So he remained silent for the entire journey back to Black Mountain, struggling with the ever present question: how can I help Liliwen?
He did not have an answer.
It was impossible not to lose hope.
Just what Broc planned to do with her, Teaq had no idea. But it couldn't be good. This was exactly the sort of thing they had been talking about. The next invasion was imminent. Liliwen would be branded a spy.
And Broc was convinced Liliwen was the outsider the Elders' prophecy had talked about.
But he did not know her; Teaq did. How could he possibly convince Broc that Liliwen wasn't a threat?
Meanwhile, there was the human to think about. The Sea Folk Seer had predicted that a human would cause a rift in the Black Isles that the Sea Folk could exploit. The Elders' prophecy had confirmed this, but hadn't pointed toward a human specifically, leaving Broc free to make his own interpretations.
Of course his little brother had been naive to consider the human innocent right from the start. And now that he'd seen her… It was obvious that he wasn't thinking with his head anymore.
Teaq had wanted nothing but to retreat to a quiet corner of the castle and drown his sorrows in ale, if that was what it took. But upon returning to the castle, he and his brother were intercepted by Rhea, who insisted that they follow her immediately. Broc was quick to agree, whereas Teaq was hesitant.
But the look Rhea shot in his direction left no room for wavering. Whatever she had to say, it was significant.
So they both joined her in the Great Hall, where she broke the news.
"As you're aware I have been taking the human out for combat training," Rhea started.
She talked faster than normal, as though she was agitated. Or excited. It was hard to tell.
"In the midst of showing her some moves with the practice swords, we were engulfed in a blue light. The human, she curled up into a ball, and I was thrown right across the edge of the plateau."
Teaq frowned. This wasn't what he had expected to hear. He glanced over at Broc, who didn't seem to understand a word Rhea had said to him so far.
"My king," Rhea spoke more firmly now. "The human, she's not what we thought. She cast a spell on me! If I hadn't been so quick on my feet, she might have killed me. I immediately placed her under arrest."
Broc shook his head, then started pacing back and forth through the hall. His footsteps echoed against the granite walls.
Teaq wasn't sure how to react either. Part of him felt like laughing, but he managed to keep himself in check. How bizarre.
At exactly the same time as his own world had fallen apart with Liliwen's capture, Broc's woman had been arrested by Rhea for performing witchcraft. It would be hilarious, if it wasn't so tragic.
Still, Teaq felt vindicated at having his suspicions confirmed. So far Broc had waved his concerns away as paranoia, but now… It was undeniable. The prediction Liliwen had shared with him had come true, as had the prophecy of the Elders.
"I don't understand. Are you absolutely certain that's what you saw, Rhea?" Broc asked.
"I would never lie to you, my king. She's a witch." Rhea put her hands to her hips in a show of confidence. She never did like her authority being questioned.
"It's really quite obvious that the prophecy is being fulfilled." Teaq tried very hard not to sound flippant, which he almost failed at. "We can only hope it's not too late to counter this attack!"
His remark earned him a furious look from Broc.
"This certainly demands further investigation, so we can determine what exactly has happened," Broc said. "And in case you've forgotten, we've just witnessed another incident that could very well be a part of this prophecy of yours."
That hit Teaq right where it hurt.
"It's quite clear what has happened, brother!" Teaq argued. "The witch felt cornered, out there doing combat training with Rhea, and she exposed herself for what she is. An infiltrator. An enemy disguised as an innocent peasant girl from West Hythe. Quite how the humans managed to find a witch after all these years, I cannot say. But she's here, so the hows and whys of it are irrelevant. This Reaping was obviously a trap."
"Now, now…" Broc raised his hand in protest. "We do not know for sure what the humans intended. Or if they even knew about this. After all, the prophecy speaks of a secret power. Perhaps it was a secret to them as well."
Unbelievable. Teaq was shocked at his brother's reaction. First he had refused to believe Rhea's account of events, and now he was arguing in favor of the mainlanders? What had gotten into him?
Rhea scoffed. "Fine, even if it was all her idea and her plan, and the humans had no knowledge of it. We are still at the brink of war. The prophecy—"
Broc slammed his fist into one of the tables lining the Great Hall, sending echoes across the room and making both Rhea and Teaq flinch.
"I am fed up of everyone's speculations! Sick of it! We are at the brink of war, but with the Sea Folk, not with the humans. We'll get to the bottom of this matter with Kelly also, of course. I will speak with her. I must—"
That sent Teaq over the edge. If he didn't control his anger, he would be tempted to plant a great big fist right into Broc's face.
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Teaq hollered.
Broc immediately swung around and adopted a threatening pose. "In case you have forgotten. I am King. I do not need your permission to—"
"My king, if you'll hear us out…" Rhea tried to defuse the situation.
Neither of the two brothers paid much attention to her.
"We do not know for sure if Kelly means us any harm. But we are certain that the Sea Folk are our most pressing enemy. Am I wrong?" Broc asked.
Teaq took a step away from his brother and tried to calm his breathing. His inner beast was a hair's breadth away from clawing his way out and showing his little brother just what he thought.
He was seething. And the worst part was, Broc's assessment did make a tiny bit of sense. The Sea Folk were the confirmed enemy. And an invasion was imminent.
"I am going to interrogate our human prisoner now. Personally," Broc concluded.
No way! Teaq turned to face him again, but Rhea had already approached Broc.
"My king, I do not think it safe for you to see her unguarded. We do not know enough of her powers," she argued.
"That's enough! She's chained up. She even let you carry her down the hillside without attempting to fight back or escape. What is she going to do to me? Blind me with a flash of light?" Broc barked.
That was enough of that. Teaq could stand it no longer. He turned and marched straight toward the nearest door.
"Brother."
Broc's voice stopped him in his tracks, though he did not turn around.
"Perhaps you could interrogate the other prisoner. Find out what she knows and whom she's told. And for all our sakes, try to find out if her people are planning an attack."
Broc's suggestion got Teaq's mind working overtime.
Interrogate Liliwen. Of course … As long as nobody knew the truth, he could come and go from her cell as much as he wanted. He could make sure she was well taken care of. That she was fed. Make the entire ordeal just a little less terrifying for her.
"She's not going to just spill everything," Rhea complained in the background. Oh, if only she knew the truth. Liliwen had already told him so much, without asking for anything in return. And all it had earned her was to be chained up and thrown in a dark hole underneath the castle.
"Use your powers of persuasion, brother. Our safety may depend on it," Broc said.
Teaq didn't need any more encouragement. Whatever Broc had meant by 'powers of persuasion', Teaq wasn't sure. But he wouldn't need any tricks to get her to talk.
He would head straight down to her cell and see her. But first, he would make a stop to pick up some food and some water along the way.
Chapter Eleven
Seconds merged into seconds, minutes into minutes and hours into h
ours.
Liliwen didn't know if day had turned into night, or even back into day yet. How long she had been locked up here, she had no idea.
No doubt Cara had noticed that she hadn't come home. Had her father found out yet? What about Cadfael?
What would they do once they did find out? Would her father, in a fit of blind rage at her disobedience, and encouraged by the Seer's predictions, order a large scale attack on the Black Isles?
She hoped she would never find out.
If she was in luck, she would be put to death before that.
Her skin was getting very dry; it was starting to ache more and more. Perhaps that was their plan. To leave her here to rot, until she dried up entirely.
It wasn't a nice prospect. A slow, painful death.
They hadn't given her any food either. Would she starve first or dry out?
Footsteps could be heard outside, which wasn't that unusual. There had been a guard outside from the very start, who occasionally wandered back and forth, patrolling the hallway.
This time, the steps were accompanied by an imposing and familiar voice. Liliwen couldn't hear what was being said, but she was pretty sure Teaq was outside. Her heartbeat surged.
He had come for her.
Sure enough, the wooden door of her cell swung open, and her rescuer appeared.
Unsure of who was listening, Liliwen chose not to speak at first.
Teaq entered and pulled the door shut behind him.
Liliwen wrapped her arms around her legs and just looked up at him in silence. She was certain she looked like crap. This was not how she wished to be seen. But he held in his hands the much needed thing that her body was dying for.
A pitcher of water.
"I'm meant to be interrogating you," Teaq whispered as he kneeled beside her.
"Has the guard gone? Can he hear us?" she asked, while reaching for the pitcher.
She dipped her hand in and instantly noticed how her skin soaked up the moisture. Such sweet relief.
"I sent him away," Teaq said.
Liliwen poured little splashes of water over herself, soothing the worst of the aches caused by the net as well as the general dryness in the air that had been getting the better of her. Once she had emptied the jug and looked up, she found that Teaq had been observing her the whole time.
"Stop staring at me, you're making me nervous," she complained. Her objection was only partially meant in jest.
Although she was grateful for the relief the water had brought her, a large part of her still wished Teaq hadn't come. Seeing him made it so much more difficult to accept her fate.
The pain in his eyes that she'd seen earlier was still very much there. Every time she looked at him, it tore at her insides. That was an ache no amount of water could fix.
"I'm so sorry," Teaq whispered.
"Whatever for? You couldn't have done anything. I understand that."
"I shouldn't have let things get this far," he said.
"Don't say that. Don't you tell me that we shouldn't have met. Don't take that away from me too," she threatened.
Teaq pressed his lips together and nodded. "Fair enough."
"How long have I been in here for? I can't tell if it's been an hour or a century," she said.
"Not even an hour."
Liliwen sighed. At this rate, her incarceration would be a lot more difficult to manage than she thought. All the time spent alone in here had passed at a snail's pace. Perhaps it wasn't so bad that he had come. At least his visit offered some distraction.
"Now, what are you supposed to be interrogating me about?" she changed the topic.
Teaq handed her a bowl full of something soft and slimy which she did not recognize. "Have something to eat first."
Liliwen's stomach was growling, but she wasn't too sure about this supposed food he'd brought. "What is this meant to be?"
"Fisherman's pie," he said, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.
"You make pie out of fishermen?" Liliwen frowned, then held it up closer to her face and sniffed it. Perhaps it wasn't so bad.
Teaq burst out laughing. "Not fishermen. It's made with fish!"
His correction made her chuckle as well. "Okay. I suppose I can eat that."
It had been an unintentional joke, but it still lightened the mood significantly. As she started pecking at the food and found that it was indeed better than starving to death, their conversation continued a bit more smoothly.
"You're not the only prisoner down here, you know," Teaq said.
Liliwen looked up from her bowl with great interest. "Do tell. Did you capture any more Merfolk?"
"Not quite. Remember the prediction of your people's Seer that you shared with me? It came true, somewhat. We had a human join our ranks some days ago," Teaq said.
"And you've imprisoned it too?" Liliwen asked.
"Well, not quite. Let me start at the beginning," Teaq began. He then shared the whole story of Kelly, the human offering, the Reaping Ceremony which the Others held, and how his brother had chosen her as his queen.
Liliwen found herself engrossed in his tale, asking for occasional clarifications when she didn't understand something. The strange food, meanwhile, was starting to get cold.
"And so Rhea, our cousin, arrested her and locked her up in a different part of the dungeon. Now it remains to be seen if Broc accepts the truth…" Teaq concluded.
"Love is a strange thing," Liliwen observed.
"What makes you say that?" Teaq said. "I'm telling you the prediction has come true, and you're bringing love into it."
"It's obvious he loves her, though. Your brother. And now both of you have had their women locked up. It's so romantic, isn't it?" Liliwen said.
Teaq frowned. "I wouldn't call it romantic, exactly."
"You ignored our peoples' age old conflict for me. Broc wants to ignore the truth that his woman is a witch."
"That's different."
Liliwen shook her head. No, it isn't.
Teaq looked at her in silence for a moment. "Well, romantic or not. I'm not sure I can find a way out of this."
Liliwen shook her head again. "There is no way out of this. This is the end. It's fine, though. We'll be fine. You cannot expect your brother to accept something you cannot accept yourself."
Again, he was quiet for a little while.
"I'd better go, before word spreads and people start to get suspicious. Remember, I can only bring you food and water for as long as nobody knows about us," Teaq spoke up again.
Liliwen nodded, though part of her was dreading that she'd soon be on her own again. "That's obvious. You be on your way. I'm alright down here. But…"
"Yes?"
"There's a part of the prophecy that hasn't happened yet. My people will soon find me missing. It's only a matter of time before—"
"They'll come for you," Teaq agreed. "We cannot fix everything in one day. It will take them a while to figure out where you went."
Liliwen had to agree. The whole thing was inevitable. Neither he nor she could do a thing about it.
"I'll see you," she said.
He leaned in for a kiss, but she refused. Not here. Not in this filth. "I can't. I hope you understand," she whispered as she averted her gaze.
"I'll come back in the morning." Teaq got up and gathered the pitcher and bowl he'd brought, then he left. It was a relief, as well as a disappointment.
Hopefully morning would come soon.
Teaq's visits were regular as clockwork. They helped Liliwen break up her days and nights. And now that she was sufficiently hydrated, thanks to the regular supply of water Teaq had arranged for her, her stay in the dungeon had become just a little bit easier.
At least it wasn't painful anymore.
And the stories he continued to tell her, of Kelly, the human; Rhea, his cousin; and Broc, the king, kept her imagination occupied even when he wasn't around. They discussed the challenges that lay ahead. The impending invasion of her pe
ople, as well as its repercussions, was something she thought about a lot.
Two nights and days passed. The next time Teaq arrived in her cell he was in a particularly agitated mood. Of course the first thing on her mind was just that; had her people come?
"No, no, nothing like that," Teaq grumbled.
"Then?"
"My brother has freed the human," he said.
Liliwen's eyes widened. "I knew it," she whispered.
Teaq frowned at her, but didn't comment.
From the start, she had wondered if the king would accept Rhea's account of events and stand by as his chosen bride remained locked up. Perhaps love had prevailed, at least for those two.
"What happened? How did Rhea react?" Liliwen asked, eager to get the full story.
This snippet of news was the most exciting thing that had happened in three days. She'd never been much of a gossip before, but being stuck in a dark hole had a way of changing people.
Teaq scoffed. "My brother didn't consult anyone. He just freed her, and had her attend the final night of the feast. I had a taste of her witchcraft myself."
Liliwen noticed herself leaning forward in anticipation for further details. "She performed magic? Right there at the feast?"
Teaq nodded. "She can read minds. Her talents are crude at best, though. I don't know how she managed to overpower Rhea on the hill top initially. She's one of the best fighters on the island."
Liliwen nodded slowly. This Rhea sounded very impressive from the stories Teaq had told so far. A woman after her own heart, not limited by the stupid rules the Merfolk had. Oh, to witness the confrontation between Rhea and the human, Kelly. Liliwen would have loved to have been there.
Teaq's stories had to suffice, though.
"So she read your mind?" Liliwen asked.
Teaq shrugged. "She tried. I heard her voice in my head. She was pleading with me to let her in, but she didn't seem to be successful. Rhea, though. She had Rhea eating out of her hand. It was a sight to see."
Liliwen cocked her head to the side. Indeed, it would have been.
"Did she tell you what happened? Rhea, I mean?"
The Soldier and the Siren: A Wolf Shifter Fantasy Romance (Shifters of Black Isle Book 2) Page 7