A Mate From the Deep Read online

  A Mate from the Deep

  A Silver Isles Short Story

  C.W. Gray

  Tanglewood Press

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Author’s Note

  Copyright © 2020 C.W. Gray

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  For permissions contact: [email protected]

  Cover by Fantasia Frog Designs

  Edited by Willow Brooke

  Created with Vellum

  Prologue

  The Sea Witch’s Curse

  * * *

  Centuries ago, the three kingdoms of The Silver Isles were completely at peace. The Northern Silver Isles was a rocky and cold kingdom full of hearty shark tailed merfolk. The Southern Silver Isles, in contrast, was warm and lush, its people a variety of tropical fish tailed merfolk. In the middle of the isles was the Kingdom of the Deep. It was a large city above a deep trench that split the Northern and Southern kingdoms apart. The city of Wildebreak Hold was beautiful and wealthy, having long been a trading hub in the Atlantic.

  At those times, the Northern and Southern kingdoms were led by kings and the Kingdom of the Deep was led by the Sea Witch. The Sea Witch was Goddess blessed and one of the most powerful witches in the world. She held all the power of the oceans and could use it to destroy a sea kingdom in an instance, or heal the waters around her from all pollution and corruption. Her primary duty, however, was to guard a monstrous beast imprisoned at the bottom of the trench.

  Then, the peace between the three kingdoms ended. Sea Witch Adriane’s own brother sat upon the throne of the Southern Silver Isles, while her fated mate ruled the Northern Silver Isles. This should have bonded the kingdoms together. Instead, the two kings let their greed and envy control them. They made a foolish pact to overthrow the Sea Witch and take her city and wealth.

  The southern king was her trusted family and was welcome in her kingdom at any time. The northern king was her fated mate, one that Adriane loved dearly. The two kings used their bonds to lure the Sea Witch from the protection of her city and her private guards. Then, together, they used surprise to their advantage and murdered her.

  Aching from the betrayal, as she died, the Sea Witch cursed both men.

  Any mer of her brother’s bloodline that chose to rule the Southern Silver Isles would always suffer a violent betrayal within his family. For centuries, tragedy befell each generation of the Rees family. Fathers killed their children, and royal heirs killed their parents and siblings.

  As for the northern king, he betrayed his mate. His loving touch drew her in to her death, so the Sea Witch’s curse ensured that any born of his bloodline would be unable to touch any living creature without causing horrendous pain. Only their fated mate’s love could end the curse, but while the Muir family would hear the mating call, their mates would not. For centuries, tragedy befell anyone in the Muir family that attempted to woo their mate and break the curse.

  As for the Kingdom of the Deep, when the Sea Witch cursed her enemies, she lost the Goddess’s trust, her beautiful city sank to the bottom of the ocean, and her beloved people were cursed. Merfolk are a people of the sea and the land, but all citizens of the Deep were cursed to only be able to hold their human forms for a short period of time. For centuries, the tentacle tailed merfolk from the Deep have lived in a dark, sunken city far from the sun.

  Chapter 1

  The Kingdom of the Northern Silver Isles

  “The cottage is a little small, but it has what you need.” Laird Riverpine set Luca’s bag on the floor next to the door. It felt strange to have a laird carrying his bags for him, but from what he’d heard over the years, Laird Cyreus of Riverpine had always been an odd one.

  Cyreus looked around. “It’s a good place to relax and do some thinking.”

  Luca shrugged, then winced when his right shoulder pulled. “I don’t need to relax. I need to hurry up and get better, so I can get back to work.”

  The laird gave him a soft look. “There’s no miracle cure to heal your wounds, soldier. There are other ways to protect and serve the kingdom, and you’d be better off thinking of those.” He patted Luca’s back. “You’re a fucking hero, kid. You’re the reason Princess Pearl is alive, and the royal family won’t forget that.”

  Luca turned away. It didn’t stop them from removing me from the guard.

  Because of his injuries, Luca’s shoulder mobility was shit and the doctors said it wouldn’t be getting any better. The damage from the three bullets he’d taken to his right shoulder was too much. His missing eye didn’t help things, but that particular wound could be managed.

  No, not being able to wield a blade was what got him retired from the guard, and he hated it. He thought maybe with enough time and training, he’d prove the doctors wrong.

  “You could train newbies or work in the tech department,” Cyreus continued. “You could even work in the guard towers along the coast. There are plenty of ways to help that don’t put you in the fighting.”

  Luca scowled and gingerly crossed his arms. “I don’t want to be a fucking scout. I’m a guard and a fighter.”

  The older man gave him a hard look. “That kind of attitude won’t get you anywhere. Maybe you really do need a break from the capital to clear your head.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.” When Luca had decided to leave Coalswell Tides to finish recovering, Laird Riverpine had kindly offered Luca a place to stay. He needed to remember that and not take his foul mood out on the kind merman.

  He looked over the cottage. It was small and cute, he’d even call it cozy, with stone walls and worn wooden floors. The furniture was a mix of styles, but all of it looked comfortable.

  It was exactly what he needed – isolated and far away from his overprotective friends. The captain of the palace guard was a good friend of Luca’s, and Finch had flat out ordered Luca to take it easy and not push himself.

  What Finch doesn’t see, won’t hurt him, Luca thought, smiling.

  Cyreus followed him to the central room. “There’s one bedroom toward the back. It overlooks the sea. There’s the bathroom, and you can see the rest. It’s not fancy, but that’s part of the charm. I always come here when I need a day or two of peace. The fishing is good, and it’s mackerel season now. Honestly, though, I come for the clams.”

  Luca forced a smile. “Thank you for this, Laird Riverpine. While I needed out of Coalswell Tides, I really didn’t want to go home.”

  A sad look crossed the old man’s face. “I know your father, Luca. He’s a hard man, but he loves you. He’ll get over his idiocy soon.”

  Luca shrugged again, ignoring the pain. “He’s right to be mad. I allowed my charges to be put in danger. I knew better and deserve every ounce of his disappointment.”

  A few months ago, his charge, Prince Kit, had insisted on traveling to town with only two guards instead of the required five. Luca should have stopped him, but he didn’t even try. Because of him, Prince Kit and Prince Seamus were kidnapped, and Princess Pearl had to witness it all. The little girl still had nightmares, and Luca hated himself for it.

  “Prince Kit knows he made a mistake,” Cyreus said, glaring at Luca. “Stop blaming yourself for everything. You weren’t the only adult there, and even Prince Tack knows that. They all love you and want you to recover and go home.”

  Luca grunted and stared out the window at the rocky beach. It was my responsibility.


  Cyreus sighed. “In any case, my manor is ten miles north. If you need me or Aber, call us. I’m making him give you a few days, but you know Aber will come bug the shit out of you.”

  Luca fought a smile. Luca’s friend, Abernathy, had recently mated Laird Riverpine. Luca knew Aber was the reason Laird Riverpine was offering his hospitality, and he couldn’t say it wasn’t a comfort to know the old man was close by. Aber was a strange one, but he was also Luca’s friend.

  “Thank you,” he said softly. “I don’t know how I’ll repay you.”

  “Repay us by taking it easy and recovering.” Cyreus grinned. “I have it on good authority that a little girl named Pearl misses you and wants you to come home.”

  Luca ran his fingers over the short, shell necklace he wore around his neck. Princess Pearl had collected each of the small white shells. “I’ll try.”

  Cyreus arched a brow, but didn’t call him out on the lie. “The cupboards are stocked, and town is four miles east. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  The door closed behind him, and Luca stared out at the sea. The waters of the east coast of the Northern Silver Isles were wild and rough, and he’d always liked it. Something about the rocky shores and heavy tides appealed to him.

  His phone rang from his back pocket. He checked the number and smiled before answering. “Hello.”

  “Luca, I miss you,” Pearl said. He could hear her pout in her voice. “You was gonna show me the secret silver reef. Remember?”

  “I remember,” he said fondly. “Anabelle and her daughter know where it’s at. So does your friend Jamie.” It wasn’t really all that secret.

  “I want you to show me.” Pearl growled. “You’re my Luca.”

  He ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

  “Why can’t you rest here? I can see you then.”

  Luca winced. Pearl didn’t understand that Luca needed to get away from his friends. He needed to be able to push himself, and they were too concerned with his wellbeing. “I’ll be back in a few months. I would be honored to show you the reef then.”

  “You have Tahli, right?” Pearl sniffled. “She’ll make you feel better.”

  Luca looked at his bag. Pearl’s stuffed sea turtle was safely stored inside the waterproof bag. “Yeah, I have Tahli. Thank you for sending her with me.”

  “She’ll help you get better.” Pearl’s voice grew wobbly. “Promise you’ll come back?”

  “I promise,” he said, voice earnest. That was one thing in his life he was certain of. He would always find his way back to the little girl.

  “Poop. Daddy’s coming for his phone. Love you.”

  Luca heard Kit’s voice in the background. “Did you need to talk to Luca again? Ma petite, you need to ask before stealing my phone.”

  “I need my Luca time.” Pearl sounded grumpy.

  The call ended before he could reply back, and he stared at it in bemusement. He really did love the princess. She had just turned four, and was full of such sweetness.

  That was what tore at him the most. Luca put his phone back in his pocket and stared out the window again, his skewed depth perception annoying him. It was bad enough that two of his three charges had been kidnapped. When he thought of what could have happened, he wanted to throw up. They would have killed Pearl. Those assholes would have hurt her.

  “Fucking careless, idiot,” he muttered, pounding a fist on the window and ignoring the pull of the barely healed skin over the long wound on his side. It didn’t matter that Prince Kit and Prince Seamus had been rescued. He should have protected them all.

  The sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shore soothed him for a moment, and his hand fell from the window. He closed his eye.

  He felt an almost physical pull urging him to the water. More than the waters are calling to me, he thought to himself.

  Despite the horrible timing, for the past month the mating call was a constant presence in his mind, and it was getting harder and harder to resist. Perhaps if the pull called him to one of the coastal towns of the Northern Silver Isles, he wouldn’t fight it so hard, but it wasn’t.

  He moved to another window and stared south toward the mysterious waters of the Deep.

  Chapter 2

  The Kingdom of the Deep

  Kristoff propelled himself through the dark waters swirling around the large, iron gate lying at the bottom of the Deep’s trench. “There are hundreds of them, Sea Witch Marlowe.”

  He whirled his double-ended axe around him, cutting through the ghosts charging the gate. The Goddess blessed iron of his blades made their almost translucent flesh sizzle, even under water. He almost felt sorry for the spirits. They were victims themselves, spirits lulled from their half existence by the whispered lies of the Leviathan.

  “Hold them off,” Sea Witch Marlowe said from behind him. “I’ll recharge the gate’s runes. The Leviathan’s sway over them will end when the gate is sealed again.”

  “Yes, Sea Witch.” Kristoff focused on keeping the ghosts from the hulking shadow of the gate. He cut down another, then spun through the water, slicing through several more.

  Siana’s cry of pain drew his attention. A ghostly Siren’s claws tore through the thick armor the soldier wore, biting into her arm.

  Kristoff pulled his speargun from his back and fired an iron tipped bolt at the ghost. The Siren shrieked and fell back, allowing Siana to finish her off.

  He didn’t have time to check on his cousin. A ghostly, shark tailed merman swam toward him, eyes burning with rage. He used one of the limbs of his octopus tail to hold the mer’s blade away from him while he fought off another.

  Then Sea Witch Johanna appeared.

  Johanna’s long white hair floated around her in tangled waves as her black squid tail propelled her above the army of ghosts. Her normally kind expression was now a stoic mask, her eyes hard with determination.

  Her hands glowed with the blue fire of the Goddess, and she shot bursts of fire toward the ghosts, dissolving each one she hit.

  Kristoff’s attacker shrieked as he burned away, so he focused on the ghostly merman.

  “Almost have it,” Marlowe said, voice strained. “The fucker is fighting harder than usual.”

  Kristoff decapitated a bedraggled human ghost, then barely dodged the fangs of a kelpie spirit.

  “Got it!” At Marlowe’s words, a slight vibration shuddered through the water, and the ghosts paused their attacks. Their shimmering bodies slowly dissolved, the strain of keeping a form without the Leviathan’s aid too much for the spirits.

  Kristoff looked around, counting his soldiers and assessing injuries. John floated listlessly, unconscious or dead, his jellyfish tail surrounded by bloody water. “Damn it.”

  “I’ll check him,” Marlowe said, voice tired. “Help the others.”

  Kristoff bowed his head. “Yes, Sea Witch.”

  “For the love of sea snakes, Kris, can’t you just call me Marlowe?”

  “No, Sea Witch,” Kristoff said, smiling slightly. He loved torturing the young merman.

  Enjoying Marlowe’s curses, Kristoff turned away and checked over his remaining soldiers.

  There was a time when the stories claimed the Leviathan tried to break free once a generation. Now, there were monthly attacks, and this army had been larger than the last. It felt like the imprisoned Leviathan was getting stronger, but Kristoff wasn’t a sea witch. He felt very little from the gate and the creature it imprisoned.

  Soft seagreen light caught his eye, and he turned, smiling at his cousin. Siana’s bioluminescent jellyfish tail made it hard for her to sneak up on anyone in the dark waters. “Are you alright?” he asked.

  Siana winced. “My arm hurts. I think the Siren’s claws were tipped.”

  Kristoff frowned. In the past, sirens had tipped their claws in poison to paralyze their victims. It wasn’t something modern sirens did, but the ghost could have been from any time period.

  Siana’s warm dark skin w
as rapidly turning grey. “Let’s get you to a medic.”

  Kristoff quickly swam her to the medic and explained the situation.

  Marcus’s eyes widened. “Poison? How the fuck did a ghost manage that?”

  “Can we treat her?”

  “Yes.” Marcus nodded and pulled his bag around to dig through it. “Don’t worry, Siana. I got you.”

  Siana smiled weakly and patted Kristoff’s arm. “I’m good. Go check the others.”

  He waited until Marcus began her treatment, then left her to help with the cleanup. At least ghosts don’t leave bodies behind, he thought wryly, looking around the cavern. The black iron gate was a stark contrast to the white, glowing sand surrounding it.

  To the unknowing eye, it looked like a massive door standing alone in the middle of a sandpit. The runes along the frame glowed the bright white blue of the Goddess’s flame.

  The cavern itself was large and empty. Usually it was filled with soldiers and either Marlowe or Johanna. Now, it was emptying as the wounded were carried off to the city.

  Wildebreak Hold had once been a vibrant floating city of wealth and power. Now, it sat at the bottom of a trench, majestic columns covered in algae and coral. Bright, artificial light mimicked the sun, and tentacle tailed merfolk filled the streets, shops, and homes.

  Like the city, the kingdom of the Deep had changed over the centuries and adapted to its new normal. Their people were even becoming accustomed to the dark, cold waters.

  “Marlowe said John will live.” Johanna settled beside him gracefully. Her two eels were by her side again, now that the danger was over. “You look terrible.”