by Lora Edwards
“Earth to Teag,” Ovidia said sharply, bringing her back to the present.
“Sorry. You know me, Vid—sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts.”
Ovidia narrowed her eyes at her friend. She was hiding something, Teagan had admitted as much when she told her she had a secret; Ovidia could sense the wall Tegan had built around her mind in the past few days, making it hard to even get a sense of her real mood. She would give her friend a bit longer to have her privacy and then she would pry whatever was going on out of her.
“What were we talking about,” Teagan asked.
“The society. Ovidia seems to believe they are right under our noses and we are overlooking them.” Delphine smiled gently. She, too, was aware of the block Teagan had around herself, although unlike Ovidia, Delphine was perfectly okay with Teagan having her privacy. Whatever she was keeping to herself, she would tell them when she was ready.
The black-clad server came over to take their orders. Ovidia’s eyebrows rose when Teagan ordered sparkling water instead of her usual wine, but Teagan demurred, saying she was taking some medication and did not want to drink at the same time.
“If you think the society is right under our noses, why haven’t you gone to Armand and asked to go back to look for them,”Teagan asked.
“First, you already asked me that and I answered, but you were lost in your own thoughts, so I will tell you again. I did ask him and he told me this part of the investigation is being handled by the local institute. He said I just need to be patient and let them do their work, said there would be a time and a place for our help.” Ovidia huffed into her wine glass.
“That’s strange. I wonder why Armand doesn’t want Ovidia and Erik to go there to suss out where the society is…” Delphine murmured.
Teagan smiled behind her water glass but remained silent.
“What is the smile all about, Teag,” Ovidia asked crossly.
“Did you ever think maybe stealth isn’t one of your best qualities,” Teagan asked lightly.
“What do you mean? I am good at my job. I have completed several successful missions,” Ovidia said as she sat back in her chair, crossing her arms in displeasure.
“I’m not saying you are not a good operative, but subtlety is not your strongest suit. For example, how would you figure out where the society might be if you went back there?” Teagan looked at her friend pointedly.
“I would interrogate the villagers, go to the local taverns to see if I couldn’t scare up information from the dockworkers—someone has to be getting them supplies.” Ovidia sat forward to emphasize her point.
“If some of them are making a handsome living off of providing those supplies, what would happen if someone came sniffing around,” Teagan asked.
Ovidia opened her mouth only to close it. She re-crossed her arms, sending a glare Teagan’s direction.
“Do you think that may be why Armand sent a team that is a bit more subtle to work with the locals and why he is waiting for them to give us an exact location before he lets you go in there guns—or rather swords blazing?” Teagan asked with a raised eyebrow
“I hate it when you are all logical, Teag. It is just annoying,” Ovidia said as their server arrived with their food.
Conversation paused as the three women turned their attention to their dinner. After everyone had eaten their fill, they spent another pleasant hour lingering over decadent desserts.
Chapter 8
Delphine woke up the next morning to the sound of an incoming text message.
Delphine,
Please come to my office at 11am today. I have a short mission I need your assistance with.
Yours,
Armand Draconus
Delphine laughed to herself. Armand even wrote his text messages as if they were letters from another century. It made perfect sense as he was a centuries-old vampire. Delphine lay back on her pillow. She cherished mornings at the institute. She and Mrs. Sanderson had come to the arrangement that Delphine would provide herself with breakfast and lunches, and Mrs. Sanderson always made sure the raw ingredients were on hand. Delphine had never had a chance to be alone in her life. Her life at the castle was always surrounded by servants or family, important nobles or just other Sirens coming up to the castle for one reason or another. She had her own suite of rooms, but she always had to be on and ready for company. Since coming to the institute, she had discovered that she craved the small moments of solitude the mornings offered.
Delphine rolled out of bed, going straight to the kitchen and her coffee machine. One of the many delights of this world she had discovered was coffee. She had heard many people in this time extoll its virtues, and even when Ovidia and Teagan had told her it smells much better than it tastes, she had to try it for herself. She had been hooked from the first sip of the dark bitter brew.
Walking to her one-cup coffee machine, she popped in a pod and brewed her first round of the magical liquid. She looked down at her phone and saw an incoming text from Flynn. Grabbing a bunch of grapes out of the bowl on the counter, she took the fruit and her coffee through the door into another part of her sanctuary. The sound of waves on sand soothed her as she closed her eyes and whispered, “Sunrise.” The sun appeared just above the water, it’s rays setting the water to sparkling as it started it ascent into the sky.
Wedging her cup down in the sand, Delphine sat down and put the grapes in her lap, popping one in her mouth before opening the message from Flynn.
Flynn: Did you get a summons from Armand?
Delphine: Yes, you?
Flynn: Yes. Looks like we are going on our first solo mission :).
Delphine: :) see you at 11.
She put her phone down next to her and sighed. Her stomach tied into knots. This was her chance to prove to Armand that she was valuable for more than just the mission to find the society. Lately she had been thinking how much she loved this place. She missed home and could venture there as often as she liked thanks to the enchanted stained glass in the library, but she felt as if she had found a piece of herself here in London. After the society mission was completed, it was her plan to ask Armand for a permanent place at the institute. She wanted to prove to him through this short mission that she would be a good fit for the work. She had been learning all she could about the institute and moments in history, training hard with Ovidia, and doing anything else she could think of that would convince him she would be a good team member. It already seemed as if he was contemplating it—when they had danced at Ovidia’s wedding, he had dropped hints about needing more of her kind at the institute.
It appeared her hard work had already started to pay off as he had summoned her for an extra mission. It could be that he wanted her to have some experience before she set out after the society, but she preferred to think he had noticed all the hard work she had put in and wanted to see what she was made of.
She would give it her all and show him that she would be a perfect addition to the rescue team.
Slipping out of her nightclothes, Delphine walked to the water’s edge, loving the feel of the warm water as it swished about her legs, walking in until it was deep enough for a dive. She brought up the image of her Siren form and felt the familiar fiery pain of the change, making her smile. Leaping high out of the water, her tail sparkled purple fire in the light of the rising sun. She spent a pleasant hour in her own private world before she needed to return to the shore and get ready for her meeting with Armand.
She had the best of both worlds: she could revel in her Siren side and frolic in her own private ocean, and she could also use the innate abilities she possessed to help rescue other paranormals. Employing these same abilities, she could also right the timeline when rogues threatened to change history or expose the supernatural community. It’s a pretty good deal, she thought as she slipped back into her clothes and out of the room, the grains of sand sticking to her legs and feet disappearing as she moved toward the bathroom to shower and dress for the day.
“Armand will see you both now,” Cleo purred, winking at Flynn and giving him a lethal smile but not acknowledging Delphine other than her initial statement, causing the Siren to grin. It was well known that Cleo was a man-eater, and it appeared she was on the prowl.
“I think you are on the menu—you better be careful,” she whispered into Flynn’s ear as they walked into Armand’s office.
“I am aware, but she’s not my type,” he replied dryly, looking at Delphine for an extra beat, causing her heart to flutter. Before she could ask what his type was, Armand cleared his throat.
“Thank you both for coming on such short notice. We have received a missive from the Siren king—it seems he requires our assistance.” Armand held up his hand as Delphine started to speak. “Before you ask, there is no trouble on the Siren island. Everything there is as it should be. He said to report there has been a skirmish with an allied mermaid clan and he has sent a contingent of warriors to help them. Because of the skirmish, he does not have any people to spare to take care of this problem and has reached out for our help. I thought this would be a good mission to try out your new skills, Delphine.” Armand sat back in his large leather chair and steepled his fingers.
Delphine smiled; he had noticed the effort she had been putting in.
“Flynn, I am asking you to accompany her. I would like to ascertain how you two work as a team. There is no telling how long it will take for us to track down the society, and we might as well use Delphine’s unique skills while we have access to them,” Armand said with a little wink in her direction.
“What is the mission, Director,” Flynn asked, leaning forward, all business. Delphine had never seen him like this before. Gone was the laid-back, easygoing Flynn, and in his place was a man of action. She quite liked it.
“King Merrick recently received a visit from a dolphin that told him of an abandoned child.”
“A dolphin,” Flynn asked incredulously.
Delphine nodded. “Yes, dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, and those of us from the sea can communicate with them mind to mind. I think it is known as telepathy among land-walking people.”
“Thank you, Delphine,” Armand said before continuing. “The dolphins believe this child to be both Siren and mermaid. The parents had stopped on the island with their offspring in order to rest, and the dolphin said there was some kind of commotion overhead then the child was thrown into the sea. The child of course changed forms immediately and the dolphin went over to make sure she was not hurt. The child showed the dolphin, an awful scene. The dolphin sent out a message to the rest of her pod, and the pod stayed with the child near the island. The child is too small to swim large distances, so one of the pod came to the Siren king to tell him the tale. He wishes us to go rescue the child and help figure out where she belongs.” As Armand finished his explanation, he looked at Flynn and Delphine expectantly.
“Why would someone throw their child into the ocean,” Flynn asked, directing the question at Delphine.
“Sadly, there could be a few reasons for this. Some members of both the mermaid and Siren races believe the two should not mix. It has happened in the past that some of these factions have stolen a child born part Siren, part mermaid and thrown him or her into the sea to meet their fate. It was lucky the dolphins were there to save the child.” Delphine looked at her hands. Her father was not one who believed the races should not mix, but there were those of her kind who did, and she herself had been a victim of their taunts as a child, being of mixed race herself. “Another reason may be that they were under some kind of attack and they knew the dolphins were there, knew they would care for and protect the baby. Mixed race Siren-mermaid couples can come under scrutiny of the different clans who do not believe the races should mix. The only way we are going to know is to go to the island to talk with the child and the dolphin.” Delphine stood up from her chair, ready to leave.
“My point exactly. The two of you will travel to this island then find and bring the child back to the institute. If the parents are unwilling or unable to attend to the child, the Siren king assured me there are couples on the Siren island who will take the child in,” Armand said. “You will have to travel through the glass back to 1718. Hugh will send you through to a port in the Caribbean, where a small ship will be available for you to sail to the island. It is an uninhabited island as far as we are aware, and since neither of you can teleport, you will be sailing again.”
Flynn stood as well, shook Armand’s hand, and followed Delphine out of the room.
“A quick stop at wardrobe and we should be good to go.” Flynn winked at her as they walked through the outer office. Delphine waved at Cleo, who ignored her but flashed a sultry smile in Flynn’s direction, causing a flare of jealousy in Delphine. She had no reason to be jealous as she was not in a relationship with Flynn, nor did she have a claim on him, but she felt it just the same.
“Mrs. Bloom, are you here?” Flynn called out as they walked into wardrobe.
“In here.” They heard a muffled voice come from the back of the room.
Mrs. Bloom came hurrying out, her arms full of fabric. “Thank goodness I had these on hand, Flynn. I am sure your wardrobe will fit. You are about the same size as Blackbeard, so your costumes should be fine. Here, try these on for me.” She shoved part of the pile of clothing into his hands and pointed to one of the many screens set about the room. When he didn’t move fast enough for her taste, she gave him a little nudge to get him going.
He winked at Delphine, causing a blush to creep across her face, before sauntering across the room and stepping behind one of the changing screens.
“Now you, my dear—you may be a bit of challenge. I have brought a set of Miss. Ovidia’s pirating clothes. It should fit you somewhat, although we will have to tailor it a bit as you are shorter than our Valkyrie.”
Miss Bloom gestured behind one of the screens that took up one end of the room and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Delphine to slip out of her modern clothes and into the pirate outfit. She tsked a bit and then whipped a briarwood wand out of her pocket.
“Is that a magic wand,” Delphine asked, staring at the slim piece of polished wood in Mrs. Bloom’s hand.
“It is. I usually like to take my time and do things by hand, you know, but desperate times call for desperate measures,” she said as she pointed the magical object at Delphine’s clothing.
She felt a slight warming sensation and watched in wonder as the dress shrank in places and billowed in others until she was standing in a perfectly fitting snowy white blouse with large sleeves and a full dark blue skirt.
“Good, good. Let’s just slip you into this corset, add the boots, and you shall be ready,” Mrs. Bloom said, helping Delphine into the emerald green corset as Delphine adjusted the sleeves of her white blouse. She liked the way her skirts were tucked up into the wide leather belt at her waist, showing off the eyelet ruffles of her petticoat. She tugged on dark brown high-heeled boots, smiling with delight at the hat Mrs. Bloom handed her. It was adorned with a jaunty ostrich plume.
“There, now you are all set,” Mrs. Bloom declared. Delphine followed the other woman around to the front of the screen where a few more sets of almost identical clothing had been laid out. Mrs. Bloom subjected them to the treatment of her wand and after a few shimmering moments, every garment was a perfect fit for Delphine. Mrs. Bloom produced a worn leather satchel, and Delphine quickly packed away her clothing. “I was told this would be a quick trip so this should hold you over,” Mrs. Bloom said as Flynn walked over.
Delphine had seen him in his pirate persona as Blackbeard, but she had to admit he looked even better as himself. She smiled at him, admiring how handsome and roguish he looked in his high boots, snug pants, and long coat.
Flynn felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. All he could do was stand and stare. The Delphine he knew had always dressed in flowing outfits or smart work clothes. He had seen her a few ti
mes in a pair of tight jeans, but this was something straight out of a fantasy. She looked beautiful in the tight-fitting corset and tall boots, and there was a sassy edge of danger to her that made him want her. She smiled shyly as he shook his head to clear it. No need to make her uncomfortable before the mission even started.
“Delphine, I have to say the look of a pirate wench suits you,” he said, his smile widening as her eyes narrowed at his word choice.
“I am not a wench,” she said through her teeth, which just made his smile wider.
“Are you ready to go rescue a kid,” he asked, ignoring the angry set of her mouth.
She stared at him for a moment longer before she relaxed her posture, a small smile crossing her face. “Let’s go.” She flounced out of the room, her ostrich plume flying high as she turned to thank Mrs. Bloom.
Flynn smiled at the woman and gave her a little wave before he followed Delphine out.
Mrs. Bloom smiled at their backs, waving her hand in front of her face. It had sure gotten hot in there for a moment, and if her guess was correct, she would be creating another wedding gown before too much longer.
Unaware of Mrs. Bloom’s thoughts, Delphine looked at the stained glass window in front of her. She let out a deep breath and wiped slightly damp palms down the sides of her skirt. She had been through this window several times, to Kvenland for Ovidia’s wedding and on short trips home to visit her family, but this was her first mission for the institute. If she wanted to stay and be a permanent part of it, she needed to do well. Burying her nerves, she watched as Hugh stood in front of the window and recited, “1718 Caribbean port.” The surface wavered and their ears were greeted with the sounds of tinkling glass as the window reset itself from a mirror image of the library to a scene of a glistening blue ocean, boats, and dock workers depicted in thousands of pieces of colorful glass.