“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Malek said with a chuckle.
“Me neither,” Sabine admitted, watching the two Merfolk reconnect.
They broke apart, talking between themselves too quietly for Sabine to hear. Pearl gestured to the renegade True Folk and continued to speak. Ilwan asked a few questions but mostly appeared to be listening. After almost ten minutes, Ilwan wrapped his arm around Pearl and they walked toward her and Malek.
“You have held to your part of the bargain, and we will do the same. Your people will all be returned to you unharmed, as promised.” He glanced at the people gathered nearby. “In exchange for reuniting our people with the sea, we will uphold the goddess’s demand to sacrifice our Pearl of the Sea to you. With it, I hope you will continue to prove honorable by sealing the portal once and for all.”
Sabine inclined her head. “We will make every effort to ensure another war doesn’t happen ever again.”
“Then my people shall bring it to the beach now, along with your friends. The remainder of the crew shall be delivered to your ship. Will this arrangement be acceptable?”
Relief surged through her, and she nodded. “Blossom, can you tell us what needs to be done to return these people to their true forms?”
Blossom flew in between them and said, “The goddess says once you’ve claimed the pearl for yourself, you’ll have the ability to give them back their true forms. They need to be in the sea for the magic to work.”
Pearl frowned. “Will they be able to change forms at will?”
“Yep, but not right away,” Blossom replied with a grin. “The goddess wants them all to stay in the ocean for one lunar cycle. She says you need to teach them the true ways so this doesn’t happen again. After that, they’ll have the same ability as all your spellcasters.”
Pearl’s eyes widened, and she gripped Ilwan’s arm tightly. “My love, you realize what this means?”
Ilwan appeared equally stunned, and he nodded. “She is returning a tremendous amount of our magic. With this gift of a new generation of spellcasters, we will be able to wrest control of the seas and ensure all the life within it will thrive.”
Blossom polished her knuckles on her dress, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “All in a day’s work.”
Ilwan turned toward Sabine and said, “You have gone above and beyond to find a peaceful resolution, even insofar as putting yourself at risk. All the True Folk are in your debt.”
The enormity of his words settled over Sabine, and she shook her head. “There is no debt between allies.”
Ilwan gave her a brilliant smile. “Then allow me to give you a gift, in addition to a formal offer of an alliance between the True Folk and the Queen of the Unseelie and her subjects.” He gestured toward the north, where Malek’s ship was located. “I will send my people to assist in making the repairs to your ship. Once it is done, we will escort you to deeper waters and ensure you are troubled no further upon the seas.”
Malek’s eyes widened. “That’s an extremely generous gift, and one which will help us arrive at our destination much sooner.”
Sabine hesitated. “There’s still a demon on board the ship. He’s counted as my subject and one of my allies. Is that going to be an issue?”
Pearl arched her brow and then shook her head. “A dragon and a demon? I’m beginning to think we need to reassess our understanding of this world.”
Sabine smiled at Malek. “I highly recommend it. I’ve found a different viewpoint to be extremely rewarding.”
“Sabine? Is that you?”
Sabine turned and saw a tall, redheaded woman waving at her. Right behind her was Levin, along with one of the Merfolk.
“It’s Esme!” Blossom shrieked and took off down the beach.
Sabine’s breath hitched, and she released Malek to run toward her friend. Esmelle squealed and ran in their direction.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and Sabine hugged her tightly. “I was so worried about you. I can’t tell you how glad I am to know you’re okay.”
Esmelle choked on a sob and managed to say, “I missed you so much. I knew if anyone could get me out of that mess, it was you. I told Levin you would figure out a way.”
“It was a little touch and go for a while, but Blossom was a huge help.”
“I was, Esme!” Blossom said eagerly, zipping around them. “You should have seen me. I saved hundreds of pixies. And I dusted a dragon. I got drunk off Faerie water. Oh, and I almost got eaten by a thontin.”
Esmelle laughed and brushed away her tears. “I should have known you would be instrumental in saving us, Blossom. We’ll have to see about growing a very special flower in your honor.”
Blossom’s eyes widened. “Oooh. Will you let me pick out what kind I want?”
“Of course.”
Sabine scanned her witch friend up and down, but she looked exactly the same. It had only been a few days, but it felt like so much longer. If anything, Esmelle was glowing.
“You’re not going to believe everything that happened,” Esmelle said with a wide grin. “We got to see the Merfolk’s underwater city. They live in this bubble place where they breathe actual air. It’s crazy. Did you know in human form the Merfolk all have big feet so they can swim faster? The plants are incredible too. I found some new ones to make teas, and there were these little seahorses that would blow bubbles at me.”
Sabine laughed. “And it doesn’t look like the ocean messed up your hair.”
Esmelle snorted. “Oh, you have no idea. I think I scared half the Merfolk with how it doubled in volume after it got wet.” She leaned in close and whispered, “I’ve got to tell you all about what happened with me and Levin.”
Sabine’s eyes widened. “Really? You and Levin?”
Esmelle nodded. “Yep. I think we’re going to have to do some cabin switching. Maybe then you’ll actually give into your desires with Malek.”
Blossom snickered. “They already did that.”
Esmelle gaped at her, and Sabine merely smiled. Glancing at Malek, who was talking to Levin, she knew she’d end up giving into her desires again with the charismatic dragon. Unfortunately, getting Malek alone was going to have to wait.
“I think we’re going to have to keep it to a girls’ cabin for now. We’ve adopted a young seer who had to be smuggled out of Karga. Her name is Rika. She’s sweet.”
Esmelle arched her brow. “Oh? Sounds like you’ve had some adventures of your own. I’m particularly interested in the ones involving a certain dragon we know.”
Sabine laughed and linked arms with Esmelle, and they walked back toward Malek and Levin. Ilwan, Pearl, and the Merfolk who had brought Esmelle and Levin to the beach were standing beside them talking. “We’ll have to catch up later. There’s a bit of unfinished business we need to handle first.”
“I’m intrigued,” Esmelle said with a grin.
Sabine released Esmelle and hugged Levin. She kissed the wyvern’s cheek and said, “Glad to have you back with us.”
“I’m very glad to be here,” Levin replied and put his arm around Esmelle’s shoulders. She smiled up at him with no small amount of adoration.
Pearl held out a small box inlaid with seashells. She smiled at Sabine and said, “To fulfill our terms of the agreement, we hereby sacrifice our Pearl of the Sea in exchange for the return of our people.”
Sabine accepted the beautifully crafted box and lifted the lid. Inside was a large pearl, almost the size of a coin. She’d never seen one this big before. In the moonlight, it shimmered with swirls of color, a sign of its remarkable power.
Malek moved to stand beside her. “That’s the Pearl of the Sea?”
Sabine nodded. “Will you hold the box for me?”
Malek took the box, and Sabine reached inside to touch the pearl. The moment her fingers came into contact with it, a rush of power swept up her arm, flowed through her, and surrounded her. It was alien and unlike anything she could comprehend. It was wrong. Some dormant
part of her warned that this pearl had never been designed with her in mind. She knew what was needed to complete the claiming.
Lifting her head, she said, “A sacrifice is due.”
Pearl nodded and held out her hand. Sabine handed her a knife, and Pearl cut her finger. Instead of blood, something appearing like seawater welled to the surface. She allowed a drop to fall upon the pearl and said, “I release you, by blood and magic.”
Sabine held out her free hand, and Pearl cut her finger the same way. Sabine coated the pearl with her blood, sealing their magic together. Power infused her words as she repeated the oath whispered to her by the goddess when she’d accepted the first artifact.
“I claim you, by blood and magic. In tribute to the gods and the last sacrifice of the goddess Lachlina, I swear by all I am and the last of the magic of this world to uphold my family’s oath in defense from those who would see this world destroyed.”
The pearl warmed in her hand. Its shimmering surface illuminated and glowed brighter, until it was nearly blinding. It lifted into the air and hovered over her palm with a brilliance as powerful as the reflection of the moon. The sound of drums pounded in her temples, beating a staccato rhythm in time with her heartbeat.
As I will it, the pact is sealed.
Light and magic exploded from the pearl, dropping Sabine to her knees. Power rushed through her, racing up and down the marks on her skin as they glowed with renewed strength. A sharp pain lanced through her skin in the same location as the chalice mark she already wore. She gritted her teeth, struggling to breathe through the worst of it.
The marks she wore all became alive again as she accepted the pain of her sacrifice in exchange for this new power. When it subsided, only a faint pulse of magic remained along her skin, but she felt it strong and vibrant within her.
Sabine looked down at her wrist, staring at the new mark in shock. Instead of only a chalice, the image of a pearl was now embedded within it. The actual pearl was lying upon the sand, still shimmering in the moonlight. Sabine picked it up, staring at it in wonder. Like the chalice after she’d claimed its power, the pearl was now dormant.
She lifted her head and realized everyone had succumbed to the magical explosion when she’d claimed the pearl. Ilwan and Pearl were both on the ground, trying to shake off the effects in front of her. Malek was faring better, possibly a result of their new blood bond.
Blossom giggled. “Maybe we should start warning people before you do that.”
“It would have been nice if I had known too,” Sabine muttered and placed the pearl back in the box Malek had dropped when he’d fallen. She rose to her feet and brushed the sand off her dress. Malek stood, accepted the box, and reached down to help Levin and Esmelle back to their feet. Sabine turned to help Pearl and Ilwan, but they were already getting back up.
Ilwan shook his head, still appearing dazed. “You are truly touched by the goddess.”
“It would seem so,” Sabine replied, but she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. The power she’d accepted had changed something within her, but she didn’t know what or how.
She turned and found the other True Folk still struggling to overcome the effects. They likely had never experienced such a large burst of magic before, and they would need a few more minutes to recover.
“You will be able to change them back?” Pearl asked, moving to stand beside her.
Sabine nodded. “Yes. Once they’ve recovered, you’ll need to take them all into the waves. Have them stand at least waist deep. When they’re ready, I’ll begin the change.”
Pearl smiled. “Then let me say farewell now. We’ll need to escort them back to our home once they shift. It may take a while for them to find their sea legs if they’ve never known them.”
Sabine turned to face Pearl and said, “I hope one day soon we’ll have a chance to visit together in Atlantia. This visit has demonstrated just how little we know about each other’s people.”
Pearl’s smile deepened. “I would enjoy that. I would also like to learn how a Fae came to know such a diverse set of traveling companions.”
“That’s quite a long story,” Sabine said with a laugh. She gestured toward Blossom and said, “If you ever need to reach me, simply leave word with one of the pixies in Atlantia. They’ll be able to contact Blossom.”
“I shall remember.”
Ilwan moved to stand beside Pearl and said, “Before you leave, I need to give you a warning.”
“What is it?”
Ilwan frowned and glanced in the direction of the sea. “The creatures of the sea are ours to command, and they’ve been bringing ominous tidings to us for more than a year. Your ship was encountered so close to shore because we were escorting some of our southern brethren to the northern seas for their protection. There are some strange occurrences to the south, and much of the ocean floor has been rendered inhabitable.”
Malek tensed. “In the direction of Razadon?”
Ilwan nodded. “Foreign magic we haven’t been able to identify has been leaking into the sea. It has been poisoning the fish and other wildlife. We don’t know the cause or if it’s also affecting the land creatures. We sent several of our people to investigate, but none have returned. We fear they’ve been lost forever.”
Sabine exchanged a worried look with Malek. Both the entrance to the demonic volcano and the dwarven city were to the south. There were other lesser races which had access to magic, but none should be able to cripple the True Folk while they were in the sea. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was tied to the portal collapsing. If so, they were running out of time to find the rest of the artifacts.
Malek placed his hand against her lower back. “We’ll be careful, but we still need to travel south. One of the artifacts was reported to have been entrusted to the dwarves. We’ll need to acquire it to ensure the portal remains sealed.”
“Then we’ll take you as far south as we dare, but we can’t offer you safe passage through the poisoned water. Let us know when you are ready to depart,” Ilwan said and bowed to both of them. He took Pearl’s hand, and they headed toward their people and began directing them to the ocean.
Sabine froze, sensing a demonic presence rapidly approaching. She turned to stare in the direction of the ship and caught sight of Bane. Her heart pounded, and she ran toward him.
Bane scooped her up and lifted her into the air. She threw her arms around the demon, sending a wave of her power over him to cement his ties to the surface. He shuddered under her touch, and his arms tightened around her.
“I’m glad you’re back and safe, little one,” he murmured, still holding her tightly. “I was about to come hunting for you when I sensed you close to me. I see you managed to save the witch and the wyvern. You also picked up a few…” He narrowed his eyes. “Merfolk?”
She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of brimstone she always associated with him. “Yes, but they’re not staying with us. I’ll have to tell you everything later. Did Rika make it to the ship safely?”
Bane frowned. “Yes, and I was surprised to learn you’d sent a baby seer for me to protect. The girl’s been tripping over my damned heels every minute since she arrived. I finally managed to keep her busy by having her sew the ship’s sails.”
“Busy is good. Just make sure you don’t scare her. She’s had a rough time of it.” Sabine glanced over and saw Malek walking up the beach toward them. More than half the True Folk had already recovered and were in the waves.
“There’s something different about you,” Bane said, leaning back and perusing her up and down. He froze, glancing back and forth between her and Malek. His eyes flashed silver, and he released her. Without a word, he leaped toward Malek with his claws extended.
“Bane!” she shouted as the pair tumbled in the sand, battling between them.
“I’ll kill you for changing her!” Bane roared, swiping at Malek with his claws.
“Dammit, Bane,” Malek muttered, narrowly avoiding a bl
ow close to his eyes.
Sabine’s jaw clenched, and she unleashed a sharp blast of her power. Bane went flying backward and landed in the sand a good distance away.
Sabine stalked toward him and snapped, “Explain yourself. Now.”
Bane slowly rose to his feet. His eyes were still silvered, and he glared at Malek with enough venom to send a sliver of fear through her. “A blood bond, Sabine? What in the name of the underworld were you thinking?”
Sabine straightened, and she narrowed her eyes. “How dare you question me.”
Bane closed the distance between them. “I swore fealty to the Queen of the Unseelie, not some Seelie puppet. If he tries to change your magic, I will end him.”
Sabine froze. Her heart fell into her stomach, and she shook her head in stunned disbelief. In a voice barely above a whisper, she managed to say, “That shouldn’t be possible.”
Bane gave her a look of disgust. “I wanted you to bind him to you, not shackle yourself to an agent of the light. You’re not nearly as strong as when you left me. Tell me you don’t feel it.”
Malek frowned and walked toward them. “What are you talking about?”
She swallowed. “Bane thinks our new connection changed my magic.”
His head whipped toward her. “What? Is that possible?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, turning back toward Bane. “I thought I’d just used a great deal of magic. You can sense a change?”
Bane’s claws flexed, and his eyes reverted back to their normal amber. “Yes. We may be able to take steps to stop it from progressing, but we will need to find someone with more knowledge about Fae magic.”
Sabine bit her lip. The Unseelie Elders had infused her blood into her skin to reinforce her ties to the Unseelie. “Do you know of someone who can help etch my skin? I don’t think I can ask anyone in Faerie without them finding out what I’ve done.”
Malek frowned. “Wait. You’re saying our new bond or connection is dangerous to you?”
Sabine hesitated and then nodded. “In a manner of speaking, yes. My entire claim to the Unseelie throne rests on my magical alignment. If my Seelie magic grows too much and it upsets the balance, I’ll become my father’s subject.”
By Blood and Magic Page 37