The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  “Ye have news?” His mother stepped toward him, her eyes growing wide. “Did ye find the witch who cursed you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, praise the goddesses!” Esther clapped her hands together. “Then ye can make her lift the curse!”

  “Hopefully.” Brody frowned. “But we can’t be sure how this will play out. Cahira is very powerful.”

  His mother grew pale. “Is she the one who . . . ?”

  Brody nodded. “She destroyed our ship.”

  Esther pressed a hand to her chest. “Ye mean she . . . she murdered my husband.”

  “Aye.”

  Tears glistened in his mother’s eyes. “She murdered my son.”

  “Aye. And all the crew.”

  Esther drew in a shaky breath. “So at last we know.” She closed her eyes briefly, and Brody reached out to grab her arm, fearing she was going to faint. “Is the witch on the Isle of Secrets? Where Elinor is?”

  “Aye. Cahira is the queen. That’s why it’s so dangerous for Elinor to be there. As soon as I get back, I’ll tell Nevis to bring Ellie home.”

  “Good.” Esther squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I will notify the admiral immediately. He can have our navy ready to leave in two hours. We will capture this witch—”

  “Mother, we can’t manage this on our own. Cahira can destroy ships, and she has the Embraced army there with their magical powers—”

  “Then what can we do?” His mother gripped her hands together. “We must have justice!”

  “The kings on the mainland also have magical powers. I know them well, and I’m positive they’ll want to help us. After all, Cahira is planning to use the Embraced army to take over all of Aerthlan, so my mainland friends have a stake in this. It’s much better for them to defeat Cahira on the Isle of Secrets, rather than risk a war in their own countries.”

  Esther nodded slowly. “All right. I’ll have Captain Chapman ready his ship right away. It’s small and fast. With a good wind, he can make it to the mainland by morning.”

  “Excellent. With a small ship, he should be able to sail up the Ebe River to Ebton Palace.” Brody strode over to his mother’s desk and sat down. “I’ll write down everything I know, then Captain Chapman can pass it on to King Leo.”

  He located a blank sheet of paper and dipped a pen into the inkwell. As he wrote, he heard his mother giving instructions to her guard. He’d just started a second page when he heard her let out a long sigh. “What?” He glanced up at her.

  She was watching him with tears in her eyes. “That is where ye belong. At yer father’s desk.”

  Brody swallowed hard and resumed his writing. This was never supposed to have been his place. His elder brother should have been the next king. Eddy had always been so quick at his studies and so brave at sword practice.

  A knock sounded at the door, and servants brought in two trays of food. While the ink dried on his report, Brody sat at the table to eat with his mother. But she was so nervous about Elinor and the upcoming events, she hardly ate.

  She set down her knife and fork. “I’ve ordered the admiral to have our ships ready. Are ye sure the kings from the mainland will help us?”

  “Aye, they will.” Brody cut off a piece of roast beef and stuffed it in his mouth. “The kings of Eberon and Tourin have numerous ships. And we’ll get help from King Silas and the Norveshki war dragons. Also, Sorcha and her husband, the king of Woodwyn.”

  Esther’s eyes widened. “Ye know all of them?”

  “I’ve been busy.” Brody gave her a wry smile. “Working like a dog.”

  His mother winced, obviously not finding his jest amusing. She tapped the table nervously with her fingertips. “Finally. After all these years, we will have justice for yer father and brother.”

  “I’ll take care of Cahira. Don’t worry about that.”

  “But ye must make sure she lifts yer curse first. That is most important.” Tears shimmered in Esther’s eyes. “I cannot bring Rudgar or Edgar back to life, but I can have you back.”

  “It’ll work out. Trust me.” Brody reached across the table to squeeze his mother’s hand. How would she react, he wondered, if he told her he was in love with Cahira’s daughter? Would she be able to accept Maeve? After all, she knew all about the five Embraced girls who had grown up at the local convent.

  Another knock sounded, and Vernon cracked open the door. “Yer Majesty, there are two men here with news from Princess Elinor.”

  Esther jumped to her feet. “Bring them in.”

  Two older men shuffled into the room, wringing their hats in their wrinkled hands. They bowed, and then their eyes widened as they noticed Brody.

  “Och, ye’re here!” the sunburned one exclaimed. “We went to the Isle of Secrets to look for you and the young lass, Maeve.”

  Brody stood. “You traveled there with Princess Elinor and Colonel Harden?”

  “I did. Lobby is me name.” He motioned to the other man. “I found me mate, Tommy, there on the Isle of Secrets.”

  “Aye.” Tommy nodded. “The Sea Witch blew up our ship six years ago. I washed ashore on the witch’s island.”

  “Where is Elinor now?” Esther asked. “Is she all right?”

  “She’s fine, Yer Majesty,” Lobby replied. “She and Nevis are in the village.” He withdrew a parcel of papers from his jacket. “She wrote all these notes for ye to send on to the kings on the mainland.”

  Esther opened the notes, and Brody looked over her shoulder to read the first page.

  Embraced children in the village

  on the Isle of Secrets

  Bettina, 19 (Spring Embrace) Can communicate with birds

  Catriona, 19 (Fall Embrace) Can blow up fish

  Elam, 18 Can trip people one at a time

  Hannah, 16 Can make it rain in small areas

  Kurt, 15 Can shift into a small rabbit

  Powers of the following children are not yet revealed:

  Naomi, 12

  Olana, 11

  Peter, 10

  Quentin, 9

  Rose, 8

  Sarah, 6

  Terrance, 5

  In the castle:

  Two toddlers, Uma and Victor, age 4, in the nursery Gabby, 17, a prisoner, can turn iron into gold

  Gabby’s twin brother, Gavin, can shift into an orange tabby cat. Cursed by Cahira, he cannot shift back into human form. He spent the last two years with the Seer.

  Brody jolted with surprise. Trouble was a young man? A shifter? No wonder he’d run off the minute they’d landed on the island. He must have gone searching for his sister.

  Esther set the first page on her desk and studied the second page. Brody read over her shoulder.

  The Embraced Army on the Isle of Secrets

  General Kendric (Chameleon)

  Colonel Alfred, 19 (Spring Embrace) Lightning power

  Darroc, 19 (Fall Embrace) Wind power

  Farah, 17 Fire power

  Irene, 16 Power to make things grow

  Jared, 15 Power to make rocks explode

  Logan, 14 Power of speed (for running)

  Mikayla, 13 Power of flight

  Brody counted a total of eight soldiers, including the Chameleon. Some were very young and most probably inexperienced in using their powers during battle. “We can offset their lightning and wind power with Leo and Rupert. They have the same powers.”

  “It all sounds dangerous.” Esther’s hand trembled as she set the second page on her desk. “I’ll make a copy of these, so I can send them with yer report to King Leo.” She turned to Lobby and Tommy. “Thank ye so much for yer assistance. Ye should rest a bit afore returning to the Isle of Secrets. I’ll have a room and meals prepared for you.”

  “Thank you, Yer Majesty.” Lobby bowed.

  She ushered the two old men out the door and gave instructions to the guard there. Then, she strode back to her desk. “What of you, Brody? Will ye rest here afore flying back?”

  “I wish I could, b
ut I need to be back before dawn. And I have to see Nevis and Elinor first.”

  Esther sat down and readied a piece of paper to copy Elinor’s notes. “I’m going to be beside myself with worry. Both my children on the same island with that murderous witch.”

  “It won’t take long before help arrives,” Brody told her. “Once the kings have gathered their forces onto ships, Rupert can blow them here in a few hours.”

  “Our naval forces will be ready to join them.” Esther lifted her chin with determination. “Together with our allies, we will be sending an armada to the Isle of Secrets.”

  Brody nodded. “And then the war will begin.”

  Chapter 15

  The twin moons were nearing the horizon by the time Brody spotted the village on the Isle of Secrets. He was exhausted from flying so much in one night, but before he could return to the Sea Witch’s castle, he needed to talk to Nevis. After landing next to what looked like a blacksmith’s shop, he shifted into a dog and went sniffing about. There were only two other cottages. He trotted over to the one filled with the scent of males, then scratched on the door and barked.

  Voices murmured inside; then a young man cracked open the door.

  He looked Brody over, and turned back to his companions to say, “It’s a black-and-white dog. I’ve never seen it before.”

  “That has to be Brody,” Nevis said. “Elam, do you have a pair of breeches you can spare?”

  After a short while, Nevis emerged from the cottage and gave Brody a frustrated look. “Now you show up? Where the hell have you been?” He tossed the breeches at him.

  Brody shifted and caught the breeches in one hand. “What the hell are you doing here with my sister?”

  “She’s fine.” Nevis pointed at the other cottage. “She’s sleeping with the other girls. You’d better hurry up and get dressed before any of them see you.” He crossed his arms, frowning. “You never mentioned that you’re a damned prince. Does Leo know about this?”

  Brody shook his head as he buttoned the breeches, which only reached his calves.

  “You should have told us,” Nevis grumbled. “All these years, I’ve been treating you like a dog.”

  “I was a dog.” Brody shrugged. “Don’t let it bother you. Whenever I felt annoyed, I chewed up your boots.”

  Nevis grimaced. “I’m on my fifth pair now.”

  “Exactly.”

  Nevis snorted. “Well, at least you’re all right. You had everyone worried. Where have you been for the last two months?”

  “Searching for the Embraced army and the last members of the Circle of Five. That’s my job. It’s definitely not Elinor’s concern. I want you take her home as soon as Lobby and Tommy return with the boat.”

  Nevis’s eyes widened. “You know about them?”

  “Aye, I’ve just returned from the Isle of Moon. I was seeing my mother when they arrived. Thank you for all the information, by the way. My mother is sending it to Leo, and he should have it by morning.”

  “That’s a relief.” Nevis took a deep breath. “We’re going to need everyone’s help.”

  “Everyone but Elinor. Send her back home today.”

  Nevis scoffed. “Do you think I haven’t tried? I begged her to go back with Lobby. She keeps refusing.”

  “Make her go. Aren’t you used to giving orders?”

  “She outranks me!” Nevis raked a hand through his hair. “The stubborn wench thinks she should be ordering me around.”

  “Did you just call my sister a wench?”

  Nevis winced. “No offense. Honestly, she’s really amazing.”

  Brody narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying you admire her?”

  Nevis gritted his teeth. “What are you doing here? Do you want to hide out here with me?”

  “What are your plans?” Brody asked.

  “I’m going to have Lobby and Tommy take the younger children to safety. As for the older ones with rejected powers, I’m going to turn them into my own Embraced army. With the right strategy, I think they could be quite effective. Do you want to help me?”

  Brody shook his head. “I have my own plans, but I’ll coordinate them with yours. And with Leo’s, once he and the others arrive. If you can incapacitate the guards, that will leave the mainland kings to deal with the Embraced army.”

  “I can do that. What will you be doing?”

  “I’ll handle the queen.”

  Nevis winced. “You . . . know she’s Maeve’s mother?”

  Brody waved a dismissive hand. “Maeve has nothing to do with her.”

  “Well, perhaps, but still . . .” Nevis shifted his weight. “Aren’t you attracted to Maeve?”

  “I’m in love with her.”

  “And you’re planning to kill her mother? You don’t see a problem with that?”

  Yes, he did, but he didn’t want to think about it. “I have to capture Cahira first, so I can make her release me from this curse.”

  “True.” Nevis nodded. “I tell you what—once I take care of the guards, I’ll be able to infiltrate the castle. Why don’t you let me deal with Cahira?”

  So his old friend was trying to save his relationship with Maeve. “I appreciate that, but it’s my responsibility.” Brody clenched his fists. “Cahira is the one who killed my father and brother.”

  Nevis sighed. “I know. And Elinor knows. A servant from the castle came by. Ruth was her name, and she told us quite a bit. She said Cahira hates your family with a passion. She thinks your kingdom should belong to her. Oh, and she said something else . . .”

  “What?” Brody asked when Nevis gave him a nervous look.

  “The Chameleon is supposed to arrive soon.”

  Brody nodded. “I’ll take care of him.” He glanced at the sky. The sun would be rising soon, and he needed to be in the Seer’s bed before Cahira or one of the servants came to see him. “I should get back to the castle now.”

  “You’re in the castle?” Nevis asked. “How? Are you disguised as a dog?”

  Brody hesitated, then admitted, “The Seer.”

  Nevis blinked. “What?”

  “I’m impersonating the Seer.”

  Nevis stepped back with a gasp. “Bloody hell! Are you telling me you can shift into other people?”

  “Not so loud.” Brody looked around, and sure enough, the door to the girls’ cottage cracked open and several faces peered out.

  Nevis lowered his voice and hissed, “You have the exact same powers as the Chameleon?”

  “Don’t . . .” Brody gritted his teeth. “Don’t compare me to that bastard.”

  “How can I not when—” Nevis stopped when Elinor ran from the girls’ cottage.

  “Brody!” She threw her arms around him. “Are ye all right? Where have ye been? How did ye find us?”

  “You can ask a ton of questions, but don’t expect any answers,” Nevis muttered and Brody shot him an annoyed look before turning back to his sister.

  “Ellie, as soon as Lobby and Tommy return, I want you to take your ship back home.”

  Elinor frowned at her brother. “I believe I’m needed here. Nevis has a plan to use everyone’s Embraced powers, and my gift would come in handy. Don’t ye think so, Nevis?”

  “Well . . .” Nevis dragged a hand through his hair.

  Brody snorted. Nevis, one of the toughest soldiers on the battlefield, couldn’t stand up to his sister at all. The wimp. “Ellie, I’m serious. An armada will be coming from the mainland, along with our navy from the Isle of Moon. A war is about to break out here.”

  “Then I have to help!” she declared.

  “Elinor!” Brody glowered at her.

  “I told you she doesn’t follow orders,” Nevis grumbled.

  Elinor scoffed. “Don’t tell me ye two have been making decisions for me.”

  Brody sighed. “We’re just trying to keep you safe.”

  “Aye, because we care,” Nevis added, and Brody shot him an incredulous look.

  “Since when do you
care about my sister?” Brody asked and Nevis’s face turned pink.

  “Brody.” Elinor touched his shoulder. “Do ye know that it was Cahira who killed our father and brother?”

  “Aye, I know. And she will pay for her crimes, I assure you.”

  Elinor planted her hands on her hips. “No need to assure me. I have every right to avenge them, too. That’s why I refuse to leave.” Before Brody could object, she continued. “Do ye know Maeve is Cahira’s daughter?”

  Brody nodded. “Yes, I know.”

  Elinor’s eyes softened with sympathy. “Do ye know that Cahira is probably the one who cursed you?”

  “She is definitely the one who cursed me,” Brody muttered, then added, “I hope you won’t blame Maeve for the crimes of her mother. She’s innocent in all this.”

  “I understand that.” Elinor waved a dismissive hand. “Do ye know that the Seer has arrived?”

  Nevis snorted. “He definitely knows that.”

  “Well.” Elinor huffed. “Do ye know when the mainland forces will arrive?”

  Brody winced. She had him there. “I’m not sure. Mother is sending the news to Leo, and he should have all the information at some point in the morning. Then he has to send messages to the other kings and so forth. Once they’re all on ships, Rupert can blow them here in a few hours.”

  “Two to three days at the most, I would say,” Nevis concluded.

  “That’s a relief.” Elinor heaved a big sigh. “Since we need to defeat Cahira within a week.”

  “Why a week?” Brody asked.

  Nevis sidled up close to Elinor and whispered, “I don’t think we should mention that right now.”

  “But he should know,” Elinor whispered back. “So it won’t come as a shock later on.”

  “Know what?” Brody demanded.

  Nevis suddenly slapped Elinor on the back, and she gave him a startled look.

  Brody stiffened. “You just hit my sister?”

  “There was a mosquito about to bite her.” Nevis bowed his head to Elinor. “I apologize. I hate mosquitos.”

  “Me, too.” Elinor smiled at him. “Thank you for protecting me.”

  Nevis blushed.