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Vrogul’s smile bloomed and he had just enough time to release a huff of laughter when my hammer slammed into his hip. I’d pulled the blow at the last moment, realizing my comment had distracted him, so he stumbled hard to the side rather than falling back into the sand .

His men surged forward and I flexed my knees, ready for another round. Stormseeker began to chuckle again, crossing his blades to signal a peace. As he slid the swords back into their scabbards, he shook his head.

“Well done, diplomat. I have nae reason to continue.”

“I do,” I growled, egged on by my Kteer . “Ye threatened my Mate.”

Smiling, the other male rubbed his hip and glanced behind me. “I thought ye said she was yer plaything?”

I sensed Myra at my side before I heard her. “I am both.”

When had she climbed from the horse? I wanted to groan, but when I glanced at her, she stood with her knife—the one I’d fixed for her—brandished in a threatening manner, a fierce glower on her face.

And I had to admit, I was proud. My Kteer howled with smugness. My Mate . My fearless Mate. Twitching my brow, I felt one corner of my lips curl as we faced the blades of Vrogul Stormseeker together.

But the other man was still rubbing his hip as he shook his head ruefully.

“Ye distract me with words before yer final blow—aye, ye are a diplomat. But yer Mate is a fierce warrior.”

Myra shook her knife.

“I am a healer. I will make you a decoction to ease your pain.”

Another chuckle, and I saw the admiration in Vrogul’s dark eyes as he raked my love with his gaze. My Kteer sang with rage, and I jerked forward to defend her .

“We have healers too, Blacksmith’s Mate. I do no’ need yer potions.”

“You will give my Mate the respect he deserves—he is a chief .” She shook the knife. “Go away and leave us alone.”

A few of the gathered warriors began to smirk, and I slowly lowered my hammer, wondering what they knew.

“’Twould be difficult to leave ye alone, wee warrior,” Vrogul said mildly, “considering we’re here to return ye to the mainland.”

My shoulders slowly relaxed in confusion as I lowered my hammer. “What happened to the ferry?” This band hadn’t overwhelmed the poor fisherman, had they?

“We gave him coin,” the other male said, “and told him we would take ye instead. I kenned ye were here and needed to speak with ye.”

I hid my wince. I knew I shouldn’t have ignored my Kteer’s warnings about being watched!

“What would ye speak to us about?” My question was wary. Why would we be relevant to the infamous sea raiders?

Vrogul Stormseeker eyed me for what seemed an eternity before exhaling and rolling his shoulders, as if preparing for an unpleasant task.

“Yer brother.”

My hammer fell from my right hand to swing by my side.

“Kragorn?” I whispered, as if there were another brother I’ve been yearning for news of. “What do ye ken of him?”

Gods below, dinnae let him be dead .

“I ken…” The other male grimaced, then jerked his head over his shoulder, toward the fire and the roasting meat. “Will ye join us for a meal? ‘Twill be easier…”

Oh fook.

This was no’ to be good news.

I took a breath, willing my heart to harden, to hear whatever news I must hear. Putting it off would not make it easier, and Myra had not eaten warm food since we’d arrived on Jura, the day after the full moon.

“My Mate—” I began, but she interrupted.

“—will eat again when we are safely on the mainland.”

I glanced at her, amused by her ferocity, to see her glaring at the chief of the sea raiders.

“Love, ye must keep up yer strength.”

She turned an exasperated scowl my way and gestured over her shoulder with the knife.

“What do you think all that sea holly is for? You promised me we could speed back home!”

Home.

I had to smile. My Mate wanted me to take her home. With a sigh, I reached out and snaked my arm around Myra’s waist, pulling her against me.

“Sheath yer claws, wee wildcat. We must hear what Stormseeker would share.”

When we turned back to the other male, ‘twas to see that he’d given some kind of signal to his men. Some had drifted toward the fire, others were pushing the ship’s bow out into the water. He, however, was watching us, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Kragorn Bloodfire is alive. At least, he was a sennight ago.”

I sucked in a breath, torn between desperate hope and dread.

“Alive?” I croaked. “Where did ye see him? Was he injured?”

Vrogul grimaced. “He was. But that did no’ stop him…” A shout rose from the ship, and he jerked his head. “We’re losing the tide. I will tell ye what I ken, but if ye want to make it across tonight, we must get yer beastie aboard now.”

I barely noted the lad who scooped up the reins of the horse and led the animal toward a ramp which had been dropped into the shallows. Instead, my full attention was on the Stormseeker, walking backward across the sand as he explained.

“I spent the last moon in the human’s world. ‘Tis a lucrative place for us, without strong defenses. Some of the human chiefs wish to make alliances to save their shores, which is also lucrative.”

I did my best to hide my disgust at such behavior, but was unsuccessful, judging from the other male’s chuckle.

“’Tis better than raiding our own people, I would say, and we dinnae do lasting damage.” He shrugged. “But I was invited to dine with Laird Tarbert.”

Hissing in surprise, I pulled Myra to a stop.

“The Tarberts are aligned with Clan Bladesedge.”

Our enemies .

“Aye,” drawled the Stormseeker.

At my side, Myra cleared her throat. “The Bladesedge chief is Mated to a Tarbert daughter, correct? But your brother was lost in battle against them.”

I nodded stiffly. Last autumn, after that alliance was in place, Kragorn had led a skirmish against our long-time enemies…and disappeared.

Vrogul Stormseeker was watching me intently, and when I lifted my horrified gaze to his, he nodded.

“Yer brother was taken by Tarbert men and held in the depths of his cursed stone castle.”

I felt ill. “For how long?” I croaked.

“Months.” The other male sounded as grim as I felt. “I dinnae ken the details, but when Tarbert brought him up from the dungeons to parade before his guests, Kragorn was filthy, with weeping open wounds.”

By the gods . I bent double, my hands on my knees, imagining my proud brother reduced to such a state, on display for Tarbert’s cronies.

“War,” I gasped, barely able to spit the words past my rage. “We’ll call our allies and tear Tarbert stone to pieces.” I straightened, Myra’s hand at my back, my vision going red as I planned. “We’ll rain fire upon them! They’ll choke on their blood! Bloodfire will?—”

“He is free.”

The words, startling and incomprehensible, had me slamming my mouth shut. ‘Twas Myra who clarified.

“Tarbert let him go? ”

“Nay.” The Stormseeker still looked grim as he shook his head.

“Yer brother freed himself and got his revenge in the process. I had to leave the next day to make it back afore the full moon closed the pathways, but I assume Tarbert sent men after yer brother. Still…there’s a likelihood he made it through the veil. ”

I stared, hardly daring to hope.

“Kragorn…he is coming home?”

“Or he is waiting for ye to go save him?” The other male shrugged and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Hoist yer wee playmate over the side”—he winked at Myra—“and I’ll tell ye what I ken on the trip to the mainland.”

Kragorn was alive! Even if Tarbert had recaptured him, at least we knew where he was. I wrapped my hands around Myra’s waist to lift her onto the warship, suddenly desperate to get back home.

And not just because I had to claim my Mate.

Nay. I had to save my brother!