Page 34 of Nyall

“Margret.” That was all he said, but he poured into those two sounds that made her name all the longing he must suffer, even now.

“My name, you shall never again speak aloud,” she told him. “You shall return and keep your throne, for ’twas your sire’s gift. You shall rule fairly your people, and keep the truce with the MacMar, and never again even think of abandoning all who depend on your wisdom and courage for love of me.” She gulped in a breath. “For if you do, I shall end you myself.”

“Marry soon,” was all Merrick said in return.

She made it to the top of the dunes without glancing back, and there stopped only to wipe the tears from her eyes. The sound of water splashing told her Merrick had gone, but she would not look back. If she did and he still stood there, she would forget her hatred of his world, run to him and beg for all he had promised her.

Nyall had never seen Jamaran so angry. He knew from the rage burning inside his own chest that if they both went after Bered, the disgraced heir would likely end up dead. Caroline had also been shocked and terrified by her ordeal in the kelp trap, and needed soothing. The storm overhead grew worse by the moment. Since his friend was better with females he looked to him.

Take her to the cottage. I shall find Merrick.

Jamaran closed his eyes for a moment. Dinnae leave us. We need you here.

If you wish make her yours, I shallnae stand in your way. As badly as he wanted Caroline, he would never deny her the man who should have been his brother from birth.

Now his friend looked impatient. She’s already yours.

“Enough of that,” Caroline said, her expression fierce as she moved to stand between them. “The way you’ve been talking around me ends tonight. Use words I can hear, not your immortal perks.”

“’Tis only that we worry for you, my lady,” Jamaran said, putting his arm around her.

“Good. You should be worried. I’m about to explode.” She took hold of Nyall’s hand. “Don’t let go, unless you want to bury yourself.”

Nyall followed along, aware of her and his friend as he’d never been. Being alone with the two of them seemed in this moment the most reckless of notions. As soon as they reached old Dugles’s dwelling he still planned to leave Caroline with his friend so he could find the king and alert him to what Bered had attempted. For that Merrick would either kill or exile his former heir, which he should have done when his treachery in encouraging Lark’s abduction had been revealed.

Once inside Caroline abruptly stripped out of her wet suit, jerking at it as if she could not wait to be rid of it. She flung it over the back of a chair by the dining table, her breasts rising and falling rapidly with her quickened breaths. Although he knew she had no idea how she appeared in the small, tight garment she wore beneath the suit, the sight of her made Nyall swallow hard. The wet fabric acted like a second skin as it clung to her full breasts and hips, even showing the hardened peaks of her mounds clearly. When he became aware of how much his cock had stiffened he decided to build a fire in the hearth to occupy himself and warm her.

Jamaran took a long look at them both before he disappeared into the back room.

Saying anything more seemed unwise given his anger and her temper, so Nyall took his time with stacking the kindling. He then spent a few moments finding a firesteel left by the hearth to light it. He would not act the fool before her and his friend; he should leave as soon as possible. The fact that her closeness had him sweating now boded nothing good.

“Thanks, I’m freezing,” Caroline said, crouching down beside him and holding her hands out to the flames to warm them. “Who lives in this place?”

“No one. The mortal who once dwelled here died long ago.” For the first time he noticed many small abrasions on her fingers and arms, and the ugly snarl of his emotions knotted tighter. “The one you saw by the reef, did he touch you?”

“He never got close enough. I wish he had. I’d have stabbed him.” She dragged in some air as if she were trying to calm herself. “How did you and the commander know something was wrong? I didn’t spot either of you by the water before I swam out.”

“A scullery walking the shore saw you dive down but never surface, and came running to us.” Nyall couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and gently caressing one livid scratch on her forearm. “From the net?”

“I hit the reef coral a few times when I was trying to get out. It tore through my suit.” She ducked her head. “That kelp is like rubbery iron covered with epoxy. I really thought I was done.”

“’Tis grown only in the waters here, for use by the Selseus as netting,” Jamaran said as he returned to put a jug and some cups on the table. “From what I saw, ’twas badly woven. Our net makers, they’d never fashion one in such a manner, nor leave such in that place.”

“Whoever did it, I want five minutes alone with him,” Caroline said, rising to her feet.

I must leave, Nyall thought to him. Look after her.

Merrick left, and shallnae return until morn. His friend regarded him with a strange yearning look now. Dinnae go.

As he started for the door Caroline stepped into his path. “You’re not going.”

“I’ve duties awaiting me at the garrison hall, my lady,” he told her.

“Screw your duties,” she said, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him back toward the hearth. “Someone just tried to drown me—again. I want to know who it was. I want to know right now.”

The fact that Caroline had shouted the last words smashed through the last crumbling wall of Nyall’s patience.

“Reckon you I dinnae?” he told her, taking her by the arms.