Page 18 of Entangled

“What do you have to offer?” Sebastian didn’t plan on letting her go, but still, he wanted to hear what the Blackseed brothers were willing to give him. If it was a lot of money and gold, then he’d know that these sea nymphs were valuable creatures indeed.

“How about we give him Elric?” mumbled Zann under his breath.

“I heard that, you big oaf,” snapped Elric. “You’d better watch it, or you’ll be sorry.”

“Elric, Zann is your son by marriage, he didn’t mean anything by that,” Rhys told the little man.

“You’d better hope not.” Elric waved his hand in the air and a butcher’s cleaver appeared.

Every one of Sebastian’s men took that as an act of aggression and pulled their weapons as well.

“Elric, for Zoroct’s sake, get rid of that, or we’ll have a war on our hands,” shouted Zann.

“What?” The elf looked around and shrugged. “I just meant don’t get me mad or I won’t cook your favorite meals for you anymore. Whatever.” He nodded and the cleaver disappeared.

“I think we’re done here,” said Sebastian. “Guards, see our visitors to the gate.”

“Wait! We’re willing to pay you money for your nymph,” said Zann as the guards escorted them to the exit.

“Not interested.” Sebastian turned to leave.

“We’ll get her one way or another, so don’t think we won’t,” warned Elric. Then, in a blur, he sped away without his horse, so fast that no one knew where he even went.

“Where did he go?” asked Sebastian.

“I didn’t see, did you?” Drell asked Farrimond.

“Nay, I didn’t. Shall I have my men scour the area?” Farrimond asked Sebastian.

“Nay,” Sebastian answered, looking over his shoulder as the Blackseeds left, taking the elf’s horse with them. “Give me some time to think about all this. I am sure they won’t try anything before daybreak. We’ll revisit this matter in the morning. I’m going to bed, so make sure the gate is lowered and the drawbridge raised.”

“Aye, my lord,” answered Farrimond, talking to the soldiers and carrying out their orders.

Drell joined Sebastian. “My king, I must advise you that keeping the sea nymph will only bring you trouble.”

“How so?” he asked as he continued walking back to the keep.

“You either need to give her up to the Blackseeds or we need to steal the other two nymphs and bring them here.”

Sebastian stopped walking and turned back to his advisor. “Steal the other two? Why would I want three of them? One sea nymph is already proving to be more than enough trouble.”

“Then give her up, my lord.”

“Nay. I can’t do that either.”

“Then, our only choice is to own all three of them. If we do, we’ll be true rulers. Mayhap these sea nymphs will have their own powers that we can use against the Blackseeds to conquer their castles and take over Mura for ourselves.”

“We?” asked Sebastian, noticing his advisor was using a lot of we’s and ourselves. “Last I heard, I’m king, not you.”

“Of course not, my lord, that’s not what I meant.” Drell chuckled nervously and bowed deeply, his hands pressed together. His cheeks turned red. “I just meant that it is what your uncle would do. I’m sure you want to follow in your uncle’s footsteps in every way, don’t you?”

“Yes. Of course, I do,” said Sebastian, wondering if Drell was right. Three nymphs would give him the upper hand. Especially if the burdensome Blackseeds wanted them. He’d have to give this some thought overnight. “We will discuss this again on the morrow. Good night.”

“Those other kings have Melite and Galene,” Merrow told her mother, pacing back and forth in Sebastian’s solar as her mother lit the candles and the fire on the hearth.

“Good. At least we know where they are now,” her mother answered, poking the logs with a long iron rod.

“Mother, how can you say that is good? Who knows what they are doing to them. They could be locked in the dungeon and being tortured for all we know.”