"She was too shocked to say a word. I could see it in her eyes, though. The human had penetrated her thoughts. An entire conversation went on in silence. And by the end, Rhea was defeated."
"Wow. So the Seer was right. This human does have a power my people might fight over."
"I don't see how." Teaq's expression was still dark.
"Think about it. To see into the minds of your enemy. It's a valuable weapon to have."
Teaq was about to protest.
"Even if it doesn't properly work on everyone. Perhaps she's still learning to use her magic," Liliwen continued.
"Perhaps," he grumbled. "But for my brother to set aside everyone's opinions and free her on a whim… We're family. That should mean something."
Liliwen smiled briefly. How could this man be so stubborn? In the face of everything he was doing down here with her?
"Wouldn't you?" she asked coyly.
"Wouldn't I, what?"
"Wouldn't you free me, if you could?"
Her question remained unanswered, but the look in Teaq's eyes told her everything she needed to know.
Chapter Twelve
One hundred and sixty seven hours. That was how long it had taken for Liliwen's people to track her down and launch their attack.
Teaq happened to be on the View Point when the war horn blew, rocking the castle down to its very foundations. It was a chilling sound.
All the more so because it was all his fault. His people would risk their lives in combat with the Sea Folk, because he had been stupid enough to enter into a relationship with one of theirs. Sure, technically it was her capture that had attracted King Weiland's wrath, but in a way it was only a matter of time before her presence at the Eastern Isle was discovered.
He should have known better.
Teaq forced himself into action. With his hand already tightly gripping his sword, he sprinted down the steps and through the winding corridors of the castle until he reached the drawbridge, shouting orders to any guard he found along the way.
He had started this. And now, he would be there at the frontline, next to his men, aiming to end it.
But what he found as he ran out of the castle and straight toward the fortified walls protecting Black Mountain's harbor, was just a little different than any normal Sea Folk invasion.
There were no hordes of angry soldiers, climbing out of the water and onto their island to confront his fighters.
That wasn’t to say that there were no Sea Folk warriors in the water; there were hundreds, perhaps even a thousand of them.
But they were still submerged, just watching the islanders scramble into position.
In their midst, just out of range of the archers lining the castle turrets, was a floating vessel of some kind featuring a throne upon which was seated a Merman with the most impressive looking armor Teaq had ever seen. On his head, a crown of precious metals and stones; in his right hand, a long staff with three points on top. It looked like a ceremonial version of the spears Merfolk soldiers carried to battle.
Beside him stood another, younger Merman, who carried the usual combat gear of their people; a standard-issue long spear and a shield.
This was not an ordinary attack, otherwise the low ranking soldiers would have swarmed the island already.
Meanwhile, Broc was nowhere to be found.
Teaq scoffed to himself. Typical. Their world might be coming to an end, and his little brother was probably still in bed with his witch bride.
This made Teaq the highest ranking islander in present company, meaning that he would handle this however he saw fit. He filtered through the ranks of soldiers, reaching the front of the fortified wall and raised both his arms to attract the invaders' attention.
"I am Teaq, General of Black Isle's armies. I speak for my people. What is your business here?"
The figure on the throne stood up proud and arrogant as Teaq had come to expect from his kind. "I am King Weiland, protector of the Deep and rightful ruler of the Northern Sea. I have come to take back what's mine."
Teaq raised both his eyebrows, then quickly, before anyone got the wrong idea, turned to face his people. "Hold fire."
His order echoed through the ranks. Nobody moved a muscle.
Teaq turned back to face the Merking. "Feel free to clarify what you've come here to take."
As soon as he'd finished his sentence, he was joined by a disheveled looking Broc by his side.
"What have we got here," Broc asked.
Teaq gestured at the sea shell clad float in front of them. "King Weiland himself has graced us with his presence."
"First you will surrender my daughter, then you'll surrender these islands!" King Weiland bellowed.
Teaq was speechless.
"Did he just say his daughter?" Broc whispered. "Bloody hell, this is getting better and better."
Teaq was still frozen in place, when his brother stepped up. "I am Broc Bearclaw, King of the Black Isles and Ruler of the Northern Sea. You'll have to take these islands from my cold, dead hands!"
"That can be arranged, you filthy land dweller!" King Weiland shouted back.
A rough prod in the shoulder brought Teaq back to reality. He exchanged a quick look with Broc. "I have to verify this. I mean, this changes everything."
Broc nodded. "Go. I'll handle this."
Teaq left his brother on the boundary and rushed back toward the castle. Although he didn't want to think of her this way, Liliwen, being the bloody Merking's daughter of all things, gave them leverage they previously did not have.
He had to speak with her, to figure out a way to resolve this mess while keeping bloodshed to an absolute minimum. The Sea Folk had arrived in great numbers. If they decided to strike now, there was no telling how long Teaq's men could defend Black Mountain. And if Black Mountain were to fall…
Teaq shook off these dark thoughts and focused on the task at hand. He had to see Liliwen. Immediately.
Although she was being held in a remote part of the dungeons, Teaq crossed the distance in no time at all. He ordered the guard away as usual, and quickly unlocked the door to her cell.
"We must talk," he said.
Liliwen looked up. "They're here, aren't they? I heard the war horn. It shook the walls and ceiling. I thought the entire dungeon was going to fall on my head."
"Your father is here," Teaq said, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Her eyes widened. "He must be furious."
Teaq had wanted to be firm. After all, she hadn't been entirely honest with him. But seeing her cowering in the corner of her dirty little cell… He couldn't go through with it.
"He's furious with us for capturing you, yes."
"Oh. I…" Liliwen averted her gaze. "I didn't think he would come himself. He hardly leaves the palace."
"Why did you never mention you're a princess? King Weiland's daughter. Of course he's brought the full might of his army along with him to ensure your release."
"Perhaps for the same reason you never said you're your king's brother. And a general on top of it," Liliwen observed dryly.
Teaq couldn't suppress a smile. As usual, she had managed to cut through all the nonsense. "I think you'll find that I'm not merely a general, but rather the only general," Teaq corrected her.
"Fine. The general, and the princess. What does it matter, though? I'm still a prisoner and you're still under siege."
"They haven't actually attacked. Yet."
Liliwen looked up in surprise. "They haven't… That means…"
"He really wants you back in one piece, I suppose. That means we have all the leverage." It didn't feel right referring to her that way, but she had a practical way of looking at things so Teaq figured she would understand.
She nodded. "He wants me back so he can punish me himself. But yes, leverage."
"So what's left to decide is, do we attack first? What's the way out of this mess?" Teaq wasn't really asking her as much as he was thinking aloud. He was the mili
tary strategist after all.
"There's one thing…" Liliwen's voice had thinned to a whisper. "No, I couldn't ask you to do this."
"What is it? I'll do anything, as long as it helps," Teaq urged.
Liliwen's gaze met his, and he could see they were misted up. Ever since her capture, he'd felt close to tears at times, but not once had Liliwen shown this kind of weakness in front of him. Not once had she cracked under the pressure. It nearly broke him.
"Please, tell me."
"If you were to ask for a duel. Your strongest fighter against his." Her voice was cracking as she spoke.
Teaq frowned. This was her grand idea? "What good is that going to do?"
"You have to set the terms in advance. If he wants me, then you promise to set me free if his man wins. My father is many things but he's not dishonorable. He will respect the rules of a duel."
"So we will duel for you," Teaq mumbled, still trying to understand what she was trying to tell him.
"Well, you'll duel for whatever terms you set." Liliwen shrugged. "Demand a truce. Who's your strongest fighter?"
Teaq responded without hesitation. "Well, I am. That's why I hold the position of general."
Sure, Broc had beaten him in hand-to-hand combat seven years ago and won the throne, but that had been a fluke. Destiny, perhaps. Teaq had historically been the stronger fighter. Now, with the additional years of combat experience behind him, he was unchallenged. Undefeated in seven years.
"Who's your father's best fighter?" Teaq asked.
Tears had started running down Liliwen's cheeks. "Shh, it's alright. Have a little faith in me," Teaq whispered.
"I do. I do have faith. It's just… My father's best fighter is Cadfael. My brother." Liliwen turned away from Teaq and curled up into a ball, sobbing softly now.
Finally, Teaq understood. She had reluctantly offered him a way out. And she had foreseen this right from the start of their conversation. The other Merman on King Weiland's float must have been him. Liliwen's brother, Cadfael.
Sea Folk did not accept defeat easily. And because of what was at stake, neither would he.
He would fight her brother, possibly to the death. Two men she held dear, battling it out, all because of her. No wonder she was at her wits' end.
Teaq's heart had broken once, on that dark day of her capture. Now, it was threatening to shatter all over again.
"Don't cry. It'll be alright. Whatever happens." Teaq spoke these words because they were expected. But they sounded hollow.
Liliwen's sobs grew louder.
It was torture to stand there and watch as she broke down.
"Just go!" she shouted suddenly, startling Teaq.
He wasn't sure what to say.
"Go and get it over with! You don't have time for this. The enemy is already at your gate, readying for a fight," she cried.
Teaq nodded briefly. She was absolutely right, as always. The enemy was right outside. And he had a job, no, a duty to do. This wasn't just about Liliwen and him. It was about his people. About these islands, and everyone who lived on them.
First he would have to get Broc onboard with the idea, then they'd set the terms with King Weiland.
If he could win the duel, he could negotiate a truce for everyone.
"I love you," Teaq whispered, as he left her cell.
As he pulled the heavy wooden door shut behind him, he could still hear Liliwen's cries.
It took all his self-control to pull himself together and not let his emotions get the better of him. His recklessness had caused all this. Now it was up to him to fix it.
It was time for him to face up to his mistakes and confess everything to Broc.
Teaq rushed back up the many stairs and across the drawbridge back to the spot where he'd left his men and Broc.
King Weiland was still waiting on his elaborate floating throne with Cadfael by his side.
Teaq took his own brother aside.
"I have confirmation." Teaq paused, then added: "And if I could have a moment alone, there's something else I have to tell you."
Broc frowned. "What, now? We're kind of in the middle of something here."
"Trust me. You need to hear this. Alone."
Broc nodded. "Fine. But make it quick. We have a war to fight."
Chapter Thirteen
The worst had happened. Beyond the initial shock, Liliwen hadn't cared about being imprisoned. She had accepted it. And Teaq's regular visits and stories about what was going on with Broc and the human had been a great help to pass the time.
But this… This was a horror she could not have foreseen.
She and her big mouth.
The two men she cared for. Her brother and her lover, standing on opposite sides of a battlefield. She knew how Cadfael fought. All or nothing. If he had half a chance, Teaq would not make it out alive.
Similarly, she knew Teaq would give his all in the duel. Either way, she would mourn a loved one's death by the end of today. All because of her stupid urge to go on an adventure. If only she'd stayed in the palace like her father had ordered her to…
Then she wouldn't have known this pain.
She wouldn't have known Teaq.
She would have never loved like she had loved him.
That in itself was something to regret as well. If she had known the outcome of her actions, would she have done it anyway?
Liliwen could do nothing but cry. Not for herself; never for herself. But for the lives she had destroyed.
Cara. She had warned Liliwen. She had told her not to do anything stupid.
If Teaq won the duel… Liliwen would be solely responsible not just for the death of her brother, but her best friend's heartbreak as well. The guilt was overwhelming.
And if Teaq lost… Liliwen dared not think about how that would affect her.
The only thing left to keep her from losing her mind was that she was surrounded by these thick impenetrable walls. She didn't have to see it happen. She wouldn't even hear the fight.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor outside. Liliwen wiped the tears from her eyes and waited with bated breath.
It was impossible to gauge time down here, but that seemed too fast. Teaq couldn't possibly have come back already. Was her brother dead?
The heavy wooden door swung open yet again, only to reveal a stranger.
"Get up," he ordered.
Liliwen was frozen. What was happening? "Why, what's going on?"
"Look, I have my king's orders. That's all. Get up or I'll make you," the man spat.
Liliwen reached for a solid iron hook set into the granite wall of her cell and heaved herself up. She stood uneasily, but the guard didn't care. He dragged her around by her arm and tied her hands behind her back. Then he shoved her out the door and into the dark corridor.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked.
Had Teaq's brother decided against the duel and ordered her execution? Was this the end?
She stumbled through the maze of corridors, up multiple flights of stairs, with the guard continuously poking her in the back with the butt of his sword.
Her outburst from earlier had drained her, and the walk was long and strenuous. She blinked uneasily as she emerged from the final hallway, through a huge wooden drawbridge. Daylight.
The guard had taken her outside.
She could smell the salty sea air and feel the wind on her parched skin. A slow drizzle started, giving her body some much needed relief. Her mind was working overtime though. Why was she being dragged up here?
"There she is," the man she recognized as Teaq's brother, King of the Black Isles, called out loudly while pointing at her. "She's safe and sound, for now."
Liliwen blinked against the light, and finally saw who King Broc was talking to. Her father was waiting out at sea, seated on a replica of the throne he sat on at the palace, mounted on top of a floating wooden deck.
Liliwen's eyes filled with fresh tears as she spotted Cadfael standing beside their
father's throne.
"Liliwen, have they treated you with the respect a princess of the Deep deserves?" King Weiland called out.
Through her tears, she nodded. "Yes Father, I'm fine." Liliwen's voice cracked a little as she spoke.
Of course, she was anything but. But the islanders’ treatment of her had nothing to do with that. They didn't honestly plan to hold the duel here now, with her watching? She couldn't bear the thought. What a cruel and unusual punishment for her sins.
She looked around and saw Teaq, who was in the process of casting off his armor. So they had agreed on a simple duel, according to Merfolk customs. Only one weapon of choice; no shields or armor.
Whatever the outcome, it would be quick.
"The terms are set. The fighters are ready. Let the fight begin," King Weiland bellowed.
He gestured at Cadfael to make his way forward.
Teaq meanwhile ordered his soldiers back to clear a space on the fortified wall, just thirty or so feet away from Liliwen's current position. She was close enough to smell the blood.
And there was no doubt in her mind that there would be lots of it.
Teaq approached the makeshift arena. Mid-step, his human form warped and shifted. His skin sprouted fur, and his body elongated as she got down on all fours.
The sight took Liliwen's breath away.
For a moment, she forgot who she was watching, and thought of all the stories Cadfael and the others had told of battles with the Others. Of the animal forms they had encountered and defeated.
Though Teaq wasn't carrying his sword anymore, he looked every bit the formidable opponent Liliwen thought he would be.
Similarly, Cadfael made his way toward dry land. His movements were smooth and powerful as he cut through the choppy waters. In one fluid jump, he emerged from the waves and landed on two feet onshore. The spectacle could not have been any more different from Liliwen's first steps on land.
Despite his smaller frame, Cadfael was imposing in his own right. Liliwen couldn't help but feel proud as well as afraid for both of them.
"Remember the rules," Broc, King of the Others, shouted. "My man wins, you forget you ever had a daughter and withdraw your troops immediately. Your man wins, we release her into your custody."
The Soldier and the Siren: A Wolf Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 2) Page 8
