“Selkies?” My voice cracked. “I’ve never seen one.”
“Apparently, it’s mating season.”
Suspicion pushed me out of bed, the better to tower over her. “How do you know all this?”
She rolled onto her stomach and scissored her legs. “I might have gone snorkeling earlier.”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” She propped her chin in her hands. “They’ll rent anything to anyone these days.”
I glowered down at her. “Rental availability is not the point, and you know it.”
She stuck out her tongue at me. “It’s not like I was floating around testing all the males.”
I relaxed a fraction.
She winked. “Just the cute ones.”
To keep my opinions to myself, I chugged coffee until I gulped air. Damn it. We were on vacation. This was not the time for me to lecture. I should go with the flow, meet some nice selkies and check out life under the sea via rent-a-flippers and a snorkel.
I studied her flushed cheeks. “Did you have any luck?”
“There was this one guy.” She groaned and rolled onto her back. “He’s gorgeous, Tee.”
Fae beauty was definitely a selling point. It was their teeth and claws you had to watch out for.
Her glow made me a touch jealous. I hadn’t felt all lit up inside in a long time. “Did you test him?”
Mai’s buoyant mood sank. “No.”
If it were anatomically possible, I would kick my own ass for dragging her down. I should have kept my mouth shut. Mai was passing out tests like handshakes lately, and it worried me. What used to be the ultimate test was becoming more of a pop quiz. She had been burned. A lot. As her friend, I shouldn’t make light of what stood between her and her future mate, even if I thought it was archaic.
It was just that selkies were, in my opinion, a bad place to start. They had a bad reputation for knocking up women and then stealing their offspring to raise among their own kind. So, yeah. Not the best fae to look to for a relationship.
Says the girl who dated an incubus…
“You do realize you can enjoy a man’s company without expecting a lifelong commitment?”
“I know.” She rested her forearm over her eyes. “I don’t see the point. Why invest myself in a guy who isn’t the one? I mean, that’s what the test is for, right? So what if it has to be widely administered to be effective?” She thumped her head on her arms. “I saw what it did to you. When you and Shaw split up, it was bad. You were wrecked. Even your mom called me to ask what was really going on with you. She wanted details.”
My mother had wanted details? “You never told me she called you.”
“She made me promise I wouldn’t tell you about it.” Mai sighed. “I should have kept my mouth shut, but I want to put this into perspective for you. Love is catastrophic, cataclysmic—and other c words I can’t think of right now. It destroys people. So why suffer when I have a predestined mate?”
So this was it. The truth at last. She was afraid of falling in love without using the test as a safety net. A predestined mate was safe. The whole preordained thing meant he was made for her and her alone. Love guaranteed. Best sex ever, all covered in the fine print.
I envied her that.
For years I had built Shaw up as this ideal man in my head. In hindsight, I could admit that was part of the problem. Place someone high enough on a pedestal and you’re asking for them to fall. Shaw’s incubus nature had given him a push.
“Losing Shaw didn’t wreck me,” I lied through my teeth. “I kept both hands on the wheel.”
“Tee, your hands might have been on the wheel, but you stomped on the gas and played chicken with oncoming traffic.” She rolled toward me. “You were written up five times for excessive force during the first month alone. Oddly enough, those were all instances involving incubi. Huh. Almost like you targeted them.”
Heat swept up the base of my neck. “I could have handled things better post-Shaw. Happy?”
Neutrality apparently only extended so far, even if impartiality was in your blood.
Mai studied me. “I don’t think you believe that.”
“Stop shrinking me. I’m not your patient. Legally, you’re not even allowed to have patients. This is not about me and Shaw.” Thank God. “This is about you.”
“You used the s-word.” She clutched her chest. “That hurts.”
Classic Mai. Land her jabs, let me vent, let her vent at me, and then diffuse the situation.
“So,” I said, wrapping my hand around her ankle. “Are we flirting with gray men or what?”
“Thierry,” she warned.
She kicked out. I caught that leg and tucked it under my arm, returning my attention to her other foot.
“I’ll give you rabies if you do it.”
I snorted. “You don’t have rabies.”
She bared her teeth and squirmed. “I didn’t say I would do it personally.”
“It’s a simple question.” I tickled the bottom of her foot. “Yes or no.”
Mai thrashed. Promises of reciprocation were gasped. My anatomy was threatened which, being a girl, wasn’t as effective as it could have been if we had dragged the guards into the fray. I kept on until she couldn’t breathe and her legs went noodley, until our worries faded and we were just two young women with nothing better to do than to see who could make the other pee their pants laughing first.
Dressed to thrill, Mai sashayed into the living room wearing a silver bikini. This one I had seen crumpled on her bed earlier and almost tossed it, thinking it was tinfoil left over from our delivery. Three small triangles covered her important bits, each held in place by string and a prayer. A mesh cover-up hit her mid-thigh. Its metallic-gray color reminded me of chain mail. Her sleek hair was French braided across the top of her head like a woven hairband and finished off in a sloppy bun behind her right ear.
Feeling slouchy in my simple black tank, hair in a loose ponytail, I trailed the resident fashion plate to the front door.
Diode barred our path. “This is a bad idea.”
“We’ll be careful,” I assured him. “I’ll bring the guards and my bag.”
All my ward-breaking and minor spell-casting ingredients were in there, along with knives and a few poisons. Some snacks. Lip balm. A bottle of water. Sunscreen. With that bag, I was prepared.
Marshals weren’t taught much in the way of magic use until they had adequate field experience. I knew bare-bones castings from working with Shaw, who had a knack for spellwork. Compared to his skill, I was still in training wheels. But he had fifty-three years on me and practiced more often than I did.
Diode’s ears swiveled. “Have you thought this through?”
“Yes?”
Sensing a weakness, he pounced. “Ah-ha. There it is. Doubt.”
Mai shifted from foot to foot. “What is your problem, fur face?”
He lifted his chin. “Have you seen how much water is out there?”
She slapped her forehead. “Hello? It’s the ocean.”
“Ocean. Pah.” He flattened his ears. “It’s unnatural.”
“We’re in Florida.” She threw up her hands. “It’s a peninsula, as in, land surrounded by water on three sides.”
“There is something unsettling about this place.” He sniffed. “She should not be left alone in it.”
I walked over and knelt beside him. “Is this a cat-and-water thing, or can you sense a threat?”
“The spell on the collar is dampening my abilities,” he said, tail bristling, “but something is prickling my fur.”
I stroked down his back, and he rose on tiptoe, arching under my hand. “I’ll stay if you want.”
He stopped mid-purr and speared a corner of the room with his vibrant gaze. “Well?”
Righty materialized with Lefty behind him. “Selkies are aligned with the Seelie, but they aren’t a threat. They’re here to mate, and one call from Thierry can get them banne
d from Florida’s coast. I believe they’re given a three-day window, and if they lose Florida, they’ve lost their chance for the year.”
I frowned at him. I hadn’t known about a three-day window. No wonder sightings were so rare.
The tip of Diode’s tail curled thoughtfully. “Would they obey the orders of an Unseelie noble?”
“No.” Righty shook his head. “But they would have no choice but to honor a conclave edict.”
“Very well. Go have your fun.” Diode batted my thigh with his paw. “Be careful.”
“I will be.” I patted his head. “Can I bring you anything back?”
He sauntered toward a patch of sunlit carpet. “I have all I require here.”
Before he changed his mind, Mai grabbed my upper arm and hauled me down to the beach.
“I hate to say this, but your cat is neurotic.”
“He has water issues. He’s a cat. He’s allowed.”
Her lips twitched. “Have you ever been around a cat long enough to know this isn’t normal?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’m not a cat person.”
“Then take my word for it, as someone who has a sister who breeds Sphinxes, he’s a weirdo.”
I bumped my shoulder against hers. “Be nice. He saved my ass in Faerie. He’s good people.”
“I’m not saying he isn’t. I’m just saying he’s eccentric, even for a cat.”
I shrugged. “As long as he’s not hurting anyone, I don’t care what he does.”
Her laughter tapered into a low whistle of appreciation. “My God, Thierry. Look. Slabs of abs.”
My mouth got a tad dry. “Those are the gray men?”
She bit the nail on her pointer finger. “Mmm-hmm.”
“Wow.”
Hang around fae awhile and their beauty starts to blur. Nothing was blurring here. Twelve men, all tall and tan with swimmers’ bodies, lounged on the beach near a multicolored umbrella that popped against the white sands. Neighboring rental lounges with their navy-blue fabric never stood a chance. The umbrella’s bright colors and its slight spin drew the eye straight toward all of those surfer-god bodies. A clever marketing campaign executed to perfection.
All the women stared openly, and the gray men ate the attention up with a spoon. Otherwise, why wear skintight black swim briefs more at home in Europe than in Florida, where the boardshorts style was the norm? Oh yeah. They knew what those skimpy briefs did to women. Between a grunting selkies-versus-selkies volleyball game and guys evening out their nonexistent tan lines, I was shocked that no one had drowned while gawking.
I bet these guys knew CPR. They were probably certified in mouth to, well, everything.
Mai’s voice was dreamy. “Why would they ever cover up those bodies with seal skins?”
The same reason they removed them. They were of each world and belonged wholly to neither.
I could relate.
“Legend says if you hide a selkie’s skin or take one from the sea, they die of broken hearts.”
“I bet I could kiss it and make it better.”
“They’re half seal, Mai. You don’t kiss away half of someone’s identity.”
She bumped her hip into mine. “Don’t ruin my love-conquers-all fantasies for me.”
I dusted the conversation off my hands. “Fantasize away.”
Let her imagination run wild, as long as I didn’t have front-row seats for the sappy movie playing out in her head.
“They aren’t mingling much,” I observed.
Gray men sightings were rare, and rarer still in warm waters. These outings served a purpose. The kind of purpose best served by endless supplies of bikini-clad humans with lowered inhibitions.
The crowd of gathering women was ripe for picking, so why weren’t they being plucked?
“Now that you mention it, they were flirting earlier, but I didn’t see any, um, you know.”
“Splashing and dashing?” I supplied. “Reeling and dealing?”
Her mouth fell open like I didn’t have her to thank for half my repertoire of immaturity.
I tapped her chin, and her teeth clicked. “Watch out. They might take it as an invitation.”
She rubbed her cheeks to hide her blush. “I can’t even with you right now.”
“Back again?” a paper-thin voice rattled.
My gaze hit on the umbrella, and I noticed a stoop-backed man sitting underneath it.
“Now, now,” Mai chided. “You boys don’t have a monopoly on the beach.”
His hand gripped the thick pole and twisted. “Don’t we?”
Mai cut me a confused look. Clearly, this wasn’t the welcome she expected. I jerked my head toward the hotel. She lifted a finger, asking for a minute.
“Did I misstep before?” She circled to stand in front of the man. “If I did, I apologize.”
The mesmerizing spinning stopped. “You brought her.”
I stepped forward. “Her has a name.”
“You should not have come back, little fox.” He shifted his grip higher on the pole. “The others will scent your friend. Death is not welcome in our midst.”
“In that case, we’ll be on our way.” I waved at Mai. “Come on.”
The man shook his head. “It’s too late.”
The Adonises we had admired earlier converged on us while we chatted with the elder.
Fingertips brushed my elbow, a reassurance from Righty. A reminder he could get me out if I wanted to go. Good to know, but no way was I leaving Mai trapped behind the wall of agitated man-seals. Instead, I waded through muscular bodies and stood by her side, placing us between the old man and the sea.
“This is not a defensible position,” Lefty hissed in my ear.
To keep his presence our little secret, I ignored him.
From this angle I could see the elder’s face, and I had to admit the guy must have been hot in his day. He still had bone structure that drew the eye and radiated an alpha vibe that cowed his followers.
So of course I stomped on social etiquette rather than dance around it. “What’s your problem?”
He examined the waves behind us. “You are.”
“I get that, but why? I haven’t hurt you or threatened you.” I added, “I’m here on vacation.”
His lips curled. “Death takes a vacation?”
“No, it doesn’t,” I answered truthfully. “But I’m not death. I’m just me.”
I might be a portent thanks to my father, but his legacy didn’t define me.
“Can you prove it?” His gaze lowered to the sand and refused to meet my eyes. “Why should I believe you?”
A dangerous idea sparked, but I filed it under last resort. “I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else.” Nudges at my elbows told me both of my guards were ready to intervene if necessary. “We’re leaving now.”
The man flicked his wrist as a wave crashed behind us. Cool water teased the backs of our heels and sucked us lower into the sand. Shadows loomed over us. Reinforcements. Great. The one nearest Mai wrapped a casual arm around her waist, but when she struggled, he brought her hard against him in an embrace she couldn’t wriggle out of.
“You really don’t want to hurt her,” I told him.
“We won’t harm the kitsune,” the old man replied. “If you prove yourself, then you may go.” He pointed to another selkie. “Invoke the perimeter spell. We don’t need humans seeing this.”
I cocked an eyebrow at their preparedness. “What did you have in mind?”
“A race,” he said with a flash of white teeth. “The winner decides the loser’s fate.”
I ran every day. Okay, so every other day. I was in good shape, better since the princess thing began making me paranoid. Terrain would be key. Sand would bog me down and cost me the advantage. Assuming they didn’t opt for a swim-off, which if I were half-seal, would be my pick. Either way, it was a lose/lose proposition for me.
This losing thing was getting old.
I squinted at the elder. �
��The kitsune goes free either way?”
“Yes.” The old man inclined his head. “She is welcome among us.”
That was one point in my favor at least. “What are the rules of this race?”
“You are the challenger, so you may choose either the weapon or the location.”
Freaking monkeys. This was not the harmless afternoon of flirting I had planned, damn it.
With a smug grin hitching his lips, he asked, “What is your preference?”
I smiled blithely at him. “I defer the first choice to my opponent.”
“Thierry…” Righty warned in my ear.
“Let us end this now,” Lefty murmured.
“I would prefer to part ways without violence,” I said to them through tight lips. “We wait.”
“An interesting choice,” the man allowed. “Kynon, step forward.”
Possibly the most handsome man present came to my side and tipped his head.
“Kynon is the swiftest among us,” the elder bragged. “The challenger has given you first choice. Take it.”
“I choose location.” His voice was surprisingly soft. “I choose the Mother.”
I shook my head. “Surprise, surprise. A selkie choosing sea over land.”
“It is a mercy I offer you,” he said. “I will end this quickly.”
My heart stuttered. “This is a race to the death?”
“You are death.” A pucker appeared between his eyebrows. “There is only one end for you.”
“Kynon has chosen,” the instigator called. “Choose your weapon.”
A slow grin spread over my face. “I can have any item I want to protect myself?”
His nod was regal. “Yes.”
Last resort, here I come.
I lowered the boom. “Then I choose your skin.”
For the first time since I’d arrived, he looked right at me. Horror shone bright in his eyes. I wasn’t sure what his hang-up with death was, or how he sensed I was a portent, but his shock told me I had reaffirmed his worst fears, proving myself evil beyond measure and in need of being put down.
Jerking his chin up, the elder gestured toward Kynon. “He will retrieve my pelt from the vault.”
My opponent strode toward the waves, dove into the water and disappeared.
Mai, who had stopped resisting her attack-hugger huffed. “Now what?”
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