A Siren's Wish (10 page)

As the yacht lurched again, her legs buckled and she cursed herself for letting go of the railing.

“Here, I’ve got you,” he said, reaching out to grab her arm to steady her.

Jamie knew trouble the minute she saw his hand reach out. Her eyes widened, but there was nothing she could do. Trying to steady her legs, she had no chance to prepare herself and it wasn’t like she could scream, “don’t touch me”.

The electric shock of his touch knocked her unconscious just as it knocked Seth back against the railing. Her last coherent thought as she buckled to the deck was that he had really large hands with long graceful fingers. Then the black abyss of unconsciousness took hold of her and she was lost.

“Are you okay?” asked his brother, concern clearly evident in his eyes.

Seth took his outstretched hand. Grimacing, he stood. It was moments like this when it felt good to have a brother. “Yeah, I think. That was really weird. I think…I think…somehow she zapped me.”

“Come again?” asked Darius, moving to steer the yacht through the harbor.

“Look, I’m not sure. I tried to keep her from falling to the deck, touched her arm and then whammo.” He walked over to where Jamie was lying.

“She’s unconscious again and her nose is bleeding. Are we almost at the dock?” asked Seth, searching for something to wipe her nose with. “Do you have anything I can use to stop her nosebleed?”

As Darius rushed below deck, Seth studied the woman.

She was intoxicating. He wondered again why he had to keep her and what could be so special about her that Mercka, his youngest sibling, had hinted at.

Seth wished he had more time to catch up with his sister. She was breathtakingly beautiful in her true form. For one moment before she completed her rapture into a Siren he had thought he was looking at his mother, Queen Helem. For the first time he painfully acknowledged how much he missed his mother’s loving embrace and his entire mardom.

Being on dry land had been hard at first. He’d adjusted. But the loss of the private family connection that had been an integral part of his existence was something he missed daily.

Running his hands through his hair, he took the black cloth from Darius’ outstretched hand without a second glance. Once he realized what he was holding, anger welled up inside him.

“You handed me a pair of woman’s underwear.” He looked at Darius in disbelief.

“It’s all I have. They’re clean, so don’t worry…it’s a long story,” said Darius, shaking his head as he passed him to take the helm of the boat. “We’re almost at the dock. Seth…seriously, you can’t keep her. She’s probably got family looking for her, or something.”

Seth decided to let the subject drop. He knew Darius had changed the topic to distract him from asking the obvious. Just whose underwear was he using? Then Seth realized with Darius really being human, he could fully enjoy women. Part of him envied his brother being able to have sex with women. As a Titan no woman could survive his lust if he let his control slip. Mentally slapping himself, he forced himself to pay attention to the task at hand.

Holding the underwear over Jamie’s bleeding nose, he wondered if what Darius said was right. He knew it would be difficult keeping her against her will, but Mercka had made him promise to keep her until the full moon. Two days. That’s all I promised. And not a second more.

“It’s only for two days. Then I’ll drop her somewhere and erase her memory or something,” he said, gently wiping the blood from her nose. Seth held the black cloth under her nose to help stop the bleeding. He placed her head on his lap. It unnerved him seeing her bleed. He didn’t like that she was hurt and he especially didn’t like the feelings of protectiveness she stirred in him.

“You can do that?” asked Darius, shaking his head.

“Do what?”

“Erase her memory. Come on. When did you develop that?” asked his brother, turning his attention to the dozen or so sailboats tied up to buoys in the harbor.

“No, I can’t erase her memory. I’m assuming Mercka will do that. I’ve got to meet Mercka in two nights with her,” said Seth, picking up Jamie in his arms again.

“Oh, Mercka, yeah I knew she could do that, but…she said she’d help you?” asked Darius, furrowing his brow in disbelief. Just then the yacht bumped into the wharf.

Jumping to the dock, Seth calmly replied, “I didn’t leave her much choice. Either help, or I’ll tell that you got…”

“Captured,” finished Darius for his brother, cutting the boat’s engine. “Blackmail suits you, Seth.”

Seth didn’t miss the sarcasm.

With Jamie in his arms, he also realized he had to tell Darius the truth. He had called him to say goodbye. Goodbye for good. The thought almost brought him to his knees.

As if his brother sensed his turmoil he moved closer. “What is it?”

“Darius, I…” Seth gritted his teeth. “When I called you…well, it was really to see you one last time and to say goodbye…for good.”

He watched his brother cross his arms over his chest and take a deep breath.

“So Father has called you back into the fold. Guess your punishment is over. Lucky you.” Cold, green eyes appraised him with a look so feral it quelled Seth’s heart. Gone was his charismatic brother and he knew without a doubt Darius was holding himself in check as the anger mounted up deep inside him.

Seth watched as his twin jumped to the dock, to move away from him. Part of him yearned to run after him.

“It’s not like that…you knew it would be sometime, you knew the consequences that day when we agreed…”

“Shut up, Seth. You know as well as I do that you’ve always been the favorite son. What I did other Titans have done throughout the ages, so don’t give me a lecture, okay. I’ve done it to myself a thousand times a day. Don’t you think if I could ask the Fates I would? Don’t you think I wish it hadn’t happened. Tell me, though, is your conscience clear? If you had followed the rules, my life…”

“Would have ended and you know that. I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you that one day you’d get caught and Father wouldn’t interfere. The law of the sea is what he lives by and always will,” said Seth, still cradling Jamie in his arms.

“I did die that day and I never once asked for you to help,” snapped Darius, all but shoving him out of the way.

“Have it your way. Just help me get the woman in the Jeep and then I’ll be out of your life for good,” replied Seth, marching from the dock to the parking lot.

Seth was mad and he knew why. Darius was right, he hadn’t asked for his help. Now he wondered if he had done the right thing. With only days left on land, he would once again return to the sea like a lost lover, while his twin played out the role of being human when his heart was pure Titan.

However he had more things to worry about. Parking his Jeep in the driveway, Seth thought, Two nights. That’s only forty-eight hours. How much trouble can a mere woman cause?

He wished he could have forced his brother to talk to him, but after his painful admission that their father, King Sadok, had called him back into the sea, Darius had done his duty and then left.

Seth knew without a doubt that while he’d been physically scarred by the events that had transpired a decade ago, Darius was suffering the worst sort of punishment. To be human was to be viewed as a pariah by many in his kingdom. It was a sentence worse than death.

The barking of the seals was relentless. Seth envied them their freedom. Promising to return shortly to his seal friends, he opened the door to his house and carried the still unconscious woman inside. She weighed about as much as a feather to him.

There was only one bedroom in the large house so he had no choice. She would have to stay in his bedroom and the downstairs study would have to do for him. He hated the intrusion she was already making in his life. Part of him seethed, knowing full well he had given into Mercka out of guilt.

Thinking back to his brief encounter with Jamie, he couldn’t help but admire her inner fire. At first he had thought she would be one of those shy, cowering flowers, but even after seeing “all of him”, she had steadied herself and made her demands known.

Gutsy, I like that. But there is no way I can let her go. The last thing I need is the police knocking on my door. Plus I promised Mercka I would keep her until the full moon.

Carrying her was becoming a habit, not that he minded it. He loved the way her long black hair fell to her waist. The sway of it felt like strands of silk against his hands. And Seth thought it was impish and innocent how her mouth puckered in sleep like she was dreaming about eating something delicious. And those lips were so luscious and full it took all of his self-control not to lean down and brush them with his own.

Shaking himself from his trance, he was amazed he felt such a powerful connection to the woman. Finally placing her on his bed, he noticed with relief her nose had stopped bleeding.

He watched her steady, slow breathing. She was earthly beautiful. Then he shook his head and moved to the dresser to grab some clothes. She’s no different from any other female I’ve known.

He tore his gaze from her. Knowing it would be best for him to leave, he picked up a small blanket and placed it protectively over her. He liked how she snuggled down into his futon and he grinned when she immediately kicked the blanket off her feet.

Willing himself to leave, he marched purposefully to a large room he called Command Central located on the first level. He was dreading the time when Jamie would wake up and he really needed either a very cold shower or a long, exhausting swim.

Ignoring the flashing light, he swiftly accessed the Institute’s staff list and found Jamie’s email address along with Caskett’s. Punching in Caskett’s email address, he fired off a note for her, stating she’d be out of the office until the end of the week because of a flu-like virus that was highly contagious. Pressing the send button, he grinned.

Seth chuckled to himself, as he recalled meeting Caskett on a previous expedition. The good old doctor had thought he was going to die just from catching a bad case of the flu. Seth knew Caskett was obsessed with staying clear of anyone with germs. All he’d be thinking was thank god it wasn’t him.

As his thoughts turned once again to the lovely sleeping beauty upstairs, the barking of the seals drew his attention back to the water. It had felt good—the sea water filling him up with life. Seth had forgotten how powerful it made him feel.

Tugging off his jeans, he realized his thoughts of the woman upstairs in his bed had already taken over his body.
Cold sea water is what I need.

He glanced once more at the red flashing light then turned, grabbed a nearby kitchen towel and walked buck naked out the front door down to the beach.

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