Iaha nodded, not trusting herself to agree to what he wanted.
"Many years ago, your father created this world. He tired of sharing the women he wanted with Zeus. So, he turned them into mermaids and brought them here, where even Zeus couldn't reach them."
"Typical,” Iaha said.
Anstice smiled. “He flooded the world with power, to give us sunlight and food, and yes, even ways to cook. As is the way of the world, the concubines grew pregnant, and other merpeople found out about this marvelous place. It grew, from outside influences and from the offspring of Poseidon."
"So does that make you my uncle, or brother, or something?” Iaha gave him a sheepish smile.
"Perhaps. But the blood of Poseidon is diluted. He has not visited here for many, many years."
"Are you immortal?"
"No. Unlike you, we will die. Which is where your Shedd comes in."
"He's not a doctor,” Iaha said, shaking her head.
"No, but he does possess the stone."
"Okay, you keep coming back to that. Want to explain it to me?"
"Yes, and for someone who promised not to ask questions, you've kept your mouth open quite a bit."
Iaha pursed her lips together. His tone had been full of mirth and she shook her head.
"Sorry."
"As things go, Zeus found out about our underwater colony. He grew very angry. He made Poseidon promise to destroy it. Poseidon could not bring himself to destroy his own children, so he decided to do it another way. He gave us a large statue of himself. Imbedded in the heart was a beautiful aquamarine stone. It provided power to our land. Then, one day about thirty-three years ago, it disappeared."
"Stolen?"
"Yes. Some people say Zeus himself stole it. The legend, however, is that Zeus bribed one of our more nefarious residents into stealing it and bringing it to him. The thief, named Olanda, was one his way to Zeus with the stone in hand when he came across a mortal woman, sleeping in the sand."
"He had his way with her and left her with child. And lost the stone next to the woman's body as she slept."
"Well, Zeus is all powerful,” Iaha said. “Even if the man lost the stone, Zeus could have found it. There's no reason for you to think that Shedd has it."
Anstice sighed. “True. Zeus confronted Olanda, and tried, but failed, to kill him for not completing his task. He tried to destroy the stone, and realized that Poseidon had protected it with his own magic."
Iaha's heart began to beat faster. If Shedd had the stone, that would mean...
She turned toward him, then swiveled back to Anstice. “Shedd is Olanda's son?"
Anstice nodded. “After Zeus tried, and failed, to destroy the stone, he realized that it would be far from us in the hands of a moral woman, hidden or simply thrown away. Our land would be without power and die."
"But that was more than thirty years ago, and you're still here."
"We have sorceresses who have helped us along. But the stone must be replaced."
"OK. I get that part. But if Shedd is just the son of a..."
"Thief?” Shedd's voice sounded deep and groggy.
Iaha ran to him and knelt, putting her head to his chest as if to assure herself that his heart was still beating.
"Olanda was not a thief,” Anstice said. “Misguided, maybe, but not a common thief. He had tendencies that made him an easy target for Zeus."
Shedd sat up, and Iaha sat next to him, taking his hands in her own.
He gave her a tentative smile, then focused on Anstice.
"Tell me why you think I have to mate with this Adelphia woman."
"You've heard?” Iaha squeezed his hands and he nodded.
"One of our sorceresses made a prophecy that the one who returned the stone would mate with our strongest resident, the woman whose blood held the deepest ties to Poseidon, therefore helping our land to prosper again."
"Great. I'm the bastard son of a thief who gets to mate with a god's descendant. How fun for me."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Seven
"You have the stone?” Anstice stood and walked toward them.
Shedd leaned back and unzipped his diving pouch. He reached in and pulled out the statue, sat it on the bed and then pulled out the stone. Even though its wrappings they could see the glow.
"Wow,” Iaha said as he peeled back the fabric.
Light radiated from the stone, illuminating the room.
Shedd lifted his eyes to Anstice, who stared at it in fascination.
"It has been years since I've seen it. I'd forgotten its brilliance."
"Can't I just put it in the statue and leave?"
Anstice shook his head. “The prophecy must be followed. He put his hand out for the stone and Shedd pulled it into him.
"Not so fast. I have to think about this, and Iaha and I want some time alone, to think."
"Very well. I will give you until the morning. Then, the stone will be replaced and you will mate with Adelphia. We will leave you here, then show Iaha to a separate room."
"We're staying together,” Shedd said, standing for the first time. His legs felt like rubber but the pounding in his head had disappeared.
"No. You will not dishonor Adelphia in that way."
"I don't know Adelphia,” Shedd said, sarcasm evident in his voice. “And I have all the bargaining chips, ergo, I make the rules."
He held up the stone.
Anstice's eyes narrowed and his lips turned into a deep scowl.
"I will give you several hours together. Then you will separate for the night, by force, if need be."
"Feodore!” The door to the room opened and a man walked inside. “Watch them."
"Yes, sir,” Feodore said. He was a tall man, muscular and young.
He sat down in a chair and helped himself to sweets and tea as Anstice and Desma left.
"You know, you failed to mention that your father was a Greek god,” Shedd hissed at Iaha.
"Well, it's not exactly dinner conversation."
"You could have dropped a hint."
"A hint? In the last one hundred and fifty years I've only told three men. And two of those were demigods who..."
Iaha's voice trailed off. Shedd stared at her, his mouth open.
"One hundred and fifty years?"
She shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say I ascended too fast, developed an embolism and died. And this is hell."
He threw out his arms and snorted in disgust.
"We should try just replacing the stone and swimming away."
"Good idea. Except for the fact that I'm sure my tank is out of air. Do you think your fin could propel us both to the surface?"
"You don't have to get nasty. And yes, it could."
"Nasty? I find out I'm the son of a thief who's destined to save an ancient race and you think I'm being nasty? Besides, if I was the son of this, what's his name, wouldn't I be half merman? Wouldn't I have sprouted a tail today, too?"
"You would have. If Zeus hadn't cursed you.” Shedd and Iaha whipped their heads toward Feodore, whose head was slumped against his chest.
"Father?"
Iaha sprinted across the room, flinging herself into her father's arms.
Shedd sat on the bed, staring at the figure before him. Poseidon wasn't the elderly god as popularly depicted. Instead, he was young, robust, his hair long and dark with only flecks of gray. He held his daughter close, patting her on the back to comfort her.
Shedd watched dumbfounded as he pushed Iaha back gently and examined her, finally kissing her forehead. They were talking low, and he couldn't understand what they were saying. After a few minutes, he grew restless.
"Um, excuse me?” He waved his hand. “I think we need to take advantage of this time to talk. You say I'm cursed? Things just keep getting better and better."
Poseidon threw back his head and laughed. “Not exactly cursed. Zeus was angry with me f
or deceiving him. But he couldn't destroy Yumani, because it belongs to me. When he convinced your father to steal the stone, he didn't count on your mother, lying on the shore in the sun.
"After your conception, Zeus cast a spell to make sure that your merman tendencies would never appear. I countered that order, by saying they wouldn't appear until the stone had been replaced in my statue, and you had mated with your true love."
"Why haven't you helped these people?” Iaha stepped back from her father and Shedd could feel her anger all the way across the room.
"But I have. Do you think their sorceresses are strong enough to keep a civilization living for thirty-five years? I have kept it living. But I am not strong enough to counter the spell that my brother placed on the stone. It had to be brought here by Shedd."
"So, I say we replace it and swim away,” Iaha said, holding up her hands. “Simple. Father can hide us, and then we don't even have to swim. He can transport us to the surface."
Shedd cocked his head at Poseidon. “That wouldn't work, would it, um, Mr. Poseidon?"
"Just Poseidon. And no, it wouldn't. These people expect their chosen one, Adelphia, to mate with the one who replaces the stone. If that doesn't happen, then, even with the stone, the civilization will wither and die."
"So I have to stay here, is that what you're saying."
Poseidon shook his head. “I think the two of you are very smart. You should use this time together to consummate your love. And then, the answer will come to you."
He snapped his fingers and Feodore's head snapped up.
"You! Guard from the hallway."
Feodore walked zombie-like from the room.
Shedd watched in amazement as Poseidon again kissed his daughter on the forehead and disappeared.
"Father! Come back here!"
Shedd crossed the room quickly, his strength fully returned, and gathered Iaha in his arms.
"Hush."
"But, he's always doing that. He meddles and then..."
Shedd captured her lips with his, then pulled back. “He said one smart thing. We need to consummate our love. I love you, Iaha. I've loved you since I first set eyes on you."
"Oh, Shedd. I love you, too. But tomorrow? What happens when..."
He captured her lips again, her words going into his mouth and dying.
With their lips still locked he picked her up, wrapping one arm around her chest and using his free hand to urge her legs to go around his waist.
She followed his lead and he walked to the bed, setting her down gently. She kept her legs wrapped around him and pulled him on top of her.
"Hey, Iaha, you may be the daughter of a god, but I'm in charge here. Understand?"
She giggled and saluted him, then unlocked her legs.
"Then love me, Shedd. Make me yours."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Eight
Shedd stood and threw off his wetsuit as quickly as he could. Iaha watched him, her fingers toying with the tie on the robe she wore. As he lowered the suit over his hips her eyes fastened on his cock. Long and thick, it seemed larger than it had the other night when they'd played at the beach.
She shrugged out of the robe, then reached out and grasped him, tightening her grip on his hardness as he groaned.
"Fuck me. I want you inside me."
He lifted his eyebrows at her and shook his head. “Did you not hear what I said? At a hundred and fifty you may have more experience than me, but I'm the alpha here."
He dropped down and began to lick at her nipples, his tongue sliding from one to the other until Iaha was sagging beneath him.
"Shedd, please!"
He continued to torment them, not sucking one into his mouth. She moved her hands to his hair to try and force his head down and he captured them in his own, pushing them down to her sides as he continued to torment her.
"You taste so good,” he whispered, his breath hot against the wetness of her nipples.
"Shedd, please, I'm begging you.” Her words came out on short puffs of air. She arched her hips toward him and whimpered.
"Do you want something, Iaha? Tell me."
"Shedd!"
"Hum, I wonder what's down here.” He trailed his lips over her stomach.
Iaha laughed and wiggled under him as his tongue round about her navel, moving down to her bare mons.
"Naughty girl,” he whispered as he licked along her slit. She hissed out her delight, her answer unable to pass her lips.
He let go of her hands and ran his fingers over her thighs, gently pushing them further apart. When he was satisfied, he lowered his head again and licked her slit over and over again. It parted for him on the third pass and his tongue dove inside, lapping up her wetness as he continued to explore her.
"Please, Shedd, I'm ... I'm..."
"Yes.” He lifted his head up to utter the one word before going back to his task, his tongue dancing around her clit.
Iaha bucked against him, her hard nub screaming for release as she clutched the robe under her.
"Fuck me! Oh!” Shedd captured her clit with his mouth, gently sucking it between his teeth and then running his tongue back and forth over the engorged tip.
Iaha came, her body undulating under him as she rode the tidal waves of pleasure.
"Shedd!"
He lifted his head and smacked his lips. “Delicious."
Then, he scrambled onto her, his laughter mixing with her own.
She wrapped her legs around him and drew him nearer to her, his cock poised at her entrance.
"Do you want me inside you?” He leaned over and nuzzled her neck.
"Yes."
"I have no condoms, my immortal lover."
"Please, Shedd. Don't tease me anymore."
He gently pushed inside, then drew back out and pushed in further.
"I love you, Iaha. No matter what happens tomorrow, remember that."
"And I love you."
She lifted her hips and he slid inside. Iaha's head swum with pleasure as he gently thrust in and out of her, his lips moving across her neck and shoulders as he whispered soft words that she could barely understand.
She tightened her legs around him, and then ran her nails up his back.
"Is that a hint?” He was so winded, it sounded as if he'd just run a marathon.
"Yes."
He thrust harder, lifting up so that their gazes were fixed on one another.
She reached up and nibbled on his lower lip. Then she tightened her inner muscles, marveled at the deep groan that left his body, and flushed when he called out her name as he flooded her insides. The throbbing of his cock sent her over the edge again, as did his hoarse promises of love.
So very, very good. She relaxed against the sheets as he panted above her, his sweat dripping down to mingle with her own.
"Yes, it was. Just like it was meant to be.” He backed up enough so that her legs loosened from him, then lay down next to her and pulled her into his chest.
Iaha sat up on her elbows, starting at him.
"What did you say?"
"You said it was very, very good. I said yes, it was."
His chest heaved from the exertion.
"No. I didn't say it. I thought it, in my mind. Shedd, do you know what this means?"
"Yeah, you've worn me out. I need to sleep."
She jumped up to her knees and pushed him over onto his back.
"No. I can only mentally communicate with the people I have a strong bond with, my sisters, my father, and my mother. This means my father was right. We do belong together."
Shedd nodded, his hands going to his chest.
"Think something at me. Now."
"What?"
"Just do it!"
Iaha, I love you.
And I love you.
"Did you hear me?"
"Bloody hell. What does this mean?"
"This means father was right. You're my mate, and I'm yours. And we have to find a way out of
here. Now."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nine
They had barely dressed in robes they'd found in the closet when Feodore came back inside.
"They're coming."
"Not so fast,” Iaha said. “They said a few hours."
"It has been a few hours, since we spoke with your father and made love."
Shedd kissed her gently and she put her head on his shoulders.
"We need to have time to plan."
"We'll think of something. Don't worry, I won't let them separate us for good. I've looked for the perfect woman for too long."
"Perfect? Well..."
Shedd laughed. “Perfect to me."
They were locked in each other's arms when the door opened and Anstice and Desma came inside. Adelphia was with them, as was the snarling Gyles.
"We thought you might like to see some of Yumani before we dined,” Anstice said.
"Love to,” Shedd replied, taking Iaha's hand in his own.
Anstice frowned at the movement. “You disrespect your mate."
"I'm sorry, Adelphia, but you're not my mate,” Shedd said. “I mean you no disrespect."
The young woman nodded, then looked down at the floor. Did the woman think that she and Shedd would love each other because folklore demanded it? Of course, she must have been told that her entire life.
"Perhaps we should have the ceremony right now,” Anstice said. “That would put things in their proper place."
Iaha's heart dropped at the idea. They hadn't had time to plan.
What should we do?
Relax, my love. They won't do it yet. They thrive on tradition, and doing it so quickly would weaken that. He's just trying to scare us.
"We can't,” Desma said softly, putting her hand on her husband's arm. “We were hoping the god would appear."
"My father?"
"Yes,” Anstice said. “We'd hoped your appearance would bring him here, despite the fact he hasn't visited in more than thirty years. Perhaps I could introduce you to some of the offspring that came of that visit?"
"If you're trying to shock me, or upset me in some way, don't bother. I know that my father takes women right and left. The fact no longer concerns me."
Anstice shrugged his shoulders, then moved out of the room. Desma and Adelphia filed in behind him, with Shedd and Iaha after that. When they passed Gyles, he sneered at them.
Siren's Song [A Siren Sisters Anthology] Page 4
