Page 6 of Waves
Both his mother and I laughed, though the sound reverberated oddly inside my mangled mind. I felt guilty for feeling joy, but it was such a relief at the same time.
Keelan noticed I was struggling, because he immediately swam up and engulfed me in a warm hug, his good arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me close. Into a moment that would have been romantic if it hadn’t trapped Mr. Whelk’s flippers between us. The indignant turtle issued a low growl as he flicked his little limbs, trying to escape.
Chuckling, I pulled back enough to free the sea turtle, and Mr. Whelk paddled upward. In a move that looked far too coincidental to be an accident, the speckled pet cuffed his owner on the side of the head.
“Hey!”
I couldn’t help but grin as Keelan and the turtle glared at one another in a mock face off. And I couldn’t help but notice how the siren cinched me tightly to his side in the process.
Ending the stare off, Keelan released me, gazing gently over my face for a minute before he offered me the crook of his elbow and said, “Come on, future wife. You look like you need cheering up. And that’s what I do best.”
“I think annoyance might be more your forte,” his mother commented, but she gestured at me with a shooing motion that belied her tone.
Keelan was by far the most playful and light-hearted of any of the competitors seeking my hand. Just his presence was already loosening the anchor weighing me down. Being near him made my heart float upward. But perhaps I deserved the weight. Andthere was so much to be done. Shaking my head to decline him, I looked at Sahar. “I should stay and help you?—”
She cut me off, holding up a hand. “A queen doesn’t need to be bogged down by the details. I have those in hand. Your people need to see you calm and confident when we arrive at Kremos. I’ll take care of these arrangements and then I’ll work on a strategy to make the next event safer.”
“And another for catching those bastards,” Keelan added, a rare scowl crossing his features.
“And one for that,” Sahar agreed solemnly. The lines around her eyes seemed deeper all of a sudden, as if the very thought aged her.
Before I could argue or insist on helping, Keelan swept me up into a bridal hold with his good arm, making me give a surprised little shriek that transformed into a laugh when he waggled his brows like a minstrel playing a villain. “I’m kidnapping you. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”
My lips opened and I tried to come up with a response to his banter. But my mind stayed blank. It wasn’t quite ready to play. My phantom heart was still bruised and aching and though I craved his levity I couldn’t quite match it yet. So, I simply allowed the silence to float between us, like a leaf on a pond drifting aimlessly across the surface.
Resting my cheek against his chest, I took comfort from his steady heartbeat. From the smooth, sure way he held me as he swam. It was peaceful to let someone carry me, particularly when I so often felt I carried the weight of the entire kingdom’s expectations.
Emptying my mind became my only goal…because I knew Sahar was right. I knew that, once Keelan and I returned, there would be heavy talks and even more restrictions of my movement.
Even now, five guards shadowed us on sharks, though they tried to keep a discreet distance. But there was little cover where we swam, so their silhouettes were constant blots on the vast waterscape in front of us and the kelp wavering in the current below us. Keelan swam us closer to the surface where sunlight warmed our shoulders. Beneath us, the mass of the Kelp Forest looked tiny. Narrow. Not nearly as huge as I’d expected.
Perhaps I should have found Lizza. Practiced my magic more so that I actually produced something more than balls of ice. But exhaustion—both mental and physical—kept me limp in my siren’s arms. What I should do and what I could do seemed worlds apart.
Besides, leaning against Keelan’s sculpted pecs was a great way to boost a girl’s morale. My fingers drifted lazily over his skin, admiring him.
Mr. Whelk followed along at a distance until he spotted a school of tiny orange fish, and then he immediately shot off like a dart, spinning through the water and heading to play, just as cheerful as a clam. I wondered if he even remembered the terror of yesterday or if it was all gone from his head, as fleeting as a rainstorm, forgotten the moment the sun renewed its gaze.
“I envy him,” I admitted.
Keelan’s eyes roamed after his pet for a second. “Well, he does get to have sex in public, so I agree…pretty envious life.”
“Oh my god!” I exclaimed, scandalized, swatting the back of his head lightly before a laugh poured out of me, a laugh that seemed to fill up my entire body, mirth jangling my bones and rattling my lungs until they ached. How Keelan managed to keep hold of me, I was unsure, but when I finally settled, there was a soft satisfaction painted across his features.
“There’s the woman behind the crown. The real you.”
I blushed, suddenly shy. Our gazes mingled for a moment, full of gentle tenderness. Full of a trust that prompted me to confess, “Sometimes, I feel a thousand years old.”
“Thank goodness you don’t look it,” he retorted, with a horrified facial expression.
“Hey!”
He snorted a laugh and dropped me when I punched his shoulder.
My stomach flew as I fell, and I had to splay my wings and flutter them in order to stop sinking. As soon as I’d got my balance, Keelan grabbed my hand and started swimming off, tugging me along.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Pit of Despair.”
