“My mother would probably prefer a glass of wine,” Jake told Heidi, who had just finished setting up the coffee maker. “Maybe that Napa Valley red we picked up this afternoon?”
“Cool,” Heidi said with a smile, already reaching to get down the wine. “Anybody else?”
“Coffee for me, please,” Niko replied. “We don’t have electricity in the colony, so brewed beverages are rare treats.”
“This is not a social visit,” Marcos snarled.
“Okay, does that mean nothing for you?” Heidi stared the older merman down. “Because I’m pretty sure that even heads of state have refreshments when they meet to decide the fate of the world.”
“She’s right,” Jake told his former weapons instructor, nearly laughing out loud at the look on Marcos’ face. Marcos had been the head of Myrrine’s guard for as long as Jake could remember. “We could also all be seated. The conversation will be easier that way.”
Niko did laugh. He also moved to the galley to help Heidi pass out beverages. Despite their youthful rivalry, Jake had come to like and respect the other merman over the last few days. If things had gone differently, he thought they could have been friends. Perhaps they still could—if their race survived until Jake’s spell was finished.
“I will take coffee,” Marcos said grudgingly. He sat on the edge of a sofa and nodded to Heidi. “Thank you.”
Leta and their mother emerged from the bedroom with Myrrine clothed in a simple black sundress. Being Leta’s, it was a bit small, but did nothing to detract from his mother’s regal beauty. She looked older than he remembered, though. There were a few strands of silver in her golden-brown hair and her blue eyes were lined with fatigue or stress. He deeply regretted his own part in putting them there.
Jake took his mother’s hand and led her to the best seat in the room—a leather recliner he’d had installed so it wouldn’t slide around as the boat moved. Then he settled himself on a nearby couch, leaving a space beside him for Heidi. The salon was designed to seat eight comfortably, so there was plenty of room for even Marcos to sit, though he still looked a little uncomfortable doing so. Niko and Heidi brought over the drinks then sat beside Leta and Jake respectively. Finally, all heads turned toward Myrrine.
“Nikolaos tells me he’s informed you of the problems our people are facing. You know about Phaeton’s treachery and exile.”
Jake nodded, though it hadn’t been a question. Heidi’s soft, warm hand slipped silently into his. Her concern and support surged over their empathic link, buoying his spirits.
“Even before Phaeton’s rebellion, our people were growing restless. You, son, were the only one to bargain for humanity, but it was only a matter of time before others did as well. Our youngsters find our colonies stifling. They want televisions and computers and cellular telephones, and feel cheated that we have access to none of those.” She sipped slowly at her wine, her eyes fixed on the wall behind Marcos’ head. “Hand in hand with that comes an even greater problem. With all their modern technology, the humans will discover us. It is only a matter of time. If our race is to survive, we must be able to move among them at will, to hide in plain sight instead of relying on just magic and the depths of the ocean to conceal us.”
After a pause to allow her audience to digest the information, Myrrine continued. “Our appeal to Poseidon was fruitless. Even though he is the progenitor of our race, he does not seem concerned about our survival.”
“I believe his statement was that he’d fashioned us as we were, and if we could not survive without his changing us, then perhaps our time had passed,” Marcos interjected dourly. “Some patron deity he has proven to be.”
Myrrine’s eyes widened at her bodyguard’s interruption, but then she smiled wanly and nodded. “Exactly so. He is not, however, the only god we recognize. The priests and I have come up with another solution.”
“Not a viable one,” Marcos grumbled. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, “Your pardon, my queen.”
Her laugh was short and rusty. “None needed, old friend. I do not like the idea any more than you do, but I cannot sit back and let my people become extinct.”
“Explain, please,” Jake said to his mother, not at all comfortable with where this seemed to be leading.
“I intend to,” she chided, then sat back in her chair, just a little. “I plan to summon Dionysus and ask him to change the nature of our race. As the creator of dolphins, he is one of our patrons.”
“Dionysus?” Jake heard his own voice rise, but he couldn’t do anything about it. “You’re kidding. He’s just as likely to change you all into chimpanzees and get you drunk. Can’t you think of any more reliable god?”
“His being less predictable than some of the other gods may well work in our favor,” Niko pointed out coolly. “If we provide enough offerings of wine and food…”
“And women,” Jake snarled. “Whose daughter are you willing to offer him and his satyrs to play with?” He glared at his mother. “Yours?”
“Actually,” Myrrine said calmly, “I’d planned to offer myself.”
Silence filled the cabin for an endless moment. Leta and Niko stared at their queen with their mouths open in identical expressions of dismay.
“Now I know you’ve gone crazy.” Jake stared at his mother, shaking his head. “Have you forgotten you’re the queen? Our people need you.”
“I’ve forgotten nothing,” she snapped. “Though perhaps you have after spending so much time among humans. The gods believe in rank and royalty. The sacrifice of a queen is a bigger offering than just any other female. I can only hope it is enough.”
She was right. Jake dropped his head into his hands and felt the soft comfort of Heidi’s strong hand squeezing his, her cheek resting on his shoulder.
“I told you it wasn’t a viable plan,” Marcos grumbled.
Jake found his voice again. “Who will lead our people? Is Leta really prepared to rule?”
Leta shook her head violently. “No. Mother, perhaps I should be the sacrifice. Surely a princess would be enough.”
“No!” The combined roar of Jake, Niko and Myrrine filled the boat. Just the thought of his sister being a carnal offering to the dissolute god made Jake’s stomach churn. He could only guess what it did to Niko, who was in love with her, the poor fool.
“Why not?” Leta demanded. “You may all be convinced that I am too immature to lead our people, and that is probably true. But surely a younger handmaiden—and yes, I am old enough to be aware of the implications—would balance out the difference between princess and queen.”
“She has a point,” Heidi offered. “But so do the rest of you. I have a suggestion, though. Why not summon the god and ask him what he wants? Then you can decide if it’s a price you’re willing to pay.”
“I see why my son values you,” Myrrine said to Heidi. “You are very wise.” Then she turned to Jake. “I have considered all of this, though. And I would like to answer your question. In my place, you will rule. You are my eldest child and you have the experience among the humans to help our people adjust. As much as I hate to admit it, your time apart from us has served you well. You left as a boy. You will return as a man to be reckoned with.”
“But I cannot enter one of our colonies for another twenty-two years. How can I rule?”
“I suppose,” his mother said, looking straight into his eyes, “you’ll have to kill Phaeton first.”
Chapter Twelve
“We’ll figure something else out,” Heidi assured Jake that night after all the merfolk had left the Siren. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, soaking in the warmth of his body pressed against hers.
“I sure as hell hope so.” They sat on the deck sharing a bottle of wine, with the autopilot set, taking them to their next rendezvous. She could hardly believe she was about to witness a merfolk ritual. “Though killing my uncle has its own appeal, and it would end his spell. The main problem is I am so not ready to be in charge. H
ell, being heir to the throne was one of the reasons I left in the first place.”
“But you’re a grown-up now, who can handle the concept of responsibilities,” she pointed out. “If worse comes to worse, you’ll do a great job. Still, there has to be something you can offer Dionysus instead of either your mom or your sister. We just have to figure out what.”
“Well, we have two days to come up with it,” he grumbled. Since he couldn’t enter a mer colony, his mother had decided to hold the ceremony at an uninhabited atoll about five hundred miles southwest, more or less, of San Diego. The military had used it during World War II and Vietnam for munitions staging, which meant they still considered it theirs and discouraged tourists from coming around to snorkel or fish. It was also mysteriously missing from most maps—even the online imaging sites had that area fuzzed on the satellite photos. Jake and Heidi would have to anchor a ways out and take the inflatable in if they didn’t want to draw attention. The merfolk magic would conceal the ritual itself from detection.
“Were you able to contact Steve before we left Catalina?”
“Yeah.” He stared out at the sea, swirling the wine in his glass. “They’ve rooted out another of Velasquez’s state police contacts, and one in Customs. It should all be over in a day or two—in plenty of time for you to go home as soon as my mother’s ritual is over.”
“Will there be other humans there?” She let her hand drift down to rest on his thigh, her fingers toying with the crisp hairs. “I’ve wondered how they survive in an aquatic society.”
“I thought I’d explained about the caves,” he said. “We have several island refuges scattered about the Pacific. A few, like the Catalinas, have surface settlements now, meaning our people have to stay underwater or underground. That gets kind of hard on the humans who have to stay in the caves. But there have been almost no new humans added to the colony since I left, according to Leta. There are a lot fewer shipwrecks than there used to be, and the victims are found by your technology, especially in warm waters. Our population is so small that we don’t often run across them in time to effect a rescue anymore.” He combed his fingers through her hair then buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“And are the children of a mer and a human always born mers?” Her stomach fluttered as she thought of the possibilities, making her very glad she was on long-term birth control. While the idea of having a child with Jake wasn’t as frightening as it should have been, she didn’t think she’d be up to the task of raising a merbaby alone in a human world. She tilted her neck to give him better access.
“Always,” he murmured, nuzzling her ear. “It’s a dominant gene, I guess. Or something. You’re the scientist, you tell me.”
“I’d need to do a whole lot more research first.” Plus, molecular genetics weren’t her thing, but her brain had quit working well enough to put that into words. Jake had set down his wineglass to slide his hand up under her tank top.
“As long as I’m the only merman you decide to study up close and personal,” he said as his hand cupped her breast and squeezed. Her nipples pebbled instantly, and moisture gathered between her legs. Would she ever get enough of him?
“No…ah…problem.” When he rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb, her eyes rolled back in her head. Only an idiot would be interested in anyone else when she could have Jake. And Heidi wasn’t that much of an idiot.
He sucked at the skin of her shoulder while he kneaded her breast with one big hand and the other cupped her ass. She couldn’t turn to face him, so she slid her hand up along his thigh into the leg of his baggy swim trunks. His erection was hot and thick, tenting the cotton fabric. The angle was awkward, preventing her from circling him with her hand, but she stroked her fingers down his length, then petted the taut sac of his balls. His obvious desire was such a turn-on. She still couldn’t believe he got this hot, this aroused, just for her.
“I want to have you here, under the stars,” he whispered, pulling away from her just long enough to tug her tank top over her head. “Your skin glows like silver in the moonlight.”
“Here’s good.” She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. No one could see them, and there was something particularly decadent about making love in the open, though the truth was, she’d have had a hard time telling him no if they were in the middle of a crowded mall.
He pulled her closer, until she straddled his thighs and the rigid length of him rubbed her through their shorts. Their lips met and melded, while Jake’s hands traveled the length of her spine, firing every nerve ending along her bare skin. She swore, once again, she could almost feel his arousal, the sensations he was feeling of the softness of her skin, the pressure of her wet cleft along his cock.
“Too many clothes,” he said, pulling his mouth from hers. He trailed his lips down over her chin to her throat, nibbling at the dent between her collarbones.
“Uh-huh.” She was past coherent sentences, but she understood that just fine. Standing, she tugged him to his feet in front of her so they could each strip off their shorts. Heidi pushed her panties down to her feet as well and stepped out of them. Jake’s swimsuit lay pooled at their feet too, as he pulled a towel that had been hanging over the rail to dry and laid it on the bare wooden decking. Ever so gently, he took her hand and sank to his knees in front of her on the towel.
“Do you know how incredible you smell when you’re aroused?” he said, burying his face between her legs and inhaling deeply.
Her knees buckled at the wave of passion that washed over her at his action. When his tongue flicked out to trace the line of her hip, then delved between her labia, she whimpered and widened her stance. Her hands burrowed into his hair and clutched at him for stability.
“All that cream, thick and sweet, and all for me,” he said, licking her wetness off her inner thighs. His hands gripped the backs of her thighs, holding her in place. “You’re so damn responsive, it makes me wonder what I ever did to deserve you.” His tongue flicked her swollen clit and her knees did give out. She sank down in front of him, steadied by his hands on her hips. When she was on her knees, he kissed her, hard.
The taste of her own musk blended with the strong red wine she’d drunk to create a sensual buzz that was far stronger than liquor. But there was something else she was dying to taste—and she hadn’t yet. Pulling her lips from Jake’s, she pushed him down toward the towel. She winced a little when she tried to shove with her injured arm, and he immediately caught the small movement.
“Gods, I forget just how battered your poor body is,” he said softly. “We should take this inside, since I’m too much of a jackass to keep my hands to myself.”
“Did I ask you to keep your hands to yourself?” she demanded. “Yes, I still have a headache and a sore arm, along with some other bruises. When we’re together, though, I can forget about all of that, at least for a little while, and feel nothing but pleasure. I want this. Don’t you?”
“Oh, hell, sweetheart. You have to know I do. I’m hard as a rock whenever you’re near me.”
“Then lie down on the damn towel, Delos.” Heidi couldn’t believe that sensual growl came from her own throat.
“Promise me you won’t hurt yourself,” he ordered, even as he shifted so his ass was on the towel instead of his knees. “If it hurts, we stop.”
“Deal.” As if she’d feel any pain once they got going.
He stretched out beside her, lacing his fingers behind his head as a pillow, then shot her a grin. She could see the white flash of his teeth in the moonlight. “Now what?”
“This.” She leaned over and kissed him, shaping his lips with hers and thrusting her tongue inside the welcoming heat of his mouth. He responded, but kept his hands behind his head and left her in control.
After a few moments enjoying his kiss, she left his mouth and trailed her lips down the strong column of his throat, pausing to tickle his Adam’s apple with her tongue before she moved lower to taste the skin over
his collarbones and sternum. They’d gone for a swim earlier, so the tang of salt water mingled with the taste of his skin.
His nipples were flat copper discs on his sculpted chest, and she took her time licking and nipping, until they were both taut little peaks. His body stiffened and he groaned, but he kept his hands in place and let her play.
With her good hand, she traced a line between his pecs down to his bellybutton. She dipped her head and tickled that with her tongue too, then blew on the dampness, making him shudder. His legs twitched restlessly, and she took one in her hand, pulling it out to the side. He obeyed immediately, splaying both so she could climb over and kneel between them.
She ran her hands up his thighs, along his stomach and up to his chest, then back down along the midline, sliding them over his straining penis in a gentle stroke. It was fully engorged, thick and full, and warm to the touch. She closed both hands around it, enjoying the pulse that pumped beneath her fingers. Leaning over, she delicately licked the tiny droplet beaded at the tip of the broad head.
“Salty, a little bitter, but very, very rich,” she murmured, licking him again, just in case she’d missed any. Then she used her tongue to trace a line around the underside of the crown, finally moving down the thick ridge that ran from base to tip. When she reached the bottom, she inhaled deeply. His natural scent was strongest here, and it made her pussy clench and weep. Softly and carefully, she sucked one of his heavy testicles into her mouth, reveling in Jake’s broken moan. After a quick suckle, she switched to the other.
“You’re killing me here, Freya.”
He didn’t sound dead, she thought, smiling as she kissed her way back up his shaft. This time she slurped the whole crown into her mouth, tickling the slit with her tongue.
“Heidi!”
Oh yes, he liked this and so did she. She didn’t think she’d ever been wetter, but this time she intended to finish what she’d started. Stroking firmly with both hands, she sucked deeply, drawing him to the back of her throat.
SeaChange Page 19
