Impassioned Sea

by Skylar Sinclair

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  Atlantic Bridge

  www.atlanticbridge.net

  Copyright ©2007 by Skylar Sinclair

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  Published by Liquid Silver Books, Imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana. Copyright 2007, Skylar Sinclair. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Prologue

  Many centuries ago in a forgotten kingdom of powerful magic, the king made a decision that would change his identical twin sons’ lives, he hoped, for the better. Trusting, that it would end the feuding that had cleaved them in two.

  The only way to tell the twins apart was by the coloring of their eyes. Sindale had midnight blue orbs that were hard and unfathomable. Seadale's were blue-green, the color of the dawning rays cast upon the shallows of the sea.

  The sons competed for everything, including their father's love. It was because of the twins’ fierce rivalry and their explosive personalities that he separated them, before they grew to hate one another. Or even worse, one died by the hand of the other.

  One would rule the land, while the other ruled the sea. Neither could encroach upon the other's domain without losing their powers while in the other's sphere of influence. He balanced the powers between them. With luck, they would learn the importance of being loving gods to their people and to each other. He had done all he could with his great power for his sons. Now, it was up to the Fates and time to heal the rift between the brothers.

  Where today it's known as the Bermuda Triangle, nestled in magic and hidden from the world, was the beautiful kingdoms of Ametheysea. Within the hands of two fierce and warring brothers lies the fate of many and the wishes of one father that his sons find love to heal their hearts and bring them together to rule in harmony.

  A father's love can only do so much and this was where his woes ended and their story begins...

  Chapter One

  Seadale paced with the aggressive stride of a caged animal from one end of the crystalline floor of his chambers to the other. The chamber was a cavernous dwelling, far below the surface of the ocean and made up entirely of opaque crystal formations lit by incandescent magic that was drawn from the sea above.

  Ever since his brother, Sindale, had found his mate, Seadale's restlessness had become confining and tempered. Talking to himself, he cursed his father between strides. “When will it be my turn to find relief within the warm-fleshed softness of my mate? Why does Sindale always come before me?"

  Blowing out an angry breath, he ran a large hand back through his white hair, so long it cascaded around his body as if it were a brilliant blanket of snow, flowing down and over in dark contrast to his deeply tanned back and shoulders.

  He turned toward the Wall of Visions, a gift his father had bestowed to him when he was given reign over of the seas of Ametheysea. “Let's see what my dear brother is up to.” With a sweeping motion of his hand in front of the massive crystal wall, it came to life, showing Sindale and Shana strolling hand in hand through a green field, stippled with flowers and trees. The love on their faces for one another put Seadale's dark and jealous mood even further on edge. With a sharp wave of his hand and a deep growl, he brought the wall's images to a halt; they then slowly faded to nothingness—leaving a blank translucent wall of crystal. “This isn't fucking fair. I have just as much right to a mate. What makes him so special that everything falls right into Sindale's lap, and I am left out in the fucking cold? I am as deserving as he is!” His words sounded childish even to him, but he couldn't control the rage that clouded his judgment like the winds of a maddening storm.

  He stood motionless for a moment, his eyes slitted in cool fury, turning them into the color of a turbulent sea above. He looked slowly around, moving only his head; his big, powerful hands were clenched by his side, opening and closing as his anger welled-up inside of him.

  The sea above started to churn and boil, mimicking Seadale's heated wrath.

  A glint of color caught his eye. It was the Amulet To Ametheysea resting on a stalagmite that jutted from the floor, forming a pedestal. With unholy intent, and a couple of strides, he stood next to another one of his father's so-called gifts—the necklace intended for his Mate-of-Souls. A necklace meant only for his true mate and a constant reminder that he still was without her. The gold-wrought amulet was encrusted with an arrangement of colored precious gemstones. The stone's reflections bent and defused the light around the amulet, giving off a brilliant profusion of vibrant colors, reminiscent of a rainbow, arched in banded glory during a sunlit spring shower.

  A nasty laugh broke from his lips. Picking up the amulet, he gathered the fury within his body, and with a mighty roar, he expelled his wrath, “Damn you, Father!” With his magical powers, he opened a portal to the outside world and flung the amulet through it, sending it to the inky depths of the unforgiving seas. But in releasing the amulet, his anger also unleashed a storm above to wreak its havoc upon the surrounding seashores. His emotional tempests were like a rock being tossed into a pond, the rippling effect going out in an expanding circle, losing its energy as the circle grew larger, but on a much larger scale. Where the Amulet To Ametheysea went, he didn't know or care, only that the one constant reminder of his father and the mate he still hadn't found was now out of his sight.

  Chapter Two

  It had been six months since she'd moved to Miami. Kelsey Baker sat cross-legged upon a rocky section of beach, overlooking the calm tides of the ocean; going back over the memories of her life, as if the currents could wash away her disappointments, like the sand that trickled back into the sea with the ebb and flow of each new wave.

  She came here most days to paint, but today was a time to try to heal some of the pain that weighed so heavily on her heart. Her twenty-eighth birthday had been spent alone this year for the first time. It was rough, but she would try to remember all the wonderful years she'd spent with her grandparents and all the good times they'd had together. Not having them anymore to share her dreams and accomplishments was hard for her to handle. Especially getting a small showing at an upscale gallery in the heart of Miami and being unable to share that with them. They were going to accept three of her oil paintings on a trial basis. If they sold, they would consider giving her permanent space in the gallery. A lone tear slowly made its way down her cheek dropping onto her motionless hands clenched in her lap, as she remembered the first time she'd laid eyes on her grandparents.

  She'd gone to live with her grandpa Joe and grandma Lily at the tender age of ten after her parents were killed in a plane crash. Kelsey would never forget how scared and heartbroken she'd been when facing them both for the very first time. Her parents had never taken her to see them and she wasn't sure if they really wanted her. From the moment they took her into their home and their hearts, she found comfort and love unlike anything she'd ever known before. Her parents were too self-absorbed to give her the kind of love and attention parents should give to a
child.

  Kelsey's grandparents had instilled in her the importance of always believing in the goodness of others, and never to forsake her dreams and aspirations. She'd been very imaginative growing up, always making up fantasies in her mind and in her painting. Her grandparents encouraged this. Being a respected painter some day had been her grandest dream, and it looked like it just might be in the cards after all.

  With the passing of both her beloved grandparents within a month of each other and the inheritance they left for her, Kelsey went in search her dreams. A dream she'd put aside, to nurse and care for her grandparents in the final years of their lives. A duty she did unselfishly, because they both were her world—a world she was now alone in and she had to learn how to fend for herself. Uncertainty plagued her, but coming to this stretch of beach always seemed to sooth her inner turmoil. All her life Kelsey had had a fondness for, and a deep desire to live near, the ocean. It was a big step leaving the small farming town in Nebraska. In coming here, some of her emotional unrest had found quietude, allowing her heart to steady and calm within.

  She hoped someday she'd find the kind of love that her grandparents had had for one another. A love so strong and binding, that when death took her grandma Lily, first, her grandpa Joe followed willingly. Kelsey found him one morning, with a content smile upon his wrinkled, old face. He had passed away peacefully in the night, never to feel the despair of loneliness and heartbreak again.

  The last words her grandpa had said to her before going to bed that night were, “Never regret and never look back, because if you do, you might miss what is right in front of your nose ... life. So live your life each day like it could be your last, Kelsey girl. And, always remember your grandma, God rest her soul, and I, love you.” It was almost like he knew he was leaving and saying goodbye.

  Kelsey brushed the last tear from her cheek. “You were right grandpa, no regrets.” All of a sudden, out of nowhere, clouds cast deep shadows over the horizon and the wind whipped with the ferocity of a scorned sky, unleashing its contempt for the taking of its sunshine. The temperature dropped as well, and heated dampness hung in the air. A storm was brewing. She knew the signs didn't bode well and quickly gathered her things together. Wiping off the clinging grains of sand from the rear of her shorts and legs, she headed back to her small condo two blocks away.

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  The storm from the night before had left tranquility behind in its path, yet the air was humid and heavy upon Kelsey's skin. It smelled of wet asphalt and damp, earthy soil, blending with the tang of the sea. It permeated her senses and heightened her spirits. It was still early on the dawning of the day, with the feathery fingers of morning rays cutting through the horizon, casting orange and red streaks across the cloudless blue-black sky. It was ideal weather for painting. But by the same token, the beach would soon fill up with the perfect bodies of sunbathers and children. So, she didn't bother bringing her oil paints and easel; she wouldn't be there that long, optioning only for her sketchpad and pencils.

  Kelsey took deep breaths as she walked briskly down to the deserted stretch of beach, to her favorite spot, an outcropping of rocks, with a tide pool draped around them. She loved her mornings and today was no exception. She was dressed in long walking shorts and a thin cotton blouse—not tucked in—and floppy sandals. Kelsey was self-conscious of her short plump figure, and never wore anything that showed off her body, not really feeling beautiful in her own skin.

  Her love life had consisted of one boyfriend back in high school. That had ended miserably after fumbled sex in the backseat of his car. It was humiliating and Kelsey never wanted to feel that awkward or undesirable again. It left a bad taste in her mouth where men and sex were concerned, though she knew better than to think all men and relationships would turn out that way. Taking care of her grandparents left her no time for dating or experiencing what other girls her age were doing.

  The things that she did like about herself were her long, ribbon-curled red hair that hung halfway down her back, now tied in a ponytail and the vibrant sherry tint of her eyes, traits from her mother's side. Because of her ivory complexion, she had to wear a heavy dose of sunscreen so her fair skin didn't burn in the hot Miami climate.

  Getting lost in the art of her craft, it was close to eleven by the time Kelsey looked up from her sketching, and the beach was starting to fill with young, nubile bodies, whose bathing suits left little to the imagination. The laughter of frisky children and their parents could clearly be heard as they readied areas to create sandcastles and mud pies, flinging down large colorful towels and stabbing large umbrellas into the sand like warriors invading the beach. Canvassing the beach in a clutter of bodies, the smell of suntan lotion and food filtered through the air.

  Her blouse clung to her as humidity rose and wetness seeped through. Little, short curls escaped her ponytail to frame her round face in damp tendrils. She pulled at her blouse, giving it a couple of quick, fanning pulls to get air flowing to her moistened chest. Her bra was soaked. It was definitely time to leave.

  "Maybe I'll take a little stroll along the shoreline before I head home; getting my feet wet might cool me down.” She gazed out at the magnificence and wide expanse of the ocean before her. She prized the feel of the ocean waves lapping at her ankles, giving her a sense of cleansing and renewal.

  Kelsey had strolled no more than a hundred yards or so down the dampened shoreline amongst the licking froth of the sea, when the sunlight cast its rays, spotlighting something shiny being drawn toward her with the incoming tide. It was probably only garbage washing ashore, but whatever it was called for her attention. Her curiosity drew her nearer.

  Squatting in the knee-high water, Kelsey reached down for the object, only to gasp as it surfaced above the waterline to reveal its true beauty. “What do we have here?"

  With shaky hands—she'd never held anything so beautiful in her life—she examined the large heavy gold necklace. “Oh, my. How could someone let this out of their sight?” Her words heightened with excitement. “It's absolutely gorgeous.” The world around her fell away, leaving her in the calm of her own space. She didn't hear the voices from the crowded beach or the music being carried on the winds, just silence...

  The chain was wrought in links of floral wreaths formed into an oblong shape. The pendant itself had a border around it that matched the links on the chain, showing the detail more clearly because of its larger size. The design was so meticulous that if she shut her eyes and ran her fingers along the edging, the beauty of the piece would still be easy to discern. Inside the border it was domed and inlayed with brilliant stones of every conceivable color, all about the same size. Each stone looked to be about half a carat each. It was the size of a large medallion, maybe three inches long and two inches wide. The piece weighed heavily in Kelsey's child-like hands.

  When she turned it over, she could see writing on the backside, but couldn't make out the words. Turning it back over, she held it up to the sunlight, watching the beams of light dance amid the different colored stones, it reminded her of something a king might've worn in medieval times, proudly displayed upon the breast of his royal velvet robe, announcing his hierarchy to all.

  Clasping it firmly in her hands, along with her sketchpad and pencils tucked up under her arm, Kelsey tried showing it to the people lounging on the beach to see if one of them happened to have lost it. She was nothing if not honest and had to try to find the owner. Kelsey wouldn't have felt comfortable in the knowledge that she'd not made some attempt in locating its rightful owner.

  Every person she showed it to took one look at the pendant and either wrinkled their nose or acted as if it would bite them if she got it too close. Putting their hands up to ward her off when she dangled it in front of their faces asking, “Did you lose this necklace?"

  All showed an aversion to the necklace. Her beautiful necklace that gleamed and shone in radiant abundance of colors, was like relegated trash to everyone who looked upon it.
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  The responses to the necklace varied from kind to outright rude.

  "Sorry sweetie, not mine."

  "No ... no I sure didn't."

  "Never seen it before."

  "Nope, we haven't. Did you say that was a necklace?"

  "Get that damn ugly piece of crap out of my face."

  Sheesh, that was way harsh.

  How can that be? It is the most breathtakingly beautiful piece of jewelry she'd ever seen. Yet, no one saw the beauty of the pendent. Why? That was weird, if not freaky. It was as if she was the only one that saw the necklace for what it was, exquisite beyond measure. Kelsey couldn't wrap her mind around their reactions to the pendent.

  An hour later, she finally gave up trying to find anyone who would claim it, and with the pendant in hand, frustrated, hot and tired, Kelsey headed home.

  Chapter Three

  The morning after his temper tantrum, Seadale realized his foolishness in casting out the Amulet To Ametheysea. It was his only link to discovering and finding his Mate-of-Souls, and now it would seem the necklace was lost forever.

  He had sent out his wards of the sea. The dolphins, sharks, whales and every creature that inhabited the wide ocean's expanse in search of the amulet, but none found a trace of its whereabouts. The sea had swallowed it up in its dark, unforgiving vastness.

  Remorse was his companion now. It beat at his heart and soul, wearing him down. His shoulders slumped and dark circles shadowed the skin beneath his eyes.

  Sitting down hard on the satin coverlet of his bed, he bent his head and fisted his hands into his hair, trying to reconcile his arrogant nature and hot temper. It was eating away at him. “What the hell was I thinking? Why did I throw away my one and only link to my mate? Why do I let my anger get away from me?” His questions went unanswered in the emptiness of his room.