Page 36 of Connal

Duxor swam around the islet and headed north, swimming under the wall of mist that protected the settlement and the island. The monster followed just behind him, and when he stopped, hovered and watched his face. Its behavior reminded Duxor of the dogs the landcrawlers kept as pets.

Use your senses, he told it. You shall smell the boat nearest us.

The creature thrashed its tail as it slowly swam in a circle around him, taking in larger gulps of the sea water. Then it stopped and bobbed its head toward the west.

There, Lord Duxor. A transport vessel with many on board.

He hid his surprise. Guide me to the boat, then.

It took them only a few minutes to intercept the shoddy old boat, which lay low in the water. Duxor went up to the port hull, and put a hand on the barnacled wood as he listened to the groans inside. He smelled only a few landcrawlers, and something else that vaguely reminded him of the peculiar stink of the MacMar. He nearly rammed his fist through the side of the vessel, and then he made out two voices that stilled him.

Improved your mood now, Sister? a hard female voice asked.

Aye, thanks to the merchant’s only daughter, another answered with a giggle. You should have seen her. Och, permit me show you.

A wave of power came through the wood and passed over Duxor, who grew stunned. He had not sensed such magic since the time when Prince Mar had come to bargain with Merrick.

’Tis many females inside the boat, my lord. The monster swam up beside him. Shall I ram them?

Quiet. Remain here. He climbed up a rope hanging over the side of the hull, stopping just beneath the top railing. On the deck he saw a few sailors, all of whom gave off the same stench as the half-Fae clan on Caladh. None of them appeared happy at their work, and one rushed over to heave up his belly at the railing opposite him. What came out of him looked like blood and raw flesh. As the sailor puked his body also changed, becoming that of a stout female.

The door to the deck cabin flung open, and the most darkly beautiful, regal-looking female he’d ever seen emerged. She had a sleek head of short hair so dark it seemed to absorb the sunlight, and eyes as lustrous as black pearls. Her lips, the color of fresh blood, thinned as she took in the sailors as if they were all diseased.

She was no more mortal than he, Duxor thought, spell-bound.

The living goddess then moved like water across the deck toward the body-changing sailor and took hold of his neck, first lifting him off his feet and then tossing him at her bare feet. He made no move to defend or protect himself as the beauty kicked him over and over, muttering in a language that sounded like the singing of whales.

“I shall claw out the belly of the next one who vomits,” the dark one said in a voice that seemed to stab Duxor in the chest. “And feed it raw to the rest of you worthless sluts until you choke. Swallow your spew, or die––do you understand me?”

All of the sailors dropped to their knees, changed their forms from male to female, and uttered, “Aye, Princess” in terrified whispers.

A princess. He thought of Prince Mar, who had possessed the same flawless features and noble bearing. Could she belong to the Fae?

The dark one frowned. “What is that fish smell? How can you eat after devouring so many mortals on that pigsty island?”

“My princess, you’ve awakened.” A tall female with the same hard voice he’d heard through the hull emerged from a hatch, followed by a tiny redhead in an ornate gown. “How may I serve?”

“Bring me one of the captives. A large, strong one,” the princess told her, and then went back into the deck cabin and slammed the door.

When a high wave struck the side of the vessel Duxor dropped into it, hoping the sound of the water slamming against the hull would disguise the splash his body made. He watched through the foaming water at the surface, but saw no one look over the railing. The monster shadowed him as he swam away from the vessel, although it hesitated a few times and kept looking back.

Lord Duxor, dinnae you wish a mortal female?

He turned and punched the creature on the nose, sending it tumbling backward in the water. How dare you question me?

For a moment the monster looked as if it might strike back, but a moment later its distorted face twisted with shame. Forgive me.

Those females, they’re no’ mortal. They’re more than mortal, much more. Duxor saw the vessel turning away from Caladh to steer north. We shall follow the vessel and discover to where they sail.

Walking with the laird proved to be a bit quieter than Valerie had imagined, as Connal said almost nothing unless she asked him a question. His terse answers suggested he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so she fell silent and simply let the fresh air and peaceful calm of the trees soak in.

As they made their way through the beautiful forest she saw a startling amount of biodiversity. Dozens of different birds and small mammals made their home among the willows, and seemed completely unafraid of her and Connal. A few small rabbits even hopped up to the edge of the trail to watch them pass by.

“The baby bunnies are adorable,” Valerie said, smiling down at a trio of brown and black kits so tiny they could fit on her palm.

Once they emerged from the trees they crossed a wide glen where a large herd of sheep grazed among the knee-high grasses. Near the hills to the north Valerie also spotted a smaller group of gray-faced deer, which seemed to hear them right away and bounded off into a pine grove. What she hadn’t yet seen was the other side of the island.

“How large is Caladh?” she asked the laird as they crossed a small stone bridge built over a pretty creek running through the glen.