The Sheik and the Siren (Elemental Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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that damned sheik returns, you can kill the bastard for us.”
“ Sheik?” asked Ace. “Are you telling me someone from another land did all this damage?”
“Aye,” shouted another man, “someone who looked a lot like you. Let’s get him,” he said, rushing forward, and the others followed.
“Stop it!” The door to the great hall banged open and a wind blew in rain hitting the men in the faces. They covered their heads with their arms and retreated.
“All right, Ebba-Tyne, enough already.” Her father’s captain of the guard, Sir John came forward. His right arm was missing from the elbow down, but he extended his left arm out to Ace.
“I am Sir John. Once captain of the guard to the fair and just Lord Marcus of Castle Varusa, the only ruler of Dolphin Island. As you can see we’ve all been maimed and demoralized, though at one time we were proud knights such as yourself. We are now naught but pathetic, broken men, who have to turn to pillaging ships to survive. And only because there is no one else on the island, or we’d be begging at the castle gates instead.”
“I am sorry to hear of your mishaps,” Ace told him. Then, to her surprise, he held out his arm and clasped it with John’s in a form of acceptance.
“I am Willis,” said the man with the peg leg coming forward as well. “I was steward of the castle.”
Ace just nodded then pointed to the man’s tunic with the tip of his sword. “I believe you are wearing my favorite tunic,” he said. Willis looked over to Ebba, and she just nodded.
“Give it to him,” she said. “And whoever has his hose and shoes, please return them as well.”
The man started to remove his tunic, but Ace stopped him with his words. “Nay. Keep it, I don’t want it back.” Then, through the crowd, his hose and shoes were passed to the front of the line, and Willis handed them over. “These I would take tho,” he said, donning them quickly.
“Thank you, men,” she said with a smile.
“I am Arthur,” came a voice from the back of the room. Then her father’s head cook used a long stick to tap the ground, making his way toward them. He handed Ace’s weapon belt out for him to take. “Everyone just calls me Cook. I was the head cook, but can cook no longer as I have been blinded in both eyes.”
“God’s eyes,” swore Ace, “I had no idea.”
Ebba looked over to him and shook her head, not at all pleased with his choice of blasphemy while talking to a blind man.
“I would introduce you to the others as well, but for now I need to tend to the wound on your head,” she said. “You can stay here tonight, until your men return. You can use my parents’ solar.”
“What happened to your mother?” Ace asked her.
“She was taken by that bastard over a year ago and no one’s seen her since,” Willis answered for her.
“Who was this man who caused all this damage?” asked Ace curiously. “Did he have a name?”
“All we know is that he came from across the sea,” Sir John told him. “From the land of sand and sheiks.”
“I see,” said Ace, his head throbbing and starting to bleed again. “Let’s get my wound tended to and then let’s all see to a good meal.”
* * *
Ebba-Tyne watched in humble admiration as Ace sat stood there bare-chested and instructed the others in helping him clean the fish she’d brought forth from the ocean for their meal. She’d asked the sea for volunteers, and the fish willingly gave their lives so they could all eat.
She walked throug h the kitchen, seeing the fire on the hearth, and the pot hanging over the top filled with wild roots and sea vegetables as well has herbs from around the island all bubbling together in what Ace called a sailor’s stew.
“Cook,” hand me the tarragon will you? Actually, just throw so me in the pot with a little black pepper. It really brings out the flavors.”
The exotic spices they’d stolen from Ace were now sitting in small bowls in front of
“ Sheik?” asked Ace. “Are you telling me someone from another land did all this damage?”
“Aye,” shouted another man, “someone who looked a lot like you. Let’s get him,” he said, rushing forward, and the others followed.
“Stop it!” The door to the great hall banged open and a wind blew in rain hitting the men in the faces. They covered their heads with their arms and retreated.
“All right, Ebba-Tyne, enough already.” Her father’s captain of the guard, Sir John came forward. His right arm was missing from the elbow down, but he extended his left arm out to Ace.
“I am Sir John. Once captain of the guard to the fair and just Lord Marcus of Castle Varusa, the only ruler of Dolphin Island. As you can see we’ve all been maimed and demoralized, though at one time we were proud knights such as yourself. We are now naught but pathetic, broken men, who have to turn to pillaging ships to survive. And only because there is no one else on the island, or we’d be begging at the castle gates instead.”
“I am sorry to hear of your mishaps,” Ace told him. Then, to her surprise, he held out his arm and clasped it with John’s in a form of acceptance.
“I am Willis,” said the man with the peg leg coming forward as well. “I was steward of the castle.”
Ace just nodded then pointed to the man’s tunic with the tip of his sword. “I believe you are wearing my favorite tunic,” he said. Willis looked over to Ebba, and she just nodded.
“Give it to him,” she said. “And whoever has his hose and shoes, please return them as well.”
The man started to remove his tunic, but Ace stopped him with his words. “Nay. Keep it, I don’t want it back.” Then, through the crowd, his hose and shoes were passed to the front of the line, and Willis handed them over. “These I would take tho,” he said, donning them quickly.
“Thank you, men,” she said with a smile.
“I am Arthur,” came a voice from the back of the room. Then her father’s head cook used a long stick to tap the ground, making his way toward them. He handed Ace’s weapon belt out for him to take. “Everyone just calls me Cook. I was the head cook, but can cook no longer as I have been blinded in both eyes.”
“God’s eyes,” swore Ace, “I had no idea.”
Ebba looked over to him and shook her head, not at all pleased with his choice of blasphemy while talking to a blind man.
“I would introduce you to the others as well, but for now I need to tend to the wound on your head,” she said. “You can stay here tonight, until your men return. You can use my parents’ solar.”
“What happened to your mother?” Ace asked her.
“She was taken by that bastard over a year ago and no one’s seen her since,” Willis answered for her.
“Who was this man who caused all this damage?” asked Ace curiously. “Did he have a name?”
“All we know is that he came from across the sea,” Sir John told him. “From the land of sand and sheiks.”
“I see,” said Ace, his head throbbing and starting to bleed again. “Let’s get my wound tended to and then let’s all see to a good meal.”
* * *
Ebba-Tyne watched in humble admiration as Ace sat stood there bare-chested and instructed the others in helping him clean the fish she’d brought forth from the ocean for their meal. She’d asked the sea for volunteers, and the fish willingly gave their lives so they could all eat.
She walked throug h the kitchen, seeing the fire on the hearth, and the pot hanging over the top filled with wild roots and sea vegetables as well has herbs from around the island all bubbling together in what Ace called a sailor’s stew.
“Cook,” hand me the tarragon will you? Actually, just throw so me in the pot with a little black pepper. It really brings out the flavors.”
The exotic spices they’d stolen from Ace were now sitting in small bowls in front of
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