Read Online Saving Her Destiny by Candice Gilmer - Free Book Online Page B

horrible had happened.
    Because if she’d gotten distracted, they would have found her by now. There would have been a magical trace in the water—show where she’d been, just like on shore. The spell he’d cast would have illuminated her trail.
    Yet there was no sign of the trail.
    No sign of her anywhere.
    Duncan didn’t like this development. It meant something sinister had to be afoot. Like someone with magic had her—because only magic could block the tracer spell from working.
    â€œShe must have gotten inside the Kingdom,” Keefe said, swimming around a rock.
    â€œNo other place, really,” Kealan agreed.
    They’d circled the entrance cave to the Merrow Kingdom hoping that Cara hadn’t made it inside.
    Well, hoping wasn’t quite the right word. But she wasn’t out here.
    As they entered the underwater cave that led to the kingdom’s entrance, Duncan shook his head.
    â€œIt amazes me you don’t have guards here at the entrance . ”
    â€œYou can’t get through without a cohuleen druith .” Keefe approached the wall, and the red seaweed atop his head swirled around him as he put his hand on the solid-looking stone. The cohuleen druith’s strands brushed against the stone and the wall glowed, the light almost blinding in the dark cave. The rocks slowly disappeared, revealing a much brighter cavern on the other side.
    â€œWould someone have let her in?” Duncan asked as the three of them passed through the entrance. “Is there any record of who comes and goes?”
    â€œNo record,” Keefe said.
    â€œMaybe you should do something about that…”
    â€œMaybe,” Kealan said. “We’re more concerned about keeping others out. She can’t get in without her cohuleen druith.”
    â€œShe doesn’t have a cohuleen druith .” Keefe led the way as they glided through the water. Soft, green-glowing torches placed at intervals along the cavern’s wall illuminated the tunnel toward the kingdom.
    Duncan didn’t think he’d ever come this way. One of the fairy benefits—if he wanted to be somewhere, he could just appear there—within reason, anyway. He didn’t have to swim for it like this. But if he tried to teleport inside, he might miss some clue to Cara’s whereabouts.
    Of course, the only reason he could break past their security magic was his FID status. Not just any fairy could pop in and out of the Merrow Kingdom.
    â€œCara does too have one. I’ve seen it,” Kealan said.
    â€œShe does not have red seaweed sticking out of the top of her head,” Keefe said, stroking his long red strands. “I think I would notice my cousin’s cohuleen druith by now . ”
    â€œNo, it’s on her wrist,” Kealan said. “I asked her about it. She’s got this bracelet thing on her wrist. It was Great Aunt Meira’s cohuleen druith.”
    â€œWait. Stop . ” Duncan hovered in the cave, letting the merrow’s words sink in. “Cara’s your cousin?”
    They both turned to look at him. “Aye, she is. Didn’t you know?” Kealan said.
    â€œHow is she your cousin? She’s a banshee.” Banshees and merrow didn’t have any lineage connections—not pure ones, anyway. They descended from different mythical base beings. And cross-bred beings, unlike how they were shown in movies, wound up being twice as vulnerable as full-blood mythical creatures. They’d have both beings weaknesses, rather than double the strength.
    â€œHer grandmother, Meira, was our Crown Princess. She fell in love with a banshee and left the Merrow Kingdom,” Keefe said as he swam ahead, the light in the water getting brighter.
    â€œThat must not have gone over well.” Duncan followed him through the tunnel’s exit.
    â€œIt wasn’t the most popular thing Meira could have done,” Keefe replied, pausing just outside