His brow raised, as if he were remembering something. It’s working, she thought. Then, to her dismay, the brief look of recognition in his eyes faded completely away, the expression of mindless rage returning.
He opened his jaws, and her heart thudded in her chest at the sight of all those teeth, like rows of foot-long white daggers.
“I love you!” she yelled, surprising herself. Vander was surprised too. He stopped, pulling his head back and closing his jaws.
She looked him in the eyes. “I love you,” Brynn repeated. She hadn’t said it to save herself. It was simply the last thing she wanted him to hear before she died. She wanted him to know.
She’d always prided herself on her rationality. She’d never really believed in love at first sight. And that’s not exactly what had happened. But they had fallen for each other in a very short time, shorter than she would have ever thought possible. There had just been something between them, and it had only taken the smallest of sparks to set it aflame.
And now their love was saving them both. Vander’s eyes softened again, looking at her with recognition and affection. His claw began to loosen as his whole body shrank, scales becoming skin and hair. As he fully transformed, he still held her, not in one outstretched hand, but in both his arms.
He drew her close to him, drawing her in for a long, soft kiss. He pulled back, his face pale and drawn, bags under his eyes. But there was a smile on his lips.
“I love you as well,” he said.
Brynn’s heart swelled as he said the words. She realized she had traveled from one world to another, escaped from prison, and crossed half an ocean just to hear them. That, and to know that the man she loved was safe.
She looked down at the siren, who had finally freed the tentacle from around her neck. But she was down on the ocean floor, holding her throat in pain. Brynn didn’t think she’d be singing again any time soon.
Then she looked at the battle, a horrific sight filled with plumes of crimson and carcasses. But the fish women seemed to have decisively lost, and now that their leader was down, they were fleeing back to the safety of their city.
Brynn saw a figure swim out of the chaos and smiled. Jeera chirped at her, kicking her tail as she drew close.
“Vander,” Brynn said. “This is my friend Jeera.”
The dolphin chittered, nodding her head.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Vander said, stepping back from hugging Brynn. She remembered as he did so that he was naked, and she smiled at what she saw. He blushed and cupped a hand over himself, looking around on the sandy ocean floor.
Jeera swam away from them, laughing, and returned within seconds with the Vander’s green armor in her mouth. He took it from her, thanked her, and began to pull it on.
While he did, Brynn swam to where the trident had been knocked out of her hand, dully glowing in the sunken sand. She curled her fingers around it and lifted it up before swimming back to him.
He pulled his arms into the sleeves of his suit, looking at her with nothing but open love.
“You came for me,” he said.
“I told you I would,” she said. “Here. I believe this is yours.”
He looked at the trident, then at her. “I do not think so.”
What was he talking about? He was the one who had come to Earth to find the thing. He was the one who had brought it back here.
“The trident never reacted to me that way,” he said. “Seeing you rip through the water as you held it, commanding an army of sea creatures, it seems clear. It has chosen you.”
Brynn looked down at the spear, its shiny metallic surface glowing white from within. What the hell did this all mean? The thing had chosen her? And now, what? She was going to have to be the one to fight some evil presence that wanted to destroy his world?
He must have seen the shock and worry on her face, because he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. She felt some of the stress melt instantly away at his touch.
Vander smiled. “Do not worry,” he said. “All will be well. We are together at last.”
She smiled back, still uncertain about the future, but certain at least about one thing. He was right. They were now together, and whether she stayed in his world or he returned with her to Earth, she didn’t ever want to be separated from him again.
“Now then,” Vander said. “Shall we head back to the Emerald Isle? The journey is a long one, and I have a throne to reclaim.”
23
NEVRA
She flapped her wings, heading for the demon’s prison in the Scorched Mountains under the darkness of a moonless sky. She was feeling wonderful, the warm night air flowing across her neck and stomach as she flew.
It had been two days since the marriage, two days since Vander had flown across the sea, lured by the siren’s song, leaving her the sole ruler of the Emerald Isle.
Now she would visit Vish’Kazir, the thousand-year old demon, and share the good news. She had kept him in his prison, though she suspected the bonds were not as strong as they once were. He had killed Marko, after all.
But she felt confident she could keep him restrained, just enough to be useful. She would just need to be careful.
She circled around the ridge with the entrance to the secret chamber, landing on the clearing and taking human form. The face of rock looked like any other along the long stretch of mountains, though it was not. She opened the secret entrance, revealing a dark tunnel beyond, and entered.
She thought she would celebrate with a sniff or two of demon dust. Marko had always told her the stuff would make her go insane, destroy her soul, or perhaps both. But he was gone. There was no one left to tell her what to do. Not even her father. She was on equal footing with him now, ruling an entire kingdom. Besides, he would be next.
Nevra emerged from the tunnel into the main chamber filled with ancient carved furniture, silk pillows, and tapestries she had brought here over time. The door to the demon’s prison room lay across the way, and she could feel him calling to her.
She had never been truly afraid of the demon before. He was imprisoned, after all. And she knew his secrets, or so she thought. But a feeling of dread and sickness washed over her at the low, sonorous drone pulling her towards his chamber now. Her stomach turned sour. Her mouth became dry.
Nevra walked across the room and into the short passage that led to the inner chamber. The room was dark, but she could clearly see the metal box suspended from the ceiling with chains, inscribed with hundreds of ancient runes. The box hung over what looked like a well. She knew better than to look down into it. All there was to see was a vast emptiness, a void so great it would make a person go mad to linger upon it for too long.
Nevra, the demon whispered to her, the voice like a ragged claw slicing through parchment. She could feel it in her head, between her temples. The way he talked to her always made her feel violated in some way.
She smiled, though, trying to take back the mood for herself.
“Greetings, Vish’Kazir,” she said. “I bring good news.”
No, he said, stronger this time.
No? “It is true,” she said, trying to shrug it off. “I am the sole monarch of the Emerald Isle. It is mine to rule alone.”
You rule nothing, the demon said. There is nothing you can tell me that I cannot see for myself.
What was he going on about? Why would he want to spoil her victory? Was he playing some sort of sick game?
“I don’t—” she began, but he interrupted her with a single word.
Look.
She had been staring up at the metal cube while she conversed with him, as she always did, trying to keep her eyes from straying downward to the pit. But now a dark purple glow emanated from below, daring her to look down, drawing her like a moth to a torch.
Look, the demon repeated, and that was enough to compel her. Whatever there was down there, she knew she didn't want to see it. Nevertheless, her eyes drifted downward.
>
Nevra gasped. She thought she would see the starless void of infinite space. Instead, the pit showed a scene, like the scrying balls the witches of the southern swamps would peer into.
It was a beach. Actually, not just any beach, but the beach in front of the bamboo palace. And it was sunny and bright, the waves lapping gently upon the sand. It could not be the present, because she had flown here in the middle of the night.
“Is this the past or—”
It is the future, Vish’Kazir whispered. Only a few hours from now.
She didn’t understand. The beach was empty. “Why are you showing me this?”
Watch, he said.
She let out a little snort of impatience, but continued to stare at the empty beach, scanning the scene for anything of note. There was nothing. She shook her head and opened her mouth, about to speak again. But then she saw something.
Out in the water, something was emerging from the surf. The first thing she could see were three metal tips poking up out of the water. The tips formed a three-pointed fork, rising up to reveal the head of a trident.
Then a woman’s head came up out of the water, her shoulder-length hair wet and flat against her head. She had looked much different only yesterday, stronger and more confident, but Nevra recognized her immediately. It was the outworld woman. She was walking out of the ocean wielding a silver trident.
So, Nevra thought. She is alive after all. But she was foolish to return. I know enough not to make the same mistake twice. This time she will not be put back into a bamboo basket. This time I will have her—
But she did not finish the thought. Two more figures were rising up by the woman on either side. One was a naked woman with short, dark hair, likely the other escaped prisoner. But as she turned her eyes to the other, her stomach lurched.
It was Vander Tanglevine. His blond hair was wet and stringy. As he emerged, he squinted up at the sky and smiled. His green armor sparkled in the sun.
“No,” she said, slumping forward to put her hands on the stony edge of the well. “This cannot be.”
And yet it is, the demon said. The vision swirled sickeningly into black. Nevra pulled her eyes from it to look back at the rune-etched box.
Thrice you have failed, he said. Your incompetence seemingly knows no bounds.
She felt her face flash hot with rage. “The plans were yours,” she hissed. “The failure is as much yours as it is mine.”
An awful sound, like a thousand rat skulls grating against one another, filled her head. It took Nevra a moment to realize the demon was laughing. When it stopped, she felt the bitter tang of bile at the back of her throat, threatening to empty her stomach onto the floor.
Not too long ago I heard a wise bit of advice, the demon said. Never leave an important chore to someone else.
He was telling her she was not capable of carrying out his plans. And after all that had happened, she could not argue with him. Yet she knew what he wanted, what he was going to ask for. It was the same thing since the first day she had found this place.
Release me, he said.
“And then what?” she asked. It no longer seemed to matter whether she kept her concerns and fears to herself, so she voiced them aloud. “What use would you have for me then? Why would you not do to me what you did to Marko?”
The red prince was a fool, the demon said. You are not. You are my sweet, dark princess. I would do to your world what I set out to do a thousand years ago. I would destroy those who only play at ruling this land. I would remake it in my image, unifying every corner of the world under my hand. And how would my conquest be complete without a fierce and loyal queen by my side?
She knew she could not trust his words. She thought him just as likely to kill or enslave her once he was free. And she did know how to free him. The witch had told her the way.
His words touched her though, even though they might only be sweet lies. Did he truly want her? She had thought to keep him locked away, her secret weapon, as she took control of each of the five kingdoms. But now the thought of setting him free seemed deliciously reckless. The risks were high, but so was the reward.
“Very well,” she said. “I will find a way to free you.” She had told the demon many times she did not know the way, lying with every word. Perhaps he already knew. Perhaps he had set her up to fail, and this was his plan all along. It would not surprise her.
She turned to leave, his words following her at the door.
Do not tarry, he said. The world awaits.
24
VANDER
He walked up out of the ocean, Brynn just ahead of him. She looked magnificent from behind, her wet shirt and short pants clinging to her body as she clutched the trident. He had been drawn to her when he met her on Earth. He had admired her drive and dedication, but now realized he must have been attracted to something even deeper.
There was far more to Brynn than he had imagined. She had rescued him, which he had not thought possible. And an ancient weapon of the old gods had chosen her to carry it into battle. He felt his heart pound hard inside him as he looked upon her, his love and respect for her swelling in equal measure.
A small retinue of his guards were coming down the beach to meet them. He coughed out the remnants of sea water, feeling it drain from the gill slits under his jaws. He had wondered if the gills were now a permanent part of who he was. But as he reached up to touch his jaw, he felt the feathery ribbons curl up inside him, the openings beginning to seal. It must have been a temporary spell, he thought.
He walked up out of the surf, bending over slightly, trying to get used to breathing air again. Water was heavier, having to be pushed in and out with more effort. He found himself almost gasping now, breathing far too rapidly. He calmed himself and tried to slow it down.
As he did, he glanced beside him at the naked woman with short black hair. She had been a dolphin for most of the journey. Brynn had said her name was Jeera, though he knew little more than that.
She was fine to look upon, but he found she stirred nothing within him. He looked up to Brynn, who had planted the trident’s butt in the sand and was running her hand over her head to wring the water out of her hair.
Brynn would be his new queen. He was more sure of that than anything in his life. He would do whatever it took to make that happen.
“Valoria,” he said as the guards drew near. She was in the lead, spear in hand. “Where is Nevra?”
“The queen was not in her chambers this morning,” Valoria said. “We do not know where she is.”
“She is not the queen,” Vander said. “Not anymore.” He knew he could not simply invalidate their marriage with a few words. It would take more than that, perhaps the thrust of a spear. “She tried to have me killed.”
He had thought about what he was going to do with her when he returned. She deserved a swift death, but the most prudent course of action was to imprison her. He had not expected her to be gone. Perhaps she had somehow caught wind of his rescue and fled. If so, that was a shame. He would have to hunt her down to annul the marriage. Her father would not be pleased. This might very well mean open war. But if so, he was not the one to have caused it.
“What are you orders, my lord?” Valoria asked. She glanced sideways at Brynn and Jeera. “These women are escapees from our prison.”
“If ever they were prisoners,” Vander said, “they no longer are. I am here because of them.” He nodded at Jeera. “Give her clothing and food, whatever she asks for.”
“And this one?” Valoria looked warily at Brynn.
Vander stepped up to Brynn’s side, sliding his arm around her waist. “This one is Brynn, a denizen of Earth and the bravest warrior I have ever known,” he said. “And if she chooses to do so, I would have her accompany me to my chambers.”
Brynn smiled up at him. “That sounds nice,” she said, leaning in to whisper. “I could use a nap.”
He looked down at her, his eyes straying to the wet tops of her breasts.
He felt himself harden. He wanted her badly. But yes, between the ordeal with the merfolk and the long journey home, he barely had energy to walk. A nap would do him well. And then—
“Yes, my king,” Valoria said. “Would you have us look for the qu—, for your missing wife?”
“No,” he said, starting to walk up the beach with his arm around Brynn. “When I am ready, I shall find her myself.”
They had left the underwater city in disarray. Kalypsa’s throat had been nearly crushed, though she was still alive. Vander was not worried about her. Now that he had found love, true love, he knew that her song would have no power. And if she could not lure him into the depths, she was a threat to him no longer.
They walked up the beach together, towards the bamboo palace, the guards parting to let them pass.
25
BRYNN
She woke to the sounds of the waves against the shore and the gentle chirps of insects in the jungle. A soft orange light suffused the room through the open windows, and she wasn’t sure how long she’d slept or whether it was morning or evening.
Brynn stretched, feeling her flesh slide on the green silk sheets. She remembered walking into the palace and climbing what seemed like endless stairs, arm in arm with Vander. She remembered the looks of the servants and guards as they walked passed, their eyes wide. She wasn’t sure whether it had been their surprise at seeing the return of their king, or whether it was her, a woman from another world who had just been a prisoner, now returning with their king, a weapon from their mythology clutched in her hand.
She remembered finally reaching the chamber, then unabashedly pulling the wet clothes from her body and sliding into bed. Vander had stripped himself of his armor as well before joining her. But they hadn’t done anything, not yet. They had both been about to pass out from exhaustion.
He had done one thing, though, before they’d fallen asleep. He had rolled up next to her, sliding his powerful arm around her stomach. Then he had kissed her gently on the forehead. That single gesture had sent a ripple through her. It was more intimate and arousing than anything anyone had ever done to her.
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