Page 108 of Reign

“How’s she not frozen to death?” Finn asked, bewildered.

I shook my head, unsure.

“Why’s she here?” a commanding voice demanded.

Fitzroy, unarmored, stood between the cautious soldiers lingering far from the shoreline and the braver men clustered near the woman. His royal cloak fluttered in the breeze, embroidered with the insignia of Lyonesse—making him look like a flagpole placed as a reminder of who ruled this realm.

“She claims her skin’s been stolen,” a soldier shouted back. “She claims she cannot return home without it.”

Fitzroy’s hand lingered on the hilt of his sword as he tried to make sense of the surreal scene before him.

An armored knight clinked past me, advancing toward the woman with a linen sheet extended. She accepted it gratefully, wrapping it around her body as she thanked her saviors.

A gentle touch to my lower back distracted me. Glancing to my side, I saw Bash and Fletcher. Bash’s gaze drifted to my neck, and a warm smile appeared when he noticed the gold chain around it—realizing I was still wearing his gift. The slight pucker of his lips made my belly flutter as I recalled how they’d felt pressed against mine.

“Do you think she’s hurt?” Finn asked, grounding me back in the present moment.

Fletcher tilted the brim of his cap as he observed the soldiers fussing over her. “No,” he mumbled. “I don’t think that thing’s a woman.”

Bash placed an arm in front of me, gently nudging me behind him. I liked his protective gesture, though I couldn’t help but wonder what he feared I needed shielding from. Fletcher also stepped back, retreating into the safety of Bash’s shadow.

The woman reached out and tenderly stroked the cheek of a soldier. He looked at her with smitten eyes. “My saviors,” she cooed in a melodic tone, “allow me to sing you a song to show my gratitude for helping me.”

As she began to sing, a few soldiers swayed in time to her melody. Her voice was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard—soft, ethereal, harmonizing effortlessly with the sea breeze. For a fleeting moment, I found myself bopping along, losing all sense of self in her song, until Emma’s earlier prophecy resurfaced in my mind.

“If you hear their song, retreat,” I murmured under my breath.

“Pardon?” Bash asked, assuming my mumbled words were meant for him.

“Have you ever heard of seal folk?”

He nodded slowly. “You mean selkies? My father once told me of a colony beyond the Bristolia Islands. Selkies live as seals in the sea and shed their skins to transform into humans on land.”

Bash glanced back at the singing woman. “You think she’s a selkie?”

I nodded. “We need to flee.”

I prayed the soldiers would follow me inland, but only Bash and Finn did. Even Fletcher remained rooted in place—his eyes glazed over while he stared longingly at the waves, as if someone familiar were calling him to the deep.

“Fletcher, no,” Bash pleaded. “Fletch, listen to me.”

But Fletcher heard nothing beyond the silky sound of her voice. I scanned the beach, noticing how some soldiers seemed unaffected by her alluring song while others moved hypnotically toward the water.

“Fletcher? Oh gods! John, can you hear me?” Bash grappled with his cousin, struggling to keep him away from the enchantress.

“Does he have any enchanted weapon or armor on him?” I asked.

“No.” Bash grunted as he wrestled with a glassy-eyed Fletcher. “Neither do I.”

“Do you have the blade I crafted for you?” I asked.

“Of course,” he said on a strained breath.

“Then you’re protected.” A surge of relief flooded me at that notion.

The many sleepless nights spent imbuing weapons with spells proved worthwhile—well over half the men remained unaffected by the hypnotic song.

Finn restrained one of Fletcher’s arms while Bash pinned the other, and I could only watch, knowing I was too weak to help. A cry crashed against the shore, pulling my gaze to the water, where a few dozen men waded through the waves—ominous shapes floating around them.