might report us to the Sea Witch.”
“I know you’re there,” the woman called to them.
“You two stay hidden. I’ll take care of this.” Nevis rose to his feet. “Good evening. I’m Colonel Nevis Harden from—”
“And I’m Elinor from the Isle of Moon.”
Dammit. The princess was standing right next to him. “Do you never follow orders?”
Elinor smiled at him, then the young woman. “May we ask yer name?”
The young woman set down her basket and glanced around the beach nervously. “I’m Bettina.”
“We’re delighted to meet you, Bettina.” Elinor climbed to the top of the dune. “Can ye help us? We’re looking for a young woman who may have arrived here this morning—”
“You mean Maeve?” Bettina asked.
“Yes!” Nevis charged down the dune, his feet sliding in the sand. “Do you know where she is?”
Before Bettina could reply, Elinor slid down the dune behind him. “Was there a man with her? He might have been in the form of an eagle or a dog.”
Bettina’s eyes widened. “There was no one like that.”
“Where is Maeve?” Nevis repeated.
With a grimace, Bettina glanced over her shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come here. It’s not safe.”
“I keep telling them that,” Lobby muttered as he slowly descended the dune. “But they don’t listen.”
“We won’t stay long,” Nevis assured the old man. “We’ll just grab Maeve and leave.”
Bettina shook her head. “You can’t do that. She was captured—”
“What?” Nevis stepped closer. “Who has her?”
“She was taken to the castle.” Bettina motioned toward the west. “But you mustn’t—”
“Goddesses have mercy,” Lobby cried. “The Sea Witch has her!”
Bettina blinked. “A sea witch?”
Lobby nodded. “She can destroy whole ships. And change into horrible sea creatures.”
“Oh.” Bettina winced. “You mean our queen. Cahira.”
Their queen was a witch and a shifter? Nevis took a deep breath. Rescuing Maeve was not going to be easy. “What can you tell us about this castle?”
Bettina gasped. “You can’t be planning to go there! It’s too dangerous!”
“She’s right,” Lobby whined. “The Sea Witch will kill us!”
“You don’t have to go, Lobby. You can stay on the boat with Elinor.” Nevis gripped the handle of his sword. “As for me, I am not leaving this island without Maeve.”
“I will go, too,” Elinor said, and he glared at her.
“Neither one of you can go,” Bettina insisted. “You’ll be terribly outnumbered. The queen has guards—”
“How many?” Nevis asked.
“Thirty,” Bettina replied. “But then there’s Alfred and Darroc and the others with their powers—”
“What kind of powers?” Nevis’s grip tightened on his sword.
“Embraced powers,” Bettina explained. “Alfred has the power of lightning, and Darroc can control the wind—”
“What?” Nevis stepped back as a shiver of horror crept down his spine. “Lightning and wind?”
Bettina nodded with a sad look. “They’re the ones who captured Maeve.”
“The Embraced army,” Elinor whispered, exchanging a worried glance with Nevis.
He swallowed hard. Maeve had been right. The Embraced army was here. And two of them had the same powers as Leo and Rupert. Damn. He needed to warn Leo immediately. Captain Shaw would be arriving at Ebton Palace by sunset, but all he would be able to tell Leo was the possibility that the Embraced army was here.
Nevis needed to confirm it, so Leo and the other kings could rally their troops and head this way. The Embraced army had to be defeated here, before they could wage war and destruction on the mainland. But how could he leave now to warn Leo? That would mean abandoning Maeve.
Nevis glanced at the setting sun. Which should he choose? The safety of the entire world, or the safety of one woman?
Chapter 13
“Don’t call me Julia,” Brody growled at her.
It was perverse of her, Maeve knew, but she was so angry, she felt satisfaction when her barb hit home. “What should I call you, then? Liar?”
With his teeth gritted, he pointed at her. “You’re the one who lied. You said you would wait on the Isle of Moon for me to return. Do you have any idea how furious I am?”
“It could be only half of what I’m feeling.”
He scoffed. “There’s no reason for you to be angry.”
“Are you jesting?” She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m hearing your voice, but it’s coming out of a stranger’s mouth. Do you have any idea how creepy that is?”
“Fine.” His gray, wrinkled face began to shimmer.
Maeve’s breath caught as Brody shifted right in front of her. His shoulders and chest grew broader, filling the Seer’s brown woolen robe. His familiar face replaced the old wrinkled one, while his hair changed from silver to black. His