Page 7 of Buoy
“I just haven’t.” Rhys brushed his hands over his legs. “Maybe we call them something else around here? Maybe kelpie isn’t the right name for us.”
Soren nodded. “Kelpies are… strange. They look like horses. Massive horrifying horses dripping in seaweed.” Soren flung his arms out as if he could encompass the huge head of a kelpie. Then promptly dropped them. “They live in underwater dens but come out to lure people close by looking like beautiful humans. Then…” He leaned in closer. “Once they have their victims, they change back to their horse. Weird magic forces the victim to the kelpie’s horse back, like they’re compelled to get on their back and ride. Then, the kelpie drowns their victims before eating them.” He chomped his teeth, making a sharp sound.
“Oh. Nightmares.”
Soren shook his head. “Nightmares are entirely made up. A story to scare children.” He knew the legendary creatures weren’t real. Even if the terrifying dreams he had were.
“And this kelpie creature isn’t?”
Soren crossed his arms. “I’ve seen them with my own two eyes. I can draw you a picture if you’d like.” He glared at Rhys. How does one go to a magic school and dismiss kelpies? Rhys had access to so much knowledge. Soren had to fight off his jealousy again.
“You can draw?” Rhys’ face lit up.
Soren scratched at his elbow. “Not well.”
“So, what happened during the encounter?”
Soren chose another chunk of cheese and nibbled before answering. “We were in port at Hond when Kerrick, one of our gunners, spotted a beautiful woman among a herd of giant horses running along the beach.”
Rhys leaned in closer. Night had fallen, the darkness was quiet other than the sound of the waves.
“So, Kerrick decides he wants to meet the woman. The size of the horses should have been his clue she wasn’t what she seemed. But her beauty blinded him or whatever.” Soren rolled his eyes. He didn’t think the woman was pretty enough to sacrifice anything for. Thought it was ridiculous for anyone to think someone so attractive that they’d do anything for them.
Without warning, Rhys pulled off his shirt. Soren looked away, not sure why. He’d seen countless shirtless people. Rhys slipped into the water with a small splash.
Surfacing, he swiped his hand across his face and watched Soren, as if expecting him to join.
He wanted to, more than anything. But Vex didn’t want Soren to get in the water without someone watching him. The captain was afraid Soren would swim away. If he could, he would. In a heartbeat. But Bellani had him tethered to the ship as well as whatever dock they were at. He could only swim so far.
Rhys waved a hand at him, sending droplets through the air. “Finish your kelpie story.”
Soren wrapped his leftovers and set them aside. “Kerrick got closer to the woman, and the horses, one by one, all turned to watch him, stamping their massive hooves into the sand. Their hooves are like the size of… of… five dinner plates all put together.” He stood and stomped around as if to imitate the sound. “Claps of thunder echoed all around us. They were summoning a storm.”
Rhys worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “They can do that? Weather magic is complicated.”
“Oh yes. They’re stomping their hooves and the wind picks up. Vex tells Kerrick to—” Soren pressed his fists to his hips, puffed out his chest, and tried to drop his voice to imitate the captain. “—reel it the fuck in and get off the beach.”
Rhys leaned against the dock, his arms crossed over the worn wood, head in the dip it created. He watched Soren intently.
Soren dropped his hands and paced, trying to remember all the good parts of the story. “But Kerrick kept going. The kelpie woman had him in her sights. He was nearly—”
The world slid from under Soren. He handn’t noticed Rhys’ hand slip around his ankle until it was too late. He sunk underwater, willing his gills not to surface.
Soren gasped as his head popped through the short waves. “I can’t believe you did that.”
Rhys clutched his side as he laughed, his legs kicking to keep him afloat. “You should have seen your face.”
Soren splashed him. Skies, the water felt so good. Right.
“I’m gonna have to lie out all night to dry,” Soren grumbled. He’d dry once he was out of the water, but probably not before he had to go back to the ship.
Rhys grinned widely. One fang poked at his bottom lip. “I can dry you quickly with magic.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Soren couldn’t help the laugh and splashed him again.
Soren wished he could shift, show Rhys what he was. But the thought of Bellani or Vex knowing he did brought shivers down his spine. Bellani had put a word binding spell on him the day they bought him. The searing pain echoed in his memory and he rubbed absently at his left collarbone. If he ever spoke his truth out loud, the spell would rip out his voice. He wasn’t sure if it was permanent, but he wouldn’t risk finding out.
Another splash from Rhys brought him out of his thoughts.
