by Chanda Hahn
“Nope, not there,” Teague said without looking as he flipped a page in his book.
She gave him an irritated look and moved over to the next shelf. This shelf was filled with books on the Great Siren War. She wanted to hold onto a few and tuck them away to read up on her heritage, but she didn’t want Teague to see her take them. Since obviously he had been researching her lineage. She reached up to put it away.
“Not there either.”
She turned and caught the barest smile quickly disappear under his stoic façade.
Finally, she came to a shelf which looked like it was full of love sonnets. Frustrated, she quickly shoved the book there and turned, hands on her hips, to wait for his smug look, but the chair was empty. He was already next to her, pulling the book back down off the shelf. He gave her a wry smile that would have melted her heart if she wasn’t sure another snide comment was coming.
“Menlo.” He shook the book in the air. “Belongs next to Menlay.” He switched hands and gently reached over her shoulder to shelve the book, bringing him within inches of her. Mina quickly handed him the next, hoping it belonged on the other side of the room.
He briefly glanced at the book and smiled again as he leaned closer and reached just above her head to put the book away. When he came back down on the balls of his feet, he was so close, she could hardly take a breath. Her head bumped into the wood shelf. She heard a wobble and looked up just as a decorative vase fell from above.
Teague grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into him as he jerked a few steps back. The vase crashed to the ground, barely missing her. Mina was flush against his body, her head resting against his chest, and she froze, unable to move. She could hear frantic beating, and it took her a second to realize she was hearing Teague’s heart. She glanced up at him, and he stared at her wide-eyed, his expression utterly confused.
As if he couldn’t comprehend his own racing heart.
“Thanks,” she whispered, unwilling to be the one to pull away.
“You’re welcome.” His arms held on too.
“I’ll clean that up,” Mina said softly.
“Leave it,” he demanded and moved his head lower.
“Prince Teague, are you in here?” Annalora called in an overly sweet voice.
She thought Teague cursed softly in Fae under his breath, but he pushed her away and took large steps toward the door to cut off Annalora.
Mina retreated behind the tall stacks of books as Annalora came to him and smiled brightly.
“Annalora, you’re looking for me?”
“Yes, I wanted to talk to you some more about what I had said earlier. Have you had a chance to think it over?”
“I have. I’m not sure what you’re proposing will solve my exact problem.”
“Of course it will. It’s a fact that the land will be healed when you choose your queen. Everyone knows that. The fate of our world has always been connected to the Fates. I can see the toll it’s taking on you, and I’m willing to share your burden. Together we can heal the land, and you will live.”
“I’m searching for other alternatives.”
“You’re dying. I know it because the land is dying. You’re not strong enough to sustain the land by yourself and control the armies. Others will come and try to overthrow you if you don’t bind yourself to another.”
“How dare you say that I am weak!” Teague’s eyes blazed, and the books on the shelves behind him started to shake and move in their place. “Do you not know who I am?”
“I know who you are.” She pushed on his chest right in the spot where the tip of the dagger lay, and he gasped in pain. The shelves stopped moving. “I also know that the tip is moving closer to your heart. It’s weakening you at the same time you’re drawing strength from it. I can help you. You can draw your strength from me. I will rule by your side.”
He rubbed his chest and glared at her. “You do yourself no favors speaking to me with such disrespect. I will think on it more—if I find myself desperate.”
“You do that. Because you’re more desperate than you’re willing to admit. I don’t know how much time you even have left.” She strode back out the library doors.
As soon as they shut, Teague spun and blasted through a whole shelf of books, scattering the pages into the air.
Mina cried out as another shelf started to topple toward her. She barely dodged it. “Teague,” Mina called. “Teague, it’s okay. You’ll figure something out.”
He just raged on in pain and fury. The dark side of Teague came out as his fear erupted, and he took it out on his precious library.
Mina knew better than to stay nearby, so she took off running for the door, flinging it open just as a large table crashed into the wall next to her. She ran down the hall and into the main foyer and stopped by one of the columns. Fresh tears streamed down her face as she realized that freedom may come faster than she realized. All she had to do was wait for Teague to die.
Chapter 24
Mina left the library and Teague’s destructive anger behind. She was so torn. What was the right thing to do? She ran blindly, not even caring where she was headed, as her feet pounded on, doubts and questions that filled her mind.
Until she collided into a wall of flesh.
“Oomph.” Mina groaned as strong hands grabbed her forearms, and she looked up into the tanned and bearded face of a shirtless stranger.
“Come, we will get you out of here.” The man gripped her arm and tugged her after him.
“No, wait! I can’t leave!”
Her abductor ignored her and pulled her down the hall and out the front door. She struggled against the older man. His brown beard was tinged in gray, his eyes a dark hazel, filled with worry. On his arms, she could see the fine white spidery lines of scars that had long since healed over. A long necklace of seashells was the only adornment on his upper body.
“Stop! I can’t cross the bridge. The Reaper will kill me.”
“Who said anything about crossing the bridge?” He pulled up short and pushed her to the railing. Was he going to throw her over? He quickly flung his legs over and yanked her with him as he jumped into the water.
Mina didn’t have time to scream as the cold water rushed over her face. She tried to kick and swim for the surface, but the kidnapper dragged her under with powerful strength. Her chest ached, but she held her breath as he pulled her through the lake.
She opened her eyes enough to see a flash of silver scales move near her face. This couldn’t be. The person dragging her to her death was a merman?
Feeling the intense pressure and burn build again, she clawed at the hand that held her forearm. The man turned around, surprised at her distress. He immediately pulled her up to the surface.
When her head broke the water, sweet succulent air rushed into her lungs. But instead of taking the moment to savor her breath, she turned on the merman. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“No, quite the opposite. I’m here to rescue you.” He looked taken aback by her outburst, but he didn’t stop with his plan. He just flipped her over, put his arm around her neck, and continued to swim at impossible speed across the lake. When he came to the waterfall, he slowed just before the rocks.
“Trust your instincts.” He gestured with his finger toward the water. “We’re going down.”
“What? No, I can’t.” She kicked out against his body.
He grunted when she made contact but only tightened his grip. “You can, and you will. Now on the count of three. One, two”—he propelled himself up and out of the water using his tail—“three.”
He dove back under the water, dragging her beside him deep, deep below the surface.
The battering, rushing water pounded against her back, and her hair whipped around as they swam through the rough currents. She decided it would be suicide to fight him and switched her efforts to trying to swim with him.
The deeper they swam, the darker it grew until Mina saw the underwater cave he was heading
toward. Panic seized her, but his strong grip on her wrist tugged her toward the cave.
Her previous fears of being underwater and fighting the sea witch rushed to the surface of her mind. She’d never liked swimming. Or maybe she did, and it was her mother who didn’t like the water. She distinctly remembered a beach trip with her parents when she was a child. Her mother wouldn’t go near the water. It was her father who had taught her how to swim and to not be afraid of the ocean. She’d felt safe with him.
Once her dad passed away, her mom never took them to the ocean again. The memory of what she’d given up must have been too painful for her.
Her trip down memory lane helped ease her fears as they swam through the dark underwater tunnel. Some creature or plant brushed past her leg, making her want to scream out and release her breath. Too much like that dream that had plagued her before she’d gone back in time. The darkness began to lighten, and Mina couldn’t hold it any longer. She rushed to swim upward, but the man turned, saw her distress, and pressed his mouth to hers the same way Nix had done. Fresh oxygen flowed into her taxed lungs.
Loud thoughts pushed past her fears, and she heard him speak as clear as fresh air into her head. If you relax, your body will do what comes natural and slow down your heart. You will be able to stay under much longer.
Yeah right, Mina thought back. You kidnapped me! And this was exactly how I was dragged underwater to my death by the sea witch. How is this not panic-worthy?
He flinched at her onslaught of thought. A sea witch. Nasty creatures, but you are much stronger than them. We’re almost through. His eyes squinted underwater, and she could see his teeth in a strangely reassuring smile, before he turned to swim further. We will have to catch the underwater current to make it out of here. Let it pull you. Don’t fight it.
She tried to let her thoughts soothe her again and swim in sync with the mysterious man. It was hard to see, but she felt the water pull at her as they turned into the current. Once in, the water rushed and pushed at them. She tried to clear her mind and just focus on counting as they moved through the water.
The light grew brighter, and the water began to feel warmer against her skin. They broke the surface, and she gulped in fresh air. They were in a large cove. Rivulets of salt water streamed down her face, burning her eyes, but once they slowed, she was able to focus on the large three-masted ship in front of them. The closer they came, the more detail she was able to make out on the vessel, from its brightly colored sails to the hand-carved mermaid on the ship’s bow.
He pulled her over to the boat, and a rope ladder dropped over the side for them to climb up. The man pushed her in front of him on the ladder, and his arms kept her from trying to jump back into the water. As if she could even think of going back in. Her limbs and body and the shock of what had just happened were too much for her system. She was positive that if she fell in, she would just sink to the ocean floor.
When she got to the top, strong hands grabbed her under the arms and helped her onto the deck. Exhausted, Mina slumped against the railing.
“Welcome to the fastest siren ship on the seas. Serenity.” The man swept his arms outward, gesturing to the beautiful Fae ship. Her eyes followed the arc of his arms and took in the vast array of wild and sea-loving Fae who all stood, staring at her.
“Oy, Ternan, that was fast. We weren’t expecting you back for another few hours at least.”
Ternan, the bearded man who saved her, grinned and shook his head, spraying the water over the others near him. “I expected that as well, but I came upon her in grim circumstances. The prince was on a vile rampage, intent on destroying the palace. It proved just the distraction I needed to sneak in and pull her out. Not to mention there was a serious lack of guards.”
“Well, it was a good thing you got to her when you did.” A woman with green highlights in her long brown hair stepped out of the crowd of onlookers. Her face was tanned with a hint of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She wore a vest showing off strong, tan arms with light, tattoo-like patterns, criss-crossing her skin. Her pants were a dark green with decorative netting wrapped around like a skirt. She looked mysterious and very much a siren of the sea. “Mina, darling, are you okay?”
“Who are you?” Mina asked, studying the faces of the gathered Fae. Many looked like they were one with the sea, hints of netting or shells embroidered into their shirts and clothing. Most of them—even the males—had long hair that was braided or left hanging down their backs, and intricate patterns lightly danced across their skin.
The woman who addressed her seemed slightly taken aback by her question. “Well, I know we’ve never met, but after your mother’s death, we felt it was our duty to take care of you… and your brother as soon as we find him.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Mina said, her bottom lip shivering from cold.
“Why, I’m Winona, Ternan’s wife. And your grandmother.”
Chapter 25
The vividly colored sails of the ship rose as the siren crew prepared to depart. Mina found a barrel to sit on as she watched her grandparents for the first time, trying to take in this information. Her mother had said to find them, but—she’d never imagined this. A good part of her wanted to reject them for not being a part of her life before now. The other part could see the family resemblance, and it made her want to run and hug them.
But they were strangers, and they’d abandoned her family.
Ternan came and leaned against the railing, crossing his arms. He scratched his beard and tried to make small talk. “You look like her… your mother.”
“And my father,” she shot back.
He looked pained at her answer. “Aye, that you do. You need to realize that it was her choice to leave her mother and me and cut all ties. She felt it was safer that way—for you, for us.”
Mina got up off of the barrel and stared across the water as they sailed away from the small cove. “It would have been better if it stayed that way. You don’t know what you’ve done.”
“We saved you from that lunatic prince,” Ternan answered, his voice gruff. He pointed back the way they had come.
“I made a bargain. I’d stay with him, and Charlie would be safe. Since you interfered, you’ve doomed him and my friends.”
Ternan was about to say something when a wooden hatch slammed open and interrupted him.
“Mina?” Ever shot up from below deck. When she saw her, Ever threw her arms around her. “You’re okay?’
“What are you doing here?” Mina asked.
“I’m saving you, you Gimp. No wait, I can’t call you that anymore.” She cast a worried glance toward Mina’s grandfather. “At least not out loud.” Ever was dressed in siren garb, black pants, white netted tank top over a blue-purple tank.
Mina grabbed Ever by her arm and pulled her starboard and away from the prying eyes of the sirens, who never seemed to stop watching her. “No, what are you doing here, on the Fae plane?”
“Well, you’re the one who abandoned our plan and just surrendered herself to the enemy. We had a perfectly good trap all worked out.”
“I had a vision—a premonition. Our trap would have backfired, and you would’ve ended up trapped inside one of the mirrors with the nastiest part of Teague’s personality and gotten stabbed by the poisoned knife. I watched you sacrifice yourself to trap the two of you in the mirror forever. And I couldn’t go through with it.” Tears of frustration burned at the corner of Mina’s eyes. “I’ve lost too many friends and family to this curse. I couldn’t lose you.”
Ever stood in front of Mina and placed her hands on her shoulders. “There’s something special about you, Mina.” All teasing was gone from her tone. “I don’t know, but when I look at you, I see more than the girl in front of me. I see a dangerous Grimm, a powerful siren, and a leader. Our futures are intertwined, and I know protecting you means protecting everyone I love—Fae and human alike. Giving my life to protect you is not that big of a sacrifice. I�
��ve found a purpose, and that purpose…besides annoying you…is to protect you.”
“But not if it means your death.”
Ever’s face crinkled in anger. “I’m a pixie. No one ever expects much from us. They see our race as troublemakers, but I’m more than they think. I’m more than the label Fae put on me, and I will prove it.”
“I understand wanting to be more than a label,” Mina answered, “but you have to promise me that you’ll be careful.”
Ever nodded her head. “I’ll try my best. Now about this dream of yours. Is this a new super power or something?”
“Or something.”
“And the plan didn’t work.”
Mina shook her head. “I wish it had. And there’s more. After I watched you die, someone came in and blasted me into the mirror as well.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I never saw them. But I knew I couldn’t take the chance of all that happening.”
“So you just surrendered yourself to Teague?”
“Yes, and I’d do it again if it meant protecting everyone. That’s the sacrifice I made.” She paused and looked over at Ever’s clothes. “But how did you end up here?’
“Well, you left me with the seam ripper, so the first thing I had to do was come over. But then, instead of storming the castle like I wanted to, I needed help. So I went looking for your family.”
Ever leaned her elbows on the railing and nodded at a cute siren boy with sun-bleached blond hair past his shoulders. “I didn’t know that sirens were this good-looking. It took a few weeks of searching since they spend most of their life sailing and exploring underwater caves. They’re pretty much the gypsies of the sea, and it’s kind of better for all Fae that they are. They’re too powerful in large groups.”