by Lani Lenore
The touch was light and gradual, and as with each time before, he was powerless to break from her kiss. She slid her arms across his shoulders, holding him in. His hands reached tentatively for her waist, almost afraid to touch, as if they were being watched by prying eyes. Were they? Surely not. He had been on this ship himself most of the day, and he knew exactly who was on it now. The men would depart soon, leaving them alone. Just them, together, finally.
He slid his hands into her hair and kissed her deeply. She moaned lightly as his lips claimed hers, as he showed her his want. He did not know how she had come to be here, and he might never get his answers, but he would accept this. They were alone, with the ship above them and the sea around them, and he would worry about repercussions later.
This was a gift, just like that day on the beach when he’d thought—he’d known—she was there just for him.
He didn’t waste time on ceremony, eager to have her. It was wrong that there were clothes between them. He had to make this right. She didn’t resist as he stripped her down, peeling off her layers of skirts and restraining undergarments. She was a restless as he, clawing at his shirt to have it undone, hands searching for the rest of him. Finally, her body was in his arms as it always should have been—as it used to be before there were rules between them. Only then did he slow, his pulse hammering as he kissed her again, the soft mounds of her breasts pressed against his chest. He’d missed that sensation.
They were skin to skin, warmth all the way down their legs, and it was heaven. His hands were near quivering with desire. They sought her, gripping eagerly, feeling how her flesh enmeshed with his fingers. It had been a while for him, and all he had wanted was her. He caressed her and touched her every place that he dared, knowing she would not protest. Their breath was matched in rhythm, and she was as impatient as he. Tonight, for one night, they could be free.
“I feel as though I’ve dreamed this,” he whispered, his nose brushing hers as the soft lantern light glanced across her face. She kissed him fiercely in return. It was different without her tongue, but his was perfectly able. He would use it.
Fingers locked, he pressed her against the bed. Nathan urged himself to move slowly as he looked down at her, running hands over her body as she responded beneath him. This bed was not a plush one like at the palace, but that was not something that was on his mind.
Nathan touched her new legs, feeling their curves. Her back arched, and his hand slid between her thighs, making her gasp. The heat nearly sent him reeling, but he would be patient. He wanted this to last.
He kissed her legs inside and out, ran his hands across her hips, sending waves of heat through them both. They had this night—this one night at least. He would make the most of it.
4
Treasure could not grasp the number of times she had dreamed about this. She had wanted so badly for him to crave her this way, but he hadn’t been able—not in her fish form. Now, it was different. She was what he wanted, she knew, not some creature that reminded him of horrible things. But it was not that she had merely become what he desired. It was what she had wanted as well, and as he parted her legs, planting kisses across her hips, she knew what it was to be whole.
Her arousal was an unfurling sensation, brought to new heights beneath his care. Perhaps she could have felt it before, but feelings of lust had never been real to her. Only with him. This was some bewitching magic even stronger than her own—the power he had over her—as his tongue dipped into hidden places that were entirely new and now so richly enjoyed.
She closed her eyes, feeling for the first time, remembering that he’d once said that he wanted to be numb, to feel nothing at all. She wondered over that, and why, when there was love and all this.
He returned to her, moving slowly up her body until his lips met her mouth again. She tasted herself there, a foreign savor. His forehead touched hers. She could feel his breath against her face when he pulled away.
“This could hurt,” he warned, his voice low and breathy.
I’m not afraid of pain, she thought.
She felt his tightened muscle searching, pressing inside easily, and a sharp pinch made her gasp. He was careful, but it reached deeper until the piercing jolt became a steady ache. Agony, and yet bliss. But she didn’t need pleasure. Bringing him his was enough.
She felt she had truly transcended now, finally—complete. This was what being perfect felt like.
5
Though they were miles apart, Bliss kept watch through Treasure’s eyes. She did not do so to meet her ends, but now it was more for curiosity. In fact, the girl’s foolish desire to trade her tail for legs had worked in Bliss’s favor. Having her at the human palace was even better than having her below. This way, she could keep an eye on the human king.
Bliss had seen Treasure with the young king—saw the way he looked at her. She had seen him hold her so lovingly, had watched him coddle her. They seemed close, but the witch knew his heart could not belong to another.
But my, how he had grown…
She had likewise seen Treasure with Nathan, and though Bliss had doubted their relationship at first, she had seen the way he had looked at her as well—different perhaps, than the young king. This had led Bliss to question what she had believed. Could Treasure have been right in what she’d sought? Could it be that the thing most worth achieving was someone to love?
Through Treasure’s eyes, she watched her exchange with Nathan. She saw how passionately he made love to her. Bliss was detached from the act, but was invested nonetheless. She could not feel the emotion, could not understand it, but she was curious as she watched their glistening human bodies twisting together.
A man had never been worth much to her. Like her sisters, she had only seen their existence to be a means to an end. She’d merely been lucky that day so many years ago when the young prince had fallen under her spell—when she’d lured him to fall off his ship and then saved his life. She had been greatly surprised when Treasure had become so infatuated with a human, but the loss of an ally had not ruined her plans. She could still use this to her advantage.
Bliss watched their act with scrutiny—without any sentiment at all—wondering.
“What are you thinking about?”
The sound of the voice grated on Bliss’s human-like ears, but it was not much of a surprise. The Mistress had recovered quickly from the operation Bliss had performed, and now she was the possessor of a perfectly capable human tongue. Yet now, she could not even be bothered to use it. But she had never ceased to use her eyes. The Mistress was always watching her or else having her watched, and Bliss kept aware of herself, always.
“About how to best keep myself in jour service, of course,” she answered with a smile.
“I wonder,” the Mistress sneered. “I can’t help thinking that you want something more than what you say.”
“Only to be of value,” Bliss returned. “I want to prove my worth.”
Bliss had her own plans—always had—and she wasn’t so foolish as to think that the Mistress didn’t suspect it. She had learned much in her short time here, but she had never believed for a moment that she was safe.
“Do you remember when we were young?” the Mistress asked, circling around. “When they were first teaching us about our natural powers? The songs, the illusions, the gifts of the sea. They taught us the exact way that we might appeal to the human senses. We learned what was attractive to them—their base desires. It had been our king’s idea of a joke; to show the humans that they could crave something and not attain it, and instead it would lead them to their doom. But the songs, oh, what a price for beauty. He was quite a trickster, our king. Do you remember those lessons?”
“Of course I do,” Bliss admitted.
“I’ve been thinking about that recently,” the Mistress said, staring into Bliss’s eyes with her menacing yellow orbs, “and I can’t help thinking the same thing about you. That all of this is a joke, an illusion, and how I cann
ot let you have it.”
Bliss said nothing in return. She might have tried to talk her way out of this with flattery and promises, but she had nothing else to offer just now.
“I appreciate your effort and the gift, truly,” the Mistress went on, “but yet I can’t deny that I have no further need for you. You are a risk I cannot afford.”
“We had a deal,” Bliss reminded her, trying to sound harsh, but she was not completely taken off guard. She knew that if she were in the Mistress’s place, she might have taken advantage as well.
“And you fulfilled your part. Now I have no reason to keep mine. In fact, you coming back into my service is the best thing I could have asked for. Saved me the trouble of hunting you down. I meant to, eventually.”
Bliss narrowed her eyes. Inside, she was laughing, but her hatred was real.
“The priestesses will bind you,” the Mistress went on, “and I won’t have to worry about your power any longer. Then you’ll be executed, and it will be one more victory for me.”
From behind, guards took hold of Bliss, clamping down on her arms, but she was nothing if not a fighter. She took hold of the first arm that touched her, squeezing with untold pressure until it burst into bits of flesh and bone and blood, leaving the nymph to shriek for her ruined appendage. Others grabbed her, their strength gradually outmeasuring hers, but her silver eyes locked on the Mistress’s sneer.
The sea witch, however, was not without tricks. With the destruction of the guard’s arm, she had gained a new skill. Bliss managed to get a hand free, struck forward and shot a barb from her wrist, which stabbed the Mistress in her shoulder. The ruler roared in rage for the poison that attacked her veins, but the sliver did not fully penetrate her hard flesh.
“Hold her!” the ruler screeched. “Get her out of here!”
They clamped Bliss’s wrists in restraints and took her away, but they could not stop her glare—or the little smile playing at her lips.
Chapter Twenty
The Head That Wears the Crown
1
The night was meant to be peaceful, and in one respect, it was heaven, but even lying there with the one he loved in his arms, Nathan could not rest.
Treasure had fallen asleep beside him, possibly the most restful she had been since coming on land, yet he only laid there, drifting in and out, pondering what he had done and where this would lead him. It was a terrible shame: this was the happiest night of his life. He’d finally found someone to make him feel complete, and yet he could not enjoy it.
Nathan stared at the planks above him, listening to the hollow sound of the water below, his mind swimming with so many thoughts.
Treasure… Of course the thoughts were all about her.
Disregarding the fact that she had gotten on this vessel and perhaps could get back to the palace just as quietly, what would happen next? Would this be the last time they were together? He didn’t want that. Perhaps there was another option. Could they run away? The vessel they were on was not meant for sailing—Ellister had made that clear to him—but perhaps they could flee from here right now and disappear into the night, never to be heard from again. His heart began to speed at the thought of that, but almost as quickly, doubt began to creep in. What could he possibly offer her? He had nothing, and he had no plan. Ellister might never stop looking for them. One day, they would be spotted, and that would be the end. Could he do that—sprint for happiness just to have it blow up in his face?
You’re just being foolish now, he told himself. But then: How can we not at least try? This may be the only time we have.
He could think of nothing better than to be with her. He could love her without words; that was never the question. He had admitted to himself that he loved her, but was being with her the best way to express that?
He lay awake with her warm body next to his, uncertain.
2
As the night faded to dawn, three of the king’s ships were preparing to set out into the harbor. The coronation day had come, and the weather seemed as fine as any before it. There was no threat on the horizon, if any had reason to fear it. On this day, the people would be appointed a new king, and they would meet his beautiful bride.
Ellister was calm as ever.
As far as what had happened with the old crone, he did not feel sorry, nor did he feel that he had lost control. He had merely done what had been a long time coming. But Amelia… He had seen the fear in her eyes and he hated that he had put it there. He had let her flee, left her alone for the night to pull herself together, but he could not back away from his actions now. This was the beginning of his rise, and there was no time for weakness. He would show that to all of them today.
He would let them know that he was the king they needed.
3
Beneath the waves, hidden in the corners of the coves near the crown city of Ilsa, groups of deep sea nymphs were waiting. Some worked on removing the strong nets that had been put down to deter them, but all were listening for the sound of horns from above, preparing for the rise of the Mistress.
She had let days pass, though it was not as if she had expected a messenger to return and confirm her meeting with the human king. She would have her way. The witch had been taken care of, she had her human tongue, and everything was going according to plan.
She waited patiently in the shallows as she had day after day since the message, anticipating the sounds of jubilation that would call her forth to meet the human king.
The Mistress had a gift just for him.
4
When Treasure awoke, she did not know whether it was night or day—nor did she care. She lifted her head off Nathan’s chest to gaze at him, smiling to herself.
It had been a long time since she had watched him sleep. The night she had saved him, he had rested unconscious for hours on the shore. She had observed him carefully, content that he was alive before she had fallen asleep herself. Even though she’d known she would be punished for straying, she had stayed with him.
That had been the first time she’d touched him, but this time was different. Back then, he had not known she was close.
Nathan stirred, and when he opened his eyes, she was there to greet him with a smile. She inched closer and wrapped herself in his arms, her fingers moving up his chest until they traced the hollow at the base of his throat. His skin was supple and oily and warm. Neither said a word for several moments, and Treasure believed they were beyond that. Their emotions needed no verbal expression, and though she had been concerned over this failing, she realized she should not have been. Their feelings for each other were too deep.
He looked into her eyes, and had her full attention like he was a god meant for her worship. She would listen to what he had to say. Resting with his hair spread across the pillow, he parted his lips.
“I need you to marry Ellister,” he said without a waver.
Her brow furrowed, unsure of what he was saying, but her heart seemed aware. It trembled inside her.
“The only way that we have any chance of being near each other is if you do this,” he went on. “If you don’t—if we try to leave—they will hunt us down. At the very least, I will be thrown out of the palace. At worst, they would kill me. This is what’s best for both of us. You have to marry the king.”
The twist of her face was something like she had never felt. What was this new emotion toward him? Sadness and contempt? Betrayal. It was a hot sting. He had shocked her to her core. Though she did not fully understand what he was saying by giving her away to another man, she knew that he had rejected her—yet again. She understood now. It was as Bliss had said. She had been fooled. He did not want her.
Averting her eyes, Treasure pulled herself up to dress. Since it was clearly so important to him that she be with Ellister, she should not miss the coronation. If he believed it was so dangerous for them to be together, she must go.
She did not look at him, and when she left the cabin, he did not say a word.
5
The people of Ilsa had emerged with little fear to view the shining sea as three royal vessels set out into the crescent bay. The banners and musical entertainment had done enough to boost morale in the time of grief over their king, but fear was fading.
Thaddeus Ellister held his head high, filled with the pride of his ascension. He would stand before the nation and show his resolve, promise to uphold justice and ensure peace. He had known this would fall to him, and he was ready. It seemed that most everything was falling into place.
Most. He could never have the one he wanted by his side, but he would try to be satisfied with the one he had. He thought he could be. But first, the crown.
When it was time, the sea was as calm as the crowd, and then the sound of trumpets rose up over the water. The music carried back to land, amplified naturally, a summons for their new king. Ellister took his place at the stern. He was at the highest point of the ship, seen by all as a crown of gold was placed on his head, heavier than any other he’d ever worn, but he was willing to bear it. There were cheers and applause, and Ellister would have liked to say he was humbled by their acceptance, but the truth was that he had been waiting for this for so long that all he could think was: finally. When he spoke, his voice carried over the water to reach the people’s awaiting ears.
“It’s an honor to stand before you—to be anointed as your king and wear this crown like my father before me.” His heart was so full of lies, but his tongue knew what to do. “As your king, I would not have you serve me, but that I might serve you. I will deal with issues my father was unable to address. I promise you that the seas will once again be ours. We will feel safe in our own kingdom once again.”
At the culmination of those words, the crowd applauded, covering the muffled sound of bombs erupting below, and the surface was disturbed with fireworks of bubbles that quickly disappeared. Sounds of cheer masked the disturbance. Not even Ellister heard them, but the eyes could not ignore the water. The king had been reveling in his own spectacle, waiting for the applause to die down so that he could continue his vows and present his bride, but before that could be, the cheers had turned to gasps and shrieks.
