by Amber Garr
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Palmer was saying as he walked back into the kitchen with Carissa by his side.
She was arguably one of the most beautiful mermaids in the world. Her Japanese bloodline from her father’s side gave her an exotic face with dark silky hair and porcelain skin whereas the height inherited from her mother allowed her to become an international runway model. She was almost a year older than me, and although I was a clan leader, I’d always felt like she was much more worldly.
She smiled at me and I couldn’t help but return it. “Kain, you’re moving around.” In two steps, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and kissed me on the lips. “I was so worried when Daniel called, but I was in the middle of backwoods Italy and couldn’t get on a plane until yesterday.”
She hadn’t let go of me so I tried to shift her weight away from my side without her noticing. It didn’t work.
“Oh, I’m hurting you. I’m so sorry.” Tears glistened in her eyes and I used my right arm to reach up and wipe them away.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”
And I really was happy to see her. We’d been kind of dating or at least toying with the idea. When Eviana left just before our wedding, Carissa was there to keep me going. Her strong personality and breathtaking beauty had me enthralled. It was a nice distraction from my infatuation with Eviana.
However, things were different now. Carissa didn’t know that Brendan had broken up with Eviana because he’d felt the call. This would definitely be a game changer, but perhaps it was best to deal with one dilemma at a time.
Carissa took off her jacket and stood beside me. Her thin arm draped lightly over my shoulders allowing me to smell her wonderful floral perfume.
“Did you get a chance to talk to him?” Daniel questioned her.
“Yes.” She looked around the room to include the rest of us in her answer. When her eyes landed on Brendan sitting in the tiny chair, I felt her muscles tense. She cleared her throat. “My father and my mother’s clans are willing to fight with you.”
I looked at Daniel and he explained. “If it comes to an ultimate showdown, we’re going to need numbers. Carissa’s been working the east coast.”
“Well that doesn’t sound very good,” she smiled then continued, “but yes, my family has been using its connections to get support. I also had a chance to speak to some of the European clan leaders and they say that you have their pledges as well.”
I looked at her in awe. Carissa Nakomo was going to make an excellent leader some day. I was proud of her, but it was different than my feelings for Eviana. Carissa was someone that I would work with. Someone that I’d share secrets with. A friend.
I swallowed that thought and tried to continue the conversation. “We’re hoping to have some answers and more concrete plans tomorrow.”
“What’s going on tomorrow?” she asked me.
Instead of rehashing the last hour, Daniel gave her the six second version that ended with her in shock. “He took Eviana? Has anyone heard from her?” That last question was directed to Brendan and Daniel snorted.
“No, we haven’t,” Daniel answered. He moved past everyone and pushed Julian away from the refrigerator. Grabbing a few sodas, he proceeded to pass them out to those who wanted one while grilling Carissa about her latest modeling gig.
The planning session was over, and I watched as Julian and Brendan quietly left the room. I assumed that Brendan would be staying at Julian’s rented house further down the beach. It was the least I could do for Eviana to make sure that he didn’t stay here.
Troy was the next to excuse himself after I promised to find him if I spoke with Abhainn tonight. Carissa looked questionably at me, but I shook my head and mouthed that I’d tell her later.
Palmer whipped up some lunch for us consisting of cold cuts, sliced fruit, and chips. I was trying to stay a part of the conversations but my body was sore and tired. After an hour or so, I made my escape with the excuse that my bandages needed to be changed.
Carissa followed me to my room, dragging her suitcase behind her. It wasn’t actually my house, but since Eviana and I worked so closely together, I often stayed at her place. Usually, I slept in the guesthouse above the garage. They’d moved me in here when I got hurt since it was closer to the rest of the wounded.
“Here, let me help you,” Carissa said when I began unwrapping the bandages from my torso.
“It’s pretty gross,” I warned.
She smiled at me and I instantly felt at ease. “I can handle it.”
Lifting the gauze from my skin was more painful than it should have been. Despite our enhanced healing abilities, there was only so much repair that my body could do in one day. Carissa sucked in a breath when she pulled the final bandage from my side. The wound probably resembled a gunshot injury. The sword had entered my back, just underneath my heart and penetrated all the way out through the front of my ribcage. The doctor said I had to heal from the inside out, so they hadn’t closed the holes.
“Kain,” Carissa whispered and I heard the tears in her voice. “This has to end.”
I wasn’t entirely sure if she was referring to Lucian’s attacks or my presence around the one person that seemed to be the reason for the attacks. And I didn’t ask. We’d had several arguments over Eviana and I simply didn’t have the energy for another one.
“So how long are you here for?” I asked then winced when she pushed the clean gauze against my back.
“Sorry,” she said. “I could only clear my schedule for a week.” She continued working on the wound. “Do you think this will be over soon?”
“What? Finding Eviana or getting rid of Lucian?”
She stopped wrapping the bandage and looked directly into my eyes. She was only a couple inches shorter than me, so it was easy for her to stare me down. “What do you mean about getting rid of Lucian?”
“He needs to go away. This isn’t going to stop until he’s gone.”
“It sounds to me like it’s already stopped.”
I flinched and pulled the bandage out of her hand. “I’m not going to let him have Eviana.” Turning away from her, I used the dresser mirror to continue my own wound care.
“Kain, that’s not what I meant.” I flashed her a look. “That’s not exactly what I meant. I don’t know why the two of you always think that it’s your job to save the world and everybody in it. You’re lucky to be alive! The last thing you need to do is go on some half-assed rescue mission.” She sidled up next to me and rested her chin on my shoulder. “I’m worried about you.”
I knew she was being sincere. We had a relatively simple and honest relationship. Carissa spoke her mind and didn’t hold back. There was something about it that was intriguing but there was also something preventing me from fully investing in her. I sighed, pretty sure I knew what that reason was.
“I’m just tired,” I said and tried to smile. She finished helping me with the bandages and then we climbed into bed. I needed to take a break and Carissa seemed to be jet lagged. In no time at all we fell asleep wrapped comfortably in each other’s arms.
Eviana
The moment I stepped outside of my coral prison, I fell to my knees. The bright afternoon sunlight beat down on me like a hammer, and after being trapped in darkness for so long, it was almost overwhelming.
“Oh, get off your knees. It’s so unladylike.” Lucian hovered over me with his arms crossed and his long blond hair whipping wildly around his head from the persistent ocean breeze. “You need to act more like my daughter and less like a victim.”
“Aren’t they one in the same?” I grumbled.
He leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of mine. “No. They are not.” His tone was so menacing and dark, I was tempted to crawl back in the prison and live out the rest of my days in there. He must have known what I was thinking because he grabbed my arm and yanked me up to my feet. “Stop being so melodramatic.”
Turning his back to
me, he began to saunter down the sandy path. I noticed that we were on some type of rock outcropping and that my prison was probably just a renovated boat house since it sat along the edge of a natural canal.
Gentle waves lapped against a pristine white sand beach and the ocean itself beckoned me with its multiple shades of blues and greens. The calm seas and the occasional palm tree was the perfect picture of serenity. Too bad I couldn’t enjoy it.
“Come on, hurry up,” Lucian called to me. I wished that I could disappear. Following my father like an obedient dog was not my idea of a promising future.
We walked around the perimeter of the island to a rather modest vacation home. I guessed that the island itself was pretty small and assumed this was probably one of Lucian’s many private estates. The home had white washed walls and was two stories high. The terracotta tiles on the roof decoratively added to its authentic charm.
“Where are we,” I finally asked. Lucian saw me looking at the house and smiled.
“Bienvenido a Mexico, Eviana!”
“We’re in Mexico?”
“Sí.”
“Of course we are,” I groaned. Leave it to my crazy father to abduct me and flee to a foreign country. Although I guess I should be happy that we weren’t in Antarctica. He probably had allies there too.
I followed him through the front entrance and past the tiny selkie women. Now that I was paying attention, I saw the trademark green in her eyes and smelled that musky scent all selkies had. She didn’t smile at me and I didn’t thank her for holding the door.
The main floor was one large open space with a kitchen in the left corner and a large wood and tile table delineating the dining area. To the right was a set of colorful clay tiled stairs that Lucian had already climbed halfway up. His long red robe brushed ever so slightly against the steps making it look like he was floating. The effect was unnerving.
Lucian continued around the corner and down a short hallway. His figure disappeared into a room just before I reached him. I’d counted only two doors on this floor, one on each side of the hall.
“Come on, hurry along,” he called from the room. I fought the urge to stop moving and see how long it would take for him to lose his patience with me. I really was beginning to feel like myself again.
I walked inside the room, surprised to see that it was quite large. The entire half of this floor made up what was to be my new sleeping quarters. Massive windows covered the far wall, providing an ample view of the ocean. Wooden shutters flanked each side and the glassless panes. They were pushed open, allowing the breeze to flow freely though the room.
On the left wall sat a queen sized canopy bed complete with intricately carved wood and white mosquito netting. It was beautiful. The matching dresser and armoire reminded me of a dollhouse where everything looked just a little too perfect.
There was a large dress box in the center of the bed with my father waiting patiently next to it.
“I had this made just for you,” he said in a pleasant voice. When I didn’t move he sighed and patted the bed. “It’s not like it’s going to bite you. Come here.”
I checked to see if he was pushing compulsion into my mind, but lucky for him, I stayed headache free. It was quickly becoming apparent that if I played along with his charade, I might have a chance to find out more about his plans and get myself out of here. At the very least, I would get to sleep on a nice bed instead of a stone floor.
When I began to lift the lid from the box, Lucian’s excitement got the best of him and he bounced on the bed. “It’s from Paris. I hope you like it!” He grabbed the lid from my hands and tossed it to the side. “The silk was chosen especially for you. I know you’ll look stunning in red.”
I paused to glance at my doting father to see if he’d lost his mind. This sudden change in demeanor caught me off guard. Lucian Sutherland didn’t have special dresses made for his daughter. He killed people.
“Go on,” he said with a wave of his hands. I rolled my eyes and peeled back the pink tissue paper that had been meticulously folded around the garment inside. The first thing I noticed was the beading. Black and red crystals glistened in the light and I couldn’t help but smile.
I lifted the dress, amazed with how light it was. The red silk unraveled and fell to the floor. There must have been at least five layers of red and black fabric making the skirt appear full and princess-like. The top had a fitted bodice and thin straps that crisscrossed down the back. Both were adorned with the crystal beads in a design that reminded me of ivy vines.
“So?” Lucian asked expectantly.
I was torn. The dress was beautiful but I didn’t want to accept any gifts from him. At the same time, I felt like I needed to play along. I decided to go with my own question. “What’s the occasion?”
He studied me for a moment before pushing up off the bed. “You will wear that for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?” I looked out the window trying to figure out what time it was.
“Yes. In one hour.” He moved toward an alcove next to the window. “There is a washroom back here, so make yourself presentable. Don’t be late.”
With that, he swept his robe gallantly to the side and walked out of the room. In a disturbing realization, I noticed that the color of my new dress perfectly matched his red silk robe. I had a feeling that wasn’t an accident.
A breeze ruffled past me and I enjoyed the smell of fresh air. I walked over to the windows and closed my eyes. Now that I hadn’t been drugged for a few hours, I could see things more clearly. No one knew where I was so I could pretty much count out any type of rescue mission. It was all up to me. Lucian had something planned; it would be out of character if he didn’t, so I resolved myself to discover what that was. And if it meant playing daughter for a few hours, I would do it.
I took a long shower and didn’t go downstairs until the very last minute of my one hour time allotment. The dress fit perfectly, making me wonder how Lucian knew my size. I tied my hair back into a low bun so that it wouldn’t hide any of the lovely details of the dress. It reminded me of something a fairy would wear, if those kinds of fairies were real. For a second I wished that I wouldn’t have to burn the thing the first chance I got.
The woman selkie waited for me at the bottom of the stairs, her face devoid of any type of expression even when I spoke.
“Where’s Lucian?” I probably could have managed that in Spanish, but I didn’t feel like being overly friendly considering she was one of my prison guards.
She understood well enough. Using her petite hands she gestured for me to follow her. I thought she would take me to the dining area, but instead we went outside and away from the indoor amenities. We were walking back toward the boat house prison and I had a moment of sheer panic wondering if this was some type of sick joke. I wouldn’t put it past Lucian to give me a taste of freedom only to strip it away an hour later.
However, I let out a silent sigh of relief when we rounded the corner and had a view of the little beach. There, in the middle, sat Lucian at a small table for two sipping some type of drink. His face lit up when he saw us and my stomach twisted. I didn’t want to see him so pleased.
“You look stunning as always, Mistress Dumahl.” He stood and wrapped his arm across my lower back to escort me to the table. I cringed but didn’t pull away. “It was so lovely outside this evening that I thought we’d have dinner with the sunset.”
He turned me so that we were facing the ocean. To my right was the house and to the left, just around the corner, was the prison. I was in the middle two possibilities; adapt and stay in comfort until I planned my escape, or cause problems and get thrown back in the boat house. This wasn’t a mistake on Lucian’s part. He knew exactly what I’d be thinking.
Maybe I could make a run for it in the open sea. I gazed out past the small breaking waves and into the setting sun. Could I do that? I was a strong swimmer, but my water control powers were nothing to brag about and Lucian could beat them for
sure. Besides, I would wager my life that he had this place surrounded.
As if on cue, which was probably quite accurate, a handful of tiny sprite heads popped up out of the water’s surface and smiled at me. Their oblong heads and pointy teeth were something I would never get accustomed to seeing. Considering the mind reading ability all water fairies possessed, I tried to keep my disgust to myself.
The largest one put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. On that command, at least ten ratchets jumped out of the water and up onto the beach. It was meant to frighten me, and probably also to discourage me from attempting a water escape. Instead, it angered me. The drugs were definitely wearing off now as I felt some type of emotion again. I thought of a not-so-nice way to thank the sprite in my head and smiled when he glared at me in return.
Lucian glanced back and forth between us, apparently finding our exchange amusing. He waved to someone behind me and I turned, expecting to find one of the Mexican selkies. And find them I did. All twenty of them.
“This way please,” he said and gestured to the table. Only two of the selkies carried trays meaning this was another display of power. Lucian wanted me to know that it would be impossible to escape. Between the selkies, water sprites, and ratchets, I didn’t have a chance. Although at least now I knew what I’d be up against.
“Sit.” Lucian pushed me over to the chair and held it out. Such a gentleman.
“So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?” I asked while pulling the chair closer to the table before he could. I caught a slight smile on his face as he sat down across from me.
“We never had a chance to get to know each other. Your mother-”
“Don’t talk about her!” I interrupted. My instant rage was volatile. Lucian took a breath.
“All right. But I was simply going to say that I missed so much of your life and I want to know more about you.”
“So you kidnap me? Did you ever consider a phone call or an email?”
“You being here serves many purposes,” he replied cryptically. I stared at him across the table while he annoyingly unfolded his napkin and smoothed it over his lap. When he finally looked up at me I lifted my brows. “What?” he asked.
