Page 47 of Duncan

In Fiacail’s mind Nicole saw the remainder of her memories, while her own poured through her and into the shifter. Yet as the other woman saw her life as it had been, she flooded her with sympathy, as if she had been the one to suffer.

No, I’ve had a wonderful life, Nicole protested. I never wanted for anything.

Your sire caged you like a pretty bird, and never permitted anyone near you, Fiacail thought back. Your lady màthair abandoned you, as did her sister. Even now you’d leave the man you want and endure your life alone. At least I knew the love of my sisters.

’Tisnae the same for her now, a deeper, softer voice murmured.

While they shared their thoughts, something nameless and warm came and enveloped them both. Time stopped, catching her and Fiacail and removing them from the universe of anguish they shared. With the guidance of that soft, tender presence Nicole found a way to pass through the pain. At first it seemed as if she were swimming through a boiling sea with waves of fire, and then the heat slowly cooled, and the burning sensations faded with it. On the other side of what she had endured existed a completeness she had never experienced, and it did not involve Fiacail, whose presence by then had disappeared from her mind. No, this was something quite different, something she had yearned for, something she had never believed possible.

I’m sorry.

Aye, my lady.

Gentle hands pulled Nicole away from Fiacail, and then she opened her eyes and saw the Cait Sith woman sitting in front of her, naked but completely healed and back to her human form, her eyes no longer like those of a shark. They both sat in a shallow puddle of water that shimmered with fading blue and green lights. Behind her Merrick was lifting the lifeless body of a huge white and gray shark, which he slung over his shoulder with his powerful arms and carried out of the room. The laird and Shaw appeared pale and shaken. Beside them stood the seneschal, his expression exasperated.

“You shouldnae prove me right and then wrong, Mistress,” Fletcher told her. “Choose one or the other, I beg you.”

“I’ll do better next time. Sorry about the lying.” She then turned to the man holding her in the cradle of his arms, his wrists still cuffed together. “How are you here? I drugged you.”

“Fletcher used a bucket of cold water and the threat of you healing a hybrid to rouse me.” Duncan kissed the corner of her lips. “We’ve much we need discuss, my lady.”

“That will have to wait, Healer.” Nicole lifted his arms, ducking under his chained wrists before she stood and regarded Fiacail. “I saved your life, and together with Duncan we restored you to what you were before Duxor transformed you. You need to tell the MacMar everything now, Fiacail.”

“Speal came to parlay with Duxor, and discovered we’d chased him away,” the shifter said. “’Twas her blade that near ended me. We’ve kept secret the location of your island, Laird MacMar, so we might use such to control the enchantress. When Speal drank my blood, she took in all of my memories with it, including the time I worked as a scullery in your kitchens. She can find your clan now.”

“Shall she lead Derdrui and the Cait Sith here?” Connal asked.

“Aye, my lord. As soon as she may.” Fiacail glanced at the window slit. “First she’ll sail for Insii Orc to collect the enchantress and the rest of our sisters. ’Twillnae take long before she reaches Caladh.”

As the laird and Fletcher went to his map table, Nicole glanced at the shackles on the healer’s wrists.

“Let me go and get the key for those from my room,” she told him, and kissed his cheek.

Once she slipped outside, she let herself smile a little. She didn’t have to leave Caladh right away; she could stay and, with Duncan’s help, change the hybrids back to who they had been. As a maid with vivid red hair passed by her she wondered if she could talk her lover into going to the future with her.

A heavy weight slammed into her from behind, knocking her to the floor, and something pounced on her and made a hideous sound as it clamped its hands around her neck. The grip was so tight she couldn’t breathe or call for help, and then everything grew shadowy.

Nicole fell into darkness, terrified all over again that it would be her new forever.

AFTER SUNSET SPEAL instructed her crew to collect all the weapons they could find in town, as well as enough sturdy branches, linen, and pitch to fashion a torch for every Cait Sith. As they dispersed, she then waited on the shore until Tiene surfaced and trudged up out of the shallows.

“Dinnae try stabbing me, you traitorous pig,” the shark shifter warned, “or I shall tear off your face. How did you ken I came?”

“I saw you and the other monsters following us as we sailed from the cove. If you mean to conceal yourselves, you must dive deeper.” She looked into her eyes, both of which now resembled a shark’s. “Why didnae you go after Fiacail? A few jabs of my blade wouldnae end her swiftly.”

“She fled from us.” Tiene’s lips parted, showing her jagged teeth. “Doubtless she feared we’d attack and slay her. ’Tis what we do with anything wounded that bleeds in our water. Dearg’s gone, mayhap to hunt her down, kill and eat her.”

“So, you’ve become cannibals as well as beasts. How charming.” Speal looked past her. “We’re leaving for Caladh at first light. No doubt your former master has fled there so he may warn the other aquatics about you. Do you and your kind wish come along and share in the spoils?”

The shifter’s brows rose. “You dinnae intend order us join you?”

“I’ve no power or sway over you lot.” She regarded her. “I ken you all despise what Duxor did by changing you. As long as some part of you remains Cait Sith, we shall welcome you among us. Your sister Mace especially desires you at her side. Mayhap if we win, the enchantress shall reverse the transformation, and restore you as the sisters we ken and love.”

A strange guilt flickered across Tiene’s face. “Dearg yet possesses the memories of the druids she slaughtered in Aberdeen. She claimed naught may undo what’s done.”

“That wee fiend’s no’ a Fae enchantress.” She reached out and touched the shark shifter’s shoulder. “Go and tell the others what I’ve offered. If they agree, come and see me before we set sail, and we shall plan the attack.”

The walk back to town gave Speal some time to ponder the bargains she’d made on behalf of her sisterhood. She had never liked the shark shifters. The danger they now represented to the mortal realm by their rapid breeding of mindless bairns that could live in the sea or on land deeply disturbed her. Like them, Derdrui had become more of a nightmare than a boon for the Cait Sith. Despite her vow to uphold her promises, Speal no longer trusted or believed in her.