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I was alone.
Darkness, as far as the eye could see, stretched in front of me.
There was no one to stop me from diving over the edge into the sea.
I reached for my nightgown, my fingers catching on the fabric when someone cleared their throat behind me.
“Well, you aren’t a pirate, are you?” a male voice drawled.
I turned toward them, but all I saw were golden wings.
Chapter 2
Clawed hands gripped my biceps, and air pulled my hair away from my face as I was yanked into the sky. Thewhomp whomp whompof flapping wings was the only sound as darkness stole my vision.
I locked my teeth to stop the scream that threatened to escape, and my stomach tumbled over itself as my feet dangled in the open air.
I looked over my shoulder but couldn’t see much, only the glint of shining wings; the feathers looked strange, almost like scales.
As much as I wanted to bite, scream, and claw away from my captor, I had no intention of dropping into the water from such a height. The drop would likely break my bones when I collided with the surface.
We sailed through the sky toward the cove, the only light the glittering stars and a sliver of the moon. Though sharp claws gripped my arms and blood soaked my skin, there was something peaceful about drifting through the sky.
I could feel the fat raindrops gathering in the clouds that passed the crescent moon slowly. The undulating waves as the sea lapped against the rocks.
I didn’t bother asking questions; the wind would have stolen my voice anyway. I felt my captor change his position, pulling his wings into his body as he lowered himself from the sky. A cliff edge came into sight so abruptly that I would have sworn it hadn’t been there a moment before. My captor’s wings folded in completely, and he lifted me closer as we aimed for the cliff, guided only by the moon's light.
I closed my eyes as the cliff grew closer and closer, gritting my teeth and preparing to be slammed face-first into the rock. Instead, my captor bent his knees and gripped the sheer cliff face. My breath exploded out of my lungs, and I let out an unladylike wheeze. My heart raced, unable to comprehend that we had not died.
With a swing and a heave, I was placed in the entrance of a cave. Dim, flickering faelight shone further in, that had been invisible from the sky. Someone landed beside me a moment later, his feathers ruffling as he skimmed the grit on the cave floor.
I turned, facing my captor. Another male in a series of males that had kidnapped me.
His wings were pure spun gold, though his eyes were black. He looked like he belonged atop a dragon’s hoard, guarding its treasure.
This man had a long, beaky nose and golden skin, the like of which I had never seen before.
Undine were born with adornments. I was used to my peers' pearls, opals, and gemstones. I had never seen a Fae that appeared to be made of gold before.
He ruffled his feathers, cocking his head in a bird-like fashion. “What are you?” he demanded.
I could be hostile. I could be mean. I could stamp my feet and proclaim that I was a captive and didn’t want to be. All of those tedious things.
Instead, I tried to smile, though my lips were chapped, and the skin hurt when it stretched. “My name is Maeve,” I told him. “I am Undine. One of the gilded fae from the Twilight Lake.”
A moment passed as he digested that information. “You may call me Arden.” He nodded, seemingly pleased with the introduction. “I am a Siren.”
“A Siren?” I echoed. “Are there many of you?”
“Some.” Arden shrugged. “It was a long journey from the ship, and I must regroup with my flock in the morning.”
“Okay,” I elongated the word as I looked about the cave. I laughed nervously. “Do you have anything to sleep on?”
“There is a nest at the back of the cave.” Arden gestured behind me. “We should rest.”
My eyes followed the wave of his hand, noticing the bundle of furs and branches further into the cave, hidden in the corner. Arden strode forward, his wings folding and snapping until they retracted into his skin. The slit healed as the bones rearranged, and he rolled his shoulders. The entire process looked painful.
The nest was small, but I was so tired I made no complaint as I lay down. Arden adjusted so that he slept, facing the entrance to the cave. The furs were warm, and I could wrap myself in a way that made me feel safe from being accosted in the night. Arden gave the impression that I might have been a tree for all the attention he seemed to give me.
