This high which followed any hunt would last for another hour or so at least. Exactly this feeling made hunting such a satisfying pastime. One which Broc, his little brother, could no longer partake in.
Teaq scanned the boat. His hunting mates were in a similar state of ecstasy. Each one of them looked content with their respective achievements, even the eagles, who had only served as lookouts. Hunting offered all the thrills of battle, with very few of the dangers.
After adjusting his armor and sword, Teaq forced his attention back toward the waters. They had managed to keep their presence on the mainland a secret, but they weren't home safe yet.
Luckily the two hour return journey passed without incident. They made it back to the Eastern Isle with plenty of daylight to spare.
As the unloading began, Teaq decided to take some moments for himself. He went for a walk along the mostly neglected fortifications along the desolate easternmost side of the island.
Dark clouds hung low on the horizon, promising an upcoming storm. Bad weather was common this time of year and not something the islanders ordinarily had to worry about.
The diffused light and dramatic skies gave the entire island a wild and untamed look. Like nobody was meant to be here. They were only living here on borrowed time.
Would the Black Isles survive the next Great War? Only time would tell.
A shimmer just under the surface of the waters down below caught Teaq's eye. He grabbed for his sword and took a step forward, when he found himself face to face with the most unusual creature.
Her silver hair floated gently in the water, framing her heart-shaped face. Her eyes widened as she spotted him, but neither he nor she made a move initially.
She was unlike anything he'd ever seen. A Sea Folk female.
Mesmerized, all he could do was stare as time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Teaq tore himself away for just a second and checked his surroundings. There was nobody else within view. The two of them were completely alone, with only a handful of circling seagulls keeping them company overhead.
He climbed over the wall and onto the rocks lining the shore and got onto his haunches just beside the water's edge.
She did not move an inch initially.
But then, within the blink of an eye, she swam all the way up to the surface.
"Well I'll be damned," he mumbled, in awe of her agility and grace.
With her head and shoulders up out of the water, he could get a better look at her. Everything about her was beautiful. From her silver hair, to her shimmery skin and eyes that shone like pure gold. Her slender body was adorned with all sorts of trinkets and jewelry. Pearls, shells and precious stones. These were all unfamiliar sights on one of her kind.
As far as Teaq knew, no one on the Isles had ever seen a Mermaid before.
After countless battles with her male counterparts, Teaq knew very well that she was one of the enemy. The similarities were undeniable. He knew he ought to capture her. After all, she was clearly a spy sent in to distract and confuse. A new tactic to give the other side an edge in a conflict that had raged on for generations.
But she had neither armor nor weaponry. She was completely defenseless.
Teaq did not believe in chivalry as such, but even he couldn't justify attacking an unarmed female, no matter what species she belonged to.
"What is your business here, Mermaid?" Teaq asked. His voice was not as firm as he would have liked it to be.
She blinked a few times and cocked her head to the side as though she was hearing spoken words for the very first time. That did not make any sense, though. Teaq had exchanged enough slurs and threats with soldiers of the same species to know this.
"I know your people speak our language," he said. "Why have you come here?"
She averted her gaze and coyly brushed a lock of her wet hair behind her ear. A hint of a smile was playing on her shapely lips.
How very human she looked, and yet so alien as well.
"I…" she began to speak. The sound of her voice shook Teaq to his core. It was lyrical, as though she wasn't talking, but rather singing her words.
Even she looked shocked when she met his gaze again, but then quickly recovered.
"I just wanted to see the birds," she said.
Her answer was ludicrous, of course. See the birds. Teaq looked up at the seagulls that continued to circle overhead, no doubt looking for their next meal in between the rocks surrounding them.
"And you specifically came to the Black Isles to see them? Why should I believe you?" Teaq demanded.
He wanted to be firm with her, to do his duty as a protector of the Isles. But he was unable.
"It's so beautiful here. Unlike anything I've ever seen," the mermaid said.
Her eyes were still fixed on his. Within them, Teaq thought he could see truth. Not that that made any sense either.
Although the Elders had learned a great deal about the Sea Folk over the years—the way they fought to the death, showing neither remorse or fear—there was precious little known about their females. Ancient songs told of their beauty, which was evident in front of Teaq right now. But that was all.
Every ounce of sense Teaq still possessed told him he should be suspicious of this creature. That she was trying to trick him. But his heart couldn't accept it.
"If you think this place is beautiful, tell me of your land, so I may judge it for myself," Teaq said.
The mermaid smiled briefly, then raised herself up out of the water and sat on top of a smooth rock just a couple of feet away from Teaq. If he reached out, he would be able to touch her easily. It was as though she wasn't even trying to evade capture.
"It's mostly seaweed, really," she said.
Teaq couldn't suppress a chuckle, which in turn made her giggle as well.
The voice of an angel.
"Well it's mostly rocks, here."
"I like these rocks. They have depth," she said as she patted the smooth, black stone that currently served as her seat.
They shared an intense look that made Teaq's skin hot and cold all at the same time.
"You're a soldier," she said.
Her tone was firm. It wasn't a question, but rather, a statement. As such, Teaq did not feel the need to answer or correct her, though his position as General was one he held with great pride.
"My brother is a soldier too," she continued. "But he doesn't have so many scars."
They remained silent for what felt like forever. So many unspoken truths between them.
Teaq knew how Merfolk soldiers fought. All or nothing. If he met her brother in battle at some point in the future, likely only one of them would survive.
The way she looked at him, he knew that she was thinking the same as well.
Yet somehow, these horrors did not seem to matter. They had connected, no matter how brief this meeting might end up being.
Her presence here today had awoken something in Teaq. A flame that would prove impossible to extinguish.
Chapter Three
Liliwen hadn't planned on getting so far into enemy territory. In all her excitement, she had gotten carried away.
And once she was discovered, that meant there was no turning back at all. She would have been captured if she'd tried to run, so her instincts told her to do the exact opposite. Perhaps she could enchant him, just like the sirens of old.
The man was so different from everyone she knew. Yet it was so easy to turn on her charm for him.
A soldier, like Cadfael, and yet completely and utterly different.
As soon as she'd emerged from the water, her senses became overwhelmed by smells and sights she could not have foreseen. Dry land felt weird. Her skin prickled in the air, making it hard to put up a calm front. There was a current of sorts as well; Liliwen supposed it was called a wind. Much colder than the surrounding air, and very… dry.
And the man. He smelled earthy and spicy and completely incomparable to anything she'd smelled before. Liliwen co
uld not get enough of it.
It was a bit of a chore to hide her excitement and play coy. The latter was especially important if her plan was to work. At least he seemed to want to talk to her, rather than catch her.
"Why have you come here?" he asked.
A fair question. She wasn't quite sure, now that she thought about it. It would be best to keep her answer simple.
The Others had magical powers; legends were told of how they fought. They could shape shift into other beings and often did so in battle. That gave them an edge the Merfolk did not have.
Liliwen knew very well that if this man wanted to, he could transform in an instant and kill her. She knew what he was. A wolf. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his true form clearly in her thoughts.
"I just wanted to see the birds," Liliwen answered. Although it wasn't the whole truth, it wasn't technically a lie either.
The sound of her own voice was so different out of the water, it startled her at first.
It didn't seem to startle him though. And as silly as her answer sounded, he seemed to be amused by it, which only encouraged her further.
They chatted a little, forgetting for just a moment that they were meant to be sworn enemies.
Finally, after the conversation had died down for a moment, Liliwen felt compelled to take things just a little further.
She raised her arm and reached out for him, brushing her fingertips across his arm. How strange he felt.
Her own skin was flawless, a blank canvas of flexible scales, whereas he was covered in marks. It looked like it would be rough to the touch, but nothing could be further from the truth. So soft, so delicate was his skin.
She quickly pulled her hand back and looked up at him to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem to mind it.
"Your skin is very strange," she observed.
The man grinned and shook his head. "Not from where I'm standing."
Although Liliwen's curiosity was far from satisfied, she knew she'd better quit before she got herself into real trouble.
"I'd better go now." Liliwen smiled briefly, and felt her heart surge when he responded in kind.
It was kind of fun, flirting. She hadn't tried it before, because she'd never found anyone interesting enough to try it with. But his reactions told her that she was more than a little talented at it.
"That's probably for the best," he said.
After one last moment of eye contact, she slid back into the water.
He wasn't coming after her.
She smiled to herself, then swam as fast as she could. What a day. What an adventure!
Cara had made her promise not to do anything stupid. And precisely this promise had been broken in the most grandiose way. 'Stupid' wasn't quite strong enough to describe what had happened today.
And yet…
Her little outing away from the palace couldn't have gone any better. She had truly broken free from her little domain and seen the world.
What would her father say if he found out she'd been talking to one of the Others? A soldier, no less.
Liliwen's heart was still pounding when she made it back to the palace. She'd swum at full speed, but the exertion hadn't sent her heart racing. It was the unexpected encounter with the Other. The man-wolf. Or should that be, wolf-man?
She had come so close to being caught. But the threat of capture hadn't really spooked her. It was the man himself.
Tall, broad, more muscular than any Merman warrior. His eyes, an unfamiliar brown that seemed to reveal unspeakable depths and secrets.
He'd made her skin crawl, though not in a bad way.
Every time she blinked, she could still see him in her mind's eye.
The soldier.
A man unlike any other.
The scars on his skin told her he'd seen many a battle. He had survived, even thrived. How many of her people had he killed? She wasn't sure she really wanted to know.
And yet, he'd let her live. He'd even let her go back home.
A knock on her door startled her.
"Yes?" she called out, trying her best to keep her voice steady. Had her father found out about what she'd done and sent someone to summon her?
Cara burst in. "Lili! You're back. Praise Poseidon."
Liliwen quickly recovered. "I wish you'd stop with those silly superstitions. Yes, I'm back."
Cara grinned. "I'm only teasing you."
Liliwen sat down on her bed and folded her hands in her lap.
"So… where did you go? What did you do?" Cara asked.
There was no way Liliwen could share what had happened. It was too risky.
But how could she keep it all to herself?
She brushed away Cara's question. "Oh… I just swam for a bit. It was very refreshing."
Cara eyed her suspiciously. It was making Liliwen feel uneasy.
"You don't look refreshed. You look like you've seen a ghost," Cara observed finally.
Liliwen looked up at her best friend and pressed her lips together. Should she? Could she risk it?
"You'd never tell on me, if I shared a secret?" Liliwen asked. Her heart had never quite stopped pounding ever since she'd reached her chambers.
"Of course not. I didn't tell anyone that you left either."
"Promise?" Liliwen cocked her head to the side and studied Cara's features. There was no sign of deceit or ill will in her expression. Not that Liliwen could see, and she'd always been rather good at reading her friend and confidante.
Cara nodded solemnly.
"Fine. I swam all the way to the Black Isles."
Cara's eyes went wide in shock. "No! Why would you do such a thing? What if someone had seen you? They could have taken you prisoner, or worse, just killed you on the spot!"
Liliwen averted her gaze. Someone did see her. The reality of just how close to death she had come today was starting to sink in.
And yet… Being in the wolf-man's presence had not made her feel like she was in danger at all. As soon as she realized that he wasn't going to attack her, she had wanted to see just how close she could get to him.
And in doing so, she had touched him. She had touched a man other than her brother or father, without first being betrothed to him. That in itself was forbidden. And considering who, or what, the man was…
As Cara had pointed out earlier in the day, she'd never been denied anything in her life. All the treasures of the Deep were hers for the taking. If she said the word, there would be scores of willing suitors battling each other for the honor of her company.
But that man. That enemy soldier, he was something her father couldn't just give to her. Therein lay the challenge.
If Liliwen wanted him—and she was becoming quite certain did she did—she had to get him for herself. She wasn't a warrior. Her father would make sure she'd never see battle or do anything of note. But he… The wolf-man would be her ultimate conquest.
That meant one thing though. Something Cara would not be happy about. Today was only the beginning. She'd have to sneak away more often.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Cara demanded.
Liliwen blinked a few times. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"
Cara scoffed. "You're impossible, Lili! I said, promise me you won't go back there. I don't know what I'll do if the Others catch you. I'll die of boredom here on my own!"
Liliwen pressed her lips together. She could promise nothing of the sort.
"But… you don't understand, Cara. Now that I've seen the Islands myself, I have to try and learn all I can about the enemy. I want to help our people, you see…" Of course that last bit was a lie. Liliwen did need to go back. All of her father's guards couldn't keep her away from the Islands.
Her motives, of course, were entirely selfish.
"You're beyond reason!" Cara complained. "I don't even know what to do with you! Why can't you let things be and let Cadfael and your father worry about the war?"
Liliwen shook her head. "I just fe
el like I have to do this. Like it's my calling. Does that make sense?"
It was a calling of sorts. The memory of her meeting with the wolf-man was summoning her to go back for more.
Cara shook her head and sat down beside her. "It doesn't. But I suppose I've never had a calling, so what would I know."
Liliwen put her arm around her best friend, rested her head on her shoulder and continued to day dream. It was too bad she couldn't share all she had seen with Cara. Perhaps in time, she'd be ready to speak about him.
Silly. He'd had such a huge impact on her after such a short meeting, and she didn't even know his name.
But Liliwen wasn't worried about that. Whenever she'd manage to sneak out of the palace unseen, she'd see him again. She'd go back to the same spot at every possible opportunity, and sooner or later she'd find him there. They had an unspoken understanding. She'd seen it in his eyes.
Perhaps he considered her his conquest as well.
Liliwen lay back on the plush pillows that dotted her bed, pulling Cara down with her. There they lay in silence, staring up at the ceiling. Finally, Liliwen's heartbeat began to slow to a more normal pace. And all she could do was smile.
Chapter Four
He should have caught her. Of course he should have.
Teaq knew he'd made a mistake, technically. But then why had it felt so right to let her go?
Their little encounter had stayed with him throughout the evening. After she'd left, he made his way back to the longship and sailed back to Black Mountain and the castle he called home. Even knowing that there was no chance she'd lingered around all these hours, he still caught himself scanning the waters for any sign of her.
What a magical being. Such beauty and grace. And yet such naivety.
She'd come to see the birds.
Teaq, just like the rest of his people, had lived with a constant threat of war all his life. The Sea Folk were a fierce enemy who could strike at any moment.
The Soldier and the Siren: A Wolf Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 2) Page 2
