by Starla Night
Someone else muttered what they were all thinking. “We should give the coward back to his people if they still want him.”
Tial flinched.
Elyssa made a frustrated noise. “Am I talking to myself right now?”
Kadir rested his hand on Elyssa’s taut shoulder. “What is your meaning?”
“If all warriors are supposed to exit a castle at the first sign of battle, why would anyone try to break in?”
“To destroy a seed.”
She gestured at the empty pedestal. “You don’t have a seed.”
This was true. But it seemed unrelated. Why was she wasting their time with these observations?
“Ah.” Balim looked up from his patient. “Queen Elyssa. You believe Tial was not the target.”
She closed her eyes. “Yes. Thank you. Finally.”
What?
Even Tial looked shocked.
“Of course he was.” Gailen voiced everyone’s disbelief. “They were from his city. They tried to kidnap him before. Nilun and Zoan fought them off.”
“Yes, but a raider should not enter a castle on a whim,” Balim pointed out. “To risk activating the defense system, they should only enter to destroy a seed or capture someone they know will be inside. And who did the Newas raiders know would be inside?”
All warriors must exit to face their enemies. Only one person should remain inside a castle during an attack.
“You are saying…” Kadir’s chest clenched. He forced the words. “Their target was my queen?”
“That is impossible!” Adviser Creo shouted. Others vehemently agreed.
“We all sensed the joining,” Balim said. “They attacked the castle. The only sensible target is your queen.”
The burning started again. He would find those Newas warriors beyond the old city and destroy them.
“Tial saved my life,” Elyssa said firmly. “If he hadn’t stayed, I might have died. Tial’s not a coward. He’s a hero.”
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Tial finally lifted his chin. Wretched anguish filled his eyes and his lips trembled at the disgust of the other warriors. But he could face the dishonor now knowing that he had sacrificed himself for a worthy reason.
Kadir’s error had been assuming, like Faier, that no warriors would dare to hurt a bride. His assumption put Elyssa at risk. Adviser Creo had warned him about this possibility. He would no longer be blinded by the very traditions he sought to destroy.
“My queen will always have a guard,” he rumbled. “In peace and in battle. From now going forward.”
His warriors silently recognized his order. Adviser Creo puffed his chest. He had wanted Elyssa under guard from the beginning, and now Kadir recognized his wish.
“And my first guard will be Tial,” Elyssa declared.
The others growled. Tial blanched in shock.
“No,” Kadir said.
She rounded on Kadir. “Why not?”
“You will have a warrior who is honorable.”
“Tial is honorable!”
Kadir shook his head. She did not understand. No other warriors could forgive Tial’s dishonor even if his action had accidentally ended well.
She pressed both hands to her glowing chest. “Tial valued me above his honor. He knew the consequences just like everyone else. He valued me more.”
The other warriors shifted uncomfortably.
Nilun growled. “Queen Elyssa, honor is—”
She blazed at him with magnificent fury. “Don’t call me queen. You won’t obey my orders. The title doesn’t mean anything.”
His eyes widened. Rage trembled his entire body. “You question my loyalty?”
Kadir moved in front of Nilun.
Elyssa glowed brighter. “Will you obey my orders? Or will you leave me unguarded in the middle of a battle to protect your honor?”
He did not dare answer.
“I want a guard who cares about me.” She lifted her chin. “That guard is Tial.”
The others shifted again. Agitation filled the castle.
Kadir raised his arms to quiet them. “Elyssa, this is not our way.”
“I don’t care.” She huffed and crossed her arms. “Are you just going to stick me with whoever’s convenient? Everyone else said they’d ignore me. Only he, out of all these ‘honorable’ warriors, obeyed my command. The others can call me whatever they want, but it’s obvious to me that he’s the only one who treats me like a queen.”
Nilun turned his anger on Kadir. “You cannot allow this obvious dishonor.”
Yes. Tial's cowardice had endangered… No. That was not quite right.
Kadir's calves cramped painfully. He had been clenching the muscles during this discussion and now it cost him. He grunted, bent over, and massaged the taut muscles.
Elyssa dove beside him, realized what he was doing, and massaged his other calf. Her touch soothed him with healing.
His warriors waited for his judgment.
He took the time to organize his thoughts.
Was punishing Tial not the right response? Elyssa had ordered him to remain with her. Despite the dishonor, Tial had obeyed. Wasn’t this situation the same as dismembering a male for saving another warrior’s bride? It was such a radical shift that Kadir’s thoughts turned as muddy as a war-churned muck cloud.
Elyssa glowed at him brightly. Warm, golden light flowed from her outward, shining over the rest of the mer.
There was only one answer that mattered.
His muscles relaxed.
Kadir rested his hands on hers. She smiled. Somehow, she knew what he would do. Together, they straightened.
"We are founding a new city,” Kadir rumbled, Elyssa by his side. “The judgments made now will become our traditions going forward. We must honor the past. But we must also understand that we are living in a new era. An era of modern brides. An era of queens.” He turned to the young warrior. “You are the first warrior to be tested by the new era. My queen made an unorthodox command. Few warriors would have the discipline to listen.”
Tial gritted his teeth, his formerly pale face now flaming, as he awaited Kadir’s judgment.
“You did well, Tial."
The young warrior's eyes widened. The other warriors rumbled with disagreement.
This city would be founded on new traditions. No matter how they surprised even its king.
Kadir boomed over the disruption. "You will be the queen’s first guard. You will protect only her. And you will obey her above all other mer.” He put his growl into it, over the others’ shock. “Even me.”
Elyssa glowed like the sun.
That, even more than his growls, quieted the mer.
She was different. She was more than a bride. Her glow proved it.
“Do you accept this honor?” Kadir asked Tial.
Tial swallowed hard several times. "My king."
"Rally to your queen, Tial."
Tial's eyes glimmered. His chin wrinkled and smoothed. He swallowed again, bowed to Elyssa, and straightened. "I await your orders, my queen."
Chapter Twenty
I await your orders, my queen.
That…was official. Elyssa's chest swelled. Tial truly respected her.
So did Kadir.
He returned to his warriors. “Answer. How did these raiders enter our city? Third patrol.”
Nilun jerked his enraged gaze from Tial and turned the full force on Kadir. “I will fight any who question my honor!”
“I do not question your honor,” Kadir snapped. “I question your eyes. Explain.”
The mer’s hackles slightly lowered and he described the patterns his patrol had used to monitor the border.
Tial rested close to Elyssa. His color slowly returned to normal. His fingers remained clenched on the trident, ready at any moment to defend her — and himself — from the obvious unhappiness of the other warriors.
She hadn’t meant to throw everything into chaos. She hadn’t meant to fracture th
e loyalty of Kadir’s warriors — and it was obvious that many of them silently protesting en masse were fractured. Her orders had been like demanding Tial tear down the flag and stomp on it and then get him promoted while the rest of them seethed.
But she also couldn’t let him face a punishment for doing what she had asked. It just wasn’t fair.
“We all saw the flash of the Life Tree,” Kadir said finally when their debates had been exhausted. “It flashed as in ancient times. We all rallied to its defense. In that, we are united.”
The tired warriors straightened again. Even Balim, the total skeptic, raised his chin. Elyssa raised hers as well. This was Atlantis.
“It should be easy to review who was nearest the Life Tree. That warrior should have also seen the raiders.”
“I felt its flash,” she said. “I should have gone out to see.”
Kadir stroked her cheek. Intent emotion crossed his face. “No. It is too dangerous.”
“I know I’m not a warrior, but I could still be useful.”
Adviser Creo harrumphed. "A bride should never be near the battle. She will never be as powerful as a warrior."
Despite the fact that it was probably true, it wasn’t very nice. Just like when Chastity Angel criticized her, Elyssa felt hot and cold and itchy, all at once.
Kadir darkened on the adviser. He clearly wanted to growl but did not want to anger the powerful representative.
Tial shook his trident at Adviser Creo. "Respect my queen!"
Everyone froze in shock. Tial took his guard duties more seriously than just protecting her body. He also defended her honor.
Adviser Creo’s eyes narrowed. “Do not threaten a representative of the All-Council, young warrior.”
“No matter who you are, you must respect my queen.”
“Do not speak so recklessly.”
“I am level-headed.” He shook his trident again and thumped his evergreen-swirled chest with his closed fist. “If you continue to dishonor my queen, I challenge you to honorable combat.”
Unlike Nilun, Tial was the last to take offense, and he never initiated a challenge. He was in good shape. He lacked experience, but the adviser might find himself outmatched.
The adviser clearly thought so too. He shifted uncomfortably. “I state only facts. She is a human who cannot transform."
That was patently untrue. "I can so," Elyssa said.
“Lies.”
"You are incorrect, Adviser." Kadir stroked her back gently. "We observed her fins a short time ago."
"Do it now." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Prove it."
Okay. That should be easy. She just had to think … and…go… She flexed her feet and concentrated until her arms shook and her face burned. Nothing happened. At all.
It wasn’t fair.
Everyone stared at her.
The water felt hot. "Well, I can't do it on command, but I can do it."
The adviser shook his head.
“Enough.” Kadir straightened. “Re-form patrols. This attack cannot unsettle our mission. Elyssa will be guarded. Sea Opals must be uncovered in the ruins. We must focus all our strength on excavating the old city."
The warriors began dispersing.
Pelan muttered to his friends. “And now we enter another rotation of patrols-patrols-excavation-patrols. Did you hear what was missing? Sleep.”
Nilun remained red with anger. He turned away from Pelan’s complaint abruptly.
Zoan patted Pelan’s cheek. “I will sleep with you, Pelan.”
The black-and-red warrior rolled his eyes. “Forget it.”
“You carry me to the excavation site and I will carry you back. We will sleep like brides in our warrior’s embrace.”
“Ugh. Zoan. Stop.”
The trio headed for the castle exit.
There had to be something Elyssa could do. She swayed to Kadir. “I want to help.”
Kadir rested his hand in the hollow of her soft waist. Some uncertain emotion flickered over his face and disappeared. “Remain here, where you are safe.”
Being safe was important. But what was that tenseness beneath his gaze? She let it go for now. “How can I help you here?”
He softened and stroked her cheek. “Make your fins.”
Fins. That was something she could do. Probably. Just how was it helpful? Even though he had assigned her a guard, he must not really think her capable.
His lips twisted to the side. He nuzzled her as though he could hear her thoughts. “Even young fry are confined until they can swim.”
Accept your limitations. Give up.
No!
Kadir was not telling her to give up. He was saying she could grow and become strong. She had to exceed her limitations. Then, she could help out.
“I’ll do it,” she said.
His tension eased another notch.
The warriors dispersed. Soren and Balim both had more details about the ancient city to report to Kadir. She practiced flexing her fins to no avail. Kadir finished his conversations, acknowledged Tial watching over her, and gripped her hand.
“Come,” he ordered, tugging her down the corridor.
Tial caught her eye. He would truly fight Kadir if she wanted him to intervene. Tial was taking his guard duties extremely seriously.
She let him know it was okay and swam with Kadir. They approached the heart chamber and his kicks grew more propulsive. He opened the chamber with their palms, dragged her in, shooed out the orange octopus, and sealed the chamber again.
Did it mean what she hoped it meant? Her feminine center tingled with promise.
He turned on her with intensity. His hard lips parted, his intense gaze fixed on her, and the water itself seemed to boil into flame.
He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t hurt from the attack. He wasn’t tired.
Kadir backed her into the wall and crushed her in his kiss.
He wanted her. Just as she was, right now. His shining light. His queen.
Elyssa heard the words in her heart.
They lit her on fire.
She wrapped her legs around his taut waist. His lithe muscles bulged. He palmed her soft derriere and his hard cock pressed against her slick, throbbing center.
His cock slid into her channel like she was made to fit him. Pleasure exploded. His possession swept away all thoughts. All doubts burned. They connected as two souls locking into one.
It was too intense. Frighteningly beautiful. She writhed against him.
His hands tangled in her hair. He yanked her head back and nipped commanding kisses down her jaw to her earlobe. Hunger ravaged her. He contained her powerfully, branding her and marking her, as though she would never escape him.
She belonged here with him.
Elyssa relaxed into his total domination.
His cock rammed in and out of her pleasure-filled channel. She clenched around him. He carried her to the brink. Orgasm showered delicious wonder down on her. Because she trusted him. Because they belonged together.
He tensed and growled. His seed shot, hot and throbbing, into her womb. He collapsed, resting his forehead on her shoulder. His shuddered with feeling.
She stroked her warrior’s broad back. Gentle. He carried so many burdens. She only wanted to help.
He lifted his head. His eyes were black with exhaustion and also vulnerable with hunger. Not hunger for her body, not after that. Hunger for something else.
She cupped his cheek.
He closed his eyes, regaining control, and kissed her palm. Then, he disentangled himself. “I must excavate the ruin. Practice well.”
What? No! She tried to catch his cheek again. “Balim told you to rest.”
“That time was taken by the raiders.”
“So? Excavating the ruin doesn’t have to be now.”
“It does have to be now.” He rubbed his eyes. “You must go to the surface soon.”
Her stomach dropped.
He was getting rid of her? She had displeased him?
The two-year contract was already over? Well, she had insulted all his warriors and demanded to be queen. She—
“Stop these thoughts.” He pulled her into his arms, fixing her with him. “Your first-month check is nearly now.”
Oh. She started laughing as she slumped against him. “Sorry! Sorry. I’m being dim, aren’t I? In more ways than one.”
He tightened his grip. “Do not speak the words that darken your soul. Do not go away from me like that.”
Her heart melted a little. She hugged him back.
Their heartbeats synced. His chest felt so broad and warm and comforting. She had to work on these doubts. Get more confidence, or else her light was going to go out, and she was going to keep hurting him.
She patted his back and let him go, affirming with her posture and her smile that she was her normal cheery self. “If you hadn’t explained things to me, I would have thought only five days passed since we tumbled off the dock in Miami. Although, they were the longest five days of my life.”
His worry remained. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Many things happened.”
“You can say that again.” She grabbed her right foot and flexed it. “Have fun at the ruin. I’ll join you as soon as I make my fins.”
He opened the heart chamber and paused in the doorway.
She flexed her feet. Somewhere inside her skin was a whole lot of fin. Hey, even if she couldn’t make it right away, it was a pretty good foot massage.
“Elyssa.”
“Yes?” She looked up.
He was solemn. “Do not leave this chamber without a guard.”
Because it was dangerous. Because the other warriors were angry. Because someone let in the raiders and wished her harm.
Her cheerful feelings evaporated. This wasn’t fun and games. She had to make her fins so she could escape danger, support Kadir, and become the strong queen Atlantis needed.
Or else the whole city would be destroyed.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I understand,” Elyssa said. Boy, did she.
Kadir nodded once and then he was gone.
She remained in the heart chamber for the rest of the…what, afternoon? It was impossible to say now that she had been reminded of the strange passage of time. She joined Kadir and the other warriors for meals. Tension had increased in the waters. The easy camaraderie she’d experienced in the first few meals was gone. Her selection of Tial changed the tone permanently. The others treated her with more distance.
