by Frost Kay
He turned back to Joseph rocking by the fire.
“She hunted for you for weeks when you didn’t turn up from fishing. When she lost your home, she went back every day for months hoping to find you there. Each time she came back empty-handed about killed her. Unbeknownst to Gwen, Colm would search the fishing district for information about you each night. He just wanted her to be happy.”
His heart warmed at that. Hayjen turned back to the couple as they entered the room hand in hand. Gwen kissed Joseph’s cheek before sitting on the rug in front of the fire, uncharacteristically serious.
“Where have you been?”
Hayjen sucked in a breath and clenched his hands. “Until a month ago, I was on a Scythian slave ship.”
Silence.
Everyone was frozen, staring at him in shock.
“A Scythian ship?” Colm finally asked.
“A Scythian ship.”
“How is that possible?” Joseph questioned. “They haven’t been in contact with Aermia since the Nagalian purge.”
“The other slaves and I were kidnapped. We thought we were the first, but we received some information that said otherwise.”
“What did they want?”
“With me? Hard labor is my guess. With all the women? I can only imagine. There were only four male slaves when I was captured. By the end of the week, I was the only male left alive.” He paused, trying to sort through the nightmares and stick to the basics. “I wouldn’t wish the Scythians on my worst enemy.”
“Did they hurt you?” His sister’s voice broke.
“Sis, you don’t need to know.”
She shook her head, brown curls whipping around. “No, I need to know.”
Colm squeezed her hand. “My love, maybe it’s painful to speak about.”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just—”
He understood. If Gwen had disappeared, he would have wanted to know, too. He heaved himself up, turned his back to the room and hauled his shirt over his head. Curses and a sob sounded behind him. A finger touched his back and jerked away.
“Does it hurt?” Gwen choked out.
“Not now, sis.”
She traced one. “So many, Hay. So many. How did you survive?”
Hayjen craned his neck and caught his sister’s eye. “Determination and seaweed.”
“Now’s not the time for jokes,” she scolded.
“Now is always the time for jokes,” he commented while shrugging on his shirt. “You never know when you’ll be able to joke again.” He spun and hugged Gwen, knowing she needed it after what she had just witnessed. His back was an ugly thing to behold. She stepped awayand stared at his wrists. He lifted them and twisted them back and forth. “Cuffs.”
Gwen stumbled to the fire and vomited. Colm rushed towards her and stopped when she held a hand up. “I just need a minute.” She heaved several more times before wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. “How did you escape those animals?”
Now it was his turn to feel sick. “Pirates.”
“Pirates?” Joseph demanded. “Stars above—this tale just gets wilder and wilder. It’s a miracle you escaped with your life!”
“Father,” Colm chastised. “Show some empathy.”
Joseph met his eyes with an apologetic look. “I let my mouth get the best of me. Forgive me.”
“Nothing to forgive. If I heard my tale from someone else, I would hardly believe it.”
“Did—did the other slaves escape as well?”
Lilac eyes. A sweet giggle.
Bile burned the back of his throat. He wouldn’t share what happened to Mer with anyone. No one deserved to have those images in their minds for the rest of their lives. “Most, but not all.”
“I am so sorry, brother.”
He shrugged. “There’s nothing to do but move on now.”
All three of them looked at him like he was insane.
“You should report it to the crown. Scythians attacking Aermian citizens is something they should know about,” Colm remarked.
“There’s no proof.”
“You’re living proof, you daft boy,” Joseph added.
“Others have gone forward, but to no avail. No one wants war with Scythia.”
“So we keep letting them steal people?” Gwen snarled.
“I don’t like it any more than you do. But what would you have me do?”
“I don’t know,” she huffed, frustrated tears in her eyes.
“I know your frustration, sis. I know. I feel it every time I look in the mirror or when a nightmare wakes me in the night.”
Gwen blinked and straightened, setting her shoulders. “I’m sorry, I am feeling so much right now.” She stared at the rug for a moment before meeting his eyes. “We don’t have to figure out anything tonight. It will keep to the morning, as mum used to say. You’re probably exhausted. Would you like to go to bed?”
He was weary to his bones, and a bed sounded wonderful. “I could sleep.”
His sister’s trembling lips morphed into a full-blown smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. That had been their papa’s favorite saying when their mum used to call for him to come to bed.
“It’s good to have you home.”
“It’s good to be home.”
***
It didn’t feel like home anymore.
Things were the same, but so different. Gwen had grown up while he was gone. She was still her bubbly self, but she worked hard and took on more responsibilities. When Joseph had become sick, Colm had taken over the work in the forge—he was a little behind on a few commissions, so over the following weeks, Hayjen pitched in, doing what he could.
One night, after a particularly long day of stoking the fires and cleaning swords, his thoughts wandered towards his nightly activities. Every night he had snuck out and down to the docks, hoping for an opportunity to slip aboard the ship unnoticed. Much to his irritation, there never was a good time. The captain was always surrounded by people. He’d inquired about her and practically destroyed a pub when he heard all the praise sung about her. Captain Femi had all the merchants eating out of the palm of her hand. It sickened him to think that such beauty hid such corruption.
He pulled at some grass, venting his frustration. To make things worse, he’d received news that the ship was to sail in the morning. He had only this evening to make his plan work, only one opportunity.
“Still glowering at the forest? What did it ever do to you?”
Hayjen tilted his head up and smiled at Gwen as she plopped down into the grass next to him. She tipped her head back, eyes closed with a smile on her face. Her love for the sun hadn’t changed in the least.
“Enjoying the peace and quiet,” he said.
“Now that I believe.” She cracked open one eye. “I’m happy you’re home.”
“So am I.” He swallowed hard and tried to think of something else to say. When he was on the Scythian ship, he’d imagined having conversations with her—but now that she was within arm’s reach, he didn’t know what to say. So he said nothing.
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
“I know.”
“Is it,” a pause, “a woman?”
“What?” he asked sharply.
Gwen opened both eyes and stared at him shrewdly. “You’ve disappeared each night, only to return in the early morning.” Her mouth turned downward. “Mum taught you better.”
“It’s not a woman.”
“If it’s not a woman, then where are you going?”
“Out.”
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not an answer.”
“Sis, it’s all you need to know.”
“Why?”
“For your own protection.”
Her hand settled atop his. “Who is protecting you?”
The concern in her voice touched him. “I am alright.”
“You’re the furthest thing from alright.” Hayjen stiffened, meetin
g her serious eyes. “You carry darkness around with you like it’s your own personal cloak. Your smiles are forced and there’s no light shining from your eyes.”
He dropped his gaze to the grass, hating how much she really saw. “Sometimes the light is snuffed out.”
“No one has that power over us unless we allow it.”
“What do you know of it?” he retorted.
“Enough to know that you’re in pain. Let me in, Hayjen. I can help.”
“You can’t change the past.” No matter how much he longed to.
“No you can’t, but you can come to terms with it. Speak and I will listen.”
Hayjen swallowed and let one word roll off his tongue. “Mer.”
“Mer,” Gwen repeated. “What does it mean?”
“Glittering Sea.”
“Pretty.”
A smile bloomed across his face. “She was. Mer’s hair was so blond it was almost white, and she had the loveliest lilac eyes. Her giggle was as infectious as her sass.” His smile melted when he looked at Gwen. “The Scythians enjoyed tormenting her, and I couldn’t bear to see a child treated that way.”
His sister gasped. “A child?”
“Yes,” he choked out. “She latched onto me, and I to her. I made sure she was fed, her wounds bandaged. I tucked her in at night and said a prayer with her. It was like she was—”
“Yours,” Gwen breathed.
“I promised her that I would get us off the ship and that I would look for her parents. If I didn’t find them, I planned on keeping her.”
His sister blew out a breath before asking, “What happened to her?”
Mer’s happy face flew through his mind as she waved to him before disappearing over the side of the ship where black fins gleamed. Bile crept up his throat. He wouldn’t wish his nightmares on anyone. “She was murdered.”
“Stars above, Hayjen. Did you alert the authorities?”
He barked out a harsh laugh. “Do you really think they care? Like they care about Scythians torturing their people? No one cares but me. Don’t let it be said that justice doesn’t prevail.”
Gwen stilled. “What do you mean?”
“That filth won’t get away with what they did. They will come to a violent end as terrible as their souls.”
“That’s not justice, that’s revenge.”
“In this case, it’s the same.”
“No.” His sister shook her head, her braid whipping through the air. “It’s not. You taught me that as a child. You’re seeking revenge.”
Hayjen glared at his sister. “Does she not deserve justice?”
“Yes, but not by your hand.”
“I won’t let them get away with this.”
“You won’t let them get away with this? Who appointed you judge, jury, and executioner?”
“You don’t understand what it is like to lose someone.”
“How can you say that to me? I lost mum and papa just like you did, not to mention I lost you for months. I thought you were dead!”
“I did die. The Hayjen you knew died on that ship along with a little girl. I will wipe them from this world so they can’t hurt another.”
“It’s murder.”
He glared at Gwen, and she glared right back, rising onto her knees.
“Your thinking isn’t clear,” she said.
He scoffed. “It’s the clearest it’s been in a long time. They need to be put down.”
“Like animals? Are you even hearing yourself? They’re still human, despite their wrong actions. Human beings.”
“If they act like animals, they should be treated like animals!” he bellowed, jumping to his feet.
“It’s murder!” Gwen yelled back, standing up, her chest heaving.
Colm poked his head out of the forge, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?”
Gwen broke their stare off, peeking over her shoulder at her betrothed. “We’re alright. We’re just talking.”
The swordsmith glanced between them before disappearing into the forge. Gwen turned back to him, sadness in her eyes. “Have you thought of the cost? Truly? If you go down this path, then you will become the thing you hate. You will become just like them.”
Hayjen slammed his eyes closed, like it would keep her words from taking root. Mer deserved justice, and so did he. “I need this,” he whispered and opened his eyes. “Gwen, I need this.”
Her face crumpled as tears filled her eyes. “You don’t—you just can’t see that.” One sob escaped her, breaking what was left of his heart. “You were right when you said my brother died on that ship. I don’t know who you are. And I can’t save you from yourself.” She closed the distance between them and grabbed his hand. “I love you. You’re my brother. You’ve been my only family for so long. But if you choose this path, you can’t be part of my life anymore.”
He stiffened, his eyes darting between her hazel ones. “Are you threatening me?” he choked out, everything going numb.
She shook her head violently. “No, just stating the truth.” Gwen pulled his hand to her flat belly. “I have to protect my own.”
The numbness burned away at her implication. “Are you pregnant?” he hissed. Hayjen crooked a finger under her chin so he could look into her eyes. “Gwen, are you pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Hayjen’s eyes dropped to her belly. His sister would have a child. His unmarried sister. “I’m going to kill him,” he growled, moving to go around her. His sister latched onto his arm. His angry eyes met her tear-filled ones.
“We’re married.”
For the second time that day, he went numb. She turned to look at him, guilt written on her face.
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you. We had a simple ceremony. Colm and I planned on having a big one if,” she paused, “if you came home.”
His lips moved not of his own accord. “It’s wrong to lie even if it’s to spare another’s feelings.”
“I know, brother, you taught me that. I’m sorry for not being honest.”
His sister was going to be a mother. “Well, Colm didn’t waste any time,” he blurted.
Gwen blushed then scowled. “I’ve always wanted a family.”
She always had. It had been his dream too, at one time. Hayjen dropped to his knees and stared at Gwen’s skirt like he could see the baby.
“There’s nothing there.” She smoothed her skirts against her flat belly.
Carefully, he touched her belly and smiled. “Hello there, baby girl. I’m your uncle Hayjen.”
“How do you know it’s a girl?”
“Because you deserve to have one as wily as you were.”
Gwen chuckled and sank down to her knees. Her smile morphed into something much more serious as she clasped his face. “I want you to be part of our lives, but you need to decide what is most important.”
“My decision was made the moment you told me you were pregnant.”
A sunny smile broke out on her face. “Thank God.” Gwen gestured to her face and more tears poured down. “Damn body. All I do is cry.”
He kissed her forehead and helped her to her feet. “Mum did the same thing with you.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Truly. As a little boy, I didn’t know what I’d done wrong. Papa had to explain to me that it wasn’t my fault.”
“I wish they were here.”
“Me, too.”
“You hungry?”
“Always.”
Gwen led him inside and he felt a twinge of guilt at the happy smile adorning his sister’s face. He’d told her the truth—his decision had been made the moment he found out she was pregnant. It just wasn’t the decision she hoped for. Hayjen was more determined than ever to make sure no one could hurt his family.
Time to hunt.
Chapter Nine
Lilja
“You sure you won’t come with us, Captain?”
She smiled at her rambunctious crew, shaking her head. “Do you remembe
r the last time we descended on Sanee? Chaos and mayhem was the result.”
“You just want to finish your book!” James shouted.
Lilja chuckled; her men knew her well. “That may be the case, but it doesn’t make the former any less true.”
“We didn’t cause that much mischief.”
“Tell that to the pub owner.”
James shrugged a shoulder and charged forward down the dock. “To the ale we go!” he shouted.
She watched them joke and make a spectacle of themselves as they moved further away. “Hams. I have a crew made up of hams.”
“The perfect fit, I must say.”
Lilja stiffened then relaxed. “Damn it, Blair. Don’t sneak up on me.”
Blair leaned against the railing, his dark eyes glittering with mirth. “Don’t be so obtuse. Then I wouldn’t be able to sneak up on you.”
“You and your warrior sneaking skills,” she muttered under her breath, “useless.”
“Increased hearing as well, Lil.”
She smiled sweetly. “Didn’t forget.”
His eyes narrowed, and a sly smile crept across his face. Lilja stared at him with wide eyes. That look never boded well. “I am just going to go read.” She began backing away and paused when his body stilled. “No!” she shouted as she spun to sprint towards her study.
Three steps. She only made it three steps before a large arm wrapped around her middle and the other was tickling her neck. “Stop!” she screeched in between bouts of giggles.
“Not until you admit that my skills are far superior and that you couldn’t survive without me!”
“Never!” she growled between teeth.
“Okay then, Captain.”
The tickling intensified so much that she couldn’t breathe. “I give,” she wheezed. “I give. Your skills on land are far superior to mine and I couldn’t survive without you.”
“Not quite right.”
“You couldn’t beat me in a swimming race and you know it.”
Blair paused in his tickling. “I will concede that.”
He set her down and Lilja straightened her clothes, scowling at him while he grinned. “No more of that.”
“I can’t help when the fancy to tickle you strikes.”
“Sure you can. It’s called keeping your hands to yourself.”
