“Well, because the answer is magick,” Loch said wryly, smiling down at the blonde.
Gwen caught herself staring at him again, mesmerized every time he smiled. It was like something had shifted in him and she couldn’t quite resist stealing glances at him as he captained the boat.
A few times, he caught her eye and she found herself flushing, once again berating her porcelain skin before turning away. To her surprise, she found herself wondering about more than kissing him – about being cradled in his arms while he showed her the love of a man.
Love. Gwen rolled her eyes as the boat came around a rocky outcropping. That wasn’t part of her and Loch’s destiny, she was certain of that. But maybe, just maybe, she could have passion – something the man had in spades. Perhaps a night of passion on a magickal quest would be worth the battle they were fighting.
Because if she were to die one of these mornings, on a snowy expanse of magickal beach, then one night, oh yes, one glorious night she would have, to celebrate the bounty of life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“There’s shelter,” Seamus cried, pointing to several stone cottages clustered on the hills in the center of the island. Whoever had built them had chosen the best spots for them, as they provided a good view, were in what appeared to be the consistently sunny part of the island, and were sheltered from the wind by a rocky outcropping.
“Was that there before? Haven’t we circled the whole island?” Bianca asked. Gwen just shrugged. Time felt weird here, as if it were suspended or a bit slower.
“I thought we had, but now I don’t know. I think we just need to be aware that we are in a land of high magick and that anything may be not what it seems,” Seamus said.
Gwen nodded. “Like Alice in Wonderland.”
“Without the magick mushrooms,” Bianca snorted. Both men looked at them in confusion.
“Shut up,” Gwen said, “Tell me you’ve read Alice in Wonderland.”
“No clue.” Loch shrugged and Seamus shook his head.
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” Bianca said. “Except that when we get home, I have a book for you to read that is going to knock your socks off.”
“Or a movie, if you go for that,” Gwen said.
“Oh, films! I love films,” Seamus said happily.
Gwen thought back to Loch’s story about Danu’s battle over Carman. It was nice to talk easily about films or books they would read when this was over. There had to be some magick in manifesting outcomes – in talking easily of the future after battle.
“How do you reckon we’re to get to shore? Does this thing have a dinghy?” Seamus asked, and they all turned when they heard a splash. Loch had managed to procure a life raft from somewhere on the boat and had plopped it into the water next to the swim dock.
“I think we have a dinghy,” Gwen said.
“Looks like that’s indeed a dinghy,” Bianca said solemnly.
They all snorted.
“What are you, five years old?” Gwen said, but laughed right along with them as they trooped below deck.
Loch had given the order that they bring only the necessary supplies, and since Gwen had little to nothing of her own as it was, she packed food that she thought would be best, and then carried it upstairs and to the swim dock. In no time, they were all standing at the swim dock and eying the dinghy. It looked considerably smaller now that it was stuffed full of boxes and supplies.
“I’m nervous to leave this boat. It’s our only way out off of this island. What happens if this all disappears – and the boat along with it?” Gwen finally voiced the worry that had been niggling in the back of her head. Because prior to her singing, the boat had been cruising along in a thousand-plus feet of water, with nothing to secure it in place, and now it was anchored to the sea bottom of a magickal island that might or might not exist outside of her mind.
It was a bit daunting, to say the least.
“Didn’t your mermaid family say they had your back? Wouldn’t that include making sure our boat was kept safe?” Bianca pointed out.
Loch leveled a look at Gwen, causing her to nod once.
“Trust. Got it. Okay, then.” Gwen blew out a breath and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Shall we explore the Isle of Destiny?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Bianca beamed at her and together they climbed into the dinghy, unhooking it from the yacht. Gwen whispered a soft plea to the sirens – or the goddess or anyone who would listen – to protect their safe passage in and out, before turning her eyes to the horizon. Onward they forged.
“Ahem. I hate to burst your bubble, ladies, but this is a life raft. Get to rowing,” Loch said from behind them.
“You just can’t get good help these days,” Bianca complained, and they each hefted a paddle, turning the raft to shore.
Gwen found herself smiling the entire way in.
Chapter Thirty
Gwen wasn’t going to lie, she had a bit more than a moment of panic when they reached the beach and she turned around to see that the boat had disappeared.
“Shhh, it will be fine. It’s there. I promise it’s there,” Loch soothed her, draping one arm casually over her shoulder and squeezing her to his side. His warmth eased her tension, but Gwen couldn’t quite tamp down on the fear that raced through her.
“But how do you know?”
“It is. You have to have faith. Do you or do you not believe that the mermaids have your back?”
“I do… I guess. But what if harm came to them?”
“Then we are definitely screwed,” Loch said and laughed at the devastation that crossed Gwen’s face. “I’m kidding. It’s fine. And we’ve got bigger things to worry about than the boat. It will be there when we need it. If not, fear for nothing. I have my ways.”
Gwen had to remind herself that he was more than a normal man. “Right, you’re a sorcerer. I keep forgetting.”
Loch huffed out a breath in pretend irritation.
“This does not do much for my ego.”
“I’m sorry. I’m still getting used to the people-wielding-magick-in-real-life thing,” Gwen said, holding her bracelets aloft and smiling as they glinted in the sun.
“I wonder if they’ll work the same here, or differently,” Bianca said, coming to stand by them on the beach and looking at the bracelets.
“Like maybe the fire bracelet shoots fire because the ice bracelet shoots ice?” Gwen hoped so. That would be beyond cool.
“We’ll let you test it out. Let’s scope those cottages and see about securing shelter before we plan our next steps.”
“Or you might be able to test them now,” Seamus shouted. “Look out!”
Fear lanced through Gwen when she whirled to look at what Seamus was pointing at. It was as though a vertical crack had appeared on the horizon – the shimmer in the air parting to show what lay beyond. A parting of the veil, or curtains – Gwen’s brain scrambled to keep up with what she was seeing – to show that, beyond this magick bubble they currently coexisted in, was pure chaos.
Thousands upon thousands of Domnua raged in the seas, clambering on boats and flying on winged serpents of death from the sky, shooting fiery bolts down from beasts of Armageddon.
“I don’t understand – why are we just seeing a sliver of them?” Gwen shouted over to the others, who had raced to duck behind boulders. Realizing she was a sitting duck out on her own, she scurried after them.
“I think it’s the magick of the island. They’re trying to penetrate it, so we’re seeing in real time what’s happening outside this bubble. They know we’re here, but they can’t seem to get in.”
“A few can,” Seamus said, standing and easily picking off the Domnua that had managed to slip through the crack when it had briefly flickered open again.
“Do you think the magick will hold?” Gwen asked, clutching Loch’s arm.
“It’ll hold,” Loch said, his eyes meeting hers. “But that’s on you.”
/> “I have to believe,” Gwen whispered, wringing her hands.
“You have to believe. And use your magick. And sing a bit. And probably a whole slew of other stuff we don’t quite know yet. But, aye, you should be using all the tools at your disposal. Don’t think like a human anymore, remember?”
Loch’s words held no censure, just a gentle prodding for Gwen to remind herself of the power she held within. She raised her arms, gasping when she saw the crack widen and glimpsed once more the turmoil that seethed outside their magickal realm.
“Just fix the snow globe,” Gwen whispered to herself, and shot ice from her bracelets, freezing any Domnua that slipped through the gap and filling it until, once more, it was impenetrable.
“I have to admit, yours might be my favorite of the powers so far,” Bianca said, breaking the silence that had fallen after Gwen’s icy patch job. “It’s crazy, because now you’ve created kind of a window out into the world beyond. Can you see? It’s fuzzy, like looking through those glass blocks you see in showers sometimes, but you can kind of see the mess outside. But yeah, sealed right up,” Bianca continued.
“Nicely done, princess,” Loch said, winking at her before turning to climb the path that led to the cottages above them.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” Gwen said, shooting glances over her shoulder as they all traipsed up the hill, loaded down with their supplies. “I really… it’s just kind of out of this world.”
“In all fairness, we aren’t really in the world right now anyway, are we?” Bianca said, cheerfully trudging up the slope. “We’re in a parallel world. I’d say anything goes at this juncture.”
To demonstrate her point, a lightning bolt struck close by and rain began to fall in a neat stream, while the sun shined happily mere inches away.
“See? Anything goes. Now, if the Cheshire cat pops out, I’d say we’ve gone and lost our damn minds.”
“Fair enough. I’ll keep an eye out for the cat. In the meantime, I need to revamp my way of thinking,” Gwen said.
And consider the possibility that she might just be the most powerful one on the quest after all.
Chapter Thirty-One
Loch watched Gwen, sensing a shift in her. Something almost imperceptible, but he found his eyes straying to her more often than he would have liked. The more she tested her power, the more confident she became.
A smile hovered lightly on her lips as she unpacked the supplies they’d brought into the cottage – which it seemed she and Loch were destined to share, since Seamus and Bianca had claimed the smaller one a ways down the hill. Though if Loch had any say in the matter, he was going to stay on watch tonight, invoking one of his favorite spells to give him energy so he’d be able to function without much sleep.
The alternative was to sleep with Gwen on the bed he’d glimpsed in the bedroom of the cottage – a massive four-poster bed with sweeping white netting strung between the posts, creating a lacy awning above the bed, which was piled with silky linens and pillows.
For an abandoned cottage in the middle of the hills, it certainly held some surprises. Loch wondered briefly whether it was a trap, or if it was simply Gwen’s family’s way of welcoming her home. He also wondered if she realized that it was their magic that kept them safe now, and that the sirens were likely still battling a war right outside the barriers of this island.
He glanced over at Gwen’s delighted squeal.
“Look, Loch! Food rations, whiskey – oh, and even towels and soap for the bathroom!”
Oh yeah, her family had a hand in this. There was no way they’d let one of their own sleep on the floor. Which is exactly where he planned to sleep – on the floor on a bedroll, as far from the temptation Gwen presented as he could get.
He swore silently as he walked from the cottage, ostensibly to check the perimeter but more to try and clear his mind of Gwen. Her very essence seemed to seep into him every time he was near her. Even when he couldn’t see her, he could feel her, taste her lips on his, see her naked body in his mind’s eye. And what a cruel trick that had been this morning – walking in on her naked again.
It was as though the universe was having a laugh at him.
Her luscious curves begged to be touched – and by him. Loch gripped his hands tightly together as he thought about how her skin flushed when she got angry or embarrassed. He’d love to see her body glow, but from his touch, her lips swollen from his kisses, her skin pink from his attention.
Oh, she was the most cruel of temptresses, a woman who had yet to fully discover the power within, only waiting to be awakened to what she was.
And Loch knew he had the key. He had but to use it.
It wouldn’t be fair to her to do so, he reminded himself, for the thousandth time, as he checked the locks on a window.
He was meant to be alone. No matter if his heart said she was his mate, his mind knew better. He could be stronger than his heart, Loch promised himself.
He had to be.
Chapter Thirty-Two
As haphazard meals went, thrown together from what they had brought and what Gwen and Bianca had found foraging the hills around the cottages – staying within sight of the ever-watchful Loch – it was delightful. Crusts of bread with a honey drizzle, a fruit almost radiantly pink – unknown to any of them but delicious nonetheless – and heaps of nuts and seeds proved to be quite filling.
“Gwen, how do you know this fruit won’t poison us?” Seamus asked again, and Gwen shrugged.
“I don’t know for certain. But I just feel it.”
“It’s good. My gut response says the same,” Loch said, taking a slice of the pink fruit and swallowing it down.
“That works for me then,” Seamus said.
Gwen found herself smiling at everyone, content in these hills, watching the play of light and change of seasons swirl around them. It was as though she could sit back and watch a movie, except it was happening in front of her, in real time. If she craved the touch of snow, she had but to clamber over a few hills and cliffs and she would be among the ice. If molten lava interested her, which it did not, she needed only climb the other side of the mountain. But her eyes kept being drawn to a small beach, sheltered on all sides by steep cliffs, where moonlight created a single path of light – like a beacon – across the dark water.
She would go there, to this beach. This much she knew. But first, she’d wait for the others to rest. This was something she needed to do alone.
“Do you think we’re safe tonight? As in, we can ease our watch and rest? Or is this the time when they’ll pounce?” Bianca wondered aloud, taking a bite of honey-coated bread, her eyes closing briefly in ecstasy at the taste.
“I think we’d have fair warning of anything that comes our way,” Gwen said. “Listen – can you hear their song?”
They all fell silent, and on the gusts of wind that rose from the shores below, through the moonlit waters and across the hills lit by sunshine, the mermaids’ voices carried. It was a haunting song, one of war, yet one that spoke of honor and protection.
“It’s beautiful. But why aren’t we drawn to it? I mean, the men aren’t racing down the hills to find these beautiful women. Would that mean they are mermaids, or sirens, or both? I’m not sure what to believe from myths, what is real, and, well…” Bianca gestured, indicating their surroundings, where three different seasons and times of day mixed and melded in their view. “Because this is all a little improbable.”
“I think that, along the way, the myths and legends blend. And there is probably a kernel of truth to each. But the race found here? I’d say they are both sirens and mermaids. Their own particular blend, if you will,” Loch said, leaning back against the grass to study Gwen. They’d set up the meal outside on the cliff in front of one of the cottages so they could continue to watch the beauty of the island dance in front of them, as well as keep an eye out for danger. It could’ve been a picnic on a lazy Sunday, except for the dramatic magick that wove its spell arou
nd their shoulders, as well as the knowledge that a war raged beyond the magickal barrier of the island.
“Perhaps it is the best of both? They get the powerful singing and the fun of being a mermaid, without having to slaughter men left and right,” Bianca said.
Gwen laughed at her, delighted. She’d been feeling nothing but good vibes since she’d stepped on the island. It seemed to recognize its own and welcome her home.
“I think we should never underestimate them,” Loch said softly.
“I agree,” Gwen said. “It seems to me if they wanted to sing a song that would have you men panting at their feet in seconds, they could do so. It’s a choice, an intention, and a judicious use of power. I’d say because of my blood and who I am, we are being protected. Probably because of who Loch is as well, though he himself said he wasn’t sure of the relationship of the fae with the mermaids.”
“Can we just call them that then? The mermaids? It sounds friendlier to me and less likely that I’ll get eaten,” Seamus said.
Gwen threw back her head and laughed. The sound seemed to echo down the sides of the cliffs, reverberating off the walls, and in moments they heard it reflected back to them, multiplied with the sound of those below, who laughed with her as they danced beneath the waves.
“Wow, just wow,” Bianca breathed. “They like it when you are happy.”
“Keep Gwen happy. Got it.” Seamus nodded enthusiastically. “Anything we can do for you? A foot rub? More food? Whiskey? Does your bed need a turn-down, or can we carry you on our shoulders to the cliffs? We’re at your command, O beautiful fairy of the sea,” Seamus said, ducking his head and assuming the role of a hotel porter.
“Sea fairy – I like that.” Gwen smiled at him.
“It’s just as pretty as mermaid. And I can just see you, flitting through the water with that mass of curls around your head, shooting magic from your bracelets,” Bianca mused, eyeing Gwen.
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