by Alice Wilde
He slides his hand behind my head, hooking his fingers agonizingly into the hair at the nape of my neck, forcing me into an immobile position.
“You’ve only made things worse for yourself, girl.”
“Whatever happens to me, at least I’ll know you’ll forever be uglier for it.”
The smile on Jack’s face fades slightly, but he only tightens his grip on my hair. Tears well in my eyes uncontrollably.
“Don’t worry about me. You’ll regret that soon enough. I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
He jerks my face toward his. I struggle as much as I can against him, but his mouth finds my own. His lips move against mine, his eyes open and watching me.
I retch.
Jack lets go, shoving me away in blind reaction and splashing clean water on his face.
“You, bitch!”
I can’t keep my balance and fall backward into the water, sinking below the surface. This time, no hands raise me up. I open my eyes and watch as the rays of the sun streaming through the water grow red and faint. I writhe, trying to free myself from my bonds. Just as I’m about to use the last of the air in my lungs, a hand pulls me back to the surface and I look up into a pair of beautiful green eyes.
Roan! My heart sings.
It’s almost as if time has stopped, until I tune in to the sounds around me. It’s only now that I realize why the water looked red. Blood.
More than one body is floating, torn, on the surface of the water, Jack among them. Several more are lying at the edge of the water, arrows lodged in them as they tried to escape.
I look over to see Li standing atop the rock above the pool, a bow in hand. Ero is shaking the water and blood from his fur at the edge of the pool.
Exhaustion and relief overwhelm me and I collapse against Roan’s chest, the world falling away around me as he takes me in his arms.
“Is she okay?” Roan asks.
“She’ll live, but she needs to rest,” Li replies.
I slowly open my eyes and look up into Li’s face. He smiles softly down at me.
“Welcome back.”
“She’s awake,” Roan says as his face jumps into my vision alongside Li’s. “How are you?”
“Where are we?”
“Dinna fash. We’re plenty far off from the men we found you with, or at least whatever is left of them.”
I try to sit up, but my head spins, and Li gently presses me back down to the ground.
“Try not to move too quickly. You’re still very dehydrated and need to let your body rest.”
Li props my head up and lifts a waterskin to my mouth. I sip it gratefully, but remember to take it slowly.
“How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy.”
I turn my head to see Ero, sitting by a small fire. He’s wearing some of Bryn’s old clothes, the blood stains still visible, poking at the wood in the fire.
“It didn’t take long for Roan to notice we’d lost you overboard, but the storm only got worse,” Li says. “The captain grew angrier with us since not only had he lost his merchandise, but the storm didn’t die down. He believed we had waited too long and the sacrifice hadn’t been given freely. I raced over to Roan, who was already preparing to jump overboard, and then I noticed Ero motionless on the deck.”
“What do you mean motionless?” I ask.
“He was just sitting in the middle of the deck, his eyes open, but unseeing.”
I look over at Ero, who’s still just staring at the fire.
“I managed to pull Roan from the edge of the ship and get him to follow me over to Ero. I’d never seen or heard of anything quite like it.”
“But I have,” Roan says quietly. “Some years ago, before I was born, our land was invaded by Vikings. We fought back, and won, or at least we thought we had. The Scottish are a proud lot, and what few know is that the reason for this particular battle was a forbidden love between the laird’s daughter and a Viking jarl. He had been denied her hand in marriage, so they decided to run away together. They succeeded in running far enough away that they felt it was safe to set up camp, but they were soon found, and the laird’s men were ordered to kill the Vikings on the spot and take back his daughter.”
“How cruel,” I murmur.
“It gets worse,” Roan says. “The laird’s men slaughtered every man they could lay their hands on, finally reaching the Viking jarl’s tent. The men entered and dragged the two out. The daughter was thrown atop a horse, the jarl pinned down and made to watch as she was carried away, never again to be reunited in this life. This was when everything changed. A great storm appeared out of the blue, tearing down trees and twisting air and clouds into deadly funnels. This became the legend of the Stormcaller.”
A movement draws my attention away from Roan for the span of a few seconds. Ero’s interest in the story is suddenly intense and focused.
“You’re not talking about the Viking named Jarl Einar by chance?” Ero asks, interrupting.
Roan pauses and glances over at him. “Yes, I think that was his name, although he’s not often gifted his name in the legends.”
Ero’s brow furrows, but he doesn’t say anything more.
“The jarl’s eyes shifted from a pale blue to a swirling tempest of grays and blues,” Roan continues, “his face becoming otherwise vacuous as the storm around him grew deadlier by the second. Most of the men were so frightened of the storm that they fled, but the laird’s general stayed and watched. As the Viking finally calmed, the storm did, too, but by then, it was too late as the Scottish general had already kicked him to the ground and put a sword to his chest. They looked at each other for a long moment, the jarl confused and seemingly unaware of what he had just done. Then the general ran him through with his sword. It was impossible to keep the tales quiet. The laird’s daughter bore a child nine months later. But there was never any proof that the legend of the Stormcaller was more than fairytale…not until Ero.”
“You mean to say Ero caused the storm at sea?” I say, disbelievingly.
“I have no reason to doubt it,” says Roan. “Li and I worked together to calm Ero. It wasn’t easy, but as soon as he started to relax, the storm shifted as well.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. None of this is making sense. First a curse, and then shifters, and now the ability to control the weather?
“Jarl Einar was my great-great-great-grandfather, or at least that’s what I was told growing up. He ran out on his wife, leaving her to care for their six children. The tales of that battle, his betrayal, and death were carried back to her many years later. I’d always thought it was a figure of speech and he had just gone crazy. So, you see, princess,” Ero says, not looking at me, “if what they’re saying is true, everything has been my fault. I blamed Roan, but I’m the reason you were tortured and nearly raped or perhaps even killed. I’m the one to blame for the trouble you’ve endured the past two days. After everything is said and done, it all leads back to me.”
“Enough,” I say to Ero. “None of us knew you were capable of that. You can’t blame yourself for the actions of others. Besides, this still doesn’t explain how you found me.”
“With the storm dying down, we knew the crew would think the captain’s superstitions were true. So, we did the next best thing and jumped ship, taking several wooden casks with us for support. From there, we could only hope that we’d be able to follow the same currents you did,” Roan says.
“That’s impossible,” I say.
“You’re right,” says Li. “We ended up further east than you did, which is why we weren’t the first to find you. Ero stayed where we landed while Roan and I shifted and ran the shore in opposite directions. When I finally returned to Ero, Roan hadn’t arrived yet. We waited a couple of hours, but when he didn’t return, we knew he must have found something.”
“I found your barrel,” Roan says. “You had been taken perhaps a few hours before I found it, but I could tell by the location—”<
br />
“Roan, there was a dead body. I doubt the placement of the barrel is what set off alarms in your head,” Ero says, rolling his eyes.
“Do you mind, I’m telling my side of the story.”
“Whatever.”
“As I was saying, I found the barrel you’d been stowed away in. There were footprints, broken crates, and tracks everywhere…and your shoes. It was pretty obvious at that point that you were in some kind of trouble. I left my mark, hoping Li and Ero would follow once they realized I wasn’t returning.
“I tracked you down as quickly as I could, but I had no way of getting you away from them alive. Not on my own. So, I waited and watched, hoping I’d have a chance to rescue you, or at the very least Ero and Li would arrive in time.”
“When did you catch up with us?” I ask.
“Around the time the leader decided to set camp,” says Roan.
“Were you watching me from the forest while the horses were being tended?”
Roan cocks his head to the side. “Yes, why?”
“I thought I felt someone watching me.”
“Well, there were plenty of men milling about, and I’m sure more than one had ill intent toward you.”
“It wasn’t that,” I say.
He watches me quietly for a moment, and then leans down and kisses my forehead.
Li and Ero groan, but I find the gesture reassuring.
“Perhaps there’s something greater at play than either of us, lass,” Roan whispers gently in my ear before lifting away from me. “I was starting to get anxious when Li and Ero still hadn’t arrived.”
“We moved as quickly as possible,” Li says. “After all, I had to run in human form to carry the supplies we had found on the beach. It’s a bit slower on foot.”
“What supplies?”
“Besides our clothes, we found an axe with the body on the beach. Someone must have overlooked it.”
“I didn’t see you carrying an axe,” I say.
Li clears his throat uncomfortably. “I’m not fond of fighting with an axe. As soon as I found use for it, I left it.”
“He killed someone,” Ero says curtly.
“Not just anyone,” Li says hastily. “One of the men patrolling the outskirts of the camp, and he had a good bow. I’ve always been better with bows.”
“That explains the men who died trying to run.”
“Ero and Li arrived just as Jack was about to try to hold you under the water for getting sick. I don’t know what he expected. I doubt he’s ever satisfied a woman by the way he was treating you.”
“Why didn’t you come for me before then?”
Roan’s jaw tightens and his eyes shift down. “I’ve never fought more than one or two men at a time, and I could hear that Ero was not far off by the time you were thrown in the water,” he says uncomfortably. “I hope you believe me when I say I would have jumped in sooner if I didn’t think they were coming, but I was scared and had already done enough damage on the ship. I didn’t want to ruin our chance to surprise them.”
I do believe Roan, but at the same time, I can’t help but be more than a little indignant that he was able to simply watch and wait while I was being tormented. Even if nothing severely damaging happened, it could have turned deadly in a matter of seconds. As much as I want to believe in the gods’ will, and these men for that matter, I’m starting to realize I have to find a way to deal with these kinds of obstacles on my own. There will be far worse to come, and these men didn’t even use magic to try and harm me.
“Lass?” Roan says, his face awash with distress.
“I understand. I don’t blame you,” I say. “I don’t blame any of you for what has happened the past several weeks.”
“But?” Li presses.
“I need you to help me learn to survive in this world. I was brought up as a princess, nearly everything given to me on a silver plate. What little I know of the world has been gleaned from books and moments in court. The world has proven to be a far darker place than I could ever have imagined.”
“If it’s any comfort,” Li says, “I’ve never seen so much bad luck in such a short span of time.”
“I doubt she finds that comforting,” Ero scoffs.
“What I mean to say is that perhaps you’re getting a far faster introduction to the darkness so that you will be strong enough to overcome it, compassionate and just in your rulings, and the future queen your kingdom needs.”
“Or perhaps the world is trying to tell me there’s justification for why women aren’t meant to rule.”
“Lass, from what I’ve seen of the world and the men in it, even if I were just to base my thoughts off the past few weeks, it would be a far better place if more women reigned.”
“All you need is some time to rest. One day you’ll realize how resilient you are. These haven’t been easy days for any of us. And we’ve had far more time to learn the ways of the world,” Li says.
“You’ve erred the least of us all, princess,” Ero says, glancing over at me.
The firelight plays on his face, and I almost think I can see tears in his eyes. That would be a first for Ero. Of the three of them, he’s the best at hiding his feelings. Ero turns back to watch the fire before I can see whether or not my eyes are playing tricks on me.
“Are you hungry?” asks Roan.
“I honestly don’t know,” I say.
“You should try to eat a little,” Li says. “At least enough to give your body the energy to recover.”
“Do we even have food?”
Roan grins, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “I may have been dreadful at surviving in France, but I do know my way around the vegetation here. And Ero put some of his temper to good use by killing a wild boar. Even if it was a small one.”
“Bigger than any you’ve killed,” Ero mumbles. “It’s nearly done.”
I slowly prop myself up on my elbows and finally notice that Ero hasn’t been poking the fire, but slabs of meat laid out on stones to cook. I hadn’t even noticed the mouthwatering scent in the air until now.
Roan has gathered a selection of what appears to be wild garlic, red clover, and lamb’s lettuce, as well as some wild carrots and berries. He lays the fruits and vegetables out in front of me and I pop some of the red currents into my mouth. They burst satisfyingly, the tangy sweetness sending chills down my spine. I savor the moment.
The meat Ero is watching has begun to crackle loudly, fragrant in the evening air.
“It’s ready,” Ero says, removing one of the pieces of meat from its spot by the fire. Placing it on another stone, he hands it over to Li, who sets it beside me.
“Take your time,” Li says. “Meat will be harder on the stomach than vegetation.”
I want to listen to him, but my mouth is watering beyond control. Waiting just long enough for it to cool, I bite ravenously into the meat. It tastes just as good as it smells, nearly melting in my mouth. I take several more mouthfuls before my stomach begins to tighten uncomfortably and I’m forced to stop.
“It’s going to be a day or two before you can eat properly again,” Li says.
I nod, but I’m not bothered by it. Although I haven’t eaten much, I am content for the moment, my stomach full. I sip some more water and then lie back with a sigh, ready for sleep once again.
“Get some rest, lass. We’ll be bothering you again far too soon.”
Li and Roan move closer to the fire to eat their own suppers, and I close my eyes to rest.
My head no longer aches from dehydration, but I’m far from recovered. I can’t sleep, but the low murmurs of the men and the crackling of the fire relax my body enough to help ease much of the soreness.
“I won’t sleep,” Ero says loud enough for me to hear.
“Fine, suit yourself,” says Li.
I open my eyes as Li and Roan return to me. Roan pulls me gently into his arms and I curl up against him. Li’s body is comfortingly close to my back.
“Sleep, la
ss. You’re safe, now.”
I know we’ll never truly be safe. Not in the wilderness. Not with men like Damien and Jack in the world. But with these three men beside me, I can’t help but feel protected.
Thirteen
Roan
I don’t know how we were able to get to her in time, but I’ll have to remember to thank Saint Christopher for her protection. I brush a strand of golden hair from her face as she sleeps. She shouldn’t even be alive, not after everything that’s happened.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the real reason I didn’t save her sooner. I’ve never killed a man, not before today. As much as I didn’t want to see her harmed, I had sat and watched, too much of a coward to attack. I know how to fight—I’ve fought many times before—but never with the intent to kill.
When I saw what was done to Bryn, I knew we wouldn’t be able to rescue her without killing at least some of the men. I don’t think Ero has figured it out yet, but Li knows. Ero’s anger blinds him to a great many things, and for once I’m grateful for that. He was the first to arrive, although Li was only seconds behind, leaping into the water and turning it crimson with the blood of Jack in nearly the same instant. Ero killed three men before the others realized what was happening, and Li shot and the remaining men with deadly accuracy as they fled. All I did was pull Annalise from the water. She’d most likely be dead if it weren’t for the other two. And she thinks she’s not good enough to be queen.
Annalise whimpers in her sleep and I hold her tighter. We’ve all fallen short, but none worse than myself.
We’re not far from Scotland and my homeland now. If all goes well, we should arrive within the week. I won’t stake my life on it, but I don’t see how things could get much worse than they have been.
