The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. “One day I will swim with you in the ocean, and there I will make love to my siren in the deep blue sea.”

  And with that promise, she climaxed, throbbing against his hand. She was still seeing stars when he picked her up and carried her to her bed.

  “We’ll get the sheets wet,” she warned him.

  “Good.” He dropped her on the bed, tore off his towel, then climbed in beside her. As he pulled her closer, his hand slid down her back and over her buttocks. “I like you slick and wet.”

  “You’re wet, too.” She ran her fingers into his damp hair. When he squeezed her rump, she felt his manhood pressing into her belly. And suddenly a surge of need enveloped her. “Brody, I want you now.”

  “I want you, too.” He kissed her, molding his mouth against hers.

  With a groan, she broke the kiss. “I mean now.”

  He blinked. “Now?”

  She reached a hand down to touch his manhood, and he hissed in a breath. “Now.”

  “Are you ready?” He pushed her onto her back and slid a hand between her legs.

  With a moan, she pressed against his hand.

  “You definitely seem ready.” He caressed her lightly. “So hot and wet.”

  She shoved him onto his back. “Are you ready?”

  “I’ve been ready for years.”

  She eyed his manhood, so thick and hard. “Not this ready. I think I would have noticed this.” She curled a hand around the erect staff.

  He groaned. “It was one of the reasons I avoided you so much.”

  “You’ve had this problem before?” She traced a vein with her finger.

  “Every time I saw you. Or heard your beautiful siren voice.”

  She noticed a drop of fluid seeping from the top. “You’re wet, too.” She touched the drop and smoothed it over the head.

  He gritted his teeth. “You’re torturing me.”

  “Good. That’s what you get for avoiding me all those years.”

  He pushed her onto her back, and his blue eyes gleamed with intensity. “Playtime is over.”

  Her heart lurched into a fast rhythm. “Then take me.”

  He settled between her legs and pulled her knees up. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  She did, drawing in a shaky breath when she felt his manhood pressing against her. “I-I always thought it would be like animals with you taking me from behind.”

  “We’ll do that, too.”

  “We will?”

  He nodded. “We can do whatever we like.” He eased himself inside a little bit. “But for now, I want to see your face when I take you.”

  She swallowed hard. It was beginning to hurt, but she didn’t want him to stop.

  He paused. “I’m causing you pain. I can see it in your eyes.”

  She cradled his face in her hands. “I can handle it. I can do anything as long as you love me.”

  Tears glimmered in his beautiful blue eyes. “I do love you. More than I can say.”

  “Then show me.”

  He reached down to fondle her sensitive spot, and when she was writhing with pleasure, he plunged inside her.

  She gasped. There had been a sharp pain, but it quickly subsided as she felt a glorious sensation of fullness. He was inside her. Brody inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”

  When he began to move, she moaned from the intense pleasure. It was too much, and yet she wanted more. More. Soon, he was pushing deeper and faster, and she felt a fire consuming them both, making them frantic. With a hoarse cry, he pumped into her, emptying his seed, and the wonder of it all sent her over the edge.

  As the throbbing slowly subsided, she clung to him, never wanting to let him go. He rolled onto his side, still holding her.

  “You’re mine now,” he whispered.

  With a sigh of satisfaction, she cuddled up against him. “Silly man, I was always yours.”

  “Did you just call your future husband silly?”

  She looked up at him. “Did you just propose to me?”

  “Do you really think I could ever let you go?”

  She smiled. “There’s no escaping from me. I’ve already proven that I’ll cross an ocean to find you.”

  He smoothed a hand up and down her back. “Maeve.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t want to leave now, but I must.”

  “Why?”

  “Leo and Rupert have arrived at the Isle of Moon with their naval forces.”

  She sat up. “Already? How can you know?”

  “The birds are keeping Bettina informed. The elfin navy is also on its way. The battle could happen today, so I need to preserve all the time I can for my true form.”

  So he would be able to fight the Chameleon and her mother. Maeve swallowed hard. “It will happen today?”

  He sat up. “I think so. But first I need to fly to Luna to see Leo and Rupert, so we can coordinate our plans.”

  “I understand.”

  He touched her cheek. “Try to get some sleep while I’m gone.”

  She winced. “If you’re up all night, you’ll be too tired when the battle—”

  “I’ll be fine.” He kissed her brow. “Sleep well.”

  She watched him as he opened a window, then shifted into an eagle. “Be careful,” she whispered as he flew into the night sky.

  * * *

  In the royal cabin of his flagship, Leo was having trouble sleeping. His mind kept going over his meeting with Rupert, Queen Esther, and her admiral and naval captains, when they had discussed the upcoming battle. Since her navy was accustomed to standard warfare, they had wanted to stick to tried-and-true strategies. It had taken a while for him and Rupert to convince them that the upcoming battle would be far from normal.

  Queen Esther had agreed with them, reminding her officers that the Sea Witch, Cahira, could blow up ships. Also, they would be encountering an army of eight soldiers with supernatural powers. Certainly, some of them were young, but a bolt of lightning was just as dangerous from a youngster as from a seasoned warrior. Leo knew that all too well. He’d accidentally killed his nanny at the age of six.

  Another problem was that they didn’t know for sure what Brody and Nevis were planning. Silas had offered to locate them, but Leo had thought it best for the dragon shifters to stay away from the Isle of Secrets for now. The dragons were too noticeable, and they couldn’t afford to let Cahira or the Chameleon know that their hiding place had been discovered. The enemy would be on the alert then, and Leo and his allies would lose the element of surprise.

  Some loud voices on deck caught his attention, and he got up and pulled on some breeches. As he opened his door, he heard his guard arguing with a sailor.

  “That’s not a man!” the sailor yelled, brandishing a sword. “He landed on deck as a bird, then turned into a dog! He’s something evil, he is!”

  Leo spotted the familiar black-and-white shaggy dog behind his personal guard. Thank the Light, Brody had arrived.

  “Your Majesty.” His guard bowed his head. “I was bringing Brody to your cabin when this—”

  “I understand.” Leo turned to the sailor. “Thank you for protecting me, but this shifter is actually in my employ.”

  “Oh.” The sailor lowered his sword, then bowed. “My apologies, Your Majesty.”

  “No problem.” Leo motioned for Brody to enter his cabin. Leo’s soldiers all knew who Brody was. But here on his ships, his sailors had never encountered the shifter.

  Leo stepped back as Brody trotted inside, making sure his bare feet were several feet away from the dog. Or prince, he corrected himself with a snort.

  He shut the door. “I’m glad you’re here.” He located a pair of breeches and turned to toss them at Brody. “Holy crap!”

  This wasn’t Brody, but an old, frail man.

  “Who . . . ?” Leo could easily kill an intruder with a bolt of lightning, but this elderly man didn’t look strong en
ough to be dangerous.

  “It’s me.” Brody’s voice came from the old man’s mouth. He pulled on the breeches. “Don’t zap me.”

  “Brody?”

  “Aye.” He buttoned the breeches. “You know that I can only be myself for two hours a day, so I’m trying to preserve—”

  “You can shift into other people?” Leo gave him an incredulous look.

  Brody sighed. “Aye, but I never did it before—”

  “You’re just like the—”

  “Don’t say it!” Brody growled. “I’m nothing like the Chameleon. Dammit, why do people keep saying that?”

  Leo scoffed. “Because the two of you have the same power, obviously.”

  “What’s important is not the power, but how you use it. You know that.”

  Leo smiled to himself. It made sense to him now how Brody had always talked to him as if he was an equal. “So this power is another one of the secrets you kept from us, Prince Brodgar?”

  Brody winced. “I guess you heard.”

  “Yes. I met your mother today. A lovely woman. She expects you to take the throne after this battle.”

  “I know.” Brody glanced around the room. “You have something to drink around here?”

  Leo strode to a table and poured some water into a wooden cup. He tended to use wooden plates and utensils so his electric energy wouldn’t be transferred. “Here.” He set the cup and a plate of bread and cheese in front of a chair, then sat in the chair across from it. “Tell me your plan.”

  Brody sat down and took a sip of water. “I have infiltrated Aerie Castle in this form. The Seer had an affair with Cahira about twenty years ago, and she’s still very fond of him. She knew he was in poor health, so she wanted him to come to her castle, where she could take care of him.”

  “So she believes you are the Seer?” When Brody nodded, Leo continued. “You must know the Seer really well to be able to fool Cahira.”

  Brody tore off a piece of bread. “After I was cursed, I washed up on the Isle of Mist. The Seer was like a father to me.”

  “You never mentioned that before. Is the real Seer still on the Isle of Mist?”

  With a sigh, Brody dropped the bread back on the plate. “Yes. I buried him there. Before he died, he begged me to impersonate him so I could stop Cahira’s evil plan.”

  Leo nodded slowly. “Your mother told us how Cahira blew up your father’s ship and killed him and your brother. And she was the witch who cursed you.”

  “Aye.” Brody picked up the bread again and took a bite. “Obviously, my plan is to keep Cahira busy so she can’t blow up your ships. And I need to make her lift my curse.”

  “So Cahira and the Chameleon are two of the remaining three members of the Circle of Five.” Leo leaned forward. “Who is the last one?”

  Brody took another sip of water, then set his cup down. “He’s dead, so there’s no need to discuss him.”

  Leo sat back, narrowing his eyes. Brody seemed to be protecting the last member. Who would he . . . ? “By the Light, was it the Seer?”

  Brody winced. “Don’t tell anyone. The poor man only wanted to bring peace and prosperity to the world. His mistake was trusting Cahira enough to confide in her. She was the one who twisted his idea into her own plan for world domination. She also raised the Chameleon and financed the other members of the circle. The Embraced army was her idea.”

  “I understand. So you’re planning to kill her after she lifts the curse?”

  Brody hesitated, staring at his plate of food.

  “Is there a problem?” Leo asked. “Is she too powerful?”

  “She’s Maeve’s mother.”

  Leo drew in a long breath. “Crap.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And Maeve knows everything?” Leo asked. “Is she all right? Her sisters are worried sick about her.”

  “She’s fine.” Brody took a bite of cheese. “She will be fine. She’s strong.”

  “That’s good.” Leo thought back to what Brody had said about the Seer having an affair with Cahira. “Then the Seer is Maeve’s father?”

  Brody nodded. “Aye. You saw my note about the Chameleon?”

  With a grimace, Leo balled his fists. “If you don’t kill him, I will. He murdered Tedric.”

  “And his own father,” Brody added. “By the way, I saw his true form tonight. He actually looks quite a bit like you.”

  Leo scoffed. “That bastard.”

  “So I’ll deal with Cahira and the Chameleon. Nevis and my sister are training the rejected Embraced children. They’re going to take out the castle guards.” Brody leaned forward. “Once your ships are sighted, the Embraced army will try to destroy you.”

  With a frown, Leo nodded. “We figured that.”

  “I heard you arrived with twelve ships?”

  Leo nodded. “Five Eberoni ships, six Tourinian ships, and Captain Chapman’s ship. There are two more from the Isle of Moon, making a total of fourteen.”

  “And when you add the six elfin ships, you have an armada of twenty,” Brody concluded.

  “You know about those?”

  “Aye. One of the Embraced children, Bettina, has the gift of communicating with birds, so she’s keeping us informed.”

  “Excellent.” Leo smiled. That was one less problem to worry about.

  “Are you leaving in the morning?” Brody asked.

  “Midmorning,” Leo clarified. “Silas is keeping Dimitri apprised of the elfin navy’s progress. We believe they can make it to the Isle of Secrets by noon. So we are planning to arrive at roughly the same time.”

  “Then the battle will begin at noon.” Brody stood. “I’ll fly back and let Nevis know.”

  Leo rose to his feet. “Be careful.” As he strode toward the door to open it, he grew increasingly worried about Brody trying to eliminate both Cahira and the Chameleon. He glanced back at Brody, but the shifter had already turned into a dog. “Brody, you should let Nevis help you. Or I could send one of the dragons to back you up.”

  But Leo wasn’t sure Brody heard him, since the dog dashed onto the deck, then shifted into an eagle and flew away.

  * * *

  In a dream, Maeve found herself floating over the sea, headed toward Aerie Castle. She flew through the open doors of the balcony, then floated toward the Great Hall. This time, the castle seemed familiar to her. She noted the purple curtains fluttering in the breeze, the mosaic floor that resembled the ocean, the dais with its golden octopus throne and colorful glass decorations in the shapes of clams and underwater plants.

  Suddenly, all the glass exploded, and colored shards flew about the room. Maeve screamed and covered her head.

  Everything went black for a moment. When she came to, she saw her mother lying on the floor by the dais, her throat slit, her eyes glassy.

  Dead? Had Brody killed her?

  A surge of pain erupted inside her, doubling her over. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed on the floor. What was this awful pain? Had she been stabbed? Was she going to die?

  A sudden clashing noise drew her attention, and although her vision was blurred with pain, she could see Brody and the Chameleon engaged in a swordfight. The Chameleon slashed his sword down, slicing Brody’s thigh. As Brody fell to the floor, the Chameleon raised his sword to deal the fatal blow—

  “No!” Maeve woke up, her heart pounding. “No.” She shook her head. Brody couldn’t lose the battle. He couldn’t die.

  Holy goddesses, were they both going to die?

  She glanced at the window, where the first light of dawn was barely visible. Was Brody back? She ran into his bedchamber and found him asleep in his bed in the guise of the Seer.

  “Brody,” she whispered as her eyes filled with tears.

  It was a bad dream, that was all. A bad dream caused by her fear of the upcoming battle.

  Goddesses, please protect Brody. And myself. A tear ran down her cheek. It had to be a bad dream. For if it was foresight, the two of them might be doomed.
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  Chapter 21

  Nevis was up at dawn to make sure the children practiced their roles in the upcoming attack on the guards. By midmorning, Ruth arrived with the two toddlers from the castle nursery. Then, Nevis, Elinor, and the two eldest Embraced girls escorted the younger children to the hidden cove by the sea cave, where Elinor’s boat was anchored.

  Bettina set a basket of food in the rowboat, then turned to twelve-year-old Naomi and eleven-year-old Olana. “You’re in charge of the little ones now. They’ll look to you when they’re afraid.”

  Naomi nodded. “We’ll be fine.”

  “We’ll just be worrying about you and the others,” Olana added with tears in her eyes.

  Catriona gave her a hug. “We’re the sneaky Spiders, remember? They’ll never see us coming.”

  “We’ll take good care of them,” Tommy assured Nevis, then helped five-year-old Terrance into the rowboat along with Naomi.

  As Tommy rowed toward the bigger boat, Sarah clung to Bettina’s skirt. “When will we see you again?”

  “Soon.” Bettina kneeled down to give the six-year-old a hug. “Tommy and Lobby are going to take you for a short ride to the south side of the island. If all goes well, we’ll see you later tonight.”

  After a few trips with the rowboat, all the young children were safely aboard, and Lobby and Tommy hauled up the anchor. The chef was still there, and without any wine to drink, he’d sobered up enough to be helpful.

  As the Spiders walked back to the village, Nevis noticed that Elinor was clenching her hands.

  He leaned close to whisper, “If you’re not comfortable doing this, you could stay in the village and—”

  “Don’t say that.” She frowned at him. “How can I expect children to do something dangerous if I’m not willing to help?”

  “You have a brave heart—I know that. But I really shouldn’t let you put yourself at risk. You’re a princess.”

  She scoffed. “All the more reason I should display good leadership. Besides, I want to do this. Brody and I have to avenge our father and brother.”

  He touched her fisted hand. “I can tell you’re nervous.”

  “Of course I am.” She wrapped her fingers around his. “Don’t ye get nervous afore a battle?”