by Alexia Purdy
She sat in a swimming tunic, given to her so she could visit the lake. It was slightly cool there, but the springs that fed the lake were warmed by magma deep blow the mountain and kept the water at a comfortable temperature. Still, it gave her a chance to break in her fire powers to heat her body and stifle the damp cold of the underground.
Others were swimming there, even at the late hour. It was a recreation area, where many Teleen came to swim and enjoy the water. Shade was seeking an escape from the suffocating walls of her room and for something to take her mind off of the recent events. Corb was an ever constant companion, an unwanted one. He never strayed too far from her. She’d had to order him to stay in his room when she wanted to be alone. It wasn’t just that either. Teleen male after male would constantly interrupt her throughout the day as she walked in the caverns, even with Dylan at her side. Her room was endlessly bombarded with gifts, flowers and then some from prospective suitors.
Dylan had been right. She was a rare unmarried female capable of mating with a Teleen since she had an affinity to fire and didn’t burn to ash when the blue fire people touched her. She turned everyone away, but it only made them work harder to win her affections.
How could she solve this problem? They wouldn’t stop until she chose one of them to marry. It was the only way to make them all go away.
But she didn’t want to be engaged, let alone married. She cringed at the thought, and didn’t notice one young male surfacing near her and treading water softly as he watched her. He pulled her out of her thoughts, and she fidgeted as she groaned. Another suitor. Another interruption.
“The water is safe, if that’s what you’re wondering,” the man said. His eyes never left hers as he kept his distance, as though he was aware of her discomfort. This made her suspicious; the others had been keen to come as close to her as possible. Not this one, he waited patiently in the water, contented to just peer at her.
“I was told that.”
He chuckled, floating onto his back and staring up at the moonlit rocks above. “If you dive deep enough, it’s said that merpeople live amongst the underwater channels of the earth. Do you believe that?” He straightened up, pushing the water with his muscular arms as he waited for her to answer.
“Mermaids you mean?”
“Mermaids, mermen, merfolk. Whatever you call them.” As he flashed his pearly white teeth, his eyes twinkled in the dark, reflecting the moonlight resting on the surface of the water.
“They don’t exist.”
“You think so?”
Shade stared him down. What was his problem? He seemed intent on bugging her to death. Get on with your “Marry me” spiel already, she thought.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Well, you might be right.” He dove down into the inky, black water, leaving nothing but a ripple in his wake. Minutes passed, making Shade shift as she darted her eyes across the lake’s surface. No one else was on the shore or in the water anymore, making her feel utterly alone and vulnerable. Where had the man gone? Had he drowned?
Surely no one could hold their breath that long.
As the time ticked by, she feared the man had drowned himself. She stood up, pacing on the large boulders along the edge of the water.
“Hey, mister!” she called out to the abandoned expanse of lake. Abruptly, the man surfaced, grinning at her, and swam closer. “Don’t do that!” Shade scolded.
“Do what?” He pulled himself onto a boulder and pushed back his long black hair. It was tied in a ponytail, but long strands of it had come loose and were plastered to his skin.
“Stay down there for so long. How’d you do that?” Shade picked up her towel, ready to head back to her room. He obviously thought what he’d done was extremely hilarious. She huffed and turned.
“Hey, wait. I didn’t mean to scare you. Just thought I’d go down and get you something. Here.” He held out a shiny red jewel. It gleamed in the moonlight, glowing in his palm. “There are thousands at the bottom of the lake, but it’s hundreds of feet down, so only I know about them.”
This had caught her attention, and she turned back, staring at the rough ruby held out before her. That was when she noticed his webbed feet and a webbing retracting from his fingers.
“What are you?” she gasped, afraid to move from her spot. He approached her, still smiling and holding out the jewel. Taking her hand, he slipped it into her fingers and curled them around the cold stone.
“My name is Nautilus. I’m a Teleen, but I’m also part Mer, from the Merfolk lines. I can swim in the deep and never need a breath. I’m the only one here who can do that, Princess.” His face was calm now, serious and still. His eyes were grey, shiny but speckled with amber and hazel coloring. She could see it now with him so close. He was slender but well-built and reminded her of Dylan, in a way. “I’m also the current Captain of the Guard, chosen after Dylan’s departure. I hope to see more of you around, Shade. Keep the ruby, as my gift to the queen of the Scren Seelie court. It will keep you safe.”
With that, he flashed her a brilliant smile before he dove back into the water, disappearing into its black depths. She was left stunned but knew he wouldn’t come back up until she was gone.
Well, that was different, she thought. She had to give him points in originality for approaching her in such a manner. She sighed, studying the blood-red ruby in her grasp. Clutching it to her chest, she knew she had to choose someone now or face more and more suitors.
The towel was soft against her skin as she wrapped it around her body. She made her way back to her room. She felt ready now to speak with Dylan. Somehow, Nautilus’s presence had pushed her to make the decision to talk about the suitors with him. Maybe he could help her with this problem. If not, she was pretty sure she could get Soap or even Nautilus to end this ridiculous courting crap.
*****
“YOU NEEDED ME, Shade?”
Dylan waited just outside her door as she peered at him through the opening. She nodded and opened it wider for him to slip in.
“Yes, thanks for coming.”
Dylan looked around the room, finding them alone. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, couldn’t be better.” She chuckled, but stifled it as she cleared her throat. “I had to ask you something.” She motioned for him to sit on the edge of her bed with her. He complied, giving her a warm smile.
“Go for it, anything you need.”
She sighed, hoping she didn’t run out of courage before she could ask him what she wanted.
“Remember what you told me about getting courted by the Teleen men?”
He nodded, his face growing dark as he took in her question. “Yes.”
“You told me I had to choose someone, someone to be ‘engaged’ to, right?”
Again he nodded, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Yes. It’s the only way to stop the onslaught of suitors. What’s the matter, Shade? Why do you look so nervous?”
“Do you love me?”
His eyes softened, and his fingers reached up to caress the softness of her cheeks. “Yes, Shade. I love you more than I can ever tell you.”
Shade let out a breath, relief flooding her insides. “You do?”
“Yes. More than anything.” Suddenly, he slipped down before her, grasping her fingers in his hands bringing them to his lips. They were warm and soft, sending her heart racing as they sent a pleasurable tingle up her arms. “Which is why I must say this right now, before I lose my nerve.” He took a deep breath, inching closer to her. She could feel his heat radiating across her skin.
“Would you choose me, Shade? Choose me to be your husband, to marry, to love, so I can love you back and cherish you with every part of my being.”
Whoa!
She hadn’t expected that. She was going to ask him to be engaged to her to throw the other suitors off. But this… this was more than anything she’d dreamed of, and her heart fluttered in her chest, elated at his words.
“You want me to choose y
ou?” Her voice came out soft, almost in a whisper. Could he really have asked her to be his, just like that?
“Yes, I love you. Choose me. I want to make you happy, to make your days full of life and love. I want to be the one to be there for you, always… forever.”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“I choose you.”
He stood up and pulled her closer to him, embracing her with every cell of his body. “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me just now.”
“As happy as I feel, I hope.” She traced his jawline with her fingers, cherishing the warmth of his skin.
“Even more! Here….” He held out a silver ring with a dark blue sapphire embedded in the middle, surrounded by two topaz diamond-cut gems. It was brilliant, and she stared at it in awe. “It was my mother’s wedding ring. I want you to have it, to represent our promise.” He took her right hand and slipped the ring onto her first finger. She stared at it, a little confused at the placement.
Dylan didn’t miss a beat. He pointed to her first finger and explained. “In Faerie, this is the most powerful of fingers, one on each hand. Only on this finger do we place promises of love, for it is the first you look upon each day.” With that he pulled out another ring, matching the one she was wearing but with the topaz embedded in the silver instead of set as a jewel. “This was my father’s wedding ring. Rings of promise pass down to the eldest child of a Faerie couple. So I get to give my mother’s ring to you, and my father’s ring is the one I wear.” He placed it in her palm.
She studied the larger ring, feeling its metallic magic vibrating on her skin. It felt good and matched the magic swirling from its mate on her finger. She took Dylan’s right hand and slipped it onto his first finger.
“You have to say this after I do, to complete our promise,” he stated. “Our love, as witnessed by the Land of Faerie, now bonded with a promise forged of metal, jewels and blood. We are one.”
Shade nodded, shaking as the words formed on her lips. “Our love, as witnessed by the Land of Faerie, now bonded with a promise forged of metal, jewels and blood. We are one.” With that, Dylan pulled his dagger out of the sheath on his belt and pricked the same finger. A droplet of blood oozed out as he did the same to hers. Linking hands, their fingers touched to each other.
“It’s done.”
Shade gasped, feeling the metal on her finger tighten slightly. Letting go of Dylan, she went to pull the ring off, but it would not budge.
“It will remain there, to show all of Faerie that we are promised. Only breaking the promise will release it.” Dylan watched her, his face turning stoic as he waited for her to speak.
“Oh, okay. I just wasn’t expecting that.” She sighed in relief, glancing down at her finger, her magic now weaving the cut together and quickly healing it.
“Do you want to turn back?” he asked, his voice cracking at the question.
“What? No! Of course not. I love you, and this is the happiest I’ve felt in a long time.” She fell into his arms again and snuggled into his chest. They could finally be happy. Finally.
“Me, too, Shade. Me, too.”
Chapter Twenty
WITHOUT CAMULUS TO teleport them everywhere, there were few options to get places quickly in Faerie. This time, they were using horses. Jade wasn’t fond of being out in the open, especially with Anna and James in tow, but they had no other options. Shade brushed the horse she’d selected, a beautiful tan and chocolate female who had the softest-looking brown eyes she’d ever seen. She’d chosen Shade, actually. In the Teleen stables, the horse had nudged her repeatedly and followed her around like a lost puppy. Her name was Lily. Easy and simple, and it fit the gentle mare perfectly.
Brushing her was soothing to say the least. It had taken Shade about five days to feel normal again. Her Grandmother Lana’s memory ampule had been so powerful that, added to her own blood, it was downright lethal. She was sure Lana hadn’t meant it to be so bad. Shade was pretty positive that her grandmother had counted on Shade being near help if it’d done something to her. Regardless, it was over with. She just wanted to get to the Southern Realm and prepare as well as she could for Aveta’s invasion.
The wards falling all around Faerie had been a surprise to everyone. Even the Teleen were spooked. No one was sure who was doing it; they were only certain that Aveta was involved, one way or another. Shade wondered if someone was helping her. Obviously, it wasn’t Corb. Someone powerful had to be helping her, though. Even so, the breaking of the wards was slowing down, indicating that whoever was behind it was exhausting their resources.
“Horses are wonderful at judging a character.”
Her attention snapped toward the young Teleen warrior, Nautilus, as he approached Lily and offered her a morsel of apple. The horse snatched it up and allowed the warrior to pat her long brown mane.
Shade wasn’t sure what to say to him. She’d been avoiding the lake cavern since their encounter and still found him disarming. The overwhelming outpour of suitors had put her on edge, and the relief she’d gotten once she and Dylan had promised themselves to each other had been most welcome. Still, she stiffened when he approached. Noticing her uncomfortable state, the warrior didn’t come any closer.
“Lily was my sister’s horse, but she died two summers ago.” Nautilus lovingly stroked the horse’s neck, earning a happy whinny from the mare.
“Oh, I didn’t know she belonged to your family.” Shade suddenly felt awkward attaching herself to Lily. Maybe it would be a bad idea.
“No, no. Please. I’m happy to see her take to another rider. She’s been so glum since my sister passed. I really thought she’d never want to take to the trails again.” He sighed, smiling as he shifted his gaze from Lily to Shade.
She felt her cheeks burn a rosy pink under the intense look of this warrior. He looked slightly different than the other Teleen. His eyes were not only grey, but speckled with amber around the irises. His skin was a shade or two darker than Dylan’s, signifying that he, too, didn’t stay out of the sun for too long. Long braids tied back most of his thick hair, but some of it remained shrouding his shoulders. He looked different out of the water, out here in the open. Still, she wondered if he had heard the news about her and Dylan. She couldn’t see why not.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I did want to congratulate you on your engagement to Dylan.”
Shade took his hand and shook it, feeling him emanating a bit of his fire power as he touched her skin. It sent a ripple of a thrill down her arm, making the darkling mark burn ever so slightly. So Dylan’s replacement as captain of the Teleen Guard is a lot more than meets the eye, she thought.
“Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome. News gets around pretty fast here.” His eyes twinkled as he held onto her hand a moment too long before dropping his grip. The look on his face was similar to the way Dylan had looked at her when they’d discovered he couldn’t electrocute her with his Teleen skin of blue fire and electricity. Even with the promise ring on her finger, he seemed unperturbed.
“I hope I haven’t offended you in any way, Princess.” The way his voice curled around the title made her shiver. She glanced back toward Nautilus. His face was serious and still, awaiting her answer.
“No, not at all. It’s just that I’m a bit overwhelmed with all that’s been going on.” She grabbed a carrot from the trough and began feeding it to Lily, who happily complied by chomping on the thick piece of vegetable.
“I understand. I can’t imagine all the trials you’ve been through. And now marriage. I can’t imagine how it must make you feel.” He headed toward the water trough and dumped a bucket of fresh water into it that she hadn’t noticed him carrying. She wondered if he cared for the horses. He was awfully comfortable around Lily. If not, who did?
“Do you tend to them?” Shade waved her hand toward the stables as he placed the bucket on the ground.
“Yes, it’s kind of a hobby. Or a se
cond job, if that’s what you call it. On my down time, I come out here, make sure the horses are groomed, well fed, well watered and exercised. Not a lot of Teleen like to come out here, but I don’t mind in the least. It’s soothing.” He was standing so close to Shade she could feel his energy exciting the air around her. She gulped and took a small step back, one hand still mindlessly stroking Lily’s neck.
“Hey.” Dylan approached with her saddle and waited for Shade to finish brushing and laying a blanket on Lily. As he worked the straps securely around the horse, he kept glancing between Nautilus and her. “Is he bothering you, Shade?”
She shook her head, lowering her eyes as she resumed brushing the horse.
“Nautilus.” Dylan acknowledged the current captain, bowing his head slightly with respect.
“Dylan, good to see you again.”
“Likewise. You’re still captain, I see.”
“Yes, it keeps me quite busy.”
“Not busy enough, apparently.” Dylan’s stared relentlessly at the captain, challenging him silently as they glared at one another.
Shade rolled her eyes and sighed. She could feel the testosterone-fueled magic flying between the two men. Nautilus had been the only Teleen man gutsy enough to speak with her. Most preferred to send scores of flowers and presents to her room with love notes and letters of persuasion to court her. Nautilus had at least had the guts to actually approach her, and he seemed like an interesting person. Not that she would choose to rescind her promise to Dylan, but she still felt a bit stunned at their engagement. Nonetheless, it was amusing to see the men challenge each other. Stifling a chuckle, she pretended not to notice their exchange.
“I was just on my way out,” Nautilus said, breaking the silence. He gave her a curt nod. “Shade, it was an absolute pleasure to see you again. I do hope we can talk some more and become great friends.” His twinkling eyes were captivating as he reached out to take her hands into his warm palms. Bowing down, his lips grazed her hand, pressing their warmth onto her skin, and kissed it softly before straightening again. The twinkling mischief in his eyes never left as he spun and continued down the path, back into the caverns.
