Page 37 of Duncan

Meg hunched her shoulders and gave the older woman a faintly belligerent look. “That I’m wise to avoid the wulvers?”

Lady Joana laughed. “Wulvers, they’re only stories. People dinnae change shape in the moonlight and become animals.”

“Once I saw…och, ’tisnae important.” She handed the laird’s wife the brimming cup. “I shall come and sleep in your chamber on the night of the next full moon, my lady. Then I may protect you from the wulvers.”

“I believe my lord husband shall take offense,” the older woman teased.

Merrick heard rustling in the brush, which drew his attention out of his memories and into the present. He saw and smelled two Selseus near him, but the last thing he expected to see was Jamaran escorting Duxor into the small clearing. The traitor looked ragged, his Selseus body suit unkempt and torn in several places. From his sullen, downcast expression he had been brought against his wishes.

“Why does the bastart yet breathe?” Merrick demanded.

“He left a message for me at the old watch post beyond the kelp pastures,” the garrison commander said. “He promised he’d surrender if I’d permit him speak with you.”

“Gather stakes.” Merrick drew his dagger. “Use your breath and speak while you may, traitor, for I shall give you new air holes.”

“You dinnae ken what I’ve endured, my king,” he whined. “The enchantress captured and forced me serve her.” Duxor fell to his knees. “I’ve kept her from Caladh since being made prisoner, but with the monsters she compelled me make, she shall soon find her way here. I couldnae allow her to attack the settlement and murder our people, so I escaped to warn you.”

“You lie,” Merrick said flatly. “No one could bully you so much you’d use our royal power of creation for such purposes. Nor did you ever care for the life of any Selseus.”

“Derdrui takes from mortals their bairns, and keeps them as hostages. When I first refused, she tore out the throats of three of the wee ones.” Duxor ducked his head. “I didnae wish more murdered, so I made the thing she wished. Then she wouldnae permit me stop, for she’s mad with her desires. She means pit them against the MacMar.”

What he’d said made Merrick’s grip on his dagger loosen. He could well imagine the sadistic enchantress doing exactly what the traitor described. No male, even one as selfish as Duxor, could stand by and do nothing while innocents were butchered.

Jamaran nudged him with his foot. “You said she created an army of such hybrids so she might attack our settlement.”

“Aye, so she may remove us, eejit, and clear the path to Dun Ard,” the traitor muttered, and then looked up at Merrick. “It matters no’ if you believe my claims. Only ken that the enchantress made me create hundreds of the monsters so she might enchant them. They all now serve her. She’s gathering weapons for her Cait Sith, and then they shall attack the Selseus first. Once we’ve been defeated, then shall she invade Caladh.”

Merrick turned his back on Duxor and looked out at the bay through the trees. Although he was sure his former heir was trying to shift the blame for his outrageous acts onto Derdrui, what he claimed about her intentions was likely truth. The enchantress would stop at nothing to destroy the MacMar Clan, and if the Selseus got in her way, she’d wipe them out as well.

’Tis what my sire feared most, that we’d sacrifice ourselves to protect the landwalkers.

“Take him to MacLeir,” he finally said to Jamaran. “Bid the ferryman imprison him in his sea caves until we ken what ’tis truth.”

“No, please, my king,” his cousin begged as the commander jerked him to his feet. “I must stay and help you defend our people.”

“Och, lad, you shall. If indeed the enchantress and her army come in our waters, I shall have you staked out here as bait for her monsters.” He watched Jamaran drag Duxor off, and then walked to the opposite side of the islet, where he regarded the outer borders of his settlement before eyeing Dun Ard.

Somehow Mistress Fairburn would prove important in the coming days, but how so? Merrick could not fathom such. For now, he needed deal with another woman.

“Come out and speak with me, Mistress Scott,” Merrick called out.

A few moments later Julianne Scott waded up out of the water, her expression guilty.

“Hey, Your Majestic Highness. Um, sorry, I didn’t know you and Jam were like meeting with that bad guy here. Maybe you should start flying a blackball flag or something.” She smiled hopefully. “That’s what we do in my time to warn swimmers that the surf’s too rough, or there are no lifeguards on duty.”

Aware that she was by nature like a wayward bairn, Merrick leashed his annoyance. “Why come you here, lass?”

“I was just here, like walking through the trees looking for Fae stuff for Healer Duncan when Jam came.” She grimaced. “I heard what he told you before I jumped from there back into the water. You know that Duxor’s totes talking out his butt, right?” She saw his expression and added, “That means what he told you is complete crap.”

“Some, aye, lass, but no’ all.” He gestured for her to sit down on the sand, and when she did he joined her there. “I’ve no doubt he created hybrids, but no’ so he might save mortal bairns. He wished gather an army for his planned rebellion. The creatures likely turned on him, or the enchantress held sway over them. Some once served her as Cait Sith before the traitor changed them.”

“That sounds more for real.” Julianne rested her chin on her knees as she looked out at the bay. “You know I’m different because I grew up in the forest world, right? Sometimes I can sense things about certain people. Like how I knew Shaw was a good guy in spite of the Big Bad inside him.”

“’Tis a rare gift, such perception,” he told her, wishing he had the same.

“I think Nicole is like Shaw. I mean, she doesn’t have tats or a dark spirit inside her,” she added quickly. “She’s got powers though. More than one. And they’re not like our powers. They’re like ginormous powers. So you don’t have to worry so much.”

He wanted rather than knew that to be true. “I wish I could do as you advise, lass.”