on the situation?”

“I’m sorry, but his kind don’t speak. Dargo and I are linked telepathically.”

“Oh.” Buffy felt a little tongue tied herself. This was rapidly moving into the realm of the weird. The Tamarit looked really old although Aria seemed about seventeen or eighteen. But who really knew how old either demon really was?

Spike glanced around. “Let’s start with this room. Where exactly are we and how long do we have in here before someone notices we’re not on the tour or your shadow shows up again.”

“The woman that’s been following me disappeared when she realized I was planning to take the hour long tour. Any uniformed employee would be extremely noticeable in this small crowd of passengers, so that’s why I chose it. Ever since I realized earlier today that I was being followed, I’ve been carrying that note. These tours leave every three hours so I figured at some point we could meet this way. Dargo came in first to make sure the room was empty.”

“Smart thinking.”

“It seems as if only the most boring employees are chosen for tour guides, so people drop out all the time. No one will even wonder why we left.” She grinned and Buffy immediately warmed to her. So far she wasn’t too bad for a demon. Even with the Tamarit thing.

Aria leaned back against the couch. “This is the Captain’s private lounge. He’s a long standing friend of my family. Dargo gave him a note, so he’s aware we’re in here. He’ll keep any of the other officers outside until we’re finished. Do you have the bracelet with you?”

“It’s inside Empress. But I’m concerned about giving it to you since you’re being followed.”

Aria made a face. “Honestly? I’m really nervous about taking possession of it, especially with that woman following me around. It’s far too important to lose to a thief, especially after all that’s happened the past few weeks.”

Spike reached for a ceramic ashtray, placing it on the end table. “Can you give us some more information about the bracelet? Maybe we can help you figure out whose tryin’ to steal it.”

“Yeah. Let’s start with what it’s actually for.”

Aria frowned and a small worry line appeared. She glanced at Dargo and Buffy realized she and the Tamarit were carrying on a silent conversation.

Sighing, Aria turned back to the couple. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been through so much before now and since I came on board, that I’m starting to doubt everyone. Then that woman started following me this morning. Between her and Zahn, it’s becoming a little too much for me. But Dargo just chastised me. I’m to trust the Powers’ emissaries above all else.”

“Wait a minute, pet. Did you just say Zahn has attached himself to your side, too?”

Aria nodded glumly. “I think the human expression is “stuck like glue?” She looked at Buffy and grimaced. “You know how some guys just won’t take no for an answer?”

“Actually I know exactly how that particular guy won’t take no for an answer.” She told Aria about her encounter in the lounge and their suspicions about the officer.

Aria bit her lip. “Spike’s right. He definitely wasn’t drunk. He was back bothering me not more than thirty minutes after that and he was stone cold sober. In fact, he’s told me before that he doesn’t drink. I don’t get it.”

Spike flicked his lighter open. “I believe he was checking us out, especially Buffy. It was clumsy, but effective.” He nodded at Dargo. “Can he read anyone else’s mind? Like maybe Zahn or that employee that’s following you?”

“Unfortunately, no. Only others of his own kind and me. We were pair bonded through a ritual when I was an infant, that’s why we can converse with each other.”

“You were going to tell us more about the bracelet.”

“Right. Well, the bracelet was acquired by my grandfather a few hundred years ago.” She grinned at Buffy’s look. “We’re a very long lived lot. The bracelet has the ability to magnify a person’s intentions, whether good or bad, so it could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

There’s a portal that tries to open once every twenty five years in the middle of the major metropolitan area where we live. My aunt uses the bracelet in a ritual that bleeds away the power that otherwise would allow the portal to open. If it opened, thousands of demons and humans would be killed instantly, or at the least transported to another dimension.

I actually have no idea of the bracelet’s original use. Keeping that portal closed is our main reason for owning the bracelet. Other than that, it’s locked up. In fact, up until a couple months ago I would have wagered that no one outside the family even knew of its existence. How someone found out, and what they plan to do with it, I don’t know.”

She slumped back in her seat. “None of us thought there would be anyone onboard the ship that would be involved. I think I’d like you two to keep the bracelet until the morning we leave the ship. My aunt has arranged for several security people to meet me at the dock in L.A.”

“Aria, why don’t you spend your time with us until then?”

“No, I prefer to be alone. I have Dargo with me and he’s well versed in security. As long as you have the bracelet, I’m sure everything will be fine. Maybe I’ll get lucky and my shadow will become bored.” She smiled briefly. “You see, this is my last chance to be on my own and spend some time with Dargo, too. In three weeks, I attain the age of majority and begin working for my family. My union with Dargo will be severed and we’ll no longer be able to converse. I also won’t be allowed any more free time for a very long while. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for months.” She shrugged. “It’s not turning out as I anticipated, but I’m still having a good time.”

“What will happen to Dargo?” Buffy was genuinely curious. She remembered how Giles felt when he wasn’t her Watcher for several months. She wondered if the pale demon played guitar. “Are you going to retire?”

The Tamarit grinned as Aria cocked her head. She chuckled, shaking her head in the negative. “He said he’s much too young for that yet.” She looked at the confused Slayer and smiled. “That’s a joke. In your years, Dargo would seem extremely old. His people live a very long time, even longer than mine. He’s been in service to my family for most of his adult life. Actually, he’s to be pair bonded to my niece.” She grinned at the Tamarit’s grimace and added, “She can be a handful.”

Spike lit a cigarette. “You need to be very careful around Zahn.”

“Dargo wants to know if you’ve learned anything about him personally?”

“No, not yet, although we believe the woman that’s following you is part of a group known as the Hothis. We’re still not sure they want the bracelet, although it’s certainly starting to seem like it. I don’t like coincidences.”

“I’ve never heard of them before.” She turned to Dargo for a moment and their eyes met. Buffy watched the Tamarit shake his head briefly as Aria continued to listen. “Dargo hasn’t heard of them either, although he agrees with your assessment of the situation. He doesn’t feel comfortable with coincidences either. He’d like to know how many of them you’ve identified.”

Spike looked at the silent demon. “Only two so far. The woman following Aria and a steward named Roc. He searched our room last night.”

Aria cocked her head in the now familiar gesture. Buffy waited patiently for the demon to translate. “Dargo said he knows the steward you’re talking about. He came to our cabin the first afternoon while I was out swimming. He seemed unhappy that someone was in the cabin, looked around briefly and left. Neither of us have the acute senses of a vampire, so we don’t know if he’s searched again. Dargo rarely leaves the cabin otherwise; he dislikes the choice of onboard music.” Aria grinned at the Tamarit. “Although since that woman started following me, he’s been stuck listening to it. Whither thou goest. ”

Dargo smiled wryly, his eyes twinkling as if the subject was a running joke between them.

“Aria, we’ve got three other people on board that can help if you or Dargo discover you’re in trouble. Luckily each is on a different level of the ship.” Buffy picked up the pad of paper sitting on the table and wrote down her cabin number, her friends’ names and their job locations.

Aria passed the piece of paper to Dargo, who pocketed it with a nod. She wrote her own cabin number on another piece and gave it to Buffy. “In case, you find out anything else we should know.”

A light knock sounded on a second door, hidden behind Dargo. The Tamarit moved to the side and an older man with white hair and a full beard entered the room. Taking a pipe from his mouth, he smiled at the group. “I’m sorry to bother you Aria, but I wanted to meet your emissaries and let you know that Zahn and Mennock will be arriving for their shifts shortly. I thought you might like to leave before they arrive.”

Aria nodded. “Thank you.” She turned to the couple watching the exchange. “Buffy Summers, Spike, this is Captain Welden.”

Shaking the Captain’s hand, Buffy fought down sudden hunger pangs. The man in charge of their cruise eerily resembled the Gorton’s fisherman on any package of frozen fish sticks.

“Captain Welden is also aware of your mission.”

“I must admit, I really wanted a chance to meet the Slayer. If either of you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Aribella Demaris and I have been good friends for a very long time and she has requested that I look in on Aria occasionally.” Turning to leave, he nodded at the Tamarit. “Dargo.”

“Captain, wait a moment.”

“Yes, Ms. Summers?”

“What do you know about Zahn?”

“Well, I know he’s become infatuated with Aria.” The Captain smiled at the female demon. “But then, what young man wouldn’t be? I assume he won’t be considering anything untoward with Dargo at the helm.”

“Has he been with you long? How did he come to be employed on the Malfeasance?”

“This is his first time sailing aboard the Malfeasance. His predecessor died in an unfortunate accident just before we were to set sail, and Zahn answered the ad I placed. He was employed previously on a ship not unlike this one, so I hired him.” He frowned at Buffy. “Why are you asking questions about my First Officer?”

“I’m just curious. He’s interested in Aria so that makes him interesting to me.”

“I see. Are there any other persons of interest aboard ship that I should know about?”

Spike leaned forward. “I’d like to know who assigns the stewards.”

“The stewards service the same cabins every trip. We never change; it’s much easier that way.”

“Would it be standard for a steward to service cabins located at opposite ends of the ship and on different levels?”

“I’m not certain, but somehow that seems less than efficient.”

Buffy nodded. “I think so, too and yet Aria and I have the same steward.”

The Captain stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I’ll look into it. Let me know if there’s anything else.” He closed the door.

“Aria, you really should have told me right away about the Captain. Who else knows about the bracelet?”

“No one. You don’t need to worry about Captain Welden. He and my aunt are more than just ‘good friends’.” Aria chuckled. “That’s why he’s helping me hide from Zahn whenever possible. He doesn’t want to get on her bad side.” She ran a hand across her face. “I’m exhausted and the tour should be over soon. I’m going to bed.”

Dargo moved forward and held out his hand. Buffy swallowed any weird feelings and reached for it. The demon’s firm handshake was not at all unpleasant, although dryer and warmer than she’d expected. I guess I’m just used to vampire temperatures.

“We’ll check in with you both later. Remember, if you need anything, or if anything else unusual happens, let us know as soon as possible.”





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