Aegir’s features hardened, but he didn’t say a word. He snapped his fingers, and four huge octopus streaked out of the crowd. In a split second, they surrounded Grace and seized her with their powerful tentacles. They wrapped their slithering limbs around her and dragged her from the hall.
Grace flew into a rage. “You can’t do this! You wretch! You can’t do this. You can’t keep me here. I’ll break out. I’ll…. I’ll….”
Her voice rang down the halls. The octopus sailed through one wall after another. They floated up and down and all over the place until Grace lost track of where she was and where she was going.
At last, they passed through the walls of another bare room exactly like her bedroom, except this one had no window. They let her go and she dropped onto the floor. The octopus zipped away, through the walls, and left her there.
When she got to her feet and tried to pass through the wall herself, she came up against solid rock. It didn’t give, and it didn’t dissolve to let her out. She knew it. She was trapped.
She collapsed on the floor again. No chair appeared for her to sit in. No bed appeared for her to lie down. She was a prisoner herself now, and no hypnotic trance could soften the blow to realizing it.
All at once, the water’s mesmerizing properties evaporated out of her mind. She remembered in crystal detail all the events leading to her arrival here. Those winged things yanked her off Jamie’s back and dropped her into the ocean.
Poor Jamie! He must be devastated at losing her. He probably thought she was dead. Had he flown back to Urlu without her? Was he telling his brothers and their wives right now that Grace was dead at the bottom of the ocean off the Lochbuie coast?
Grace fought down the urge to pound the floor and walls with her fists. Raging against Aegir would do no good. She had to keep her head and figure out how to get out of here.
How long she sat there on the floor, she had no idea. The light in the room never changed. Grace couldn’t figure out where it came from. It streamed through the walls themselves.
Her mind started to play tricks on her. Maybe this was all a dream or something. Maybe she really was dead, and she passed into some other world. Maybe she would never get back to Urlu or America or anywhere that made sense. Maybe Aegir wasn’t God of the Sea at all. Maybe he was God of the Underworld instead.
Just when she couldn’t stand the endless waiting any longer, the octopus came back. They passed straight through the walls, picked her up, and carried her back to the great hall.
Aegir and Ivy sat on their thrones. This time, Ivy regarded Grace with the greatest interest. Aegir still glared out from behind his busy grey eyebrows. The courtiers and admirers stood back to make a pathway for Grace to enter, and they all stared at her.
Grace shrank from that stare, but she refused to show any sign of agitation. She wouldn’t put up with this mistreatment a second longer. She would stand up to this puppet King and make him release her.
The octopus let her go in front of the throne. Grace drew herself up to her full height, which didn’t even come up to Aegir’s bare feet. “What’s the meaning of this? You can’t drag me around like a rag doll whenever you please. I demand you release me this instant.”
He picked a scroll of paper and unrolled it in front of his face. “You have been accused of high treason against the crown. You have been accused of inciting insurrection against this kingdom, and of spreading traitorous sedition among its citizens. You have used your malicious powers to infect our peace-loving populace with your insidious lies, and you have worked to undermine the stability of the realm and the security of its government.”
“What?” Grace shrieked. “I never did any such thing! You’re the one who lies. You’re the one who infected Ivy’s mind with a bunch of nonsense about marrying you. How dare you accuse me like this?”
“You will stand trial for high treason against the State,” he droned. “If you are found guilty before this court, you will be put to death according to the laws and statues governing this realm. Henceforth and forthwith, so be it.”
He rolled up the scroll and tucked it away where he found it. Grace’s spirit roiled in seething rage. She lowered her voice to a vicious growl. “How dare you? How dare you prop me up in front of some kangaroo court for your own purposes? This is no court. Who’s going to judge me? You, I suppose.”
“That is correct.”
“You already want to sentence me,” she fired back. “You’re the one who brought these accusations, and now you’ll find me guilty so you can get rid of me.”
“Did you or did you not encourage the Queen to break her pact of marriage with me to return to the world above?” Aegir asked. “Did you or did you not tell her on repeated occasions to leave this world and never return?”
“This is no court!” Grace shrieked. “Where’s my counsel? Where are the witnesses for the Prosecution and the Defense? Do you think I’m so stupid I don’t know what a fair trial looks like? You’re nothing but a pompous megalomaniac.”
“Did you or did you not?” Aegir boomed at the top of his lungs. “Did you or did you not encourage the Queen to abandon this world and her marriage to me and return to the world above? Answer the question.”
“Of course I did,” Grace fired back. “You know I did. You were there and heard me say it. She doesn’t belong here. She came here from the world above. She has friends and family there. She has people who need her there a lot more than you need her here. That’s for sure.”
He waved his hand and turned away. “Judgment is passed! The accused admits her guilt. Prepare the execution!”
“No!” Grace screeched. “You can’t do this! I don’t admit anything. You can’t do this! I refuse to accept the judgment of this court. Ivy! You can’t let him do this. Ivy! Ivy, do something!”
Ivy sat and watched while the octopus guard moved in again. Grace shrieked and kicked and fought with every scrap of her strength, but she couldn’t break free. The octopus laid hold of her. They pinned her arms and legs to her sides with unimaginable power. They picked her up and carried her out of the hall.
Chapter 33
Grace collapsed crying on her floor one more time. She couldn’t think of anything but Jamie. Oh, Jamie! Where was he right now? She would give anything to see him and hold him one more time, to kiss his precious face and brush his hair out of his eyes.
Now she would never see him again. Not one thing or person remained to get her out of this. That devilish undersea King would kill her, and poor Jamie would never know what really happened to her.
He would probably blame himself for getting her killed in the first place. If he never entered the battle against those winged monsters, she never would have fallen. What would it do to his spirit to think she was dead?
Now that her mind cleared and she faced her doom, she loved him more than ever. She traced every chiseled line of his face, his chest, his hips and his legs. She ached for him as never before.
She curled up on the floor and buried her face in her arms. She waited for the end. She couldn’t fight any longer. The McLeans would have to find another way to deal with this curse. They would never get Ivy out of the ocean. Aegir would never let the spell on her slacken enough that she could think for herself. He would make sure she stayed here for life.
All at once, a figure flashed through the wall near her head. Someone dropped onto the floor at Grace’s side. “Get up! Quick!”
Grace’s head shot up to find Ivy at her side. “Ivy! What are you doing here?”
“Quick! Get up!” Ivy whispered. “We don’t have much time.”
Grace got to her feet. “What’s going on?”
“We have to get you out of here.” Ivy took Grace’s hand. She glanced around with wild eyes. “Aegir plans to kill you at sunrise, and that’s in a few hours. We have to act now.”
“What are you going to do?” Grace asked. “I thought you planned to marry him and give your life to him.”
“I do,�
� Ivy breathed. “I love Aegir more than anything. I could never betray him, but I can’t stand aside and let him kill you.”
“What about the others?” Grace asked. “Can you help the other people above, just this once?”
Ivy shook her head. “I can’t. I can only save you, and even so, I don’t know if we have time. Come on. We have to hurry.”
Ivy towed her out of the room. She paused outside to listen. She barely breathed above a whisper. “Come on. Follow me.”
“Where are we going?” Grace asked.
“To my room,” Ivy replied. “I have a way to help you, but we have to be careful. Aegir has guards and spies all over the place. If they see you, they’ll kill you on the spot, and it won’t go too well for me, either.”
“Thank you, Ivy,” Grace exclaimed. “I never knew you had it in you.”
Ivy shook her head one more time and flew down the passage. “Don’t thank me until we’re safe. I never knew people were in danger because of my spell. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, especially not you.”
“Will Aegir punish you when he finds out you helped me get away?” Grace asked.
“He’ll be angry at first, but I know how to sooth him. All I have to do is love him and kiss him and tell him how much I worship him. He can never stay mad at me long when I do that.”
Grace gave her a wry grin. “I’ll bet you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger.”
Ivy seized Grace’s arm and yanked her back hard. She hustled Grace around a corner and shoved her into the wall. The two women hid while a contingent of octopus floated away toward Grace’s room.
As soon as they vanished, Ivy jumped out. “Hurry! We don’t have a second to lose!”
She zoomed down the passage. Grace did her best to keep up, but she didn’t know as well as Ivy did how to move in this watery world. Ivy dodged right and left through one wall after another. She streaked through into rooms and out the other side into parts of the castle Grace never saw before.
At last, Ivy ducked into another room, but it wasn’t empty like the others. A massive oyster shell sat under a broad window looking out over the undersea landscape. A bed of gossamer and silk nestled inside the shell, along with fluffy pillows and beautiful woven spreads. A reclining divan sat under another window, and personal trinkets, beautiful jewels, and gifts of all kinds decorated shelves, tables and alcoves around the room.
Ivy glanced around. “This is my room. We’re safe here for now.”
“What are you going to do?” Grace asked. “I don’t like the idea of you getting into trouble.”
“I won’t get into trouble if we act fast.” Ivy raced across the room to a large mirror against one wall. She positioned herself in front of it, but it gave no reflection of her.
In front of Grace’s eyes, the mirror’s surface shimmered and changed into a picture. Millions upon millions of those black winged demons flittered everywhere over the surface. They blacked out the whole mirror until Grace couldn’t see a thing. Ivy passed her hand in front of the mirror, and the things vanished to nothing.
Sun shone on a rocky field. Rocks lined the coast, and waves crashed against them. Sprays of rainbow droplets showered the rough shoreline. A square castle rose over the scene, and men stopped fighting the winged monsters when they disappeared. Their weapons dropped to their sides, and they caught their breath in the heat of battle. They looked around them, and a few transformed from wolves back into men.
In the center of the image, an enormous golden dragon touched the ground. He unwound his long, lean body and laid a still, dripping figure on the stones at his feet. Grace looked down at an image of herself.
The dragon bent over her. He nudged her with his nose, and then he sank into the form of Jamie Cameron. He bent over Grace’s body and picked her up in his arms. He rocked back and forth.
“He’s so sad,” Ivy remarked.
Grace choked down a lump in her throat. She couldn’t speak. Jamie! She wanted nothing more than to hold him and soothe his breaking heart. How awful it must be for him to see her limp and lifeless like that.
“I’m going to send you back,” Ivy told her. “I’ll send you back to the same time and place where you left. No time will have passed, so you can be with him.”
Grace swallowed hard. “Thank you, Ivy. That’s all I ever wanted.”
“I can’t go with you,” Ivy went on. “I hope you understand. I’ll stay here and marry Aegir. I can’t go back above. I have to stay here. I can’t do what you ask to lift that curse. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
“I understand,” Grace replied. “I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Ivy gazed into the mirror. “I can see it all happening from here. I can see those things coming out of the holes. I know I’m the one who can stop it, but I can’t. Something is holding me back.”
“Is it Aegir?” Grace asked.
“No, it’s not him. He would never stop me from doing something like that if he knew I wanted to do it. Besides, I don’t have to go above to break the curse. I could do it from here.”
“Why don’t you do it, then?” Grace asked. “You could probably lift the curse with a wave of your hand, just like you got rid of those things.”
Ivy shook her head. “It would take more than that. I understand that, but I just can’t do it. I don’t really understand why.”
“Maybe you’ll be able to do something later,” Grace suggested.
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
While they watched, a tall figure stepped up behind Jamie’s shaking form. A well-made man with curly golden hair laid his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. He squeezed Jamie’s shoulder while Jamie held Grace’s body and rocked on his knees.
“Who is that man?” Ivy asked.
“It’s Lachlan McLean,” Grace replied. “He’s Laird of the Isles and Chief of Clan McLean.”
Ivy stood very still. Her eyes riveted on the mirror, and she barely moved. Grace studied her closer. A strange thrill passed through Grace’s heart. “Lachlan is the one battling the forces of this curse. They already wiped out a bunch of his people, and they’ll just keep wiping them out as long as this curse stands. Do you understand that? He’s the one who will suffer if you do nothing.”
Ivy still didn’t move. She stared at Lachlan with that still, intent concentration.
Jamie’s words came back to Grace’s mind. If Ivy and Alexis didn’t go back to America, one of them would have to marry Lachlan. It must be Ivy. Ivy must sense the connection between them. The whole curse worked to bring them together—but how? How could that happen with Ivy under the water getting ready to marry Aegir?
The wind swept across the field outside the Tower House. It hit Lachlan in the face and blew his hair off his forehead. He narrowed his eyes and turned his angular features into the breeze. He drew himself up proud and tall over the scene of destruction.
At that moment, he never looked more attractive. His magnetic presence filled the whole countryside. He was Laird and Chief. He carried the lives of hundreds or thousands of people on his broad shoulders, and he could handle it. He could carry them through this. He just needed a little help.
Jamie laid Grace’s body down on the ground. He stroked her cheek, and he sat back on his heels. His chin fell onto his chest, and his shoulders quaked with sobs. Grace’s heart cracked open for him. She wanted to scream at him she wasn’t dead, that she was right here watching him and loving him and aching for him.
Just then, a thunderous crash startled both women out of their skins. Ivy whipped around. Something tremendous struck the wall through which they entered the room.
“Quick!” Ivy urged. “Go, and don’t look back!”
Before Grace could react, Ivy grabbed her by the shoulders. She shoved Grace into the mirror, and Grace tumbled down, down, down a long tunnel into nothing.
Chapter 34
Jamie clenched his teeth to fight back his sobs. He glared at Grace’s d
ead body. He would never forgive Ivy and Alexis for letting this happen. He would fight with his dying breath against whatever force sent those things to kill Grace.
He tightened his muscles against this insult. He would never rest until he destroyed the whole world. He would hunt down whatever caused this monstrous pain in the center of his being. He would leave a trail of blood and gore in his wake. He would slaughter every living thing that crossed his path.
Lachlan moved a step back. Pure hatred and murderous rage radiated out of Jamie’s deepest soul. It consumed his whole life. Blood thundered in his eyes and ears and brain. He didn’t care about anything anymore. He never wanted to see his brothers or their wives again. They had the love they always wanted. They had their true loves’ warm bodies in their beds every night, and he hated them all for that.
Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to fall, body and soul, for Grace, only to lose her?
At that moment, she exploded off the ground. She sucked a huge lungful of air through her gaping mouth. Her eyes burst open, and she stared all around her in wide-eyed horror. She swept the scene in all directions. She stared up at Jamie and Lachlan, but she couldn’t form words to speak.
She choked and spat water. It dribbled from her nose, and she convulsed sideways on the ground. She retched brackish water on the stones that turned them grey-black.
Jamie stared down at her in astonishment. Several of the McLeans gasped and drew back. Lachlan whipped around to stare at Grace.
Jamie jumped on her in wild abandon. “Lassie! Lassie, ye’re alive!”
She couldn’t answer. She doubled over in agony and gagged. Jamie snatched her off the ground. He wrestled her into his arms, onto his lap. He couldn’t get her close enough to him. He had to get her off that ground if it was the last thing he ever did.
She flopped in his grasp, but he didn’t care. She was breathing. She had her eyes open and looked at everything around her. She choked and spasmed more than ever, but Jamie’s heart overflowed with relief and happiness. She was okay! She was alive!
Grace Unchained - Phoenix Throne Book Five Page 23
