by Cat Adams
Wow.
“See what I mean?” Bubba lowered his camera to grin at me. “Told ya I knew where the island was. Pretty cool, huh?”
It was cool, assuming they didn’t mean any trouble. Twelve to one would be rotten odds if things went south.
Creede grinned at me. He looked a little rough around the edges. There was stubble on his cheeks, but the look suited him, gave him kind of a rakish charm. Today he smelled of salt air, fish, and charcoal in addition to the cologne. Very outdoorsy and nice. “Your relatives know how to make an impression.”
Eleven of the boats stopped about five hundred yards away. The lead boat continued moving closer. I could see a bearded man in jeans and a T-shirt standing at the prow, a loudspeaker in his grasp.
“Ahoy, captain of Mona’s Rival. Is Celia Kalino Graves on board?”
Bubba set down the camera and headed behind the wheel. A moment later his voice boomed across the water, only slightly distorted by the megaphone in his hand, “She is.”
“Stand by for her escort,” was the prompt answer.
“Your escort?” Creede turned to me.
I shrugged. “How the hell would I know? I didn’t even know they were expecting me. I thought I was going to surprise them.”
We didn’t have much time to wonder about it. The words were barely out of my mouth when Ren stepped out of thin air and onto the deck of Mona’s Rival, accompanied by a stunning woman of about twenty or so with Hawaiian features and a dark braid twined with flowers. They each wore the colorful lavalava common in Polynesian cultures and they looked damned good doing it. Ren’s hands were empty, but her companion carried a paper-wrapped package.
“What the—” Creede doesn’t like being surprised, and admittedly he should have felt magic being crafted nearby. He stepped back, reaching his hands out in the same stance he’d had during the Will reading. He froze in mid-motion at a signal from me. I didn’t think they meant trouble and I’d learned from experience that sirens are a touchy lot.
“Celia.” Ren dipped her head, more an acknowledgment of my existence than any show of respect.
“Ren.” I gave her the same in return.
Even her hand wave was as graceful as flowing water. I hated her. Well, okay, not hated—not the way Cassandra thought of me, more in the California sense. She was just so much better at the elegant stuff than me. “This is Hiwahiwa. She is Queen Lopaka’s foremost aide. Hiwahiwa, this is Princess Celia Kalino.”
Creede’s eyebrows just about climbed off his face at the title, but he kept silent. Probably just as well. The sirens were pretty much ignoring everybody but me.
Hiwahiwa bowed, her braid swinging forward to brush the ground. “It is an honor, Highness.”
“The pleasure’s mine,” I answered. Only then did she straighten up.
“Her Majesty assumed that since you were coming on such short notice you wouldn’t have time to pack.” How the hell had they even known I was coming? Sigh. I did not need to be messing with sirens who were also clairvoyant. “She asked that I bring you something appropriate to wear.”
They were dressing me for a meeting I hadn’t even known I was having. Great. Just great. I smiled and took the package she held out. Turning, I made introductions, then excused myself to go change.
I went down to the stateroom, carrying my package. The Rusland contingent was in the mess/kitchen area. They’d quit arguing in favor of glowering silently at each other. I should probably find out what was going on, but I figured it could wait until I got changed.
The queen had sent me a lavalava. I’d never worn one before, so it took me a few minutes to get the knack of tying the skirt. Both the sleeveless top and the ankle-length skirt were a vibrant red that I expected to look hideous on me but just didn’t. The fabric wasn’t cotton. In fact, I couldn’t identify what it was. But it was natural and it breathed beautifully. Much better than the jacket I slipped on over my new outfit. If anyone complained about the jacket, I’d explain about the sun sensitivity. If they complained about the weapons, I’d remind them about my upcoming duel. But I was wearing it and I was going armed. Both Ren and Hiwahiwa had been barefoot. I didn’t do barefoot much. I hoped there were no rocks. Because sneakers would be . . . gauche.
When I finished dressing I stepped once again into the tiny space that served as the ship’s head. I was delighted to find toothpaste and a couple of unopened toothbrush boxes in the cabinet above the minuscule sink, along with a hairbrush. I wished for makeup, but that was too much to ask. Still, in just a few minutes, I was dressed and presentable.
When I opened the door, Dahlmar was standing outside. His hands were clenched into fists, but his voice was calm. Almost serene, in fact, which made the fists all the more noticeable.
“Ivan has reminded me that my first duty as king is to remain alive. He also pointed out that I have no immunity to the siren glamour. Thus, we are staying hidden downstairs.”
Ah, so that was what the argument was about. Couldn’t say as I blamed Ivan. But it does take balls to stand up to a king like that. Then again, Ivan had brains and power and had somehow managed to get his king to safety in the middle of a coup. A sure sign that Ivan had great big polished brass ones.
King Dahlmar brought my attention back to the matter at hand. “It is traditional in this situation to present a gift to a monarch . . . something of significance to you personally or of great value. It would be a grave insult not to do so. Do you have such a gift? We had little time to plan this trip.”
No, I didn’t. I could probably come up with something. Maybe. “Do you have something that would work?”
His expression grew rueful. He made a gesture to include his Disneyland getup. “If I did, would I be dressed like this? I just felt I should warn you. But she anticipated your need for clothing, so perhaps she will understand—” But he sounded doubtful.
“Don’t worry about it,” I told him. “I’ll think of something.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but I didn’t let him. “I said, don’t worry about it.” I’d had a thought. Not a welcome or happy thought, but there you go. I had something that would work as a gift. It was magical. It was valuable. And I really, really, didn’t want to part with it. That should make it perfect.
I pushed past him, moving quickly up the stairs. I was tired. Tired of not being able to eat, of having to slather myself with sunscreen; tired of political bullshit, constant near-death experiences, and narrow-minded assholes stalking me. I hated it all. My life was completely out of control. I was still reacting because everybody else kept anticipating my plans. Worse, there wasn’t any guarantee that any of this was going to change, no matter how much I wanted it to, tried to, change it. And today I was going to have to part with one of my most treasured possessions because of some political bullshit nobody’d bothered to warn me about, and then defend my right to exist.
Sucks to be me.
I stepped onto the deck; the ladies were waiting patiently. Bubba raised a brow at the lavalava, which admittedly hugged every curve. Creede didn’t take his eyes off the women who’d managed to surprise him. I didn’t blame him at all.
“Let’s do this.”
14
A four-seat motorboat was sent to fetch us. Ren explained with some embarrassment that she could only teleport herself and one other person. I pointed out that this was exactly two more people than I could manage. It made her laugh. Even Hiwahiwa managed a smile, though she tried to hide it. The sailor driving the dinghy didn’t bother. He was grinning ear-to-ear.
I returned Bubba’s wave as we drove off. He actually seemed happy to be staying behind with Dahlmar and Ivan. Creede wasn’t happy at all.
I didn’t blame him. I was nervous as hell, bordering on frightened. Would I make it back? Maybe, maybe not. I might be able to talk my way out of this, assuming the queen would listen. But I was already at a disadvantage because she thought I’d insulted her deliberately. I doubted I’d get a chance to explain. E
ven if I did, Adriana and Ren were both princesses. I was betting their word would carry more weight than mine.
Then, if I made it past the hearing, there was the duel. But that didn’t bother me as much. A straight-up fight I could handle. Until I’d been locked away, I’d trained nearly every day. I’m familiar with most weapons and have made a serious study of a couple of different disciplines of unarmed combat. And when it comes to experience in flat-out dirty street fighting, well, I’ve got plenty of that.
So I just had to get past the talking—which I wasn’t good at—and on to the fighting, which I was. Piece of cake. Yeah, right.
The dinghy pulled up to the mother ship. She was huge and gorgeous. I don’t know enough about boats to describe the ship with any degree of accuracy, but suffice it to say that I imagined her featuring prominently in Bubba’s wet dreams. Strong arms helped me up the ladder and onto the deck, releasing me as soon as I was standing safe on my own two feet. As soon as we were all on board, the fleet began to move away from Mona’s Rival.
You seem worried. Are you well?
I didn’t recognize the voice in my head, so it wasn’t Ren. Since the crew all appeared to be male, I looked to Hiwahiwa by process of elimination. She smiled.
“I’m fine, thanks. Just a little nervous about meeting your queen.”
Queens. You’ll be presenting yourself to the high queen, yes, but to the others as well.
Okay, so Ren hadn’t been messing with me and neither had Jeff. Multiple queens with one high queen. And Hiwahiwa was thinking at me, which meant I probably was supposed to communicate telepathically as well. One problem: I hadn’t been able to do that before the bite and I hadn’t actually learned how since. Still, the basics had been covered way back in grade school when they were testing all of us for the talent, and there was no time like the present to learn new party tricks.
I concentrated, forming the words in my mind while I pictured her face. How many queens are there?
Again she smiled, apparently pleased I’d responded in kind. Currently five. The Pacific line is home to High Queen Lopaka; the lesser queens are from the Aegean, the Baltic, the Sea of Japan, and the Indian Ocean.
None from the Atlantic?
Not since the end of the first age.
The end of the first age had been quite a while ago, B.C. According to the legends, which were really all that was left, the first age had ended with the destruction of Atlantis.
One of the sailors came up with a message for Hiwahiwa. She excused herself, leaving me alone looking out to sea with plenty to think about. I wasn’t sure where Ren had gone off to or if she was even on the boat. Hard to keep track of someone who can teleport. I didn’t mind. It was kind of nice, feeling the breeze against my skin. I had a few more minutes before the sunscreen gave out. Judging from how quickly we appeared to be approaching land, I could stay right here until we arrived without risking skin damage.
I did turn to look back, see if I could catch a glimpse of Bubba’s yacht. I could see Mona’s Rival, but she was a goodly ways out on the horizon. Hard to judge the exact distance, particularly with the visible haze caused by the magical barrier that separated us, but too far to swim for sure. I was betting she would be invisible from the island. Nor were they being guarded. Not a single ship had been left behind. Was that a good or bad thing?
I watched the seabirds swirl and swoop in what truly appeared to be organized chaos, a sort of dance that seemed to be for the sole purpose of my personal entertainment. They scattered once we reached the inlet, and then I watched the sailors go about their duties. Hiwahiwa didn’t return until the boat was fully at rest, at which point she approached, smiling broadly.
“I’m sorry we weren’t able to talk more. Having so many royals on the island is making my job a bit more complex than it normally would be.”
“It’s all right. I was enjoying the trip.”
“You like the ocean?”
I didn’t answer right away. I wasn’t sure how to put what I felt into words without sounding like an idiot. Then the words formed in my mind like magic. I love the ocean. It’s where I go to find peace and calm when life’s storms are too much for me, the one place where I can truly relax and clear my head. Its beauty restores me, its majesty awes me. I need it like I need the air I breathe and the food I eat.
Another smile, one that lit up her whole face. I understand. It’s like that for us all. And your affinity with the birds shows that you are truly one of our own. You belong here.
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. I’ve never belonged anywhere.
The captain approached. “Ladies. If you are ready.” He gestured toward the gangplank.
Hiwahiwa led me down onto docks that were absolutely ordinary, perfectly modern, and, I guessed, well designed. Stepping out of the harbor area, however, was like taking a step out of time. A perfectly tended path wound through lush greenery, past tiny waterfalls and other natural wonders. Overhead rang the raucous calls of birds and small mammals. A heady perfume of tropical flowers and rich, damp volcanic earth filled my nostrils. Higher in the sky, the gulls soared ahead of us as though announcing our arrival.
The trail wound slowly upward. My companion and I rounded one last bend and stepped into a secluded glade ringed with brightly colored hibiscus.
As we passed into the clearing, musicians began pounding a compelling rhythm on skin drums. We moved forward, along ground that rose in ripples that looked as if they had been formed by the downward movement of an ancient lava flow. The rising ground made for a natural dais at the far end of the clearing, perhaps a hundred yards to the right of a steep waterfall that splashed noisily into a wide pool of water so clear and pure I could clearly see every stone and swimming fish.
I didn’t waste much time looking at it or any of the other natural wonders surrounding me. Because we had come into the presence of royalty, judging by the arrangement of six thrones carved from the native stone, in graduating sizes and complexity leading to the massive center chair.
The thrones were occupied, each chair seating a siren of imperious beauty. While I couldn’t be sure, I could almost guess which woman represented which ocean based on their appearance. Each was completely unique in her appeal, coloring, and dress. One throne was empty. I presumed it was for the Atlantic queen who no longer existed.
They were dark skinned and light, Asian and Caucasian. One woman bore a particularly striking resemblance to Ren—presumably her mother, queen of the Mediterranean branch. A tiny woman with Japanese features was, I assumed, the ruler of the Sea of Japan.
On the center and largest throne sat a tall blond woman who looked remarkably like me, only better. A lot better. Her blond hair was loose, flowing unhindered to the waist of a crimson lavalava hemmed in glittering gold. Her skin was too fair to actually tan, but it had the hint of a warm glow. All of her features were beautiful, but her eyes . . . her eyes were unforgettable. Because while she had the body of a youth, one look in those storm gray depths and you knew she was ancient. There was both wisdom and cold, implacable pragmatism in her gaze. I knew I should look at each of the queens, take their measure. But I couldn’t seem to look away from Queen Lopaka.
Even without the benefit of my vampire talents I would’ve felt the power in that clearing. It was thick, thrumming, almost a separate, living presence that grew with each passing moment.
Ren appeared beside Hiwahiwa and the two of them led me forward until I stood directly in front of the row of thrones. The drumming continued, growing in intensity as more women, sirens all, filed into the clearing, sitting on the ground in groups of four or five on either side of the main path.
At a tiny gesture from Lopaka, the noise of the drums and the murmurs of the crowd stopped in an instant. The rushing splash of water was deafening in the sudden silence.
Hiwahiwa bent almost double before her queen, her long hair brushing the ground at her feet. “Your Majesties. I present to you the abomination, Celia Kalino Gra
ves.”
Abomination. Great. Just great. Although I suppose it was better to find out right at the beginning where I stood.
She means no insult. It is simply a label for what you are: not human, not siren, not even vampire.
The voice in my head was calm and melodic, as if it was set to music I couldn’t quite hear, a song so heartbreakingly pure that I’d never forget it if I did.
I shook my head, trying to break the spell. It didn’t help much. But that was all right. The warmth of the unheard music clashed in harsh counterpoint against the harsh words of the tiny Japanese queen. She rose from her throne next to Lopaka. Glaring at me with cold, dark eyes, her beautiful features twisted into an expression of disgust.
Again the words formed inside my skull. This creature, this . . . thing . . . has no place among us. Siren blood may be in her veins, but it is blood corrupted. She was summoned to appear before us weeks ago. Where has she been? She hasn’t even the decency to show respect by bringing a gift for the queen of her line.
There was no sound, but I could feel the stirring of their minds against mine. Psychics. They were all psychics. Well, I’d guessed as much and Hiwahiwa’s actions on the way here had warned me. Had she done it deliberately? I was grateful either way.
Each voice in my head had its own melody. Some beautiful, some harsh. It wasn’t music, precisely, unless they chose to focus it that way. It was a psychic call. Until now I hadn’t understood what my gran meant when she’d tried to explain it to me. Hell, maybe she hadn’t understood it, either.
I took a single, small step, putting myself a fraction ahead of Ren and Hiwahiwa. Bowing at the waist, I tried to focus my thoughts and project them, the same way I’d done with Hiwahiwa on the boat. I knew I was bad at it, clumsy. Several of the faces surrounding me were openly sneering. But I kept trying. Because if I couldn’t use telepathy, they’d hold it against me and claim that I wasn’t siren enough to live.