The tailors, most eager to hear of the latest fashions, insisted she draw them some designs. Bridget was no artist and they ended up more frustrated than helped. Though, when she explained the special nightgown she wanted made for her, they were thrown into a frenzy of work.
Within a very short time, her sexy lingerie designs made their way to all the women of Ataran and husbands had never been happier. In fact, many married couples sent her thank you gifts. She wasn’t quite sure what to think about that yet, but Caderyn assured her it was all good.
News came that Cassandra was adjusting to her new life, though the report was vague and Bridget couldn’t help but wonder how true it was. She wanted to see the woman, but she didn’t press the issue, knowing their work at the palace was more important. It wasn’t like she and Cassandra were close friends, though Bridget hoped they would be someday. They had one very important thing in common. They both came from the same world above the waves.
Lyra had gone to the country with Rigel. According to Aidan, she’d still been giving the hunter the silent treatment when they had left. Aidan insisted she wasn’t from the past. Bridget still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced of that.
Since the king’s decree that Caderyn was to teach her to navigate the water, he’d been giving her lessons. The first time he took her out, she nearly didn’t make it out of the underwater cave before panicking and swimming back toward shore. It took some time, but she got used to her Merr vision, and suddenly it wasn’t so frightening.
With Caderyn, she felt safe. He showed her things she had only dreamed about, though once she did get zapped by an unusual type of jellyfish and had been sore for nearly a day. It hurt like hell, but she knew not to get too close to them again. Deep Ocean was more wondrous and exotic than she had ever imagined possible when she was on the surface. The landscape was just like land, only dark and shadowy, always shifting and changing like blue dessert sands. Not counting the jellyfish sting, she loved every minute of it.
A month passed and all was well. Bridget was settling into her new life with Caderyn. She worked during the day and found what she did new and fulfilling. They made love at night, holding each other in the aftermath.
He would send naughty thoughts to her at all hours of the day and she took Afra’s advice and sent him a few whoppers of her own while he was in conference with the king and the other hunters. Afterward, he had stormed into their home, tossed her over the back of the couch and had his very untamed way with her. Bridget made sure to send him such thoughts often.
One night, he let the thought ‘so much better than the pleasure nymph’ slip during sex. Bridget instantly demanded he unlock the wardrobe. The cyber-sex doll was thrown away immediately. The rest of the toys showed promise and she spent the night torturing him with each and every one of them.
She was so in love with her husband and he was in love with her. They were so very happy. All was perfect, until the day Caderyn informed her that he was leaving to track a scylla. Bridget cried, begging and pleading with him to send someone else in his place. She couldn’t help it. She tried to be strong, but the idea of something happening to ruin her new, perfect life terrified her. In the end, he felt his work was too important not to go.
Chapter 27
“Four days,” Bridget said, hitting the table to get Aidan’s attention. “He has been gone for four days now.”
“I’ve already explained, Bridget,” Aidan said, as he’d begun calling her after she’d gotten mad at the ‘my lady’ thing. He was the only one, though, as everyone else seemed to like using her new title. Being a hunter’s wife gave her quite a bit of leverage among the Merr. Pushing her hand aside so he could work, he added, “They can be gone for up to two weeks before they need to come back. I’m sure everything is perfectly fine.”
Bridget frowned, but nodded her head in reluctant agreement as she resumed pacing the artifacts room. Exhausted, she knew she needed to get some sleep. At night, she lay awake, missing Caderyn, worried about him out in the ocean, wanting his arms around her desperately. Solon and Brutus were with him. Brutus was usually on a different team, but Iason was in the country taking care of Cassandra. Both seemed like good men and had excellent reputations as hunters.
Bridget knew their reputations, for she had demanded an audience with King Lucius to find out. The king was shocked by her bold questions into Brutus’ and Solon’s characters, but answered each and every one of her inquiries.
“When is the last time you slept?” Aidan asked, giving up on his work to watch her pace.
“Four days.”
“And how long since you ate?” he insisted. “You haven’t been to the hall to dine. Has someone been bringing you food at your home?”
“Four days,” she repeated, nervously chewing a thumbnail. “They tried to leave me something, but I wasn’t hungry. I can’t seem to do anything but worry about him. I miss him.”
“You can’t do this to yourself, Bridget. Your husband is a hunter. This is what hunters do. What? Every time he goes out you’re going to starve yourself and refuse to sleep?” Aidan frowned and she couldn’t meet his concerned eyes. “What would Caderyn think if he knew you weren’t taking care of yourself? What do you think is going to happen next time if he’s out there and all he can do is worry about whether or not you’re taking care of yourself properly?”
“I can’t help it, Aidan,” Bridget said. “I miss him. I miss him so much my stomach hurts and I get nauseous at the mere thought of food. I try to sleep but I can’t. Instead, I just lay awake staring at the ceiling, missing him, begging him with my mind to come home though I know he’s too far out in the ocean to hear my calls. I try to eat but I just throw it back up. I’m sick without him. I feel like a piece of myself is missing.”
“You are in love,” Aidan said, nodding. “Caderyn’s hunts should get easier for you in time. And, because you love him so much, you should try to think about what he would want.”
She made a face, but didn’t answer. Instead, she scratched irritably at her ear.
“Here, let’s take you to Althea,” Aidan said. “Hopefully, she’ll have something to help you sleep. You look terrible, Bridget, you really do. Maybe after you rest, you’ll feel better. Okay?”
She shot him a wry look. “Well, you’re one to talk. You’re not going to win any beauty contests yourself, Aidan.”
He arched a brow, confused as he looked down.
Bridget motioned to his face and laughed softly. It was the first time she had smiled since Caderyn left her. “You smeared black ink all over your jaw about an hour ago. It looks like it will stain the skin.”
Caderyn followed Brutus as the large hunter dragged the scylla back to Ataran. It was strange hunting with someone other than Iason, as Brutus was part of the Warriors and extremely capable in his job. In fact, the darkness of his tail made him nearly invisible and highly efficient in the water.
The hunt had gone fairly well, but Caderyn missed Bridget terribly. He thought about her all the time. Without her, he felt as if a piece of himself was missing.
‘Is it me, or are these things getting bigger?’ Brutus grumbled. He was the biggest out of all three of them and, being the official ‘new guy’ on the team, he’d been elected to drag the scylla back.
‘You’re getting soft,’ Solon teased. ‘Do all Warriors whine like you, Brutus?’
‘Ha! I’ll tell you who has gone soft. Your little loverfish over there.’ Brutus flapped his tail toward Caderyn, sending a current in his direction making him sway in the water. ‘Look at him, all bubble-eyed over a woman. Lady Bridget is beautiful, I’ll give him that, but does he have to try and torment us with thoughts of her?’
Solon laughed. ‘Aye, he is a bit pathetic, isn’t he? Though, I don’t mind the naked pictures he’s let slip of—’
‘You’re both just jealous that I found a wife,’ Caderyn said. He got the instant shout of laughter he expected. ‘And I haven’t sent you a naked picture of anyth
ing.’
Brutus slowed, letting a giant hatfish with razor sharp teeth pass before swimming on. ‘The gods save me from such a fate as being in love. I’ll take my pleasure nymph any day over a nagging bride. When you’re done with them, you can shut them off.’
‘Aye, the nymph is as good as any bride, to be sure.’ Solon laughed. ‘Though, I will give Lady Bridget credit for her special dresses. I bought my nymph one before I left.’
‘You two are a sorry lot, buying presents for your nymphs.’ Caderyn teased.
‘At least you can shut her off when you tire of her.’ Brutus repeated with a wink.
‘Aye, I heard your sorry comment last time. I just choose to ignore you,’ Caderyn swatted his tail in the man’s direction, sending a current to knock him slightly off course.
They all laughed good-naturedly. Before Bridget, Caderyn would have said the same thing. Now, he knew it had been a way to guard himself from the emptiness of facing an eternity alone. He said nothing of this to Solon and Brutus. He was blessed with his wife. There was no reason to rub the fact into a very painful wound. He could only hope his friends would someday find the same happiness he had. Caderyn couldn’t imagine his life without Bridget.
They glided through the icy waters toward the Crystal Caves. Thinking of his wife, Caderyn swam faster. Grabbing hold of the heavy scylla to help Brutus with his load, he said, ‘Let’s just get home.’
Solon and Brutus laughed harder at his eagerness, teasing him the whole way back.
Caderyn frowned, as he came out of the water. He had been calling out to Bridget since he’d entered the caves, hoping she would run to greet him. Surprisingly, she wasn’t answering his call.
Leaving Solon and Brutus to handle the scylla, he grabbed the cloak he had stored in the cave and quickly wrapped it around his body to hide his nudity. His fingers fumbled to make a knot on his shoulder. He took a deep breath, excited to see his wife and concerned that she wasn’t answering him.
Hurrying home, he nodded at those he passed. Most of them wanted to stop and ask about the hunt. There was nothing exciting to tell. Luckily, no ships were wrecked and the scylla was caught with little incident. It felt like an eternity until he could finally walk into his front door.
“Bridget?” He called, searching the sleeping room. She wasn’t there. Going to the bathroom, he said, “Bridget? Where are you?”
A sick feeling unfurled in his stomach. He walked out of their home, going to the artifacts room. It was empty.
‘Bridget? Where are you?’ he said, directing his thoughts out over the palace. Surely their link wasn’t broken. It had only been five days since he’d left the palace, five hellish days spent missing her, but only five nonetheless. Their love was stronger than that, wasn’t it?
He jogged from the artifact room, confident that the guard, Brennus, would have told him if his wife was out in the Abyss. King Lucius had assured him that she wouldn’t be allowed out into the ocean until he was back. Knowing how stubborn his wife could be at times, he frowned. He had no doubt she could sweet talk the guards into letting her pass. Though, if she had, surely Brennus would have said something about it as he came out of the caves. Still, it was a place to start looking.
“Caderyn,” Aidan called, startling him from his thoughts. “You’re back.”
“Aidan, where is my wife?” Caderyn demanded.
“She’s with the healer,” Aidan answered, coming closer. His arms were laden with fresh parchments, ink pots and quills.
“Thanks,” Caderyn said. As he passed, he pointed at Aidan’s face. “You’ve got something, there.”
“I know. It won’t come off,” Aidan said, huffing.
Caderyn ran full out toward Althea’s. Barging in her front door, his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He couldn’t hear Bridget’s thoughts. Something was wrong. He just knew it.
“Bridget,” he yelled. “Althea?”
Althea came from the back room. “What is it? What’s wrong? Did you bring me another human to look after?”
“My wife. Where is my wife? I can’t hear her. What has happened?” Caderyn made a move to grab the healer’s shoulders. She dodged him and pointed to the back office.
“Back…” the woman began. She never finished her sentence as Caderyn rushed by her.
Caderyn, remembering the last time Bridget had been in Althea’s office, panicked. He hurried to her side. Her face was pale and she was laying on one of the sick beds, her eyes closed.
“My love,” he whispered, leaning over her to touch her cool face. “What has happened to you?”
Just when he was sure he’d collapse from fear, her eyelashes fluttered and she looked at him. Yawning, she sat up, blinking heavily. “Caderyn? Is that really you?”
“What’s going on? Why are you here? Did the Olympians attack? Did you go out into the Abyss? What—?”
Bridget smiled. Placing her hand over his mouth to silence him, she hopped off the cot, blinking sleepily even as she looked at him in joy. “No, no, nothing like that. I was just sleeping.”
“I called you,” he said, wrapping her in his arms. He squeezed her tight. “I missed you so much. Why didn’t you answer? You should’ve heard me, even in sleep.”
“If you’re ready to let me finish, I can answer that,” Althea said. Caderyn turned to her expectantly. “Your wife suffers from a very curious illness for our kind. She needed sleep and I gave her something to help her get it. The medicine is why she couldn’t hear your call.”
“What illness? Bridget? What is it? Whatever it is, you can tell me,” he said.
Bridget touched his face. “Don’t look so worried, sweetheart. Everything is going to be just fine.”
“What is it?!” he insisted, wondering why they wouldn’t tell him what was happening with his wife. He glanced back and forth between the two women, close to shaking them for an answer.
Bridget grinned. “I’m pregnant.”
Caderyn stared at her. Slowly his world turned black.
Bridget watched as her husband’s eyes rolled back in his head. He swayed on his feet, passing completely out. She tried to catch his weight, but Althea pulled her back, nodding to Bridget’s stomach. “You’re too delicate. Let the big man drop. He’ll recover easily enough.”
Bridget knelt on the floor beside him. “Caderyn? Darling? My love? Caderyn? Can you hear me?”
Althea and Bridget examined him, determining that he was fine. Bridget held his face in her palms. She had missed him so much, it was heaven just to see his handsome face again.
“Hum,” Althea mused, sitting back on her knees. “It seems there is something that can bring one of our mighty hunters down besides the surface air. I never thought I’d see the day…”
Bridget laughed, shaking her head. “Can we wake him up? Do you have something? Smelling salts perhaps?”
“Sure, I have some herbs that will knock him awake,” the healer said. “But, I say we wait to tell him you’re pregnant with triplets. If he reacts this way with one, three might kill him.”
Bridget stared wide-eyed at Althea. Weakly, she squeaked, “Triplets?”
Althea nodded enthusiastically, grinning. Bridget swallowed, feeling lightheaded. She fell onto her husband’s chest, her world turning black.
The End
* * *
The series continues with
Commanding the Tides
CLICK HERE to read the book!
The series continues…
Commanding the Tides
Lords of the Abyss Book 2
Iason doesn’t understand why the woman he’s trying to rescue seems insistent he save anyone but her. Duty bound to save whoever he can, he takes her to Atlantes, his home beneath the waves. But a watery grave isn't the only thing threatening his new charge’s life. To try and save her from a mortal illness would mean possible disgrace and being banned from ever swimming in the ocean again. But what else can he do? From the first moment he saw her, she had comma
nd over his heart.
Commanding the Tides
CLICK HERE to read the book!
Excerpt
Cassandra Nevin saw her life flash before her eyes as the freezing water surrounded her. She’d had a bad feeling about this trip, but then she had a bad feeling about everything since the doctor told her she was dying of cancer. Bone cancer. Not much to be done for it, not as late as they had caught it. She’d refused treatment, refused to prolong her life only to live in a bed withering away. Already, she’d outlived her initial prognosis, perhaps by sheer will, perhaps by dumb luck. Waiting for death to come for her had become her own sad little game, and she honestly knew that, when it did, she wouldn’t be surprised. Her parents didn’t understand, or maybe they did, but they didn’t agree with her choice.
No one on the ship knew except Ned Devenpeck. He was the head of the scientific expedition she was on. Cassandra was sure he just felt sorry for her and that was why he let her tag along with only a few classes of college science under her belt. She wasn’t one for charity, but in this instance she had taken it and gladly.
She knew that the other scientists were irritated with her because she didn’t know what she was doing. Cassandra didn’t care. Why should she? Life was too short to care about anything. It’s why she left school before graduating with a degree. Everyone she knew cried when they saw her, even her parents. She preferred the angry scientists to the constant pity, preferred to be yelled at and hated than to be treated like a dog on its last legs.
As the boat sank, hit from below by some creature the scientists couldn’t name, she’d been scared—scared of dying alone at sea, scared of that final icy breath of water, scared of the unknown beneath her in the darkness.
“Aliens?” someone had suggested as the boat was nearly tipped over on its side.
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