by Lora Edwards
“Hugh, why does it just change for Ovidia and Teagan? Neither of them have to tell the window a destination,” Ovidia asked.
“You have a curious mind, my girl. I like it.” He winked. “Teagan does so with her thoughts. The window is tuned to her because she has the time traveler gene, and it senses where she wishes to go. Ovidia has come here so many times that the window has learned her thoughts, so to speak, and anticipates her wanting to go to Kvenland. In time it will show you the land of your birth any time you step up to it. If you need another destination, you have only to tell it where and when you wish to go. There will be a ceremony when you become a full-fledged member of the institute. We can’t just have anyone being able to ride the glass, only those we have put our trust in. Do you want to become one of us, my girl,” he asked, watching her closely.
Mindful of Flynn on her other side, Delphine nodded and whispered, “Very much.”
Hugh grinned. “We can always use one of your kind on staff. There are not many here of both the land and the sea who are willing to take on the missions.”
“Hugh, before we go, one more question,” Delphine said, knowing she was stalling the moment a bit. “Why do some missions start in the ready room and others here?”
“Depends on who’s going and where you are going. Since neither of you are time travelers and must use the window, you travel from here. Those who have the time-traveling ability use the ready room as a way to keep out of my hair. They can travel from any place they like, unless they are going to another land, such as Faery or Kvenland. Then we all need the assistance of the window, as it is a portal to the other worlds as well as a way to travel through time for those without that ability,” he explained. “Now, enough stalling, my girl. There is a babe in need of your help.” He put a gentle hand at Delphine’s back, steering her toward the stained glass.
Delphine took one last deep breath and walked toward the window. There was heat wafting off it, and she could sense intelligence, as if it was not just made of glass and magic but of something else, something sentient. Delphine turned and raised an eyebrow at Hugh, who just winked in response and gestured for her to move forward.
She walked through and the remembered sensation of sliding through a warm waterfall overtook her once again. She took a step and felt the rough dock underneath her feet, the smell of the sea filling her nose. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes; it was the smell of home. The sea called to her. She glanced down to see the mermaid on her arm shimmering as if she, too, was impatient to get into the water, to slide into the warm azure depths of the Caribbean.
“Our ship is docked just there,” came Flynn’s voice at her ear, causing her to shiver. She looked back into his warm green eyes, holding his gaze for a beat. She quickly turned, a blush heating her cheeks as she strode down the dock toward the ship Flynn had indicated.
He smiled as he watched her flounce toward the moored ship. Her strong muscular legs ate up the distance to the gangplank and she turned at the base, flashing him a fulminating glare before tossing her sea-colored hair once more and disappearing onto the ship.
“You can run, Delphine, but you can’t hide,” he murmured to himself as he followed her down the dock and up the gangplank. Flynn looked around and smiled. He felt at home on the ship. He had enjoyed his time as Blackbeard the pirate; it was like living every little boy’s fantasy, except with real swords. He was glad to be back in his own skin, but there were times in the past months when he had missed the salty scent of the ocean, the wind in his hair, and the rock of a boat on the open water.
“You must be Flynn.” A sea-worn man with faded blue eyes stood in front of him.
“I am, and who might you be, good sir,” Flynn asked, taking the man’s measure.
“I be the captain of this great vessel. I am also a member of the institute as well.” He held out a work-roughened hand.
“It is good to meet you. Do you have a given name or am I to call you Captain for the duration of our journey,” Flynn asked good-naturedly.
“I be Captain Zachary Joseph. My mother was a mermaid who rescued a drowning sailor. She gave up the sea to marry my father, waiting and watching as he sailed out to sea. We used to go down to the water when I was young, and we’d slip into the water to follow his boat out to sea. I inherited the ability to change from my mother, but I prefer to be on the ship, not under it,” he said, smiling.
“Did you see where Delphine, my partner, got off to?”
“The princess? Aye, she went aft to get settled in her cabin.” He pointed toward the front of the vessel.
Flynn nodded his thanks, moving to go in the direction the captain had indicated.
“She appears to have worked up a head of steam. You best be careful with that one, boyo. Those Sirens can be mighty frightening when riled,” Captain Joseph advised him, turning to bellow orders to his crew.
Captain Joseph’s warning rang in Flynn’s head as he approached the cabins. As with the Queen Anne’s Revenge, a mage had come aboard to outfit the cabins with modern amenities for their time-traveling guests. Flynn found his cabin, left the valise he had brought with him on the floor, and then made his way to the cabin next to his. He knocked softly. It would not do to get off to a rocky start on their first solo mission. He needed her to see that they could work together, and along the way he would work in the fact that they were meant for each other.
“Delphine, can we talk,” Flynn asked, and on the other side of the wooden door, she sighed. She didn’t want to be at odds with him. They needed to be able to get along if this mission was going to be a success, and she would just have to ignore the attraction she had for him. She thought he may return her feelings, but she couldn’t be sure and wasn’t ready to put herself out there and risk rejection. She would keep her head in the mission and ignore her feelings.
She opened the door and felt her resolve waver. He looked so dashing in his pirate outfit, and when he grinned at her, she felt herself sigh. She stood there motionless, as did he, both of them staring at the other. She saw his gaze dip from her eyes to her mouth, felt her lips tingle as he slowly lowered his mouth toward hers.
“We are about to be underway, and we could use the help with casting off if you are willing.” Captain Zach’s voice came from behind Flynn, stopping him.
He closed his eyes and entertained some uncharitable thoughts about the ship’s captain.
“Of course,” Flynn replied on a sigh, giving Delphine one more heated look before following the captain out onto the deck.
She put her hand to her tingling lips. There was now no question that Flynn shared her attraction, and she had to decide what she wanted to do about it.
Chapter 9
Delphine stood at the helm of the ship, her hair blowing in the wind as she watched the mists part and the small island came into view. It reminded her of the Siren isles, the same magical fog surrounding the palm-covered island to keep it safe from prying eyes. Unlike the island she called home, this small piece of land had a desolate, empty feeling. Delphine felt a sudden urgency to be in the water in order to find the child they were there to rescue.
Looking around to make sure she was hidden from the crew by the mast, she slipped out of her pirate garb, cursing the many layers of clothing. Taking one final look around, she dived into the sea, slipping into the waves, the water parting for her like an old friend. She brought the image of her Siren form into her mind, slipping into this new routine as if she had done it this way her entire life. She felt the fiery pain of the change as her legs became her amethyst tail. Making sure to keep to the depths, away from the curious gazes of the human crew, she swam through the warm waters, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of homecoming.
“Mommy?” A small voice appeared in her thoughts, arriving from a distance. Opening her eyes, Delphine could see a pod of dolphins coming toward her. In the middle of their pod, a tiny form with a shimmering tail swam, protected by the others.
Delphi
ne frowned at the hope in the little voice. “No, not Mommy, but a friend, little one,” she thought back at the child.
She approached the dolphins cautiously. They would be on alert, protecting their small charge, wary of any intruder. As she drew closer, a squeal came from one of the dolphins as excited thoughts exploded inside Delphine’s mind.
Her smile widened and she swam faster, fastening her arms around the dolphin as he swam in circles with her arms around him.
“Old friend, how are you? It feels as if it has been ages since we last swam together,” Delphine thought to the dolphin. Dolphins did not have names that could be put into human words; his name consisted of a series of squeaks and barks. They had met off the coast of the Siren island when they were both just toddlers and had played under the watchful eyes of both dolphins and Sirens, becoming fast friends. Delphine had many childhood memories of swim races and frolicking in the warm waters off of her island with her friend.
The reunion over, she felt her friend’s thoughts turn dark as he showed her the events as the dolphin had experienced them since the child had come into their midst. There had been skirmishes with other mermaid clans who felt the child should be turned over to them to be done with as they saw fit. The child had the mermaid ability to heal and the Siren ability to sing. She had helped to heal the dolphins after each skirmish but was growing weak as her young body could only channel so much magic. They believed she was still young, around two years.
Delphine swam up to the pod. The little girl was a beauty. She had long flowing curls the color of a sapphire, the scales of her tail glittering with the same blue hue. She shied away from Delphine, clutching one of the dolphins. Delphine could feel the fear in the child’s thoughts. Others had come for her, but they had been bad. They had tried to hurt her, and she was not sure if Delphine was friend or foe.
“Hello, little one. I am here to help you, to take you somewhere safe,” she thought gently.
“Mommy, Daddy,” the child thought back. Delphine felt her heart squeeze in sympathy.
As Delphine slowly swam closer, the little girl’s eyes filled with tears and she still clutched the dolphin. Delphine stopped a good distance away.
Her friend sent positive, friendly thoughts to the child and rubbed the end of his nose on Delphine’s cheek.
“Little one, can you show me what happened when Mommy and Daddy put you here with the dolphins,” she softly projected to the little girl.
The child’s tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. Delphine dared to swim closer, and the child allowed it. Delphine reached out and gently enfolded her in her arms, cuddling her close.
The child sighed in her mind and snuggled closer into Delphine before opening up her thoughts, showing Delphine how she had come to be with the dolphins.
Delphine saw the child’s thoughts like a movie. It started with playing on the beach with a beautiful woman who had creamy skin, emerald eyes, and hair that shone like fire. There was a handsome man who had hair the color of sapphires—dark, almost black, like the child’s—and warm amber eyes. The child felt happy, loved, and secure.
Suddenly her father slumped to the ground on the other side of the sandcastle they had been building on the beach. Her mother stood quickly, blocking her from the people coming toward them on the sand.
The man in the lead was pale with dark hair and had what the child perceived as a cruel smile on his face.
“What do you want?,” her mother asked.
“You and your mate, as well as your offspring. You will make a lovely addition to our collection. It is so much harder to find unnaturals of the waterways. The things we will learn from you…” the man said with his harsh smile.
The woman looked over at the man slumped on the sand as sorrow, fear, and anger lit up her eyes. She opened her mouth to sing, to drive these intruders into the water and drown them for daring to interfere with what was hers, but before the first note could pass her lips, she started to slump to the sand as well.
Her last act was to pick up the child and throw her into the sea. She thought to her daughter, “Esme, Mommy loves you, and Daddy loves you too. The dolphins will keep you safe.” The child remembered the fright of moving through the air as the mother used all her strength to fling her as far as possible. The pain of hitting the water and going through the change made her cry out.
The little girl’s cries alerted the dolphins, who came swiftly. She grabbed the fin of the closest one as they sped away from the island, away from Mommy and Daddy, away from the bad men who hurt them.
As the memory subsided, the child cuddled closer into Delphine, burying her little head in her arms, her small shoulders shuddering as she relived the heartbreak all over again.
Delphine simply held the girl as she cried her own tears. “Fear not, little one. There is still a chance they live. I believe I know who has your mommy and daddy. I will not stop until they are found and returned to you,” Delphine thought to her.
The child may not have understood all Delphine told her, but the tone and fierceness rang in her mind and comforted her. This beautiful stranger would find her parents, and she would take her somewhere safe. The child closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lulled by the sound of Delphine’s heartbeat, so like her mommy’s.
Delphine turned and bowed to the pod of dolphins with the little girl clinging to her. “Thank you for keeping her safe. The Sirens of the isle owe you a deep debt of gratitude for protecting her. I will take her now, and I promise to keep her safe.”
Delphine felt the intrusion of the others of the pod probing to make sure her intentions for the child were pure. Delphine did not fight it, opening up her mind and allowing her fellow sea creatures to delve in and see that she wished to protect the child, to rescue her parents and exact vengeance on those that had taken them.
The dolphins bowed to her and swam away. Delphine headed to the shore, popping her head above the waves. She had stripped off her clothing and though her current state was natural for those of the sea, she did not wish to expose her true form to the humans who manned the ship.
She spotted a wink of light from an isolated cove and noticed a lone man standing on the beach. Curious, Delphine swam closer, and she realized the man was Flynn.
She surfaced again, poking her head out of the gently lapping waves. “Flynn! Can you hear me?” She watched as he turned in her direction and waved.
“I can hear you. I brought fresh clothing and a blanket for the child. I assume you found the dolphins, and the child” he shouted out over the water.
“Yes, I have her with me now. She is not an infant, but a child of around two years.”
“This cove is sheltered and the ship is moored around the bend so you should be safe here. I will leave you to it. Join us when you are ready,” he said before turning and hiking back up the sandy trail that led out of the cove.
Delphine smiled. There had been no recriminations from Flynn about her leaving the ship unannounced. He just helped her, providing her with fresh clothes and privacy. He treated her as an equal and did not act as if she needed to be tended to like a royal, did not act like she was helpless. Delphine felt herself move closer to the edge of the cliff she was already balancing on in regards to her feelings for him.
Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, Delphine swam into the shallows, bringing up the image of her other form in her mind and feeling the sting of the change. As she brought the child out of the water, a moue of discomfort marred the face of the sleeping child as her form changed from her blue tail to two chubby little legs. She now held what would look to the crew like a human toddler. The little girl blinked a few times, looking around, and then turned her head once again into Delphine’s chest, resuming her nap.
Delphine wrapped her in the soft blanket Flynn had brought them and laid her in the warm sand while she quickly dressed. Picking up the little girl once more, she walked up the sandy trail and over the rise. At the top she could see the ship waiting on the o
ther side.
Snuggling the baby closer to her chest, Delphine picked her way down the other side of the trail and walked across the sandy beach to the where the ship sat bobbing in the cove.
“Did everything go okay,” Flynn asked, walking up as she approached the ship.
“Yes. We have a lot to talk about, but the most important thing is the little one is safe,” Delphine replied, looking at the sleeping child in her arms.
“She is beautiful,” Flynn whispered, running one finger down the baby’s chubby cheek. She smiled in her sleep, a small dimple popping out. “Do we know what her name is,” he asked, looking at Delphine. “She doesn’t look old enough to really be able to start talking yet. “
“She showed me what happened to her parents. Since she doesn’t have much command of language, so that was the easiest way. The woman in the vision called her Esme.”
Flynn chuckled as the baby screwed up her face. At his chuckle, two wide dark blue eyes popped open and eyed Flynn curiously. She did not seem as wary as she had with Delphine.
“Hello there little Esme, I’m Flynn, and you are going to go on that big ship with us.” He pointed behind him.
Esme sat up in Delphine’s arms and studied the large vessel. “Ship,” she repeated, and then she lunged from Delphine’s arms into Flynn’s. Flynn caught the flying baby, who then looked at him and pointed. “Ship.”
“Okay, we can go on the ship.” He turned with the baby in his arms, looking natural with a child cradled in his embrace. Many men of any species were wary around children, but not Flynn. He took to the little girl just as readily as she did to him.
Delphine watched as he carried her up the gangplank to disappear onto the ship. He was constantly doing things that made her move closer to falling for him.
Delphine allowed herself a sigh and a smile before she followed him up the gangplank. What she saw there caused her to stop in her tracks, mouth open, shocked at the sight before her.
