by Starla Night
Ah, that was actually something Harmony wanted to broach with her. “Um, about your tribe. I’m so sorry Evens and I led Lifet to them.”
She flubbed her lips. “No, I’m sorry I never told you the truth about why I’d left. I could have saved you and Evens a trip.”
Harmony’s stomach rolled. “You knew? About the prophesy.”
Fab raised a brow, stuck between a laugh and disbelief. “Of course. I was also a ‘useless girl’ and not to return until I, too, had married a Sea Lord. When I found out Evens took you to meet our great-grandmother, I regretted ever teaching him our language. But,” she took a deep breath and pointed her coffee at Faier even though she couldn’t quite force herself to smile, “you did what I could not. You have provided a good future for Evens and given hope to our tribe. So, good for you.”
Uh oh. Fab was bitter. And Harmony had never known about this at all. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, I was the one who turned my back on them. On that impossible prophesy. I cried alone. I chased after human men and had Evens and then I made my own life. Eventually, it included you. And my career, which was someday going to pay for Evens’s school and you to go back to America. Except here you are and my career is all gone. So, on the plane, it was time to cry again alone.”
Harmony watched her strong cousin who’d taken her in with a smile now struggle not to break down.
Fab swallowed hard and patted Harmony’s hand. “I will make my own life, Harm. And someday I, too, will be able to go home. And be disappointed.”
Her cousin was so resilient. Harmony suddenly remembered another detail. “Uh, I was really sick in your hut, by the way. Really sick.”
She waved that away. “Then I will be happy to hear it was paved into a banana plantation.”
Fab had always impressed her with her cheer, endurance, and wisdom beyond her years. She had once endured an ex-boss’s attacks because he didn’t beat her “very hard” and she’d supported Harmony and her son’s dreams even when it meant traveling to another country with empty pockets.
But Harmony hadn’t known about her residual bad feelings for her own tribe. “I’m actually hoping to introduce some of the warriors to our tribe members.”
“That will thrill our great grandmother.” Fab sipped her coffee.
“If you think I shouldn’t—”
“No, don’t let my bitterness stop you. I, like many of my cousins, were raised to become the wife of a Sea Lord. I rebelled but my cousins would be thrilled.”
“What would you say to facilitating meetings with our tribe and the Aiycaya warriors?”
Fab’s expression flattened.
“You speak all the languages,” she said in a rush. “You’ve lived outside the jungle so you know what modern life is actually. Plus, if you have no current job, it’s an opportunity…”
“Heh.” Fab’s lips twisted into irritation even as she tried to school her expression to something more grateful. “Am I the charity case now?”
“I’m sure you’ll find another job you like,” Harmony insisted. “And it’s definitely not charity. We need someone desperately. Haiti is closer to Aiycaya than a lot of other places. You’d be at ground zero. If you’re willing to consider it…”
Fab finished her coffee as their food arrived. They’d all gotten the breaded tenderloin basket, on Harmony’s advice. She picked hers up and put it down without taking a bite. She’d rejected the Sea Lords and been kicked out of her own tribe for it. Now Harmony was asking a huge favor.
“You don’t have to,” Harmony said. “I know and trust you so that’s why I’m asking. You’d do a good job.”
“I know nothing of these mystical warriors.” She gestured at Faier. “Look. They eat hamburgers and fries.”
Faier paused mid-chew. He was actually eating breaded pork sandwiched in a bun with lettuce and a slice of cheddar.
“They’re very flexible,” Harmony said, stroking his sweater-clad arm, comforting.
“And I know nothing of romance.” Fab picked up her pickle spear and pointed it at Harmony. “Your ex was a lawyer. My exes are in jail. Or dead.”
“You don’t have to date them,” she insisted. “Just help set up meetings. But, really Fab, if you don’t want to, maybe you can help me hire someone else who can.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I can be a matchmaker.” She crunched the pickle with a small head-shake. “I can endure my tribe’s judgment. Some might even think I’m a hero.”
Harmony silently thanked her. Faier understood and rubbed her back. She picked up her tenderloin and took a thick, delicious bite. Mmm. Finally, this crunchy yet savory pork was exactly what she remembered.
Her seat was angled toward the door so she saw when Evens opened the door of the joint and King Kayo walked in.
He sauntered in, kicking off the caked snow, and surveyed the restaurant with a measuring gaze. Like Faier, he always evaluated new places for danger. His smile touched Harmony and then hit Fab and slipped. He stopped abruptly between two tables. His aura flared brighter like he was stunned.
Evens ran to his mom, surprising her. “I saw a library!”
She wiped her hands and wrapped him in a happy hug. “Of course you did! Soon, you will own a library.”
“My own library…”
“And anything else you want.” She kissed his forehead. “Like your teachers say. Work hard and you can earn your wildest desire. Nothing will stand in your way.”
“Yeah.” He giggled.
This was the type of family scene that had kept Harmony sane during her exile. Fab, like Harmony, wanted so badly for Evens to flourish. Harmony only wished she could do something for Fab.
“And we need to teach King Kayo to read.” Evens wiggled free.
“Ah, yes. King Kayo.” She smiled at her son indulgently and lifted her gaze to the new-to-her king who’d come to his senses and approached the table once more. “I must thank you…” Her smile dropped off her face. Her cheeks heated and she touched a finger to her throat. “Excuse me. Do I know you?”
He passed Harmony as if Harmony did not exist and clasped her hand. “You are Fabiola?”
“Fab. Fab. I’m, um, Fabiola is my name, yes.” Her hand disappeared in his. Her other hand remained touched to her throat. “You are?”
“King Kayo of Aiycaya.”
“Of course.” She blinked multiple times. “Yes. Of course you are. Ha ha. Um, welcome. Or, do you come here often?”
“No. This is my first time in my life.”
“Oh, special occasion.” She licked her lips, never once removing her eyes from his. “We should have a drink to celebrate. What would you like?” She pointed absently behind her at the written menu.
He squinted at the words.
“Manman. Manmi. Mam.” Evens pushed a paper menu into her hand.
She barely heard him. “Yes, ti chouchou?”
“You have to read him the menu. King Kayo can’t read.”
She blinked. “Oh! Yes, thank you. Ah, the menu.” She switched hands with King Kayo, like it was perfectly normal to have a tattooed warrior looming over her, holding onto her hand, and placed her glasses on her nose to read the menu. “Coke. Sprite. Tea. Coffee. Milk. Hot chocolate.”
“Get the Coke,” Evens advised King Kayo with the authority. “Harmony’s paying. Anyone can drink hot chocolate. American is very bland.”
Faier glanced at Harmony. An amused smile touched his lips. He clearly saw what she saw—that Fab’s failure to woo a Sea Lord was about to be rectified and her cred with her tribe was about to improve.
“Evens shares a room with his mother,” Faier noted blandly.
“Maybe we’ll take a walk after dinner,” she said. “With Evens. Let Fab settle in.”
“Perhaps she will feel happier now that she entwines her soul with her mate.”
Harmony hoped so. But even if not, Fab deserved the happiness that she defined, and Harmony would one hundred percent support her no matter what.
He finish
ed his tenderloin sandwich. “This was good.”
“Yeah, it’s finally like what I remember.” She washed hers down with a long slurp of soda and sighed, resting her head on Faier’s solid shoulder while the family across the table from her was absolutely absorbed in each other. “I’m sorry nothing turned out like I wanted it. I talked up Council Bluffs. It must be a terrible let-down.”
“No.”
“You don’t have to be polite.”
“You have shown me that even if Nerissa still stood today there would be changes. We would be traditional. Perhaps it is just as well I can never go home.”
Her throat tightened. “Isn’t that depressing?”
“It is freeing.”
She didn’t understand.
He lifted his arm around her shoulder and pressed her more firmly to his chest. Sincerity burned in his lavender-threaded brown eyes. “You have given me closure I did not think was possible, Harmony. I have always missed my home. I will always miss it. But I am so grateful to continue forward with you.”
Bittersweet happiness twinged in her chest. “I’m glad I could do that for you. Maybe this trip hasn’t been a total disappointment.”
His smile warmed her. “No time with you is ever a disappointment. The longer we are together, the more I learn about myself. And, of course, the more I learn about and love you.”
Her throat closed. She buried her face in his shoulder. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“Happy tears only.” He stroked her hair gently. “Trust in me.”
“I do.” She choked. “I just hope you never feel like I lean on you too much.”
“That will never happen.” He held her. “You are my soul mate, Harmony. I will comfort your sadness, soothe your anger, savor your lust, and celebrate your joy. Your strength is my strength. And, right now, I feel strong enough to life the entire world.”
Her tears changed to happiness. He was right. His strength flowed into her, making her feel like everything was going to turn out all right. The late snow outside the burger joint’s windows turned fluffy, white, and pure. Inside, they were warm and full and surrounded by friends in a cozy nook of perfect happiness.
Book 7: Spellbound by the Sea Lord
Lords of Atlantis
Copyright © 2019 Starla Night
All rights reserved.
Cover by Earthly Charms.
Edited by LindaEdits.com.
Created with Vellum
Blurb
Warrior. Healer. Savior. Spy.
Mer warlord Balim, the sarcastic healer of besieged rebel city Atlantis, has finally found his soul mate.
To his horror.
Bella’s fierce red hair teases his fingertips, velvet-encased curves entice his eyes, and intricately patterned freckles make him crave more than a taste of the skillfully charming single mother. She awakens his most dangerous desires.
Bella has a knack for outrunning trouble, but lately, trouble’s been catching up. She can’t stop herself from responding to the hard-muscled warrior, even though her secrets might get them killed.
What she doesn’t realize?
His secrets might kill them first.
Enjoy this complete standalone novel in the Lords of Atlantis series! Spellbound by the Sea Lord contains cursed daggers, incurable diseases, heroic giant octopuses, and the power of love. Settle in for a twisty, steamy adventure of passion beneath the sea!
Chapter One
Mermen never got sand in their cracks.
Until they surfaced, apparently.
Since surfacing in New York City a few months ago, mer warlord Balim had endured enough irritations to blanket a beach.
Balim raced across the hospital parking lot. He was already too hot. His iridescent heartblood-red tattoos reflected the midmorning sunlight, and his human slacks and long-sleeve gray shirt clung damply to his hard muscle.
Another irritation.
Paramedics pushed the gurney out the back doors of their ambulance. Balim’s warrior lay prone. Blood-soaked bandages covered his ruptured chest plate.
A distraught human female clambered out of the passenger’s seat.
“Steady your soul light!” Balim barked.
Warrior Pelan clenched his teeth. His red-and-black tattooed cheeks trembled. “I…will…”
“Not you.” Balim pointed at the female. She was sniffling and smearing black eye-grease with a fistful of paper napkins. “You!”
She jolted in surprise and dropped the napkins. The coffee-chain logo fluttered to the gray ground. “Me?”
“Yes! Calm your grief. Do not leave your husband’s side!”
“H-husband? N-no, you don’t understand…”
“Hurry!”
Paramedics rushed the gurney through the open doors of the large, busy metropolitan hospital.
She hiccupped and bent to collect the napkins. “He’s not m-my husband. Today was our first date.”
Balim gripped her elbow and righted her. Touching another male’s bride was forbidden, but Warrior Pelan’s health mattered more. “You drank the elixir. Marriage is a formality.”
She choked. “Formality?”
Balim steered her after the gurney. “Pelan needs you. Do not collapse with sadness.”
“B-but he got shot through the heart.”
“Now, you are his heart. If he dies, it is your fault.”
Her soul darkened. “My fault?”
The gurney rolled into the busy emergency department and halted.
Balim released the female at his warrior’s side.
Warrior Pelan, looking sicker and weaker, lifted a shaking, blood-streaked finger to his bride’s grease-streaked cheek. “Do not cry. I am happy to have met you. If only once…”
“No.” She sucked in a shaky breath. Her soul light dipped and darkened as tears welled in her eyes. “No…”
Pelan’s soul synced with hers.
“Comfort him,” Balim snapped. “Do not make him comfort you.”
She jolted again, glared at Balim, and pulled herself together. Curling her fingers around Pelan’s, she said shakily and then more firmly, “You’re g-going to be all right. We’re at the hospital now. They’re going to stitch you up. You’re going to be f-fine.”
Pelan’s soul brightened.
Good.
Balim focused on the obstruction in their path: the director of the hospital.
The florid male argued with the ambulance attendants. “You were not cleared to bring him here.”
“Nowhere else will take him,” one paramedic said. “Your hospital did patient trials with Sea Opal—”
“Limited and long ago.” He lifted his palms in refusal. “None of our doctors are trained for operating on nonhumans.”
“I’m willing to try.” A young, olive-skinned doctor accepted the gurney.
“Hands off, Kowalski.”
“This is career-making surgery, Bob. You can’t deny me the chance—”
“I can and will.” The director glared. “You’re not even on duty. Go home.”
Doctor Kowalski frowned, mutinous.
“And you!” The director jabbed his index finger at Balim. “Get this mess out of here. You were warned last time—”
“You are a human doctor. Where is your Hippocratic oath?”
The director’s cheeks jiggled with exasperation. “Exactly! Do no harm. We don’t know your drug resistance. Your allergies. Your pathogens. We could hook up a saline drip and kill you.”
“Kill an ocean-born merman with salt water? No. You will kill no one.”
“That’s just an example. How will you stop us?”
“By monitoring the strength of Warrior Pelan’s soul light.”
The director coughed so hard, he spat into a tissue. “This is the crazy I mean! We don’t know the physiology of mermen.”
“Warrior Pelan has shifted to human form.”
“Shifted? That’s another crazy—”
“Your delay endangers Warrior Pe
lan. His soul light dims. Do you want a dead mer in your emergency room?”
“I don’t want a dead mer anywhere on my property!”
“Then assist.”
The director gripped his white hair. “Get out!”
“A small metal slug pierced his chest.” Balim touched the bandages. “In time, Warrior Pelan’s mer body will expel it, but the police must prosecute the shooter now. A human doctor has tools and experience to remove the metal slug. That is what we need.”
“He could bleed out on the operating table!”
“He will not. But, acting on your concern from our last visit, I have amassed my warriors’ injectable blood.”
Balim gestured over his shoulder.
Hazel, the frazzled assistant at the MerMatch dating agency, who had driven with Balim to the hospital, lugged a large red ice chest through the emergency doors. Balim’s head scientist, Mitch, steered the chest from behind.
Morning heat and spilled coffee drenched Hazel’s white pantsuit. She dropped her handle, yanked her damp bangs off her forehead, and pulled out her phone. “Where do you guys want this?”
“Not in my hospital!”
“You want us to take it out?” Hazel jammed a hand on her hip and nailed the director with a raised eyebrow. “After we dragged it all the way in here?”
The director sputtered. “I will not let my hospital be targeted by your terrorists!”
That was the real reason for his complaint. He feared retaliation by the Sons of Hercules.
Mermen had just emerged from the oceans, and already, a human organization hunted them. How quickly history repeated itself.
Mer and humans had once lived in harmony. A thousand years ago, a mysterious Great Catastrophe had plunged the two races into war. The mer had fled underwater until their existence had faded into human fable. Mer females had died off, and so the remaining warriors had formed an ancient covenant with “sacred brides,” women from isolated islands who promised to keep their secret and populate their undersea cities.