Liliwen's thoughts began to wander. What it might be like, to feel more of his touch? How would it feel, to really come together? To connect as man and wife. The ultimate bond. Was he this hot all over?
The same hideous noise from earlier filled the air again. She quickly let go of him and covered her ears for some relief. "Doesn't it hurt your head? This ruckus."
Teaq shook his head. "It's not all that loud. You should hear our war horn."
Liliwen frowned. "I don't think I'd like that very much."
Teaq stood up and scanned their surroundings. "I think it would be best if you went on your way now."
"Is anyone coming?" Liliwen asked.
"It's time for the evening patrol," he explained.
Teaq gestured at her to get into the water, which she did, reluctantly. There was still so much to talk about. There were an infinite number of things she wanted to know about him, which she hardly knew how to ask about.
"I'll see you again," he said.
With a heavy heart, Liliwen nodded. "Soon."
Just how soon she would get another chance to slip out of the castle, she couldn't be sure about. All she knew was that she couldn't bear being away from him for days on end. This little game they were playing had turned very serious, very quickly.
This isn't just a flirtation, Liliwen thought to herself. This… This might be love.
"Lili," Cara barged in. "Hey, Lili!"
"What is it?" Liliwen looked up and found Cara in the doorway with wide eyes and an excited grin on her face.
"Cadfael is back!" she squealed. "Just in time for the ceremony, too!"
Liliwen jumped up and took Cara's hands, such was her excitement. "Really? Where is he?"
"He's just entered the throne room to speak with your father. Shouldn't take him too long, I would hope."
"Oh my, I wonder what stories he'll tell this time. Where all he's been. I have much to ask him."
"You cannot!" Cara warned.
"I cannot what?" Liliwen placed her hand on her hip and stared Cara down defiantly.
"You cannot tell him you swam off! You'll be in so much trouble. We both will, since I covered for you."
Liliwen pressed her lips together. "Fine, you're right. But I still have a lot to talk to him about."
Cara smiled. "I'm just glad he's back in one piece."
Liliwen cocked her head to the side and studied her friend's face. "Me too."
"I mean… it's so dangerous out there. I wish he didn't have to go back on patrol."
"Indeed…" Liliwen squeezed Cara's hand.
"Yes?" Cara met her gaze.
"You like him!" Liliwen observed.
Cara instantly looked down at the ground. "I… Well, he's nice and all."
"You like like him!"
Cara shook her head. "Don't be silly. Though he is rather handsome."
"Don't be ashamed, Cara. He's a fine soldier, and a kind man as well. You could do a lot worse."
"You mean… Do you think he'd be…?" Cara stammered.
Liliwen shrugged. "Only one way to find out, don't you think? Why don't you talk to your mother, and have her speak with my father about it. See what he thinks?"
"I… Yes. Perhaps I should do that. But I'd like to see him first," Cara said.
Liliwen smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Alright. Let's go find him then."
"You don't mind? It's not weird, me with your brother?" Cara whispered.
"We're almost like sisters anyway. What's weird about it?"
"Oh, Lili. Wouldn't it be amazing if this works out?" Cara's voice was heavy with emotion.
Just the thought of the two of them finding love almost at the same time nearly brought tears to Liliwen's eyes. She really ought to say something, share her own story with Cara. But it was too early. Too uncertain. And way too forbidden.
Or could she risk it?
"It would be… Speaking of amazing," Liliwen's voice reduced to a whisper. "Keep another secret?"
"For you, of course!" Cara said.
"Okay, in that case I have something very big to tell you…"
And just like that, Liliwen spilled all. After keeping all these feelings locked inside of her with no one to tell, it felt good to let it out. Even if another person knowing doubled the risk. If Liliwen's father came to know… The repercussions would be huge.
Chapter Six
Tonight was the night. The Reaping was upon them.
As general of Black Isle's armies, Teaq was onboard the ship sailing to the mainland to collect the newest addition to the islanders’ ranks. Broc was also onboard; no matter how hard Teaq had tried to discourage him, his brother certainly had a mind of his own.
This was no place for him though.
And because the king was onboard, Rhea, as his appointed protector and head of the Royal Guard, had accompanied them as well. That meant that on this very ship, the three most important and powerful people of the Black Isles were together at once. An easy target, should anyone wish to attack.
The whole thing was idiotic anyway.
Broc had made up his mind already; he was going to take the human as his queen. And Rhea's concerns, although borne in jealousy, were not completely unfounded. Any newcomer was by their very nature a security risk.
Teaq could have handled the pick-up on his own, along with some hand-picked soldiers and sailors. But instead, Broc was intent on putting himself, and along with it, the stability of the Black Isle's rule, in harm's way.
All for a woman he'd never even seen before.
How he could do such a thing, Teaq couldn't begin to understand.
Teaq and Rhea shared plenty of disapproving looks throughout the journey to the mainland.
Thankfully it was foggy, meaning the humans would not be able to spot them easily.
Sure, the rules of the Reaping forbade anyone from lingering around the shore to watch as the islanders picked up their prize, but humans could be unpredictable. You never knew if this particular one had an unhappy parent or sibling, willing to risk everything for her recovery.
And so, as the ship approached the shore, Teaq kept his eyes fixed on the misty beach for any sign of movement.
"Drop anchor!" Teaq ordered, and braced himself as the ship came to a very sudden halt in the shallows.
He had his hand on his sword as he carefully stood lookout at the bow of the ship.
In the distance, Teaq could just about make out the outline of the post to which the girl had been tied.
"There she is," Teaq grumbled.
"Remember, she will be shown the respect deserving of any citizen of the Black Isles," Broc responded.
Teaq didn't react, only rolled his eyes.
Behind him, Rhea mumbled something unintelligible. She was understandably pissed off as well.
The Reaping only took place once every eight years. One fertile female of marriageable age, picked from one of the villages of the mainland, left alone on this beach for the islanders to claim.
This arrangement was all part of the truce the islanders and the humans had enjoyed for generations, ever since their banishment to the Black Isles at the end of the Great War. So far, nobody had broken it. But one could never be too careful.
For Teaq, this was the second Reaping he had taken an active role in. During the last one, their father, the late king Ryk, had still been around, though he did not come along to pick up the girl herself. He had stayed at the Black Mountain, just as Broc should have done.
"Just remember what we discussed," Teaq grumbled. "These are troubled times. The last thing we need is further complications within our own walls."
Part of Teaq could understand that Broc wanted to be among the first to lay eyes on his new bride, but just why he had taken to the ritual with so much excitement, he couldn't understand. The last time, they'd had a hell of a time getting the girl to adjust to her new life. Teaq, for one, could not stand the kind of drama human females seemed overly fond of. The entire Reaping ritual was a
n irritating, be it necessary evil.
Mating with humans wasn't by choice. It was a must, to ensure the health of their offspring during times when their numbers had thinned so much that inbreeding became a very serious risk.
Teaq himself couldn't imagine participating anyway. He had his sights set on something much more special than any human. The Mermaid, Liliwen, had made a permanent impression on him. She did not play games like human females. Neither was she blunt like some of the islanders; Rhea included. She was unapologetically and elegantly herself.
"I wish you'd reconsider and at least let me put a watch on her. We do not know of her intentions," Teaq muttered. Some of the things Rhea had said had left a lasting impression on him.
"Alright. That's enough of that," Broc scoffed. "We've laid down the rules already. But I won't have her treated as a prisoner under my rule. Let's get on with what we came here to do."
Teaq shrugged and jumped over the edge of the boat, into the freezing water. The cold didn't bother him. Neither did the harsh winds that swept across the desolate beach.
Broc followed him, as did a few more soldiers.
Once everyone had made it to dry land, they marched straight toward the girl, with Teaq leading the way, his sword at the ready. There was a strange smell in the air; hers, probably.
The small group crossed the distance of the wind swept beach in no time.
"Hold on," Teaq warned Broc, intending for him to stay behind him in relative safety. Of course, his little brother did not listen and stopped right next to Teaq.
"What's your name, girl?" Teaq asked.
The girl, who had obviously not noticed them approaching, let out a shrill squeal, but quickly recovered and spoke her name. Kelly something.
Teaq wasn't even listening anymore.
He undid her ties at Broc's request, but otherwise was preoccupied trying to compare her to Liliwen. The human had striking red hair, but otherwise looked ordinary. She was rather tall for a human, though, so at least she had that going for her. At the very least Broc's heir wouldn't be too short, then.
But she had nothing—absolutely nothing—on Liliwen.
Teaq raised an eyebrow, when, shortly after speaking with Broc, the woman fainted, much to Broc's excitement, who managed to catch her. The guards who had accompanied them weren't much in the way of company. For once, Teaq wished Rhea was here so he could roll his eyes at her and be met with understanding, rather than blank looks.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Broc turned around and led the way back to the ship. There was no use sticking around here any longer than necessary.
As soon as they had climbed aboard with their human cargo, Teaq gave the order to sail back to Black Mountain. They completed the journey almost completely in silence, with a sleeping girl in their midst.
Teaq hoped Rhea would stick to her plan and have the human followed, at least at first. She really had no business wandering the halls of Black Mountain unaccompanied, no matter what Broc thought about it.
All through the following day, Teaq walked the halls of the castle in a daze. He hadn't slept, just tossed and turned for most of the night. He hadn't spoken to Rhea to find out what she was doing about the human.
Neither had he done anything about the matter himself.
Never before in his life had Teaq felt so distracted. It was as though Liliwen had cast a spell on him. He might as well go back to the Eastern Isle to wait for her, since that was all he was thinking about anyway.
Of course, sneaking off to the most remote of the Black Isles without rhyme or reason wasn't something a man in Teaq's position could afford.
He was the second most powerful person in the kingdom. The commander of Black Isles' armies and Broc's right hand man. And right now they were in the middle of one of the most significant of the Isles' traditions. They had picked up the human offering from the mainland the preceding night, and as such the Reaping had begun.
It wasn't just a cause for celebration for whoever would claim the human bride; Broc, in this case. It was also an event the entire Isles looked forward to. An excuse for a rare and lavish feast that would last for five entire nights.
This was what Teaq and the others had been preparing for. They had stocked up on meat from the mainland, as well as ale, wine and any other treat the islanders normally wouldn't indulge in so much.
Inhabitants of the surrounding islands had flocked to Black Mountain to take part in the Reaping Feast. If there was ever a worse time for Teaq to shirk his responsibilities as the protector of the Isles, this was it.
He and his men would also feast, of course. But they would also stand by in case of any attacks. The thing about being at war with a formidable and unpredictable enemy was that you could never be sure when the next attack happened.
It had been a quiet winter, but the weather had warmed up. Sea Folk were more likely attack in the summer. So they all had to be on their toes.
But instead of inspecting the defenses of Black Mountain, Teaq had been skulking around the empty hallways of the castle, thinking about Liliwen. Thinking about how her skin had felt when he'd touched her. About how being so close to her had made her feel.
These had been the thoughts that had haunted him throughout the night as well.
Considerations of right and wrong hadn't really come into it. In all his interactions with her, he'd relied on instinct. His instincts hadn't told him to treat her as an enemy, no matter what species she belonged to. In fact, his inner beast was shouting the loudest that he should just forget about everything else, and make her his.
How that realistically would work, he didn't know. His rational mind knew that there was no future for them. That this little fantasy would end in tears.
But his heart wouldn't listen. Hence he found it impossible to get out of this funk.
"Hey, there you are!" Rhea's voice startled him.
"What?"
"What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost," Rhea said.
Teaq quickly recovered. "Just thinking. Never mind. What do you need?"
"I don't need anything. But, the feast is about to start."
The feast… Teaq rolled his eyes.
"It would be odd not to attend, wouldn't it?" Teaq grumbled.
Rhea shrugged. "I don't feel much like celebrating either. But yes, it would border on being insulting not to."
"Well, then. Let's not keep my dear brother waiting," Teaq said.
He led the way through the zig-zagging corridors of the castle, straight to the Great Hall. The festivities inside were already well underway. Crowds and crowds of people had taken their seats on opposite sides of the long tables, chatting excitedly. The food and drink had not been brought in yet.
Teaq and Rhea were meant to sit on the main table next to Broc. One difference compared to previous feasts was the addition of a carved chair beside Broc's throne.
Teaq sighed. So he was expecting the human to join them as well.
Not only was Broc intent on ignoring Rhea and Teaq's warnings about the new addition in their ranks, he would rub their noses in it by seating her right next to him.
Teaq turned and glanced at his companion. Rhea had spotted the new throne as well. Her already grumpy expression had turned hateful as she glared at it.
Chapter Seven
The throne room was fully decked out. Decorations adorned the walls, the furniture, even the throne itself. King Weiland had on his ceremonial robe, along with a crown made of shark's teeth and precious gems reserved just for this occasion.
Liliwen had slipped inside along with the last guests. Hiding out anonymously in the crowd was not an option, unfortunately. Ordinarily she did not mind taking her seat by her father's side, but today, she would have liked to stay out of view.
She had been carrying her memories of her last meeting with Teaq around with her like a heavy burden. Although she'd told Cara about it— the thrill of a man's touch, experienced for the very first time—hiding the trut
h from everyone else weighed heavy on her.
It wasn't just the journeys she'd made to see him that were forbidden. If it came to light that anyone had made advances on Liliwen, even touched her, her father would likely cut off his hands. If furthermore it turned out Liliwen had been a willing participant, she would be punished for that as well.
And as she made her way through the visiting dignitaries from all over the Kingdom of the Deep, she felt as though Teaq's fingers had left a lasting mark on her face. Like anyone who looked at her closely could see what she had been up to.
Thankfully though, nobody said anything. Cadfael, who was already seated toward the king's right, winked at her, giving her a little more courage.
She made her way up the raised platform and found her own, slightly smaller seat at her father's left hand. Liliwen straightened her back and met the crowd's looks head on as she sat down. Whatever happened, she couldn't show anymore weakness without attracting suspicion. She was a princess, after all. Her position did not give her much power, but it did garner attention.
Oh, how she wished she could just swim away from it all.
King Weiland banged his three-pointed staff on the ground to attract everyone's attention, then got up from his seat.
"My dear citizens, who have traveled far and wide to be with us today on this auspicious day!"
Liliwen scanned the attendees, looking for Cara. Sure enough, there she was, but she didn't notice her best friend at all. Cara was staring unapologetically in Cadfael's direction. Liliwen glanced over to her right, past her father's throne. Cadfael was looking at Cara as well!
So in the short while he'd been back from Siren's Rock, she had somehow gotten his attention.
Liliwen sighed and sat back. Good for them. Not that it helped with her predicament, though.
"We are gathered here, as we do every two moons before every summer solstice, to consult the currents and predict our fortunes in battle this fighting season."
Liliwen tried hard not to roll her eyes. Not once had she heard a specific and useful prediction during one of these ceremonies. And still, everyone sat through them religiously every single year.
The Soldier and the Siren: A Wolf Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 2) Page 4
