Page 37 of Nyall

“You cannae prevail over those bastarts, my prince,” a familiar voice murmured, making him freeze in his steps. “Yet if you come to my aid, I shall see you crowned.”

He turned to see Duxor, the king’s traitorous cousin, standing in the shallows. Dark shapes moved slowly behind him in the water, but stopped as he approached.

Bered wondered if seizing the traitor and presenting him to the king would convince Merrick the trap he’d set had been for his worthless cousin.

“We reckoned you dead,” he said, watching him closely. “What do you here?”

“Your plan to use that female, ’twas clever. A shame those eejits came to her rescue before you could take her. Ever I’ve reckoned you a wily schemer.” The traitor bared his teeth. “I’ve plans as well, and mine shallnae fail. Come with me, and I’ll protect you.”

Serving a mewling coward held little value for Bered, but with a little effort and some flattery he might convince the king’s cousin to do his bidding. “Where shall we go?”

Duxor’s grin widened. “Where I keep my new garrison.”

He joined the traitor in the water, and from there swam with him to an island beyond the mist barrier. Seeing light filtering out of the underwater caves made Bered eye the other Selseus with fresh suspicion. Since Freja had disappeared everyone at the settlement had suspected Duxor had lured her away to kill her, and Bered had no desire to become his next victim.

I shallnae end you, I vow, the traitor thought just before he entered the largest cave. I need you.

Bered looked around the caves for the garrison Duxor claimed to have, but saw no other Selseus. Had he recruited some of the young males from the settlement? His curiosity overcame his wariness, and at last he swam after the traitor.

Inside the cave torches fitted with flameless light orbs glowed with blue-white light, illuminating a chamber half-filled with air. Bered surfaced and climbed out onto a shelf of rock, where Duxor stood waiting. Behind him marked hides covered a wall, and showed various features of Caladh etched into the surface. Urchin spines pierced several spots as well.

“You make a habit of breathing air like a landcrawler now?” Bered asked once he’d cleared his gills.

“’Tis where I issue my orders,” Duxor said. “I’m teaching my warriors how they may walk on land as well.”

He glanced around the empty chamber. “I see naught of your garrison.”

“They’re shy.” The traitor made a beckoning gesture, and something swam up from the depths and surfaced.

Bered stared at the thing, which resembled a shark with a man’s features. When it turned slowly in the water, he saw its body had both mortal limbs and a tail, all covered in the hide of a white-mouth. The ghastly creature then met his gaze and grinned, showing rows of jagged shark teeth.

“Meet Erskin, the first of his kind,” Duxor said. “He began as a drowning mortal I intended save by transforming, as Merrick did Jamaran. Only a shark attacked him in mid-change, and my power instead joined them together.” To the thing he’d transformed he said, “Show you’ve yet manners.”

The creature’s wedge-shaped head dipped. “Greetings, my prince.”

Bered thought he might empty his belly at that moment, only his throat remained so tight only a few appalled words passed. “You did such a thing?”

“No’ deliberately, at least, the first time.” The traitor made another gesture, and a mortal with mismatched eyes came out of the water and climbed up onto the rock shelf. “Ah, I’d hoped you’d spied my signal. Present yourself to the next king of the Selseus, wench.”

The male’s body suddenly shifted into that of a dark-haired female with a narrow face and flat, dark eyes. “Fair night, my prince. I’m called Fiacail.”

Now he really would puke, Bered thought. “You’re Cait Sith?”

“She was before her Fae princess ordered her stabbed and dropped in the sea.” Duxor put his arm around the female. “Now she’s like Erskin, and rather more. She may take any shape she chooses, stay on land, and pass as a mortal. Indeed, she’s pledged me her service for life.”

“As long as my master lives, I shall serve him,” the shape shifter agreed.

“How many more of these creatures did you make?” Bered murmured, unable to look away from Fiacail’s lethal gaze.

“’Tis seven at present, for ’tis taking much from me to change them alone.” The traitor approached him, reaching for his hands and holding them in a fervent grip. “With another Selseus to make the transformations, we may build a true garrison in a few weeks.”

“You’re mad.” Bered yanked his hands free and stepped back. “I want no part of your schemes. These things of yours, they’re abominations that you must slay at once. Do thus and leave the settlement, and never return.”

Duxor sighed. “I had such hopes.”

When Bered turned to dive into the water, he saw six other creatures with Erskin, and froze. The traitor had not limited himself to blending mortals with only sharks; two appeared to be part conger, and one had a whale-killer’s big, black and white body with arms and legs sprouting from beneath its fins, and ruddy brown hair wetly curling around a man’s face.

“Get out of my way,” Bered demanded, and then saw a blade flash in front of his nose.