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At the accouchement of our horses, the humans spun around. The woman pulled the sword from the scabbard around her waist. Following her lead, the dwarfs did the same, and all of them surrounded my men and I.
For a moment I almost didn’t recognize the beautiful woman. Skin as pale as snow. Hair as dark as the night. Lips as rich and red as the coral beneath the sea. But she was different. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes. Bruises and lacerations laced her arms and neck. This was Snow, the daughter of my father’s ward, and every time my father visited land, we would stay at her manor. What was she doing in Wildfire? So far from her apple orchards and manor in Tritonia.
After the ancient wars, the sea king was appointed ruler of Tritonia, a land that included the merrealm. A millennia ago, my ancestor appointed a ward to rule the land region of Tritonia in his stead, and to this day that arrangement remained. Snow’s father was Triton’s current ward. But where was her? Last I had heard he was ill. Over the last few moon cycles, Snow had met with my father to discuss the governing of Tritonia.
“Kaya,” said Gill, trying to rush our horse forward. “Kaya!”
“Stay where you are, pirate,” shouted the woman.
“Pirate?” said Gill, turning around to smirk at me.
“Snow?” I said, descending Gill’s horse first to enable him to get down and search the group of merfolk.
“Nyssa.” Shock clouded Snow’s voice and she glanced up at me, her eyes bloodshot as if she hadn’t slept. “Thank the sea god. You got my message?”
“What message?” I reached out to embrace her, but she gasped and jumped out the way. What was wrong with her? This wasn’t the girl I knew. She was meek and mild. A far cry from my bold, brave and sassy friend.
Snow was like a second sister to me. When we were young we played together and even slept in the same bed on visits. My father had to drag me away crying each time we departed for home.
“Papa is dead,” she said, her blue eyes welling with tears.
My heart felt heavy. Now I understood why Snow’s father had met with mine in many moon cycles. Triton had even ventured to Snow’s manor, seeking answers, but both Snow, and her stepmother had refused to see him.
I’d known Snow’s father since I was little. He was always very kind to me. Gave me baked treats and sweets from his kitchen. Cuddled me, kissed me, treated me like his daughter. Now he was just a fond memory. Tears welled in my eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Snow.” Again I tried taking her hand, but yanked them away as if she were frightened by my touch. “What’s wrong?”
Her gaze fell to the ground.
I didn’t get my answer because Gill slid off the horse, and two of the little men accosted him with their blades.
“Whoa,” said Gill, raising two palms in the air, smiling as if he found this amusing. “Take it easy there, little man.”
One of the dwarves poked Gill’s stomach with his sword. “Who you calling little?”
Gill snatched the weapon from the dwarf and threw it in the ground.
Snow twitched and her sword flew to Gill, making a gash in his shirt. “Don’t touch them.”
“Snow,” I said. “This isn’t like you.”
My friend was very warm and loving. Not suspicious, withdrawn and jumpy. What had happened to make her this way? Worry ate away at me and I could barely think past it.
Gill’s gaze panned Snow up and down and his eyes narrowed. “Trying to get me naked, sweetheart?”
She treated him to another jab in the guts, warning him to back off. “You’re not my type.”
“I’m taken anyway.” He swung his trident at her.
Poseidon. Stupid merman! What was he doing escalating the situation?
But then I couldn’t stop thinking about him saying he was taken. By whom? Me? But he’d never indicated we were a couple. And he didn’t seem like the settling type. Adding more fuel to my already spinning head, he left me a kiss on my cheek, and rushed into the crowd of creatures searching the merfolk.
“Where’s Kaya?” he called out. “My sister. Has anyone seen her?”
Two of the little men hobbled after him.
Fin disembarked from his horse, but the four remaining little men swung their blades at him too. “I mean you no harm,” he told them, and they swarmed protectively around Snow. “We’re just here to retrieve one of our own who was kidnapped by the collector.”
