Page 4 of Beauty

I attempt to ignore the creature. It’s not the first deadthing to imprint on me. I’m coming into my power, and without my bondmate near,it tends to go a bit wild.

Bondmate. I close my eyes as the thought of her coats mysenses. I don’t need to be near her to feel her. Gods, I’ve never been close toher, but she’s in my heart. I feel her every minute of every day. But whatwould I do if I had to stand in front of her? When Shim and I invade her dreamsat night, I’m whole, my face as perfect as my brother’s. Will she turn awayfrom me when she sees the real Lachlan McIver? I rather think she will. She’s abeauty, a pure Seelie princess, who will probably run from her beast of anUnseelie prince.

It is, perhaps, better to see her only in dreams, but likemany things in my life, I have no choice. I must find her. My powers areflaring, going wild.

And Shim...

I sigh as I realize where my brother is. I turn and jogtoward the beach, praying my idiot brother didn’t fall asleep where selkieswill take him.

I jog across the grounds, reaching the highest point. Fromhere I can turn back and see the Dark Palace shining like a jewel in thedistance. To the east I can see the road. A small party is approaching. Myfather’s advance guard already confirmed it’s my cousin Julian leading therebel Seelie kings.

Her brothers.

Gods, I’m going to meet Bron’s brothers, and I haven’tfigured out if I plan to tell them a damn thing. If I tell them the truth,they’ll scoff and tell me I’m bloody insane. My father will shake his head in away that lets me know how disappointed he is. Only Gillian and Duffy in all theplane believe our secret—that we already bonded to the Seelie princess. Withoutpermission or even her real knowledge. It was instinctive, a cry that crossedtwo planes, saved her life, and inadvertently ruined my face.

I shake off thoughts of that terrible day and turn back tothe sea. I can’t see my brother, but there’s a small figure awkwardly moving onthe rocks that make up the beach.

Little gnome. Big axe. That’s Duffy. And where Duffy is, mybrother can’t be far behind. The gnome hefts the axe Shim gave him monthsbefore on the date they mutually decided on for the celebration of Duffy’sbirthday. Duffy wanted an axe. The damn thing is nearly bigger than the gnome,and more than once he fell on his ass from trying to swing it. The year before,Shim and I bought our lifelong friend a set of custom-made armor. Theblacksmith laughed the whole time he made it.

It isn’t that no one told Duffy that gnomes aren’t warriors.Duffy is just terribly hard of hearing when he wants to be.

The dog at my feet yips and pants as though waiting for thefun to begin.

“Go away.” I start down the trail that leads to the beach,the dog at my heels. I try to give the dog the command to stay, but it isn’t awell-trained thing. More than likely his lack of discipline is what led to hisuntimely death.

“Duff!” I yell the minute I hit the beach. Now I can seeShim, lounging with his back against a boulder, one hand over his heart. Hislegs and feet have sunk in the pebbles beneath, telling me that he’s been herefor a while. No soft, warm, sandy beaches on the Unseelie plane. Everything ishard and deadly. I’ve been to the Vampire plane, with its tropical beaches. Istood looking over the peaceful sea in someplace my cousin called Hawaii, and Iwanted to bring Bronwyn there. I imagined sinking into the soft sand andreveling in her body. Bonding time, the vampires call it. First bite. Oh, thatfirst bite would be amazing. First blood.

My fangs descend. The damn things do it at the worst times,but I’m used to it. And I’m used to ignoring the hunger. When I want real bloodin my mouth, I go hunting and gorge myself on predatory creatures. The huntfeeds me as much as the blood does.

My brother has another coping mechanism.

Shim lays with his eyes on the ocean, but I know damn wellthat isn’t what my brother is seeing.

The dead dog barks, warning Duffy of our approach sinceapparently my yelling his name didn’t do the trick. The gnome shrieks, and hisaxe comes down on the pebbled sand, barely missing his feet.

“Lachlan. You scared ten years off me life.” Duffy leansover, resting his hands on his knees and dragging cool air into his lungs.

I narrow my eyes, standing over the gnome. At six feet fiveinches, I know I can be intimidating to the four-foot gnome. “And what do youthink you’re doing to me, Duff?”

Wide blue eyes look back up. “Ain’t doing nothing butprotecting Shim.”

I point out at the sea. Not forty feet off the shore is atelltale froth of water. That white churning proves how reckless my brother hasbecome.

“Were you going to use that axe on the mermaids?”

Duffy turns quickly, his hat falling off his head.“Mermaids? Bloody hell.”

“Yes, bloody is the key point. It’s going to be your bloodand then Shim’s all over this beach, and all because my brother here can’t dealwith reality.” I nearly growl when I turn back to my brother and roll my eyes.Shim has a smile on his face, his eyes blank. He doesn’t even notice that halfa dog is licking at his chin.

“What the bloody hell is that?” Duffy asks, staring at thedog.

“A straggler.” I’m not sure what Duffy is so squeamishabout. It isn’t the first time some dead thing followed me around. “Try to wakeShim up. We have trouble coming.” I walk to the edge of the water. The icy tidelaps at my feet as I face the creatures who will one day be my subjects. Ifthey don’t manage to eat my other half… “I don’t need this shit!”

A shimmering presence rises from the foam. Gorgeous anddeadly, the mermaid smiles, shrugs, and then dives back down to the depths.

Everything, it seems, is coming after us. There isn’t acreature on the plane who can’t sense our weakness, and every single one ofthem is ready and waiting to pounce.

I turn back to my main problem. We’re weak because Shimstopped fighting.