* * *
“Get down.” Nevis pulled Elinor to her knees as he ducked behind a sand dune. “There’s a woman on the beach.”
“The Sea Witch?” Lobby whispered as he cowered behind them.
“I don’t know.” Nevis peered over the top of the sand dune. The woman was alone and appeared to be gathering seaweed into a basket. Beyond her, the sun was lowering toward the horizon, painting the sky pink and gold while causing the ocean to sparkle.
“She looks fairly young,” Elinor whispered.
Nevis hissed in a breath when he realized the princess was also peering over the dune. “I told you to get down.”
Elinor ignored him and glanced back at Lobby. “When was yer boat destroyed?”
“Six years ago.”
“Then I don’t think this could be the Sea Witch,” Elinor told Lobby. “She looks about my age.”
“Quiet,” Nevis warned them as he watched the lone woman. It was possible that she might have seen Maeve. A fluttering of wings sounded overhead, and he glanced up as a flock of seagulls flew over them. The birds began squawking as they landed on the beach next to the young woman.
She turned toward the birds, then suddenly her gaze lifted straight to the dune where Nevis and his companions were hiding.
“Damn.” Nevis ducked down, pulling Elinor with him.
“We could try talking to her,” Elinor whispered.
“No.” Lobby shook his head. “She might report us to the Sea Witch.”
“I know you’re there,” the woman called to them.
“You two stay hidden. I’ll take care of this.” Nevis rose to his feet. “Good evening. I’m Colonel Nevis Harden from—”
“And I’m Elinor from the Isle of Moon.”
Dammit. The princess was standing right next to him. “Do you never follow orders?”
Elinor smiled at him, then the young woman. “May we ask yer name?”
The young woman set down her basket and glanced around the beach nervously. “I’m Bettina.”
“We’re delighted to meet you, Bettina.” Elinor climbed to the top of the dune. “Can ye help us? We’re looking for a young woman who may have arrived here this morning—”
“You mean Maeve?” Bettina asked.
“Yes!” Nevis charged down the dune, his feet sliding in the sand. “Do you know where she is?”
Before Bettina could reply, Elinor slid down the dune behind him. “Was there a man with her? He might have been in the form of an eagle or a dog.”
Bettina’s eyes widened. “There was no one like that.”
“Where is Maeve?” Nevis repeated.
With a grimace, Bettina glanced over her shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come here. It’s not safe.”
“I keep telling them that,” Lobby muttered as he slowly descended the dune. “But they don’t listen.”
“We won’t stay long,” Nevis assured the old man. “We’ll just grab Maeve and leave.”
Bettina shook her head. “You can’t do that. She was captured—”
“What?” Nevis stepped closer. “Who has her?”
“She was taken to the castle.” Bettina motioned toward the west. “But you mustn’t—”
“Goddesses have mercy,” Lobby cried. “The Sea Witch has her!”
Bettina blinked. “A sea witch?”
Lobby nodded. “She can destroy whole ships. And change into horrible sea creatures.”
“Oh.” Bettina winced. “You mean our queen. Cahira.”
Their queen was a witch and a shifter? Nevis took a deep breath. Rescuing Maeve was not going to be easy. “What can you tell us about this castle?”
Bettina gasped. “You can’t be planning to go there! It’s too dangerous!”
“She’s right,” Lobby whined. “The Sea Witch will kill us!”
“You don’t have to go, Lobby. You can stay on the boat with Elinor.” Nevis gripped the handle of his sword. “As for me, I am not leaving this island without Maeve.”
“I will go, too,” Elinor said, and he glared at her.
“Neither one of you can go,” Bettina insisted. “You’ll be terribly outnumbered. The queen has guards—”
“How many?” Nevis asked.
“Thirty,” Bettina replied. “But then there’s Alfred and Darroc and the others with their powers—”
“What kind of powers?” Nevis’s grip tightened on his sword.
“Embraced powers,” Bettina explained. “Alfred has the power of lightning, and Darroc can control the wind—”
“What?” Nevis stepped back as a shiver of horror crept down his spine. “Lightning and wind?”
Bettina nodded with a sad look. “They’re the ones who captured Maeve.”
“The Embraced army,” Elinor whispered, exchanging a worried glance with Nevis.
He swallowed hard. Maeve had been right. The Embraced army was here. And two of them had the same powers as Leo and Rupert. Damn. He needed to warn Leo immediately. Captain Shaw would be arriving at Ebton Palace by sunset, but all he would be able to tell Leo was the possibility that the Embraced army was here.
Nevis needed to confirm it, so Leo and the other kings could rally their troops and head this way. The Embraced army had to be defeated here, before they could wage war and destruction on the mainland. But how could he leave now to warn Leo? That would mean abandoning Maeve.
Nevis glanced at the setting sun. Which should he choose? The safety of the entire world, or the safety of one woman?
Chapter 13
“Don’t call me Julia,” Brody growled at her.
It was perverse of her, Maeve knew, but she was so angry, she felt satisfaction when her barb hit home. “What should I call you, then? Liar?”
With his teeth gritted, he pointed at her. “You’re the one who lied. You said you would wait on the Isle of Moon for me to return. Do you have any idea how furious I am?”
“It could be only half of what I’m feeling.”
He scoffed. “There’s no reason for you to be angry.”
“Are you jesting?” She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m hearing your voice, but it’s coming out of a stranger’s mouth. Do you have any idea how creepy that is?”
“Fine.” His gray, wrinkled face began to shimmer.
Maeve’s breath caught as Brody shifted right in front of her. His shoulders and chest grew broader, filling the Seer’s brown woolen robe. His familiar face replaced the old wrinkled one, while his hair changed from silver to black. His beautiful blue eyes sparkled like icy shards as he glowered at her. His gorgeous mouth—how could she look at his lips without remembering his kiss?
He was so damned handsome, blast him. In the four years that she’d known him, he’d matured, becoming more attractive every time she saw him. She’d admired him from afar. Longed for him to pay her some attention while he was in human form. But now, she had to wonder if she even knew him. How many more secrets was he hiding?
“You should have stayed put on the Isle of Moon,” he fussed at her. “Now you’re in danger—”
“It was my choice. I’ll deal with it.”
“Dammit, Maeve. Have you always been so stubborn?”
“Have you always been so secretive? Did you ever tell anyone that you can shift into a person? What am I to think? Are you just like the Chameleon?”
He hissed in a breath. “Don’t you dare compare me to that bastard.”
She had to admit he was right to take insult. The Chameleon was a mass murderer, while Brody always helped others. But still, it hurt that he’d hidden his true nature from her. It hurt badly enough that angry tears gathered in her eyes. “Am I the only one who didn’t know? Or did you keep it a secret from everyone? Do any of us even know who you really are?”
He groaned. “You’re making too much of this.”
“I don’t think so.” She motioned to his face. “Is this how you actually look?”
“Of course it is.” He gave her a frustrated look. “I’v
e never taken on a person’s form before. I only did it now because the Seer begged me to.”
“My . . . father asked you to do this? How can that be? Isn’t he allied with my mother?”
“He only pretended to be, so he could find out what she was doing. Your father was a good man.”
She blinked. “Was?”
Brody nodded. “He passed away. I’m sorry.”
A twinge of regret lodged in her heart. She would never know her father. But apparently, she had inherited his power of foresight. Her vision of Brody burying someone on the Isle of Mist had been correct. “How well did you know him?”
When Brody hesitated a moment, she wondered if he was deciding which secrets to hide and which to reveal. The annoying man.
Finally, he replied, “After I was cursed, I washed up on the Isle of Mist. The Seer found me and raised me. He was like a father to me.”
That was obviously true, for she could see the pain of mourning in Brody’s eyes. “How long have you known that my father started the Circle of Five?”
“I found out the afternoon before he died. At first, I was horrified. But then I read his journal and understood what had happened. I’ll give you his journal someday, so you can see for yourself. His only crime was a mistaken belief that he could bring peace to the world. It was Cahira who twisted his idea into something evil.”
Maeve winced. “So masquerading as the Seer was the plan you wouldn’t tell me about?” When he nodded, she narrowed her eyes. “Was it you who was so rude to me on the Isle of Mist?”
“I was trying to pro—”
“It was you!” Her anger flared. “Did you enjoy deceiving me?”
“No, I didn’t,” he ground out. “But I did what was necessary to protect you.”
“You told me my future was back at Ebton Palace. You lied to me!”
“I was trying to keep you safe, dammit, but you—”
“You don’t have the right!” Hot tears burned her eyes. “You told me we could never have a future together, but then you tried to control my future? How dare you!”
“Maeve—”
“How long have you known who my mother is?” A tear ran down her face. “Were you intending to keep that a secret, too?”
He took a deep breath and glanced around the room as if he were trying to figure out what to say.
Her heart constricted in her chest. “You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”
He closed his eyes briefly. “I knew the truth would be devastating for you.”
“So you were never going to tell me? You were going to deceive me for the rest of my life?” She balled her hand into a fist and punched lightly at his chest. “How could you do that to me?”
He grabbed her by the wrist. “I would do it again. I would go to hell and back if it kept you from feeling pain.”
She ripped her hand away. “Then why did you reject me? Nothing is more painful than that!”
His face turned pale.
She turned and walked away a few steps. As she wiped more tears from her face, she realized her anger was fading away. All that was left was a horrible fear that her feelings for Brody would continue to be rejected.
“I can’t deny that I care about you,” he said softly behind her.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. She’d always hoped to hear him confess his feelings for her, but she’d always thought it would be a joyous occasion. Not like this. She curled her hands into fists. Dammit, why did she have to accept this? “I know you can be yourself for only two hours a day, but I’d rather have two hours than nothing.”
“That wouldn’t be fair—”
“Since when is life fair?” She whirled around to face him. “I am stubborn, Brody. I’m not giving up on you.”
His eyes flared with an intensity that stole her breath away. He did want her—she could feel it. She took a step toward him.
A knock sounded at the door; then the latch moved and caught on the lock.
“We have your food,” a voice called from the hallway. “And clothing.”
Brody ran and jumped into bed. Maeve approached the door, waiting to be sure Brody had shifted back into the Seer before she turned the key and opened it.
Ruth and two more servants came inside carrying trays loaded down with food, goblets, and pitchers of wine. They placed the trays on the round table in the sitting area. More servants brought in the Seer’s bundle of clothes as well as some new garments. They took them to the dressing room.
“This is medicine to relieve pain.” Ruth showed Maeve a small green bottle. “In case your father needs it.”
“Thank you,” Maeve told her.
“Are you all right?” Ruth whispered. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
“I—I fear I will lose my father soon.”
Ruth clucked her tongue in sympathy. “I’m so sorry, lass.” She motioned to the trays. “We’ll come back for these later.”
“No need,” Maeve assured her. “I’ll put them in the hall. I don’t want anything to disturb my father’s rest.”
Ruth glanced at the false Seer, who was moaning in bed. “Very well. But if you need me, just tug on the bell pull.”
“I will. Thank you, Ruth.”
She and the other servants curtsied, then filed out of the room. Maeve quickly locked the door.
Brody leaped out of bed, shifting back to his true form. “I’m starving.” He dashed toward the table.
Now this was the Brody she knew. Maeve sat across from him. “How are we going to stop my mother? Do you have a plan?”
He bit into a chicken leg. “I’m flying back to the Isle of Moon tonight, so I can have a message sent to Leo. Are Nevis and Captain Shaw still there?”
“I suppose they are.” Maeve poured two goblets full of wine.
“Thanks.” Brody took a sip from one, then went back to eating. “Tell me what you’ve learned so far.”
She described everything that had happened that morning. Brody’s eyes widened when she described Alfred’s and Darroc’s powers.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Lightning and wind power? That won’t be easy to beat. How many soldiers are there in the Embraced army?”
“I don’t know.” Maeve fiddled with her food, wondering if she should tell Brody about her upcoming wedding. If she did, he might try to kill the evil shifter. He could end up injured or dead. Also, his disguise as the Seer would be exposed, and then Cahira would have the Embraced army attack him. If Maeve wanted to protect Brody, she had better keep her mouth shut.
“Anything else I should know?” Brody asked.
She winced. Now she understood why Brody had withheld information from her. She was doing the same thing. But he did need to know what she had learned about the Chameleon. “The general of the Embraced army is the Chameleon.”
Brody sat forward. “Is he here?”
“He’s supposed to arrive soon.” Maeve explained who he was.
Brody’s mouth dropped open. “He killed his own father? And half-brother? Damn.” He stood and paced across the floor. “No wonder he tried to take Eberon first. We have to tell Leo about him. You say his name is Kendric?”
Maeve nodded and suppressed a shudder at the thought of being forced to marry the monster. She couldn’t do it. Somehow she had to stop it. Without telling Brody. He hated the evil shifter with a passion. And from what she’d heard, the hatred was mutual. Had the Chameleon sensed that Brody had the same powers he had? That would explain why the evil shifter hated Brody so much.
She couldn’t risk a fight between the two of them. There had to be another solution . . .
While she was thinking, Brody opened a window to peer outside. “The sun is setting. I’ll leave as soon as it gets dark.” He glanced back at her and narrowed his eyes. “Is something bothering you? You’re pale. And you hardly touched your food.”
She crushed her napkin in her fists. “It’s nothing.”
He gave her a wry look as he walked towar
d her. “I guess I’m not the only one with secrets.”
“I-I’ll tell you later.”
“All right.” He picked up his goblet. “I’ll hold you to that. Make sure no one comes in while I’m gone.”
“I will.”
“Good.” He took a long drink.
She tossed her napkin on the table. “When you come back, I want to lose my virginity.”
He sputtered wine down his robe. “What?”
“I believe you heard me.”
“What?”
Surely the Chameleon would reject her if she told him that she’d already bedded his archenemy, Brody. Besides, Brody was the only man she could ever take as a mate. She rose to her feet. “It has to be you.”
He set his goblet down with a clunk. “Isn’t this a bit sudden?”
“You are capable, are you not?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Are you trying to insult me into bedding you?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
He scoffed. “Maeve—”
She stepped up to him and placed her hands on his chest. “You do want me, don’t you?”
He gulped. “What has come over you?”
“Lust. Pure unbridled lust.” She smoothed her hands up to his shoulders.
“Wait a minute.” He grabbed her wrists. “You . . . you must have experienced too much of a shock today. You should lie down and rest while I’m gone.”
“I’ll be sure to be well rested.” She pressed her body against his. “And I’ll be ready for you when you return.”
He frowned at her. “I’m going to be really tired.”
“Then I’ll do all the work.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “How would you know what to do?”
“I’ll figure it out.” She glanced down to where she could feel a growing bulge beneath his robe. “How hard can it be?”
“A lot harder.” He grabbed her by the shoulders to move her back a few inches. “I’m not sure what this is all about, but we’ll talk when I get back. Turn around while I shift.”
“Must I? I’d rather watch you undress.”
“Maeve.” He scowled at her.
“Fine.” She turned her back. Why was he acting so damned noble all of a sudden? “I know you want me. So when you come back, it will be you and me. You agree, don’t you?”
The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea Page 17
