The desolate caves, inky and cold, led to nowhere and she had no clue if Jacob was even alive. The thought of losing him brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t see herself without him in her life. All the times he’d been there, saving her, making her see reason, showing he’d cared, his selflessness and honor—to be blind to all of it because of the kiss? Her skin crawled in disgust. Had she even thanked Jacob? She groaned, recalling their last awkward conversation. He lay rotting somewhere, accused of kissing the Princess when he hadn’t, and she’d never forgive herself if he died for her selfishness and stupidity. She had to find him and finally tell him her feelings.
Find anything?
she telepathically asked Fin. At his silence, she knew he was too far away for communication.
She continued on, stopping at the dreaded shark fence. In the distance, she could see the compound, but to her surprise, there wasn’t a mer or shark in sight. Where did everyone go?
She ventured to the shark tank door, swinging wide on its rusty hinges, creaking a sound of doom, and froze. Had the sharks escaped into Natatoria again? Then the scent hit her.
Oysters. Chauncey.
With a kick of her tail and a pounding heart, she propelled herself inside. On the sea floor, the trident she’d used earlier poked precariously up from the sand with rotten shark flesh still attached. Snagging and clutching the metal for dear life, she flung off the bits and headed straight for the Pacific Gate. Her heart whooshed in her ears. With the bracelet on, she could only go so far inside. Had Chauncey taken Jacob to the Pacific Ocean? To Bone Island, wherever that was?
She skimmed the surroundings for help, fearful to call out and attract the wrong attention. The eerie quiet made her scales shiver.
Fin?
With quick breaths across her gills, she entered the tunnel anyway, accosted by Chauncey’s boggy scent. Then she heard him. Shrill laughter. With a hard pump of her tail, she swam further inside, prepared for the horrible stinging poison that could pierce her skin at any moment. Then the scent veered off to the right toward a hidden cave.
She surfaced, unprepared for what she was about to see.
: : :
Staring down the scythe pointed at his heart, Jacob knew without a miracle he was done for.
“What the—?” Chauncey started, turning to the pool.
Jacob blinked, unbelieving of his eyes. Now he had to be dreaming.
“You!” Tatiana bellowed. With a side-swipe of her trident, she smacked Chauncey’s left side. Losing balance, he toppled onto the rocks and smashed his head.
“You’ll pay for that, Princess,” he bellowed, reaching for his brow. Blood trickled down over his fingers.
“I’m your queen, you son of a bitch, and I won’t allow you to treat my bodyguard like this!” She pointed the trident directly at his gonads. “Give me the key, or you’ll lose your precious claspers.”
Chauncey’s eyes widened. He palmed the inside of his waist pouch and chucked the key to the other side of the cave.
When Tatiana’s eyes followed the arch of the throw, Chauncey’s tail reared up and stung her. She yelped slightly, but snapped her head to him.
Oblivious, Chauncey laughed, attempting to sit up.
With a twist of her wrist, Tatiana pierced his skirt, nicking his manhood with the trident.
“What the—” Chauncey wailed, grabbing himself. “Why’d you do that?”
“Honestly? After everything?” she sneered through her teeth. “I think you’d be smarter than that. Actually, I should give you one slash for every sick comment and every grope you’ve done. Or maybe I should cut it off right now and save the world of your seed.”
“No, nooo,” he begged, crying. “I promise. I won’t—”
At the blood seeping from between his fingers, a sick satisfied smile played on Jacob’s lips.
“It’s too late for promises.” With a quick slash of the trident, Tatiana side-swiped the blunt end into Chauncey’s skull. A dull hollow thunk landed him on his back; his eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out, unconscious.
“Tatiana,” Jacob gasped. “What are you doing?”
“Saving you.” She moved, as if to phase, but lurched forward on her hands, slithering over to locate the key.
He blinked at her, amazed. Jack had said she was bold and courageous, but this? He couldn’t contain how turned on he was.
With the key in her hands, she moved to him, balancing precariously on the uneven ground, reaching high to unlock the cuffs. With his head tipped back, he inhaled her skin—sweet like fruit. He couldn’t stop the fantasies of what he’d do to her if he wasn’t chained. Instead, he leaned forward, allowing his lips to brush her stomach.
“Hey.” She giggled, wiggling away.
Once his other hand was free, he groaned. But her energy gave him a second wind he hadn’t predicted. With a crack of his back, he stretched out his arms toward her. “That feels so much better.”
She met his rough cheeks with her soft warm hands, sending a tingle over his skin. “You’re alive.”
“Barely,” he said hoarsely, smiling back at her, working to contain the indescribable joy rocking his nervous system. “I’m going to miss my own private Bone Island.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.” She bit her lip and allowed her eyes to rake over him, sad. Her fingers trailed slowly over his bandage and down his chest, to the healing gash on his stomach. “Did he do this to you?”
“Yeah, well—”
Tatiana’s shriek interrupted him. She knocked away Chauncey’s pet parasite. “Disgusting. What was that—? Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Come on. We need to get you out of here.”
She tugged on his hand, but he didn’t move. He only grasped her fingers tighter, bringing them to his lips. Indescribable awe filled him. Who was this girl in front of him? Taking charge? Rescuing him? Fighting with weapons and attempting to cut off enemy claspers?
“Are you even listening to me?” she asked, studying him.
Desire singed through his body, hot and demanding. He wanted to kiss her. Now.
A curious smile tipped on her lips. “Why are you looking at me like that… and… doing that?”
“What?” he said, kissing each finger again.
She pinched her lips together in a cute puckering sort of way, clearly flustered.
“It’s like you’ve never seen a girl kick ass before.”
“I haven’t.” His lips continued to turn up at the corners.
“Well, it needed to happen, so…” She shook her head. “We should really go.”
“Go?” He massaged her hand, unable to put into words how much he wanted her, to wrap his arms around her, touch her, crash his lips to hers. Her newfound confidence was making his head crazy and his heart pound.
When he didn’t move, she rolled her eyes and chuckled. “You know, the girl can be the
hero
sometimes.”
“I know but…
wow
.”
She blushed, but still prodded him to leave. “You can thank me later. We should go.”
“Wait.” He grabbed her hips and slid her onto his lap. “I have to tell you something.” He waited a beat, struggling to choose the right words. “I’m sorry about what I said before—about being your replacement. That was insensitive—”
“No.” She stopped him, placing her fingertip on his lips. “Jacob, I understand,” she paused, her beautiful blue eyes sweeping over his rugged face. “I know who I want.”
At her confession, he took her face between his hands and held her there. “Then promise yourself to me,” Jacob whispered. “And never leave my side again.”
“Yes,” she whispered, breathless. “I promise.”
Without waiting, he covered her mouth with his and his soul exploded into light, feeling her, breathing her. Her mouth, so soft and warm, sweet and tangy, trembling and deepening. He was hers and she was his. They were one soul. Alive.
45
: : :
Choices
This time, when the sweet pull came for Tatiana’s soul, she allowed herself to be free and afterward, the connection was so much deeper than anything she could have imagined. Her soul exploded into a song filled with all the goodness that was him. And everything about him felt right. To hold him close, to be with him, to treasure him for all eternity, she could think of nothing else, completely engulfed in his love.
He buried his nose in her damp hair and inhaled as if he couldn’t get enough. She mentally pinched herself. Could this really be happening? Or had they died and gone to heaven?
She giggled, her face still trapped between his hands. “Why didn’t we do that sooner?”
Jacob laughed. “I don’t know.” His unending grin stretched his face with indescribable joy.
He playfully pulled her closer, smothering her lips with his once again, his hands moving down her torso, tugging at her skirt. Her eyes rolled back in her head as his lips made their way down her neck, tasting and moaning, breathless and whole. Filled with longing, she wanted nothing more than to be devoured by him, but at Chauncey’s moan, Tatiana startled.
She stayed his hands. “We need to get you out of here.”
Jacob’s shoulders slunk.
“I know, but we have to,” she said as his hands freed themselves and grabbed her again, pulling her to him, leaning his lips out to hers. She indulged one more kiss before forcing him in the pool,
He fell underwater, reemerging with slicked back hair. Tatiana gnawed at her lower lip, moved at how quickly his skin was reviving, and how incredibly sexy he looked. The faint reminder she needed to restrain Chauncey tickled the back of her brain. With a quick pivot on the ledge, she leaned back, grabbing the chains.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
She winked, putting the cuffed end around Chauncey’s wrist. With a smirk, she tossed the key over Jacob’s head. The splash echoed in the cavern.
“Chauncey needs to dry out a little.”
He chuckled and as soon as she met him in the pool, they both slipped under the water, unable to keep their hands off each other once again. Tatiana felt Jacob’s scales soften with each breath of briny water over his gills. Then he pulled her in tight, sending a rush through her heart once again. Yes, she’d kissed Azor and allowed the promise to trick her into having feelings of attraction for him, but this… this was a whole new dimension. She molded her tail around his, pressing her heat into him, feeling her pheromones ignite. The urge to escape out to the Pacific verses returning to Natatoria, sped through her. If only she didn’t wear the blasted bracelet…
“Here?” He tilted her chin, a coy smile on his lips.
Wanting nothing more than to indulge their greatest fantasies, the reminder they were still in the shark’s domain hit her gut. “Not yet… not here.”
“Where are we anyway?” he asked, looking around.
“Inside the Pacific Gate.”
“We are? What about the sharks?”
“I have no idea where they are,” she said nervously, panning the wider part of the tunnel.
He pulled her close again and nibbled at her earlobe. “Then let’s go somewhere else…”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Tatiana laughed nervously; still vividly aware they couldn’t get distracted. “If only I didn’t have this bracelet on.”
He brushed his hand down over her backside and squeezed. “If only… ”
She moaned to tease him, melting momentarily under his hot touch, wanting more, so much more.
Once they cleared the cave and entered the dreaded shark enclosure, a screech sent her scales on end. They turned to see Jacob’s brother being pulled through the current by some blond merman, grabbing tightly ahold of his fin.
“Ferd,” he yelled. “Let-t-t me-e-e go-o-o!”
Galadriel swam after them. “Let Jax go, you big lug!”
Tatiana and Jacob let go of each other momentarily and held their ears on his approach, expecting him to drag Jax past them through the Pacific Gate. Ferdinand only stopped abruptly, letting Jacob’s brother go free.
“Whoa,” Jax righted himself and did a double take. Tatiana’s stomach flipped, hit with awkwardness, and she released her tail from Jacob’s.
“I—uh—you’re okay, huh?” Jax eyed them up and down.
Jacob took Tatiana’s hand, zinging an electric current up her arm. “Yeah, all because of
my girl
.”
Tatiana’s heart burst in joy at the endearing title. Everything was falling into place, finally.
Tatiana!
She heard Fin say in her mind.
Over here!
She called back.
Ash and Fin swam up, gills flapping extra hard. After quick introductions, a brisk conversation erupted catching everyone up on what had happened. Tatiana remained quiet, secretly marveling at the circle of siblings brought together by love: Jax and Jacob, Ash and Galadriel, her and Fin. All promised. All family.
“Aye,” Badger called from the ravine. His hands were filled with weapons. “Are ya all daft? Whatcha be doin’ in the shark tank? Yer all as useless as a lighthouse on a bog. We need to be gettin’ back to the skirmish!”
Tatiana’s spine stiffened. Reveling in her
real
promise, she’d forgotten her responsibilities, the merling, everything.
They swam to meet up with him and Sandy hovering in the current. Badger bowed at their approach. “My Queen, what would you have us do?”
“Oh, well I thought we’d—”
Badger gave Galadriel a hard look. “With all due respect, I don’t be meanin’ you, Princess. But our queen, here.” He motioned to Tatiana
The blood in Tatiana’s veins froze, as all eyes trained on her.
“She can’t be queen,” Galadriel interrupted. “Azor’s not of royal blood and I can prove it.”
“Aye.” Badger’s bushy eyebrows pressed together. “That don’t matter, now, doll. You’ve been right gone this entire time and Queen Tatiana be acceptin’ da crown in front of God and everyone and as far as da mer know, she
is
their queen.”
“No!” Galadriel barked.
“Baby,” Jax started, reaching for her hand.
“Don’t
baby
me!” She pushed Jax away. “This is my heritage. My birthright! My responsibility! I came back to fix this!”
Tatiana’s heart pounded. She’d love nothing more than to give the headache over to Galadriel, but she couldn’t—not yet. Galadriel had no idea what had transpired since her absence and Desiree had empowered her with the brand and the crown. Too many things needed to be changed, starting with laws regarding the promise, then with the servants’ rights, and especially with the class warfare. Too much responsibility to entrust to someone else.