Adriel smiled lovingly at Thea as he replied. “I will be proud to teach you everything you want to know, and to introduce you to everyone in the Elven Empire. They will not only be happy to know that we have found each other, but to welcome you home.”
Hawk smiled at Caia as he added. “Our people will celebrate our union as well as theirs. The first Elf you will get to meet will be Emperor Lothriel. He has taken it upon himself to interview every portal Sentinel when they enter the lands of their ancestors. It was he who ordered your people home from here.”
Caia looked concerned as she asked. “Why would the Emperor do this when there are still working Portals? There are only three operational portals left in existence that we are aware of.”
Hawk looked at Caia in surprise. “So you know about the collapse of the gateway under the Book Aerie?”
Caia admitted. “It was the strongest, and when it collapsed we felt the vibrations as must have every Elf on this side of the boundary. I say this side because I assume those in the Elven Empire are not affected in the same way or they would have known about them a long time before now. There once were hundreds.”
Adriel agreed. “So we have been learning. The one under the Book Aerie allowed all who came to use it to pass through safely before it was attacked and destroyed. Towards the end, it began to weaken, and when the end was imminent, those who lived in the bookstore crossed into the Elven Empire along with the copies of the books they had been guarding.”
Caia was glad to hear this. “Good. That means those records are safe from the enemy. It also explains why the focus of our enemies turned to us after the collapse.”
Thea corrected Caia. “We had been targeted before any of this happened. Around four months ago, all of the other members in our families were murdered. As you know, it is not easy to sneak up on an Elf and take him unaware. Nor is it a simple matter to kill one, even under those circumstances. Our foes managed to do all of this and more. We would have been amongst the dead if we hadn’t been on patrol that night. When we returned to our home in the morning it was to find only burned out husks. The members of our families were nothing but piles of charred ash. The authorities were crawling all over the rubble looking for clues about how the fires had started.”
Caia, as she noticed Thea was beginning to feel emotional about the memories, continued with the story. “We were questioned for hours about where we had been and what we were doing while our families had died. The law enforcement people wanted to know if we had any idea who might want to harm us in such a horrible manner. There was no question in their minds or ours that the fire had been set. We had no answers to give them, as we knew nothing. Since then, we have managed to learn a lot about the people who hunt ours.”
As Thea and Caia grew morose with the telling, Hawk and Adriel moved to their sides. Eventually they took the saddened women into their arms and held them to offer comfort and support until they regained control of their emotions. When order was restored, Hawk and Adriel insisted on feeding Caia and Thea their unfinished meals until the women could eat no more. Hawk and Adriel then finished their own food and cleared up. When all was taken care of, they escorted Caia and Thea to the beds they had conjured for their comfort. As they sat in the ensuing silence, and held each other, they relaxed in the semi-darkness of the cavern until the candles burned low. There was a lot more ground to cover, but that could wait for another day. For now, they had done enough. It was time to rest, and as the light from the candles died, Hawk and Adriel cradled their Life Mates securely in their arms and hummed lullabies until Caia and Thea drifted off to sleep. For the first time in a very long time the two women were able to feel safe.
CHAPTER VI
At the slightest sign of Caia and Thea beginning to stir, Hawk and Adriel went on full alert. It wasn’t because they thought that either girl might bolt, but because they wanted to see the expressions on their Life Mate’s faces, and the discovery in their eyes when they discovered where they were. This was a moment they would remember for their rest of their lives, and they would store the moment along with the many more that already existed there. In sleep, their Life Mates looked to be at peace with the world, but Adriel and Hawk were sure this would come to an end the moment Caia and Thea became aware of their surroundings. Their Life Mates had too much character to remain quiet for long, and this suited Hawk and Adriel well.
Caia surprised Hawk when she woke. Hawk hadn’t expected Caia to recognize him immediately, but she did. Caia smiled up at Hawk with a sappy, dreamy smile plastered across her face, and murmured. “So you weren’t a dream after all. I have the canny feeling that you are a keeper too.”
Hawk smiled widely at Caia’s words and replied. “The best kind of keeper, so you can count on my staying by your side for a very long time. You are never going to get rid of me.”
“Well,” Caia purred seductively, “If I am going to be stuck with a man at my side for the rest of my life, I can thank the Fates that he is a handsome one.”
Trying not to sound conceited, Hawk replied. “All male Elves are handsome. I happen to be one of the better ones.”
Thea, who had been watching Caia and Hawk to see how their waking would turn out, snorted and then bust into laughter. “Note, Hawk is also no more full of himself than most men?”
Adriel refused to comment, not wanting to ruin a good thing. Adriel was holding his Life Mate, and Thea seemed to be in a welcoming mood. Adriel didn’t want to jinx his chances with Thea by going to Hawk’s defense. Friendship only went so far at times like this. Hawk could fend for himself or suffer the consequences.
Caia looked at the expression of stunned disbelief on Hawk’s face, and automatically knew what had put it there. With a bark of laughter, Caia rose, signaled to Thea, and announced. “It is our turn to go out into the ocean and bring back something good to eat. We cannot have it said from anyone that Elven women can be outdone in the kitchen by a couple of boys.”
“Boys?” Hawk rose to the challenge.
Caia and Thea exchanged a look filled with mischievous intent. “Mom used to say a man doesn’t grow up until he has a daughter to force the issue.”
Adriel grinned, and in a suggestive manner, he purred. “Do you intend to carry our daughter and force me to become an adult? If so, I would be more than willing to participate in the begetting.”
Well, Thea quickly decided, that had backfired. Before things went too far, Thea quickly led Caia into a full retreat before she got caught in the backlash. “I believe we need to go out into the ocean to forage for food.”
The sounds of Adriel and Hawk’s laughter followed Caia and Thea down the tunnel all of the way to the entrance. There the two girls scanned the area before venturing further.
There were signals in the water that told Caia and Thea that divers had been close to the entrance of the cave not long before. It made them extra cautious about where and what they were going to hunt. On this day there were hundreds of thousands of shrimp nearby, which meant a quick catch for them. Thea spent a few extra moments collecting some choice greens, and then started for home. A warning came for them from the distance. “Freeze. We will take care of the danger.”
Caia and Thea, thinking the trouble they were being warned about had to do with some water-bonded creature was surprised to see three Mermen flash past them. It only took a moment for the Mermen to kill the hunters who had been tracking Caia and Thea. As the Mermen motioned Caia and Thea towards the cave, sea creatures began to gather in the area to help the Mermen hide how the hunters had been killed. When the remains of the divers rose to the surface they left bloody trails behind. It didn’t take long for still more sharks and other predators to arrive on the scene.
The Mermen who had killed the divers quickly followed Caia and Thea into the cave so they too would be safe. The arrival of predators in that part of the ocean meant that travel in any part of this area would be extremely risky for anyone or anything. Even sharks would find survival diffic
ult in the feeding-frenzy that was beginning in the blood-infused water, and any wounds would add to the carnage that was ensuing.
Hawk and Adriel felt danger signals coming from their Life Mates to indicate that Caia and Thea were in trouble, and immediately dove into the waters to go to their aid. Adriel and Hawk had no intention of sitting back and allowing their Life Mates to fight on their own, no matter how big or small their adversary. To Hawk and Adriel, the protection of their Life Mates was primary. If they died so that Caia and Thea could live, they would have done so with honor.
Hawk and Adriel had reached approximately the halfway mark in the tunnel when they noticed Caia and Thea swimming towards them fast. The moment Caia and Thea noticed Hawk and Adriel, the girls signaled for them to return to the cave, and the four Elves managed to get onto dry land mere moments before they were joined by the Mermen.
Hawk and Adriel, believing the Mermen were the reason for Caia and Thea’s fear, turned to face this new danger they pulled their swords from quickly conjured sheaths, and braced themselves for a fight.
Caia and Thea, seeing what was about to happen, rushed to protect the vulnerable Mermen while they made the change from sea creature to land mammal. “No, they saved our lives out there.”
Hawk and Adriel halted their advance immediately. They were not about to go into battle against friends, no matter what their first thoughts about them were. So instead of greeting the Mermen with steel, Hawk and Adriel held out their hands in a gesture of friendship and gratitude, as Caia and Thea began the introductions. “Hawk, Adriel, these are Trist, Arad, and Nolan.”
Trist acted as spokesman for his group. “We were out foraging for food when we noticed Caia and Thea being stalked by strange men. As they were carrying weapons and didn’t look like they were up to anything good, we decided to go to the girls aid.”
Hawk looked at Caia and Thea as he reached out to accept Trist’s hand and replied. “We are in your debt. Caia had assured us they would be safe where we are.”
Trist nodded in agree with Caia’s assessment. “Ordinarily, I would agree with Caia. But lately there has been above-average activity in this vicinity. I will assume those who were hunting for your Life Mates followed them here in hopes of catching them. I have no idea what their reasons are, but I doubt if they are any good. I would suggest we discount this place as a haven for us now that these people have become aware of it. Where one Human goes, others will follow, and they will continue to explore the area until they find our sanctuary. It is time we moved our meeting place further out to sea.”
Arad moved forward, with his hand extended to offer to shake Hawk’s and Adriel’s as well. “I hadn’t expected to find Caia and Thea with Life Mates, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Eventually they had to meet up with their Life Mates. We are happy for them.”
Thea opened her mouth to object to the implications when Nolan grinned impishly. Nolan placed his hand to his heart, and in a teasing manner, he declared. “I am devastated. I may never recover from the loss of the love of these women. Tell me that this isn’t so, my own true loves.”
Everyone burst into laughter as Caia held out a hand towards Nolan and ordered. “Cough up with the bags of shrimp you have. While you get to know our Life Mates better, Thea and I will make a meal before you get too carried away with the theatrics. That display was nauseating.”
It was Arad who held out the first bag of shrimp, adding it to the ones Thea already had in her possession. He then bragged. “We brought more than shrimp for everyone and even have the makings of a sea salad in our bags. It will go well with the rest of what you gathered.”
Thea smiled as she answered, “So it will.”
CHAPTER VII
Hawk and Adriel were not happy to have to share Caia and Thea’s attention with the three mermen. They were even less pleased to note that the strangers had no sense of modesty. It didn’t take Hawk and Adriel more than a moment of thought to conjure clothing suitable for the men to wear. Whether they would agree to donning the clothing or not wasn’t an option the two Elven males allowed the mermen to make either. Before Hawk and Adriel’s unwanted guests knew what was about to happen, they were dressed in Elven attire that covered them from their neck to their knees.
When the quickly conjured outfits that Hawk and Adriel supplied the three mermen took form on their bodies, the mermen grinned in amusement. No one needed to tell them who’s idea this was, or why. It made no difference to them if they were dressed or not, and they thoroughly doubted if Caia and Thea even noticed. The mermen knew Caia and Thea well enough not to think otherwise. What the mermen did notice and fully appreciated was the comfort provided by the leather of the garments. They were also impressed by the way the couches cushioned their bodies as they sat upon them.
As a concerted sigh of pleasure escaped from the mermen, one of them began to speak. “Whoever conjured these couches is to be commended. I can’t remember ever feeling this comfortable before.”
Hawk and Adriel exchanged a barely imperceptible frown, even as they took note of how at home the mermen were making themselves. It was not going to be easy to get rid of these men, and there were a lot of things they needed to discuss with Caia and Thea. The primary items on Hawk and Adriel’s minds were the fear that Caia and Thea were only now beginning to guess at what was yet to come.
As Hawk and Adriel noted how the mermen seemed to take possession of the available couches, they quickly conjured more, so Caia and Thea wouldn’t need to sit with their guests.
Caia and Thea could feel the testosterone in the air, and although they knew there was no reason for this amount of posturing from Hawk and Adriel, they remained silent about it. Instead Caia and Thea confiscated all of the food that had been brought in from the sea before setting to work. It didn’t take long for a meal to be prepared, and while the food was being served, Caia asked. “So, Arad, what brings you into these waters? Isn’t this considered a little too close to the shoreline for your people?”
Arad nodded as he helped himself to a hearty helping of shrimp salad as he replied. “We received news through the grapevine that you and Thea were being followed by men who had bad intentions. We decided to come and tell you about this when we ran across some of the men who were hunting you. By the looks of their weapons, I would say they were intent on hurting, if not killing you. I am surprised your Life Mates let you out of their sight.”
Thea frowned, even as she asked. “Who told you about our enemies, our dolphin friends? Also, take note that no one has had any reason to think we could be in trouble before this, especially here. We thought we were far enough from the shoreline that most people would never find the place.”
Caia added. “We hadn’t gotten to the point of sharing information with Hawk and Adriel yet, so we know they aren’t the informers. Besides, they only got here yesterday.”
Arad nodded in understanding. “Well, I am sure they will never leave you out of their sight again, now that this has happened. They also know that they are better equipped to keep you safe than anyone else. I suggest for their sake that they keep track of you and watch whoever is following you in the future.”
Hawk, deciding it was time he found out more about what was going on, asked. “How do the dolphins know the men who are following Caia and Thea are bad?”
The merman sitting closest to Arad answered. “I can explain this better than Arad or Nolan. There is an odor to these men that spreads in and around the waters whenever they are in it. The sea mammals can smell it, and know what to look for. This is why the dolphins came to warn us of the dangers to Caia and Thea. We came to make sure the girls knew about what was going on and to tell them to be careful. It is not only their safety that is in jeopardy, but all of ours.”
Adriel remarked. “So what you are telling us is that we have a lot to learn about what is going on here.”
Arad nodded. “I am going to assume so. I will also assume this is what Caia and Thea brought you here fo
r. Up to this point this cave has been a safe zone. I suggest that no one take it for granted anymore, not after the attack we thwarted not far from the entrance.”
A female voice spoke from the entrance as three mermaids transformed, and like their male counterparts, they wore nothing to cover their bodies. This time it was Caia and Thea who quickly provided clothing.
Caia had met these three women before and welcomed them by name. “Coral, Violet, Doral, what brings you to our doorstep?”
Doral spoke. “Several things. One, to let you know we are going to be here for a while. So, we decided to gather whatever food we could that was safe to get. We should have enough for everyone here for the next few days.”
Coral added. “We listened in to the conversation the men onboard the schooner were having. They have no intention of leaving anytime soon, even with the waters teaming with predators. The men in the boat had a suspicion you had something to do with what went on earlier.”
Arad didn’t like the sound of what he was hearing. “We were careful to make it seem like an accident.”
Coral nodded. “True, but they know Caia and Thea are in this vicinity, and the deaths seem like too much of a coincidence to be dismissed lightly.”
Hawk, curious to know who these lovely creatures were, asked. “I realize Caia and Thea know you, but I am afraid we have never met.”
Coral snickered as she answered. “No big surprise there. We come from the ocean, you are from the Elven Empire. We are pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Violet laughed as she added. “I can’t tell you how pleased we are to meet the Life Mates of Caia and Thea. It means our own mates can now focus their attentions on us once more, not that Caia or Thea have given them a moment of encouragement.”
That explained a lot, and Hawk and Adriel could fully understand how the mermaids felt, for they shared the same thoughts. They also would rather have their mates pay attention to them and not to other men. This was especially true when their bonds hadn’t been completed yet. As for the bonds shared by these couples, Hawk and Adriel were surprised to find that they couldn’t sense their bond links. That was unusual.
Water Bonded Page 3
