Page 168 of Gods of the Sea

He smiled before leaning in and capturing my lips in his. Affection flowed from his fingertips as they crawled up my back, pressing me closer against him. This was not possessive and controlling as the kiss in the cavern had been. It was deep and intimate, slow and drowning. Feeling his chest rise and fallwith his breath along with each kiss, I melted slowly into his embrace. He was every bit a gentleman, but his true feelings were communicated through his kiss.

His demons may have been gone, but he still wanted me to be completely his.

***

It was five more years before my father passed. Luckily, he was able to meet his first grandchild before his passing.

The union between a siren and a Judge was technically frowned upon; however, because I was an incarnate siren, Henrik and I were allowed to bend the rules. Henrik, being the gentleman that he was, asked both my earthly father and King Melchior for permission to marry. To Henrik’s surprise, they both agreed. He had believed his reputation would doom his future forever. My fathers, however, had decided otherwise.

Henrik spent time back and forth between the Den of Sirens as a Judge alongside Jacques, and I stayed at home to care for our, eventual, three children. I couldn’t go to the den with them so young, and although I missed it, I knew that eventually I would return sooner or later. Whether it was in this body or in another, I wouldn’t know. But I knew I wanted to be there for my children and family for as long as I could.

Luc visited us all at night, telling my children wild stories before bed. They all became adventurous souls thanks to Uncle Luc, Uncle Adrian, and their father, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

As it so happened, Jacques was in charge of a large ship trading company that none of us were aware of. It was apparently how he afforded to travel between the den and the city. He offered Adrian a job on one of his ships, allowing Adrian to see Henrik in the den on a regular basis.

Henrik forbade Adrian to be alone with me—unsurprisingly—as my charms on him never fully wore off. His visits to the children became far and few between, and I knew it was because he was trying to respect his older brother, no matter what feelings he thought he had. He always blamed his work at sea for the infrequent visits, but I could tell by his eyes that it was because he never wanted to hurt his brother again.

The skin between my shoulders ached often, but my heart did not. Every moment with Henrik was precious and full of pure joy. To watch him judge good and evil, and give that wisdom to our children was better than I had anticipated.

Perhaps I couldn’t judge the world as a siren for now, but I knew that in loving my husband and children that the world was a little purer than it was before.

LUC’S ENDING

Night fell, the lanterns shedding light on the streets below.

I folded my arms close to my chest as the ocean wind blew across the city. I spent my evenings standing on the balcony, staring at the ocean horizon at the star that hung over the Den of Sirens. I spent much of my free time wondering how I might return, wondering how the sirens were faring without me.

It had been eight weeks since I had returned home. Father was stable, healing slowly. Jacques’s father had taken care of all necessary expenses even though he had not taken my hand in marriage. I was grateful.

But something still tugged at my heart, no matter how at peace I should have been.

How long would it be until I saw the den again?

The wind chilled, encouraging me to go back into my room. I turned around to go in, until a sudden rush of wind caused me to jump and turn back around.

I gasped when I saw what had caused the sudden burst of air: large, black wings.

Luc stood before me on the balcony, his wings fully extended.

He smiled.

“Luc?” I asked. “You returned?”

His wings fluttered as he began to close them. Before he could answer my question, I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him.

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” I said.

He held me tight. “I missed you too, Astraea. Far more than I should have.”

Neither of us broke the hug right away, lingering in our reunion as long as possible. He then pulled back a little, not fully breaking the hug.

“And your father?” he asked. “Is he well?”

I nodded. “He’s healing. He might be sick for some time though.”

Luc inhaled slowly. “The king knew about your father. That’s why he sent you away. I understand why you left, but nevertheless…”

He reached up, gently combing his fingers through my hair. I knew the gesture was meant to be endearing, but something about his touch was different. There was more heat in his fingertips than usual, and his silent stare at the top of my head uneasy.

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