“I’m glad we have an understanding. I have nothing against your sister. She is just not a suitable match for my son.”
“Oh, that is not what I meant. I just meant why you keep your secrets away from those on land. We have yet to discuss the relationship between Lord Drake and Polly. But when we do, we will make sure to listen to what your son and my sister want, and what is best for the sea and the land. I am Queen of it all.”
“No matter how much it offends my Queen, if it affects the sea, it will not be allowed.”
I could see I wasn’t going to get anywhere with the Duke at this stage and decided it may be better to wait until his stomach was full of drink and food before I began my bargaining.
And so, we made our way away from the wall and back to the beautiful dining table.
“Allow me to introduce this evening’s guests.” Brishon announced to us and those seated, who had arrived while we were looking at the wall. Polly’s eyes immediately shot to those of Drake. He smiled at her in reply to the beam he had received, but his eyes held caution in them. Brishon introduced us first, and each guest bowed or curtsied to me which I still couldn’t get used to. Then Brishon went around the table.
“This is my second-in-command, Demeter, and his wife, Estelle. Then we have my chief officer, Lance, and his wife Tia. You know my son, Lord Drake. Finally, this is Duke Gill of Horn Sea and his daughter, Keto.”
I couldn’t believe he’d done this. Actually, invited them to dinner with us. Theo quickly approached me and grabbed my hand which made the blue webs at my fingertips disappear.
“Don’t do anything where he then has ammunition against you. Brishon is playing a game and you need to take him on and win.” My father whispered in my ear.
I placed a smile on my face.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” I lied as I spotted the smug smirk on Keto’s face. “Now I’m rather hungry and it’s ill-mannered to delay people dining is it not?” I fixed a glare at Brishon to let him know he could bring it. I’d read up on the rules and I was ready for him.
“Indeed. Let us dine and show you what the sea does best when it’s left to just be.”
Keto rose, her long brown hair swirling around her face. “This chair is uncomfortable, would you mind swapping with me please, Demeter?”
“Of course, M’lady.” Demeter rose and swapped seats which meant that Keto had placed herself in a seat right next to Drake.
“Where would you like to sit, my Queen?” Brishon asked.
“None of my party have any particular desperation to be seated in any seat.” I caught Keto’s eye. “Please, sit wherever you like.” I told them.
Polly took the seat at my right which placed her directly in Drake’s eye line. He shuffled his seat away from Keto. “Please excuse me, Keto. I’m all elbows when I eat.”
“Then I shall look forward to what you are when you’re in bed.”
Polly gasped. It was indeed a good job she was human because had she had any powers at all I’m sure Keto would have just felt the full force of them.
“I shall remind everyone at this table that they are in the presence of their Queen.” My father said. Good old Dad.
Keto bowed her head.
“I apologise, my Queen.”
Nodding at her, I realised that this wasn’t going to be as simple as I’d first thought. Keto was indeed a rival, and a daughter with sway over the rule of the neighbouring sea, and that made her a potentially dangerous enemy.
I’d need to watch my back.
Chapter Eight
Polly
So, this dickhead duke could diss me and invite my love rival, but I was just supposed to sit back and do nothing? Fabulous. It’s not like I could protest against it either seeing as Shelley was the Queen under this water. The Queen. If I married Drake, I would be a lady I thought, entering into a daydream of me wearing the most beautiful pale blue dress looking a lot like Cinderella, while my groom, Drake, waited for me at the chapel on a beach-side location looking out over the water, the perfect venue for our backgrounds. This would mean guests could attend from both land and sea. I wondered if there was a special under the sea ceremony you had to have when marrying a Lord of the Sea?
“Polly.” Shelley elbowed me out of my dreams and back to the pain in the arse reality currently happening. “Keto was asking you something.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I looked at the bitch, annoyed she’d blocked my daydream wedding, just as she was trying to block my real-life romance. Why did she have to be so alluring? She was all glossy brown locks that fell in waves, sculpted cheekbones, a perfect pink pout. Her eyebrows were on point, and she had a mole on her cheek. How was Drake going to resist her? She gave me a ladyboner. I noticed Shelley was frowning at me.
“Are you all right, Polly? She’s asked you a question twice now and you’ve zoned out.”
“Please excuse me, I’ve not slept well. Could you repeat it once more?”
“Of course. I wondered what you did for a living in Withernsea?”
“Oh, I’m a fitness instructor and I also teach swimming lessons.”
“Ah, right.” She answered like I’d just said I had to coat myself in manure and eat other people's shit for a living.
“And you?”
“I’m a marine biologist. I study all types of sea creatures. So, I’m an expert on what each species needs to keep them happy.”
Well that just bloody figures doesn’t it?
“You and me both. I do that at my dating agency.” Shelley responded. “The main thing I find is that the person who initially looks perfect on paper, when you get to know them deep down—which I do through questionnaires—well, you find they seldom end up with the type they think they belong with. Usually that’s actually where they’ve gone wrong in looking for a partner. In assuming they know exactly what they’re looking for. It’s so true about assume. It makes an ass out of you and me.” Shelley gave Keto a sickly-sweet grin though I could tell she wanted to wrap her webs around Keto and throw her around the room like the Hulk with Loki at the end of The Avengers.
“Your being Queen is an interesting role. One we don’t require in Hornsea. There my father rules both land and sea as shall I as the only heir when I take over. What exactly is it you do?” Keto raised a hand. “Not at the dating agency you own, I think we can guess as to what you do there. But as Queen. There can’t be a lot if you can work full-time at the agency?”
Whoa. I was expecting a catfight any minute. My sister didn’t take any shit before she became supernatural.
“My mum is so badass at what she does, she can do both. This is the woman that took down Satan. Might be an idea to remember that.” The threat in my niece’s voice was plain to hear. “Then her other role, her most important one of all as Queen, was to give birth to me. The prophesised one who will rule and stop a war.”
“Ah look, the starter is arriving.” Brishon announced as more of the silver lycra wearing staff came towards us carrying plates on large silver platters.
I looked down at my plate. There was a dark green bobbled mass on it.
I could feel Keto’s eyes boring into me and I reluctantly raised my gaze to hers. “Liver of the water troll. They expel them through their mouths once a week and then grow another one. It’s quite something. Enjoy!” She took a large bite.
“It’s seaweed, Polly.” Dylan informed me. “Gill, do you think you could keep your daughter in line? Not all of us are appreciating her sense of humour, or the fact she seems to be dominating the dinner table conversation, when we are in the presence of our Queen. I would also appreciate a chance to get caught up on matters of the past few years while I was in captivity, find out if some of my old friends are still around or what happened to them. I think making a joke about the food when in fact Duke Brishon has served us a rare delicacy is an insult.”
Duke Brishon puffed out his chest and raised a glass to Shelley’s father. “Indeed, Dylan. I appreciate your acknowledgm
ent of the Floraison seaweed which was difficult to source due to its rarity, and I shall welcome a catch up with an old friend.”
I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of the look Duke Gill gave to his daughter. Indeed, Keto refrained from saying another word during the meal with the exception of please and thank you.
Finally, the meal drew to a close and Duke Brishon invited Shelley, Drake, and me to come and join him in a private meeting room. He tapped Duke Gill on the shoulder on his way out as if to reassure him that the meeting was nothing but a hindrance. The duke’s shoulders visibly relaxed. This was not a good sign. I got up and followed my sister until we were seated inside a large office. As well as an ornate desk and a huge leather armchair, the room was filled with precious stones. Huge pieces of them displayed as ornaments. I realised the duke’s desk was made entirely from a piece of rose quartz.
The duke sat behind his desk and he indicated for Drake to take a seat to his right at the side of the desk. Myself and my sister were beckoned to take seats directly in front. I took the one nearest to Drake, and he brought his chair up to mine taking my hand.
“Father.” Drake said clearly. “I am in love with Polly.”
“And have you proposed, son? Is she to be your wife?”
Drake went bright red. “We have been together just seven months, Father.”
“If you could address me as Your Duke right now, Lord Drake, please. This is official business.”
Drake cleared his throat. I wanted the floor to swallow me up. This was our private future being discussed right now.
“Duke Brishon, it would be my hope that should our relationship continue as it is now, that a proposal to Miss Linley would be the next logical step.”
I swear my heart skipped a beat.
“And what if it doesn’t continue as now?” Brishon drummed his fingers along his desk top.
“Well, no one can see into the future.”
“Except my Seer, Ebony, but unfortunately she’s on honeymoon, or I’d have asked her.” Shelley stated.
“If I have to marry Polly to show you my depth of feelings for her, Duke Brishon, then I will. I would rather wait and do it properly, gaining my maiden’s hand-in-marriage through the proper etiquette of asking her parents, but should they and you continue to interfere, then you will force my hand.”
“Is that so?” Brishon thumped his fist down on the desk. “I set your wedding date to Keto Nereid for this coming Saturday. Refusal to attend the ceremony shall result in you being banned from the sea. That is my last comment on the matter.”
“I thought we were having a discussion?” Shelley stood up looking murderously at Brishon.
“There is nothing to discuss. Should Charlene come to you with a bum off the streets of Withernsea, would you approve the coupling?”
That was it. My sister’s webs came out and wrapped around Brishon. They began squeezing him tightly, his face going beet red.
“You go too far, comparing my sister with a homeless person. Neither do I care for how you address those people less fortunate than us. But I can tell you now, if my daughter truly loved such a person then I would look for the good in them, to see if I could throw them a lifeline. If the person were honest and true, I would indeed welcome them into my heart and my life, and that is why I am Queen. You may have run this sea for years, Brishon, and for that I am grateful, but don’t become so assured by your experience that your seat here is safe. I have no interest in direct operation of the sea, but I am sure over the years you have made a few enemies who would be only too happy to take your place.”
“Shelley.” I pulled on her arm. She released the webs leaving Brishon gasping.
“I would like to request safe transportation back to land now, thank you. Polly will be coming with me of course, and Lord Drake, I am not sure how long you can survive without your seawater, but it is up to you whether or not you come back with us.
“Four days is how long Drake can survive on land. Go live on the land in Withernsea, son, and see how you like real life with Polly here. If you can return on Friday evening with a convincing argument for your future with Miss Linley, that is, with something that she can bring to the table, then I shall reconsider my position. If not, then you marry Keto on Saturday. That is my final offer.”
“I shall take it.” Drake said, holding his hand out to his father. He shook with a firm handshake. “I have every faith that I shall return on Friday bringing my future bride, Polly Linley.”
It was hard to mask my true feelings. We had three days to come up with a reason as to why Brishon should let Drake be with me, yet we also had my parents threatening to unmask all supernaturals. Not only that but we’d only just declared our love for each other. Were we ready for marriage right now? I didn’t want to be forced into it by my boyfriend’s interfering father. It was hardly romantic. The more I thought about it, the more I thought we were doomed. I vowed to enjoy the next few days because they might be the last I ever got to spend with the man I loved. The man I’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for.
Chapter Nine
Shelley
“What in God’s name is happening here?” I exclaimed as I re-entered the dining room to find my father, Charlie, and my husband, on their knees looking adoringly at Keto while my mother was being French-kissed by her. I dragged her away with blue wisps, then let them poke at my father and Charlie rousing them, before finally slapping Theo across the face with a last one.
“Aww, I was just having a little fun while my father was in the bathroom.” Keto whined. Bloody sea nymphs. She’d no doubt burst into song the minute her father left the room, taking these idiots into her thrall. I’d been so focused on my sister, I’d taken my eye off the ball, especially Theo’s, when it came to this shifty nymph.
“Wow, you’re an amazing kisser.” My mum announced. “Dylan, she’s not as good as you, but she’s certainly hot.”
Keto looked affronted. “I am a nymph. My kisses cause fishermen to drown.”
“Must be because they prefer death to having to snog you again.” Charlie quipped. She was getting triple pocket money this week for that one.
My father kissed my mother’s neck. “It looked hot. We’re not going out anywhere after here are we?”
“Oh my god, just no. Please be quiet.” I placed my hands over my ears. No one needed to hear their parents talking about doing the dirty.
“I found it quite arousing also.” Theo winked at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“Ugh. All of you stop it before I end up seriously put off sex for life.”
The door burst open and there stood Kai.
“I thought I’d missed you. My work ran late, I was only just able to get away.” He ran over and span Charlie around.
“Oh, maybe I’ve not been put off after all.” Charlie said.
“Put my daughter down at once.” Theo yelled, and Kai suddenly realised he was in the presence of others. Charlie reached up and kissed him. “A few more months, Kai.”
He bowed at her feet. “It shall be my honour to wait to date you, and I shall indeed ask for your father’s blessing to take you out.”
“Not happening.” Theo folded his arms across his chest. “No one is dating my daughter.”
“I’ve already had three boyfriends, Dad, so it’s a bit late for that.”
“You have what?” Theo’s entire face turned red. Something I hadn’t even known was possible.
“I’m joking. Oh my god, your face, Dad. Quick, Kai, escape while you can.”
Kai disappeared back through the door, blowing a kiss to Charlie as he left.
“Never wind me up like that again, Charlene.” Theo berated her. “Telling me you have had three boyfriends. If you plan to date, I need to meet them beforehand.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah, armed with a crossbow?”
“Well anyway, Dad. Sorry about lying. The truth is I haven’t had any boyfriends at all.”
Th
eo sagged with relief.
“Though I have snogged two different wolves from the Hogsthorpe Pack.”
“Charlene! Stop tormenting your poor father. Okay, I’ve had enough. Let’s get out of here.”
I’d not realised that both Dukes had returned to the room while we’d been distracted with Kai.
“So, Charlie. You have an interest in the Head of the Mermen. Interesting.” Brishon said.
“Don’t make me hurt you.” I threatened him. “If you hurt her, I’ll make Hell look like a picnic in the park.”
“It was merely an observation, My Queen.”
Keto ran forward. “I will see you Saturday, Drake, at our wedding.”
I’d reached my limit. Raising my hands, I began to chant.
I call to the water
I call to the earth
I call to the spirit
And to rebirth
I call to fire
I call to the air
I call to mother nature
Let her hear my prayer
For the one who would harm her
I call upon Karma
Suddenly Keto didn’t look as appealing. Her skin went dull. Her hair flat and lifeless. There was no sparkle to her eyes, and when she opened her mouth, her teeth were quite yellow. Her long nails were now stubby and bitten.
She looked at her hands and then ran to the nearest mirror. “What have you done?” She shrieked.
"I’ve taken away your allure for a little while. Now we can all see the real you. I would like to make it permanent. However, I don’t fight dirty so on Saturday morning you’ll be back to normal. Though I wouldn’t bet on getting married that day. Not to Drake anyway.”
Keto screamed and ran from the room.
Her father gave me an icy, glacial glare. “We are equals are we not? Do you not think you should have consulted me first?”
My voice boomed out with such force that the walls of the dining room shook, and items from the dining table crashed to the floor.
The Complete Collection: Supernatural Dating Agency Books 1-6 Page 57
