Free The Sheik and the Siren (Elemental Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page A

these men now that you’re going to be spending time in their presence at the castle.”
    She opened her mouth to speak but he walked away to greet his friends. Her men were aiding in pulling the small boat to the shore.
    How dare he tell her to cover up, and she was appalled that he would even suggest she wear her mother’s gowns. Her mother was lady of the castle since the day she’d married a human man. The woman had tried her hardest to fit in, but Ebba knew in her mother’s heart she only wanted to stay in the sea.
    She watched Ace go up to the boat and lend a hand to the old woman, helping her to the shore.
    “What are you doing here?” Ace asked her.
    “I saw in my gazing crystal you were wounded, so I went to the docks of Lornoon to find you. That’s where I met Boots and he told me you were stranded on the island. Let me see your head,” she said reaching up and peaking under the bandage.
    “Bear is on the ship too,” said Boots. “But I couldn’t get anyone else to come back. They are too spooked from our time in Death’s Door.”
    “You sailed the ship with just the two of you?” Ace asked.
    “I helped all that I could,” Juturna said, inspecting his wound. “It looks like someone took good care of you. I’d guess it was you, Ebba-Tyne, am I right?”
    Ebba moved forward slowly, wondering how the woman knew her. “I did help him,” she said. “But how do you know who I am? Did you see that in your gazing crystal too?”
    “I didn’t need to,” she said, picking up her skirt that was already wet from the water and getting caked with sand. “I know all your friends – the lady of fire, the dryad and the sylph. Now come along child, and I’ll tell you what they’ve been doing. They can’t wait to see you. And for heaven’s sake lets get you a decent gown to wear.”
     
    Ace chuckled as he watched Juturna whisk Ebba off to the castle. Ebba looked over her shoulder to him as if she wanted him to intervene, but he just let her go.
    “Aren’t you going to save her from Juturna?” Boots asked him.
    “Hell, no. If I can’t get the girl to put on some decent clothing than mayhap the old woman can. After all, Juturna’s not the kind of woman who takes no for an answer.”
    “I can agree with that,” said Boots. “She insisted on helping us sail the ship and I’ll tell you it was all I could do to not throw her overboard.”
    “Well, I’m glad you didn’t, as I feel she may be an asset with dealing with the siren. Let me show you the castle and then we’ll go get some things off the Paradigm,” said Ace.
    “What for?” asked Boots. “I just came to collect you. After the seer’s done with the girl, we’ll board and head on home.”
    “I’m staying here for awhile,” he told him.
    Boots just shook his head. “You’ve gone mad,” he said. “The siren’s song must have addled your brain.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because why else would you want to stay on a god-forsaken deserted island with a bunch of thieves?”
    “Don’t call them that,” said Ace in a low voice, looking over to the men who were pulling the rowboat to shore but looking in his direction. “They are not thieves, but knights and men of the castle who have had everything taken from them. I am going to stay for awhile and help them regain their confidence and get them back on their feet.”
    “You have got to be kidding! You have a trade business to run, Ace. The goods are not going to get across the sea and back by themselves.”
    “I can’t leave these men now. They need help.” Ace guided Boots toward the castle and they walked and talked as they trudged through the overgrown path, Ace using his sword to hack down a few vines in the way. “I want you to bring back supplies so I can help them rebuild their castle.”
    Just as he said that, they approached the castle. Boots stopped dead in his tracks. “Please don’t tell me this is the castle you are talking about?”
    “It most