Page 103

Chapter 11

Fara

F ara woke in a room lit by just one lantern. The room swayed slightly and the scent of salt permeated the air. Heart pounding, she sat up.

Oh no, she was on a ship.

With her stomach in her throat, she climbed out of the large bed attached to the wall and went to the three tall windows that looked out of the back of the ship. A gray and yellow beach peered back at her from not too far a distance and a large chain reached from the ship and into the sea. They were at anchor at least. But where?

The door to the cabin swung open and a scent like oud and beeswax candles swept her way. She began to turn, even though she already knew who stood behind her. Her captor, the new high captain of the Eelsmen, an Unseelie with powerful runic magic.

“Good evening,” he said with that creepy low voice.

She shivered. He was awful. His skin, his clawed fingertips, his animalistic stare… “What do you want from me?”

She remembered his magic taking her from Ragewing’s back, but she had no memory of anything else.

He walked fully into the room and shut the door. “I’m High Captain Teague. We will talk once you’ve eaten and had time to yourself to calm your thoughts.”

“It’s adorable that you think I could calm myself when I have zero information aside from the fact that I have been stolen from my friends by an Unseelie Fae who also just happens to be in charge of the worst pirate clan the world has ever known. Also, you can go ahead and screw yourself.”

Snarling, she flashed her middle finger at him, then she pushed up her sleeves and readied to fight. He would win, but by the gods, he would hurt first.

“Ah, now, settle down, feisty Seelie. You don’t want to get physical with me, do you?” His eyes glittered with double meaning, and she growled low.

In the blink of an eye, Teague was at her back and had her wrists pinned. His breath stirred the hair at the top of her head, and she shivered. She’d expected his touch to be cold, but his skin was smooth and warm just like a Seelie’s even if it was the color of a winter dusk.

“I have bad news for you,” he whispered.

Her heart thundered against her ribs. “Even worse than being captured by you?”

“So much worse.”

“Do tell.”

His lips brushed her temple and instead of recoiling like she should have, her body leaned into him. She gritted her teeth and tried to pull away, but he held her firmly against his strong body.

“The moment I saw you,” he said quietly. “I knew you were meant to be mine.”

She laughed. “Fated mates happen once in a century. Maybe less. And King Lysanael and Queen Revna stole that move already for our era.”

“We are not fated mates, per se, but that is the nearest thing. I am a Seer of the Unseelie realm and there is a legend called Seer’s Heart. The story tells of one like me who was drawn to another, one who sparked his very soul. I have Seen you in my crystals. You have walked through my predictions like a spectator for years. Have you ever dreamed of me?”

“Definitely not. Get over yourself.”

Teague continued, smirking and making Fara long for a very sharp sword.

“When I saw you on that Seelie dragon, I knew you were mine. I think you did too although you won’t admit it. Even to yourself.”

Her cheeks went hot. He had lost his mind—if he’d ever even had one. She struggled to free her wrists from the circle of his thumb and forefinger. “You’re mad. I know no such thing and neither do you. You’re cracked, is all. Let me go.”

He released her immediately. She spun and slammed her fist into his nose. Well, she’d aimed there, but he’d slipped his head and her fist had gone pointlessly over his shoulder. He stepped back, head tilted, grinning in a way that made her want to set the whole stupid ship they were on aflame. Where were the damn dragons when you needed them?

“How did you grab me? What was that cloud? Was that rune magic?”

“Of course.”

Her skin felt too tight and talking was keeping her from screaming. “How does it work?”

“I inscribe a rune of power on a stone and whisper my will into the old symbols. Simple.” Teague shrugged.

She glared and crossed her arms. “Simple.”

“Yes.”

“What exactly do you plan to do with me?” she spat. If looks could destroy, he’d have been a pile of ash already.

“Marry you. Sweep you off your feet. Tempt you until you beg for my attention.”

She snorted. “Fat chance of that, Unseelie.”

“I think my chances are quite good.” His gaze slid down her body and she felt the look like a touch. His nostrils flared and she knew that he knew she was attracted to him even though she didn’t want to be.

He began to pace the length of the cabin, which was rather sizable considering it was on a ship. Fara had never been on a large vessel like this. Oddly, she found the motion of the sea beneath her soothing. Or she would have if she hadn’t been insanely angry at the impossible beast walking to and damn fro in front of her.

“I only came to this land to retrieve what is mine and to have my revenge. Once that is accomplished, I will leave. You will be coming with me.”

“To the Unseelie realm?”

“Yes.”

She barked a nervous, high-pitched laugh and turned to look out at the sea. They were still anchored. She could still be rescued. Right? What would Tahlia and Marius and the rest of them do in this situation? Fara had heard that in captive situations like the one Tahlia was in during the last mission, riders were instructed to get up as high as possible to make it easy on a dragon to snatch her up and return her to safety. But did that apply on a ship? Did it apply when dealing with rune magic they couldn’t fully prepare for?

“This is just annoying,” she said finally, focusing on his forehead instead of those haunting amber eyes of his. “I’m not meant to be with you. Please just return me to the shore. Then you can go about your fun, evil little plan. Have a grand time. Most of the people up here are criminals anyway.”

“Not in the coastal villages.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you standing up for the people that you’re about to pillage?”

“I’m not pillaging anyone.”

“If you don’t stop being so pointlessly cryptic, I’m going silent. Then see how much fun you have flirting with me, your non-mate.”

He laughed loud then, bending slightly. When he straightened, he wiped a tear and shook his head. “You’re wonderful. I am so glad I found you.”

“You didn’t find me. You stole me. And you’re fully cracked in the head.”

“Likely true about that last bit, but anyway, I’m not here to hurt the good people who dwell on the coastline. I’m here to ruin the men I lead and take down every last pirate in this cursed strait.”

“What? So you’re claiming you’re on the Mist Knights’ side now? That’s a touch tough to believe considering you just tried to smother them all to death with a great magical cloud.”

“I was chasing them away, so they wouldn’t burn me alive. Can you blame me for that?”

“If you would have opened the talks with Hello, I’m actually here to help you then perhaps things would have progressed differently.”

“Hmm. Do you believe that? If I had exposed my plan to the Eelsmen waiting for my word in the shadows and risked telling the truth to your Seelie friends, you think they would take me at face value despite the history of discord between our people?”

He had a fair point. “Things are different now. You know the truth about my king and yours.”

“Aye, things are changing, but to the average Fae on either side of the divide, it’s not yet a new world where we trust one another without testing the waters.”

“Why are you captaining the very men you plan to destroy?”

“What better way to ruin a company than to infiltrate it and lead them to their own demise?”

“I don’t know, maybe use that rune magic and be done with it in one fell swoop?”

“You think too highly of my magic. Plus, I wouldn’t catch them all if I did that. I can’t destroy the entire pirate infestation by taking down a few handfuls of the foul humans.”

“Some have Fae blood, you know.”

“Not enough for my taste.”

“So you too have your prejudices.”

He lifted his eyebrows and flipped a hand palm-up. “We all do.”

“What’s stopping me from shouting your plan to your men on deck and the ones below decks happily snoozing in their hammocks? I have Mistgold in my blood and I could shout that truth to the skies. They’d be on you before you could scratch your dark magic on your bedpost there.”

“Though I hate to draw your thoughts away from my bed, fierce one, can you play out how that would work for you? Would the Eelsmen be so grateful that they granted you leave to return to your people after they bludgeoned me to death?”

“I saw it more like they would chum until they had a kraken nearby, then toss you overboard and watch the beast take you. But bludgeoning works, too.” She didn’t want to admit it, but he was right about the pirates. They would do exactly as they pleased with her once their captain wasn’t offering her protection. She swallowed the bitter taste of fear.

The Unseelie raised his nose to the air. He could scent her trepidation. “So you do understand.”

“Of course, I do,” she said, relenting even though it burned her to do it. “I’m not ignorant of the stories. I am a Healer at Dragon Tail Peak, where the knights reside. I know all about this crew of yours and those of their ilk.”

“Then we have an agreement. You keep my plan to yourself for now. I keep you alive and happy.”

“I am not happy.”

“Try this.” He held out a silver goblet filled with dark wine.

“I shouldn’t but…” She took the wine and drank it down. “You probably poisoned that and I’m going to die in the worst pain, but at least I’d be keeping you from thinking I’m yours.”

“Why would I poison you if I want you to be my mate?”

“Because you don’t truly desire me.”

“Don’t I? Remember that though we are different, we share the inability to lie. Besides, what would be my motivation to deceive you about being my Seer’s Heart?”

“Cruelty.”

He nodded and poured himself a goblet of wine before refilling hers. “A possibility, certainly, but as I’ve said, I have my cruelty planned and it doesn’t include you.”

“You don’t think stealing me off a dragon’s back is cruel? Because it is.”

“I do apologize for that.” He dipped his head and made a pretty bow as if he was at court.

“Stop with all that. I’m not going to be swayed by overdramatic behavior. I’m not some green youth.”

He approached her slowly like a lion stalking its prey. His chin was set low and his eyes speared her, keeping her in place. Her body flushed with heat and she found herself biting her lip. She growled and bared her fangs.

“I know that you are not. I love the ferocity and wisdom I see in your eyes.”

She snorted. “Right.”

His gaze didn’t waver.

“High Captain,” a gruff voice said from outside the cabin door. “We have a problem.”

Teague picked up something from the table and stuffed it into her hand before storming out of the cabin and slamming the door behind him.

She looked down and uncurled her fingers to see a lovely piece of bread. Damn it. She couldn’t actually hate someone who gave her bread. Could she? Well by the gods, she’d certainly try. She bit into the buttery wonderfulness and began working on the nearest window to see if she could climb out. She’d always been a good swimmer.