Author's note: watch?v=khsIOsZMAEo I listened to this while writing the chapter, especially with the battle so I thought you all might like to have it. :) Enjoy!
"Gandriel!" Anelisse called, glancing around the corner of the hall, "Where are you? Gandriel!"
A delighted meow sounded as the rotund tabby that Anelisse had been forced to recognize as her boyfriend came bounding down the hall, tail high in the air, his fluffy paws tapping against the wooden floor.
By the Mother he was precious. An idiot, but precious.
Gandriel paused for a moment by her feet, his tail twitching as she held out her arms for him. He nimbly leapt into them with a chirp, happily nuzzling against her shoulder, purring and twitching his tufted ears.
They'd finally set up a system for him to write using stones, allowing him to push little pebbles about with his nose and paws. It had taken him a while to get them into place the first time, but at last he finally spelled out "sorry." Anelisse's former fury had fizzled away into nothingness at the sight. She should have known better than to doubt him.
He'd mewed sadly at her, tawny eyes downcast as he looked away in shame. She had sighed and promptly wrapped him up into her arms, kissing him fondly as he melted into a pile of thankful fluff. The begrudging feline and had since spent his days winding about her feet as they prepared for their assault on the slave shipments.
The convoy had been only a few days north of them and was finally visible to Avi when he'd taken off to scout the location Gandriel had provided, the relief evident on the male's face when he'd reported back. Two large ships, still with minimal guards. It was a reprieve even if the circumstances still left Anelisse uneasy.
They were to overtake the ships in only a few hours' time, staying just out of sight as they made their final preparations. They'd had to keep a larger distance than normal since Gandriel was . . . indisposed, and unable to use his powers to keep them concealed in his current form, though not for lack of effort.
He'd spent the previous days trying, and failing, to summon an ounce of storm magic. Much to everyone's chagrin he hadn't been able to muster even a wisp of fog. He'd been sulking ever since, especially as they struggled to plan around being short one storm wielder, with Celeste giving him the instruction of "watch the ship" in their absence.
So he'd taken to napping. Gandriel had been going so far as to sleep on top of Anelisse, plopping his bulk in her lap as he kneaded her chest and stomach before dozing off. His substitution for showering her with affection, she presumed, even if he often spent a disproportionately large amount of time kneading the former rather than the latter.
Which she would have much preferred he do with his hands rather than sharp little claws.
They'd figure out a way to get him fae again, regardless of how he'd managed his current predicament. Avi seemed completely convinced he'd somehow managed to do it to himself, a statement which Gandriel seemed to heartily disagree with, espe the amount of disgruntled meowing whenever it was brought up.
Regardless, Anelisse had since been lathering him in kisses and belly scratches every time she had him in her arms, eliciting sounds of disgust from her sister. Celeste, on the other hand, was still thoroughly enjoying her new game of scooping Gandriel up and sending him skidding down the hall.
The newly minted feline had only hissed his displeasure twice.
"Come on," Anelisse hummed softly, turning back towards the stairs, giggling as Gandriel whined pathetically, no doubt wanting to continue his cat nap, "we have a meeting to get to."
"That's unacceptable!" Fallon was nearly jumping up and down as she growled her annoyance at Celeste, pointing a single accusatory finger. "You can't just tell me you've 'got it covered' and not tell me how you plan to get past those blasted wards—"
"Fallon, sit down," Vaerek's deep voice rumbled, his dark eyes scanning the map. "Throwing a fit like a toddler is not going to help anyone." He cast a pointed look toward Celeste, "Even if I would also like to know exactly how this is going to be executed."
Celeste certainly would have liked that information too.
It was only a feeling, an inkling of a memory, but it was their only shot at getting past those magical barriers without alerting every guard on board. And without Gandriel to provide cover . . . she tried not to glance over at the dozing feline in her sister's lap.
It had to work - there was no other option.
Deep down, she knew she'd done it before and that she could do it again, she only had to remember.
And she only had an hour to do so.
"You're just going to have to trust me on this one."
"By the Mother." Fallon looked pleadingly up at the ceiling before relenting and slumping in a chair, reaching to pour herself a glass of wine, hissing as Vaerek pulled the beverage out of her reach without even looking up from the map.
"You're in no position to be drinking. Focus, Fallon."
She shot him a crude gesture before she turned back to Celeste, all signs of her fury vanishing. "Well, if you fail miserably at least we'll have something to keep us distracted as we fight off guards and whatever else they've got on that ship."
"That's the spirit, pup," Avi chortled, candlelight dancing in his eyes as he glanced over the occupants of the room, in much higher spirits than he'd been the previous week. "It won't be the first time we've fought our way out and certainly won't be the last."
Father and daughter shared a wicked grin.
Vaerek gave a long-suffering sigh. Celeste suspected the scattered streaks of grey in the man's hair had come from those two.
"Then it's settled, we make our move as soon as the sun dips below the horizon." Fallon nodded at the last golden dregs of evening light slipping through the glass panes. "Koda and the others with gifts are ready when we give the signal. They'll be the first line of defense, especially without our storm-wielder." Fallon snorted at the orange tabby. "Then you, Miss Secrets, will take out the wards before we board the ship. Anelisse and the others will remain aboard the Siren and Loreley to ensure the gangplanks remain strung and no one sneaks onto our ships," a smile at the sleeping Gandriel, "and perhaps our little feline might make himself useful by biting someone's heels."
Gandriel peeled one tawny eye open, annoyance lancing through the orb. Flicking his ears back he gave a solitary twitch of his tail, an indication of his irritation.
"Or perhaps you can relieve yourself in one of the guards' shoes, I'm sure they'd be thoroughly annoyed at the act. Though you'd probably do that as fae, too."
Celeste swore she saw a tilt of Avi's lips, the selkie leaning back in his chair as he watched. Vaerek sent a suspicious look at the lord.
Gandriel let out a low growl of annoyance at the captain, his ears flattening further. Celeste was aware of how touchy her first mate had become with the current predicament, but the demi-fae was right - he was nearly useless until he found a way to return to his usual form.
"Fallon, leave him alone," Anelisse reprimanded as she cooed at the tabby curled up in her arms, like a mother to a child, "he's already stressed enough."
"Oh he certainly looks stressed," Fallon gave a simpering smile that would make anyone's blood boil, before stepping around the table and reaching into Anelisse's lap to rub the cat's head none-too-gently, "nuzzling your breasts while the rest of us deal with the issues at hand. But please, don't let me keep you from your duties, Pumpkin."
The male swiped at the captain; she quickly snatched her hand away with a tsk before going back to poking him and pulling on his whiskers.
"Now, now, Fallon be kind, not all shifters are gifted enough to master the simple act of returning to their original form," Avi's voice was an amused purr, "it could be weeks, or even months yet before he figures out the most important, and easiest skill a shifter should know."
"Oh, Dad you're right, or even a year perhaps. Ahh, a diet of tuna and rodents, what a fine future to look forward to!" She gripped Gandriel's face between her palms and made kissy faces at him.
He hissed at her, tail twitching furiously.
Fallon's smile widened.
"For a male of such renown and with such power it is pathetic that you can't even figure out how to shift back to your fae form. Though, perhaps you're keeping this form because you're too cowardly to—"
A crack snapped through the room, the air sizzling with magic as a harsh snarl ripped from the male and Anelisse let out a little yelp of surprise.
"Listen here, you red-headed demon—" Gandriel's voice was hoarse as he placed his palms flat on the table, digging his nails into the wood as he glared at Fallon, once again whole in his fae form.
The male stopped at the sound of his own voice, surprise flashing across his features.
"Wait-" he gaped down at his hands, relief washing over his features, "I'm fae again." He grabbed at his face then ran his hands down his torso, his eyes wild and hair flying in every direction. "I'm fae again!"
"And as big," Anelisse squeaked from beneath Gandriel, her voice muffled beneath his bulk. The male leapt up, stammering his apologies as he turned to face her, grasping her hands pleadingly.
Fallon shared a knowing look with her father.
"Explain," Celeste demanded, gesturing towards Gandriel who was now checking himself over, groping in places she certainly wouldn't have deemed appropriate in the presence of others, even as relief washed through her.
Of course Avi and Fallon had known how to get Gandriel back to normal all along.
"It's how we get the selkie pups to shift back after their first change, if they have trouble," Avi said with a smirk, "you rough them up and make them so angry that they forget what they are. Works like a charm." A deep laugh that was immediately echoed by Fallon.
"And you didn't think to do this sooner?"
"It's usually best to give them a few days to try shifting back on their own," the selkie added with a shrug. Vaerek sent his lover a look of disapproval.
"Right."
Fallon cast a nod at Gandriel who was peeking tentatively down his pants, breathing a sigh of relief at what he found.
"You're not the only one with cards up your sleeve." Fallon winked at Celeste before blowing a kiss toward the still-reeling Gandriel who sent her a frumpy look in return. "Now, you'd better blow those wards to hell so we can get those people out. I'll see you at sundown."
"How many biscuits are you going to eat?" Celeste inquired with disgust as she stepped up onto the deck next to Gandriel, who gleefully shoved the glorious pieces of bread into his mouth at an alarming rate, the rich taste of butter nearly making him moan.
That fact that it wasn't fish nearly had him in tears.
"Az min az tacks."
Celeste swatted at him, slinging droplets of water into the mists surrounding them. His magic had flooded him once again the second he'd been freed from that cursed cat form, fully functioning and eager to be used. He hadn't been able to even access a drop of it as he wandered the ship as a feline. No, he'd only been able to meow pathetically and be devastatingly distracted by the damned bits of twine that had so enticingly waved back and forth on the deck.
He would sooner drown himself than experience that again. Though he had to admit, unrestricted access to Anelisse's chest had certainly been a perk.
"Chew, swallow, then speak, you buffoon."
Gandriel smacked loudly before swallowing the entire mouthful of biscuit, crumbs clinging to his chin. He was going to have a full, warm, elaborate meal filled with fruits and charred meats as soon as this business was over.
And definitely no fish.
"As many as it takes," he repeated, biting into another biscuit that Anelisse dutifully handed him before she plucked another from the basket and covered it in copious amounts of blackberry jam. "I never want to see tuna again as long as I live."
Anelisse giggled. "I do think Eoin feels bad for feeding you so much of it. He thought you quite enjoyed it."
Celeste smirked, no doubt recalling the memory of the sailor's bright red blush when Gandriel had appeared on deck, back in his usual form. Eoin had profusely apologized to him, sheepishly scratching his head.
Gandriel didn't blame the boy at all, quite the opposite, as he'd been the only force that had kept Celeste from stringing him up.
And he honestly hadn't minded the name Pumpkin.
"I did," Gandriel said mournfully, "it was delicious in that form. But the memory of it . . ." He shuddered. "Let's pretend this never happened and never do it again."
"I can't believe you didn't know you were a shapeshifter," Celeste mused, "how one misses that little detail is beyond me." She looked out over the front of the ship, the bobbing of the mermaid at the prow the only thing visible in the dense fog.
"It wasn't me!" Gandriel snapped, for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, irritation flooding him. The winnowing, while surprising, had made sense, but shapeshifting? Certainly even his father hadn't had such magic. "I swear the male that was after me cursed me, forced me into that form so he could catch me more easily!"
"Oh really? Why were you able to change yourself back, then?"
Gandriel flushed. He didn't have an answer for that one. He ducked his head, halfheartedly tossing a piece of biscuit toward Celeste. Anelisse snickered beneath her breath.
"Captain!" One of the human sailors, Aaron, called from the crow's nest, "We're within sight. We'll be upon the ships in minutes."
"Showtime then," he heard Celeste mutter before she stepped away and began making her way to the bow of the ship, her dark cloak swaying behind her as she brought her hood up. She pitched her voice to Aaron, "Tell the men to get ready! I'm going to bring the wards down."
Gandriel quirked a brow at her as she stepped up onto the railing, confusion filling him. "I was under the impression your magic didn't do that."
She scowled at him beneath the dark cowl. "And I was under the impression your magic didn't turn you into a cat. Now shut up." Celeste straightened her arms beside her.
At first there was nothing, just the breeze around them, the darkness of the night and the lapping of the storm-driven waves. Gandriel was about to ask Celeste if she just wanted him to strike the wards with lightning when the first pulse hit him. A small, sharp thing, a wrinkle in the wind emanating from his captain that made him take a tentative step back.
Anelisse grabbed his arm, eyes wide.
It was the second pulse that had him gasping as he felt the power build around her, thrumming through the air, sparking and pulsing, like the deep breath before the plunge. A second later the power launched forward with such force it set the Loreley rocking dangerously, nearly knocking Anelisse off her feet. Gandriel caught her easily.
Celeste's magic shot through the deepening twilight like an arrow, swift and unyielding. A snap cracked through the night as the barriers splintered into nothingness, cries of shock sounding from ships as the wards came tumbling down.
Clearing away some of the fog, Gandriel saw that they were on top of them now, with a clear path forward.
Surprise and a hint of exhilaration filled him as he looked toward Celeste, just in time to see her sway, nearly toppling from the railing. Instinctively, he rushed to grab her but she balanced herself and merely jumped down beside him.
He tried to quell the shaking in his hands, the fear that had bloomed in his stomach at the might he'd just witnessed-what the hell had that even been? The hair on his neck stood on end as he reached a hand out for her.
"Celeste, what was that?"
She gave him a smile, violet eyes bright in the darkness.
"Our ticket in."
It had been the whisper of that unknown boy's voice that had guided her magic, the soft hum that had Celeste instinctively reaching into a reservoir of power she'd nearly forgotten she possessed. Never as strong as his, she remembered, but powerful enough to do the trick when needed.
She'd followed the memory down, pulling the vast rawness up as she focused and willed the shields to snap beneath it. As it had built she'd had a small flash of dark hair and blue eyes before a name had bloomed on her tongue.
A name that had left her as quickly as it had formed, flying away with the magic she had flung at the shields, vaporizing away with them as they'd disintegrated.
It didn't matter, whoever he'd been, he was only a fragment of her shadowed past.
Best ignored and forgotten.
She just needed the world to stop spinning long enough for them to get onto that boat and take out the guards. She turned to her first mate, catching the scent of his surprise and fear amid the saturating smell of the ocean and rain.
She had no time for explanations, especially not as her men heaved the gangplank up, drawing their blades. They were seconds away from boarding.
Eoin approached from her peripherals, coming to her just as she'd asked. She swallowed and willed the world into focus, squaring her shoulders.
"Anelisse, you stay and watch the gangplank, Gandriel you're with me. No mercy for these bastards." She didn't give him a chance to respond as she strode up the length of the ship, palming her blades free as she watched her men drop the gangplank, swords at the ready as they rushed the guards awaiting them on the other side.
Her hair stood on end at the charge of electricity building behind her as she rushed the first guard, driving her blades into his chest and throat faster than any human could expect to react, tearing the flesh free before tossing the man's body to the side. A muffled boom echoed as the gangplank of the Siren dropped, the ship appearing as though from nothing through the mist beside the second ship in the convoy, just as planned. Then bright gold of flames flared through the fog, rising high in the air as plumes of wind sent them spiraling.
Celeste smirked - Koda and the others were certainly doing their job then. Warmth bloomed beside her as well, as a young demi-fae woman borrowed from Fallon's crew blasted the guards back, her own flames forcing them to yield step by step.
The din of battle soon rose around her as she cut down human guard after human guard, all scrambling to compose themselves and hold the line. Her men hit them like a tidal wave, crushing them with little effort.
Thunder boomed through the night as lightning illuminated the teeming deck in harsh white light for a moment before shooting down the mast, which exploded into splinters with a crack. Celeste ducked and covered her face as thousands of deadly shards of wood rained down around her. This ship wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.
"Hold the line!" she cried above the sound of battle, looking back toward the gangplank where Anelisse stood, dagger in hand, Eoin flanking her just as Celeste had directed him. She trusted her men and Eoin to keep her sister safe.
Shoving a final guard to the side and leaving him for the others to finish off, she shot for the cabin of the ship, no doubt where the captain of the vessel would be waiting. Where she hoped more information awaited her.
Not bothering to check whether it was locked or not, Celeste simply kicked in the door to the captain's quarters, pouring all of her fae strength into a single thrust that sent the slab of wood flying clean off its hinges into the dark room beyond. She strode into the room, her blades brandished, eyes peeled for any hint of movement. In the corner burned a single candle, the rest pitch black. Useful perhaps, she thought smugly, against a human.
Easing forward, she took in her surroundings, mentally sorting through the array of shapes of furniture, listening for the scuffling of feet, the sound of breathing. She heard the footsteps behind her before the blow landed, allowing her to sidestep and strike first, sending her assailant tumbling.
The human hit the floor, his blade clattering to the side.
Celeste whirled her own blade to land inches from the man's throat. Her position secured, she stepped closer and felt a flicker of delight feather through her as another flare of flame on deck illuminated the peppered hair and dark features. The same bastard who'd first tried to sell her sister as a slave.
Dermot.
Gandriel raced behind Celeste, his fingers tingling as his magic gathered another bolt of lightning in his palm when a force slammed into him, sending him skidding across the wooden planks. He slammed into the wood, the lightning in his palm guttering out.
"Well, well, if it isn't our little eavesdropper."
Fear clenched his stomach at the tone - he remembered that voice.
Rolling up onto his knees Gandriel took in the looming figure before him, draped in the same dark hood he'd worn that night in Sandlock. Of course he had to be his opponent.
"You." He bared his teeth and forced himself to his feet, reaching for the mostly ornamental blade he carried at his hip. "You're the bastard that turned me into a cat!"
The male stopped, tilting his head in confusion, "What?"
"Don't play stupid," Gandriel hissed, brandishing the sword he'd pulled from his belt, intending to get his revenge for days spent as a feline. "I know it was you."
The big male laughed, tossing his head back in amusement. "Whatever you say, boy," dark magic began to swirl around his hands, magic that suddenly made Gandriel's blade feel like a toothpick, "it won't matter for long anyway."
Gandriel tucked and rolled to the side as a ball of darkness shot toward him, almost losing his blade in the process. He skidded to a halt in time to see the magic instead slam into the rail behind him, sending wood splintering in all directions.
He swallowed. That had almost been him. He abandoned his blade.
Summoning another ball of lightning, Gandriel flung it at his opponent, sending sparks of electricity flying in all directions. The male narrowly dodged it, chuckling darkly as the lightning evaporated, his scarred face appearing as the hood of his dark cloak slipped back.
Gandriel took a tentative step back, uneasy beneath that heavy stare. Where, exactly, had Celeste run off to again?
"Oh, this, I've seen this power before." The warrior's teeth peeled back from his lips. "And that scent, like flowers and rain." He threw his head back, cackling toward the veiled night sky. "To think those two actually fucked," a low chuckle, "and made a little heir. Isn't that right, future Lord of-"
"Stop your rambling right now!" Gandriel hissed, calling a wall of wind around him as he scrambled to shut the mysterious male up. "You've no idea what you're talking about. Heir? What heir? There's no heir—" he slung another ball of lightning, this one more frazzled and nearly careening off into the water, "You don't know what you're talking about."
The male only smirked.
"Do you think I've forgotten that Aella bitch? I've wanted to dice her up since she gave me this little present," he gestured towards the brutal scar on his face, running from brow to chin, "though I suppose I'll settle for taking it out of her spawn's hide."
The male vanished as he winnowed behind Gandriel, another ball of sickening power poised to strike. The blond fumbled to dodge, his drenched hair sticking to his face as his shield of wind deflected the attack just enough to allow his escape. Instincts kicked in as the cloaked male summoned yet more magic, this time fashioning it into a sizzling spear that he drove down towards Gandriel's chest. He managed to regain his grip on his sword before his magic took hold and sent him flying between the worlds, winnowing behind the brute.
Brandishing his blade, Gandriel swung to strike but felt his sword collide with the bigger male's spear of magic, his arms quivering beneath the other males strength.
"Nice try, little lord."
Not good, this was not good at all.
"You," Celeste said with a snarl, circling Dermot as he regarded her from the floor, "of course it's you."
The man raised an eyebrow as he took her in, his scent hard to decipher amidst the overpowering smells of rain, fear, and blood. "If it isn't the little fae bitch. I wondered when you'd turn up again. Rufus was a fool for trusting you."
"I'm thankful the weasel did." She stopped her circling, watching the human carefully. "The papers he was carrying have certainly been helpful and he got a nice grave at the bottom of the deep blue in exchange. You're a hard man to track."
"As are you, whore."
Insults to try and ruffle her. She'd never give him the pleasure. Brandishing her blade, she rested it on the man's chest, watching the blade twitch imperceptibly with each of his breaths. The time would come to enjoy piercing the black, withered thing beating beneath, but first she had questions. She certainly wouldn't put it past Dermot to have used this shipment as a trap of some kind and wasn't willing to put her crew at risk without at least attempting to glean information.
"Why the wards?" Celeste gestured around her. "Why are you with this shipment? What are you hiding, Dermot? What is so special about it?"
"Absolutely nothing." He smirked at her, still seemingly unconcerned with his predicament. She kicked him even as she could tell there was no lie in his words. His hand drifted toward the pocket of his wool jacket.
"Answer the question," she snapped at him through clenched teeth.
"I just did."
Pressing her sword more deeply into his chest, she suppressed the thrill of enjoyment as a small dark blotch welled up around the tip of the blade. She was only one small thrust away from ending his miserable life. "Your ship has been taken. You can either offer up your information or lose your life."
Dermot chuckled. "I'm not so ignorant to think you'd spare me even if you promised it."
"Wise man."
"Unfortunately, as much as I've enjoyed our reunion, I'm afraid the same can't be said for you." The slaver pulled his hand from the pocket that he'd been inching towards and blew, sending fine particles flying into Celeste's face that immediately burned like hellfire and sent her reeling.
It felt like glass in her eyes and her nose, keeping her from breathing, blinding her—pain, unholy, horrendous pain and wrongness, the kind she'd felt only months before. Ground ash and faebane.
She fell back with a shout, cursing as she heard Dermot scramble up and race onto the deck, fleeing. Half blind, she followed after, tracking him by scent alone. She could barely make out the remaining fires that burned, the sound of her men as they overwhelmed the last of the guards.
"Dune! Time to go!" A rapid thud of footsteps, then the tang of magic—
"Bastard's winnowed away," she heard Gandriel growl to her left. Dimly, she registered his figure turning to her and gasping, "Celeste!" In a moment, his hands were on her, his face swimming into focus above her. "What happened?" He hissed as he yanked his hands away, the dust no doubt searing his skin as well.
"Faebane and ash," she managed to wheeze out, her lungs burning as her knees tried to crumple beneath her, everything unbearably hot, "he got away, we have to go after—"
A sudden torrent of cool rain poured over her, washing the dust from her face and soothing her burning skin. "No, not with you like this." She felt her first mate pull her, no doubt leading her back to her ship, even as every instinct screamed at her to pursue the man who'd slipped so easily from her grasp.
"Gandriel," she could taste the blood dripping down her throat, no doubt from where the dust had embedded itself in her sinuses, "we don't have time, this might be our only chance—"
"We'll get him," finality and fury in that tone, "We've secured the ship, we can check the hold for captives when we've fixed this - a few more minutes won't hurt them. Dermot's time will come."
Of that Celeste would be certain.