“Just love. If I have to become a wrinkled-up prune to show my dad my love for you, then that’s what I shall be.”
“I will love you regardless, but it won’t come to that. I know my sister won’t let it. She was going to discuss our situation with the others at the coffee shop today. I feel bad that I’m not there seeing as it’s about us.”
“You’re feeling bad? Darling, then I need to make you feel good.”
He dragged me back under the covers.
We finally got up in the early evening. Thankfully, I had a small fridge in my room and a basket near the kettle, meaning I’d been able to snack on Pringles and a Twix, and keep my energy going with a can of Coke.
When we arrived downstairs, there didn’t appear to be anyone around.
“I wonder where everyone is?”
Mary appeared, floating into the room. “Theo and Charlie are out, and your sister is in her room sulking because Theo didn’t agree with her methods of child rearing. But I overheard Theo wasn’t in a rush to apologise because if he did he’d have had to see a boring chick flick.”
It appeared Mary had yet to learn about keeping the things you overheard to yourself.
“Oh, he did, did he?” My sister had come to the top of the stairs.
“Bloody vamp hearing.” Mary complained and disappeared.
We all went through into the kitchen and I gestured for Drake to take a seat at the table. “What would you like to eat?”
He looked uncomfortable. “I don’t need anything. Not until I return to the sea. I eat plankton and certain plants. I don’t think I would be able to get my nutrition from human food.”
I could feel Shelley’s eyes boring through me. Drake and I had never been out to eat, and when we had dined with his father I had just thought we were being given Masterchef type meals, you know, all the fancy-schmancy stuff that no one in their right mind would usually touch with a bargepole. But it seemed it was actually what my boyfriend did eat.
“So, to live on the land you would need to regularly visit the sea for your food as well as the sea itself.” My sister switched the kettle on. “I’m having a hot chocolate. Do you fancy one, Sis?”
Sis. She’d called me sis. Such an affectionate term, but I didn’t have too much time to celebrate this term of endearment with the new information that had just presented itself. The reality was that Drake did not belong on land. The fact he would do this for me showed me the depth of his feelings, but it was clear it wasn’t his natural environment and he would suffer. That meant I would have to consider the fact that my home would be under the sea, with Brishon, underwater politics, and a whole host of strangers.
“Polly?”
“Oh.” I stared at Shelley trying to remember what she’d asked me. “Oh, no thank you. I’ve not eaten. I need some proper food and lots of water.”
“There’s some stew in the fridge. Theo cooked it when he got up. He figured you’d surface at some point and be hungry.”
“You so have a winner there.”
“Yeah, the winner who deliberately didn’t apologise to avoid the cinema.”
“It was a chick flick, Shelley. When this is all sorted maybe we could go to the cinema together?”
“Do they have cinemas under the sea?”
Drake shook his head. “We have DVD players though and large screen TV’s.”
I gave a half smile to Shelley. Then opened the fridge door and took out the stew, placing a portion in a pan and putting it on the hob to slowly heat through.
Shelley sat down at the table next to Drake, placing her hot chocolate down on a coaster.
“So, have you had any ideas of how to move forward?”
Drake looked at me and shook his head.
“Not really. I still think my father needs to accept our union due to love.”
“In a perfect world, Drake. But your father is anything but.”
“Did anything come out of the get-together at the coffee shop?” I asked.
“Well, Lucy volunteered to send a demon down to make Brishon a special-of-the-day at Beached.”
Drake leapt back in his seat.
“Don’t worry, we soon cleared that off the list of possible moves. Then she said she had another idea but needed to look into it. I wouldn’t hold your breath, it’s probably flambeing Keto.”
“Works for me.” I growled.
“So, the only thing I could think of is to ask my father if he’d like to take on the position of Duke. Which he may not want to do, and also would be a last resort.” Shelley said, reassuring Drake. “I don’t want to cause such upheaval, but I may be left with no choice.”
“I know.” He said.
I took a deep breath. “I told Drake something today, Shelley, and now I want to tell you. Well, actually I think I’ll show you.”
Frown lines appeared on my sister’s forehead and she watched as I opened the kitchen drawer and took out a sharp knife.
“Nothing’s that bad that you have to harm yourself, Sis.” Blue webs shot from her fingers, wrapping around the knife and wrenching it from my grasp.
“God, no. That’s not what I was about to do.” I walked to the other side of the kitchen and picked up the knife. Then I sat at the table and opened my palm.
“I know we’re getting on well, but I’ve not agreed to a sisters blood oath to my knowledge either.”
I gave her a look.
“Okay, get on with it then. Jeez.”
I made a quick slit across the fleshy pad of my palm. Blood welled up and then the slit melded back together and disappeared.
“Holy crap.” Shelley’s jaw dropped.
“I found out I could do it the night of Damian’s party when I first snuck out of the house. I fell out of the tree next to my window and broke my leg and hurt my wrist and head. Then my hand glowed and it healed everything. Now I don’t even glow, things just heal.”
“And I’m guessing Mark and Debbie have absolutely no clue about this?”
“God, no.”
“Can you heal others?”
“I’ve never tried because I was scared I could inadvertently cause harm instead.”
“Well, I guess there’s one way to find out isn’t there?” Shelley reached for the knife. “If it doesn’t work, I can seal the wound with my vampire venom so we’ve nothing to lose.”
It was my turn for my jaw to drop. “Shit, I exposed fresh blood to you. I’m surprised I wasn’t dinner.”
Shelley giggled. “That’s why I keep myself well fed, Sis.”
She cut across her own palm and I watched the blood run to the surface. I closed my eyes and asked for the power to heal to work through me. I felt my hand heat and opening my eyes I placed my hand over the cut on Shelley’s palm. “Wow, the heat.” She exclaimed.
When I moved my hand away, there was nothing there to indicate she’d ever had a wound.
“Oh boy. But how?”
“It has to have been from you, Shelley. You healed mum, right? Then she carried me. And when I was poorly in the hospital you did it then. You must be able to heal too.”
“I don’t heal. Only with vampire venom.”
“Maybe you can heal others though?”
Drake sighed. “You want to cut me, don’t you?” He reached for the knife.
But Shelley couldn’t heal Drake and I had to place my own hand over his to do so.
“I think I passed the power to you.” Shelley said after giving it some thought. “I had it when I healed Debbie’s inability to carry a child. When I was in the hospital I must have somehow given it you, to save your life. Maybe? It’s the only thing I can think of.”
“Yes! That has to be the answer. Proving you’re the best sister anyone could ever ask for.”
I threw my arms around her and hugged her and we both burst into noisy tears.
“I would save you again in a heartbeat.” Shelley said through sniffles.
“Right back at you, but let’s hope it never comes to that.�
� I said.
When we noticed Drake was looking uncomfortable around all the women feelings around the table, Shelley quickly changed the conversation.
“So, Drake. What about your mum? Do you think she’d be able to talk to your father if we somehow found her?”
“Well, I’ve not seen her my entire life, so I doubt it’s possible.”
“I’ll phone Frankie. He can meet us at the coffee shop tomorrow and we’ll look into the history of Siren’s further, and Nereids while we're at it. Let’s get armed with knowledge and take things from there.”
“Okay. Thank you, Shelley.” We waited while she called Frankie on her mobile.
“Okay. Four pm at the coffee shop tomorrow afternoon. He needs time to get his research together and of course being a vampire he can’t meet us any earlier.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “One way or another we will sort this.”
“Is it okay if I go have a shower? I’m feeling a bit dry.” Drake stretched out his limbs.
“Of course.”
We watched as he left the room, blowing me a kiss.
“You completely sure about this, Polly? Have you thought it all through? He’s hardly been on land and he’s already complaining he feels dry.”
“Do you know, Shelley. Just off the top of my head without deep thought—I love the water. It’s where I’ve always felt most at home, and with the exception of a few friends who I’m not even that close to, and you, Charlie, and Theo, well, I wouldn’t really miss anyone. I’d miss who I wanted my parents to be, the glimpse we’ve seen occasionally, but not who they currently are.” I picked up my plate and began washing it in the sink. “So other than that, it’s only a fear of the unknown that’s holding me back, and you could fear any day if you let yourself, couldn’t you? You just have to live life. So,” I took a deep breath. “I think I’m going to be moving to live under the sea.”
“Where me, Theo, and Charlie, can visit you at any time anyway.”
“Yes!”
“You’re going to be super healthy with a fish and plant-based diet.”
“I’ll be coming ashore lots for Jax’s coffee and doughnuts. I won’t be that healthy.”
“Okay, that’s decided then. The next step is to see what Frankie can reveal, and then it’s time to fight for your love.”
The door banged, and Charlie passed the kitchen door, backtracking and coming in. “Hey, Mum. Aunt Polly.”
“You had a good time?”
“Yeah, it’s been cool. Anyway, Dad’s back and he insists you go upstairs to meet him.”
“Dad can go swivel.” My sister was still unimpressed.
“Mum. He’s brought you chocolates and is all apologetic.”
“Chocolate! Why didn’t you start with that?” My sister whizzed out of the room.
“We ought to move things to the living room and turn some music up high. My dad’s decided he’s the Milk Tray man and is going to ‘perform with the box’. I sincerely hope he meant the chocolates, and it wasn’t some reference to my mum’s—”
“And let’s go. You can tell me what you’ve been up to tonight.” I told her. Some things we didn’t need to think about.
Chapter Thirteen
Shelley
I walked upstairs and into my bedroom to find no sign of either my husband or chocolate. My shoulders tensed. He had three seconds to appear before I did a location spell, grabbed him with my webs and gave him a piece of my mind.
A weird humming noise started, and I realised that our window was slightly ajar. I vaguely recollected the tune. What the hell was he doing?
I walked over and opened the curtains wider. Theo was floating outside the window, dressed in his usual suited and booted attire and clutching a box of Milk Tray. Oh my god!
He opened the window with his free, non-chocolates-holding hand, and passed the chocolates to me.
“Thanks.” I said, and I closed the window and the curtains.
The window burst open, the curtains blasting out as if powered by hurricane and Theo appeared in the room. He’d stolen the chocolates from my hand and laid on the bed with them in front of him. He was on his side, his chin resting in his hand, propped up.
“Maiden. I am a secret admirer. I hear you are mad with your husband. Why not spend the night with me instead, your mystery man? I will begin by feeding you chocolate and then your every wish is my desire.”
“So, you are not Theo Landry, the husband I am annoyed with for not taking me out this evening?”
“No.” Theo adopted an Italian accent which was surprisingly authentic. “I am Gino. Here to pleasure this neglected and scorned woman before me.”
Role-play, huh? Role-play and chocolates.
I slid onto the bed next to him.
“Hmm, let’s start with the nuts.”
Theo looked startled.
“A chocolate-covered one, my Italian Stallion.”
I couldn’t help the grin on my face at breakfast the next morning. Charlie took one look at me, declared she’d gone off the idea of breakfast and she went off to the shop. For once, I decided to take my time, having a leisurely shower and arriving at the agency at nine-thirty, an hour later than usual.
Lucy burst in through the door.
“Finally. Frankie says he’s found a few things out and he’ll see you this afternoon. I can also report a successful mission of research, but as I don’t know if it will help the cause, I’ll just continue my plan in private for now.”
“Lucy, I really would feel more reassured if I knew what you were doing.”
“I swear it’s nothing that could go wrong and cause harm. You know I’m not allowed to do that now I’m an earth angel, so take a leap of faith that I have yours and your daughter’s back.”
I studied Lucy’s face. “I’m honoured that you’re making this effort, but why? Why is it so important to you?”
She took a seat in front of my desk.
“If I can help with keeping peace under the sea then maybe it can go some way towards my dealing with my past. Let’s face it, the reason the Duke is there and trying to call the shots, is because I kept your father from his place as King under the sea. I feel responsible that Polly isn’t getting her happy ever after. My actions gave Brishon his power.”
I’d never thought of it that way.
“We don’t know that. Maybe my dad would have left Brishon to it and it would have turned out exactly the same. He would have put my mother before the sea.”
“Well, it’s something we’ll never know, but I’m going to do all I can to assist you with this, Shelley. I owe you.”
“Thank you, Lucy. You’re becoming an amazing friend given that when we first met you tried to set me on fire.”
“Occupational hazard. Now I’m much fluffier.”
She didn’t notice that the smile I gave her was more of an attempt to stop a guffaw. Lucy and fluffy did not belong in the same sentence unless we were comparing her to a gremlin.
“So, anything to report? Have we heard how Jax’s date with Tristan went?” I crossed my fingers as Lucy opened her mouth.
“Amazing, apparently. He took her for fish and chips, they walked the seafront, and then he’d prepared a table at Withernsea Waffles with candlelight and served her a waffle with ice cream and chocolate sauce. They’re going out again at the weekend.
“Wow. Maybe for once, one of Ebony’s predictions is going to come through without any drama?”
I really should learn to shut my mouth.
I met up with Frankie, Polly, and Drake, at the coffee shop at four pm as planned. The place was a lot emptier than usual and Bartholomew had been put to use giving the place a clean and tidy. The pumping of those biceps as he moved a cloth up and down did not escape mine and Polly’s gaze. Drake coughed.
“Okay, so you’ve not met Frankie before, other than the fact he did visit the house to place wards up against me, at Mark and Debbie’s insistence, but you were only a baby then.” I explained. “Th
ough you might have seen him at the wedding and around.”
Frankie had been a friend of my mother’s and had vowed to keep me safe while she’d had to go into exile. I’d only learned all this after opening the dating agency. Frankie had then become my mentor, teaching me spells before the student had surpassed the teacher. Unfortunately, he had then been smote by Satan, died, and had to be brought back as a vampire by Theo in the thirty minutes ‘magic time’ available before he completely succumbed to death. His turning had not gone well, but that was a whole other story. Now he was a researcher into the history of supernaturals, kept a database, and was the person you needed to see about all things supernatural. I gave Drake and Polly a potted history and then Frankie opened his papers.
Jax came over to take our order.
“Hey, I heard your date went well.”
She smiled and nodded. “Really good. We had an amazing time and I’m seeing him again at the weekend. Now what would you like? Have any baked goods you like on the house, only today has been painfully slow. Do you know if there’s been a gas leak causing a curfew or anything? I can’t understand it. I’ve not been this slow even just after Christmas when everyone goes on a diet.” She took our order and went to make our drinks.
Frankie gave us a history lesson on sirens and about their ability to sing and charm men to sleep after which they could kill them.
“And they have wings like birds, so your mother could have left the seas and flown anywhere. Have you had any contact from your mother whatsoever? Do we even know if she’s alive?” Frankie asked.
“The only contact I’ve had—and this may just be my imagination—is that when I was younger I heard her sing lullabies in my sleep. But I guess that could have been from any of the sirens who were just trying to make me feel better or coax me to sleep.”
“How about I speak with Shelley and we try to come up with some kind of spell, like a hypnosis, to reach through your sleep state? We can induce it and try to contact your mother? If she’s there, and alive, she should hear it. Although whether she’d respond I couldn’t guarantee.”
Drake shrugged his shoulders. “It’s worth a try, I guess.”
The Complete Collection: Supernatural Dating Agency Books 1-6 Page 60