by Kelly Risser
“Oh.” He sat back. “Okay.” I couldn’t tell if he was upset or not. It was too dark to see his face. “Should we get out of here, then?”
I inched closer to him and whispered, “This cave is not really my thing, but I wouldn’t mind going for a swim. Wasn’t there a white sand beach on the other side of the island?”
“There is,” he said, sounding much happier. “C’mon, I’ll show you.”
****
I learned a lot about Kieran during our visit at his childhood home. When the sea was calm, he liked to watch the colorful schools of fish for hours at time. His favorite haunts were shipwrecks at the bottom of the ocean, and although the clan respected him, they tended to keep their distance. Many were friendlier to his twin, or so it seemed.
I also got to know Tyrese and Stephen. I wish I could say the same about Alexios, but he tended to keep his distance. Whether he felt I was stealing his twin from him, he was shy, or he just didn’t like me, I had no idea. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that Kieran and his brother really were as different as night and day. I had no doubt that I fell in love with the right one for me.
Stephen and Tyrese were excited about the swim to Ronac. It had been decades since they’d been there, and really, the furthest they went from the island was California for supplies. Even that, Stephen did less often than he had when Sera was with them. According to Kieran, his parents used to go to shore once a month. After she left, his dad only went a few times a year. He also started going to a different city, not wanting any reminders of his mate or her betrayal. I felt bad for Stephen. If he was that hurt, he must’ve loved Sera in his own way very much.
I was looking forward to seeing my clan again. Ronac had become my home, and the Selkies there my extended family. I wondered how Arren’s band was doing, if Aunt Brigid had gone public with her relationship—I thought she was seeing Judac—and if my dad missed me. I was sure he did. I certainly missed him.
“Ready to go?” Kieran asked, holding out his hand. I let him pull me close. He kissed me, but kept it short and chaste since his father and sister were watching.
Alexios hugged his siblings, his father, and to my surprise, me. “You’re good for my brother,” he whispered. “Take care of him.”
“I will,” I promised. Diving in, we began our journey. I was going home.
The Selkie stood in the main hall, his eyes darting between the two guards. Stood might not be the best word to describe what he was doing. He shifted nervously on his feet and glanced around the large, stone room.
“It was a bad idea to come here,” he mumbled. “I told David that, but noooo… he insisted.” The man rubbed his arms and continued. “I must follow orders if I want to make head guard.” He repeated the phrase several more times, chanting it like a mantra.
As he spoke to no one in particular, the monologue clearly was meant to bolster his own confidence, not explain his presence. The room, however, carried sound well. From where Ula stood in the entryway, she heard every word as if he were speaking directly to her.
“Welcome, Drust.”
She was pleased to see him jump, caught unaware by her entrance. Surely, that was it, not that he was surprised she knew who he was. She might be the queen of the Blue Men of the Minch now, but she knew every Selkie in Ronac. She’d spent more than a century there. It was, and always would be, her first home.
Drust had been one of the Ronac guards for several decades. Her oldest brother, David, seemed to think Drust was a talented warrior. Ula couldn’t rate his skills. She only knew that he wasn’t her favorite. He was a little too conceited for his own good. Then again, Meara, her niece, claimed that he was changed, humbled after being captured by the Blue Men months ago and rescued by Meara and her friends. The kidnapping happened before Ula was queen, when Ken was in charge.
She felt a slight pang of regret as she thought of him. She never wanted to kill Ken, but he was unwilling to repent and let go of his unjust anger against the Selkies. With his death, the kingdom of Azuria could finally focus on healing and repairing the damage those years of hatred and revenge had wrought on them.
At least Drust didn’t appear afraid of her, merely uncomfortable. No harm would come to him here. The truce between the Blue Men and the Selkies stood firm. She crossed the room, and Drust bowed his head, lowering his gaze to the floor. “Queen Ula.”
“My brother sent you.” It was a statement, not a question. Outside of her immediate family, Selkies did not visit the Blue Men on their own accord. It was best she got right to the purpose of this visit. “Is there trouble already?”
He continued to stare at the floor as he responded, “Meara and Kieran are returning home on the Cold Moon. Stephen and Tyrese are accompanying them. David would like to invite you and your guests to attend a feast in their honor.”
While Ula loved to see Meara at any time, she had only been gone for a little over a month. The pain of missing her was mild. On the other hand, Ula hadn’t seen Tyrese in years. Heaviness settled in her chest as she remembered her childhood friend. They were best friends and came close to being sisters when Ula was betrothed to Kieran. When he ended the engagement, she was so bitter. She distanced herself from everyone, and in the process, she lost her friendship with Tyrese.
Ula had seen Tyrese once or twice over the last couple of decades, but things weren’t the same between them. Briefly, she wondered how Meara felt about Kieran’s sister, and what Tyrese thought of Meara. They were both very spirited girls.
When Ula realized Drust was waiting for her response, she said, “Please tell David we will be there.”
He bowed and turned for the door.
“You’re leaving?” She hadn’t meant for the uncertainty to creep into her voice, but it was there. Even Vesh, her advisor, who stood as one of the guards in the room, subtly raised his eyebrow in question. It wasn’t that she wanted Drust to stay, per se, but it was nice to be around a Selkie again. In this castle, she sometimes felt like a misfit. Her seal skin may be gone forever, but she was born a Selkie and related to them still.
Drust bowed again in the doorway. “If you’ll forgive me, I prefer to head home right away.”
“Of course.” Ula regained her composure, straightened her spine, and put on her most benevolent smile. “Thank you for coming, and do give my best to my brothers.”
The smile that crossed Drust’s face was genuine this time. “As you wish.”
Ula watched Drust leave the room, a guard in tow. He’d be escorted until he was outside of the palace grounds. She sat on her throne, a whirlwind of emotions and memories flickering through her mind. She missed her family, and Meara was both family and her closest friend. Although Ula didn’t regret this new life, it was sometimes lonely being the only female amongst a kingdom of men. She missed her ice cream dates with Meara, and not only the ice cream. Giggling about silly things, discussing men, books, or fashion—those were things she didn’t have here.
“Is it wise to return to Ronac so soon?” She hadn’t realized Vesh now stood behind her until he bent and spoke low in her ear.
“Why not?” she asked, genuinely puzzled. Ronac had been her home. It was the current home for three of her siblings. “It’s as safe as Azuria for me.”
That may be a stretch. While no one would harm her in Ronac, in the Blue Men kingdom of Azuria where she was queen, any of the men would give their life for her. She was as protected here as a Fabergé egg resting on a silk pillow in a glass case. Sometimes, she even felt like she was on display. Vesh wouldn’t understand.
“For you, maybe,” he consented. “What about the rest of us? Choose carefully who you bring.”
“Of course.” At times, Vesh irritated her. She may be new at ruling, but she was not a child.
As though he realized she was annoyed, he raised her hand and kissed the back of it. “I meant no offense.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled, the expression giving his face a boyish appeal.
She softened, as s
he always did when he turned on the charm. “I was hoping you would help me decide who should come, and who should be in charge while we are gone.” Deciding who would rule in her stead worried her most. She was still unsure of who she could trust besides Vesh. She didn’t need the kingdom falling apart during the weeks they were away. She’d spent too much energy trying to repair the damage already, and they were still in a fragile state. There was so much work to do.
“Let me sleep on it, and I’ll have my list to you by the morning,” he said. “When do we leave?”
She loved that he assumed he was coming with her. Last month, they had begun dating in secret. Neither was ready to make their relationship public, but they were starting to see themselves as a couple. “The Cold Moon is in two weeks.”
“It will not take us long to get there,” he said. “A few hours at most.”
“True, but…” Selkies and Blue Men did not celebrate human holidays, but Ula remembered last December, when she was living in Nova Scotia. It seemed so long ago, and yet, like only yesterday. What she remembered most was how much her niece, Meara, loved Christmas. The tradition had been very special to Meara and her mom. With her mom gone, this year would be hard—the first one without her mother and the first one as a Selkie. What if they made it special for Meara? Ula didn’t think it would be hard to find decorations and holiday foods on the mainland. Paddy, her brother, would love preparing a special feast. It might be good for them to focus on something joyful and take their mind off all that was lost.
“What are you thinking?” Vesh asked. “I can practically see the wheels turning in your head.”
Ula grinned at him, the ideas taking shape in her mind. “We’re going to leave tomorrow.”
He raised his pierced brow at her. “Won’t we arrive a bit sooner than David intended?”
“I don’t care what my brother thinks,” she said and started heading toward her living quarters. She knew Vesh would follow her. “We’re not going there anyway. We’re taking a side trip to Scotland first.”
“What?” Vesh’s voice raised an octave, which made Ula giggle. She loved how often she managed to surprise him or catch him off guard. Best to keep a man on his toes, she thought. “Why would we do that?”
“We are going to throw a grand Christmas celebration in Ronac. Deck the halls and everything.”
“Deck the halls? Like a ship deck?”
She twisted to look at him and winked. “As in decorate. Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias…”
The more she described, the further Vesh’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious. We have never celebrated Candlemas. That is a human tradition.”
“It’s called Christmas in modern times,” she corrected. “But you aren’t wrong about it being strictly a human tradition. Selkies don’t celebrate it either, although some fae do.”
“They do?”
Facing him fully with her arms crossed, she tried to figure out if he was teasing her. By the confused expression on his face, she knew he wasn’t. “Ahem… Santa and his ELVES? Where do you think the elves come from?”
“Fae?” he offered sheepishly.
“Exactly. Fae. The little ones are a merry sort.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. He was too cute when he was flustered. It didn’t happen often. She cleared her throat and frowned in concentration. Vesh’s lush lips always distracted her. “Now, back to my plan. Meara was human for eighteen years. This is the first year she’ll spend Christmas without her mum. I don’t want it to be a sad time for her.”
“Maybe she prefers not to celebrate it.”
“No.” There was no doubt in Ula’s mind that Meara loved Christmas. Perhaps she assumed that the holidays would go by this year without notice. “We’re going to throw her a Christmas celebration like no other.”
“Your mind is made up?”
“Yes.”
“Did you pick where in Scotland we’re going?” His voice held a plea. Whether he wanted to visit a big city or avoid one, Ula was unsure. She’d already decided that they would go to Aberdeen. Ken’s home belonged to them, so they could stay there for a day or two and assess its condition. She also wanted to check on the Sirens if time allowed. The Blue Men and Sirens had reached a truce after the war. Ula bequeathed them the tavern that Ken previously owned. From what she had heard, the place was thriving. She wanted to see for herself.
“Aberdeen.”
“Very well.” He sighed and turned to walk away.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
Without turning around, he answered her. “To pack.”
It was strange to enter a home she’d never lived in, never visited, but now belonged to her. On top of that, one that had been stripped of its character and left vacant for months. Stale air greeted Vesh and Ula as they stepped inside, followed by the lingering odor of rot and decay. She spotted the source immediately. It was the kind of house that had been filled with fresh floral arrangements. The blackened remnants of one of them, shriveled and dead, trailed over the edge of the large vase in the entry.
“Home sweet home,” Vesh murmured behind her.
Ula turned to him. He was eying the room with distaste. “Have you ever stayed here before?”
“No,” he said. “Ken sent Slate, Dex, and I to Belle Tresor to keep an eye on the Sirens. We weren’t allowed on land.” He made a face. “From the stench in here, I didn’t miss much, did I?”
“It’s not that bad. Once we get rid of the rotting flowers and putrid water, the air will clear.” Placing her hands on her hips, Ula observed the room with a critical eye. The winding staircase to the second floor had elegant lines, and the high ceilings gave the space an open, airy feel. She had never been to the house when Ken lived here, but the heavy, dark oil paintings he had collected were sitting in a dry storage room at their castle. She planned to donate the paintings to several art museums as an anonymous benefactor. The baroque style didn’t appeal to her. She preferred the softer, more pleasant hues of the Impressionist period. “It could use a little redecorating.”
Vesh smiled and sauntered across the room. “I can see the ideas whirling in your mind already, my queen.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Only two guards had come with them, and both men were outside scouting the grounds. “If anyone can make this drab house into a welcoming home, it’s you.”
Ula wrapped her arms around Vesh, running her hands up his back to feel the hard lines of muscle. With his spiky, black hair and love of metal piercings, he had a lethal, don’t-mess-with-me look, but underneath, he was a caring and passionate man. She loved being in his arms, and soon, very soon, it would be time to take their relationship public. Their kingdom would survive the melodrama, and she was growing tired of hiding her feelings for him.
The front door creaked, and they moved apart just as the men came in. Nuaim and Hayon were two of the quieter guards, but they were good at their job. Ula was confident they wouldn’t offend or scare the Selkies once they arrived at Ronac. Her first choice would’ve been to bring Dex and Slate, who had already met the Selkies, but Vesh recommended they act as the temporary rulers while he and Ula were away. She agreed with him. After Vesh, they were the two she trusted the most.
“The grounds are secure,” Nuaim said.
Hayon glanced around the foyer, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “Would you like us to check the interior as well?”
“Please.” Ula nodded her consent to release them. She was adjusting to the proper ways of the Blue Men court. They were immortal, male, and tended to be very serious and formal. Hayon, a short man with dark, curly hair in his human form, headed for the stairs, while Nuaim, a tall, thin man with sharp features, mocha skin, and intelligent eyes, headed through the hall to the back of the house after requesting that Ula and Vesh remain in the foyer until their investigation was complete.
“We’ll wait here if we must,” she said to Vesh once they were gone. “But I’ve had enough of the dead flowers.”
Conj
uring a garbage bag, Ula dumped the offensive arrangement. The vase looked expensive, so she decided to scrub it down later and salvage it. Next, she conjured a dust rag and began wiping the large, lovely table with teakwood insets. She loved how easily her magic came to her now. As a Selkie, she was the least powerful of her family, but as the queen of the Blue Men, she was the most powerful of their kind. She remembered well enough what it felt like to be weaker, and she never called attention to her powers unless she had to.
Vesh smirked at her impromptu cleaning. “Only you would use your magic to make a garbage bag and dust rag appear.”
“What? This place will be a thousand times nicer after a good cleaning, and that smell was horrible.”
“I agree,” he said with a laugh. “But why not use your magic to clean versus to acquire tools to do the job?”
“Where’s the satisfaction in that?” She made a face and tugged his hand. “Let’s go into the living room and see if there are any other nasties there.”
“Nuaim told us to stay.”
Ula pursed her lips. “And you always do what you’re told?”
“Well…”
“C’mon.” She pulled harder. “It’s practically part of the entranceway. The room is right here. I think if someone was lurking to assault us, they would’ve done it by now.”
He relented and let her pull him. “You do have a point.”
The first thing she noticed was a large, rectangular outline on the wall above the fireplace. It must’ve been the home of one of those ugly paintings. She would have to purchase either another picture or a mirror to go in its place. The pale green wallpaper with ivory vines and scrollwork was pretty, and she had no plans to renovate the entire place. It was huge, and she had enough to do with fixing up their fortress that had been neglected for a century or better.