CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Selene
“Selene, please, eat something,” Arsinoe coaxed. “You look as though you are wasting away! Why, I could have the cook slice meat on your cheekbones!”
Taryn giggled. “Why, Selene, you know men don’t care for skinny women,” she said, narrowing her eyes and tossing her red hair. “Your mother knows best – perhaps you should listen to her.”
Selene stabbed at a piece of lamb with her fork, spearing it and sliding it around on her plate. In the days since Phaelenx and the other men had left, she had eaten little but bread and water. She felt ill and scared and anxious – all at once, it was almost too much to bear.
“My brother is out there,” Selene said warily. “Your love, remember? Have you forgotten him so easily?”
Taryn laughed again. The sound filled Selene with hot anger. “I am confident in Baelan,” she said sweetly. “I am sure he will follow orders and fight perfectly. He is a very strong man – I am sure he will make me proud.”
Arsinoe smiled affectionately. “You are a good wife,” she said. “And a wonderful daughter.”
Selene stared. I might as well leave, she thought bitterly. It’s as if I’ve been completely replaced!
Selene suffered through another long hour of dinner, listening to the lady Taryn’s stories of her time as a youth, and her mother’s endless simpering. It was almost too much to bear. In the end, Selene made herself eat a few small pieces of roasted meat.
She knew that whatever happened, she would need to keep her strength up.
After dinner, Selene met with Aine. The two left the royal compound and strolled down to the docks. Aine looked tearful and sad – it was one of the only times Selene had seen her new friend anything but cheerful.
“Do not worry,” Selene said. “I am sure they will be fine.”
Aine cocked her head to the side and smiled sadly. “I am envious of your confidence,” she said. She sighed. “Huen is not a good fighter. I know he would never admit as much, but it is true.” She shrugged. “He only cares for scholarly things.”
Selene sighed. “Phaelenx is a good fighter,” she said. “But it isn’t him I’m worried about.” She bit her lip.
Aine gave her mischievous smile. “You’re lying,” she said. “You love him. I can tell.”
Selene flushed. “Come,” she said. “Let us walk around. Perhaps it will calm our nerves.”
As the skies began to darken, the sea churned and waved. Selene stepped back from the docks as a wave of salt water splashed over the edge of the bulkhead, soaking her cloak.
“What is that?” Aine asked, narrowing her eyes.
“I do not know,” Selene said with a shrug. “Perhaps another storm. Doesn’t it seem to you like we’re getting a lot of them lately?”
“No,” Aine said. She grabbed Selene’s arm and pointed. “On the horizon. What is that?”
Selene looked up. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight. A large black schooner was sailing slowly towards the Zhekan harbor. Unfamiliar flags waved in the breeze, and Selene could see at least one of the flags was tattered and torn.
“I do not know,” Selene said. Her palms began to sweat nervously and she wiped them on her cloak.
“Should we go back to the compound?” Aine asked. There was a frightened expression on her handsome, olive face. “Perhaps we should alert someone – anyone!”
“No,” Selene said. She reached for Aine’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “Come with me.”
Selene led Aine away from the docks and into the woods. She stayed just behind the line of trees. “It may not be safe in the compound for much longer,” Selene hissed. “We should stay here, in case we need to leave.”
Aine looked at her with wide eyes. “Leave? You mean, leave Zheka?”
Selene didn’t reply. Her mind was churning with busy thoughts, and she gnawed anxiously at her lip as the ship drew nearer and nearer. As it slid into the docks, Selene waited with bated breath for men to emerge.
But no one did.
“Selene, I don’t see any men on that ship,” Aine said softly. “Is it…is it a ghost ship?”
Selene blinked. She stared off into the distance and shook her head, recalling the eerie green light that she’d seen around the Zhekan ships weeks before.
“I do not think so,” Selene said. She bit her lip. “We should go look.”
Aine looked at her with fearful eyes. “What? Selene, it’s too dangerous! What if there are…” She trailed off. “I don’t know, pirates on board?”
Selene shook her head. She got to her feet and brushed her hands on her damp cloak. “We have to be brave,” she said, more for her own benefit than Aine’s. “We must go look.”
With her heart pounding, Selene led the way down to the docks. The ship was floating in the water. From where she stood, Selene thought it looked almost peaceful. There was a rope ladder swung over the side of one deck and she gripped the rough material with both hands, struggling to get a foot hold. Climbing the rope was harder than she’d expected, and her chest was heaving with effort by the time she hauled herself over the railing of the ship.
There, on the deck, lay Phaelenx. His eyes were closed and he was covered in blood and bruises. When she saw him, Selene screamed. She covered her mouth with both hands and ran to his side, dropping to her knees and taking one of his massive hands on her own.
“Phaelenx!” Selene cried. “It’s me, wake up!”
Phaelenx stirred. His lashes fluttered against his bruised cheek. Selene was trembling with fear – she’d never seen a man look this bad. But when Phaelenx opened his eyes and saw her, he smiled.
“Your voice,” Phaelenx croaked in a dry tone. “I thought it was the voice of a mermaid.”
Selene threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around his muscular bulk. “You’re alive!” She cried, unable to keep the emotion from her voice. “Phaelenx, I was so frightened!”
Phaelenx chuckled. “Aye,” he said. He pushed himself into a sitting position and shook his head. “Have I truly made it back to Zheka?”
Aine dropped to her knees, white in the face. “Tell me,” she said in a trembling voice. “What has happened to the others? Are they alive? What of Huen?” She pressed on. “Please, Phaelenx, tell me!”
“Do not worry,” Phaelenx said. He wiped his brow and sighed. Selene could see that he was tired and wan, but trying to be strong and brave. “Huen is alive. You have no reason to weep.”
Aine closed her eyes. “Thank the gods,” she muttered, clasping both hands in front of her chest. “Oh, thank them!”
“What happened?” Selene asked urgently. “And what ship is this?”
“’Tis a ship of Glasule,” Phaelenx said. “As soon as we attacked Nasenia, this black fleet came from the sea.” He sighed heavily and Selene watched blow flowing freely from a cut on his shoulder. “I killed the men on board, took the ship, and turned for home.”
“Why didn’t you bring Huen?” Aine asked in a shrill voice. “Why did you leave him?”
“Aine, hush!” Selene said sharply. “He must have had a good reason!”
“Aye,” Phaelenx said. “Your Huen was quite enraptured with the idea of staying.”
“But what if he is killed by the Glasulians?” Aine asked. She was trembling with fear and Selene put an arm around her friend, pulling her close.
“I do not think the people of Glasule wish to kill our men,” Phaelenx said. “I believe they wish to capture them, to take them as slaves.”
Selene and Aine blinked.
“Huen, a slave?” Aine began to cry. “I cannot believe it!”
“Hush,” Selene said. She pulled her friend closer. “He is not dead, and that is something. Do not worry, Aine, we will get this all fixed.”
Aine looked at her with a miserable expression. “How can you know that?”
Selene sighed. “You have to trust me,” she said.
Aine frowned.
“Selene is right,” Phaelenx said. When Aine gave him a skeptical look, he patted her on the shoulder. “I know,” Phaelenx added quickly. “I know, it is hard to believe.” He took a deep breath.
“You must be so weary,” Selene said. She frowned, knitting her brows together in deep thought. “We should get you inside, and I will find some food for you.”
“We need to request an audience with the queen,” Phaelenx said. He shook his head. “She has to understand what is going on.”
“Do you think she will grant it?”
Phaelenx didn’t answer. “We must try,” he said slowly, after a long pause.
“Aye,” Selene said. She detached herself from Aine and Phaelenx. “Come,” she said. “There is no time to lose.”
The small party made their way off the black Glasulian ship and up the large hill towards the castle. Just as Selene was about to cross the drawbridge, she stopped dead in her tracks. There, ahead by a little more than twenty feet, was the lady Taryn.
“Isn’t that your brother’s wife?” Aine asked, leaning in close. “Taryn?”
Selene nodded wordlessly.
Taryn’s slender figure was floating a few inches above the ground, and she was glowing green.
Aine gave Selene a terrified look. “What are we going to do?” She whispered hotly.
Selene swallowed and straightened up tall. “We follow her,” she said. “That’s the only choice we have.”