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Chapter Seven
The guest rooms on Hùisdean's ship were as pleasant as the captain's quarters. Ayda found herself snuggling between the heavy fur blankets laid out on the bed and passed out before she could further process Wyn's strange comments. She slept for the rest of the journey, nestled in the warm cabin and protected from the chill of the winds. Ayda didn't wake until she heard a series of gentle knocks at the door.
“Ayda? Are you up?” Hùisdean's voice echoed through the spacious room.
Ayda practically flung herself out of bed, hissing when her toes hit the cold wooden floor. She hopped on one foot and started looking for her socks, half awake and still a little delirious from sleep.
“Yes!” she squeaked. “Are we close?” Ayda could hear Hùisdean chuckling on the other side of the door.
“Sleep a little late, did we?” he taunted.
“There's not exactly an alarm clock on your fucking Viking pirate ship, asshole,” Ayda snapped back. “And someone wanted to get going before dawn.”
“And now we're here.” Ayda could practically hear Hùisdean smiling. “If you want to finish finding your shoes and meet us on deck, we'll be at the port in Virkie in about five minutes.”
“I got it,” Ayda quipped, finishing tying the lace on her boot. She heard Hùisdean's retreating steps and started mumbling under her breath.
“Who does he think he is?” Ayda grunted. “I will pull my hair out by the end of this trip, regardless of how attractive he is.” Ayda suddenly remembered the O’Neil brothers’ exceptionally powerful shifter hearing and realized she had no idea how good elven hearing was. She immediately shut up and started berating herself.
I'll say I was talking about Wyn if he brings it up.
Ayda applied mascara and lip gloss. She had no idea what their first stop would be or who Hùisdean would want to talk to. If there was any chance she was going to meet the king of the elves tonight, she wasn't taking any chances. She applied some perfume to her wrists and grabbed her pack, taking the steps two at a time to the deck.
“Hello, sleeping beauty,” Wyn called out. He waved her over to the railing and pointed out to the horizon. “Isn't she a stunner?”
Wyn stared out at the coastline of the Shetland Islands with childlike awe. Ayda leaned out as far as she could over the railing and grinned, letting the sea water and salty wind whip around her face. It was invigorating, and her heart swelled.
Ayda loved nature. It came with the territory of being an earth witch. Even from the bay, she could sense the wildness and magic rolling off the islands. The coast was rolling with bright green hills, steeples of far-off churches, and a small village of brick buildings surrounding the port.
All the buildings were painted in shades of blue or red, and the entire landscape was a beautiful mix of bright hues. The sunset was underway, and Ayda could see the beginnings of a pink shade start to wash over the scenery.
“It's stunning.” Ayda exhaled, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm in the chill.
“Isn't it?” Hùisdean appeared on her other side. Ayda's eyes went wide, and she nearly bit her tongue.
Hùisdean had changed into a bright red tunic, richly embroidered with gold fabric. It was perfectly tailored to his frame, highlighting his broad shoulders and svelte waist. The thread made intricate patterns, and Ayda picked out more than one rune sewn into the design. It was paired with a black pair of trousers and matching boots; a small golden circlet was now adorning his brow.
Hùisdean always had a commanding presence, but seeing him dressed in formal regalia was about all that Ayda could take. She was not prepared in the slightest and was suddenly concerned that she wasn't dressed up enough herself.
“Are we meeting an envoy at the docks?” Ayda managed to turn her gaze towards the horizon and off Hùisdean. He smirked as if he could read her thoughts, and Ayda prayed he couldn't.
Or he's just an asshole who knows how good he looks.
“No. We'll be heading straight to my home. A small portal still works from the docks to the castle's borders. At least it was still working when I left. It's a short enough distance, and it’s the last remaining portal travel that works on the Shetland Islands.”
Ayda noticed how quickly Hùisdean's attitude soured and was careful not to prod him any further. Luckily, Wyn appeared from the decks below at that very moment. He was dressed in a matching elaborate tunic, except his was dark blue—almost black—and perfectly matched his hair.
“You’ll be fine.” Wyn seemed to pick up on Ayda’s insecurities. “Everyone at the court will be happy to meet you, especially when they learn you’re here to help.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help,” Ayda interjected quickly.
She felt her anxiety rising. Her attempts to live up to her mother’s reputation defined most of her life. Since she’d taken over in their county and her parents had returned to India in the past few years, some of those issues had abated. They came rushing back at the implication that everyone at Hùisdean’s court was waiting for Ayda to solve their curse. A cold, sinking feeling started building at the base of Ayda’s spine.
“You certainly won't hurt,” Wyn gave her a cheeky grin.
“Not any more than I already have.” Hùisdean's expression was sober. He muttered the words under his breath as though whispering them only to himself. Wyn placed a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder.
