Far out at sea, he saw the figure of a dolphin leap out of the waves.
Delfie, that’s what Lisbetta had called her faithful pet.
Cormac made his decision.
Cormac hovered at the edge of the selkie kingdom, gently feeling his way along the magical borders that marked the limits of Anja’s authority. How far did these boundaries stretch in each direction? How vast was her power? Defeating Anja and freeing Lisbetta would take cunning indeed. He needed a plan.
The water darkened around him, and Cormac realised he was not alone. He looked up in growing horror to see the shadow of a ship gliding across the water above him. His hands began to tremble a little. Could this be Sigurd? His rational mind remembered that Sigurd had been hundreds of miles away, and could never have travelled this far so fast. But the fear was difficult to argue with.
He rose to the surface, his stomach clenching so hard it hurt, and broke through the waves just feet from the ship. It was far smaller than he had expected, nothing like Sigurd’s great flagship. And over the side rose a familiar figure, red hair blazing against the setting sun.
“Red!” Cormac called out, overjoyed to see his old friend.
Red rushed over, a rope in his hands splashing down beside Cormac, who gripped it and prepared to be hauled up. After a tricky few moments, he stood on the ship’s deck, dripping wet and grinning broadly.
“Red, I never expected to see ye here! What brings ye tae these waters?”
“Lookin’ fer ye!” Red retorted. “Jamie said it was nonsense, that it was akin tae looking fer a needle in a haystack, but I knew I’d find ye. I’m here tae take ye home, Cormac. Ye need tae get on wi’ yer life and forget all this magical nonsense.”
Behind Red’s back, Cormac saw his friend’s brother Jamie making apologetic faces at him. Clearly Jamie did not share all of Red’s opinions.
“Anyhow, I felt deep down that something would bring me right to ye, and here ye are. Cormac, come home. Nae man can live underwater. It’s folly beyond belief.”
“Sailing out here with just two men is folly enough,” Jamie pointed out.
Red laughed. “Aye, folly indeed. See, Cormac? We need ye tae help us get home alive and well.”
He held out his hand to Cormac. “What do ye say, old friend? Are ye with us?”
Cormac stared down at Red, itching with the desire to grasp his hand and go home for good. His hand had already stretched out without him even noticing. But he held out his other hand alongside it, his wedding ring shining brightly in the light of the setting sun, and he shook his head. His decision had already been made. Lisbetta meant too much to him.
“I’m sorry, Red. Ye’ll have tae get home alone.”
He leaped, soaring effortlessly across the ship’s railing, and diving deep into the water below. As a pirate, he would have killed to have swimming skills like this. Most of the crewmen couldn’t swim at all.
He sent a puff of magic behind him, coating Red’s ship in it to help him reach home safely. And then he was off, shooting through the boundaries into the heart of Anja’s kingdom.
It hurt to leave Red behind. They had been friends all their lives, and grown into men together, as smugglers and then as pirates. Red had disapproved of Cormac’s marriage, to be sure, and that had blighted their friendship a little. But then Red had married shortly after - to Norah, daughter of the pirate Sigurd - and that had helped them ease back into their old comfortable friendship. Things had never been smooth sailing; Red could never resist and argument, and he made no secret of his resentment of Cormac’s wealthier background and greater business success. And Red had never hidden what he thought of magic. But, then again, neither had Cormac.
He realised with a start that he was still not alone.
Lisbetta stared at him from a shadowy drift of seaweed, her seal eyes dark and wide. How much of Red’s little speech had she heard?
Cormac was at her side in a second, hugging her tight. If only he could help her! There was an answer, somewhere - there had to be. He would not give up, whatever Red said.
Suddenly, a crack echoing through the thick seaweed jolted them apart. Cormac span about wildly, trying to understand what was happening. Some dark figure sped towards them, flailing and crashing through the weed.
Cormac and Lisbetta stared in horror as Rona shot past them, rolling through the water in a mad panic. Her body twisted and contorted as she silently screamed, bubbles of water flying from her mouth. She seemed to be breathing, but the expression on her face was pure terror, and Cormac’s heart wrenched.
He and Lisbetta leapt after their daughter, trailing her through the seaweed, but their moment of shock had given her a lead. She vanished into the thickest part of the sea forest, her body twisting and throwing her forward. Cormac chased after her, pushing his body to swim as hard as it could. He could hear Lisbetta beside him, taking a different route through the thick plants. Up ahead, a small seal darted through the weeds, and he paused for a moment in confusion. Was that Rona? Had she changed already? He shot after her again, but it was too late. He could not catch her. He could not even see her any more.
In a small clearing, in the darkness of the nighttime sea, Cormac finally came to an exhausted halt. Lisbetta drifted up beside him, every inch of her body screaming pain. They had lost her. Cormac looked into his wife’s eyes, and understood. She could not speak, but he could hear her anguish. He hugged her as tightly as he could, her warm seal skin against his cheek, and he cried until he could barely breathe.
At last, all his tears shed, he and Lisbetta swam back towards the palace. They stopped every few moments to throw out pulses of magic, calling for Rona, but they knew they had lost her. How had she come to be in the water? He thought back, scouring his memory. Had she followed him from the house, all the way down to the sea? Faint memories of being watched tingled at the edge of his mind, and he cursed himself for being so careless. Of course his clever, curious daughter had followed him.
Cormac realised, with sudden surprise, that he could actually feel Lisbetta’s misery, filling the water beside him. She seemingly could still not share her thoughts, as such, but this was a new development. Might she be starting to break through Anja’s spell? Was that even possible?
He shook his head. This magic was still a long way from defeated, and the stakes had suddenly become unbearably high. He had to break this magic, and find Rona. The time had come to stop playing games. Anja was no sister of his - she was the enemy.
Cormac stood on the deck of his new ship, his hair blowing in the wind, and a new plaid wrapped snugly about him. He might have been granted authority over this ship thanks to Anja, but he was ready to use it against her if he had to. It was time to teach Anja a lesson. She had lied and manipulated for too long.
Red, standing close beside him, sighed yet again.
“This is the most foolish thing I could e’er picture,” he said, shaking his head. “Meddling wi’ selkies and sea magic. Ye’re a bigger eejit than I thought ye tae be, Cormac.”
Cormac had heard the same things a thousand times since he’d returned to ask for Red’s help. He said nothing. Red’s brother Jamie, standing on Cormac’s other side, stayed silent as well.
They stood for a moment, waiting. There was no sign of the Golden Lion yet on the horizon, but Cormac knew his old enemy could not be far away.
“Forward,” he ordered, and his crew of selkies scrambled to obey, their thorough practice paying off as they all moved more or less into the correct places. Not quite a seasoned pirate crew, but they would do. Cormac glanced down into the sea below, where dark shapes beneath the water showed his other selkie troops, heavily armed and ready to fight. Their magic wouldn’t hurt, either. He could just about make out Lisbetta, her sleek seal-shape cutting through the foamy waves.
“Do we have the queen’s approval for this action?” one selkie lord asked from his spot behind Cormac. It was the selkie who’d questioned Cormac’s authority before. He hadn’t bo
thered to learn his name, but he didn’t like him.
“I’m managing the border defence now,” Cormac snapped, not even bothering to turn round. “I will do whatever I think best, regardless of the queen’s opinion. Do you question my authority?”
Silence fell across the entire dock. Everyone had heard Cormac’s words.
“Of course I do not question your authority,” the selkie said, his voice smooth as silk. “Let the attack continue as planned.”
Cormac nodded and, behind him, the sailors leaped back into action.
Anja’s power was clearly weak, despite all her signs of strength. Cormac continued to be surprised at how easily he could undermine her. He knew from Lisbetta that selkies respected strength and authority above all else. They would follow his orders as long as he seemed the strongest leader, but he could not count on their loyalty in the long term. They would all betray him as soon as a new leader appeared. Lisbetta’s mother had commanded their full loyalty, it seemed, but she had earned that power over decades of rule. Anja had never quite managed it.
Sigurd’s ship soon appeared in the distance. Cormac and his selkies were heading straight towards it, moving slowly but surely. Had the time come to end things with Sigurd?
“Fire a warning shot,” Cormac ordered. His selkies were still a little uncertain about using the cannon, but he had trained them as well as he could in such a short time. He stood for a moment, frozen in anxiety, listening to the shouts drifting up from the gun deck. Then the sound of the cannon blast screamed through the air, and he watched the ball crash into the sea. It came nowhere near Sigurd’s ship, but Cormac watched with narrowed eyes as men ran to and fro on the deck of the Golden Lion, frantically changing their course. Sigurd did not quite have the courage to sail straight into cannon fire.
“Again!” Cormac called. A second cannonball shot through the air, coming a little closer to the enemy ship.
Sigurd’s ship was tacking sharply now, changing direction as quickly as possible. They could not turn fully, with the wind against them, but they could certainly do their best to escape.
“They’re turning back!” a selkie voice called, hoarse and rarely used. All the other selkies began cheering and whooping,the clamour filling the air and almost drowning out the crash of the waves. Cormac could not quite feel the same level of enthusiasm, but he smiled anyway. He’d given the selkies the victory they wanted. The victory he needed.
“It’ll take a lot more than that tae get rid of Sigurd for good,” Red said, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and his eyes narrowed. “If ye want to protect this selkie kingdom of yers, ye’ll have tae do a wee bit better.”
“I’ll be able tae do more once Lisbetta is herself again,” Cormac said firmly. “Between the two of us, we’ll have control of the whole selkie army, not just this pitiful wee bit Anja spares for defence. Then we’ll have the might of hundreds of selkie warriors to turn on Sigurd, and he’ll regret the day he made us his enemies.”
Red snorted. “Ye think it’ll be that easy? Is your memory so short? It was no easy task defeatin’ Sigurd before.”
“We didnae have an army before,” Cormac snapped. “All we need is for Lisbetta to get her true shape back, and all will be well. Ye’ll see.”
Red just shook his head.
“I need to put pressure on Anja where it hurts,” Cormac said, keeping his voice low and glancing around to make sure the selkies were all occupied with their victory celebrations. “She cannae think about anything other than power and control. I need to show her how much of a threat I really am before she’ll do as I tell her.”
“Ye’re playing a dangerous game,” Red warned. “What makes ye think she’ll do anything ye tell her? She’s a queen, and by the sounds of it an angry one. She might decide family means nothing to her after all.”
“She sounds hard to trust,” Jamie added. “Do ye not ken the risk ye’re taking, Cormac?”
“She’ll crack,” Cormac said, mustering all his confidence. “She’ll release Lisbetta in exchange for control over her border forces. And as for all these selkies? They’ll follow me as long as I bring them victory.”
He ducked as a spray of water shot up past him. The selkies were playing in the water now, all laughing and splashing. Quite a few had changed into their seal forms, and he couldn’t make out Lisbetta any more.
“From what ye’ve said, this queen and her kingdom seem cold and harsh,” Jamie said, his voice soft. “Why would ye want power or influence there? Surely ye cannae wish to stay? Would ye no’ rather come home? What of your children? Who’s caring for the wee bairns?”
Cormac stared at him, all his determination and satisfaction melting away into ashes. Curse Jamie, for asking every question he didn’t want to answer. But there was a solution. There had to be.
He let his gaze drift out over the rolling waves, staring into the grey clouds as he gently grasped all the magical threads woven into his mind.
“Red?” he asked aloud. “Would ye and Norah be willing tae help look after the children for a while? Moira will do most of the caring, o’ course. But I’d be pleased tae know someone else is there for her.”
He paused. He hadn’t told Red about Rona yet. What could he say? Moira would do a far better job of explaining.
“I just need tae stay here a wee bit longer,” he said. “I have things tae do. Will ye help me?”
“Of course!” Red said, thumping him on the back. “With so many children, Norah will hardly notice another one from time to time. And yer Rona especially is no trouble.”
Cormac forced a smile. Where was Rona by now? Deep in the heart of his magic, he felt a little tug on one of the strings. Moira.
I will help you and the boys, Cormac.
Her voice was faint, but Cormac heard the words clearly in his mind.
Are ye sure?
He waited a moment, feeling her reply take shape, emotions as much as words.
I can care for the boys physically. And now, without Rona, the curse is not so strong. I have enough energy to protect them with my magic.
And then, not intended for him, and almost hidden, Cormac heard another thought.
Humphrey will help me to care for the boys.
That was not a name he recognised. Who was Moira thinking of? He tried to reach out to her, but she vanished, neatly severing the link between them. Who was Humphrey? Could he be trusted?
He would just have to let Moira do whatever she thought best. She loved Cormac’s children like her own, and she would do anything to protect them.
She already failed once, a little voice whispered, but Cormac shut it down and focused on the real, living world around him. Sea spray brushed his cheeks, and the planks of the deck were comfortingly firm under his feet. This was his world, a place of ships and sailors, not the shadowy realm of magic. He would leave that to his sister.
He turned and strode across the deck, his footsteps sounding loud and clear on the wooden boards. His sons would be safe for as long as it took to free Lisbetta. That was all he needed.
“Will ye follow me?” he called out, his voice cutting through the noise with an edge of magic. All the selkies on the ship fell silent, turning to look at him.
Thormond stepped forward.
“We will follow you to victory,” he said.
“No matter what?”
Thormond hesitated.
“As long as you bring us the victory we need, we will follow you.”
Cormac smiled, although he knew his eyes were still cold. At last, he had the army he needed. A small one, perhaps, but a step closer to the force he would need to defeat Anja.
He once again took up his place at the prow of the ship, gently stroking the silver hilt of his dagger as he stared out at the open ocean. The time had come for a true battle.
By the time Cormac left his selkies to escort Red home and take the ship safe home to its mooring, he felt so confident that his skin tingled and his fingers itched. At last, he was r
eady to confront Anja. Not as a poor fisherman, but as her brother-in-law and commander of her fleet.
He swam through the palace gates, ready to take action. Anja would cave under his pressure and finally break the spell. Lisbetta would be free again.
“Stop right there.”
He barely had time to process the words before a group of guards seized him, pinning his arms behind his back and dragging him roughly across the courtyard.
“Let go of me!” Cormac shouted, but they ignored him. He twisted around to see Thormond and the other selkie lords framed in the gateway, watching him silently.
“Do something!” Cormac ordered, and Thormond swam up beside him.
“This man is the queen’s brother,” Thormond warned. “You should not treat him this way.”
Kingdom of the Sea (The Selkie Kingdom Book 2) Page 7
