by K H Lemoyne
Coel signaled again. Two white dragons veered toward the attacking army. Dragon roars shook the deck. The vibration disrupted the horde’s stability, sending hundreds spinning wildly out of control.
With a wave, Coel launched the last of the dragons—blood red, with claws and teeth that made the jagged rocks of Keegan’s shoal seem insignificant.
The spread of black dissipated, and cheers beckoned the dragons back. Then silence fell as another wave of black eclipsed the horizon.
Logan’s hand rose, energy pulsing through every nerve. Thick, billowing clouds rolled across the sky. Lightning sliced through the new swarm of attackers, sending a new shower of bodies into the sea. Dense fog rose from the water and spun in a massive cyclone, isolating Owain’s swarm from the dragons.
“My lady?” murmured Coel.
“Not me. The priestesses.”
Swirling, the cyclone engulfed the new threat, swallowing it whole, while winds sped the fleet away. The last images of the harbor disappeared as the dawn broke.
Coel’s fleet picked up speed. A robust wind ushered them far beyond the ports of Brennagmore. Shorelines disappeared and the skyline gave way to blue and sunshine.
“The commander’s fleet can best any that border our lands—the best in this world, barring none.” One of the guards from her rescue team gave Rhiamon a shy smile. “We’re beyond the mage’s reach, with allies nearby.”
“How will you return to your homes after this?” Logan felt her sorrow, her regret.
Startled, the soldier blinked and glanced at Coel as if deliberating. “We’re not returning, my lady. We’ve brought our families to follow our prince. Saving you is an added honor. As is spitting in the tyrant’s eye!”
He left her to see to his duties, and Coel came to stand beside her at the railing, looking out to sea. “You have two choices.” He pointed to hills rising in the distance. “On the far side of the Capellarius Mountains live the desert people. They’re protected from Owain’s magic. Their lands are beautiful, their people gracious and cultured. They would honor you as their own and keep you safe.”
Logan squinted at the shore and back at Coel. It didn’t sound like a bad option, but he could feel the tension rising in Rhiamon.
“My other choice?”
“My fleet heads for my hidden lands in the south. Not even my father has knowledge of my refuge. I offer you the opportunity join us, create a new home. You can build a new life there.”
Rhiamon turned away at his pause, and Logan fought for patience. Just tell her, damn it.
Coel’s hand covered Rhiamon’s on the railing. “I offer you this as my wife—a life in partnership with me.” Coel searched her face. “You’re free to decline, but if you say yes, I promise no man will love you more—”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, what Prince Coel lacked in speed, he made up for in strength. He caught Rhiamon when she launched herself into his arms and endured her stranglehold as he crushed her in one of his own, sealing his promise with a kiss.
Okay, ready to wake up. Way too personal. Logan mentally squeezed his eyes shut.
At a clatter of bowls and a muttered curse, he opened his eyes.
“What the blazes are you smiling about, lad?”
At Hefin’s puzzled look, Logan laughed.
11
Bri followed Robert until he disappeared at the edge of the forest. Picking up her pace, she caught up with him at the rocks overlooking the water. He leaned against a boulder, arms crossed over his chest with his face blank, seemingly prepared for a confrontation.
“Why are you following me, Princess?”
His expression matched none of the warmth and invitation of Logan’s from the previous evening. Bri forced a calm she didn’t feel. Irritating him wouldn’t solve anything, and she wanted answers. Needed answers.
“You’ve avoided me since you arrived, which is your choice. But I owe you thanks for yesterday—for your help.”
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t move or blink, leaving her feeling overexposed and awkward. “That’s not really why you followed me.”
Oh, Heavens. He was making this more difficult than necessary. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he lured her out here to talk instead of her pursuing him. And that realization punched a quick hole in her plans. Of course, he had. Enough games from her brothers should have tipped her off she was being played.
Fine. She’d play.
“Why have you taken such a dislike to me?” She waggled her finger toward the frown marring his face. “There. You make that sour look every time I speak. Unless Logan asks you to stay, you leave the room when I’m around. Then you drop comments and don’t bother explaining.” Bri dropped her gaze, picking uncomfortably at her sleeve. She felt like a silly child. It irritated her that she cared what he thought. But he was Logan’s cousin, a man he respected.
Logan wouldn’t base his opinions of her on his cousin’s input, or others, but earning Robert’s respect was important to her.
“I’ve watched you since we got here, Princess. You don’t need my input to figure out the problem.”
“There you go again. Why speak in riddles? Just be honest with me.”
“Like you’re being honest with me? With Logan?” He cocked his head, but his expression softened. “I’m not my cousin. I don’t have the same connection with you he does. And while I can’t hear a lie, I’m very good at smelling secrets, unlocking them.”
“What have I done to earn your disdain?” The words folded uncomfortably from her mouth, revealing how much his words hurt. But she couldn’t stuff them back inside.
“Whoa, back up. Maybe you’ve sucked in too much of Logan’s empath stuff, but me—no disdain here, trust me. We’re a team, and you’re part of that team. Most of the time.”
She lifted her chin, anger winning out over embarrassment. She refused to back down, and he had a second to come clean. He should feel lucky. She would only give her brothers one moment. “Explain.”
Robert curled his lip and looked down for a second. “Sure you want to hear this?”
She swallowed hard and nodded.
“I’ve heard your story. I understand you regret not having the power to fix everything. But I’ve also watched you openly begrudge the enormous gift you possess.” He held up a hand to stop her rebuttal. “You said you wanted to hear this.”
She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, but kept silent.
“You see things from only one side. Yours. Don’t consider this blame—more like a proverbial kick in the butt. Teams work from everyone’s strengths. If one person chooses not to fulfill their potential, everyone suffers.” He stroked his hand over his jaw as if debating. “This skill you have, to connect people, to pool strengths and center them, is incredibly powerful. I’d bet my last dollar Logan’s already laid that one on you.” He shook his head at her expression. “You refuse to see how critical it is.”
“It’s a passive power, at best.”
“The gift requires fortitude, an ability to give without receiving, the tenacity to proceed when there’s no sign of hope, and reach for something outside of your personal space. It requires patience, holding yourself open for what is to come, and trusting in fate. Frankly, it’s a tough gift to master without the perspectives of time and failure.”
“Wisdom from such an old man. You know all this from personal experience?” He sounded like her mother. A sore point, grating enough she reconsidered listening to more. But that was too much like the old Bri. She sighed, uncrossed her arms, and waited.
He shook his head at her look. “I don’t have this skill, Briallen. Trust me, keeping track of everyone else’s needs and happiness is beyond my scope or patience.” He gestured back toward the cottage. “Logan does it without your enhanced abilities. He was a boy when his mother was killed, still in high school when Gwyn’s mother died. The murder of my parents, his father, and Dana’s parents followed in the few years afterward.”
&nb
sp; One hand rubbed over his breastbone as if easing a pain. “He’s the oldest, but he was barely an adult when he took on the burden of running the family business to keep us solvent. He latched on to each of us. Kept us safe and ensured we knew how to deal with our skills, magical or not. We feel him supporting us no matter what we do, without the binding connection you’ve mastered.”
Bri scowled, unable to meet Robert’s direct gaze. She was well aware of Logan’s obvious strengths, as well as a few talents Robert wouldn’t be familiar with. A strong, delectable body, eyes that evoked primal urges, and lips that stole her senses not the least of them. Not that she was about to share that with Robert. However, Logan’s capabilities didn’t make her own potential any more inspiring.
“Logan mentioned to me what you did for Quinlan’s wife. Bet you didn’t think twice. Just walked into that crowd of people, decided she needed a safety net, and you were going to give it to her.”
She didn’t bother with a denial. “He’s going to die. Maeve will be devastated. She needs more than charity and the goodwill of others.”
“The secondary impact of a minion attack.”
Shaking her head, she frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“My point exactly. The minion kills and a life is destroyed. That’s only step one. Then the victim’s family is devastated, his wife, his friends, and ultimately, his child suffers. You kept the minion’s destruction from bleeding beyond the point of impact. You made them all stronger.”
With a deep breath, she steadied herself. “I only did what Maeve needed.”
“And what Fiona needed, when you tried to add her to your personal network. What she needed when you shared our abilities to lock her powers.”
“I didn’t want her to die.” Her voice rose, but confusion added an unsteady tremor to her words. “Logan fought so hard for her.”
Robert’s brow shot up. “My point again. Secondary layers. The kid dies, and Logan loses heart. You discount what your gift means to others. It gives people hope. It lets them be more. With your power, they’re part of a larger whole, the difference between desperation and faith. Your ties strengthen the rest of us, without swords and battle.”
She sucked in a deep breath. Blast if he wasn’t channeling her mother. Though now a twinge of guilt had her thinking perhaps she should have listened to the lecture the first few times she’d received it.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Briallen. I like you. You have courage, a strong will, and a generous soul. However, Logan cares for you, which makes him vulnerable. The emotional distance you’re getting from me is because I want my cousin receiving the support he gives. I want him stronger, not weakened. I’m not ready to trust you with him. You have the capability to help him. But you hold back secrets and withhold opening yourself. You refuse to let go of things that don’t work and strengthening him enough to win.”
The concept shocked her. The weight of his accusation tightened uncomfortably in her chest. “That’s not true. I’d never hurt Logan.”
“Listen, I don’t hold you responsible for Logan’s happiness. But you play a big part in whether we win or lose here. If what brought us here to this point is you, imagine what you could do if you were trying? Why waste such a powerful skill?”
“I can’t take credit for bringing you here or for your success.” Her words were quieter than she’d intended.
“It’s not about credit. If you bring your gentle influence where everything is chaos, then everyone wins. Maybe that’s the reason your enemy is trying so hard to destroy you. Because of the enormous potential you can leverage against him. By yourself, you’re only one. We’re each only one. With trust in your skill, you leverage an army.” He shrugged.
“I’m still the weakest link,” she whispered.
“You’re not weak,” he ground out. “You’re the glue holding us together. If you continue to stand apart and do everything by yourself, the rest of us will be weaker. Logan will be weaker.”
She blinked and looked away, absorbing what he’d said. “Logan has the same tendency to instruct.”
He offered her a weary smile. The lines at the edge of his mouth, the darkness under his eyes signaled more than physical fatigue, but she couldn’t read anything personal about him. “You mean like you do with Colm? We’re all interwoven, Princess. Logan doesn’t lecture you. He respects you too much. He treats you like an equal, and trusts you’ll choose the right way. Perhaps I do, too.”
“Why do you keep calling me Princess?”
His smile broke across his face and sparked for a second in his blue eyes. Bri inhaled sharply as she caught a quick glimpse of the carefree Robert, the light in his eyes giving him a startling resemblance to Logan. “Because you’re beautiful and regal and all-powerful.”
She snorted.
He laughed. “Not always delicate.”
“Sounds grandiose, but still a subservient title.”
“Once they learn how to rule wisely, smart princesses become the best queens.” Robert nodded and walked away.
Logan pushed the blanket wrapped around Fiona aside. He brushed his knuckles across her dry skin and struggled between relief she was no longer burning up and worry she’d entered a new stage of the sickness. Resting back on his haunches, he searched for an answer as he rolled his injured arm to ease the dull ache.
“The waters will help your arm.”
Logan glanced over his shoulder at Grainne. The woman was on constant watch.
“It’s not bothering me much. The paste you applied healed the wound quickly, with almost no scarring.” He didn’t bother to mention the stench probably frightened off any infection.
She laughed. “Foul, yes. It heals well, though. Now, you need to work out the muscles. A swim in the pond will do you good.”
Fine point. “Where?”
“The glen is up the path, north through the woods. You’ll hear the falls before you see them.”
He looked around, but Bri had disappeared. Robert had taken off with Hefin. His successful effort dislodging the mammoth pillars on the Mage Bridge had put him in demand with the villagers who sought difficult manual labors. Or perhaps they just enjoyed testing him. Fortunately, it offered Robert access to the sunken ship in order to ferret out answers about Fiona.
That left Grainne, staring at Logan with her arms crossed over her bosom, not about to let him weasel out of her suggestion.
“The water’s warmth comes from a spring underneath. Very soothing. Stay near the sandy edge. The stones and moss beneath the falls are dangerous. Those rocks hold a glitter some mistake for gold.”
“Too shallow for diving?”
“Nay, deep in parts. But a man died there last year, hand stuck in a crevice beneath the water. Lured by dreams of treasure, no doubt. Crystal clear. We found him, but not until it was too late.”
“And you're recommending I go there?” He raised his brows in mock surprise. “Thanks, I think.”
She tapped her hand against his chest. “I’ve warned you. You’re not easily tempted. You’ll be safe. If you aren’t back by the time Hefin’s home, I’ll send him to find you.” She handed him a blanket and waved him out the door.
Resigned to an activity as normal as a swim, Logan left.
The roar of the falls echoed along the path five minutes before it came into view. He maneuvered around the glen until he found where the mossy edge met sand. At the opposite side, a torrent of water flowed from fifty feet above in a glorious rush, fed from the lochs and melting snow farther up in the mountains.
Logan tossed his tunic on the blanket, toed off his boots, and debated losing his pants. Even with no one around, he hesitated, not wanting to be caught naked in an ambush. Choosing practicality over comfort, he kept his pants on and waded into the unexpected warmth of the pool. For all the chill of the local waters, the underground spring kept the temperature hot enough that a delicate mist floated above the water’s surface.
He sank until the water co
vered his shoulders. The heat embraced his skin, melting into his bones. He curled his toes in the sandy bottom, scrubbed his hands across his face, and looked around. At the far side of the glen the pool overflowed. From the sound of splashing water echoing, he gathered another set of falls worked its way toward the bay.
Logan kicked his feet up and dove deep. Digging in with long strokes toward the falls, he broke surface near the foam and floated on his back, paddling toward the bank. Trees and sky drifted overhead, until a ledge blocked his view.
Per Grainne’s claim, the water helped ease the stiffness and tension from his injured muscle. He treaded water, careful not to lower his feet, and searched the green, rock-covered bottom. Harmless enough looking. Grainne’s story, however, served its purpose and he resisted the temptation to dive and touch.
A falling stone broke the water’s calm and the twitter of birds and rustling of squirrels stilled. Logan spun, trying to locate the source as a swishing sound followed. He glanced up, but the overhang obscured his view.
Without warning, a slender female form dove from the overhang into the water below the falls.
A cold rush of relief followed when Bri’s head appeared, only to disappear as she dove again.
Moving closer to the falls, he strained for visibility through the foam, seeking the white of her shift beneath the water. His relief the pool had been deep enough for such a dive was short lived as he waited for her to surface.
Thirty seconds. A minute.
He ducked beneath the surface for better visibility and saw nothing but the moss green bottom. Back on the surface, he spun in a circle, anticipating Bri’s climb along the edge because he must have missed her getting out of the water. He stared at the green and brown splotches until his eyes burned and teared.
Her head burst to the surface by the falls. She blinked away water, her hands sweeping in smooth arcs as she moved closer to the edge.
Uncertain whether to call to her or remain silent until she was safe, he waited. One hand on the rock face, she pulled herself up the steep incline. Her other hand grasped a long leather knife sheath while her feet worked for a toehold on the slick, algae-covered rocks.
