Page 17 of Kissed By Songs of Lilies

I no longer knew which way was up and which was down. Palpable fear shot through my body as I realized I was going to drown.

Then strong arms wrapped around my waist, and tugged me upward. With a kick from him, the sprites returned to the shadows below.

My fae captor was… saving me.

CHAPTER 8

The Stolen Bride

We broke through the surface of the water, and I gasped for air. I couldn’t believe it. Somehow, I was still alive.

Ahead, under the light of the full moon, I saw their island. It was close now. I tried to swim toward it, but my muscles started to cramp. I might have fallen back below the waves if it weren’t for him.

Beside me, as he was catching his breath, he said, "Stop trying to swim. You’ll drown. Just float on your back."

Of course. I knew that. It was the first swimming lesson my sisters and I had ever gotten. Surrounded by ponds, rivers, ocean, and marsh, all three of us had learned to float as toddlers. Still, I was amazed at how easy it was to lose my head when my brain was foggy, and my muscles were tired. This was how people drowned.

I rested on my back, breathing hard, and staring up at the moonlight. Thanking the stars that I was alive to see their light.

Soon, we were surrounded by the pod of selkies once more.

"May we help?" one asked.

I was too tired to argue, so I just nodded.

A selkie pulled me onto her slick back, and I clung to her for dear life. Slowly, we glided across the waves. To my surprise, the island was visible just ahead. I had never seen it without its shroud of mist.

A few minutes later, the water became too shallow for the selkies. They began to shed their seal skins and transformed into beautiful, bare-breasted women. Their long hair drifted behind them as they waded through the waist-deep water.

My selkie was the last to transform, and when she did, I slid from her back and plunged back into the water. Two selkies grabbed my arms and helped me toward the shore. I turned my head and saw the fae man was close behind, walking along the top of the water with ease.

He grinned down at me. "How’s the water?"

Despite the heat of the night air, the water here held a chill like a mountain stream. Absent-mindedly, I ran my hands up and down my arms, trying to keep warm.

"You’re cold," cried the selkie on my left arm. "How terrible. Won’t you take one of our seal skins? They’re awfully warm."

The one of my right arm nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes. I’d gladly let you have my seal skin. We can mate with humans, you know."

I already knew that accepting (or stealing) a selkie’s skin was to bind myself to them for life. The last thing I needed was a second betrothed, so I shook my head as politely as I could manage. "I’m afraid I’m already spoken for," I said.

My fae captor snorted.

I hadn’t realized his hearing was quite so good. I frowned up at him. As if this entire situation weren’t his doing. Still, I supposed he hadn’t left me to drown. That was something.

Luckily, the selkies seemed unperturbed by my rejection. They continued to support me through the choppy waves. Instead, they moved on to my bridegroom with a giggle. "What about you, King? Surely you deserve many women."

He winked at her. "A tempting offering, but I think just the one bride will do."

Well, that was something at least. I wasn’t joining a harem of stolen brides.

With that, the two selkies dropped my arms and sunk back into the water. I stumbled, nearly face planting into the waves.

The fae man sank into the water a few feet and took purchase of my arm himself. "Sulky selkies," he muttered.

Not long after, we stepped onto the sandy beach of the isle, and he released my arm. My shift clung to my figure, and I was sure it was nearly transparent. I folded my arms across my chest. My wet hair fell loose down my back. I felt cold, frightened, and exposed.

But I had actually made it! I was on the island and somewhere my sister, Briar, was too. If I was lucky, I might be able to make my family whole once more.

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