The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  She gave him a worried look.

  “Ah, there you are!” Cahira breezed through a doorway and smiled at the Seer. “Everything is ready, Burien.”

  “I’ve arranged for some entertainment,” the Chameleon announced as he entered the hallway behind them.

  Brody stopped and turned as the Chameleon strode past him. Maeve stayed by his side, holding his arm as if he needed her support to stand.

  “What a delightful surprise.” Cahira clasped her hands together. “What could it be?”

  The Chameleon joined her as they strolled onto the balcony. “The soldiers of the Embraced army are going to display their skills.” He stopped at the balustrade. “They’re warming up now.”

  “Oh, Burien,” Cahira called to him. “Come and see!”

  Brody passed through the nearest doorway with Maeve at his side. When he reached the balustrade, he saw the seven members of the Embraced army below. Damn, he couldn’t kill the Chameleon or capture Cahira with the soldiers so close. He would have to wait until the armada showed up to keep the army busy.

  Did this also mean that the guards stationed at the front door were still there? They had to be, or the soldiers below would have noticed them missing. No doubt Nevis’s plans had also been derailed by the appearance of the Embraced army.

  Brody glanced at the woods in the distance. Were Nevis and his Spiders there? They were probably waiting for the armada to arrive. He moved his gaze to the ocean, squinting his eyes in the noonday sun. Was that the dim outline of a ship?

  A crack of lightning drew his attention back to the Embraced soldiers below. Alfred had just split a log in two.

  Cahira clapped, and Alfred bowed to her. Meanwhile, servants began carrying in trays of food and pitchers of wine.

  “Shall we eat?” Cahira took a seat at the head of the table and motioned to the chair on her right. “Burien, come sit by me.”

  “Yes, my dear.” Brody hobbled slowly toward her, pausing to let servants rush back and forth.

  Suddenly, a horn blasted from above. Everyone froze for a few seconds, and then the Chameleon rushed to the balustrade.

  “I think I see a ship.” He shielded his eyes with his hand.

  “Three ships!” the guard above them shouted. “No, six . . . Ten ships!”

  Cahira dashed to the balustrade. “Ten ships?”

  “Fourteen!” the guard yelled.

  Only fourteen? Brody thought. Then the elfin ships hadn’t arrived yet.

  “So many?” Maeve helped Brody hobble back to the balustrade. “Could it be a merchant fleet?”

  The Chameleon snorted. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” Maeve asked in an innocent voice. “I thought merchants liked to travel together for safety purposes. There’s the danger of pirates or—”

  “Enough!” The Chameleon slanted her an annoyed look. “It’s an attack, and you know it.”

  Cahira gripped the stone balustrade, her knuckles turning white. “Our enemies are attacking? I don’t understand. I’ve always destroyed any ship that came close to us. How did they know our location?”

  The Chameleon scoffed. “No doubt it was your daughter—”

  “What?” Cahira turned toward Maeve, her expression going quickly from shock to rage. “You. Did you betray me?”

  “No!” Maeve raised her hands. “I’ve been under guard since I arrived. How could I—”

  “There’s no point in arguing about it,” the Chameleon interrupted. “We just need to destroy the invaders.”

  Cahira shrugged. “When the ships get close enough, I’ll blow them up.”

  The Chameleon motioned to the Embraced soldiers, who were already running to the bluff overlooking the harbor. “Let the army handle it. They need the practice.”

  Cahira waved a dismissive hand. “It would be so much simpler if I—”

  “The general is right,” Brody interrupted with a shaky voice. “Our soldiers need the practice so they will be ready to take over the mainland. I can foresee this.”

  Cahira sighed. “Very well, Burien.”

  The Chameleon gave him a thoughtful look. “What else do you see, old man?”

  Brody pointed a trembling hand toward the ships. “The kings from the mainland have come to destroy us. If we defeat them now, their countries will be ours for the taking.”

  The Chameleon’s eyes glinted with silver. “Leo of Eberon is out there? And Brigitta’s husband?”

  Brody nodded. “I can see them.”

  The Chameleon dashed down the hallway, and soon they saw him running across the garden to join the Embraced army on the bluff.

  Brody exhaled with relief. Now that the Chameleon was gone for a while, he could deal with Cahira.

  The Sea Witch tapped her fingers on the stone balustrade. “I suppose this is a blessing in disguise. Now that the mainland kings are attacking us, it gives us the perfect opportunity to kill them. And if the army fails to defeat them, I can still blow up the ships. Either way, we’re going to win.” She turned to Brody and smiled. “Shall we go ahead and eat?”

  “Yes, my dear.” Brody squeezed Maeve’s hand as she helped him to the table. It was time for them to get started. “We have much to discuss over lunch. Maeve has decided on the man she wishes to marry.”

  Cahira’s smile faded. “She will marry whomever I tell her to.”

  “No, I won’t.” Maeve gave her mother a defiant look. “You would never allow me to marry the man I love, because you think he’s dead. You think you killed him.”

  Cahira rolled her eyes. “Whatever are you mumbling about?”

  “You’ve been living with the false assumption that you killed Prince Brodgar of the Isle of Moon,” Brody explained.

  Cahira blinked. “Burien, what’s happened to your voice?”

  “I am Prince Brodgar.” Brody shifted into his true self, and Cahira stumbled back with a gasp.

  “What? Who?” Her eyes widened with horror. “Wh-where’s my Burien?”

  “Dead.” Brody strode toward her. “I buried him on the Isle of Moon.”

  “No.” Cahira stepped back again. “Not my Burien . . .”

  “You murdered my father and brother and put a curse on me.” Brody shoved his robe back to reveal his sword belt and gripped the hilt of his weapon. “I would gladly kill you for your crimes, but I will show mercy if you remove my curse. And Gavin’s, too.”

  Cahira gave him a confused look. “You . . . you’re the boy I cursed in the ocean? You were one of the princes?”

  “Mother, please,” Maeve pleaded. “Remove the curse now. Prince Brodgar is the man I want to marry.”

  “No!” Cahira turned to her daughter, her eyes flashing with rage. “You betrayed me, you ungrateful whelp! I will never help you or this . . . this mistake!” She motioned toward Brody.

  “If I marry him, all the islands will be united again,” Maeve argued. “Isn’t that what you want? Your descendants will rule—”

  “No!” Cahira screamed. “The islands are mine!” She dashed into the hallway. “Guards!” She ran toward the throne room. “Arrest my daughter! And kill that man!”

  “The guards are gone,” Brody shouted. “You will do as I say, Sea Witch!” As he chased after her, he heard Maeve let out a moan.

  “Not the throne room.”

  * * *

  When Kendric reached the front door, the two guards saluted him.

  “What’s going on, General? Have they come to attack us?”

  Kendric glanced at the ocean, where all fourteen ships were now clearly visible. “My soldiers will defeat them. You two go upstairs to guard the queen.”

  “Aye, General.” They saluted and rushed inside.

  Kendric sprinted across the garden, past the two ponds and clipped hedges. His soldiers were on the bluff above the harbor, but they hadn’t taken any action yet. The ships were too far away for Alfred’s lightning power to reach them.

  A sudden blast of wind slammed into Kendric, knocki
ng him onto his back. Dammit, that had to be that bastard Rupert, who had stolen Brigitta from him. He scrambled to his feet and fought against the wind to join his soldiers, who were struggling just to stand up. Meanwhile the enemy ships were coming in fast.

  “Push them back, Darroc!” Kendric ordered, and Darroc sent a surge of wind out to sea. His power collided with Rupert’s, and with nowhere else to go, the two opposing winds were forced straight up into the air, sucking the ocean with them to form a wall of water. Now it was difficult even to see the ships on the other side.

  Darroc gritted his teeth as he strained to push his hands forward. “I-I can’t blast through. Why is the wind coming at us so hard?”

  “It’s that damned Rupert, King Ulfrid of Tourin,” Kendric growled. “He has the same power that you do.”

  Farah gave him a shocked look. “One of the mainland kings is Embraced?”

  “I thought the people on the mainland killed all the Embraced babies,” Irene shouted over the roaring noise of the wind.

  “That’s what I thought,” Jared agreed.

  Kendric waved their questions aside. “Most of them were killed. You were lucky to be sent here. You’ll be the future rulers of the world. But first you have to defeat the mainland kings who have come to destroy you. You’ve trained hard for this, so now prove yourselves worthy!”

  “Aye, General.” Alfred nodded. “You can count on us. Mikayla, fly over that wall of water and report back. I want to know how many—”

  “I can’t fly in that wind!” Mikayla cried. “I’ll fall into the ocean and drown.”

  “Don’t question my orders,” Alfred snarled.

  “I never learned how to swim.” Mikayla motioned to Kendric. “Why don’t you go, General? You fly so much better than I.”

  Kendric considered going as an eagle, but he didn’t want to land on Rupert’s ship without any weapons.

  Suddenly, a barrage of cannonballs shot through the wall of water, headed straight toward them.

  With a frantic shout, Darroc stopped the wind he was directing against the ships and focused instead on intercepting the cannonballs. They halted in midair, then plunked harmlessly into the ocean.

  “Oh, thank y—” Irene started, but Kendric interrupted her.

  “You, fool!” he shouted at Darroc. “You let them trick you into stopping your wind.” He pointed at the ships, which were quickly advancing toward the harbor now that Rupert’s power was unchallenged. Even the wall of water had crashed down. “Push back at them now!”

  Darroc resumed his surge of wind against the ships, and the wall of water began to climb once again.

  “But the cannonballs were coming straight at us,” Jared protested.

  “They never would have reached us,” Kendric growled. “Their ships were out of range.” Dammit, this was the problem with his soldiers: They were completely inexperienced when it came to actual battle.

  “Now that they’re closer, I could try striking them,” Alfred offered.

  “All right,” Kendric agreed. “If you see a man up in a crow’s nest, moving his arms, that’s Rupert. Blast him. Darroc, stop your power just long enough for Alfred to take aim.”

  Alfred extended his hand. “Ready!”

  Darroc released his power. The wall of water crashed down, and the invading ships lunged forward. Alfred shot a bolt of lightning toward the nearest manned crow’s nest. With a loud crack, the mast snapped in two, and the sailor in the nest plummeted to the deck.

  But the wind was still coming at them.

  “That wasn’t Rupert!” Kendric quickly scanned the fourteen ships that were advancing once again. Dammit, there were six that were flying the blue-and-gold Tourinian flag. He pointed at the first one. “Try that one.”

  Alfred shot another bolt of lightning, but this time a second bolt crashed into it, sending the lightning harmlessly into the clouds. “What? Where did that come from?”

  “Bloody hell.” Kendric clenched his fists. That had to be Leo, the bastard who’d stolen Eberon from him. “Darroc, put the wind back up before they get any closer!”

  Darroc did as he was told, but Alfred just stood there with his mouth agape. “How did that happen? Is there someone else with lightning power?”

  “Yes,” Kendric growled. “Leofric of Eberon.”

  Farah gasped. “There’s another king who’s Embraced?”

  Logan’s shoulders slumped. “How are we supposed to win against them?”

  “I’m not the only one with lightning power,” Alfred muttered to himself. He raised a fist. “I have to kill him, so I’ll be the only one.”

  “Exactly. We need Leo and Rupert dead.” Kendric eyed the wall of water. It seemed to be inching slowly toward the harbor. That could only mean Rupert’s power was stronger than Darroc’s. That bastard. “Mikayla, fly over the wall. I want to know which ship Rupert is on.”

  Her face turned pale. “But I—”

  “You will follow orders, soldier!” Alfred yelled.

  Farah gave the young girl a sympathetic look. “You’ll be all right. Fly high over the wall to avoid the winds.”

  “I’ll give you a push,” Darroc added.

  Mikayla nodded, then sprinted toward the edge of the bluff. She jumped, zooming up into the air as Darroc shoved her high with his wind. She flew over the wall of water, then disappeared from view.

  He needed to use the rest of his army, Kendric realized. Alfred’s power was not going to work as long as Leo kept diverting it. “Farah, make a ball of fire. Then Darroc will drop the wind long enough to blow the fireball at the closest ship. We’ll set their fleet ablaze.”

  “Aye, General.” Farah snapped her fingers to start a fire, then circled her hands around to form a fireball.

  “Shoot it!” Kendric ordered, and as soon as the wall of water crashed down, Darroc sent the fireball hurtling toward the closest ship.

  A blast of wind stopped the fireball in midair, and it dropped into the sea.

  “Wh-where’s Mikayla?” Irene asked. “I don’t see her!”

  Kendric quickly scanned the sky. With the wall of water down, they should be able to see Mikayla. The silly girl must have crashed.

  “We need to help her!” Logan cried. “You could fly over there to rescue—”

  “Enough!” Kendric yelled. Shit, the younger ones looked like they were going to cry. “There are always casualties in battle—you know that. Now make more fireballs, Farah.”

  With trembling hands, Farah began shaping numerous small fireballs, but then a dark cloud suddenly appeared over their heads.

  “What is that?” Kendric glanced up just as a deluge of rain swooshed down on his army, causing the fires to sizzle out. He peered through the heavy sheet of rain. It was only raining on them.

  “It’s Hannah!” Alfred wiped raindrops from his face. “She must be close by. Logan, find her and make her stop.”

  “Aye, Colonel.” Logan took off with a blur of speed.

  Kendric gritted his teeth as the rain continued to pelt them. With two soldiers gone, they were now down to six. Alfred’s lightning power was useless with Leo there to stop it. Darroc was not powerful enough to defeat Rupert. As long as it was raining, Farah couldn’t use her fire power.

  He glanced around and hefted up a small boulder. “Darroc, can you blow this through the wall? Then Jared can make it explode.”

  “I’ll try.” When the boulder was thrown into the air, Darroc gave it a push, but halfway to the wall of water, it plummeted into the ocean.

  Shit. Kendric scoured his mind to come up with another plan. He could shift into a dragon and fly over the ships, but unfortunately, he couldn’t breathe fire. Could he shift into a whale and ram one of the ships? Or could he use the sea creatures that were already there?

  He glanced at Irene. He’d always considered her power to be the weakest of the group. Making things grow? It was more suitable for a farm than an army. In fact, she’d only practiced her gift on plants. “Irene, how
big can you make all the sea creatures?”

  Her eyes widened with shock. “You . . . you want . . . ?”

  “Sea monsters!” Alfred shook his fist. “Let’s do it!”

  Irene winced. “It will cause them a lot of pain.”

  Kendric nodded. “That’s all right. If they’re angry, they can take it out on the ships. Do it.”

  Irene hesitated.

  “Follow orders, soldier!” Alfred yelled at her.

  With a trembling hand, Irene shoved wet strands of hair away from her face. Then she stretched her arms toward the ocean. The surface frothed and churned as all the nearby sea creatures began to grow larger. And larger.

  Kendric smiled to himself. This strategy was going to work.

  Chapter 24

  Leo scanned the wall of water as he stood on the quarterdeck of the Eberoni flagship with Captain Shaw, General Harden, and the dragon shifter Dimitri. The ship to his left was Rupert’s flagship, and Leo could see him with a fellow seaman up in the crow’s nest. Rupert was straining hard to push the armada forward.

  The fleet had left the port of Luna two hours ago with Rupert pushing them slowly toward the Isle of Secrets while they waited for the elfin navy to join them. Unfortunately, the wind was not cooperating for the elves, and Silas had sent a telepathic message to Dimitri that they were running a little late. By then, the fourteen ships had been sighted by the Embraced army, so they’d had no choice but to start the battle.

  Before leaving the Isle of Moon, Leo and all the ship captains had devised a system so they could communicate with one another and act as a unified force. They would use different colored flags to represent the different battle strategies they had planned. Leo and his advisors would decide when to enact each strategy, then use the flags to relay the orders to the other ships. Just as they had planned, the first volley of cannonballs had tricked Darroc into dropping his wind, and Rupert had taken advantage by moving the entire fleet forward.

  Now the wall of water was back up, making it impossible to see what the Embraced army was doing. Even so, Leo had to stay vigilant. Alfred had already shot two lightning bolts, so Leo had to be ready to divert any more.