The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  Cahira stepped off the dais and approached Maeve. “I can see you are shocked, but if you wish to prove your loyalty, you will do as I say.” She scoffed. “It’s not as if I’m asking for much. Kendric is an amazing man.”

  Who was this Kendric? Maeve had heard the name before. Oh, right. Bettina had called him the general of the Embraced army.

  “Since you’re a shifter, yourself, you should find him very attractive,” Cahira added. “He’s the second most powerful shifter in the world.” With a smirk, she motioned to herself. “I am the first one, of course.”

  Second most powerful shifter? Wouldn’t that be Brody? Unless. . . with a gasp, Maeve stepped back. No, it couldn’t be . . .

  “I’m sure you’ve heard of him before.” Cahira crossed her arms as she pondered. “Ah. I know what the problem is. The silly people on the mainland don’t know his real name. So the fools call him the Chameleon.”

  * * *

  As the boat approached the Isle of Secrets, Nevis moved to the prow to search for a good place to hide the small vessel. He spotted a rocky area on the northeastern edge of the island where huge boulders, as large as three-story buildings, were sitting along the coast as if they were guarding it. “Can we go over there?”

  “Aye.” Elinor turned the wheel while Lobby made adjustments to the mainsail.

  The boat skimmed along the coast, and Elinor gave the wheel to Lobby so she could join Nevis by the railing.

  “This is perfect!” she announced as they passed the first boulder. The huge, craggy rocks outlined a small bay. “Come to starboard,” she ordered Lobby, then turned to Nevis. “We’ll lower the sail and drop the anchor.”

  Soon, they were safely hidden inside the boulder-lined bay and, to their surprise, they spotted a sea cave on the coast. A barking sound drew their attention to a flat rock where a few seals were watching them. The seals plunged into the water to approach their boat, and a few more seals emerged from the cave.

  “I think they’re from the Isle of Moon,” Elinor said as she leaned over the railing to get a closer look at them.

  “How can you be sure?” Nevis asked.

  “I’ve been sailing around the isle for years. These seals recognize me.” She waved at the seals, who barked back.

  “They sure are loud,” Nevis muttered. “If Maeve was here, she’d be able to talk to—wait, these must be the seals she was traveling with.”

  Elinor craned her neck, looking around. “I don’t see her. Or Brody.”

  “They’re probably hiding inside the cave.” Lobby took off his hat, squeezing it tight in his fists. “That’s where I would be. Hoping that the Sea Witch didn’t find me.”

  “I’ll take the rowboat ashore and look,” Nevis announced.

  “I’ll go with you.” Elinor turned to Lobby. “Did ye want to stay here?”

  The old man twisted his hat in his hands. “I-I think I should go with you. Ye’re our princess, so ’tis me duty to protect you. And I need to help that poor lass Maeve.”

  Elinor touched his sleeve. “Thank you, Lobby. Yer bravery is commendable.”

  Lobby blushed.

  “Then I’ll drag the cook up here to stand guard,” Nevis muttered as he headed down the stairs to the galley.

  Soon they had the bleary-eyed cook sitting on deck, while the others clambered into the small skiff that was tethered at the back of the boat. Nevis and Lobby rowed while Elinor held a lit lantern and her canvas bag full of paper. When they hit land, everyone jumped out and Nevis dragged the rowboat onto the pebbly beach.

  He took the lantern from Elinor. “Wait here while I investigate the cave.”

  She hitched her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll go inside with you.”

  Nevis frowned at her. “No, you won’t.”

  She frowned back. “Are ye giving me orders now? Have ye forgotten I’m the captain?”

  “Have you forgotten I’m a colonel? We’re on land now, so I outrank you.”

  She scoffed. “Have ye forgotten I’m a princess? I still outrank you.”

  He winced inwardly. Dammit, did she have to remind him how far out of reach she was? He gritted his teeth. “Then, as the princess, you shouldn’t do anything dangerous. We don’t know what could be inside the cave. There might be some sort of hideous creature.”

  Her mouth twitched. “Then I’ll draw an even more hideous creature so it can protect us.”

  With a snort, he grabbed the handle of his sword. “There’s no need for that. I’m fully capable of protecting us.”

  “Good. Then ye won’t mind if I tag along.” She smiled up at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

  Damn, but this woman knew just how to get her way with him. He cleared his throat. “Very well, then. Stay behind me, so you’ll be safe.” He held up the lantern and ventured inside the cave. There was a narrow pathway along a black, glistening wall, but most of the cave was filled with water. He eyed the water with suspicion. Something could be lurking in there.

  “Maeve?” His voice echoed around them. “Maeve, are you here?”

  There was a fluttering sound, then a giant whoosh as a black cloud swept toward them.

  Bats! Nevis turned and pulled Elinor against his chest with his head bent over hers. He winced at the stirring of air against his neck and scalp.

  Soon the swarm of bats had passed them by.

  “Are you all right?” Nevis asked, and Elinor’s head nodded against his chest. “I hate bats.”

  She nodded again. “Me, too.”

  With a start, he realized he was hugging her. He released her and jumped back. “My apologies, Your Highness.”

  “There’s no need to apologize. Ye were protecting me. Thank you.”

  He held up the lantern, hoping to see the expression on her face, but she had turned back toward the entrance. “I don’t think Maeve or Brody were here.”

  “No.” He followed her out. “But the seals are here, so she should be somewhere close by.”

  “Did ye find the lass?” Lobby asked as they approached him on the pebbly beach.

  “No.” Nevis blew out the lantern’s flame and set it on the ground. “You two wait here. I’ll go search for her.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Elinor said once again.

  “No, you won’t,” Nevis growled. “Do you know how dangerous it could be? The Embraced army might be here.”

  “And the Sea Witch, too,” Lobby muttered, wringing his hat in his hands.

  Elinor gave both men an annoyed look. “I didn’t come all this way to wait behind.” She started down the beach, headed west.

  Dammit, the woman was too fearless. Nevis caught up with her.

  “That’s the way to the Sea Witch’s castle,” Lobby whined as he stumbled along behind them. “Holy goddesses, we’re going to end up dead.”

  When they reached the boulder-lined edge of the bay, Elinor slipped between two pedestal rocks, splashing through the shallow water in her boots. “Watch out for the crabs.” She pointed at the water.

  Nevis winced as he stepped through. “I hate crabs.”

  Elinor glanced back at him with a smile. “Why would ye hate them?”

  “They look strange. And they try to pinch you.”

  “They’re tasty.”

  He made a face, and she laughed.

  “Then what do ye eat?” she asked.

  “Real food. Cows and pigs.”

  She scoffed. “I take it ye never lived on an island. Or along a coast.”

  “No.” He walked beside her while Lobby followed behind them, muttering about the Sea Witch. The beach was now white and sandy, the sky blue, and the sea a pretty turquoise color. “I’ve spent most of my life moving up and down the border of Woodwyn and Norveshka.”

  She gave him a curious look. “Ye didn’t have a home?”

  “I did. My tent.”

  Her expression turned sad.

  Damn, he didn’t want her feeling sorry for him. “I’ve had a good life with the army. Well,
the battles are awful, but—”

  “Have ye ever been wounded?”

  He waved a dismissive hand. “A cut or scrape here and there. But nothing important. I’m a fully functional male—” He halted with a wince. Holy crap, had he just said that?

  Obviously, he’d spent too much of his life surrounded by soldiers who said whatever they wanted to. He ventured a glance at the princess and discovered she was grinning. Great. He’d proven once again that he was an idiot. “Of course, there may be some doubt that my brain is fully functional.”

  She laughed and touched his arm. “Thank you. Ye know exactly how to ease my worries.”

  “I do?”

  She nodded, then gave him a teasing look. “I’m quite positive yer brain is working as well as the rest of you. Though yer mouth tends to work more than it should.”

  He winced. “True.”

  “Ye’re blushing again.”

  He smiled. “Am not.”

  “Holy goddesses,” Lobby muttered behind them. “We’re going to die, and they’re flirting again.”

  Nevis slanted a look at Elinor, just as she glanced at him. She grinned, and his heart flipped over in his chest. Holy Light, maybe he had a chance with the princess, after all.

  * * *

  How could she marry the Chameleon? Cahira had demanded an answer, but Maeve couldn’t wrench the word “yes” out of her throat. She didn’t want to refuse, either, and appear disloyal. So, she did the only thing she could think of: She begged for time.

  “Please,” she pleaded with tears in her eyes. “I’m afraid to marry a stranger. Could you let me get to know him first? Could you give me two weeks?”

  Cahira studied her with narrowed eyes. “Well, it will take some time to prepare for the wedding, so I will give you one week. No more.”

  One week. Could she escape before then? Maeve sank into a curtsy. “Thank you, Mother.”

  Cahira shrugged. “I’ll send my seamstress to you in the morning. You’ll need a wedding gown.”

  “Thank you.” As Maeve straightened, she gathered her courage. “May I ask for another small favor?”

  “Must you?” Cahira frowned at her, then huffed. “Very well, what is it?”

  “Could you remove Gabby from the dunge—”

  “Absolutely not!” Cahira stepped closer, her eyes flashing with anger. “How do you know about her? You are spying on me, aren’t you?”

  “No!” Maeve stepped back, shaking her head. “I just happened to see her in the dungeon because Alfred and Darroc brought me into the castle that way. Believe me, I never would have asked to see the dungeon. It was an accident that I even saw Gabby.”

  “Hmm.” Cahira crossed her arms, eyeing Maeve with suspicion. “I’ll have to question them about this.”

  “Please do. I would never want to anger you, Mother.”

  She scoffed. “And yet you ask me to move Gabby, when I need the gold that she makes.”

  “It occurred to me that if you treat her nicely, she might be more willing to work,” Maeve argued. “In fact, she could probably increase her production if she had a more comfortable room and more nutritious food.”

  Cahira arched a brow. “You think so?”

  “And if she knew her brother was all right, she would probably work with a grateful heart.”

  Cahira waved a dismissive hand. “Of course the boy is all right. What do you take me for?”

  Maeve carefully schooled her features not to show what she really thought. “It’s a sign of true nobility to be magnanimous.”

  Her mother snorted. “Very well. I’ll move her to a servant’s room. But if her production goes down, she’s going right back to the dungeon!”

  “I understand.” Maeve bowed her head. “Thank you, Mother.”

  With a prolonged sigh, Cahira turned away. “Your demands are tiresome.” She waved a hand. “Go back to your room while I question Alfred. I’ll send for you when your father arrives.”

  She’d been dismissed like a child, but Maeve didn’t object. She was happy to get away for a little while.

  Back in her bedchamber, she paced from one end to the other. Trapped, that was how she felt. No, disgusted was more like it. For the past few years, everyone she cared about had been fighting against the Circle of Five. And now, she had learned that the founders of that evil group were her parents.

  She drew to a stop. There is nothing you can do to change what happened in the past. You can only deal with it the best you can. She rubbed her brow where her head was beginning to throb. Overloaded. Overburdened. Mentally and emotionally attacked. That was how she felt. She’d been assaulted too quickly with too much information.

  Not only had she learned about her parents, but she now knew who the Chameleon was. How on Aerthlan could she marry him?

  A sudden thought jumped into her mind. If the Chameleon was the bastard son of King Frederic . . .

  She struggled to breathe as the full horror crashed over her. The Chameleon had killed his own father! And when he’d killed Prince Tedric, Frederic’s legitimate heir, he’d murdered his own half-brother. He’d attempted to take Tedric’s place so he could be king, and when that hadn’t worked, he’d gone after his father.

  How could she marry such a monster?

  She stumbled toward a window and opened it to take in big gulps of fresh air. Goddesses help her, she had to escape. The ocean was there, taunting her, so close but impossible to reach. She couldn’t go to the tank room when there was a guard at her door.

  Leaning farther out the window, she examined the walls of the castle to see if she dared to escape that way. Beneath the window of her dressing room, she spotted the gutter that took away the bathwater. Could she climb down it without breaking her neck? On the ground below, guards were marching around the perimeter of the castle. Even if she made it safely to the ground, they would probably spot her and capture her.

  She scanned the sky, searching for an eagle. “Brody, I hope you’re on your way,” she whispered. “I really need you right now.”

  But the sky was clear. No sign of Brody.

  Far to the west, the sun was lowering in the sky. Thank the goddesses. She’d endured enough for one day.

  But the day wasn’t over yet. Out at sea, a small ship was approaching the harbor. Was this the arrival of her so-called father?

  An idea popped into her mind. What if she was able to befriend her father and convince him to call off her wedding?

  The idea faded quickly. How could she possibly befriend her father? He was the first member of the Circle of Five. Whoever he was, he had to be as power hungry as Cahira. So it was highly doubtful he would take her side. Hadn’t he abandoned her, too?

  A knock sounded on her door, and the guard peered inside. “Her Majesty is requesting your presence on the balcony.”

  “I understand.” Maeve followed him back to the corridor that led to the Great Hall. But this time, she was escorted through one of the glass-paned doors onto the balcony.

  Queen Cahira motioned for her to join her by the stone parapet. “Your father is arriving.”

  As Maeve approached the parapet, she spotted the twin ponds just below them. One green and the other blue, they were joined by a dolphin-shaped fountain that spewed water into the air. Farther out, the garden stretched down to the harbor. And there, a small ship had been tied off at the dock. On the pier, four male servants waited by a litter, made by lashing two long poles to a chair.

  Were they intending to carry her father to the castle? Was he unable to walk?

  Maeve narrowed her eyes as she spotted a lone figure hobbling at a snail’s pace down the gangplank. He wore a brown robe with the hood drawn over his head. In one hand, he gripped a long staff, and cradled against his chest, he held a cat.

  Good goddesses! She jolted with recognition. It was the Seer!

  Beside her, her mother gave her a curious look. “What is this? Have you met your father before?”

  Maeve’s thoughts raced. Sh
e wasn’t supposed to know the Seer. “I . . . I’m just surprised. He seems rather . . . old and feeble.”

  “Ah.” Cahira nodded. “No doubt you’re wondering why I was attracted to him. But as I said, Burien is the last full-blooded male of our race. And he has a powerful gift.” Her eyes gleamed with pride. “He’s known around the world as the Seer.”

  Maeve let her mouth drop open as she feigned surprise. Not hard to do since she was still in shock. “My father is the Seer?”

  “Yes.” Cahira’s expression became even more smug. “What a thrill it must be for you to discover you have such powerful parents.”

  Maeve nodded. “Yes.” Was this why her dreams were coming true? Had she inherited a bit of her father’s gift? But why had the gift waited almost twenty years before manifesting itself?

  Cahira sighed. “Unfortunately, Burien is quite ill. I brought him here because I couldn’t bear the thought of him dying all alone on that isle of his.”

  “You care about him.”

  “Of course.” Her mouth twisted with an annoyed look. “But I wish he hadn’t brought along that silly cat.”

  When the Seer finally reached the pier, the cat scrambled out of his hold and leaped to the ground. The Seer reached for him but was too slow. The cat, Trouble, darted off, dashing across the garden in an orange blur.

  With a snort, Cahira muttered under her breath, “Another problem to deal with.”

  Meanwhile, the Seer settled into the cushioned chair, and the servants grabbed the poles to heft it up to their shoulders.

  Cahira rubbed her hands together as anticipation glinted in her sea-green eyes. “Burien will be so excited to meet you.”

  But he’d already met her, Maeve thought. If the Seer truly knew everything, then he must have known that she was his daughter when she’d visited him on the Isle of Mist. Why had he been so rude to her, then? Was it because she had asked about the Embraced army? As the founding member of the Circle of Five, he must have been angered by her questions.