Page 7 of Rock of Stages
Van smirked. “Boys, that’s our cue to leave.”
“Right,” Rex rumbled. “Nice to meet you, Naiya.”
“Thanks for saving our drummer,” Damien added, and the three of them walked away.
Drummer. The music had drawn me to the ship. And I didn’t want to leave just yet.
I wrapped the towel around me more tightly and took a cautious step forward, trying to adjust to the strange weight of two legs. The deck felt so solid. And the fragrant air—full of scents of food and sound. Music drifted faintly from a deck below, and laughter bubbled up. People were enjoying themselves and I wanted to be a part of it.
My pod would call this foolish. Dangerous.
Yet when I glanced at Caleb, the tight line of his strong jaw, the flicker of protectiveness burning in his eyes—I didn’t want to leave.
Not yet.
CHAPTER 5
CALEB
“Wow. This place is—magical.”Naiya marveled at our surroundings as we walked down the stairs to my cabin, still wet and wrapped in striped towels.
“A floating city,” I remarked, although that was a stretch. But it did have the essentials to keep us going until we reached our next stop to restock on food, fuel, and all the other requirements to keep the ship functioning.
When she stumbled on a step, I caught her arm and instinctively brought her close to my body.
“Are you okay?” I asked, ensuring she was steady.
“Yes.” She flashed a small smile. “Still getting used to these land legs.”
I chuckled. “I know the feeling. After days of sailing, I’m unsteady once I step on land. Still using my sea legs.” I tapped the side of mine.
“Truly?” Her eyes widened even more. “You have sea legs?”
“No.” I shook my head with another laugh. “It’s just an expression we use to describe the feeling as we adjust.”
“Oh.” She nodded with understanding.
I held her arm as we reached the next landing. “Come on.” I motioned with my head. “We’ll take the elevator the rest of the way.” I continued to hold her close to me while I directed us over to a bank of them.
We stepped inside the glass elevator and the doors closed. Her scent filled me with sudden longing, and I had to brace myself against a wall. Her unique fragrance had the signature salty scent of the sea and one that was alluringly female.Mate.A quiet rumble resonated deep within my chest. The yearning for her stirring something deep. Strange. Foreign and yet somehow familiar.
It made no sense. I’d never believed in all that fated mate stuff. I’d rolled my eyes every time Van or Rex told me they “just knew.” But here I was, rattled by a woman with sea-glass eyes and silvery-blond hair that cascaded down to a shimmering blue at the end, like the subtle silver-teal gradient of her fins. No, not just a woman—a mermaid with fins and a tail who lived in the ocean.
Completely and utterly bewildering.
Once we descended, she gasped and leaned against me, clinging to my arm.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’ve never been in one like this. It’s a little scary and”—her gaze fixed on a chandelier as we descended—”magnificent.”
“It’s fine, I’ve got you.” I held her close and we passed into the vast atrium filled with marble and lights, looking at as if seeing it through her eyes for the first time. It was indeed magnificent, though something I’d taken for granted after living on the ship for months.
This fancy elevator didn’t take us to my deck, so we had to step out and I chose to walk the final flights. I held her arm once more to keep her steady—or at least that’s what I told myself. She seemed to be much sturdier now, and I doubted that she needed my help, but I liked being able to touch her soft skin and ensure she was safe. And she didn’t seem to mind me doing so.
As we walked down the narrow corridor through the cabins, she turned her head in every direction. “These are all cabins?” she asked. “And different supernaturals sleep in them?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
