"Oh, excuse me." Evan's deep voice rumbled as he caught me.
And for a moment, our eyes were fixed on each other again, our gazes locked. My heart thundered in my chest, and my ears rung. Could he possibly not hear those same sounds? My lungs burned as I held my breath. His warm arms were still wrapped around my waist.
His eyes sparkled, and then the corners wrinkled as he said, "You look very familiar, you know that. I swear we'd met before that day on the beach."
My heart jumped into my throat, and I straightened and stepped back. I coughed and panted as I tried to catch my breath again. The lightheadedness I'd been experiencing returned. "What?" I asked.
"Had we met before? Your eyes are the most beautiful violet-silver, but I swear I've seen them previously."
I shook my head and pushed my way past him. "You are mistaken."
He caught me by the arm, his brow furrowed as he frowned. "Are you certain? You are not the one I think you are? If you were, this night could end very differently."
I blinked at him. What on Earth did that mean? I shook my head vigorously, and pulled my arm from his grip as it grew flaccid. "I am certain. Good evening, Prince Evan."
Thunder rumbled outside, and the rocking of the boat increased. The storm was coming. The disappointment on his face clouded his features. But he turned and left, heading back up the stairs. I bit my bottom lip as I watched him. Did he actually remember me? How could that even be possible?
I swallowed and turned back toward the kitchen when I heard a crash upstairs and the screams of several women.
My heart seized in my chest.
Sebastian broke through the kitchen door and stood just behind me. "Did you hear that? What is going on upstairs?"
I shook my head as the thunder continued to roll. The engines below my feet cut off and below deck grew quieter.
"Let's go check. This storm was not predicted for the evening. I'm not sure how the party will fare." Sebastian pushed past me and darted up the stairs.
I continued to stand as though my feet had grown roots and planted me to the deck. Some of the kitchen staff pushed past me and asked me questions that I neither comprehended nor answered. I didn't have to go up to know what had happened. The prince had been thrown overboard by Aria's goons. Soon she'd have him pulled back onto the boat, or he would die in the process. My fate was about to be decided.
Eventually, the panic overhead increased and the stomping went well beyond what I'd expected from the event that Aria had orchestrated. My curiosity roused, I headed up the steps. When I reached the top, I found two men pulling Aria over the side of the boat. She panted and spewed water from her mouth. Had she attempted to breathe the sea water? If she had, she would return to her mermaid state, but it would have been three days too early. The full moon was the key to peaceful transition from land to sea and vice versa.
Aria's hair was stuck to her face like bits of red seaweed and her pink dress was thoroughly drenched. She wailed, "The prince!"
The other women whose dresses were still dry wailed with her. The waves tossed the boat back and forth violently and thunder still rolled overhead, but it had yet to rain more than a drizzle. The clouds parted in some areas, and stars were peeking through the sparse cover. The storm would be ending almost as quickly as it had begun.
But where was Evan?
"The prince is still in the waters!" someone shouted.
"We can't find him."
Men held four spotlights over the side of the ship and the beams of light danced over the foaming waves. But not a person could be found among them. One of the men shouted. "Nothing. It's been ten minutes and we still can't find him. He's lost."
My heart sank, but I felt my creation magic churning still in my core. The prince wasn't dead. I leapt forward. "Look harder. Don't stop. He must be out there."
The men blinked at me. The ladies of the court wailed their agreement, Aria's voice joining the others. Some other men had lowered small john boats into the choppy sea.
Overhead, the thunder rumbled again, but it seemed that the storm had moved farther away. The drizzle ceased as well, and the waves began to smooth. Sebastian came to my side. "Strange storm to come up so suddenly and disappear just as quickly. And the prince falling into the sea with your lady during that short time."
My head whipped toward him. Did he know?
His worried eyes lighted upon me, and he patted me on the shoulder. "Stay safe and don't do anything you'll regret later."
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words would even come to my mind. What should I even say in response? He turned and headed back toward the kitchen without another word. My gaze returned to the sea where the spotlights danced atop the waves searching for some clue that would lead them to the prince, but there was not a single sign pointing to where the prince might have gone. The row boats below had continued the search and returned an eternity later. At least those several minutes had felt like an eternity to me.
One of the men from the boat shouted up. "We are not more than a mile from the shore. He may have swum back."
The men aboard the ship nodded in agreement. "We'll stay here and keep searching take two of the rowboats and head toward shore. See if you can find him."
I searched my heart and called on the magic from my core. I could find him still, since my magic had not yet been broken. I searched and closed my eyes. His heart felt weak and his body barely conscious. The men were right. He had headed toward shore. Before I could think another thought, my body sprang into action. I leapt from the deck of the ship and soon felt the water’s embrace.
Chapter 8
"Are you crazy?" one of the men asked as two others pulled me into the nearest row boat.
I shook my head, feeling the breeze on my skin in a way that I'd become unfamiliar with. I reached for my cheeks and found the veil missing. It didn't matter. I shook my head toward the men. "No. I'm a mage, and I can locate the prince."
They blinked at me, and the man whose hands were on my shoulders removed them and shrunk back. I heard someone whisper the word "witch." I frowned. "Stop being so ignorant. A witch uses magic for destruction and cannot call upon the magic of creation. The magic I use is given as a gift from birth, and I only keep it through providence and staying on the right path. Now let's go."
The men stared at me, open-mouthed, until the eldest smacked the other two across the backs of their heads. "Get rowing," he demanded and then looked my way. "Which direction?"
A smile came to my lips unbidden, and I pointed. "That way."
Grunts, but no protests, came from the men who rowed the boat in the direction I'd pointed. Behind us came a loud splash, and I turned back, seeing what looked like Aria's pink dress in the ocean waves as she attempted to get the attention of another of the row boats. I frowned, but refused to worry about the wretch. "Row faster. He's dying and we need to hurry."
That got the men rowing with renewed vigor.
I hadn't expected where my sense of Evan would take me, and when the mouth of the cave came into view, my stomach sank. Winds blew through the opening along with horrid wails and screeches. The eldest in the boat made a cross over himself. "Lord, have mercy on us."
"He's in there," I cried. "And the tide is rising. We need to get him before the waters rise more."
The man shook his head and the two at the oars refused to row. "We can't go in there. We'll be cursed. The prince is already cursed and may as well be dead if he's in there."
"Ignorant wretches. The cave is not haunted or cursed. That is just a stupid rumor. But the prince is in there and he will die if we don't get him out before the tide comes in." I scanned their faces, but saw no change and no will to move forward. I shook my head. "This is ridiculous."
Without another word, I leapt into the waters and swam for the opening in the cave. The water was rising. I could feel it in my heart and core now that I was immersed in the waves. The temptation to take the water into my lungs and resume my kraken form
overwhelmed me, but I resisted. I didn't want to pay the price of returning to the sea before the appointed time. There were laws in nature that were not to be broken, even when you didn't know the repercussions of that choice. The cost could be great or miniscule. I didn't know which but didn't want to find out for myself.
Once I reached the opening to the cave, it was almost completely submerged. I held my breath and ducked under, pulling myself back to the surface for my next breath once inside. The cave was almost completely overwhelmed by the sea. At the other end of the cave, I could see the faintest light that signified the land's entrance. I was happy to see it wasn't blocked yet.
In the pitch-black darkness, a moan came toward me from the left. I swam in the direction of the noise. Blinking magic into my eyes to gain greater vision in the darkness. The prince laid upon the top of the highest stalagmite in the cave. He gripped it with limp arms, and occasionally slipped below the surface of the water before struggling to reach the top again.
"Evan," I called out and swam toward him quickly.
His lids fluttered open, but I knew he wouldn't be able to see me in the darkness.
"I've got you," I said as I reached him and wrapped an arm around just under his shoulders. "Release your hold and then kick with me. We need to get out of this cave before the tide finishes coming in."
He obeyed and we struggled to make it toward the entrance. There was still enough room at the top to swim through with our heads above water. Just before we swam out, I heard a screech behind me.
"Evan!" Aria's voice sounded both angry and desperate.
I ignored her and kept propelling us the rest of the way toward shore, navigating around the rocks. When we reached the shore, Evan released his grip on me and collapsed. He coughed and spurted a bit of water from his mouth.
"Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling with him, my hands fluttering over the skin on his neck and face. It felt too cold.
His teeth chattered, and his eyes opened. His gaze met mine, and then traveled along the lines of my face. A smile spread across his lips. "I knew it was you."
My heart leapt in my chest as he raised a hand to touch my cheek. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. He recognized me.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?" he aked as his hand reached around the back of my neck and he pulled me into him. Our lips met, and my warmth became his warmth. I melted into his hold, my body drawing closer to his as he slipped his other hand around my waist. I laid on top of him, feeling his hard body against mine. Too soon, our lips broke apart.
I caught my breath, sat up, and then laughed. "Sorry that I'm late."
He laughed with me and pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Better late than never."
"No! You wretched witch! How dare you touch him?" Aria splashed onto shore, her mermaid tail fin behind her. The waters retreated from her form.
I scrambled to my feet, and Evan followed, his eyes were wide and staring. "She... she can talk?"
I shook my head. Of course, selfish Aria had not been able to resist the call to draw in the sea to her lungs. She broke the law of nature and returned to her mermaid form. "That's what you're most surprised of?"
Aria floundered on the beach. "Get away from him, you witch. Get away from him or I will tell my father—"
The receding waters pulled back unnaturally farther than they should have, as a giant wave began to form. I grabbed Evan by the arm and stepped backward. His eyes went wide as we watched the wave form that was twice the height of the tallest man. Then the wave crashed down upon Aria, slamming her body against the rocks. Her body broke into a million pieces, forming into bubbles at the edge of the waves. Sea foam.
The law of nature had taken my bane and destroyed her. I didn't have to do it myself.
Evan's arms wrapped around me. "What on Earth did I just witness?"
I shook my head. "You saw a mermaid who tried to gain love through hate and let it destroy her."
He laughed and pulled me closer. "I've never been much for mermaids," he said as he turned my chin toward him. "I much prefer a kraken."
Then he kissed me again.
The End
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About the Author
Pauline Creeden is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary fantasy, apocalyptic thrillers, and steampunk. She tries to keep her stories bright and inspirational, but reflective of the dark world surrounding us. Sea Witch is the first in her villain fantasy fairy tale retellings – The Other Side of Wonderland.
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The Beast’s Pretend Marriage
Cheryl Wright
A Beauty and the Beast Retelling
The Beast’s Pretend Marriage
How can a beautiful woman get a prince cursed by the ravages of fire to accept her proposal of marriage?
Prince Montague Gustov was once a handsome young man. Since being burned in a horrific fire, he believes himself to be more hideous than any man in the kingdom. For this reason, and this reason alone, he has distanced himself from women, and therefore never married.
Petunia Grayson was his best friend and confidante throughout their childhood. In their teenage years, she suddenly disappears, then years later, reappears.
When his father dies suddenly, according to the conditions of the will, he must marry to become king. When Petunia proposes, he refuses, but she is determined.
Can his perceived ideas of how others see him be rectified? And will he ever find true love with his childhood sweetheart?
The Beast’s Pretend Marriage
Copyright ©2019
by Cheryl Wright
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book
Chapter 1
Harkston, Monsilvania, 1880
Still dressed in his official attire with it’s over-dramatic embellishment, Montague Gustov stared out the window and across the flower-covered courtyard.
The events of the past days had left him shell-shocked. His father had not been unwell, nor had he shown signs of distress.
Less than a week ago his whole world tilted when his father had collapsed and died within seconds.
People still congregated in the colossal square following the public funeral.
Most likely for the feast supplied to them, he thought bitterly.
Given no other choice, Montague watched from this very spot, thankful for the earlier private ceremony.
He lifted his hand to his wretched cheek and caressed it. Some days he wished he’d died in that fire.
“Your Highness.”
Harrod’s voice interrupted his mourning. He half turned and glared. He hadn’t even heard the man enter.
“This better be important,” he snapped. The shocked look on Harrod’s face had him backtracking. “My apologies. It’s been a difficult day.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” He bowed to the prince, then stepped forward. “We have some important business to discuss. Perhaps a little later?”
The man stared at him and Montague felt his annoyance growing. “Must it be today, Harrod? I’ve just buried my father, my only remaining parent.”
He swallowed back the emotion that threatened to overtake him.
“I’m afraid it must, Your Highness. It is a matter of urgency, and cannot wait. I fear even another twenty-four hours may bring dire consequences.”
Montague glared at him. What could be so damned important?
“The family legal advisor will be here in one hour, if you could avail yourself?”
He nodded. What choice did he have? Life had to go on. The country must continue to operate as usua
l, even if his world had turned black.
Harrod backed out of the room, leaving Montague to his thoughts.
He turned back to the window, and resumed watching the thousands of citizens who mourned his father.
He lifted the goblet of wine to his lips. Warmth filtered down to his belly, but nothing could eradicate the cold dread that filled his heart.
Garvin Wilhelm sat at the head of the table. He’d been the Royal family’s legal advisor as long as Montague could remember. “Can we just get this over with?” he said wearily. “It’s been a long, trying day.”
Wilhelm opened the papers and stared down at them. “I take it you are not aware of the conditions of your father’s will?”
“There are no other offspring,” he said confidently. “It all comes to me, including the title.”
Harrod stood next to him, rigid as usual. Montague started when he felt a firm hand to his shoulder. “Brace yourself, Your Highness,” he said quietly.
He swallowed hard. What the hell was going on? Harrod was never anything but official. This personal touch was different, and worrying.
Wilhelm cleared his throat. “By Royal Decree, my only son, Montague Gustov will take my place as King of Monsilvania,”
Nothing less than Montague had expected.
Wilhelm continued. “But only if he meets my conditions.”
The air was so thick it could be cut with a sword.
Montague leaned forward, Harrod squeezed his shoulder even harder.
“Get on with it, Wilhelm!”
Wilhelm looked around the room. He wouldn’t meet Montague’s eyes.
Dread threatened to overtake the future king.
“Of course, Your Highness.” He swallowed hard then returned to reading the will. “Montague must marry within two weeks of my death, otherwise the title of King shall go to my brother’s son, Conrad Gustov.”
Promise Forever: Fairy Tales with a Modern Twist Page 11
