by Kelly Risser
“What about you?” she asked, breaking him out of his musings.
“No, I’m not from here.” He didn’t elaborate. It was hard to focus. She was taking over his senses. The smell of her, sweet and floral, filled his nostrils. He could taste her power, untainted and barely constrained. She had no idea what she was capable of. Kieran guessed that David had no idea either, or he would’ve whisked her away by now. She was, in a word, incredible.
The song ended and another began. He dropped his hand from her side and took her hand in his, leading her off the dance floor to a quieter corner of the club. “Can I get you a drink?”
“I think I’ve had enough.”
Her wry grin made him laugh. “I meant a Coke or water or…” He found it difficult to look away. Her eyes, an unusual blend of blue and gray, mesmerized him.
“Diet Coke is great.” She turned and searched the crowd. “Where is everyone?”
Kieran pointed toward the back of the dance floor. Shortly after Meara started talking to him, he’d ordered the others to move away. They’d taken the girls to the furthest corner of the room and kept them occupied.
Meara relaxed when she spotted her friends, although when she turned back to him, her eyebrow was raised. “Friends of yours?”
“Friends.” He mulled it over. They were more Alexios’ friends than his, and yet, they’d followed him on this mission and took his orders willingly enough. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
Meara tilted her head and studied him. He wondered what she was seeing. He refused to peek into her head and find out. Everyone was entitled to some level of privacy. That would be an unforgivable invasion for purely selfish purposes. Not that he wasn’t tempted. He focused on paying for the drinks. Handing her the Diet Coke, he tilted his glass towards hers, smiled, and downed it.
Immediately, he wished he had asked for water. The drink she chose was revolting. The acid burned down his throat, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth. He watched her gulp the contents. She seemed to enjoy it. Perhaps it was an acquired taste. When there was nothing left but ice, she handed the drink back to him. He placed the empty glasses on the bar. His throat stopped burning, much to his relief.
She was watching him, her expression a mixture of anticipation and wariness. He didn’t need to read her mind to understand that she was struggling internally. Her thoughts flitted across her face. She was attracted to him. That left her feeling guilty that she was betraying her boyfriend. Her struggle both amused and frustrated him. She was very young and naïve. He wanted to protect her. He ran his finger down her forearm. She shivered, but she didn’t pull away.
“I have a boyfriend,” she blurted, and then blushed.
Kieran laughed. “Oh, I know.”
She stepped back. “What do you mean, ‘you know’?”
He knew he’d reacted inappropriately. After coming so far, he couldn’t mess things up now. Perhaps a compliment would diffuse her anger. Kieran gestured to her. “A beautiful girl like you is never free.”
She blushed again, and he found that he liked watching her cheeks tinge bright pink. Given the opportunity, he might look for ways to bring out that color.
“If you know I’m not free, why are you here?”
She crossed her arms and waited. Her angry stance was rather cute. “I could ask you the same thing,” he said.
She looked scared. Her eyes once again searched the room. “I need to get back to my friends.”
“They are fine.” Once again, he worried that he was losing her, scaring her away. He took her hand and squeezed. “Please stay.”
He didn’t mean to influence her, but he knew he had when her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He’d passed his emotions onto her. Normally, he was more in control. Something about her made it difficult for him to concentrate. The pounding music slowed into a softer ballad. Holding out his hand, he asked, “Will you dance?”
Meara seemed to consider for a moment before giving him her hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor. He pulled her close against him. Her head rested over his heart, and it felt like she belonged there. She belonged with him. The connection was strong. Her power sung out to his. Did she feel it, too? He thought she might as she relaxed against him.
Kieran, Cole’s alarmed voice rang through his head. I think we’ve compelled them too much. We’re starting to gather unwanted attention.
Glancing in their direction, Kieran noticed two bouncers making their way toward his companions. The girls drooped in their arms. To an outsider, it would appear that the guys had drugged their dates. In reality, the human females had been overexposed to magic. With a sigh, he siphoned the magic from Meara’s three friends. The surge of power gave him an instant headache. Clenching his jaw, he worked through the pain to place a memory-erasing enchantment on them. The song ended, and he stepped back. His head throbbed. He tried not to let it show.
“I must go,” he said. “Can I see you again?”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“I thought you’d say that.” He hid his disappointment. She was kind and faithful. Throughout this evening, Evan was never out of her thoughts. It made Kieran angry. He bent his head, his eyes never leaving her face. The desire to leave her wanting him was too strong. He meant for the kiss to be chaste, just a quick taste of what he could offer, but when she responded to his touch, he lost control.
She was intoxicating. It took all his will to break the kiss. He was amused when he realized she gripped his shirt in her hands. She was as taken with their exchange as he was. He saw the moment she came back to her senses. She let go of his shirt and jumped back, her hands flying to her lips. His own tingled with the memory of their kiss. With relief, he realized his headache was gone, too.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Meara Quinn.” He backed away slowly, his eyes locked on hers.
When he turned, he hurried to the exit, knowing Cole and the others waited outside in the shadows a safe distance away. They narrowly escaped the bouncers, who continued to search the club in vain.
Kieran smiled to himself a moment later when he heard her ask, “How do you know my last name?”
He was already beyond her sight, so there was no need for him to respond. It was better to leave her guessing anyway. In those last moments, her emotions combined with his own and threatened to overwhelm him. She was beautiful, powerful, and intelligent, too. He hadn’t expected to be so taken with her. No female made him feel that way before. With a sinking realization, he knew he’d met his match. Now he only had to win his way into her heart.
“So that’s it,” Kieran said. “Although I had seen you from a distance several times before, meeting you in the club was life altering for me.”
We were sitting on the concrete half wall in front of Mirage. It was too early for the club to be open. The sun warmed the air. I wasn’t cold while Kieran told me his side of the story. I actually felt quite warm.
He didn’t wait for me to say anything. Dropping to one knee, he looked up at me with a crooked smile. “This is how it’s traditionally done, right?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered. I was so nervous my hands were shaking. Several pedestrians gave us curious glances, but no one stopped. Thank goodness.
“Remember that response,” he said with a wink and reached into the silver bag, pulling out a small, velvet box. It reassured me to see that his hands were shaking, too. He took out the ring and held it up to me. My breath caught. It was a perfect, creamy pearl surrounded by blue sapphires. The blue stones curved around the pearl like waves. The setting was white metal, probably gold or platinum.
“Meara Elizabeth Quinn,” he began. “You captivated my heart the moment I met you, but your loyalty and bravery won my love completely. Will you be my mate and share my life for always?”
He held my gaze, his eyes shimmering with emotion. My own filled with tears as I slid off the wall and placed my hands over his. “Yes!”
We both stood, and
he pulled me close. Taking my left hand, he slid the ring onto my finger, and then placed my hand over his heart, covering it with his own. “You have made me very happy.”
Before I could respond, I was lost in his kiss. By the time I heard the clapping, a small crowd had formed. “Congratulations!” a little old lady with gray hair shouted. “That’s a beautiful ring, sweetie. He’s a keeper!”
“He is.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up into his beautiful, dark eyes. Another lingering kiss had my toes curling and my face burning in embarrassment from our public display. We waved to our audience, who hooted and whistled, and then headed to the car. I couldn’t stop staring at the ring, and my heart had yet to slow. One thought distracted me from my bliss and brought on a different set of nerves. Next stop was Peggy’s Cove and my grandparents’ house. Heaven help us.
****
“Would you like to tell your grandparents or should I?” Kieran asked as I turned into their driveway.
“Let me introduce you first!” I teased, adding, “I’ll tell them. Don’t be surprised if they’re initially more shocked than happy. And before you even ask, no, we won’t be able to share a room.”
He held up his hands and gave me wide, innocent eyes. “What are you accusing me of? I’m always a perfect gentleman.”
My snort wasn’t very ladylike, and we both laughed. The laughter quickly died and nervous silence followed. I loved my grandparents, but they were old school. I wasn’t sure they would be pleased that I was engaged to a man they had never met, one they would assume I met only this past summer.
Grandma Mary stood on the front porch with Grandpa Jamie behind her. It was so good to see them, like coming home. Grandma was an older version of my mom. They looked so much alike that it was a little hard to look at her, knowing Mom was gone. My eyes started watering again.
“Happy tears?” Kieran asked, looking uncertain. I was sure he wondered what had come over me since arriving in Canada.
“Yeah,” I said through my sniffles. Silently, he passed me tissues. “Thank you.”
“I kept them just in case.”
“That was a smart move.” I wiped my eyes and checked my reflection in the mirror. Not great, but I’d looked worse. “Let’s go.”
I climbed out and closed the door, giving the car a slight caress. It really was a beauty. Kieran came around and took my hand. My grandparents were already on their way to greet us. When they reached us, Kieran dropped my hand and stepped slightly back.
“Meara!” Grandma Mary took my face in her hands and kissed both of my cheeks. Tears ran down her face, but her smile was bright. “You look beautiful, honey.”
Grandpa Jamie nudged her gently out of the way and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. He smelled like sea salt and pipe tobacco. “Have you been staying out of trouble?”
“Of course,” I lied.
“And who is this young man?” Grandma asked curiously.
“This is Kieran,” I said. As he shook her hand, I added, “My fiancé.”
If only I had a camera to capture the stunned expressions on my grandparents’ faces. They recovered quickly, congratulating us and doling out more hugs. By the look my grandmother gave me, I knew we’d be having a talk later. For the time being, she let things lie.
“Come inside and have some lunch,” she said. When we started to follow her, her sharp eyes took in our empty hands. “No luggage?”
I quickly glanced at Kieran, who appeared unfazed as usual. “I’ll get our bags after we eat.”
“I can help you now,” Grandpa offered.
“No need,” I said with a smile. “We’re traveling light. Plus, I still have some things here, right? Did you get rid of them?”
“Your room is the same,” Grandma soothed. I caught the melancholy in her voice and what she didn’t say. I couldn’t bring myself to ask what they did with my mom’s room, but odds were, that was where Kieran would be sleeping.
The moment I walked through the front door, my throat closed. The air grew thick and everything blurred. She wasn’t here. She’d never be here again. It was easier to pretend that Mom was still alive when I was across the Atlantic Ocean, living with my dad. But here, I was surrounded by memories.
Turning, I blindly pushed past everyone. “I need some air.”
I heard Kieran say, “I’ve got her.” His footsteps followed me as I ran down the familiar path to the ocean.
By the time I reached the water, my body was shaking. I took shallow breaths between deep sobs. My heart broke for my mom, who died too young; Uncle Angus, who died in a pointless war; and all the other untimely deaths in the past year.
Dropping to the ground, I hugged my stomach, not caring if my jeans got soaked. I felt Kieran lower himself next to me. Pulling me into his arms, he rubbed my back He didn’t give me empty words of comfort. Instead, he began to sing.
The melody was not familiar and the words were foreign, but the song was beautiful. “What language is that?” I asked when he stopped, guessing it was Italian or Spanish.
“Spanish.” His hands wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks. “My mother was from an island near Chile.”
“You never talk about your mother,” I said, and he stiffened next to me. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me about her.”
“No, I do,” he said. “It’s just hard.”
“Is she…” I paused. “Is she dead too?”
I knew what losing a mother was like. It tarnished a little piece of your soul that would never shine again.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Perhaps I better tell you the story.”
I settled against his side, feeling secure and loved as his arm wrapped around me. Nearby, a gull cried mournfully. Kieran cleared his throat and began.
Sera craved her morning alone time the way flowers craved sunshine. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. There was nothing like salt water and its effect on the air, the flavors of brine and rich minerals, sharp and teasing on her tongue. The sea called to her. With one last inhale, she transformed into a seal and dove in. The animal form allowed instinct to take over. While she glided with the current, her mind ran free. Any worries, any struggles, floated away. At least, temporarily.
Her mate, Stephen, didn’t understand her need for solitude. During the early years of their union, she argued with him every day. He tried to accompany her, seeming confused when she told him that would defeat the purpose. Next, he urged her to take one of their guards with her any time she left the island. She refused again. Solitary meant alone. Even if the guard didn’t speak to her, he would be there, infringing on her peace. After years of trying to persuade her, he stopped. He hadn’t reached the point of acceptance, but the years at least had brought toleration. It was more than she hoped for in the beginning.
Gliding with a school of snapper, Sera watched their bright scales reflect the early morning sun’s rays. The silver gave way to pale golds, blues, and pinks. The fish tickled her side as they circled around her and made her laugh. Curving away from them, she dove down to the darker, cooler waters. She turned back and raced to the surface, breaking through and launching into the air. It was by no means warm, but it felt that way after her body adjusted to the ocean. She caught sight of the sun and a few fluffy clouds before she plunged back under into the icy depths.
She repeated the process several more times. Flipping as the dolphins and orcas did was fun. There was no worry about being too far out to sea or getting caught in a wayward current. Selkie magic kept her safe and grounded. In all her years, she’d never felt unsafe in the ocean. It was her home.
A pungent smell assaulted her the next time she broke the surface. Both metallic and sour, it coated her nose and made her sneeze. Scent glands were much stronger in seal form. Usually, this was a good thing, but she didn’t like this odor at all.
Her eyes skimmed the surface; the horizon appeared unbroken. She was far away from land. Closing her eyes, she let her nose tell her which dir
ection to head. When she opened them, she saw a bright orange object bobbing in the distance. It was too far away for her to make out what it was. Although the smell was revolting, her curiosity was piqued. She dove under and swam toward the strange shape.
She surfaced every few feet to confirm she was still on target. The bright blob came into focus the closer she got. Unfortunately, so did the smell. It took all her concentration not to gag.
The orange vest—she could see what it was now—supported a head. A man, most definitely human, bobbed in the water. His head lolled to the side, and his eyes were closed. He appeared to be unconscious, which to Sera, was a blessing. Personally, she wasn’t fond of humans, and the males especially scared her. There were too many stories of human men capturing female Selkies and forcing them to bear their children. When she was a young girl in Chile, her mama warned her, “Mi hija, aléjate de los hombres humanos. Son malos.”
She wasn’t currently following her mother’s warning to stay away. Sera nudged the man’s side gently with her muzzle, holding her breath while she did so. He didn’t respond. His mind may have shut down to protect him. Between the bloody gash on his left temple and his peeling, cracked skin, the pain would be unbearable if he were awake. This was another reason why she was glad he was unconscious. She hated to see any living thing suffer.
The question was what to do with him? She couldn’t very well take him back to Alkana. Stephen would never forgive her for bringing a human to their home. They purposefully warded the island against human discovery. If humans knew Selkies existed, they would be hunted. Even if her mate allowed it, Sera refused to expose her children to the threat a human male posed. Kieran and Alexios were only twelve, barely on the cusp of adulthood, and little Tyrese was still just a pup. No, she couldn’t bring this man into her home, even in his current state.
There was, however, a sprinkling of islands not too far from Alkana. They were too small to be inhabited or to garner any human interest beyond the preservationists. Sera wasn’t even sure if anything lived there besides plants, trees, and the few aquatic creatures that could reach them by swimming. One island, she knew, had a cave. Many years ago, long before she became a mother, Sera explored the islands. She sought ways to cure her boredom while her mate was busy with the day-to-day details of ruling the clan. She could take this man to the one with the cave, leave him sheltered in it, and check on him during her morning swims.