Siren’s Desire: A Dark Tides Novel

by Devyn Quinn

  Mason reminded himself that arguing wasn’t going to do any good. “We also don’t want to do anything that might antagonize further aggression on Magaera’s part. Although we’re no longer in the mood to negotiate or recognize her authority, we don’t want to risk another attack on civilians.”

  Having listened silently to the entire conversation, Jovon stepped up. “She is not going to give up without a fight. The Mer do not recognize humans as equals and will not respond with anything other than aggression.”

  Mason forced himself to hide his smirk as Kenneth Randall stared up at the tall Nyx. Although he was a pretty big guy himself, Randall had been caught short by the appearance of a being that dwarfed him. “If they won’t treat their own males as equals, then I’d say we damn sure haven’t got a chance.”

  “So you’re saying our only recourse is to depose Magaera?” Mason asked.

  Jovon nodded. “I am.”

  A ripple of uneasiness went through him. “But even if we could manage that, the question is, would her people respond to a new monarch with a new vision for the Mer?” From what he could gather, Queen Nyala had tried that and was almost assassinated for her trouble. She’d ended up leaving her homeland—and her people—to perish.

  “The Mer have been cut off from the world for a long time,” Kenneth said. “When Tessa and I were in Ishaldi, there were those who expressed a desire to live peacefully with humans. Many are part of an underground rebellion and have fought for a long time to dethrone Magaera and her ilk.”

  Mason nodded. Okay, a small but dedicated band of rebels could turn the tide within Ishaldi. That made the odds a little bit better.

  Jovon cut him a look. “And the Nyx are willing to join with you.” He spread his big hands in supplication. “All we have ever wanted is to return to our homeland, to find the mates who will bear our children.”

  Kenneth eyed the massive being. “So why did you let the females run you off, anyway? It seems to me you guys should have been big enough to take care of yourselves.”

  Jovon merely laughed. “In your eyes we may be large and capable of taking care of ourselves, but in the olden times Nyx males were trained to be obedient to their women.” He cocked his head, a little glint lighting his gaze. “But times have changed, and we are ready to approach our females as equals.”

  “So your kind have managed to survive by mating with human females?”

  Jovon nodded. “Some of us actually have Mer mothers, though it is rare to find a purebred among the sea-born nowadays. If a Nyx is lucky enough to entice a female to take him as a mate, such mothers are usually reluctant to send their sons to face the perils of the sea.”

  “So a Nyx mating with a human only engenders a son?” Mason asked.

  “Yes, one who retains many of our natural traits.” Jovon touched the side of his neck, tracing one of his gills. “Fortunately, most of these do not become truly visible until the child hits puberty. It is then that the changes begin.”

  “What about the soul-stones? You seem to have something similar around your neck,” Mason remarked.

  Jovon indicated the thin leather cord around his neck. A small gray stone with a hole bored through it hung there. “This,” he explained, “is a piece of hematite or iron ore. We males absorb the energy of stone minerals in a different way. Whereas females can absorb and manipulate crystal energies, we males can do so only on a very limited basis, such as to communicate telepathically or clothe ourselves. We can, however, achieve a full shift into our water-bound forms. A trick of the eyes conceals the presence of our soul-stones from humans who might glimpse us. We are also much faster and stronger.”

  Kenneth let out a low whistle. “Wow, you guys really got the short end of the stick.”

  A familiar voice broke in from behind. “And you think the women have it easy, fellas?”

  Mason felt the fine hairs on the back on his neck rise. Even before she spoke, he could sense her presence. It was uncanny, the feeling that crept through him whenever she was close. His chest tightened, and his stomach knotted.

  It’s never going to work, he reminded himself for the thousandth time. Stick to business.

  Everyone turned.

  Fresh from working in the galley, Gwen Lonike carried a tray of food. “While you men have been standing around having a power meeting, we were sent to slave over the meal.”

  Carrying a second tray loaded with a selection of flavored malt coolers and bottled beers, Addison followed at her heels. “We’re still the ones who have to have the babies,” she added. “It only makes sense that we should have more tricks up our sleeves, to protect our offspring.”

  Stumbling in with a third tray, Blake grumbled as he deposited his load on the table. “Not all of us were in on the manly powwow,” he reminded the women.

  Gwen smiled at her fiancé. “Don’t grumble too loud, dear. Otherwise I’m going to have to tell them you only ducked out because you wanted another beer.”

  Blake pasted on a devilish grin. “It helps settle my nerves, sweetheart.” He patted his stomach. “You wouldn’t want me being all seasick, would you?”

  “I’ve told you a banana and ginger ale will work just as well,” Gwen said.

  “It doesn’t taste the same,” Blake said in his own defense.

  Gwen rolled her eyes in mock disgust. “When you pass a six-pack a day, dear, we’ll talk.”

  Blake shrugged. “I guess it’s true,” he said, addressing the men. “These girls have all the power.”

  Kenneth nodded in agreement. “I owe Gwen my life. I’d still be lying in that hospital if she hadn’t used her Mercraft to heal me.”

  “The Mer can do a lot of good—if they can learn to overcome their savage natures,” Jovon added quietly. “Though it is not commonly known, we males exude a pheromone that helps calm our females and makes them more receptive to breeding.”

  “My wife often struggles with what she calls the ‘Mean Mer’ inside,” Kenneth said.

  Gwen reached for one of the malt coolers. Uncorking it, she poured herself a healthy glass. “There are certain times during the month when it just feels like something furious is building up inside you.” She took a sip of her drink. “Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to explain. My best guess is that it has something to do with the psi-kinetic side of our minds. If it doesn’t have an outlet and begins to build up, things are going to blow.”

  Claiming one of the beers, Addison flicked the cap off with practiced ease. “For me it’s like a tiger, locked in a cage. It’s biting and tearing at the bars.”

  “And that is the time when a female would require the ministrations of her male,” Jovon added smoothly.

  Addison swigged down a healthy gulp. “Oh, for the sake of the goddess. Why is it that men think that thing between their legs will solve every problem a woman has? Sometimes we like to let loose and kick a little butt.” Flipping the cap into the air, she made a neat flicking motion with her fingers. A spark shot out of nowhere, dinging the cap higher.

  Mason reached out and caught it. The metal was sizzling hot against his palm. “Shit!” he yelped, letting it drop.

  “I should have warned you that those girls can pack quite a punch,” Kenneth called out.

  Mason knelt, retrieving the cap. Balancing it between thumb and forefinger, he saw a neat little hole burned precisely through its center. “That’s amazing.”

  Addison shrugged modestly. “It’s just a little something I’ve been practicing. I’ve never really been as good at projecting my psi-energies without a crystal to focus through. Tessa’s pretty good, though she doesn’t do it much anymore. Gwen’s always been best.”

  “But Addison’s best at crystal projection,” Gwen said, returning the compliment. “She can use a Ri’kah. I can’t even make one pop.”

  Mason fingered the cap. “So all Mer don’t have the same abilities?”

  Gwen shook her head. “No, just as people have different abilities, so do Mer. Some of us
are very kinetic; others do better on a psychic level.”

  Mason absently pocketed the cap. Now he had a clearer idea of what they were fighting. A leader was only as strong as the soldiers he sent into battle. Magaera would have only the best at her command—highly trained and battle ready. No wonder they hadn’t been able to make any advances in the water. The Mer had every advantage.

  Somehow we have to even the odds.

  His gaze settled on Jovon. Whether he liked it or not, it looked like the Nyx were going to have to become a part of their strategy. They were the only ones who stood a chance in the water.

  Although she knew Mason wasn’t pleased with Kenneth’s interference, Addison was more than happy to see some familiar faces. The crew of the Sea Horse had treated her with the utmost deference and respect, but she couldn’t bring herself to ignore the undercurrents of fear born of curiosity emanating from the people around her.

  She didn’t agree with the stance her kind had taken against humans, but Addison understood Magaera’s desire to see her people survive and thrive in a world they had been cut off from for close to two millennia.

  It promised to be a long and bloody war, with neither side willing to make a compromise.

  Magaera has to be deposed, she thought. But merely taking the virulent Mer queen down wasn’t going to solve their problems. Her people would need a leader, someone strong enough to seize control and set the Mer on a new path toward peace with the humans that also inhabited—and controlled—more than ninety-nine percent of planet Earth.

  It wouldn’t be an easy path, but neither could it be avoided. Whether she liked it or not, she and her sisters had been born to inherit Queen Nyala’s legacy. What their ancestor had begun those many centuries ago had now come full circle.

  We’ve got to step up and take control.

  Easier said than done.

  Addison sighed and looked at her plate. More than half her food remained untouched. Although Gwen’s signature roast beef sandwiches were usually one of her favorite meals, she just didn’t have an appetite. Except for herself and Jovon, everyone else had dug into the food. Even Mason seemed to be enjoying himself. Away from the Sea Horse, he’d loosened up a little. And while he wasn’t partaking of the alcohol Kenneth offered, he’d made himself welcome to the food.

  She glanced toward Jovon. The Nyx had refused all offers of anything to eat or drink, explaining that human food had no taste or appeal to him. Since he lived and survived in the depths of the ocean, his diet consisted of seafood—raw fish.

  The idea of living on a diet of sushi all the time curdled Addison’s stomach, though she imagined that was what the Mer must have lived on before they began to adapt to human ways.

  The differences between the Mer and Nyx were fascinating. Although he could come onto land, Jovon felt more comfortable in the water, his natural habitat. She, as a Mer raised on land, could go into the water, but did she really want to live there? No. Although she enjoyed being a Mer and embraced the advantages it gave her in the water, at the end of the day, she wanted to go home to a warm, and dry, apartment.

  If Jovon were to be believed, however, there was a time when the Nyx also inhabited Ishaldi, which would have made them land-walkers as well. He’d mentioned the males were the craftsmen. Based on what Tessa had told her of the architecture she’d witnessed, both deep beneath the earth’s surface in the ruins of the island and in the realm beyond the sea-gate, the Nyx must have designed and built the original structures.

  Because of Ishaldi’s proximity to Egypt and Greece, it seemed that the Mer had taken many of their influences from those early peoples. Or perhaps those early peoples had taken their influences from the Mer. Hapi was the Egyptian god of the Nile, just as Poseidon was a revered god of the sea. It was possible those early peoples had some interaction with the Mer, who, as shifters with psi-kinetic abilities, would certainly be able to present themselves as deities.

  It was easy to understand Jake Massey’s fascination with archaeology and the Mer. Tracking down and verifying the influences of the various human cultures on that of the Mer was enthralling work.

  Hiding it was harder, and she wasn’t going to do it anymore. We have our place, she decided. Now we just have to reclaim it.

  She glanced toward Jovon. He’d removed himself from the group, taking refuge in a small atrium that offered an unobstructed view of the sea.

  Setting aside her food, Addison slipped away from the group. No one would miss her. Right now everyone was deep in conversation, plotting a way for Mason to persuade his superiors to allow Kenneth to provide additional backup for the USET team. The fact that he’d brought Gwen along would probably add to the success. Having another Mer around wouldn’t hurt. And although Blake was no longer an agent of the A51-ASD, he did have experience in dealing with the hostiles. Two of Magaera’s former soldiers were still being held in confinement in the Virginia facility.

  Jovon stood quietly, lost in his own thoughts. With his strange clothing and unique features, he definitely stood out among the humans. There was no way he could pass for one, even if he wanted to.

  Addison stared at him, wondering what it would feel like if the Mer had retained their sea-born traits. She had to admit that she didn’t find the Nyx unattractive. Taller than any man on the ship, he offered a commanding presence. His features, too, were well-defined. Intelligence burned behind his intense gaze. The hair streaming over his shoulders and down his back was iridescent, shimmering with soft blue-green highlights. His skin, too, had an odd luminescence.

  “You find me strange to look at?” He didn’t turn his head when he spoke.

  Addison jumped in her place. She should have known he’d be able to sense her presence and pick up the vibrations radiating from her body. “Not strange,” she said. “Just… different.”

  He turned to face her. “Yet there was a time when our females rejected us in favor of humans.”

  “I don’t understand why. It seems to me the Mer would want to preserve the traits of our people rather than try and erase them.” Self-conscious, she lifted her arm and traced her scale pattern. “I can’t imagine not having these marks or not being able to shift.”

  He cocked his head. “Yet you have to admit you were embarrassed when you began to develop the traits, while the rest of the people around you did not.”

  She shrugged. “It was a little hard when puberty hit. All the other girls were getting their menstrual cycles and breasts.” She laughed. “And we were getting scales and tails.”

  Jovon eyed her with appreciation. “Looks like you didn’t exactly miss out,” he said.

  Addison wasn’t sure how to respond to the remark, but a part of her preened at the compliment. Even from three feet away she could smell him, an alluring scent that reminded her of the wind ruffling the water of the ocean, clean and brisk. She was trying to keep her thoughts on the conversation at hand, and failing miserably.

  “What about you?” she finally managed to ask. “Were you land-born to a human mother?”

  “Actually, yes, I was. My mother was the daughter of a British soldier stationed in Jamaica in 1862. As you can imagine, it was quite a scandal in the family. She was, of course, disowned for her choice of taking a lover out of wedlock.”

  Her eyes widened. “Wait a minute—that would make you”—she did a quick mental calculation—“about a hundred and fifty years old.”

  A low chuckle escaped him. “You are correct. As you are aware, our people do have the ability to outlive humans by several centuries.”

  “So you were raised among humans?”

  “Yes, in the proper English way.” He held out his hands, showing her his own strangely tinted skin. “Until puberty, I was a very pale, very scrawny English boy. Then my body began to change, and I began to develop the traits of a Nyx male. There came a time when I could no longer fit in with the humans. Many people who saw me believed me to be diseased or some kind of strange oddity. My mother shielded me in the
only way she knew how—by sending me back to the water.”

  “So you had no choice but to return to the sea?”

  His knowing gaze met hers. “It was the only place to go. Had I stayed on land, I would have been a curiosity, a—”

  Her stomach knotted. “Freak,” she finished, saying the word for him.

  Of all the words she’d ever heard in the world, Addison hated that one the most. Before she’d come to accept her Mer side, Gwen had often used the word to describe herself. Her greatest fear was to be identified as an aberration in a world that didn’t easily accept such things.

  She stared at him, unable to imagine having to leave her home because she didn’t fit in. Little Mer Island had given them more than shelter. It was a private sanctuary from the outside world, a place where nothing could touch them. Although her mother had always warned her girls to keep their Mercraft under wraps, they’d never been ostracized by the locals for how they looked. But then again, it was easy enough to explain away a scale pattern. People often mistook the markings for an elaborate tattoo—which was perfectly acceptable among human beings.

  “The Nyx have no place in this world, really,” Jovon continued. “Our females rejected us, driving us from our homeland. And the humans can’t accept us because we do not look or act as they do.” She sensed that his calm demeanor merely masked an inner self deeply affected by a life that hadn’t been easy. His experiences had made him hard, and more than a little bit bitter.

  The sadness behind his words gnawed at her. The Nyx may look different from us, she mused, but they are our people.

  “It must be hard, living in two worlds and belonging to neither.”

  He stared at her through unblinking eyes. “Now that the sea-gate is opened again, we would like a chance to return home,” he said softly.

  Because she couldn’t bear to look at him, Addison lowered her eyes. “I wish I could make it happen for you.”

  Jovon stepped closer. His hand slid under her chin, tipping her head back.

  Addison felt the contact like a blast of dynamite. He was so damn tall. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder. Her breath stalled as she became aware of the gentle rise and fall of his magnificent chest. Muscles rippled with every breath he took. His vivid silver eyes took in a lot more than they revealed.