Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection

by C. M. Stunich

  As Harun takes the bag, a crowd gathers, looking to buy candy from the same place where a nereid shops. Waving at Mara, Harun and I weave through the crowd.

  After several more booths, my feet start to hurt.

  Harun must notice my distress because he stops. “Are you ready to go back?”

  Not wanting to ruin his afternoon, I shrug it off. “I’ll be fine.”

  Narrowing his eyes at me, he bends and scoops me up with only one arm. I flail for a moment before throwing my arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”

  “We need to buy you some shoes, or you’ll never make it to the fountain later.” He carries me over to a soft spot just off the lane. Gently, he lowers me back to my feet, and my heels instantly ache. At my wince, he frowns. “I should have insisted we buy them at the first booth we passed.”

  “I don’t want you to give me more gifts.” I shift my feet to relieve the pressure.

  His large hands cup my elbows as he leans close to touch his forehead to mine. My heart flutters with excitement at the low growl of his voice. “Allow me to be selfish here. If you’re feet hurt too much, you won’t be able to dance later, and Kaveth and Neo will never forgive me.”

  My breath catches, and I can’t hold his heat-filled gaze. I glance to the side and discover he brought us to stand beside a booth that sells sandals. My eyes catch on a pair with leather soles and bluish-green ribbons. The strips of material float on a breeze that carries the scent of salt from the sea.

  Harun must see my sudden interest because he passes me the bag of candy, then strides over and buys the sandals from the vendor before I can protest.

  He returns and presses them into my hands. “These will look beautiful with your dress. Shall we put them on now?”

  While we stand between two booths, passersby cast us curious glances. If we sit now, we’ll draw a crowd like we did at Harun’s sister’s stall. Clutching the sandals close, I shake my head. “Can we go somewhere more private?”

  “Of course.” Bending, he scoops me up once more, settling my weight against his broad chest.

  “I can walk,” I whisper as people stop to stare.

  “Indulge me.” Striding back toward the dunes, he hefts me up high, and his blond hair tickles my cheek. “It can be my gift.”

  A surprised laugh escapes me, and I brush back the fine locks. “What if I had a different gift in mind?”

  His eyes widen in surprise, and his steps slow. “You do?”

  Blood rushes to my cheeks. “Yes, but it’s not ready.”

  “You’re so beautiful when you blush.” His arms tighten around me, and he shakes his head, his hair once more brushing my face before he lengthens his stride. “I look forward to receiving your gift when it’s ready. In the meantime, you can let me care for you.”

  He walks farther away from the stalls to a rockier section of the beach that the festivalgoers avoid.

  Alone again, he sets me down on one of the few sandy spots. Once I’m comfortable, he picks up my feet and lightly brushes at them, knocking sand and small rocks off the bottoms. His hands don’t stop their inspection as they make their way up my calves and stop at my knees. My heart thunders in my chest. None of the guys have ever been this bold. When he glances up at me, his brown eyes shimmer with desire. An answering want fills my body, but then Neo’s sweet face floods my mind, followed by Kaveth.

  Would getting carried away now hurt them later?

  Harun must see something on my face that gives him pause because he clears his throat and drops his hands to his lap. “Do you need help putting the sandals on?”

  I force my focus away from his tempting body to the pieces of leather and ribbon in my hands. Now that they’re off the hook, I’m not sure how they actually work. The ribbons seem ridiculously long now and a possible tripping hazard.

  Reluctant, I lift one of the beautiful strips of material. “Do you have a knife? I think we need to trim these down a little.”

  “They’ll be fine.” He takes one and lifts my foot once more. “I’ll show you.”

  Calluses roughen his hands, giving them a feeling of strength and solidity as he shows me how to align the leather sole to the bottom of my foot, then slowly winds the ribbons up my calf. The slick material slides against my skin in stark contrast to his fingers, spreading tingles in their wake. When he reaches my knee and ties a lopsided bow, I bite my lip to distract me from the desire to draw his hands higher.

  My thighs quiver with the need to feel his strong hands, and I press my legs together. He reaches for the second sandal, and I force myself to stillness as he begins the process once more.

  As he nears my knee, he glances at me through his lashes. “Can you part your legs just a little so I can tie the bow?”

  My breath escapes on a shaky gasp, and I slowly unclench my legs. He ties the ribbon in place, but his fingers linger on the tender flesh behind my knees. A fine tremor shakes through him before he tugs my skirts back down.

  His eyes lock onto mine as he reaches for my wrists instead, trailing goose bumps up my arms. My heart pounds as his body shifts closer to mine. After my fumbling last night with Neo, I’m afraid to make the first move, but Harun doesn’t hesitate. His rough lips lock onto mine while his hands make their way to my shoulders, then my neck.

  Harun brushes my hair away from my face and behind my ear. His mouth follows, and I arch my neck to give him better access. I reach under his arms and grab his sides to pull him closer to me, desperate to feel his weight on me. His lips make their way back to mine as our bodies meet in the middle.

  His hard muscled shoulders are broad enough to block the sun as he hovers over me. But just as I think he’ll press on, Harun breaks away, his head lifting. I twist to follow his gaze and find Kaveth walking toward us.

  Breathing shallowly, Harun gazes back down at me. “I can’t wait for tonight. Thank you for an amazing day.”

  My pounding heart makes it hard to speak. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair to give me time to calm down. I’m glad for the interruption. We need to talk to Kaveth and Neo. There are words that need to be exchanged and promises to be made.

  At least, I hope there are.

  Voice uneven, I say, “I had a wonderful time as well. Tonight should be fun.”

  8

  Kaveth arrives and falls down to the sand next to us. “Neo has the new recruits in hand, so I thought I’d catch you two still at the vendors. Did you give up already?”

  “We were taking a break to try on some sandals.” Harun lifts my foot to show the lovely ribbons. “Thelsa’s still undecided about them.”

  I wiggle my toes. “I see their merit.”

  “Have you tried walking in them yet?” Kaveth asks, and I shake my head. He bounces back to his feet. “Then let’s go! There’s a food cart I want you to try. Have you ever had squid balls?”

  “I’ve had squid.” When he extends a hand, I slide my palm against his and let him lift me to my feet. “How do they make it into balls?”

  Kaveth and Harun exchange knowing grins, and Harun rubs his stomach. “Just you wait.”

  Together, we walk back to the vendor booths, and Kaveth makes a beeline for a cart with a cartoon sign hanging from the top. It depicts a comical squid and a stick with balls on it. As we near, the air fills with the rich scent of fat and dough.

  We take our places at the end of a short line, and Kaveth bounces on his toes in excitement.

  I laugh as I stare up at him. “They must be really good.”

  “I can’t even describe it.” He draws in a deep breath and groans. “I’d eat these year-round if anywhere in town made them.”

  My brows lift. “Are they not local?”

  “No.” Harun crowds close to my other side to make room for a pair of men to pass. They carry narrow, cardboard trays with the skewered balls on them. “This vendor comes in with the circus and sets up early. It’s a family secret no one has figured out how to replicate.”

 
I grin at his sad frown. “That makes it even more intriguing.”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s the point.” Kaveth pulls me forward as the line moves, and soon, we find ourselves at the front.

  They place an order for three, exchange some coins, and the vendor uses tongs to lift out three skewers, sliding them into trays. I cradle mine close to my chest as we shuffle back to the main road, my stomach growling at the tasty smell. I don’t frequently eat hot food, and when I do, it always comes as a treat.

  After some searching, we find a bench, and I settle down with Harun and Kaveth on either side. Excited for this new experience, I lift the stick and bite off one of the balls.

  “No, Thelsa, wait!” Harun shouts, but it’s too late.

  “Hot!” I drop my skewer and flap my hand in front of my mouth, unsure what to do. The ball burns against my tongue like lava, but I can’t spit it out in front of them.

  Harun and Kaveth break out into laughter, and I glare over my hand as I try to chew and swallow as quickly as possible while breathing in through my mouth. The squid ball burns a path down my throat to sit like a rock in my stomach.

  “It’s not funny,” I finally wheeze.

  Kaveth wipes tears from his eyes. “It’s a little funny.”

  “You’re so cute.” Harun mimics my hand flapping, and I shove my shoulder against him.

  “Harun!” a female voice calls, and we lean forward to see Mara waving from her stall.

  Setting his snack aside, Harun runs over to speak with her, then returns with a sour expression on his face. He lifts my hand and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Thelsa, I’m sorry, I have to go. Mara’s running low on taffy and asked that I go back to town to fetch her more.”

  I squeeze his fingers. “Your sister’s booth has good fortune. There’s nothing to apologize for that.”

  “It’s because you visited her. You brought her luck.” Before I can protest, he passes his squid balls to Kaveth and jogs away.

  I stare after him with a frown. “He doesn’t really believe that, does he?”

  “Is it so wrong if he does?” Kaveth lifts a skewer and blows on it to cool it down, then hold it to my lips. “Here, try another one.”

  Hesitant, I lean forward and pull the ball from the stick. This time, I taste the hot dough, and a creamy sauce in the center. Mouth full, I meet Kaveth’s gaze. “Mmm.”

  “I thought you’d like them.” He pulls two off his stick, his cheeks puffing, and I fight not to laugh.

  Seeing my expression, he shoves another ball into my mouth, and I cover my lips as I struggle to chew. Between laughs, we feed each other the remainder of the treat until our trays lay empty and my stomach feels tight.

  With a groan, I lean back. “I don’t think I can move.”

  Kaveth slides his arm along the back of the bench. “But there’s still so much to see. You can’t quit on me now.”

  I roll my head to stare up at him in disbelief. “Can’t we just sit here and watch the people for a bit?”

  “Yes, we can do that.” Then, his lips twitch, and one hand lifts to my face. “You have some crumbs…”

  My breath catches as his thumb swipes the corner of my mouth, his calluses rough against my sensitive skin.

  His thumb moves to the other side of my lips. “You know, I’ve been thinking about you since that day on the beach, before Charybdis ruined our moment.”

  My voice comes out husky, “Our moment?”

  His touch moves to my chin. “I was going to kiss you.”

  Emboldened by his words, I whisper, “I was going to let you.”

  Slowly, he leans down until his lips brush mine in a sweet caress. His hand drifts to cup the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair. My heart races, and when my hand lifts to rest against his chest, I feel an answering echo in him.

  All too soon, this kiss ends, and Kaveth leans his forehead against mine. “I wish we weren’t at the vendors right now. I would shower kisses on you for hours.”

  “We could”—I lean forward to brush another kiss along his lips—“go somewhere without people.”

  He groans deep in his throat. “Are you sure you’re not a siren, tempting me like this?”

  Heat floods my body. “Shall I sing for you, and we can see?”

  “I want nothing more than that.” He cups my cheeks and steals another kiss before he leans back. “But we have a dance tonight. We can’t leave Neo and Harun to wonder where we are.”

  “That’s still hours away.”

  His heated gaze rakes over me. “Not nearly enough time.”

  My toes curl in my new sandals. “Then perhaps you should walk me back to the dunes for now.”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Kaveth collects our trash, I scoop up my bag of taffy from the bench, and together we walk back toward the sea.

  At the dunes, he kisses me a final time before he turns to walk back to town, and I wander down to the beach. Festival preparations are in full swing, with the main event set for a few days from now. I always love the end of the event when they set off fireworks over the sea. The crack and bang and the bright lights remind me of when the gods still roamed the land and displays of magic were common.

  The new sandals on my feet help ease the ache, but make footing in the sand difficult. Unable to feel the fine granules between my toes, I feel graceless for the first time in my long life. I glance over at the humans, who frolic with ease.

  “Sister, have you gone courting gifts from the townsfolk?” calls a shrill voice.

  My shoulders hunch before I turn to see Cyanea displayed artfully on another sand dune. Her skirts spread out around her in a ring for her admirers to perch at the edge. She holds a box in her hands, and I recognize it as the taffy Harun first gave to me.

  “Good afternoon, sister.” I nod curtly at her, unsure of my welcome. Last night, she kicked me out of our home, but she’s a fickle thing and may have already forgotten her harsh words.

  Her gaze drops to the bag in my hand, and her lips purse. “Or did you have to go buy your own gifts? How very sad for you.”

  “What I do with my time is no concern of yours.” Irritation sharpens my tongue, and spiteful glee fills her eyes.

  Waving an imperious hand, she flows to her feet and saunters over. “Are those shoes you’re wearing? How very...human of you.”

  I resist the urge to cover my feet. There’s no shame in enjoying human creations, and their leather soles will protect me from the harshness of the street.

  My chin lifts. “If all you’re planning to do is needle at me, I have no time for you. I’m going to the Great Fountain tonight to join in the dancing.”

  “Oh, have those men finally caught you?” She leans close, her lips at my ear so her admirers can’t overhear. “Do you become mortal tonight? Giving yourself over to their filthy embrace? Will they make you their trophy bride, to parade in front of the townsfolk? What will they do when your immortal beauty fades? When they realize you’re so very average now?”

  I rear back, shocked at the acid in her tone. I search her face for the fun-loving sister of my past. The one who took joy in helping sailors in need, who rode dolphins and sang joyously in our throne room.

  Instead, all I see is bitterness framed in pearls and coral combs. “What has happened to you?”

  She blinks slowly, and a playful mask slides across her face before she spins back to her waiting men. “Whoever catches me will win a kiss!”

  And with that, she dances away, trailing laughter as the men leap to their feet and playfully give chase.

  A heavy weight settles on my chest, and I crouch to unlace the sandals Harun so carefully tied around my calves. I cast my gaze once more over the beach, at the mirage of my sisters’ frivolity. It now holds a hard undertone, a desperation to remain admired, to have their existence validated by meaningless trinkets.

  How long has it been this way? How did I not notice the change?

  Is this the result of immortality? Is
this why the gods left? Could they no longer stand to witness the flourish of human evolution while they themselves remained stagnant, unchanging, and ultimately unneeded?

  I thought Charybdis mad with her whirlpools, a disease brought on by being chained to the sea floor for so many years. But perhaps we will all end up like her one day, taking delight in destruction.

  Slowly, I walk back up the dunes to where Kaveth parked the broken water wagon. It still lists to one side, its wheel broken. I distracted them from its repairs, and my selfishness put the town in danger. What will happen if a fire breaks out during the festival?

  Angry with myself, I tuck my sandals next to the wheels and cover them with sand to hide them from the casual onlooker. I can’t swim with them, and I desperately need to return to the water right now. A chasm fills my chest, its jagged edges tearing at my heart.

  My eyes sting, my throat tightening, and I lift a hand to my cheek, surprised when my fingers come back wet.

  I lick the drops away, and the salt brings me no comfort.

  Running, I dive into the waves, seeking the currents that will carry me down to the palace. If the water sings to me, my ears can’t hear it, and when I step into the marbled halls, they echo with loneliness. The tall pillars that lift the golden domes crack with age, rubble gathering at their base. How long before the palace falls to ruin? How long before the lingering magic of the gods fades completely?

  I race to the throne room, where we once gathered to sing to Father. His large throne rests dully on the highest platform, its golden surface unpolished. The smaller thrones that circle it barely glisten, and a few of the platforms lay empty altogether.

  The central throne pulls me forward, my gaze fixed to its empty seat. When I rest my hand on its arm, the cold metal makes my fingers ache.

  “Father?”

  My voice echoes around the room, mocking me as it bounces back, unanswered.

  More tears flow down my cheeks, and I throw myself onto the empty seat. “Why did you leave us behind, Father? We were your children! You should have forced us to follow you!”