And Lathyr had been with her for most of it, supporting her. Would have been with her for all her lessons if she hadn’t been tempted by the ocean salt smell. He stuck with her like most people hadn’t.
Maybe her lessons wouldn’t have been hard, wouldn’t have forced her to grow as a mer...but she thought the time with him, as the time with him now, had helped her become a better person.
Caring for another, considering their wants and needs as well as your own did that to you.
Lathyr gestured to a portal opening into a stationary water funnel outside the palace. “Hold my hand. We’ll go through and I will take us to Agat Bay, Guam, the closest water I know personally to Challenger Deep.”
“Know personally?”
He whirled his hands. “The feel of the water, the pressure and scent of it, the temperature, the emanations of humans and mer and fish.”
“Oh.”
His brows knit. “Guam is about two hundred miles from Challenger Deep and the great Pearl. I am vaguely familiar with the waters and we will be able to move quickly through the ocean. We will be at the trench in under an hour.”
Yoga breaths...she’d learned how to do those, even underwater. “Oh-kay,” she said, stood a little taller. “Better sooner than later.”
He took her hands and smiled down at her, at least his lips curved and she felt tenderness, maybe even more from him, though his eyes were dark and held secrets.
The door of the elevator opened and the Water Queen strode in.
Lathyr bowed. Kiri did the same, even managed a modified hand swirl, while studying the voluptuous merfem. Her heart-shaped face held a determined expression that hardened her soft features. Her hair was dark green and her pale green skin had the faintest tint of blue that Kiri hadn’t noticed before.
“Salutations, my Queen,” Lathyr said.
“Your distant cousin,” she corrected in a slightly husky voice.
“As you wish, Highness.”
She strolled toward them. “Or perhaps a distant auntie.” Her gaze was fixed on him, and Kiri stood still, since a thread of yearning ran between the two.
“My last relative,” the queen said softly, stopping near them. She was about the same height as Kiri.
“My last relative,” Lathyr echoed, then blinked and bowed his head. “If you please.”
“I do please to acknowledge you.”
“And your king?” asked Lathyr.
Her voice hardened. “He knows not to thwart me in this any longer.” She put her hands around his face. “Tadling.” She smiled and was so sensual and beautiful that Kiri wanted to be her.
“I acknowledge you and we will speak after this quest is done. Come back to me, Lathyr Squall-Tricurrent.”
Before he could answer, the queen turned to Kiri. “You will bring him back to me healthy and whole,” she ordered.
Kiri raised her brows. “I hope to. I hope we both come back healthy and whole.”
“Good,” the queen said, then stared at Kiri. “A new merfem from a human, powerful in magic.” She shook her head. “Astonishing, though I knew of the experiment, of course.” She narrowed her eyes, and Kiri felt the woman’s magic trace her angular scale pattern. The queen had very few curves in her design. She nodded, but didn’t comment. She glanced at Lathyr again. “You are lovers?”
“Yes.”
Her smile curved as she studied them. “It is well.”
The door opened and two merfems hurried through, hand in hand, also obviously lovers and a couple.
“There you are, Highness,” the taller, thinner one said.
“I have come to see my nephew off to his quest for the great Pearl,” the queen said calmly. “Lathyr, I make you known to Frond Seamont, the Water King’s heir.” Then the queen gestured to the smaller merfem, who had totally different features and skin tone from the first, “and my heir, Urchin Seamont.”
Kiri kept her sigh between her teeth as she used her bow again. “Honored,” she said.
“As are we,” said Frond. The two new merfems did some fancy curtsy dips and Kiri decided she’d stick with bows.
Urchin’s full mouth thinned. “The Water King is...annoyed.”
The queen lifted and dropped a shoulder. “He will grow out of it.” She flashed an apologetic smile at Lathyr. “I should have broken him of some of his bad habits long ago, but the truth is—” she sighed “—I love him madly.”
“I never doubted that,” Lathyr said. Everyone looked at everyone else, and finally he said, “And I do not expect to garner a tenth of that love you feel for him as affection to myself.”
“I suppose you think those pretty words will make me like you more.” The king simply appeared in the room, and
Kiri’s mind went off in speculation about how he could do that, until she gave up.
“You are too high above me for me to understand,” Lathyr said with such simple sincerity it had to be believed.
One side of the king’s mouth kicked up in a half smile. “I suppose I might regret placing such an onerous geas on you,” the merman said, offering his wife his arm. “Come, we Eight are discussing our primary project.”
“Very well.” The queen took his arm, but moved to angle them both to face Lathyr and Kiri. Then she lifted her hands and chanted and a soft web engulfed Kiri. Lathyr made a quiet noise beside her. “You have my blessing.”
“Thank you,” Kiri said.
The queen nudged the king sharply in the ribs. He turned his large and handsome head toward Kiri and met her eyes. She felt the pull of him, and his anger, but dug her webbed feet into the tile floor. “You can do it, girl.”
“Th-thank you.”
The king turned and strode back to the door.
“And she will bring him back safe to me,” the queen said.
Grunting, the king waved and Kiri felt another touch of magic smack her, energizing her. Huh.
“My thanks,” Lathyr gasped, just as the royal Water couple entered the elevator and the doors closed behind them.
“He can be quite annoying himself,” Urchin said.
“True,” Frond said. She smiled at them. “We wish you well.”
Kiri blinked. “You went on this quest.”
Both merfems nodded and wrapped arms around each other’s waist. “Indeed we did,” Urchin said.
They looked at each other, and like the queen, Kiri sensed they were keeping themselves from talking about the quest.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Another swept bow from Lathyr.
“You are quite welcome,” Frond said, paused, then continued delicately. “You have the guardians on your side, too.”
“They informed us that you are to be considered occupants of their wing.”
“They’re very kind,” Kiri murmured.
“They aren’t,” Urchin said. “But they take fancies to people and apparently you are a couple of them.”
“It’s the Mystic Circle connection,” Kiri said decidedly.
The women appeared clueless.
“Mystic Circle, the balanced area where Princess Jindesfarne Emberdrake lives,” Lathyr explained.
“Balanced magic does boost power,” Frond said.
Urchin angled her head. “We’re being called to the meeting. Good luck. Hopefully, more changes will be coming, like Marin Greendepths mellowing.”
“That would be fine with me,” Frond said, then called out, “Good luck!”
“Thanks!” Kiri said before they entered the elevator. Then she looked up at Lathyr. “Did you get the idea that we’d need luck?”
He nodded. “Oh, yes.”
* * *
No more than two hours later, they hovered before the dark crevice in the earth. Lathyr turned her in his arms and kissed her and she shuddered at the sensuality of his tongue and his taste.
He drew away first. “We will do this together.”
“Of course,” she said.
He formed a shield around himself and she followed suit. Li
nking hands, they started down.
Dark. Cold. Strangeness and hideous pressure. Ghosts of her human origin haunted her.
They stopped some way down, Kiri didn’t know where—
either in relation to the ocean floor or the surface, or the bottom.
Lathyr let go of her hand. I can descend no farther with you—the pressure and the water demands only one who is pure water elemental proceed. I have too much air elemental.
He had barely any air elemental in his blood, and his face was impassive so she couldn’t see whether he was disappointed. He twined tails with her, put his hands on her face and brushed her lips with his; she felt the pressure of them even through her shield that lay like a second skin around her. His tail squeezed hers, then released and he backswam and now he was smiling. Go on!
She stared at him, let the gentle current sweep her long hair in front of her face and mask her expression.
She wanted this. Wanted to fulfill every last bit of her potential. She hesitated, but her inner self yearned too much for the experience. So she nodded, and blew him a kiss and swam down.
She knew the water was odd, very different than most of the ocean. There were creatures she couldn’t see. Those she sensed were nearly pure magic and glided in the shadows around her, themselves hardly more than a quick blur in her vision.
Strangeness enveloped her, the acidity of the water, the quiet of the deep, the knowledge she was completely alone.
That was more frightening than she’d anticipated, and had a lonely note echoing dull and low in her heart. Lathyr waited on a ledge in the trench, as far as he could go, and she descended alone.
Down and down and down and with every flick of fin, the dark became more oppressive.
Then she saw the glow. A coral-pink-peach glow that wasn’t at all how it appeared in the game—and wasn’t a true glow of light, but of magic. She stilled in momentary surprise that the game of Transformation had resembled reality once more, then resumed swimming.
She swam toward the glow that lured her.
Finally, she saw it.
Unlike the great Pearl in the game, this was not huge, nor was it partially embedded in the side of the trench. But it emanated more magic.
Tiny worm things and magical creatures circled around it in a graceful pattern, dancing in their way as other beings did in other atmospheres. She watched them and loneliness seeped even more into her blood. This sight would mean more if shared. Who could she talk with about this, the Water Queen who thought of her as a child? The king, who found her uninteresting?
In the stillness she became aware of a pulsing, the innate sound of the planet itself. With a bubbling breath she let herself sink to the great Pearl, holding pure magic from the earth, and balanced magic. Jenni would like to see this, but Kiri would never be able to bring her here.
The pearl was the size of a large crystal ball, and set on an intricately carved stand that reminded Kiri of those supporting fake ivory balls in Chinatown shops. Very fancy and no doubt dwarven made.
She reached out to brush her fingers on the surface of the pearl, touch it and finish this test the royals had set her.
And vividly recalled how, in Transformation, she had failed that mission.
Chapter 34
THEN SHE KNEW. This special pearl wasn’t hers alone to touch. This test wasn’t a quest for an individual, no matter how smart, how independent, how talented or in control that individual was.
This was a team effort—more, it was an intimate effort. And if she wanted to place her palm on this pearl, and, oh, she did!—she would have to accept and acknowledge an intimate bond.
Acknowledge was the right word. She had an intimate bond with a lover, a bond that could grow if she allowed it. Into what—she didn’t know. But if she didn’t admit it, she would forever be empty in a part of her that should be filled.
There was really nothing wrong with not wanting to share your life, she assured herself—not if that was how your heart truly wanted to live. But avoiding love because you were afraid of pain was a totally different matter.
The Mystic Circle people were the closest friends she’d allowed herself in years, outside of Shannon and Averill.
And wasn’t it time for her to stop being hurt by her parents? And time she grew out of her childhood fear of being abandoned emotionally?
Well, maybe she’d always carry a hurt from her parents, but she didn’t have to make that the central factor of all her heart-decisions in her life. Get over it. Move on.
Grow.
She knew Lathyr loved her—perhaps deeply. Deeply enough to put her wants and needs before his own. Deeply enough to let her come here to touch the great Pearl that he also wanted to see, to experience, but was unable to reach.
By himself.
Time to accept the feelings of her own heart. She loved Lathyr, too. He didn’t abandon her. He stuck with her. He offered love without demanding it in return—and she’d been wary. Time for that to stop. He deserved her love. She’d be wrong in withholding her own feelings, when all she’d have to do is open up and let the love flow both ways.
She wanted him in her life for now and the foreseeable future of always. She didn’t want a life without him.
She wanted to share the great Pearl with him.
So she backed away and rose gently through the sea, letting love, letting hope, carry her upward.
Somehow they should be able to touch the pearl together. She’d provide the pure water magic, he the finesse of experience.
But if not, if they couldn’t do this together, then she wouldn’t do it at all.
Being loved was more important than any outward trappings of respect or fame or status. All this time she’d thought those things had mattered, more than they did.
And she’d been afraid.
She returned to the ledge where Lathyr waited and when he saw her, his serious face glowed with love and he smiled, his gaze searching her face. You are not as changed as I expected you to be.
But I am changed, Kiri replied, taking his outstretched hands and pulling them together. I did not touch the pearl.
She felt the jolt of his surprise.
What! Why not?
Because I learned from the game. This is not a pearl that should be touched by one. Only two.
His eyes looked even bluer to her vision, elven eyes more than mer. Wonderful, cherished eyes in her lover’s face.
Let’s see if we can do this together. You have the experience with shields, and I can feed you water magic and power and maybe get us both down there.
What if we can’t?
She shrugged. Then we can’t. Being with you, loving and being loved, is more important than status.
Then you love me.
Yes, but you knew, she said.
Yes, but I didn’t know if you would stay with me.
He, too, had had abandonment issues. And he had had faith, more faith and grace than she.
I’m older, he said, as if following her thoughts, then a line formed between his brows as he considered the logistics. If we layer shields, and the innermost links us together with your water magic encasing the two of us, this might work.
All right. She fed him raw power, her own and a tiny draw on the huge oceans of the earth.
He grinned, shaped the power, slowly, so she could see what he was doing. Then she understood she couldn’t form the shields as he did, perhaps she could never form shields as good as his. He used a little air magic, and she told him so.
He looked surprised, frowned, then nodded and kept on layering the spells around them, cocooning them safely.
And when they were enveloped, she took his hand, smiled at the attraction and the connection between them. His slow smile back at her closed her throat. She hadn’t been a very wise person lately, but accepting love—and giving it—had been the best decision she’d made in her life, including becoming Lightfolk.
So they swam slowly down and he exclaimed at the beauty, and th
e odd creatures, and the landscape and the texture of the water that flowed against the shields in a different manner than usual.
He paused, chest rising and falling hard. Kiri sent elemental water power through their link, saw it bead on his skin, then they dropped another few yards and Lathyr remained all right and the tension in her shoulders lightened.
Together they followed the glow of the pearl, then hovered near it.
She lifted her free hand, fingers spread.
Smiling at her, he did the same, and they curved their palms on opposite sides of the precious gem.
And as she did, the shield over her palm thinned to nothing. Magic. She shot a glance to Lathyr; he grinned and nodded. He felt the pearl, too.
She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting—a huge flow of power, some electrical shock, a wave of magic, but all that happened was that it gently glowed brighter, dazzling her senses.
Listen, Lathyr said.
So she did, frowning, because she’d adjusted to the magical glow and saw Lathyr’s head tilted, his body rippling. She closed her own eyes and paid attention. Magic. Vibration. Humming. From the planet itself. Like the dolphin and whale songs, something more sensed than heard, and in a different range than human.
Felt more than heard.
Love.
Love for all its beings. For life from the single cell to those as complex as she and Lathyr.
And with that realization, Kiri also felt the minute pulse of the pearl, and magic seeping through her palm, her own blood falling into the same rhythm of mother Earth.
She was connected with the planet, and always would be, had the magic from the Earth inside her.
She wept.
After long moments, Lathyr said, Enough. We must go. We must not be greedy and soak up more magic than we need.
With a sigh, she nodded and drew away from the pearl. Her hand tingled and she flexed her fingers, saw Lathyr do the same. A slight pull from him had her spinning into his arms and she let him swirl her around in pleasure.
Thank you, my lady, my love, for bringing me with you.
Enchanted Ever After (Mystic Circle) Page 31