The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “I was left as a dog with a bone.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “We’ll finish what we started tonight.” He cradled her face and, using his thumbs, wiped her cheeks dry. “If you can still accept me.”

  She scoffed. “I’m the one who should be worried. Can you accept me after all that my mother has done?”

  “She abandoned you because the Seer foresaw that you would be more powerful than she is. She doesn’t even deserve to be called your mother.”

  Maeve blinked. “I’m going to be more powerful than Cahira?”

  “That’s what the Seer said.”

  She sat back, wondering what her father had meant. Had he been referring to her new gift of foresight?

  “I should go see Nevis now.” Brody stood and she heard some rustling noises.

  He must be disrobing in the dark, so he could shift. She opened the curtains, then the window. “Be careful.”

  “I’ll be back at midnight.”

  So he could be Brody. And make love to her. Maeve smiled to herself as an eagle swooped out the window.

  * * *

  “Now let me see you tie them up,” Nevis told Elam and Hannah, and the two children kneeled beside Lobby and Tommy and tied their hands and feet with strips of linen.

  Nevis checked their knots. “Excellent.”

  Elam grinned at Hannah. “We did it!”

  She nodded. “This is much more exciting than making it rain.”

  Nevis cut loose the bindings on Tommy and Lobby, who had volunteered to play the role of unconscious guards. “How are you two doing?”

  “We’re fine,” Tommy assured him. “All we have to do is lie here.” When Lobby snored, Tommy chuckled. “He keeps dozing off.”

  Nevis stifled a grin. The two old men were exhausted after sailing all the way to the Isle of Moon and back last night.

  This morning, while coming up with a strategy to eliminate the guards, Nevis had soon realized he couldn’t kill them in front of the children. And he certainly couldn’t instruct the children to kill them. So now the plan was to simply knock out the guards, then tie them up and gag them.

  He’d spent most of the day with Elinor in the blacksmith shop, devising their master plan. Tommy had cleared his worktable, and Elinor had used paper and ink to draw a map of the castle grounds and location of the guardhouse. Then she’d illustrated the plan, so the children could understand what they were expected to do.

  This evening after dinner, Nevis had taught the children how to properly tie up their prisoners. They were practicing now on their volunteers, Tommy and Lobby. Bettina lit some lanterns as the sky darkened, while Catriona, Naomi, and Olana were busy ripping sheets into strips. They would need enough to tie up thirty guards.

  Quentin grabbed a few strips. “Is it my turn now?”

  Nevis shook his head. “Tommy and Lobby will be taking everyone under the age of ten to our boat—”

  “That’s not fair,” Quentin grumbled. “I showed you where the guards live. You can’t make me leave!”

  Nevis regarded the nine-year-old boy. He seemed much more eager to participate in their battle than ten-year-old Peter. “This will be dangerous. You could be hurt.”

  “So?” Quentin lifted his chin in defiance. “I’ve been working in the smithy since I was five. I know how to be careful.”

  “The lad is a good worker,” Tommy said, giving the boy a wry look. “When he isn’t running off somewhere.”

  Quentin hung his head. “I just get tired of being cooped up all the time.” He glanced up shyly at Nevis. “I feel bad about snitching on Maeve. I want to help. Please.”

  Nevis gave him a stern look. “I’m in charge of our group. Do you pledge to follow my orders to the letter?”

  “Aye, Colonel!” Quentin saluted. “Can I stay?”

  Nevis narrowed his eyes. “Yes, you may, soldier.”

  “Yea!” Quentin bounced around, grinning. “This is going to be so—”

  “Quiet, soldier,” Nevis growled, and Quentin halted, slapping a hand over his mouth.

  Elinor smiled as she set down her pen. “Shouldn’t we have a name for our group?”

  Catriona snorted. “Something like the Undesirables?”

  “Or the Rejects?” Elam grumbled.

  “No, something strong and positive.” Nevis strode to the worktable, seeking inspiration from the plans Elinor had drawn. A spider crawled onto one of her pages, and he slammed a hand down so hard everyone jumped.

  “What?” Lobby sputtered, waking up. “What was that?”

  “Sorry,” Nevis muttered. “I hate spiders.”

  “Spiders!” Quentin shouted.

  “Yes.” Nevis wiped his hand on his breeches. “I didn’t want it getting on—”

  “No, we can be the Spiders,” Quentin said. “We’ll be fast and sneaky and spin our webs to trap all the guards.”

  Nevis glanced at all the children, who were nodding their heads and smiling. “Is that what you want?”

  While the children cheered, Elinor tapped her fingers on the worktable. “Spiders?”

  Nevis stepped closer to her. “We can use something else if you don’t like it.”

  “Nay, ’tis brilliant!” She smiled at him. “I’ve been struggling to come up with an idea to make the guards leave their house. I thought about drawing some sort of scary creature that could come alive, but I have no colored paints with me. Just black ink.” She opened the bottle of ink. “Spiders will be perfect.”

  “But will they be scary enough?” Nevis asked.

  Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she unfolded some large pieces of paper. “Giant spiders.”

  “Awesome!” Quentin shouted, and the children cheered.

  Frowning, Bettina slipped out the wide doorway.

  “Is something wrong?” Elinor whispered to Catriona.

  She shook her head. “She’s probably trying to hear the birds.”

  “They do seem very noisy today,” Nevis said as he followed Bettina outside.

  She was standing still, gazing up at the stars. Suddenly, she turned toward Nevis. “Twelve ships have arrived at the Isle of Moon. Warships.”

  Nevis blinked. “Already?” Damn, Leo and Rupert had worked fast to get their navies ready.

  “And six more warships are rounding the southern coast of Eberon,” Bettina continued.

  That had to be the elfin navy from Woodwyn, Nevis thought. They would be moving much more slowly since they didn’t have Rupert with them.

  An eagle swooped down and landed beside them, then shifted into a dog.

  Nevis leaned through the wide opening to the blacksmith’s shop. “Brody’s here. Can I give him some of your breeches, Elam?”

  Elam nodded, while Elinor rushed outside. She gave Brody a hug, then the dog trotted off with Nevis to the boys’ cottage.

  “You won’t believe this,” Nevis told him as he tossed Brody a pair of breeches. “The Eberoni and Tourinian navies are—” He stopped when Brody shifted into the Seer. “Damn, I don’t believe this. You look just like the Seer.”

  “You wouldn’t know.” Brody pulled on the breeches. “You’ve never seen the Seer.”

  “I have, too. When Maeve and I went to the Isle of Mist, we saw—”

  “Me.” Brody buttoned the breeches. “You saw me.”

  “What?” Nevis stepped back. “You . . . you tricked us? What an asinine thing to do!”

  Brody gave him a wry look. “I was trying to convince Maeve to go back to Eberon. I didn’t want her doing anything dangerous or finding out that Cahira is her mother.” He opened the door and strode outside.

  Nevis followed him. “Does she know that her mother is the bitch who cursed you? And murdered your father and brother?” He stopped with a wince when he realized that Elinor had been waiting for them and had heard every word.

  A pained look crossed her face.

  “Oh, crap,” Nevis muttered. “I’m sorry.”

  She took a deep breath a
nd squared her shoulders. “I’m all right.” She turned to Brody with a curious look. “Is that really you? Ye can impersonate people?”

  “Aye.” Brody touched his sister’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We will have justice soon.”

  “Sooner than you think,” Nevis said, motioning to Bettina, who was still listening to the birds. “She just heard that twelve warships have arrived at the Isle of Moon.”

  “That quickly?” Brody’s eyes widened. “It was after midnight when my mother sent Captain Chapman. He couldn’t have arrived at Ebton Palace until this morning.”

  Nevis nodded. “But two days ago, I sent Captain Shaw with a message for Leo and the other kings to prepare for war. They must have started preparations immediately.” He turned to Elinor. “We’d better practice some more with the Spiders.”

  “I agree.” She nodded.

  “Spiders?” Brody asked.

  “That’s the name of our Embraced army,” Elinor explained.

  “I have more news.” Bettina approached them. “The birds say that a dragon is flying south from the Isle of Moon.”

  “Headed here?” Brody asked.

  Bettina shook her head. “Toward the south of Eberon.”

  “Silas must be looking for the elfin navy.” Nevis turned to Brody. “Woodwyn is sending six ships. After sailing all night, they might catch up with the other ships by morning.”

  Brody nodded. “I’ll fly to the Isle of Moon to see if Leo and Rupert are ready to come here.”

  “Dear goddesses.” Elinor made the sign of the moons. “If they leave in the morning, they could be here by noon.”

  “And then the war would begin,” Brody concluded.

  Nevis took a deep breath. He would have his Spiders do some practice runs in the morning. “Do you have a plan yet for eliminating Cahira and the Chameleon?”

  Brody shrugged. “I’m working on it. Obviously, I have to capture Cahira, so she won’t have a chance to blow up the ships coming in.”

  “Does Maeve know about her mother?” Elinor asked quietly.

  “I . . . I just told her.”

  Nevis winced. “That must have been awkward.”

  He nodded. “She tried not to cry, but I could hear . . .”

  Elinor rubbed her brother’s shoulder. “It will be all right. We’ll have justice for Papa and Eddy, and ye’ll be rid of the curse.” She gave him a wry look. “Ye realize ye won’t have any more excuses, then? Ye’ll have to come home and be our king.”

  Nevis snorted. “Everyone gets to be a king but me. I’ll have to find a deserted island somewhere and declare myself royalty.”

  “Why?” Elinor gave him an amused look. “There’s nothing wrong with being a colonel.”

  His heart expanded, and he took a step closer to her. “You’re all right with that?”

  “Of course.” Her mouth twitched, and she nudged him with an elbow. “Ye’re blushing again.”

  “Am not.”

  “What the hell is going on with you two?” Brody demanded.

  “Nothing.” Nevis stepped back, then winced when he noticed the disappointed look on Elinor’s face. Dammit. “I realize I’m not worthy of your sister, but—”

  “No, you’re not,” Brody said, interrupting him.

  Elinor huffed. “Nevis is the noblest man I’ve ever met. He’s brave, loyal, dependable, generous, strong, and handsome.”

  Handsome? Nevis gave her a surprised look. He was a bit shorter and stockier than his royal friends, so he’d figured he could never be as appealing as they were. “You think I’m handsome?”

  “Of course.” Elinor smiled. “And all those muscles—”

  “Enough!” Brody glared at Nevis. “Don’t even think about my sister.”

  Nevis sighed. He was doing a great deal more than thinking. His heart had already surrendered, and there was no point in denying it. He was in love.

  Chapter 20

  It would happen tonight, Maeve thought as she settled into a tub of hot water. After midnight, she would lose her virginity. And not because she needed to avoid a marriage to the Chameleon, but because she and Brody loved each other. No matter what fate had thrown at them, they still loved each other.

  The forced wedding no longer seemed to be a problem. The Chameleon was against it as much as she, and Brody, in disguise as the Seer, had bought her more time. Besides, she suspected the Chameleon’s days were numbered. Brody would be facing off with him soon.

  Please protect my darling Brody and keep him safe, she prayed to the moon goddesses. He would be all right. He was excellent with a sword. And so good with his hands. Her cheeks warmed as she recalled how he had examined every inch of her body the night before. Goodness, he’d even kissed her all over.

  She scrubbed herself clean in case he wanted to do that again. Tonight would be ever better, wouldn’t it? After all, they had bared their souls, shared their secrets, and confessed their fears. Her heart felt as if it would burst whenever she contemplated how his love for her had remained constant in spite of everything he’d suffered at the hands of her mother.

  Would he have to kill Cahira? With a wince, Maeve grabbed the soap to lather up her hair. She knew good and well that her mother was guilty, but still, it would be horrible to witness her death. Was there a way to convince her mother to surrender and remove Brody’s curse?

  The beginnings of an idea trickled into Maeve’s mind. Her mother was intent on getting the Isles of Moon and Mist back into her domain. What if Maeve told her she wanted to marry a prince from those islands? Then, when Prince Brodgar became king, she would be his queen, and those islands would return to Cahira’s descendants without spilling any blood.

  But obviously, doing things peacefully didn’t matter to Cahira. When she blew up King Rudgar’s ship, she thought she’d killed him and both of his sons. She must have thought Brody was just a servant when she’d cursed him. The realization that she’d actually let a prince escape might infuriate her. And if Maeve ended up queen of the Isles of Moon and Mist that might enrage Cahira even further. She wanted the power for herself, not her daughter.

  There was no peaceful solution. Maeve would have to help Brody capture her mother. And then she’d endure the accusation of betrayal.

  With a frustrated groan, Maeve reached for the bucket of water and rinsed her hair. She’d kept herself busy after Brody’s departure. After locking his room to keep any servants from discovering he was missing, she’d gone to her room to order more food and twelve buckets of hot water. Once the food arrived, she’d arranged all the dishes on the table in Brody’s sitting room. She’d eaten a little, then taken half the buckets of hot water into his dressing room.

  Hurry up, midnight. She’d never been so anxious for a day to end before.

  She leaned back against the tub and closed her eyes. Would he kiss her breasts again? She smoothed a hand over a breast and felt the skin pebble, the nipple harden. A pleasant sensation, but not nearly as exciting as when Brody had touched her and suckled on her. Just remembering it made her feel hot and needy between her legs. Goodness, the things he had done with his fingers and mouth.

  What did it feel like for him? Curious, she slipped her hand between her legs to examine the area for herself. With a small gasp she located the nubbin that incited such incredible pleasure.

  And to think that in the past she’d used her bath time to practice seal-shifting. This was something she’d never thought of doing. But still, it was much better with Brody. She never knew what to expect next with him. Alone, she just felt lazy. And sleepy . . .

  “Have you started without me?”

  With a jerk, she opened her eyes and sat up. “Brody! I didn’t know you were back.”

  He was in her dressing room, wearing nothing but a smirk and a towel around his hips. His shoulder-length black hair was still wet, causing a drop of water to meander down his muscular chest. In his hands, he was holding two wine goblets. His beautiful blue eyes twinkled as his gaze shifted to her exp
osed breasts.

  She ducked back down. “What are you doing in my dressing room?”

  “It’s midnight.” His mouth twitched. “What exactly are you doing?”

  Her cheeks grew warm. “I—I must have dozed off.”

  “Ah.” He took a sip from one of the goblets. “Were you having sweet dreams?”

  She bent her knees and pressed her thighs together. “I was remembering last night.”

  “I’ve been remembering it, too.” He stepped closer to the tub to look inside. “I keep thinking about how soft your skin was. How sweet you tasted. How beautiful you looked when you—”

  “Could you pass me a towel?”

  “No. My hands are full.”

  She snorted. “I’ll take one of those.” After he handed her a goblet, she took a sip. “I suppose you found the food I left for you, and the hot water?”

  “Yes, thank you. I had to eat and bathe as the Seer, waiting for midnight.” He set his goblet on her dressing table and brought the stool over to the tub.

  “What are you doing now?”

  He sat next to the tub and rested a hand on her bent knee. “I’m going to finish what you started.”

  “I wasn’t really—” She sucked in a breath as his hand slid down her thigh. “I mean, I was only curious—” She gasped when his fingers reached her womanhood.

  “Curious?” He explored her gently. “Did you discover how beautiful you are?”

  “I-I don’t . . . Oh!” She jolted when he rubbed against the spot that sent shivers coursing through her.

  “Did you learn how incredibly sensitive you are?”

  She hissed in a breath. “I—I’m much more sensitive when you’re doing it.”

  He snorted. “Well, it’s a relief to know that I’m needed.”

  “Oh.” She was shivering and feverish at the same time. “I definitely need you.” Her hand shook, and wine spilled into the bathwater. “Oops.”

  “I’ll take that.” He set her goblet on the floor. “Now, where were we?”

  “In heaven.” She opened her knees wider.

  “I always did enjoy playing with you in the water.”

  “We never did anything like this.” She tilted her head back and moaned as his fingers teased and rubbed against her.