by Godiva Glenn
Teall stared forward. Yes, they’d had similar discussions before. And though he held his share of responsibilities for Annika’s hurt feelings in the past, he hated to see her doubt herself. The other fae had often made her question her life and choices. He’d seen it again and again through the years.
Annika had a curious soul, like most selkies, but her curiosity went beyond what was typical. She used to spend more time inland, visiting with the other fae and learning what she could about life outside the shore.
But she was practically of another world. Without a court, she was often treated with either shameful condescension or pure disdain. She was talked to as a child or as if she had a simple mind. Then she’d return to Cam and Teall and put on a brave face and deny how much it hurt. How embarrassed she felt.
Seeing that, how could he not hate others? But she didn’t understand. She forgave their ignorance. In time she grew past caring about them, but he didn’t think it was fair that she had to learn such a harsh lesson.
“You can’t ask me to forget the prejudice I’ve witnessed during my life,” he said finally.
“Of course I can!” She turned to him, exasperated. “You want to hold on to anger and hatred, but you don’t have to. Everyone can change. Everyone can learn. And if you want my forgiveness, then you have to earn Pavel’s. It’s that simple.”
“Simple? He would never forgive me, and I won’t beg him for it.”
“He’s not unreasonable. Proud, yes. It’s not an easy thing to forgive, but you won’t know unless you try.” Her brow furrowed and she glanced sidelong at Teall. “And you don’t need to beg. I think all you need to do is get to know him. Honestly.”
Teall could make an extensive list of the painful and uncomfortable things he’d rather do that get to know her human plaything, starting with dipping his balls into a nest of spined crabs. “How would I do that?”
“Visit. Spend days with us.”
“I’d like to move back in, then.”
“Whoa. That’s a bigger step than any of us would be ready for.” She eyed him. “And I won’t have you snooping around the house for your skin.”
He hadn’t intended on that—or not specifically. Though if he’d happen to stumble across it… “Are you truly content to allow me to slowly descend into madness and despair without my skin?”
“No.” She pursed her lips for a moment. “I’ve loved you for as long as I could remember. And even with your stupid behavior, I don’t want to lose you forever.”
“Then give me this chance.”
“You’ve had too many second chances.”
“This isn’t a second chance. This is different. If you want me to get to know him, spare me the waste of time trekking back and forth. I’ll take the corner room, away from yours.”
She hesitated. “How do I know you won’t find a way to disrupt my time with Pavel, given that you’ve already admitted to jealousy? And it’s not like it wouldn’t be strange for him—on the off-chance we give it a try.”
“If I go crazy, I’ll go off with Cam. I owe him an apology too, after all.” He’d said it as an afterthought, but it was the truth. Cam was his best friend. Even through the ups and downs through the years, Cam had always tried to bring out the best in Teall. And yet after Annika left, Teall had done nothing but terrorize him and take out his regret and rage on him.
They stopped at the large firepit surrounded with smooth green stones. Rarely used, it was a gathering spot for selkie celebrations like the birth of children or hand-fastings. When they were younger, they thought they’d spend time around the sparkling flames. They never made it that far, clearly, but Teall still hoped for it.
“I’ll talk to them, but I can’t promise anything,” Annika said. “I can’t force Pavel to forgive you overnight. He nearly died, and I don’t think anything I say will make him forget that.”
“But you said he was reasonable.”
“He is. But he needs to see you and meet you on even ground. He knows our history. I can’t very well be unbiased with how I see you. I always see the good in you, Teall. That’s been our downfall many times in the past.”
Her assessment hurt, but only because it stung with the force of the truth. If he wanted forgiveness now, he couldn’t just want to be better. He had to be better in his actions. Could he grovel to the human?
The wind kicked up, ruffling Annika’s short dress and sending her hair spiraling across her face. She tucked it back and smiled gently into the breeze. Not a smile for him or the situation, but because she loved the smell of the ocean, he realized.
Yes, he could grovel to Pavel for her sake. Maybe he’d even mean it.
* * * *
Instead of heading home after his talk with Annika, Teall journeyed far from the comforts of the shore.
He’d followed Cam to this village before, and that had led to him discovering that Annika had wound up on Earth with Pavel. Cam had been distraught and had told Teall every detail. Those details included information on the matchmaker who had arranged for Annika to meet the scrawny human.
Teall demanded answers. What gave this stranger the right to meddle in fae affairs? To make a match destined to fail?
He’d made mistakes, but he would outlive Pavel and in time, Annika would take him back. Then he’d never lose her again. Perhaps the matchmaker would help. Admit she’d made a mistake.
Thankfully, the fae in possession of the communication device was half-brownie. Brownies were hospitable to a fault, and Cam’s acquaintance had enough of the kind traits to welcome Teall in with no fuss. It helped that Teall had come bearing a necklace of tumbled crystals and gold-flecked pebbles—a gift he’d intended for Annika before she’d vanished.
The simple jewelry was a paltry apology and he no longer needed it for her. It was better spent gaining access to answers.
After many long minutes, he managed to find a website and phone number for the so-called expert on paranormal love. She specialized in shifters, apparently, which Teall found amusing. Just because she could match a wolf to a desperate woman didn’t make her an expert on anything.
He studied the picture of the woman, Gerri Wilder. She had a suspiciously intense stare. Likely a shifter of some sort herself, then. A feline, perhaps. They always thought they were in charge.
He sat back after dialing her number. Though he’d never used a device like this before, he’d spied on Cam long enough to grasp the concept. He would speak to the matchmaker this way.
“Hello?” a woman asked through the speakers.
“Gerri Wilder, matchmaker of shifters, I reach out to you in search of answers.”
A snort carried through the line. “Calls from Prism… I swear… With whom am I speaking?”
“Teall.”
“Teall who?”
“Is that a trick question? A riddle of some sort?”
She sighed heavily. “Mr. Teall, how can I help you?”
“I demand to know how you choose your matches. Are you paid? Influenced? Do you guess or are you guided by the stars?”
“Demand?” She tsked. “The fae are usually so polite, I suppose it was a matter of time before I came across a… you.”
“There is nothing impolite in my need for knowledge. Are you a swindler or are you somehow connected to the divine? You claim to have a skill, but it is not an ordinary one. How do you speak for fate?”
“Are you serious?” Gerri laughed. “I don’t speak for fate. I’m not guided by the stars. Nor am I cheating my clients, as I don’t get paid. I have solid intuition. It’s my choice to use that talent to bring happiness to others.”
Teall scowled. “That’s unlikely.”
“I suppose it sounds like a company line or a bit of fluff to you, but it’s the truth. There’s nothing directly in it for me when I make a match, and I make them based on what I perceive as compatibility and balance.”
She sounded honest, or as honest as could be conveyed through such strange electronic means. All her tone proved was t
hat she believed the words she spoke. She could be delusional, he surmised. “Then how could you make a match where one was endangered by the other?”
“Pardon? I’ve never done such a thing.”
“A human and a selkie.”
The line went silent for a moment, but he could hear her breathing. Something shuffled on the other end as if she now paced. “The risk seemed minimal. Both parties were aware. Pavel knew the dange—”
“He knew the danger? What about her? Surely she was more at risk?”
“You’re calling on Annika’s behalf? Well, of course. I should have expected, but… no. I won’t go into further details on their match. I’ve said more than I should have, as it is.”
“Why did you place them together, knowing he would trap her?”
“Are you the ex?” she asked.
Teall leaned away from the device, uncomfortable. He hadn’t expected that Annika would have revealed anything about him to a stranger. What would be the purpose? “We are temporarily apart.”
“Every time,” Gerri murmured. “It can never be an easy match with the fae.” She cleared her throat. “Look, young man—”
“I guarantee I’m older than you.”
“Then act your age!” A growl seemed to echo through the line. “I can’t choose sides in your relationship, nor do I want to, but I can tell that you have issues when it comes to respect or even common courtesy. I made a solid match. I don’t owe you an explanation just because you screwed up your chance with Annika.”
“I love her. I’ve loved her from the moment I first saw her. I refuse to believe she’s meant to be with him and not me!”
“Then perhaps you should have fought harder for what you had when you had it.”
“I thought I was fighting for her,” he admitted. He lowered his voice. “I really thought I was.”
Gerri sighed. “Again, I don’t know everything. But it seems that you were fighting with her, not for her.”
“She told you that?”
“Look… Everything seems to go out of the window when it comes to the fae. I would tell you to move on, but in this case, I think you should get to know Pavel.”
“Why?”
“Because it sounds like you have a lot of anger and it’s being directed everywhere and at everyone with little focus or regard to logic. Annika was lonely. Now she’s not. If you love her, then you should want what’s best for her.”
“And you think it’s him. Not me.”
“I think you need to see for yourself,” Gerri said gently. “But, all of that aside, I’m glad to know that Pavel and Annika are safe. I have to assume they’re both on Prism somehow.”
“They are.”
“Thank goodness. When their boat turned up, I didn’t know what to think. I’d hoped they’d jetted off to be alone, but one can never be certain.”
A small twinge of guilt struck Teall, but he brushed it away. He didn’t need to feel anything for Pavel’s safety. “I suppose… I’m sorry for coming across as less than pleasant.”
“That’s a dreadful apology, dear. I hope you do better with Annika and Pavel. Just… terrible.”
“I’m sorry,” he said clipped.
Her bright laughter rang through the speakers. “Never a dull moment, though. But I have to go.”
“Of course. Ah… be well.”
“And you.”
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the thatch ceiling. How many times had Annika and Cam accused him of the same that Gerri had deduced in minutes? He was angry. Always angry. But didn’t he have reason to be?
Twelve
Annika
Annika wasn’t surprised at how the other two men responded to Teall’s request. She’d told them after lunch the next day, and while the men had grumbled various responses, they’d moved outside to sit on a large blanket and watch the waves.
“He seems genuinely… well perhaps not entirely apologetic, but reflective, I suppose?” Cam said after a while.
“I thought the same,” she agreed.
Pavel sat cross-legged facing the water. “I’m in a frustrating position.” He turned his face to Annika and Cam. “It’s your place, not mine. But I don’t want him around you, Annika, and I don’t see a point in him being around me. I never thought I’d ever be considering buddying up to someone who tried to kill me.”
“I know. And I won’t argue for him. I told him I’d put the request before you, with no assumption you’d accept. I’m not sure I’d want him in the house, either. But I would like him to get to know you.”
“I can’t believe he agreed to that condition,” Cam said.
“I don’t want to disappoint you, but I doubt that even time can erase how I feel about Teall,” Pavel said. He turned back to the ocean and dug a hand through the soft sand idly. “I know there’s a lot of history with him. I feel like a bit of an intruder, honestly, but I can’t trust him.”
Annika nodded. “And you, Cam?”
Cam’s eyes slid between her and Pavel. “Maybe it’s just curiosity or hope that I’ve always clung to, but I’d like to see if Teall can put his bullshit aside.”
“Where I’m from, attempted murder is a crime,” Pavel pointed out.
“It is here, too, but… I don’t know how to put this. Once upon a time, it simply wasn’t uncommon for male selkies to behave exactly as Teall did,” Annika said carefully.
“It’s true,” Cam said. “Back when there was a steady portal to Earth or any human planet, it was fairly common to drown men who were pursuing our women. Don’t ask me why—I never felt the urge. But it was like a war that was never official.”
“That’s insane.” Pavel pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t even imagine.”
Annika scooted close to him. “It wasn’t just selkies. Actually, it was mostly the naiads. They weren’t malicious, though. Just… ignorant. They kept thinking they’d find a man who could survive a trip with them.”
“Whoa. Naiads are the mermaids, right?”
“Correct.” Cam lay back. “Though I don’t think it was just ignorance. I think a fair amount of mischief. Times were different, though. There were no rules for interaction except not to spill all our secrets.”
“So, killing was fine.” Pavel shook his head. “That’s madness.”
“It was violent on both sides,” Annika pointed out. “For every selkie woman who fell in love with a man, there were two more that simply had their skins stolen by strangers. Then they’d be trapped and forced to live with those men.”
“And sailors hunted the female naiads actively, thinking they could enslave them somehow. Only they ended up killing them, as bringing them out of the water too long resulted in a cruel death.” Cam recalled. “It was dark times all around. I, for one, was not sad to see the portals closed.”
Pavel sifted the sand through his fingers. “I keep forgetting how much older you are than me.”
“It hardly matters,” Annika replied.
“Teall honestly thinks he was saving you?”
“It seems that way. Teall is many things, but he’s not one to lie.”
Pavel sighed and glanced at Cam. “And you’re his friend, even after everything?”
“I’d say we’re on the outs right now, and since I take partial responsibility for him since I told him about you, I would give him a chance. But that’s me. I can’t speak for you.”
Annika stroked Pavel’s arm and met his eyes. She didn’t want to influence him, but she wanted to soothe the pain the situation brought him. “I believe he wants to change. And it’s unfair, I know, but I believe that spending time with you could only make him better.”
“Yeah. And what would I get out of it?”
“I can’t say.” Annika offered him a gentle smile. “Take your time thinking about it. And if you absolutely never want to see him again, that’s okay. I’ll return his skin to him and we’ll part company.”
Pavel’s brow furrowed. “If it’s such torture to be p
arted from it, how has he been so patient?”
“Because he loves her,” Cam answered. “That’s never been a mystery.”
Annika couldn’t disagree with Cam. She had never doubted the depth or veracity of Teall’s love for her. It’s why they always made up after fights. But she couldn’t help him grow. Her love for him wasn’t enough to make him strive to be a better man, and it wasn’t fair for his love to play out to be a burden.
Still, even now her heart ached for him. It was easy to try to forget him on Earth. The pain of missing Prism’s waters filled most of her heart, and the rest she allowed to top off with missing Cam. She didn’t leave room to mourn Teall. Being back meant memories, however. She’d run away before but now she had to face everything.
She brushed at the sides of Pavel’s soft hair. “Don’t let anything influence you. Make a choice based on what you believe is best for you.”
His jaw clenched. Though he looked at her, his focus was clearly miles away. She kissed him on the lips, a whisper of flesh against flesh. Humans were fragile. She didn’t want him to wonder about her heart’s fidelity. Selkies had enough love to share, always. It’s why in her younger years, she imagined a happy family of herself with both Cam and Teall. She thought it was a perfect balance. It hadn’t worked out that way, and maybe it was a sign that neither man was the one for her.
Gerri was probably right. The one for her had to be Pavel.
* * * *
Late that night, Annika stood alone on the beach. She held her skin to her chest but didn’t step into the water yet. The waves called to her, and for the moment she was sated just to hear the beautiful music and feel it dance through her heart.
“I thought I’d find you out here.”
She turned and saw Pavel walking down the sand to her. A broad smile crossed her lips. Damn, but he was handsome. Especially under the soft indigo light of the moon.
“Not that there are many places you would be,” he added.
“I was thinking of going for a swim. I couldn’t sleep.”
He met up with her but stopped short. His eyes caught the bundle in her arms. “Is that it?”