Sea of Memories

by Kelly Risser

  “Done, and only five minutes late.” He winked at them. “That’s still fashionable.”

  Destiny ushered them back through the garage and into the kitchen where David was waiting and looking nervous. “I thought maybe you changed your mind.”

  “Not a chance,” Meara said and kissed his cheek. “Ready, Dad?”

  His face relaxed into a smile, and he tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I can’t believe you’re getting married. I feel like I just found you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “You’re just gaining a son.”

  “When you put it that way…” David rubbed his chin. “Is it too late to talk you out of this?”

  “Dad!”

  He grinned. “Just kidding. Kieran’s good for you. I’ll be happy to call him son.”

  The music started playing in an upbeat dance tempo. Katie’s jaw dropped and Kim laughed and asked, “This is what you picked for your wedding march?”

  “What? I like it!” Meara bounced to the beat of I Choose You by Sara Bareilles, so did Ula. It was unconventional, sure, but why not? It was their day.

  “I love it,” Ula said. “It fits perfectly for both of us.”

  David looked between his daughter and his sister, completely out of his element. “How am I walking you down the aisle to this?”

  “You’re not.” Ula winked, took his hand, lifted it, and then twirled beneath. “You’re dancing us down.”

  The second verse started, and Destiny motioned for the bridesmaids. Katie, Kim, and Tyrese, over their initial surprise, totally played into the song. Swaying their hips and laughing, they twirled and pranced their way down the aisle. Guests laughed along, clapping to the rhythm.

  Tell the world that we finally got it all right. I choose you. The chorus played, and Destiny motioned for the brides and David to get into position.

  “How did you talk me into this?” he muttered under his breath as he held hands and danced with both of them. He wasn’t a bad dancer, once he relaxed a little.

  Vesh and Kieran stood in the front, huge grins on their faces. The song was a surprise to them too. It was Meara’s idea. “Everyone’s nervous and stiff at weddings,” she said. “This song will relax them.”

  Ula realized her niece was right. Although everyone was turned toward them, they moved in their seats, swaying to the music. The aisle seemed impossibly long, but before she could blink, Ula found herself in front of Vesh.

  His eyes drank her in. “You look beautiful.”

  David took her hand and placed it in Vesh’s. “Take good care of my baby sister, Veshian.”

  “I will.”

  Next, David crossed to Kieran. He leaned close and whispered something to Kieran, which had the Selkie nodding solemnly. After, David placed Meara’s hand in Kieran’s before stepping back and taking a seat in the front row next to Paddy, Brigid, Jamie, and Mary.

  “Well…” The minister cleared his throat. He was the only one who seemed uncomfortable. “Well… that was quite a processional, wasn’t it?” He said these words softly, more to himself, before raising his voice and welcoming the guests to the wedding. Ula knew he spoke of love, cited passages from the bible, and prayed over them, but she couldn’t recall one word of it. Time lost all relevance as she stared into Vesh’s eyes.

  When it was her turn to say her vows, she spoke them loud and clear, and when Vesh kissed her, she swore the earth tilted on its axis for a moment.

  They danced well into the evening under a brilliant canopy of stars. When the last of the guests had said goodnight and all that remained were the newlyweds and a few close friends, Vesh scooped Ula up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

  “Vesh!” she whispered angrily while slapping his back. “We’re sharing our room with some of our men, remember?”

  “Not tonight,” he said. “They’ve made other sleeping arrangements.”

  “Where? The house is full.”

  “They’re sleeping on the boat.”

  “Oh.”

  “Ooooh.” He drew the word out, teasing her. The door was already partially open, so he shouldered it the rest of the way, not setting her down, and closed it with his foot behind him. Soft music played from a stereo in the corner, and a fire blazed in the hearth. A bottle of champagne was opened and resting in a bucket of ice.

  “How did you do this?” she asked in amazement as he set her on the couch.

  “I’ll never tell my secrets,” he whispered, kissing her nose before turning to pour two glasses of champagne. “A toast to you, my new wife.”

  The bubbles tickled her throat, but the drink was refreshing. The day had passed too quickly, and she felt like she was trying to keep up. It made her a little sad. Months of planning, and it was done. Vesh noticed her change in mood and asked what was wrong.

  “I’m just sad that it’s over,” she said.

  “It’s not over,” he said. “It’s only the beginning. The start of our eternity.”

  Despite herself, she smiled. “When you put it like that.”

  “How else is there to put it?” He put his arm around her and drew her against him. “I love you, Ula. It will be my honor to rule by your side, serve you as my queen, and love you as your husband.”

  Moved by his words, she reached up to lower his head to hers. “I love you, too.”

  They shared a kiss that was a promise of all that was and all that was to come, and Ula knew, from that moment on, home would never be further than Vesh’s arms.

  I’m married.

  I am married.

  I AM married.

  I am MARRIED!

  No matter how many times I repeated it to myself or how I emphasized the words, it still felt surreal.

  Kieran pushed himself up on one elbow and smiled down at me. “You are married, and so am I. Happily so.”

  “Oh, you heard that?” I tended to project my thoughts to him when I wasn’t paying attention. In the beginning, it embarrassed me when he caught my unintentional thoughts, but I was mostly used to it by now.

  He gave me a crooked smile and ran his fingers over my collarbone, sending small shivers through my body. I was hoping he would share one of his toe-curling kisses, and he didn’t disappoint. I was disappointed, though, when he followed it with a quick kiss and jumped out of bed. “They’ll be waiting for us.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled and followed suit. We were back in Ronac, and today was the day we would be mated. It was a much different process than a human wedding, at least, that was what Kieran told me. There was no rehearsal for this one. The magic worked once and one time only. Human marriages could end in divorce. The same could not be said for Selkies. It was until death do us part or, as in the case of Kieran’s parents, until one chose to leave the Selkie life behind, a death of sorts.

  I had no misgivings, no hesitations about what lay ahead. Our wedding had been perfect. It was bittersweet when we said goodbye to friends and family a few days after, not knowing when or if I would see my human ones again, but it meant so much that they came to celebrate with us. Ula worried about sharing the day and stealing the spotlight, but I was happy to share it with her. I knew she and Vesh would be happy together, and the Blue Men kingdom would be stronger from their union. It was another part in the healing process. A good one.

  They returned to Ronac with us so they could witness the ceremony. Vesh was curious. Ula had seen many before, but she wanted to be there for mine. “It’s unlike anything else.”

  “Why don’t you join us?” I had asked.

  She shook her head, a small smile on her face. “We can’t. I am no longer a Selkie, and Vesh was never one. It won’t work for us.”

  Ula wouldn’t tell me anything else about it, so I asked Kieran.

  “Are you familiar with handfasting?” he asked.

  “That’s a type of wedding ceremony, right? Where they tie the bride and groom’s hands together?”

  “Exactly. It’s like that.” He smiled at me. “Exc
ept Selkies don’t use the usual ties.”

  I asked him for more detail, but he distracted me with kisses. When I recalled later that I still didn’t entirely know what was going to happen, I decided to wait and see. If anything were dangerous or worrisome, he would’ve told me. Besides, I didn’t give him a play by play of the human wedding ritual, and he did fine.

  For this ceremony, I wore a heavy, cream silk gown. It was unadorned except for the elaborate Celtic knot pattern in gold thread that covered the front from my chest to my waist.

  “You look beautiful,” Kieran said. His dark green jacket was embroidered with gold Celtic knots like my dress. He looked like a prince out of a fairy tale. “But you’re missing one important piece.”

  “I am?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  I did as he asked and felt him place something on my head, adjusting it so it rested across my forehead. When I opened my eyes, I stared at it in the mirror. It was a delicate gold chain. In the center of my forehead was a Celtic knot. On either side, a small seal. I noticed he wore a similar chain across his tie. “What is it?”

  “The symbols of the mating ceremony. It’s tradition for the couple to wear them. This chain belonged to my mother.” With a wry smile, he kissed my cheek. “I am confident it will bring us more happiness than it did her.”

  I touched the knot, which felt warm on my forehead. He was right. I had no apprehension about wearing something that belonged to his mom, even if her mating did not work out. “Are we ready then?”

  Instead of answering, he offered me his arm. Together, we transported out of the castle and to the cove where our people waited for us.

  The clan formed a semi-circle facing the ocean. My dad, Aunt Brigid, and Stephen stood before them. She wore a long, velvet dress in a deep shade of plum. Woven along its neckline and hem were silver Celtic knots. Our dads wore suits similar to Kieran’s, although their jackets were navy and the knots were made from silver thread instead of gold.

  When my father saw us, he held out his arm and stepped forward. “Ceud mìle fàilte, Meara and Kieran.”

  The Selkies parted so he could cross to us. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” he asked before leaning in to kiss my cheek.

  “Yes.” My voice held absolute confidence. I had no reservations about the commitment we’d be making.

  “Kieran.” Dad nodded at my husband and motioned to follow him through the crowd to the front. Ula and Vesh grinned as we walked past. Tyrese stood next to Arren with Alexios on her other side. All I saw were smiling, friendly faces, full of excitement and love for us.

  I was so busy looking at our people, that I didn’t notice the small stone alter until we were standing before it. It held a gold chalice engraved with similar Celtic knots—I was sensing a theme—and two ceremonial daggers resting on a square of black velvet. At least, I assumed they were ceremonial. With intricately carved blades and jeweled handles, they seemed too beautiful to be used as weapons. Kieran caught me staring at them and smiled reassuringly.

  Dad placed a hand on each of our shoulders and turned us so we faced the crowd. “Dear friends, Ceud mìle fàilte.”

  “Fàilte.”

  He continued, “We are here to witness the mating of two souls, Kieran Peter Voda, son of Stephen of the Alkana clan, to my daughter, Meara Elizabeth.” Looking between Kieran and me, he said, “Join hands please.”

  Kieran was already holding my right hand. He turned to me and took my other hand in his. Dad nodded to Brigid, who brought over the knives. The idea of blades made me nervous, but Kieran seemed relaxed, so I assumed there was no need to worry.

  Taking the longer, darker of the two daggers, Dad rested it across my wrists. Stephen took the other knife from Brigid and did the same thing to Kieran. The metal felt cool against my skin, but as my dad started to speak words in Gaelic, the blade heated. At the same time, Kieran translated the words telepathically, and I found myself focusing more on him than any mild discomfort from the weapon.

  Blood of Blood, Bone of Bone. Give your Spirit that Two might be One. Give your Body `til your Life is Done.

  With a sudden tug, I felt my magic being pulled from my body. The energy manifested itself in a long stream of brilliant orange. Dad manipulated it with the knife to wrap it around our joined hands like a rope. Now I understood why Kieran said the ceremony was like a hand-fast. When he was done, Stephen repeated the performance with Kieran’s energy. While our hands were bound in orange and green ropes of energy, Dad spoke more Gaelic. I was grateful Kieran understood it.

  Your mate cannot possess you for you belong to yourself. But you must give one another what is yours to give. Your mate cannot command you, for you are a free person. But serve each other in the ways that you require.

  The energy bonds tightened on our wrists, and then the colors merged and began to glow a bright turquoise. With loving smiles, our fathers lifted the blades off our arms, and the metal glowed with the same blue-green hue. They held the daggers in front of them, raised so the crowd could see.

  “Kieran, repeat after me,” Dad said and began speaking more foreign words.

  Staring into Kieran’s dark eyes, I knew I would never forget this moment. He translated the vows in a loud, clear voice, “I pledge you will be my last thought at night and your face my first sight in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite from my meal and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my life and in turn vow to always protect and honor yours. I shall tell no strangers our grievances. This is my promise to you. Our mating, our bond, is of equals.”

  “Your turn, Meara.”

  I must’ve looked stricken, because Dad whispered each line to me, and I repeated it. When I finished, the glowing bands absorbed into our skin, and I felt a wave of strong emotion. The force of it made me momentarily dizzy. Kieran must have experienced something similar, because I saw him wobble slightly. The blades, no longer glowing, were given to Brigid. She placed them back on the table.

  Dad raised his hands and squeezed our shoulders, both to show support and to keep us from falling, I thought. With a big smile, he spoke in a low voice, “I think you can kiss her now, son.”

  Kieran pulled me into his arms and wasted no time demonstrating how much he loved me. Behind us, the clan whistled and stomped. I wasn’t even embarrassed. If anything, I wished we were alone.

  We will be, he promised. Later.

  Lifting me into his arms, he carried me to the area where Arren’s band was already warming up. The last part of the mating ceremony is the first dance. His words whispered through my head. I heard his low chuckle. Well, it’s the last part that everyone else gets to witness.

  His words took my thoughts there, and I felt my face flame up. I was probably as red as a fire hydrant. Kieran laughed out loud and twirled me around. I got over being flustered soon enough and tried to follow the steps of the traditional dance. He was patient as he taught me, even though I landed on his toes a few times. When the song ended, a slow one began and he pulled me close.

  “This, I can dance to,” I said with a sigh. The last number was a little above my skill level.

  “I prefer this kind of dancing, too.” His arms tightened around me.

  Now that I didn’t have to concentrate on what my feet were doing, my thoughts wandered back to the ceremony. “What did it mean when our colors fused?”

  “The mating ceremony is a bonding ceremony,” Kieran explained. “The colors blending together symbolized our joined lives. From now on, our magic will be that color.”

  The turquoise was lovely, and I was pleased our magic blended to make that shade as opposed to the murky brownish-gray that orange and green usually made when mixed. “What about after…?” I paused and glanced up at him.

  He was looking down at me expectantly. “After?”

  “After the ceremony, I felt this burst of emotion.” It was weird admitting it out loud, even to Kieran. “Did you feel it too?”

  “Yeah. Quite a rush, isn’t
it?” He grinned. “Just like our magic blended, our emotions blended too. That was only temporary, but… wow.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “Wow.”

  “Well, Mrs. Voda,” he started with a crooked smile.

  I couldn’t help but smile back. I liked the sound of it. “Yes?”

  “We’re married, we’re mated… what can we possibly do now?”

  “Begin our next adventure,” I said.

  His brows drew together. “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know.” I rested my cheek against his and closed my eyes. “But I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  I felt the rumble of his laughter before I heard it. A lifetime with Kieran was going to be anything but boring. I was ready for the journey.

  Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and training at various companies. Currently, she works full time as an eLearning Instructional Designer, fitting her creative writing into the evenings and weekends.

  She’s often found lamenting, “It’s hard to write when there are so many good books to read!” So, when she’s not immersed in the middle of someone else’s fantasy world, she’s busy creating one of her own. This world is introduced in her first novel, Never Forgotten, and visited further in her second novel, Current Impressions, and third novel, Always Remembered. While the trilogy wraps up Meara and Evan’s story, a novella collection, Sea of Memories, brings together stories of past and present in the Never Forgotten world.

  Kelly lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. They share their home with Clyde the Whoodle, a school of fish, and a growing collection of bookcases.