The Nymph Prince (Tales of Fate Book 2) Read online

  Once I reached the town of Wintervale, his scent grew stronger. The Crimson Night was nowhere in sight. I was too late. The pirate ship must’ve only been in port long enough to replenish supplies before taking off again.

  I swam faster than ships could travel, and I’d covered many, many miles that day. I was exhausted and knew I wouldn’t be able to keep going until I rested and got some food in my belly. I went to a more secluded part of the harbor town to slip out of the water unnoticed and transform back into a man.

  My ears were pointed, so even though I looked like a man in other aspects, they were a dead giveaway that I wasn’t human. I snatched a hat from a nearby merchant stand and placed it on my head, pulling it down to cover the tops of my ears.

  The people chattered as I took coin from my small purse and paid for my meal in the tavern. I stayed long enough to eat and find fresh water before taking my leave. I wasn’t afraid of humans like Troy, but I didn’t trust them.

  Out of all the creatures walking the earth, humans were some of the most vile.

  In need of rest, I found a cave near the water’s edge and settled in for the night.

  The next morning, I awoke bright and early. I didn’t want to stay in Wintervale longer than necessary. There were several reasons for that. One, I yearned to see my pirate again. And two? Well, I was certain Malik was hunting me down at that exact moment.

  Nothing was more of a motivator than having a six foot seven battle hardened warrior on your trail.

  Hours passed as I swam, and before too long, exhaustion began weighing me down. But then, I saw the Crimson Night and I no longer felt the burn in my arms or the weakness in my muscles.

  All I felt was him.

  My joy was short-lived once I saw another ship approaching. It was about the same size as the Crimson, and I looked to the flags to see if I could tell what type of ship it was. If it was another pirate ship, it’d have black sails. The sails were neither pirate nor royal, so it must’ve been some type of merchant vessel. Pirates could’ve commandeered the ship, though.

  Finding another burst of energy, I dashed forward in the water, trying to reach the Crimson Night.

  Canon fire pierced the air.

  The enemy ship was firing! The men aboard ran back and forth, grabbing weapons and readying themselves for the attack. The Crimson retaliated, shooting off their guns, as well. Chaos ensued.

  Men shouted as they were blown apart by cannonballs. They cried out as they were shot and stabbed. Explosion after explosion sounded off, and I felt worthless.

  I couldn’t do anything to help. I was a mere speck in the water as two ships battled it out.

  With dread knotting in my gut, I searched for my pirate. Please let him be safe. My prayer went unanswered. He was being taken by two men from the enemy crew, and my heart stopped beating.

  They yanked him toward the plank connecting the two ships, and even from my distance, I saw the fear on his handsome face. Why are they taking him? He’s done nothing wrong! An anchor dropped into my stomach as I frantically looked around.

  I rushed forward, closer than I should’ve been, but I couldn’t stay away.

  The hull of the enemy ship rocked in the water, and I swam until I was right beside it, staring upward at the men as they pushed my pirate forward. His dark hair was short and allowed me to see his face and the tension present there.

  His eyes flickered to purple, but then went back to their normal shade.

  Had it been a trick of the light?

  Everything happened so fast.

  A commotion arose. One of the men holding him was pushed off and fell into the water. He was crushed as the ships collided with the force of the strong waves.

  Red stained the water before being washed away with the tide.

  My pirate had taken the chance to escape, grabbing one of the ropes and swinging back over to the Crimson Night. Uproar occurred on deck, and I hated not being able to properly see what was happening. Some of the enemy crew that had rushed back to their ship took hold of the ropes and swung back toward the Crimson, but many were shot in midair and fell to their watery graves.

  A roaring of anger reached my ears, and through the small space in the railing, I saw a red-haired man being stabbed. That was my pirate’s friend. My sadness for the young man was forgotten as a tall, dark-haired man grabbed my pirate and backed-up toward the edge of the ship.

  From my spot, I could see them perfectly.

  I heard a muffling of voices, but couldn’t make out any words. When a shot pierced the air, and the dark-haired man and my male were thrown off the deck, I ducked beneath the surface. I whined when I saw the blood in the water.

  My pirate had been shot in the chest. I was several feet below him, and it felt like my heart was cracking into a million tiny pieces as I watched him bleed out.

  For months, I’d followed him, curious to know him better but too uncertain to make contact. And now I’d never get the chance.

  Although I was sure he wouldn’t survive his wounds, I refused to let him die alone.

  From below, I slid my arms around his waist and pressed my face into the side of his dark hair before pulling him beneath the waves.

  2

  Alek

  Out of all the ways I could die, being shot by the man who’d become like a father to me, out of mercy, didn’t seem so bad. If the enemy would’ve taken me to King James, I would’ve been tortured for information I did not have and then—finally—they would have killed me.

  It was unfair to ask such a thing of Captain Flynn, but it was a mercy compared to how I would’ve died. I stared into his mismatched eyes, one blue and one brown, and pleaded with him to pull the trigger.

  Fletcher, my greatest friend, screamed for me. I couldn’t look at him. He’d been stabbed because of me.

  Because I couldn’t save us.

  I knew I was powerful, but I hadn’t discovered how to awaken my powers yet. They only seemed to arise in moments of great distress, such as the time when the captain had nearly been slain by rogue men. As the ship—my home for the past six years—was being attacked, they were nowhere to be found. Unpredictable as the tide that raged against the ship’s hull.

  It was then that I saw it in Captain Flynn’s eyes. Acceptance. I softly smiled as tears streamed down my face. Dax, the man holding me, growled a complaint in my ear, but I paid him no mind.

  I heard the gunfire before I felt it. It was as though time slowed. People often described near-death experiences as happening so fast, but not for me. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The screams and the bullet whizzing through the air. And then contact. Pain.

  The bullet hit me in the chest, and I flew backward, taking Dax with me.

  Anguished cries reached my ears, and once I hit the water, I looked upward and saw Fletcher trying to lower the ladder to get to me. Cold pierced me like a thousand blades, jabbing me all over my body, but the pain radiating through my chest hurt the most. But then, perhaps due to shock, the pain faded and numbness took its place.

  I closed my eyes, hearing my ragged breaths as my lungs fought for air. Once the pain was gone, it was almost a peaceful way to die. Much better than the days, maybe weeks, of torture from the king.

  Warmth suddenly came around me from below, a calming touch in my final moments.

  Somehow, I knew it was the nymph. Strange that I felt so close to someone I barely knew, and yet, his presence had become a comfort to me. I relaxed against him as he pulled me beneath the water.

  He’d been with me for so long. Very fitting that he’d be with me at my end.

  And then I surrendered to the darkness.

  ***

  My lungs burned. I could place neither time nor place and my eyes refused to open. I suspected I was drowning. The fact I felt anything at all surprised me. My mind was foggy, but I was certain I’d been shot and had died already.

  The burning in my chest said otherwise.

  Something warm pressed to my lip
s and air filled my lungs once more.

  I was weightless. My body seemed to glide as if I weighed no more than a feather. Such an odd sensation. Nothing made sense right then. I tried to open my eyes, but found it too difficult. And I was tired. Too tired to do anything but stay in the dark place I was in. It was easy there—peaceful.

  Though my hearing was muffled, I could’ve sworn I heard the most alluring of voices whispering in my ear.

  “Do not leave me.”

  The voice sounded as though it came from the inside of my head, the one clear sound in a sea of only unintelligible murmurs. The words were a command. A plea. I focused on the gentle thrumming against my chest. A heartbeat. And the warmth… I pressed myself closer, taking in as much as I could.

  Darkness won once more.

  ***

  I was no longer cold. My skin prickled with warmth, and I released a small sigh. The second thing I noticed was I could breathe with no trouble. My limbs were sluggish and heavy. The amount of energy it’d take to lift them was nowhere to be found, and so, I remained still.

  That was until I felt the presence of someone else.

  As I opened my eyes, I couldn’t contain my sharp exhale at the man before me.

  “You.” My voice was scratchy and hoarse, as if I hadn’t spoken in quite some time.

  The nymph smiled. “I’m pleased to see you awake.”

  My mind was still trying to process what I was seeing. It was the nymph, but he was different. Perhaps because he was in his human form. I’d never seen him without a tail and scales.

  Silver hair, creamy skin, and sparkling green eyes filled my vision. The tops of his ears were pointed and his features were sharp.

  He was beautiful.

  “What happened?” I sat up and winced at the pain. “The last thing I remember is bein’ on the Crimson. We were being attacked.” It was returning to me in bits and pieces. I recalled the captain aiming his pistol at me. The crack of gunfire. I reached for my chest and touched the place I’d been hit. It ached, but not nearly as much as it should’ve. “I was shot and fell overboard.”

  The nymph cocked his head, studying me. His expression was curious. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I was shot.”

  His lips twitched, and that drew my attention to his mouth. A vague memory lingered in the corners of my mind of feeling such lips press to mine, gentle and soft. Breathing life into me.

  “Why do you smile?” I asked, frowning at the too beautiful male across from me. “Does me bein’ shot amuse you?”

  “Far from it, actually,” he said as a serious expression took over his face. “I am only relieved you are well enough to make quips is all.”

  His green eyes continued to hold my gaze before he looked toward the fire between us.

  We were in a cave of some sort. Although damp and smelling faintly of mustiness and fish, it was shelter, and for that I was grateful.

  Behind the nymph was the opening to the cave. The sun had mostly set and I could make out the sea beyond the wall and the dusting of stars in the sky. The sound of the tide brought with it a sense of calm. A sea cave, then.

  The warm breeze coming from outside told me we were no longer in the bitter cold of the north. But that was impossible.

  When I’d been on the Crimson Night, we’d just left the town of Wintervale and had been nearing the unchartered waters of the north. It would’ve taken a week or more to get to someplace warmer.

  “How long was I unconscious?” I asked, feeling as though a large chunk of time was missing.

  “Days,” he answered, stoking the fire with a stick before peering back at me. “You faded in and out.”

  “How did we get here?”

  “We swam.” His voice soothed me, sounding like honey and silk. I yearned to hear more of it. “Well, I swam and carried you with me.” Sadness touched his features, and his eyes bore into mine. “I thought you to be dead, mage. Your heart beat soft and weak, and although I’d stopped the bleeding, you’d already lost so much blood. Your life force was slipping away.”

  My blood ran cold as something occurred to me.

  He’d called me mage.

  “Why did you call me a mage? I’m not one,” I lied.

  I wasn’t sure if I could trust the nymph. Denial seemed like the best way to go.

  “Do you take me for a fool?” he asked, glaring. “At first, I knew not why the ship attacked yours, but now it’s clear. They were after you because of what you are.”

  I stilled, not knowing how to react. I didn’t think he’d hurt me, but with the promise of a reward for any man who delivered me to the king, well…coin had ways of turning even good men into scoundrels.

  “Relax, mage,” he said. “I have no intention of handing you over to them.”

  “How did you know?” I asked, barely above a whisper. There was no sense in denying it any longer.

  “In your unconscious state, you healed yourself,” the nymph answered, visibly impressed. “During our travels south, I stopped in a town, purchased a room at the Inn for the night, and as you slept, your body glowed. As if the sun itself was pouring out of you. It was obvious then. That sort of power is unheard of, especially from a mage as young as you are. One who has clearly not yet mastered his abilities.”

  “And where were my powers when I needed them most? When my home was bein’ attacked?” I countered in a harsh tone. The anger was aimed more at myself than at him. He’d done nothing but help me. “I seem to only tap into them when I’m emotionally unstable. Or unconscious, it seems.”

  A pain spread through my chest, one that had nothing to do with my wounds.

  I didn’t know if my family was safe—Fletcher and my captain, Kellan. Though of no blood relation, they were my family. The attack on the ship had been because of me. Because of what I was. Had the other crew retreated once they believed me to be dead? Or had they continued the violence?

  It’s all my fault.

  “You need guidance,” the nymph said, tilting his head at me.

  “Are you here to guide me then?”

  “I am no mage,” he responded before reaching over into a medium-sized satchel and withdrawing what looked to be bread and dried meat. “Here. You must eat.”

  I took the offered food, not realizing until then how famished I was. My grumbling belly was so loud I was sure the nymph could hear it, too.

  “What’s your name?” I asked after biting off a piece of the meat. The salty flavor exploded on my tongue, and I shoved the rest into my mouth.

  “Lorcan,” he answered, seeming amused for some reason as he continued staring at me. “And yours?”

  “Alek,” I said around a mouthful.

  “I detect an accent when you speak, Alek.” His green eyes were so vibrant they almost looked like they were glowing. “But I am unsure of the origin.”

  “You do not need to know the origin,” I said in a stern tone. To say I was guarded was an understatement.

  I very rarely trusted anyone. It’d taken Kellan years to earn my trust.

  I was from a town called Black Hallows. It was the birthplace of Haman, the first dark mage. Even though the war had reached its end way before my birth, my kind were still hunted down and slain. Magic was a crime in the world of man, and the humans had destroyed the homes of mages and turned our villages to ash.

  Men had raided Black Hallows when I’d been but a young boy, setting it aflame and killing anyone they’d found. I had hid during the attack and had lived for a while on my own, barely making it by. And then the Crimson Night had made port in search of supplies. Kellan had found me and offered me a job on his ship.

  He saved my life that day.

  Black Hallows was unique in the sense that there’s said to still be powerful magic hidden within the ruins. I was reluctant for people to know I’d been born there, because that knowledge put a target on my back.

  Well, an even bigger target.

  “Once you finish eating, you should r
est,” Lorcan said, shifting his green-eyed gaze to the crackling fire. “Your body needs to heal.”

  “I’ve rested for days. I need to walk. Stretch my legs.”

  “That’s inadvisable.” The flames reflected in his eyes as he looked back at me. “You’re still weak.”

  Weak? I knew he didn’t mean it as an insult, but I detested the word, as well as the feeling that came with it. I’d been many things in my life, but weak wasn’t one of them.

  I tried to stand just to spite him, discovering much too quickly that he was right. Plopping back to the ground, I sighed and stretched out my legs. At least that I could do.

  “Why have you been following me?” I asked, moving my stare from the fire and to his face. I couldn’t read him. Call it magic or maybe intuition, but I was usually able to get a feel for people when I met them. It was one reason why I very rarely trusted anyone.

  But Lorcan was a mystery.

  “You wouldn’t understand,” was all he said.

  “First you call me weak, and now you insult my intelligence?” I shook my head. “We’re off to a pleasant start, aren’t we?”

  “Humor and sarcasm?” Lorcan’s lips lifted in a smile. “How did I become so fortunate?”

  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this—the banter. My connection to the nymph had grown over the months of him following the Crimson Night, and although I knew very little about him, that closeness remained.

  “Your fortune is your own doing, nymph,” I said. “You saved me from a watery grave, and thus, now you must endure my mouth.”

  His eyes flashed just then, something dark and smoldering. The bond between us sizzled.

  “There are many ways I can think of to endure said mouth,” Lorcan responded in a husky tone that caused heat to spread to my groin. “None of which would be wise in your current state.”

  Oh, how I wanted him. The fact I didn’t know him didn’t matter. If anything, it made me desire him more.

  I only slept with strangers. It was safer that way. All of my fucks were found in brothels. Mainly because the men and women I fucked only wanted their coin and wouldn’t become attached to me. Strictly business.