Page 50 of Connal

“Shaw reckoned the same with his change. He yet awaits a reprieve.” He watched the light vanish from the captain’s eyes. “’Tis lucky such happened to you. You ken how to control your temper and moods.”

“Aye.” He pulled on his tunic. “I’ll take care.”

“Valerie wishes to leave Caladh and journey to the mainland to meet with the druids.” As Nyall gave him a startled look he nodded. “’Tis her resolution now. Mine, ’tis to keep her on the island. No one’s to aid her. Make that clear to the clan.”

“You spent a night with her, my lord. Even now you smell of the lady.” The captain hesitated before he said, “Couldnae we claim you’re hand-fasted with her?”

“Merrick shall settle for naught less than a true wedding before the next moon. I cannae force Valerie wed me.” He saw his brother’s expression and sighed. “Aye, and so I can, but I shallnae. The lady comes to me willing, or no’ at all.”

Nyall’s jaw tightened. “’Twill break the truce.”

“Fack the truce.” Connal strode out of the infirmary.

Chapter Sixteen

Duxor sent the monster to again hide near the islet before he returned to the settlement, where he swam through a hidden underground cave with a shaft that led up to his dwelling. His sire had dug out the tunnel a little at a time, intending to use it to escape if his coup failed. Now it permitted his son to evade Jamaran’s watchers when he tired of playing polite hostage.

He needed to think on what he had heard the strange females discussing on the vessel.

You’re so busy licking Derdrui’s boots you dinnae ken what’s wrong with the Cait Sith. We’ve wasted centuries slaying mortals to acquire their shapes and memories so we may replace them, and why? So we may hide our true selves in those stolen lives for a few decades before we must flee and do thus again?

Duxor had no doubt what the half-Fae females had claimed was true, and exactly the kind of power he desperately needed. With their abilities they could easily kill Merrick and replace him. That would allow him to be rid of the king and have his revenge while keeping Jamaran and the Selseus from discovering the assassination. The puppet that replaced Merrick would then be his to control, and through her he could finally rule.

So I shall, if I may transform a shifter into my creature. If they hold onto their power after transformation. If I may control them as Merrick does Jamaran.

So many unknowns made Duxor uneasy, but he could resolve them all with one bold move: capture one of the shifters and transform her. Since fusing the mortal with the white-mouth had turned the fisherman into his creature, surely the same would happen with the female he stole from the Cait Sith. If the halfling proved resistant, he would simply have his monster tear her to pieces.

As he sensed someone approaching he cleared his thoughts, focusing on the hideous ammonite tower sculpture he had been assembling as a tribute to the king.

Jamaran entered his dwelling without announcing himself, and glided around Duxor as he inspected the room. No one’s seen you for days. Where did you go?

I took my daily swims around the kelp forest, Commander, he told him, looking as bewildered as he could manage. Mayhap ’twas when your men checked on me. I’m no’ permitted to leave the settlement without an escort.

The pale bastart slapped him with a current of water. Dinnae lie to me.

Duxor tucked his thumb inside his belt to stroke the tiny vial hidden there. It contained a large amount of venom that he had painstakingly collected from weevers. The Selseus killed the burrowing fish the moment they spotted them, as the fish’s barbs inflicted painful wounds on the immortals, but could kill mortals or their mates. He’d always hoped he could use the venom to end Jamaran, but the time for that had not yet arrived.

I’ve no reason to lie. He went to his last cache and removed four small creamy pearls of the poorest quality. May I offer you something to ease your mood, then?

Jamaran swam up behind him, hovering so close that his water rushed over the back of Duxor’s neck. I shall put you in the cage.

Duxor had never once been threatened in such a manner, thanks to Merrick’s guilt over his màthair’s end. The cage, which lay in a cave on the outskirts of the settlement, had always been used to briefly imprison those who defied or displeased the king. After his sire had been executed, his màthair had vanished, and everyone had assumed she’d gone off to live in exile. Merrick had been the one to discover her corpse in the cage some months later.

Like everyone Jamaran still thought his màthair had chosen to lock herself in the cage and starve herself to death. She had, after all, never made a sound the entire time she remained there.

Of course, she’d already been dead.

Aye, so you should. I’m the son of a traitor. Or mayhap you should end me. Duxor turned to make as if he were surprised. Och, I remember, you cannae. The king showed me mercy and declared me innocent of all wrong doing. Even you ken I took no part in my sire’s schemes. He trusts me, why dinnae you? Now if you’ll excuse me, I must finish this before the celebration.

The commander’s washed-out eyes locked with his, and then he regarded the sculpture. Why do you think so much on this ugly thing you build? To keep the king deceived?

’Tis a tribute to Merrick’s rule. All that he’s done to better our lives and those of our kin. Well, no’ you or I, but all the others. He reached out to caress the sculpture, and then used his fist to destroy the delicate tower. Since you reckon the thing unsightly, I shall begin anew. Mayhap with abalone shell and some pieces of the dead reef.

Jamaran picked up one of the broken sections, and slammed it onto his work table, causing the brittle shells to break apart into tiny fragments that floated down to the floor. I dinnae jest with you, Duxor. Cease your scheming, for if you seek to follow your sire’s path, I shall watch you die staked out beneath the sun.

’Tis pleasing to ken I’ll no’ die alone, Commander. Duxor watched him, hoping for once the outsider would forget his orders and come at him. But no, Jamaran simply turned his back on him and swam out, leaving behind two men to guard him.

For the next hour he worked at his sculpture, amusing himself by making it even uglier than before. At nightfall the guards would grow weary and forget to look in on him, and that was when he would slip out and collect his monster.