Page 35 of The Dark, Dead, Deep

“Take Lady Maeve to one of the tents and make sure she’s comfortable. We have a long journey tomorrow,” the mer-king commanded before he gave me a look. “I can be generous, Maeve. I can make your journey as pleasant as possible. Remember that.”

I heard his unspoken threat—that he could also make the journey unpleasant if he decided to.

Toddy reached forward and gripped my bicep. My skin burned against his callused hands as I was dragged to standing. If the mer-king had a problem with one of his soldiers shoving me, he showed no sign of protesting.

“Come on,” Toddy grunted. His eyes were lined with wrinkles though no smile could be found.

Toddy dragged me down the beach, past several tents. Most of the males glanced at me before returning to dinner or setting up their bedrolls, but some looked for just a little bit too long.

When Toddy found an empty tent near the trees and away from the others, he dropped me onto the impacted sand. I landed on my knees, my teeth clicked together, and pain blossomed on my skin from the rocks and twigs on the ground.

“What about my bindings?” I asked, lifting my wrists.

Toddy gave me a long look. “You can sleep bound. Don’t want you getting any ideas.”

“Those were your orders, were they?” I flicked my hair out of my face. “Cormac Illfin said that I was to be made comfortable.”

Toddy had been a benign and forgettable presence until that moment, but his face took on a new cast as his features shifted. His eyes narrowed, and his lips parted, revealing his gritted teeth. The merman leaned forward, one hand on his hip and the other clenching towards the trident on his back. “You speak of my king too familiarly,” Toddy said delicately.

I laughed nervously, but the sound was shaky as the air left my nose.

Toddy reared back and placed his foot in the center of my chest. Without my hands to catch me, I was thrust backward onto the sand with one swift kick. The air left my lungs from the force of the kick. I wheezed as I lay on the sand with the soldier standing over me.

“That’s the problem with undine,” Toddy sneered. “You pride yourself on your appearance, shining up your scales, but you don’t learn to fight with your own fists.”

“Untie me and find out.” I licked my lip, tasting copper.

The soldier scoffed and reached into his pack, producing another wire reel. My eyes narrowed, and I tried to move, but there was nowhere to go. Toddy grabbed my ankles and bound them like my wrists had been tied, leaving me helpless.

“Don’t even think of escaping,” he warned.

“As if I could,” I spat.

Toddy looked down at me with all the hatred he could summon before turning away and marching back to the beach.

I finally allowed myself to loosen my breath when he disappeared into a tent. It came out sounding like a sob. The lip of the tent had allowed sand to blow in, and I realized why no one had chosen the tent closest to the trees.

Darkness had fallen, but the shade of the forest made it almost impossible to see, even with the moon fat and silver in the sky.

I wasn’t sure how I would get into the tent without my hands and feet. Perhaps I could wiggle, though it would probably be sunup when I made it into the wet and sandy bedroll.

“Need some help?” a voice drawled, holding back amusement.

I squeaked, crashing to the sand. Startled.

The voice swore before darting toward and helping me up into a sitting position. I caught a glimpse of braided hair the color of tree bark and wine as the nameless nymph helped me up. He took a moment to brush the sand from my cheek, and his touch burned.

“I don’t know your name,” I stated harshly. My thoughts came out of my mouth without my permission.

The nymph blinked. “Shay Mac Eoin.” Then he frowned as if he also hadn’t meant to speak, let alone tell me his name.

We stared at each other. I tried to measure him, but he was a mystery. The nymph had spoken to me in such a condescending manner before that it was hard to believe he was in front of me, offering help. Unless…

“Does your help come with a catch?” I accused. “If I ask you to help me into my tent, will I wake up pregnant with your child?”

Shay’s eyes widened before he laughed—the sound was more unrestrained than I expected. “What tales have you been listening to around the fire?” he asked.

“I’m not a child.” I tilted my nose in the air. “I know what nymphs do.”

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