Black Sea Bright Song

by Shelly Jarvis

  It wasn’t just the emotions that had overwhelmed her this time. Her mother had made it clear that no matter what Evan wanted, a life with Rafe—or anyone other than Prince Calix—was off the table.

  Two

  There were boots in front of Evan’s face; black, thick-soled, and so shiny she could see her reflection. I look awful, she thought, followed immediately by, Please don’t be Rafe.

  She glanced at the face hovering over her. Of course.

  Rafe’s mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear him over the pounding inside her ears. After a moment the words filtered through the noise and she heard, “…alright, Princess?”

  “Where’s Declan?” she asked, thinking back to their conversation before she’d entered the throne room. She didn’t want to risk being seen alone with Rafe.

  A confused frown passed over his face, but it vanished almost instantly. “He was called away for a security matter. Evan, are you okay?”

  She looked up at him. A sudden pain shot through her mind, sharp and pointed. She grabbed her head, writhing in agony, and in that moment Rafe’s face seemed to distort. A red glow surrounded him, pulsing with the throb in her skull.

  She shook her head, willing the image to go away. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen something like this, but it still frightened her, especially since she didn’t know exactly what it meant.

  Another rush of pain caused her to double over, her face pinched in misery. “I need Declan.”

  “She overpowered you again.”

  It wasn’t a question. Rafe was one of only two people who knew about the way Evan could feel other people’s emotions. He didn’t understand it, at least not fully, but he tried. And he knew the signs when it had been too much for her.

  The headache subsided enough for Evan to plaster a strained smile onto her face. To cover her pain and the anxiety that accompanied it, she said, “I just need to rest. Declan always escorts me to my chamber.”

  “I don’t know where he is, but I can help you.”

  “No,” she said, the word speeding from her lips as she remembered Declan’s warning. When she saw his bewilderment she added, “I couldn’t take you from your post. I’m certain I can make it on my own.”

  She pushed herself up, refusing Rafe’s help. She leaned against the wall for a moment before taking a step back towards her chamber. Two steps later the floor rushed up to meet her.

  Rafe caught her before she hit the ground, hoisting her into his arms. She heard him mumble something to the other guards they passed. When they reached her room, Lin moved to help Rafe carry her into the chamber. Rafe shrugged him off, saying, “I’ve got her.”

  Lin opened the door and followed them inside. “Are you feeling ill, Princess?”

  “She nearly passed out in the hall,” Rafe said.

  “She seemed fine earlier,” Lin said.

  “It came on suddenly,” Evan replied, her senses coming back in time to cover for what was truly happening to her. It wouldn’t do to have the whole castle talking about the fainting princess who always knew what others were feeling.

  Rafe placed her on the bed and knelt beside her. He stared into her eyes, worry creasing his brows.

  “Would you like me to find the medic?” Lin asked from behind him.

  “That’s a good idea,” Rafe said. “I’ll stay with her until you return. Close the door behind you. The Princess needs some privacy.”

  Lin stopped, uncertainty clear in his eyes. “But Rafe, no one is to be alone with the Princess in her chamber. If Declan catches you—”

  “Please close it, Lin,” Evan said wearily. “I do not wish for anyone else to see me like this.”

  Lin nodded, unable to deny Evannia’s request. As the door closed, Rafe immediately cupped her face in his hands and put his forehead against hers.

  “You need to get control of it, Ev. Look at me,” he commanded.

  She complied, willing herself to look at him despite the red glow around his face. His eyes were as black as the sea swirling outside her window, but she found a pinprick of green near his left pupil, a sliver of blue in his right. She looked back and forth between the two points of color, letting her mind drain of all emotions until Rafe’s eyes were all that remained.

  When she found herself breathing normally again, she pulled her face back and smiled. The red glow around him was gone, as was her anxiety. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” Rafe said, his fingers still tracing their way along her jaw. “Now let’s get you to relax.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as he dropped his fingers down her neck. He let them run along her shoulders as he slowly dropped them towards the top of her dress. She held his gaze, watching a smile turn up the corners of his lips as he delicately ran his fingers across her collarbone.

  “Lin could be back any second,” he whispered, leaning closer.

  “Perhaps we should lock the door,” she said.

  He ran his tongue across his teeth, and Evan could see he was weighing the consequences. Finally, he said, “You’re a bad influence on me, Princess. I could lose my post simply for being in this room with you right now.”

  She felt his warm breath as he leaned in. Her heart beat so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. She closed her eyes just as Rafe’s lips grazed hers with the softest of kisses. His touch was brief; Evan sat waiting for several seconds in expectation of their next kiss. She finally opened her eyes, only to find two medics beside her bed.

  She looked around the room for Rafe, catching his eyes just before he stepped outside. A heavy sigh escaped her. She was so caught up in the moment, she hadn’t even heard the medics enter the room.

  “What happened?” she whispered.

  “We aren’t sure, Princess,” the older medic said. “The guard said you were barely conscious.”

  “I feel fine now. Just a bit lightheaded.”

  The woman sat on the edge of the bed, unpacking her kit. She listened to Evan’s heart and lungs, looked in her ears and throat, and felt various points of her skin to see if there were signs of illness.

  “You don’t seem to be showing any of the usual signs,” the woman said.

  “What about her gills?” the younger medic asked. “A gill infection could cause fatigue and flu-like symptoms.”

  “If she were battling a gill infection, there would be signs in her lungs.”

  “I read an old case of a woman with an unknown gill disease that caused her to hallucinate. She couldn’t see the difference between what was real and what wasn’t.”

  Evan recoiled at the woman’s words. She met her gaze, noting the forced smile that was almost a sneer. The young medic’s voice took on a sickly-sweet tone as she asked, “You’re not having issues discerning between real and imaginary, are you?”

  “I’ve never read anything like that,” the old woman cut in, exasperation clear in her voice. She looked down at Evan and asked, “Would you mind if I check your gills, just to be sure?”

  “I don’t mind,” Evan said, pulling her long dark hair off her back.

  The medic moved behind her, unzipping her dress slightly. Evan felt the woman running her fingers over the thin layers of skin between her shoulder blades. The medic moved the skin back to take a closer look. Evan flinched involuntarily. She hated the strange feeling of having someone touch her gills.

  “Everything looks fine,” the woman said, delicately folding the skin back over Evan’s gills.

  “Glad it’s nothing like that,” the young medic said. “Wouldn’t it be awful to be living in an imaginary world?”

  Evan ground her teeth together for a moment, trying to gauge what response would get these two out of her room. “That does sound awful. Good thing everything seems to be normal. Must’ve been a fluke.”

  “The guard who came for us said you had to be carried back to the room. Are your legs working?” the young medic asked.

  “They’re fine,” Evan breathed.

  The young
woman moved to Evan’s feet and began prodding at her toes. “No tears in your webbing?”

  Evan felt a shock and pulled her leg back as a tingle ran up her body. It was a warm sensation that settled in the pit of her stomach. After a few seconds it disappeared. Evan dismissed the strange feeling, focusing back on the young woman.

  She was pretty, in a plain sort of way. Straight brown hair pinned back to reveal a long, slender neck; her nose was sharp, as was her jaw, working together to make her look tough.

  Evan said, “My feet are fine.”

  The older woman began picking up her tools. “You’re sure you feel okay now?”

  “Oh, yes,” Evan said. “Good as new.”

  “Perhaps you should rest for a bit. It wouldn’t do for you to have another episode like this,” the young medic said.

  “I shall rest through the afternoon,” Evan said.

  “Would you like one of us to stay with you?” the first medic asked.

  Evan shook her head.

  “Or perhaps one of the guards?” the younger medic suggested.

  Evannia’s head snapped up to her. The woman’s hazel eyes narrowed as she waited for an answer, and Evan couldn’t help but wonder if the woman saw more than she should have.

  “I don’t believe it is necessary for you to stay,” Evan said. Feigning distaste she added, “And I have no desire to spend my afternoon with a guard. I will call on you again if I have need.”

  “Very well,” the older woman said.

  She turned towards the door and the other fell in line behind her. At the door, the young medic turned to her with a knowing smile and said, “If you do need something, I’m sure Rafe will take care of it for you. That is his job, you know. He’ll do anything you force him to.”

  She left, closing the door behind her. Evan took a deep breath, her mind racing with the girl’s words. If the medic saw something she wasn’t intended to see, she could easily go to the queen and doom Rafe’s very existence. But the woman had seemed to know Rafe, had called him by name, so perhaps she wouldn’t report them.

  For Evan, the only thing worse than the thought of Rafe being reported was that the medic’s words made her relationship with him feel one-sided. She seemed to be implying that Rafe was only interested in her because it was his job to keep Evan happy.

  They’d only recently crossed into this strange new territory. Evannia had noticed the handsome young guard before; he was the sort of person you couldn’t help but notice. But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago, while she traced her fingers along the rows of old books in the royal library, that she found him watching her. She had been surprisingly nervous at the attention, her heart hammering when he looked her way.

  It was new. No one had ever looked at her in such a way. Most of the castle staff wouldn’t meet her gaze, though she’d never fully understood why. She’d gotten used to the loneliness of her royal life, but then Rafe looked at her—really looked—beyond the title and the fancy dresses, into the core of who she was.

  At first, she thought she had imagined it. How could this man see what others were trained to ignore? After catching him watching her that one time, she was determined to do it again. She had to know if it had been real. But each time she saw him, his eyes seemed focused on some far-off point, never lingering on her.

  Once, she passed him off duty, lounging against a doorway surrounded by a group of maids. Their flashing smiles and giggles made it clear he was favored among them. It was also clear that she’d misinterpreted his interest in her. Why waste his time on Evannia when there were so many others vying for his time?

  The day after she saw him with the maids, he was on rotation to be her personal guard for her day. He remained stoic throughout breakfast and studies, his face neutral at all times, acknowledging her only when he had to. After lunch, he escorted her to the library. As she walked down an aisle, she caught him staring through a gap between the shelves.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly irritated by his attention.

  “Watching you,” he replied with a smirk.

  She nodded. “All part of the job, I suppose.”

  He paused for a moment. “Yes, it is. But it’s the part I like best.”

  Evan’s cheeks blazed red. She hoped the books kept him from seeing. Neither of them said anything else the rest of the day. It went this way each time he was assigned to her. He would ignore her throughout the day, but the moment they entered the solace of the library, his eyes never left her. She tried to use her gift to read his emotions, to discover what, if anything, it meant. But he was well guarded and she could feel nothing more than his sense of duty.

  After several clandestine meetings in the library, their secret smiles and blushing cheeks led to grazing hands and gentle whispers. She found comfort in him and began sharing secrets she’d told no one else. Who else could she tell? With each confidence she felt closer to him, closer to falling for him.

  Finally, when Evan thought she couldn’t stand another day of simple glances, Rafe caught her between two tall bookcases and pushed her against one of them. The kiss lasted mere seconds, but it felt like she’d lived a lifetime against his lips.

  That had been two days ago. Two days of racing thoughts, of doubt burrowing through her. Two days of fear that a simple kiss would get him banished. Fear that she would never feel his lips again. Her heart and her mind were at odds and his lack of presence hadn’t helped. She wondered if the kiss had meant as much to him as it did to her.

  She’d barely slept as scenarios ran rampant through her brain. Instead she’d put her time to good use, throwing herself into the study of Triton marriage law. It was a silly thing, really, to worry about changing the law after one kiss, but there was nothing else to take her mind off Rafe, so she’d dived in headfirst.

  There had been talk during previous reigns of allowing the royals to choose their mates from among all the Mer. Evan’s older sister had been a supporter of it, despite both of their parents remaining firmly against the idea. It caused many to claim Celia had a secret lover, though Evan knew from reading Celia’s emotions that she had been innocent of the rumors.

  Evan had witnessed firsthand the way the unfounded gossip had ruined a man who fancied her older sister. Though Celia had paid him no attention, he had been banished from the Triton kingdom for his crush on the heir apparent.

  She’d never found out if the burgeoning chef had found refuge in another kingdom, or if his banishment had become a death sentence. Celia took his exile very hard, blaming herself. Though she’d barely noticed him, she had praised his cooking on multiple occasions, and it was this favor that led to his interest in her. Her heart was so thoroughly riddled with guilt, it wasn’t long before she left the ocean altogether, never to return.

  A tear trailed down Evan’s cheek, drawing her back to the present. She couldn’t allow Rafe to endure the same fate and she had no desire to go to land. She needed to be certain the medic wouldn’t say anything further. She could bribe her. Evan’s mother had always told her that everyone could be bought, because everyone wanted something. She didn’t know the woman’s name, didn’t know how to find her, but Rafe would know. He had to.

  Evannia hurried to the door, throwing it open and rushing into the hall. She ran past the guards calling out to check on her and headed straight to Rafe’s regular post. She slid to a stop, only to realize the guard before her wasn’t Rafe.

  “Everett,” she said, blinking hard.

  “Good day, Princess. Can I do something for you?”

  “She’s not feeling well,” a voice behind her said.

  Evan turned to see Declan’s rugged face, a grim frown souring his handsome features. She felt his warm hands on her shoulders as he steered her back to her room. She allowed him to direct her, thankful for his rigidity while she felt so frail.

  Just before they reached her chamber, she turned her head to look down an adjoining hall. The young medic was there with one of the royal guards. Her f
ace was flushed as she threw her hands in the air, clearly upset. The guard pulled her close, calming her, and kissed her on top of the head. He turned slightly, just enough for Evan to see his profile.

  It was Rafe.

  Three

  Declan pushed Evan towards the bedroom door. She struggled, fighting against his grasp, but he was too strong for her to get away.

  Once in the door he released her. She straightened herself to her full height, trying another approach. “Let. Me. Pass.”

  Declan shook his head. “I can’t do that, Princess.”

  “I didn’t ask, guard. I command it.”

  Declan pressed his lips into a firm line, folded his arms across his chest, and planted his feet. Without words, he made clear his opinion of her command.

  Evan balled her fists at her side, growling with impotent fury. “Is this funny to you? Do you like seeing me this way?” she screamed.

  When he said nothing, she threw herself against him, pounding her fists against his chest as her anger towards Rafe billowed out of her in great bursts. She punched until her arms grew heavy and weak. When she fell against Declan, the tears couldn’t be held back any longer. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed against his chest gasping for breath. Eventually her outburst devolved into hiccups, and he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

  He placed her on the covers, gently, like her father used to, and sat down beside her. He sighed and scrubbed his hand over the stubble on his head, asking, “What were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t,” Evan muttered.

  “Four different men saw you running down the hall half-crazed. And of course, you ran straight to Rafe’s post.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does matter,” he said. “I was questioned about your relationship with him mere minutes before you pulled this stunt.”