“You’ll have to forgive my manners. I don’t take kindly to having my naps disturbed. It’s a beautiful day, and you’re wasting it for me.” Lyra knew she should try to speak more respectfully to the queen of the banshees, but she had never been known for her restraint.
Luckily, Cliodhna was further amused.
“Nonsense. If you’re going to succeed at the task I have for you, you’ll need to be hostile.” Lyra’s gut churned. She said nothing and waited for Cliodhna to continue.
“I need you to do something for me.” The goddess’s smile turned wicked. “I need you to find the fae princeling, Theo Welsh, and bring him to me.”
Lyra scowled. “The fae prince is named Calum. Everyone knows that.”
Cliodhna tapped her fingers together, her expression morphing until she looked like an excited child with a secret.
“There’s another one,” Cliodhna whispered, “a second brother. I’ve heard he’s going to be making his way through these waters on his way to the Minch.” The glee evaporated from Cliodhna’s voice as she sneered. “I need you to capture him for me. I don’t care what you do to him, but I need him alive.”
Lyra’s head started reeling.Why in the name of the sea does she want me to capture Calum’s brother? We’d be exiled to Faerie if we even harmed a human—let alone the prince’s own brother. A member of the royal family!She started rocking slightly from side to side, desperate to jump off the boulder and flee down the river, but there would be no escaping Cliodhna in the water.
“What makes you think I’m going to do that?” Lyra crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t answer to you. I’m a siren, not one of your damn banshees.”
“My banshees and I would be torn from these waters immediately,” Cliodhna smirked, and Lyra was uneasy. “You’re maighdeann-mhara. Your presence in these waters doesn’t cause any alarm.”
“These waters are my home,” Lyra spoke through gritted teeth. “I still don’t answer to you.”
“Tsk, tsk.” Cliodhna made a tutting sound. “I think you’ll find that you do.”
Cliodhna held her hands up, and a bubble appeared between them. Lyra leaned forward ever so slightly, peering into it as an image slowly revealed itself. Lyra shrieked, her blood going ice cold.
Inside the bubble was the image of a maighdeann-mhara. She was clearly being held captive, her hands and fins bound with kelp. Her expression was full of fear, her eyes wide as they darted from side to side. She struggled against the bonds, her black-blue hair tangled and matted as it spread out in the water.
“My sister!” Lyra screamed. She pointed a sharp claw at Cliodhna. “Where the fuck have you taken her?” Lyra’s entire world stopped spinning as the apprehension in her stomach turned to fear.
Cliodhna’s rotten smile mocked her. “She is quite safe. A bit uncomfortable, I’d say, but safe.”
Lyra’s breath was coming in short gasps. “Why have you done this? Why me?” Lyra hissed.
Cliodhna shrugged. “Your sister has a beau, doesn’t she?” Cliodhna licked her lips. Lyra’s mind spun as she refused to answer. Cliodhna kept talking. “A human, I believe. He’s a sailor, actually. Who often departs from Cork. Oh, take heart. Wipe that depressing look off your face. It was simply a matter of opportunity. When your darling sister Keira came to visit, I snatched her up. Don’t you see? It was the only way I could get leverage over one of the maighdeann-mhara without ever leaving my waters.”
“I’ll drown you for this.” Lyra let her fear twist into anger, allowing it to calcify in her bones.
You’re no good to Keira if you’re panicky and frightened,she reminded herself.
“You’ll drown a goddess of the sea?” Cliodhna threw her head back and laughed. “Not likely. I do admire your spirit, though. It’ll serve you well. Plus, you’ll see that I have no desire to harm a creature of the deep. Especially not one as beautiful as Keira.”
“So… I bring you this prince, Theo, and you’ll return my sister to me?” Lyra’s voice was as cold as the depths.
“Of course!” Cliodhna clapped her hands, and the image of Keira disappeared. “Now, there are some stipulations. If you tell Calum or anyone about my plan, I’ll kill your sister. If you try to get help from Manannán, I’ll kill your sister. All you need to do is bring me Theo Welsh, and I’ll release Keira to you.”
“Unharmed?” Lyra pushed. “You’ll return her to me unharmed and alive?”
Cliodhna’s smile was savage. “You are smart. Most people only tend to think about bargaining language when it comes to the fae.”
“You’re just as tricky.” Lyra spat, and Cliodhna blushed.
“Thank you!”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
“It never is.” Cliodhna waved her hand in the air. “Anyway, my time is running out. Do we have a deal, Lyra of Moriston?”
Lyra thought she was going to be sick. She pictured her sister, alone and captured in Cliodhna’s grasp. She’d warned her sister several times that the love of a mortal man only ever spelled out danger for the maighdeann-mhara, but she never thought her sister’s downfall would come about like this.
