His eyes stayed on me as we left the Great Hall.
What did I just agree to? How can I be thinking about escape while making dates with my kidnapper? The same man who’d followed my scent from Malibu to Miami, fed me in the middle of the night, listened to me about another prisoner, and looked at me like I was the most precious thing in his crazy world?
I needed to put some serious space between this man and me.
CHAPTER 9
“You two together, phew,” Delia said, wiping her brow as we crossed the hall. “Is he behaving?”
“Behaving?” I asked.
“Leaving you alone and not sneaking into your room at night. Once a lad scents his mate, his brain turns into mush. If he tries to crawl in your bed, pinch his ear. We have very sensitive ears.”
Somehow I couldn’t see that working on Storm. “Okay.”
“Then you let me know. I’ll find someone to sleep in your room. Unmated males and females cannot sleep together before Selection. What kind of example would that be for the young ones? We have rules,” Delia continued. “The six of them and the elders drafted them after they found this island.”
Delia sounded like the type of woman who could stand up to any man. “Storm and the captains?”
“Yes. They are the six rebels who dared to stand up to King Tullius I and his heir, Prince Tullius III, and made a daring escape Hy’Brasil has never forgotten. Storm will tell you the story one day. They do it during Selection.”
“What happens during Selection?”
“When we get all the young, unmarried lads and new lasses together. The men scent the women. Somehow they know when they have the right scent and pair up. Then they claim each other with a nice bite. Only then are they allowed to court each other. The length of the courtship depends on each couple. The last step is the mating. That is a private matter, but we always know when it is done. Next time, I hope they bring some strapping Tuh’rens, too, for our lasses.”
How did they know when it was done? The man walked around with a smug expression or yelled it from the window? I couldn’t imagine them kidnapping a man. What kind of man would impress someone like Nerissa?
We paused at the top of the stairs leading to the castle entrance, and I breathed in the air and slowly exhaled. The scent of the earth after a downpour mixed with that of the sea was amazing and familiar. I took my first fill of the island without sheets of rain blanketing it. I’d expected it to be hot, but there was a gentle breeze and the humidity was surprisingly low.
The canal was wider than I’d thought, and the stone bridge across it was impressive. A road ran along the other side of the riverbank in front of buildings, and women in colorful skirts and bodices, and men in knee-length pants, vests, scarves, and sailor shirts were everywhere.
“Is it market day?” I asked.
Delia chuckled. “No. The merchants open daily.” She pointed out the shops as we crossed the bridge. “Cabinet maker and candlestick maker are over there. Seamstresses and jewelry designers are concentrated in the middle, and to our left are the foods—bread, salted and smoked meats—and wine merchants.”
She continued to list professions, but my attention wandered when squeals came from the banks of the canal. A bunch of kids were in the water playing with what looked like huge, gray seals, and a few seal pups. I’d never thought seals were friendly, but then again, Storm was friends with a water dragon. By the time we reached the other end of the bridge, the kids were gone and the seals continued to frolic, some climbing to the banks to bask in the sun while others dived off the pier. There were also horses—mares and their foals—and dogs by the canal. Where were the ships?
“Where is the port where the ships are kept?” I asked, going for the direct approach.
“Tuatha Damba, but we just call it First Dam, not port. It’s in the southern part of the island. The ships come in through the west and exit through the east part of the canal.”
“There’s more than one dam?”
“Yes and no. Beag Damba is a lagoon in Southern Forest. It’s a spillover from First Dam. We call it Small Dam. It forms a beautiful beach.”
“The names are unique,” I said.
“They are Gaelic. A lot of us here on Vaarda have Gaelic ancestry. Beag Damba just means small dam and Tuatha means people or tribe.”
People’s dam. Nice.
“Is the canal man-made? I noticed the rocks lining it when we arrived.”
She chuckled. “Yes and no. The canal was formed when two underwater caves collapsed, so the bottom goes all the way to the ocean floor. We just dug up the land between them so the ships can sail from one end of the island to the other once they pass through the underground entrance. It widens toward the east side and forms Tuatha Damba. The one outside is the port. Port Vaarda.”
Perfect opening. “Do a lot of ships stop at the port?”
“Oh yes. It’s a very busy port.”
“Do the other ships all cross the Veil?”
She chuckled. “Some do, but like I told you before, we mostly trade with the other islanders. Some of them are under our protection. The royal family in Hy’Brasil tends to overextend their reach.” She chuckled gleefully. “The old man must be hopping mad because he lost his new ships. I would have loved to see that.”
A couple stopped us on the bridge and thanked Delia for some medicinal gel she’d sent to their house, but their eyes kept drifting to me. She introduced me.
“Ah, Storm’s mate. Welcome to the island, lass,” the man said, surprising me with a hug. “We’re happy he finally found you.”
“He was a grouch, and the whole island suffered with him,” his wife added.
“That he was,” Delia said, chuckling. “Now it’s all sunshine and rainbows.”
The couple chuckled and continued toward the Hall. Twice, people referred to me as Storm’s mate and mentioned his improved disposition. Had he announced to the entire island he’d been searching for me? If Delia noticed my annoyance, she didn’t show it.
We reached the end of the bridge, where the road formed a cross. She pointed directly ahead. “That cuts through the village and continues on to the dam. If you continue past the lake and the trees, you’ll reach the cliffs and the southern watchtower. It’s a sharp drop to the ocean from there.” She pointed to the right. “That curves around the village, past the farmland. We have more farmlands and orchards that way, too, and of course the eastern watchtower.” She pointed to our left. “That’s where we are going. Muriel and Nadalyn live quite close to each other.”
We continued down the left road, passing a few children on horses. Horses were dangerous, yet these kids rode bareback and without reins or bridles. Instead, they gripped the horses’ manes. Worse, they didn’t have grown-ups with them.
Delia didn’t seem bothered. She yelled out their names, and the children waved. Some were going to the second bridge or the dam for a swim, they said. I’d noticed stallions through the tower window, but this was the first time I was seeing mares.
The village houses were cute bungalows with wraparound or half porches with patches of flowers on windowsills. Very picturesque. People waved from their front porches, most asking Delia how the new arrivals and the widows were doing.
She always gave the same answer—the new arrivals were adjusting slowly, but there was time before Selection. As for the widows, Delia let everyone know we were paying them a visit.
“The island grieves with them,” was often the response, which must be the local phrase. Then there was the “Ah, Storm’s lass” that followed my introduction. Delia just laughed.
“How did the whole island know he was searching for me?” I asked, more confused than ever.
“When he throws a tantrum, the entire island knows it.”
Big baby.
“As for your arrival…” She chuckled as though enjoying a private joke.
“He made sure I borrowed Nerissa’s clothes, and Levi walked me to the tower under the villagers�
� watchful eyes, I know.” Would he become a laughing stock after my escape?
“And don’t forget his crew. They said he brought you aboard his ship and took you to his quarters. When you tried to escape, he brought you back and you claimed him in front of them.” She chuckled. “Then he claimed you right back, and the crew witnessed it. I wonder why he didn’t consider that claim official. The Storm I know would have.” She frowned. “Maybe you are all he needs to calm that famous temper of his.”
He was going to go ballistic when I escaped. “When are they leaving for the raid?”
“I don’t know, lass. They don’t discuss these things with us. The crew is still fixing the ships, and you saw them in there discussing strategies.”
So I had to hang out here for a few more days. “How long will they be gone?”
“Going to miss him, are you?”
No, planning to escape. I didn’t comment. Storm had some wonderful traits but also some deplorable ones, which might be the result of their world. At home, I would have let him court me. Court. The word sounded old-fashioned, but I loved it. It suited him. I sighed. I didn’t belong here, and Tommy needed me.
Delia rubbed my arm. “I love it when soul mates find each other. I hope the rest of the captains and their quartermasters can find mates, too. If you hear the way my Nerissa talks, there’s no man out there good enough for her.”
If she ever saw her daughter fight, she’d feel the same way. Not that I was buying the true mates crap. The gods didn’t sit around and create for each man just one female with the right scent and energy. If that were the case, someone in my world would have discovered it by now and patented the process of finding a true mate.
We reached the second, narrower bridge, and I once again saw seals playing with the children in the rippling water. Three of the naked children ran to hug Delia then ran back and dived into the water. Watching them, my heart nearly stopped.
Delia chuckled when I gasped. “They are perfectly safe. Most of our children are born in the water and learn to swim as babies. And their parents are never far.”
I didn’t see any parents nearby. On the other hand, since these people were magical, they could be watching their children through other means.
A black stallion watched us from a stretch of land beside the next house. Like the mares, it had no bridle. I didn’t know much about breeds, but this one was beautiful with a sleek coat, thick mane, and long, bushy tail. The tail almost reached the ground.
“Wow, what a beautiful stallion,” I said, and Delia made a choking sound that had me looking at her. “You don’t think so?”
“Oh, I think he is a handsome fella, but so does he.” She shooed the stallion away. “Go find something better to do.”
“Oh, don’t be mean to him, Delia. He might be lost. Look, he’s coming toward us.” I extended my hand toward the stallion. “Come here, my black beauty. Did you escape your paddock?”
Delia said something I didn’t catch.
Up close, he was huge and powerfully built. I had serious respect for horses. I’d seen one trample a trainer, so I watched their ears for signs of disinterest or irritation.
“Come here, sweetheart. You’re so gorgeous, aren’t you? Want me to rub you?” The horse lowered its head and rubbed his muzzle on my hand. He had a ring of gray around his irises. “He has gorgeous eyes, too. I think I saw you the night we arrived. You were leading a bunch of your friends toward the trees behind the Hall.” I glanced at Delia, who’d gone quiet and was watching us. “I think they were scared by the lightning.”
“I highly doubt it,” she said.
The stallion gently nipped my shoulder where my blouse didn’t cover. When he tried to bury his head under my arm, it tickled. I laughed. His breath was hot.
“You are a friendly one, aren’t you? I wish I had a brush. I’d rub you down.”
“I’m sure he’d love it. Go away, lad,” Delia said, and the horse looked at her, his ears flattening.
“He didn’t like that, Delia. You’re not a lad, are you?” I scratched his neck and then rubbed his shoulder and chest. “You’re a fully-grown stallion. Smart, too.”
“Smart is relative,” Delia said. “Come on. Nadalyn and Muriel aren’t going to wait forever.” She went to the side of the horse and whispered something to him, then smacked his rump. The stallion glared at her and took off.
I stared after him. “What if he was lost? We could have returned him to his owner.”
“He wasn’t lost. The horses belong to the island. Stallions, mares, or foals, they’re all part of us.”
The horse stopped by the bridge and nickered. I waved then followed Delia. “Can you tell me more about Tullius?”
“Which one? There’s King Tullius I, who is the old ruler. The old bat will never die. Then there’s Prince Tullius III, who took over for his grandfather.”
“The Prince. Why is he hated?”
“Because he’s an evil boy. I watched him grow up. He was sweet and nice as a lad. Never hurt anything or anyone, but then his grandfather decided to make him his heir, and he slowly changed. The sweet boy I once knew became a monster and made Hy’Brasil an impossible place to live in. He came up with crazy laws that robbed our people of their dignity. When the daring ones challenged him, he accused them of piracy and had them flogged in public.”
The scars on Storm’s back and neck. “And that was Storm and the other five?”
“Yes. Levi, Zale, Decabel, Ryun, and Kheelan. They hanged them in public as a warning to others, but their daring escape was more than spectacular. They showed Tullius and those of us tired of his reign of terror that oppressors don’t always win. Sometimes I think Tully’s hatred for the lads comes from the humiliation he experienced that day. After that, most of us waited for a sign from the lads. When we heard their ships were sighted, we risked everything to get to them. We lost family members along the way, some sacrificing themselves so we could survive while others were felled by the swords of Tullius’s guards.” She stopped then added softly, “I lost Nerissa’s father that way. He was my chosen mate. My true mate.” She sighed. “Decades later and I still miss him.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I whispered.
She patted my arm, and we continued to walk in silence.
“I don’t miss Tullius and his stupid laws for sure. He destroyed what was once a beautiful kingdom. We were lucky Storm and his friends found this island. They helped more of us escape. They still do, offering sanctuary to deserters from Tullius’s ships.”
Now I understood why the boys on the ship had begged for sanctuary.
“The lads inspired more people to leave Hy’Brasil and settle on the other smaller islands. If you choose to be a shieldmaiden like my Nerissa, you can visit other islands and meet more of our people. Hy’Brasil is off-limits, of course. There’s a price on our heads if delivered alive. It doesn’t matter whether you were born here or escaped with the lads.”
She stopped talking, and I thought she was done.
“The other powerful island is Atlantis. They too have their own set of problems. They signed a peace treaty with Hy’Brasil, so the only way inside is for our people to sneak in. Nerissa says it’s worth it because they sell some of the best jewelry in the Atlantic.” She shook her head and sighed. “I worry about her. She takes too many chances just because the boys do it. One day it will land her in trouble.” Another sigh, then she stopped. I waited for more stories, but she turned left and I followed.
She’d given me plenty to think about. I was seeing a side of Storm that was intriguing. It made me want to… Stay? Never. Tommy needed me. Get to know him better? Definitely. Explore this thing between us? I couldn’t see that happening unless I stayed, which brought back thoughts of my brother. I could never stay as long as he needed me.
“Here we are,” Delia said and stopped outside at a green house with a large pool of water on the lawn. She walked to the door and knocked.
A little girl about
four or five years old opened the door. Her skin was an ochre color, like sunrays through the trees in Tony Canyon, my favorite place at home. She had tiny braids and a button nose, and she sucked her thumb. She looked so cute.
“Serenity, lass,” Delia whispered, squatting. “How are you?”
The little girl stared at her, then me, and yelled, “Ma,” without removing her thumb from her mouth. “Muh’Delia is here.”
An older version of the girl appeared. Muriel didn’t look a day over eighteen, and her eyes were red from crying. We gave them several loaves of bread and fresh meat from Delia’s basket. Delia also gave her a small, hefty pouch. I’d seen pouches like that inside a chest in Storm’s wardrobe.
“Come to the Great Hall if you need more. I’ll be back in a couple of days to check on you.”
“Thank Storm and the council for their generosity,” Muriel said.
“No need to thank them. We are all part of the island, and the island can’t survive without us. After your mourning period is over, come see me. I’ll arrange something for you to do at the Hall so you can bring Serenity to work. Children should be under the watchful eyes of their parents.”
The woman started to cry. She was the first person we’d met who hadn’t heard about me, yet her husband died because Tullius had come after me. I fought guilt as I watched her. When we left her place, the black stallion was waiting for us. Delia sighed, but I ignored her and extended my hand to the stallion. He nuzzled it.
“Okay, he can follow us around if you like, but you are never going to make it back to the Hall in time for lunch,” Delia warned.
I hadn’t forgotten our date, but I had no intention of making it. This place was seductive, the people nice and charming. It was easy to forget I was a prisoner.
The stallion followed us to Nadalyn’s. She was expecting her first child and looked ready to pop. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Delia promised to check on her in a couple of days.
“You are not to tax yourself until the lad arrives,” she added. “The midwife will move in when you are ready.”
Storm: Phantom Islanders Part I Page 15
