"Bring in the Seer!"
The large double doors at the end of the throne room swung open, and half a dozen priests in ceremonial gowns floated in. In their midst was the Seer. A Merman just like the rest of them, and also unlike any of them. His scaly skin wasn't greenish like Liliwen's kin, but had a grayer, almost bluish tint. His eyes weren't golden, but a stark white. And he had no hair on his head at all.
Baldness wasn't something Merfolk ever suffered from. Except this particular one.
The last of his kind, Liliwen thought. The ceremony was nonsense, of course, but the Seer did creep her out a little.
They said he was the last survivor of a clan of Merfolk who had ruled the Deep before Liliwen's people had even arrived here. Wiped out by some kind of disease that had claimed all their lives. Perhaps that was why he was bald.
Either way, he was meant to have mystical powers, or so people believed.
"My King." The Seer bowed deeply in front of Liliwen's father, who nodded and gestured at him to get back up.
"Let us begin the Premonition Ceremony!" King Weiland said, as he ran his right hand through his long white beard.
The six priests formed a semi-circle around the Seer, who closed his eyes and raised his arms up toward the ceiling.
Drums started to play, adding to the creepy ambience that was specific to this ceremony.
"Great Currents of the Northern Sea. What truths do you carry? What predictions do you have for all our fortunes?" the Seer asked aloud.
The priests began to dance around him to the rhythm of the drums, moving first in a clockwise direction, and then as they completed a whole revolution around the Seer, they returned counter clockwise, to their original positions.
"Tell us, oh powerful currents! Messengers of Poseidon, speak to me!"
He then reached for the large conch that hung from a gold chain around his neck and held it up to his right ear. He aimed it upward at the ceiling.
Liliwen watched the whole thing with mixed emotions. She didn't really believe in any of it. But what if…
"The Black Isles are in trouble," the Seer spoke.
A whisper passed through the crowd.
Liliwen sat up straighter in her seat. This year's prediction seemed to be a lot more specific than she was used to.
"A stranger, unlike any of them. A stranger will move onto the Isles, changing their fortunes forever. She will turn brother against brother. Soldier against soldier."
The Seer looked straight ahead, his gaze meeting Liliwen's.
Her heart sank. He'd seen it. He'd figured it all out. She was found out. All was lost.
"A stranger, with great power," he continued. "A human, with a secret."
Finally, Liliwen could breathe.
The Seer closed his eyes again. "Oh Poseidon. Send your messengers to us with more predictions. Will we be victorious, oh mighty Currents?"
Liliwen sat back in her seat, trying hard to catch her breath without anyone noticing.
"The stranger's arrival will have them at their weakest yet," the Seer concluded. "The currents have spoken. This is all."
King Weiland got up from his throne and applauded. "Do you hear this, my friends? Poseidon favors us. The Black Isles will tear themselves apart, and we'll attack to make the most of their weakness. Victory shall be ours!"
The crowd roared as the priests moved into a two by three formation and walked out behind the Seer.
"Long live the Deep!" one of the visitors shouted.
"Long live King Weiland!" the entire audience replied.
"This is getting to be a habit," Teaq said with a smile.
Liliwen smiled back at him and slipped her hand into his.
This. This was what she had craved. Despite her scare the other day, during the Premonition Ceremony, she had been unable to stay away.
Although she had confided in Cara, she had been unable to put into words just how he made her feel. These stolen moments, away from the conflict that had raged on between their people. Away from stupid superstitions and predictions.
How she wished she could just stay here forever. But the risks were too great. They were too visible out here.
"Is there somewhere we can go? Somewhere a little less exposed?" she asked, desperate not to have today's meeting cut short like the last time. She had, after all, just swam halfway across the Northern Sea for this. For him.
Teaq turned around and studied the barren countryside.
"There is a place, but it's some way up the hill," he said.
Liliwen followed his gaze. The island looked very different than the ocean floor she had travelled along to get here.
Seaweed provided vast expanses of lush greenery for the fish and many other sea creatures to hide in. This land had none of that. No vegetation. Not even any wildlife. Not another soldier in sight either.
How would she get up there? She'd heard the stories of her people climbing onto dry land to fight, but how it really worked was hard to imagine. She'd never done it before.
It was the only way she'd be able to spend more time here, though…
"Okay, help me up," she said, reaching out for him.
Teaq reluctantly held her by the wrist and gave her a pull. Before she knew it, she was balancing on top of the rock she had only just sat on. He hadn't even broken a sweat getting her out of the water, such was his strength.
It was a challenge staying upright. How did Cadfael and the others do it?
Liliwen looked down at her tail, which was bending awkwardly trying to hold her height. With a bit of practice she might stand on it without any support, but how was one supposed to move around like this?
"Ugh, this is weird." Liliwen smiled awkwardly.
"Where are your legs?" Teaq asked.
Liliwen looked down again. Legs? Had he seriously just asked that?
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"When the Merfolk attack… I mean, your people, when they come here, they can crawl and walk much like what we do. On two legs. Not…"
"Not one flipper," Liliwen mumbled, suddenly very conscious of her body. "It's useless, isn't it?"
"It's beautiful. You are beautiful," Teaq whispered under his breath, then cleared his throat. "Perhaps it's something only your men can do."
Liliwen frowned. She was just as capable as any man. There had to be a trick to it. She couldn't be handicapped on dry land just because she was a woman. That would be unacceptable.
Unless it was magic. Did her people possess some kind of secret magic she didn't know about? The stories made it sound so natural.
"I can just carry you, if that's acceptable," Teaq suggested.
"Absolutely not. I will go myself," Liliwen argued. But how?
With Teaq's hand on her shoulder, keeping her roughly in position, she put all her energy into that all important first step. Or should that be, her first hop?
She gave it her all, and immediately lost balance and fell backwards into the water with a big splash. So much for trying to impress him.
Liliwen was furious when she jumped out of the water again and onto the rock. This time, she was steady.
"Ah, there they are," Teaq observed with a grin on his face.
Liliwen looked down and was shocked to find that her tail had split in two right through the middle. She had legs! Scaly, like the rest of her, and not quite the same shape as his, but legs nonetheless. And even her tail had come apart and formed two sections to serve as her feet. She shuffled the two halves apart, copying how Teaq was standing, and found that her balance was much improved.
"So this is how it works," she mumbled to herself.
"You know, I never thought about this before. Just how did you do it?" Teaq asked.
Liliwen shrugged, and shook her hair back as a show of confidence. "I'm not sure, but the important thing is, I can go now." His question did play on her mind though. More importantly; how would these two halves merge again for her long swim back? If they didn't, there was no way sh
e could be seen at home without every single person knowing that she'd been up to no good.
She took a deep breath. That was one hurdle she'd have to cross later.
Teaq offered her his hand, which she gladly took as she unsteadily climbed over the rocks toward the boundary wall of the island. He did lift her over the top of it, which she accepted grudgingly. That was better than making a show of herself falling off the damn thing.
The rest of the way up the mountainous island took her a while, but she managed it with Teaq's help. Surely, with a bit of practice, she'd be as comfortable out of the water as any of her male counterparts.
As they made it further up the hill, the place Teaq must have been referring to came into view. A cave, sheltered from the surrounding landscape. The ultimate escape from prying eyes.
Liliwen's heart skipped a few beats as she thought about everything one might get up to in there, without anyone knowing. Had he taken other women there? Or was she the first?
The mystery of not knowing made being here even more exciting.
"Here we are," Teaq said. He stepped aside to let her enter the cave.
It was pitch black, but Liliwen had no trouble seeing inside. In fact it was easier on her eyes than the bright island.
She wandered in, and found herself a suitable place to sit and rest her newly formed legs. Swimming for hours was effortless for her, but this short hike had taken its toll.
Teaq sat down a couple of feet away.
Neither of them said a word initially. The silence between them increased the tension tenfold. It had been her idea to come up here. What were his motives, though? Was he thinking what she was thinking?
"It's nice," she remarked, finally. A meaningless statement, but her nerves wouldn't allow her to stay silent any longer. "Not so dry and windy."
Teaq didn't respond.
She placed her hand on the ground beside her. The entire cave was covered in a soft and springy material. Like a very fine and dense seaweed. Liliwen caressed it, marveling at how the thin sprigs sprung back upright after she'd touched them.
"What do you call this?" she asked and patted the ground, gesturing Teaq to come closer.
"Moss." Teaq got up and joined her. His movements were wooden, as though suddenly he wasn't so sure of himself anymore.
"Moss," Liliwen repeated after him. "Such a cute word."
She looked over at him and wondered what her next move should be. His behavior since they'd arrived in the cave was confusing. Was it all one-sided after all? She had to be sure.
"Why haven't you taken me prisoner yet?" she finally asked, then held her breath as she waited for his answer.
Chapter Eight
"Why haven't you taken me prisoner yet?" Liliwen asked.
Teaq nearly choked on his own breath. Islanders weren't known for mincing their words. Though Liliwen had been straightforward with him so far, she still continued to surprise him with her candid questions.
"I… Well, that's the question, isn't it?"
"I want to know the answer," she insisted.
He couldn't very well tell her that from their very first meeting, he'd been so fascinated by her that he couldn't bear the thought of missing out on these moments together? That he'd been obsessed with her to the point of not being able to sleep at night. That he'd sat through one too many Council Meeting or discussion with Broc, only listening to half of what was being said, because the image of her, glistening in the diffused light of early summer, had been etched onto his mind permanently.
"I think you're just toying with me," she said, looking down at her hands which were now wrapped around her legs. Or was that her tail? Whatever it was.
"One day when you grow tired of me, I'm going to come visit, and you'll put me in chains."
"Never," he said. His voice sounded more hoarse than normal.
She knew exactly what buttons to press. It was infuriating. And addictive.
"Prove it," she mouthed.
Teaq leaned over, placed his hand on her cheek more firmly than he'd ever touched her before and looked into her eyes. Though the cave was dark, her eyes shimmered golden as usual. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
"I would never."
Liliwen's eyelids fluttered, then shut entirely.
His senses were overwhelmed by her. Her quick shallow breaths sent his own heartbeat into a frenzy. This. This was what he'd been thinking about doing sometime between their first and second meeting. These were the dreams that haunted him at night, no matter how hard he'd tried to fight them.
He leaned in closer, breathing in the scent coming off her lips. Sweet, yet salty. Tempting.
"Kiss me already," she whispered against his lips.
So he did. Gently at first, then when her lips parted, he tasted her more passionately.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him against her. It was only now that he realized that despite her petite frame, she really was rather strong for her size.
She tasted of a gentle summer breeze. Fresh, refreshing even, with a hint of sweetness.
Her body felt cold against his, but not unpleasantly so. He cradled her in his arms, marveling at just how small and fragile she seemed to be. But every movement of hers reminded him that she was nothing of the sort.
She might not be a soldier like those of her kin he'd met in battle before, but she was a warrior at heart.
He could respect that, even admire it.
No matter what Broc was planning, Teaq could never settle for a human mate. He'd already known so before, but this first kiss only served to make him more determined. Islander women were strong and fierce as well, but they weren't her.
He hadn't been able to confess it to her earlier, but it was clear as day now.
There was only one woman that could make him weak. Her name was Liliwen, and she was in his arms right now. In a simpler world, he'd stay in this cave with her forever. He wouldn't just kiss her lips, but explore her body all over with his mouth. He would do so much more; unspoken things which only husband and wife did with one another.
But there was nothing simple about this world.
Teaq pulled back and studied Liliwen's face.
"What are you doing here with me, when it could get you into so much trouble back home?"
She smiled briefly, as she continued to hang onto him with both her arms crossed behind his neck. "Finding happiness."
How she could be innocent and sweet and fierce and brave all at once, Teaq had no idea.
She was an enigma.
"I was actually found out. Almost," she said, her expression turning serious.
The sudden change in her woke Teaq's protective instincts. "What happened?"
"The Seer, he said something that sounded a lot like me. He was looking right at me as well. I had such a fright."
Teaq shook his head. None of what she had said had made any sense. "What Seer? Said what?"
"Oh, we had our Premonition Ceremony last night. It was the summer solstice, you know," she said.
Teaq didn't understand that either, but didn't ask further questions.
"So when the Seer performed the ceremony, he said that a stranger was coming to the Black Isles which would turn everyone against one another. Brother against brother. Soldier against soldier. That the Isles would be at their weakest yet. The way he'd said it, I thought he was talking about me!"
Teaq's heartbeat sped up again. He didn't much believe in premonitions, but for the Sea Folk to hold a whole ceremony dedicated to it every year… Perhaps their Seer had visionary powers that the Islanders had no access to?
"And he wasn't. Talking about you, I mean?" Teaq asked, still concerned for Liliwen's safety, as much as his own.
She shook her head. "I shouldn't be telling you all this, obviously. But if my people do decide to attack… I don't want you unprepared. I don't want you in danger," she whispered.
Teaq nodded. He wasn't sure what he would have done in her place. His responsibili
ties to the Isles had always been the only thing he cared about. But with her in the picture… His own loyalties were well and truly challenged. It made sense that hers were too.
"So the Seer said that this stranger was human. With great powers."
Teaq's heart skipped another beat. Human. There was only one human the Seer could have been talking about. Broc's intended. And she was already here.
"You're sure he said it's a human?" Teaq asked. But in his heart he already knew the answer. That was why he'd been getting an off feeling about the whole situation.
Those were his instincts trying to tell him something. The human, Kelly, meant trouble.
He had to talk to Rhea. He could play on her jealousy to get her to be vigilant. If anyone could handle a powerful opponent, it was Rhea, anyway. Being a woman, she could get closer to Kelly than Teaq ever could.
Without tipping off his brother.
And if he could somehow convince Broc to be more vigilant as well…
"You look troubled," Liliwen said, as she snuggled her face against his chest.
The sweet girl had no idea.
"Thank you for telling me. You've helped me greatly."
"You're welcome," she whispered. "I aim to please."
Oh, if she kept on saying things like that, Teaq would find it impossible to keep things decent between them. Already his inner beast was screaming for her; desperate to claim her as his own.
She deserved better than this, though. She didn't deserve to be violated in a damp cave up on a hill on the Eastern Isle. She ought to be treated like a queen.
But instead, there was a treacherous human in one of the finest rooms on Black Mountain, scheming, plotting to bring them all down.
He kissed the top of Liliwen's head, marveling at how silky her hair felt. His own was crude and rough in comparison. She was something else entirely.
"Are you comfortable here? Not too dry?" he asked.
"It's perfect."
Teaq knew he had to get back to Black Mountain and speak with Rhea urgently, but he owed it to Liliwen to stay here with her at least a while longer. He owed it to his inner beast also.
The Soldier and the Siren: A Wolf Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 2) Page 5
