by Amy Marie
“Little did you know, princess, that I walked these streets with you. I watched the horrors Jethro enforced behind the closed doors you were forbidden to pass through. I saw the blood and the bones and the flayed skin. I saw more than you will ever know.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “How is that so, Casp? You said you never came on land before.”
He raised a finger. “Ah.” And wagged it back and forth. “That particular admission came long before your rendezvous with the darling Jethro. You were my friend, Aria. My dearest friend. Of course I’d check into a man, a mortal at that, whom you claimed to love. You didn’t like the information I returned with, is all. And you didn’t give my news much heed, casting it in my face.”
Aria’s shoulders slumped and she turned back to the ocean.
“So, tell me, why would I believe you seek me out now to reconcile if it were not for your benefit in what I believe is a very dangerous game? Why don’t we forego the pleasantries and get right down to the truth.”
“Why did you come back to Alamari?” she asked.
“Answer my question first.”
If she knotted her fingers any more, they’d certainly break at the joints.
“I honestly don’t know when she arrived, only that one night, we were watching a vocal performance and toward the end, our castle crumbled like the ocean floor shifted violently. Her trident vanished from her hand and waterspouts erupted from the ground, separating us. I tried to escape, but Dima caught me. She gave me one chance to save my family. I had seven days to return you to her.”
“What happens to your family if you fail?”
“She has them confined, surrounded by sharks.”
Caspian snorted. “Sharks might be a desired demise if Dima gets what she wants.”
“What do you mean? How could death by sharks be desired?”
“Trust me, princess. Dima’s promises of release from one hell will result in capture and torture on a new level. You think Jethro is bad? Mix magic into the punishment.”
“I don’t understand. What is it she wants with you? And why my family?”
“Okay.” Caspian laughed briefly, earning a less-than-impressed glower from his two-legged sea goddess. “You really shouldn’t have to ask that second question. Your mother is a goddess. What better leverage than bartering for the life of a deity? The power of a deity? But your initial question? That answer is very convoluted and a topic I’d rather steer away from.” He kicked the cliff’s side with his heels. “At its simplest, I possess magic and power. It’s apparent she wants it.”
“Is that why you came here after our falling out?”
Pain flared in his chest, a familiar ache he wished he’d never feel again. It threatened his carefully constructed persona and attitude.
“I came here after our falling out, as you so charmingly call it, to protect the people your actions placed in danger. I warded the entire shoreline around Alamari to detect when merfolk left the water, voluntarily or not. Sailors craving a heavy pouch of coin hunted ferociously. So while you took the situation lightly, I’ve tried my damnedest to save those who have paid the price for your stubborn, ill-fated love affair.”
He leaned closer to her, but kept his attention on the ocean. The tension around her was enough to tell him she didn’t like the turn of their conversation.
“Do you know how the sailors smuggled unfortunate mers into the village? Folded and stuffed into iceboxes. Dismembered and descaled like fish. I’d curse those ships when they left the docks, and they found a fate worse than the torture and horror they put those merfolk through, I assure you. Those not killed before the ships returned to port were often held captive in old whiskey barrels. Those, I saved. When I could. One time, a ship had a dozen younglings, Aria. Children. Alive, thankfully, but terrorized. Do you know what happened to that ship and the sailors aboard?”
He lifted a hand, fingers closed, palm up. With a sharp breath, he flicked open his fingers, releasing a dark blue fireball from his palm. In a blink, the magical orb winked out.
“I set it on fire. Burned the ship and the crew and listened to their screams of agony with a smile while I tried to comfort those children. I entered the water that night. The one and only time I returned to the sea and my true form. To make sure they were safe. I left them at the edge of Timarra and waited until I saw an adult cross their paths. That, Aria, is the reason I came here. To these very shores. Not to make a fortune and reap the rewards of my reputation as a womanizer. That, little princess, is all a show because my priority is to protect the people of the sea, whatever the cost to me.”
Every muscle in his body had grown stiff and agitated as he unleashed the pent-up anger he’d stifled for so long. He couldn’t stop himself from twisting, bringing a knee onto the rocky tunnel floor, and turning Aria’s face to his with the tip of his finger under her chin. The color had drained from her beautiful face, and the luminescent glow dimmed behind her irises.
“Tell me, Aria. What price are you willing to pay to protect the people of sea? What sacrifices are you willing to make for the sake of the merfolk?”
The gentle slope of her throat moved with a hard swallow. Her gaze lowered to his mouth. If his blood didn’t seethe with anger from the injustice brought down on the merpeople through Jethro’s cruelty and infatuation with a beautiful mermaid, he might have taken that cue and indulged himself. But as he held her chin steady, her gaze shifting back up to his, he realized any hope of fanning the flames of his passion would lead to his downfall.
Without speaking, she lifted her chin off his finger, eased back enough to climb to her feet, and hurried down the tunnel toward the house.
With a twirl of his fingers and a brush of magic, he sent his next admission to her ears on a soft breeze. “But I left the water because of you.”
Aria.
His one and only weakness.
A weakness he knew would send him back to the ocean’s depths to face a demon from his past.
He was a prince. A forgotten prince. But he would sacrifice himself to save his people.
To save Aria.
Chapter 5
Sleep eluded her, leaving her to toss and turn in the narrow bed Caspian had hastily made up for her for the night. He’d returned to the house long enough to tell her where to sleep—a room barely the size to accommodate the bed—before he left again, disappearing into the night.
His admissions haunted her in the hours leading up to dawn. The truths she’d refused to see or think about, believing he’d left the sea—and her—for personal gain. She’d always known in her heart Caspian never thought of himself first.
Tears coasted across her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had no right to indulge in a pity cry. Not when she was to blame for the terrifying chain of events that had led them here. Whether Dima was part of that chain, she didn’t know, but her entrance into Aria’s life was enough to make her wonder if Aria led Caspian to do something to draw the witch’s attention.
“I left the water because of you.”
The whispered confession played havoc with her mind and the tender emotions that somehow found their way to the surface. Had Caspian truly admitted that? Or had her ears played tricks on her in her rush to escape the brutal reality of his disclosure. Why would he leave the sea because of her? The ocean was immense. Surely there were places he could have gone, land not being one of them.
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the east-side windows, casting the wood-plank floors in shades of brown. Dust drifted through the rays like snow. Aria climbed from the bed, fatigue wrapped tightly around her body, and shuffled into the main room.
“Caspian?” She crossed the room to peek into the only other bedroom in the house, glancing into the empty bathing room on her way. Both rooms were empty. She leaned against the doorframe. The corners of her mouth pulled down, the weight of disappointment heavy on her heart. She’d have to check the tunnel. Maybe he had returned to his cliffside to pon
der the surf.
A glint of silver caught her eye as she started to push off the doorframe and head toward the closet-like space that concealed the trapdoor. A plate on the small dining table held a pile of cured meats and shelled eggs. A piece of paper beside the plate rerouted her path. As she drew closer, she noticed the small bowl of jam and the slices of bread tucked beneath the meats.
Pretty cursive looped in a short note across the paper.
You will find fruit and juice in the icebox. Be sure to eat your meal. Do not wander the village streets alone. I’ll return later this evening.
Caspian
Sadly, the tossing and turning and lack of sleep on top of the distress caused by Caspian’s unfiltered revelations did little to help her appetite. The food smelled delightful, but her stomach clenched at the idea of actually eating anything. She managed to swallow a few bites of bread and jam, a single boiled egg, and a crispy piece of bacon before the handle on the main door jostled.
Fear staked her where she stood, watching in horror as the handle moved and the lock turned. In the last seconds before the door opened, she broke free of her paralyzing fear and bolted into the bedroom. She crouched behind the mostly closed door and peered through the crack. Sunlight cast the intruder in silhouette, making it difficult to discern features. He was shorter than Caspian, stockier, with a heavy step and a burlap sack dragging on the floor beside him.
“Miss?”
Aria recoiled from the crack, hoping the sunlight hadn’t given her hiding spot away. The man grunted when he lifted the sack and dropped it onto the dining table. The plate and utensils clattered. The man returned to the door and closed it quietly, twisting the bolt to lock it from within. As he turned, she recognized him.
Brack. Caspian’s manservant.
He removed his tweed hat and rubbed his forearm across a forehead that glistened with sweat. He was dressed in a similar fashion as the day before, brown pants, a tunic shirt and a brown vest. His leather boots were less than clean, with caked mud, roughened edges and cracked soles. The laces were frayed.
A disheveled man, a shocking contrast to Caspian.
“Miss? It’s, uh, Brack. Caspian sent me to check in on you. Make sure, er, that you’re fairing well? I brought fresh meat he plans to prepare for dinner.” The man cleared the rasp from his throat with a few coughs. “Sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Slowly, Aria stood up. She continued to monitor Brack as he tugged the sack open and pulled out three large paper-wrapped items. He paused long enough to read the note on the table. He rubbed a hand over his balding head and turned about with a worried crease deepening across his forehead.
“Be here, be here, be here,” he muttered. A nervous tick jumped in the corner of his mouth. Would Caspian harm this man if he believed his employee lost her? “Miss?”
“I’m here,” Aria finally said, stepping around the door and pausing in the doorway.
Brack shuffled backward, hitting the table with his legs. His eyes went wide.
Aria frowned and lifted her hands in front of her. No. Her skin hadn’t taken on that sickly gray. She touched her neck, seeking any reason for the man’s startled reaction. Nope. No scales.
“I-I’m sorry. Is something wrong?” she asked, tracing the human lines of her face with her fingertips. No sign of mermaid.
Brack stuttered a few breaths, then offered an awkward half-bow. “I…I wasn’t expecting…I wasn’t sure…”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What were you expecting?”
When he straightened, obviously fighting to get some dignity in his composure, the stray rays of sunshine brought the rosy hues of his face to life. She couldn’t help but grin at the man’s bashful glow. He appeared so harmless, with his nervous ticks and stutters.
“Caspian once told me about you. Daughter of a deity. He failed to tell me how beautiful you are. Rumors in Alamari don’t do you justice, highness.”
“Aria, please. No formalities necessary. And thank you for the compliment.” She hesitated, then motioned to the sack. “Can I help you with that?”
Brack jerked, seeming to have forgotten the sack, and gathered the three large packages against his chest. “Oh, no, no. Not at all. Caspian wishes for you to rest and eat. He has a few ships coming to dock today, but hopes to be through with work before the sun sets. If there is anything you need, I’m at your service.”
Aria crossed to the table and peered into the sack. A bunch of potatoes and root vegetables. A few items of lighter fare, fruits and cheeses. Two loaves of bread wrapped in cloth. A click and smack, a muffled clatter, came from the kitchen area. She had yet to explore that space. She never explored Jethro’s castle, fearing his wrath if he found her wandering the grounds. Her mother’s stories made her believe human life was a mixture of ancient times with modern amenities. Simplicity and convenience all in one. According to her mother, Alamari was one of many villages to be found on a separate realm, a place unreachable to mortals of other realms. As confusing as her mother made it sound, her curiosity often left her wondering how advanced other realms were compared to the one she knew.
She never shared the secret of traveling between realms.
Brack returned to the main room, brushing his hands on his pants. “Sit, miss. Please. Caspian won’t like that you aren’t eating. It helps you maintain your human appearance, right?”
Aria stiffened as she met Brack’s innocent gaze. A long stretch of unnerving silence passed as she played his question over in her head. Well, if he heard the rumors about her, he knew she was a mermaid. Caspian most likely confirmed the rumors, especially if he trusted this man.
With a tense nod, Aria took a seat at the table and gingerly picked at her food. Maybe her appetite would return.
“How long have you known Caspian?”
“Oh, about ten years.” He dug into the sack and began to load up an arm with produce. Aria stared at him, another piece of bacon between her fingers. He chuckled. “Yes, ten. He had just arrived on the docks, looking for work as a manager to oversee inventory. Lucky for him, the old manager came down with fever and happily handed off his position…for a piece of the earnings until he recuperated. Well, the old man never quite got over his fever, suffered a stroke, and Caspian built a name for himself faster than any manager before him. He stopped three shipments of weapons from being smuggled into the village and intercepted two additional shipments of smuggled spices. All within the first year. Earned a seat at the king’s table, he did. And the king’s trust. Quite a feat, considering the king’s reputation for torture.”
Brack’s proud smile faltered. He dropped his gaze and busied himself with unloading the produce. “Sorry, miss. I shouldn’t bring up such topics.”
Aria plastered on a smile. “It’s okay. It happened a long time ago.”
“Long time, aye, but your name is still on the tips of tongues and the king reminds his people often of rewards for the capture and maiming of you and yours. Some believe his wife’s jealousy over your rumored beauty—no rumor, or my eyes lie to me—refuel the hunt for you when it starts to die down. Others believe the king himself mad with jealousy, hence the reason he…well, that’s not a wise conversation to indulge in.”
Brack hoisted the armful of produce and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Aria to suffer the icy reminder of the past. Misjudged emotions. A false love that left her scarred inside.
“How does Caspian keep the trust of Jethro when he releases merfolk? Surely, after a decade of this charade, the king has begun to think something about Caspian is unusual?”
“Caspian doesn’t discuss the darker side of his dealings, miss. Not with me. He told me once, long ago, to trust him and not to question his motives or his choices. To understand that things happen without explanation and the less I know, the better it would be for me. I have a daughter, you see. She was only twelve when I first met Caspian, so I took his words as a warning and valued his secrecy. Never has he let harm come t
o me or my daughter. I believe he intervened a few times, but I never inquired, nor did I care to. My daughter is now happily married with a little one, far away from this wretched village.”
Curiosity had always been a weakness of Aria’s. “Then why stay? Surely there is nothing holding you here? Caspian would understand if you decided to leave. To follow your daughter and be closer to your grandchild. Wouldn’t he?”
Brack chuckled as he returned to the sack and dumped the rest of the contents on the table.
“Caspian is a good man, miss. A dearly good man with a selfless heart. He has tried to get me gone several times over the last couple of years, but I stay. I don’t wish to leave him to find another man he can trust as he trusts me. I owe him so much, and he will never accept anything material. So, I give the only thing I can that I know he appreciates and that’s my loyalty. Maybe when he finally decides to give up the dock life and settle down with a woman, I will find it time to part ways.”
The man’s brown eyes landed on her at the mention of a woman, a silent implication in the wistful gleam in his irises. A flicker of something warm—hope?—stirred in her belly.
“Ah, but that is neither here nor there. Eat up, miss. I’ve filled your ear and distracted you from your meal enough.”
“Not at all, Brack. I’m enjoying this conversation.” She took a bite from a slice of cured meat, her appetite making a comeback. “Would you be kind enough to tell me one other thing?”
Brack flashed her a bright smile, laying stalks of celery in the crook of his elbow. “I can try, miss.”
After a couple more bites, allowing him time to put the last of the produce away, she gained the courage to move ahead. “What has Caspian told you about me?”
When Brack returned this time, he carried two glasses of sweet wine. He placed one in front of her with a friendly nod. She thanked him, sipped, and sighed with delight. Human food was definitely a treat.
The man took the seat across from her and contemplated his answer, rolling the stem of the wine glass between his thumb and forefinger. Aria picked patiently at her food, savoring the strong flavors mixed with the more delicate essences. As the minutes stretched, she waved her question aside.
