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The room was dark, but Rainn reached for the faelight by the door, flicking the crystal and lighting it—revealing a war room with a bed rather than a royal suite.
A monstrous table took up most of the room, littered with figurines placed on a lake map. The front line was a jagged scar in the middle of the smooth wood.
Tor drifted to the table, picking up one of the figurines. A white-haired bauble with a crown, no doubt designed to represent King Irvine. The figurine had been removed from the board and placed on the side. It seemed that River liked to strategize.
Rainn searched the room, pulling open draws without caring about the noise.
Both males didn’t have to wait long before River returned, though he didn’t arrive through the door as they expected. Instead, he crawled from under the tiny bed in the corner—no doubt utilizing a secret passage.
If River was shocked to see Tor and Rainn in his private quarters, he didn’t show it. River straightened, brushing the front of his tunic, and tilted his head with a mocking bow. “Brother. What brings you here? I don’t have any more amadán sú. If you need a drink to fall asleep, you might be better served to raid Cove’s room instead.”
Cove was the oldest sister but the second oldest child of the Selkie Queen. Tor had never met her, but Rainn spoke highly of her.
River, Cove, Hael, Tide, Storm, Wave, and Rainn. Tor could barely keep their names straight—and he thanked the gods he only had one sibling. Elsbeth was more than enough.
Rainn strode forward, his face blank, as he reached up and grabbed his brother by the hair and dragged River’s face to meet his. “You brought the undine guards to our shores. You sold Maeve to her uncle and tried to murder my Shíorghrá,” Rainn said through gritted teeth, shaking his brother's head.
River reached for the blade on his belt but found the holster empty. Rainn lifted his other hand, which had been empty a moment before, and threw the dagger across the room. Tor watched it skid across the floor before turning back to the brothers.
“Talk some sense into him!” River pleaded to Tor, reaching for the hands tangled in his hair.
“No.” Tor shrugged. “I don’t think I will.”
Rainn’s grip tightened. “I think Tormalugh likes the taste of your fear.”
Tor bristled at his full name but didn’t argue. They needed a united front. Tor put his hands in his pockets and sauntered forward, bending at the waist until he was close enough to whisper in River’s ear.
“Yum.”
River flinched away from Tor’s face, and the Kelpie laughed darkly.
“You plan to kill me then?” River demanded. “Just do it, little brother.”
Rainn chuckled. “I don’t plan to kill you, but I do plan to bring this to mother. Let’s see what she thinks about all this.”
“Run to Ma.” River snarled through his teeth. “Like a good little pup.”
Rainn jerked River’s head and wrapped his hand around his brother’s throat. “You’ll be thankful for Ma’s punishment because it’s taking every ounce of my strength not to put your own dagger through your belly for hurting my mate.”
“She wasn’t your mate then.” River closed his eyes, pained.
“She’s always been my Shíorghrá. Ever since I saw her as a child. Ma knew. I know you did.” Rainn’s grip around his throat tightened.
Tor cocked his head to the side. “Perhaps you should loosen your hand.” He suggested. “If you want your brother to live, that is.”
Rainn released River’s throat. “Maeve has a selkie form.”
“Lies.” River wheezed, coughing. “Maeve Cruinn is Undine. Gilded whore. Bejeweled scum.”
“And yet, you let those guards come onto our beach.” Rainn shifted, standing to full height and dragging his brother by the hair to the door. River’s much taller body hunched over as he clawed at his brother’s hand, but Rainn’s grip remained steadfast.
Tor picked up River’s blade, tucking it into the empty space on his belt, as he followed the two brothers. Rainn dragged River through the castle, and several guards stationed through the palace took notice of the two selkies. As River struggled and tried to free himself, they made no move to intervene. Though looks were exchanged.
When Rainn and Tor made it to the queen’s wing with their unwilling hostage, River’s legs had gone limp as he dragged his heels and refused to move further. Though Rainn had his brother’s dead weight in hand, Tor grabbed River’s legs, carrying him through the doors like a stuck pig.
The Selkie Queen was a ruler in her own right, without the need for a King, though she had two Shíorghrá who had been by her side for years—both males claiming each child as their own. Rainn made no move to greet both his fathers as he strode through the selkie queen’s personal quarters, past the greeting room, and into the receiving room. The two selkie males immediately realized the gravity of the situation, moving past Rainn and River to call for their mate.
Tor let go of River’s legs, allowing them to drop to the floor. River caught himself, but not fast enough, and let out a pained grunt. Rainn let go of his brother’s arms, and River slumped to the floor, rubbing the base of his skull where Rainn had used his hair as a leash.
