CHAPTER TWO
CAILYN
The distinctive frothy suds that swirled over the waves on the White Ocean were only interesting to look at for so long.
After waking up in an oval-shaped cabin, with a small round window looking out onto the glimmering sea, it became clear to Cailyn where she was headed. And she began to get restless. The room held a bed and small table with a lamp and chair, and a small washroom was tucked into one corner. Although it was pretty well furnished, it had no decoration other than the golden rim around the small, high window. The door to her cabin was securely locked, and the only way in or out. There was nothing else to do but watch the sea. Her stomach lurched as the ship swayed and dipped, and although she couldn't see the port they had left, she had a feeling that it was pretty far away by now.
Strangely, she couldn’t access any magic, though she could feel it around her. The sensation was odd, and made her increasingly frustrated. Her escape method was staring her in the face, and yet she couldn’t use it. The only good thing was that she suspected her blocks were still securely in place, hopefully that would mean her abductors didn’t know she was an Omega.
She paced the small cabin room for what felt like hours, wondering what she was going to do when she was finally let out. These types of ships carried slaves of all kinds to and from the Western Lands. But what was surprising was that she had been drugged and dragged in daylight onto a slave ship. It was extremely unusual for a random Eastern Lander to be taken the way she was. She could potentially be in a worse situation than she had been with Drocco if they had actually stolen her to be a slave. She slowed to a stop.
Drocco.
A panic rose at the memory of him staring at her so viciously as she drifted away. She squeezed her eyes shut, calming the feeling, while also identifying the same discomfort she had felt at the time—the feeling that she had done something terribly wrong. That feeling had dulled considerably, but she knew that was because of her blocks. She sighed and moved to stand by the window, staring at the darkening sky and rippling waves. It still seemed unbelievable that he, of all Alphas, was her true mate, but it did help her to understand her unreasonable reactions to him. The Mothers would assume she was going back to him, and although Drocco may continue looking for her, the last thing she’d said to him may be true after all—he may never see her again. Instead of the relief she thought she would feel, an odd sensation swept her. Whenever she thought back to the time she had spent as his prisoner, his kiss dominated her mind, the warmth of his arms, his rough hands gripping her, his gruff murmurs in her ear—the dome of safety she had begun to feel with him niggled at her in the recess of her mind and it conflicted her.
She was deep in thought when the door to her cabin cracked open. She spun around and backed up against the wall, her knees bent, leaning forward, trying to prepare for what may come next.
A man with a pointy blue beard popped his head through the door. "Are you up?" He widened the crack in the door and slipped in, before closing it behind him and locking it again. He turned toward her, a flask in one hand and a friendly smile on his face as he took her in. He had a boyish look, even though he was clearly a grown Beta male. He wore a long, colorful tunic with black half-pants that were cut in the bobbed style of Western Land wear. His thick blue hair was tied back behind his head, his brown face open and expressive.
Cailyn was taken aback by his grin and general upbeat demeanor. She remained still and quiet, watching to see what he was going to do.
"My name is Emric," the man said, remaining by the door. He glanced around the room. "Is everything okay in here with you?"
Cailyn scowled. Why did people who kept prisoners seem to think that their prisoner would be happy to be locked up? "Is that a trick question?"
Emric’s smile faltered. He dipped his head in a small bow. "I'm just trying to ascertain whether you’re feeling well," he said lifting his head again. "These journeys can sometimes cause sickness and nausea."
"These journeys? You mean across the White Ocean.”
Emric nodded, confirming what she suspected. "You get used to it after a while, but initially it can be horrendous on the stomach."
"Why am I here?"
Emric lifted the flask. "Would you like some water?"
Cailyn looked him over carefully for a moment, then realized that she hadn’t had any water since contacting the Mothers. She would have to take the risk of accepting it. "Yes, water would be great."
Emric held out the flask to her but Cailyn didn't move. "Put it down over there," she instructed, pointing at the table.
Emric glanced at the short table next to him. "Yes of course," he muttered. He placed down the flask and then straightened, a frown on his face. "I hope you realize that you are here as a guest."
"A guest?" The urge to laugh and the urge to rage both hit her at the same time. "I was drugged and dragged onto this ship. In fact, I remember your voice. You did it! And you expect me to assume I’m a guest here?" She shook her head, disbelief bounding through her. When did this delusion sweep the Lands that captives are guests? "Am I to be sold as a slave?"
Emric’s frown deepened. "I'm very sorry. There has been a misunderstanding. I thought this had been explained to you."
His worried expression confused Cailyn somewhat.
“We know you are the Omega that was being kept by Emperor Drocco."
A cold shock blasted through her, her mouth suddenly dry. They already knew.
"We may have drugged you and dragged you onto the ship," Emric continued, "but that was necessary to ensure we secured you safely and quickly. We do not intend to treat you like a prisoner. King Malloron would like to host you as a guest in the Western Lands."
Cailyn eyed him. "Why?"
Emeric smiled, his face becoming relaxed and open again. "I'm sure you could guess? You’re the first Omega the Lands has ever known in the last one hundred years."
“That doesn't tell me anything," Cailyn said. "Emperor Drocco kept me locked up. Is that what King Malloron is planning to do?"
Emric shook his head firmly. "I do not doubt that barbarian did terrible things to you, but you won’t be hurt in the Western Lands. King Malloron is a very generous and thoughtful man."
“He's an Alpha," Cailyn said, sharply. "I very much doubt that thoughtful is the best way to describe him."
Emric smiled again. "That’s where you’re wrong. He is indeed very thoughtful. You’ll see." Emric looked around the room again. "It seems that you are settling so I will leave you to it. Dinner will arrive shortly, anything you don't like please let us know. We will try to ensure that your meals are pleasant."
“Wait," Cailyn interrupted. “You haven't told me anything. Why have I been taken in this manner? Why does the king want to see me and how did you find me?"
Emric stilled. "I’ll tell you if you tell me your name."
Cailyn considered him thoughtfully. “Cailyn,” she said finally. “My name is Cailyn."
"Beautiful name," Emric commented. He sighed and leaned against the door. "The way you were taken wasn’t ideal," he began. "Initially we were supposed to take you at the Palace, but after all of the Emperor's charms were disabled, it was difficult to navigate. It seems as though the Emperor had been attacked and there was a panic we hadn’t anticipated. So much of what we had planned couldn't happen."
Cailyn pushed away the familiar wave of guilt. It went against her nature to attack somebody who wasn't armed. Of course, Drocco didn’t need to be armed to do considerable damage to her, but it still felt wrong.
"The information passed through our network that you were no longer at the Palace, that you had somehow escaped," Emric continued. "And we simply searched for you in the most common areas people tended to hide—crowded, busy areas where people are usually too distracted to look carefully at someone’s dress or demeanor. We scoured various locations, then found you at the port. It was easier to simply grab you and drag you onto the ship, since you were so near, than to try to explain anything to you. Also, I couldn’t have allowed you to say no anyway," Emric grinned. "King Malloron is indeed a gracious man, but he's not that forgiving of failure."
Cailyn frowned, a realization coming to her. “But how did you know it was me? The Emperor locked me up. No one saw me.”
“I cannot really explain any more,” Emric said, puckering his lips. “You’ll have to ask King Malloron.”
Cailyn exhaled harshly. “How can you not—”
“Please,” Emric said abruptly, holding up his palms. “It’s not a question I can answer. You have to ask King Malloron.” He rubbed the pads of his fingers in little circles against his thumbs and looked around the cabin.
Cailyn watched him closely. Either he was afraid to give her information or he had been told not to tell her. But she needed to find out how they located her. Her blocks had been in place, and they naturally protected her from location spells or anything that a Talent-crafter from the Western Lands could have come up with. Granted, the Western Lands Talent-crafters tended to be more skilled than crafters in the other Lands, but she, nor any of the Omegas from the Compound, had ever had any issue protecting themselves. She resolved to find a way to get Malloron to explain it to her, if he was willing to actually treat her like a person with rights, unlike Drocco.
"I'm sorry if you were hurt during your capture.” Emric’s voice broke through her clouded thoughts. His eyes were downcast. "That wasn’t our intention at all. We would like you to feel that you are a guest, we value your presence here."
"I wasn't hurt," Cailyn confirmed. "However I find it hard to believe I’m a guest, when I’m locked in here."
Emric nodded. "I understand that, Cailyn, but you are locked in here for your own safety as much as anything else," he explained. "I'm sure you recognize that this is a slave ship. The other cabins are not as comfortable and they hold slaves. It’s a long journey and they occasionally need exercise from their cabins, sometimes they need discipline… It would not be appropriate for you to roam the ship."
Cailyn's eyes locked with his and he seemed sincere, even though the whole situation was just crazy. “I never requested to come on this ship, Emric,” she said evenly. “I’m not here of my own freewill. If you say I have to stay locked in here, then I am a prisoner, whether you see it that way or not.”
Emric worried his lips as he thought, his brows in a deep frown. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” he said. “I can, of course, understand your point, but I’m under strict orders.”
Cailyn nodded. Yet another minion doing the bidding of his master. She had seen plenty of that while out on missions in the Eastern Lands. She walked to the bed and dropped down upon it heavily.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t prefer to be back with that barbaric Emperor,” Emric commented.
A faint longing crept over Cailyn as she remembered her nest, being in Drocco’s arms, his beautiful, satisfied purr just after they mated… “No,” she said, trying not to stutter. “But that doesn’t make this any less a kidnap.”
Emric sighed and took her in. "Get some sleep, Cailyn. I’ll ask Helyna to bring in dinner. It must have been very tiring and distressing for you to escape that place, and I’m sure you’ve been in here worrying. Please do rest. Nothing will happen to you if you decide to sleep, I assure you."
Cailyn glanced at him warily, but decided that she would indeed take the opportunity to sleep. He hadn't moved from the door or in any way showed himself to be interested in hurting her. In fact, he seemed sincere and genuine. Maybe he was as deluded as Drocco was, but at least he had not come near her. She opened her mouth to ask about the lack of access to magic and then decided against it. One of the main preservation methods she learned was never to mention the Talent or magic unless someone brought it up. She was heading to the founding land of the Talent, no doubt it would be mentioned sooner or later, and as long as her blocks remained in place, she didn't have a problem. She nodded at Emric before lying down on the bed.