PROLOGUE
The old Scottish Gaelic name for whisky isuisge beatha,translated to “water of life.” It was fitting. Whisky may sustain more life in Scotland than water.
Everything in the water was waiting to kill you.
From the rivers and streams to the lochs and oceans, the wildness in Scotland was not limited to the land. Most people knew to be wary of kelpies: the shapeshifting aquatic horse spirits, perpetually changing from horse to man to woman, whatever was necessary to lure their victim into the depths. The legend went that if you were drowned by a kelpie, only your innards would wash up on the shore.
Or maybe you knew of the blue men of the Minch. They were rumored to be fallen angels who descended to the sea, now waiting for sailors to drown and boats to sink. While they swam underneath the waves, their restless, long arms were perpetually raised above the water, reaching for heaven, waiting to grab hold of their next victims.
Many men had dreamed of selkies, the mythical seals who shed their pelts to reveal beautiful women. Sailors have driven themselves to madness trying to capture seal wives by stealingtheir pelts, trapping them in human form, and preventing them from disappearing into the sea.
It should not surprise you to learn that those sailors never found the domestic bliss they were looking for.
The most elusive—and the deadliest—were themaighdeann-mhara,the maids of the sea. The ethereal creatures were partially of this world and the next; they answered to no one. These were not the mermaids of fairy tales, the ones who waved at passing ships and befriended all. Their tails were not brightly colored, and they did not wish you well on your maritime journeys. Themaighdeann-mharaspent their time in the water: loch, river, or sea, they had no preference. They could shed their scales and easily walk on land if the situation required it.
Most importantly, they were known by a much more colloquial name.Sirens.
Their haunting songs would drive a man mad. They rang out through the air and struck men’s hearts with a yearning so strong, they’d go mad searching for it. If you went searching for a siren’s song, it wouldn’t take you long to find one.
They were the ones huntingyou,after all.
CHAPTER ONE
Theo’s heart was beating out of his chest. He navigated the long hallways of the Office of Highland Magic’s massive library and couldn’t shake the sensation that everyone was staring at him. They weren’t, but he wasn’t able to decouple himself from the feeling. Logically, he knew he looked like any other fae in the library, but logic wasn’t prevailing over his emotions.
How often was it that you had to introduce yourself to a brother you’d never met?
It’s going to be fine.Theo ducked behind a stack of books waiting to be reshelved.The worst thing that can happen is that he’ll refuse to see you.
He tried to reason with himself as he got closer to Emmett O’Neil’s office. His brain rather unhelpfully reminded him that, technically, the worst thing that could happen was that Calum could choose to imprison, exile, or execute him.
Okay, execution is probably off the table, but imprisonment wouldn’t be agreatchoice.
Theo was out of all other options, so it was time to meet Calum Welsh… the ruler of the fae and all magical creatures in Scotland. It added an entirely new layer of complication whenyour family was royalty. It was Theo’s heritage that had forced him into hiding as a young child in the first place, and it was also the reason Calum had never known he existed.
Theo heard rumors that Emmett’s office was charmed and could only be found by people with an invitation or who had visited before. He prayed that his royal blood would suffice and that the magic around Emmett’s office would mistake him for Calum. When he crossed the library’s threshold, he had an instinctual idea of where to go, so he assumed his theory checked out.
As Theo got closer to Emmett’s office, he could hear a multitude of voices inside. They were all laughing with one another and shouting playfully. Through the frosted window panes on the door, he could see the shadows of people hugging and standing close to one another.
Theo’s chest nearly buckled at the sight. Calum had cultivated a family of his very own. A family that Theo wasn’t part of and had never experienced. His palms were drenched in sweat, and his heart skipped a beat. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, debating whether to turn around and run away.
You can do this. Youhaveto do this.Theo reminded himself, forcing himself to breathe slowly.You have no other option. Do this or die.
That thought gave Theo the courage he needed to put one foot in front of the other. He might have been terrified, but he wasn’t ready to die. Theo took three steps forward and placed his hand on the door, pushing it open and finding a brief second of relief when it swung wide for him.
As soon as the door creaked open, Theo counted eight people crammed into the small office. He identified Calum immediately.
“Excuse me?” Theo’s voice nearly cracked as he said it, sounding like a petrified faeling again. Every head in the roomsnapped to attention, and several of the office’s occupants dropped into fighting stances. All of the boisterous energy evaporated from the room, and the descent into silence felt threatening.
“How did you find this office?” A curvy blonde baobhan-sith put her hand on her hip, gripping a dagger hilt. “It’s charmed. You shouldn’t be able to find it unless you’ve been here before.”
Theo swallowed thickly and tried to push his shoulders back in a desperate attempt to look and feel more confident. Calum stepped forward, his expression tense.
“Who are you?”
Theo’s blood was racing, and he thought he might pass out before he even got a word in. He looked Calum in the eye, trying to block out the intense scrutiny of everyone around him.
“Well…” Theo scratched the back of his neck. “That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about.”
