Siren's Song: The Gray Court, Book 5 (9 page)

Cassie’s cheeks were bright red. “Um. Thanks.”

“Thank you, Greg.” Oberon picked up his suitcase. “The stairs?”

Greg pointed, and Oberon led the way, grateful when Cassie kept her mouth shut. They didn’t need the man to become suspicious of them. He didn’t know if booking the room under Cassie’s real name was a good idea or not, but he had to hope that Jaden knew what he was doing.

When he saw the room, Oberon didn’t know whether he would kill the vampire, or kiss him.

The first thing he saw were the red rose petals that were scattered across the crisp white coverlet of the king-sized bed. Across from it was a fireplace, already lit and welcoming. French doors led out onto a private veranda where two chairs sat side by side, a table between them. The table held a bucket of chilling champagne. A bureau with a television flanked one side of the fireplace while a door that presumably led into the bathroom flanked the other.

It was a nice room, a private, romantic room with a gorgeous view of the ocean. A room meant for romance.

“I’ll take the tub.”

Oberon rolled his eyes. She had to be kidding him. “Over my dead body.”

He was afraid if her cheeks burned any brighter she’d spontaneously combust, mermaid or not. “The chairs look comfy.”

“Cassandra.”

She jumped every time he used her full name, but that didn’t stop her from facing him head-on, her expression full of bravado. “Can you honestly tell me you’re comfortable sharing a bed with me?”

Comfortable wasn’t the word he’d use, no. But the idea of sliding between those crisp white sheets with her had him shuddering with need. Still, Oberon would never force himself on anyone, let alone Cassie. “I can give you my word that I won’t touch you without your permission.” If that was what it took to put her at ease he would give it gladly.

She made the strangest strangled sound, the heat in her cheeks dying so quickly she swayed. “You
want
to touch me?” That quickly, the fire in her face was back. “Forget I asked that.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes impatiently. “I guess we’ll be all right in the same bed.”

They’d be more than all right, they’d be fantastic. But he didn’t think either of them was ready for that step, not from the way she was reacting, and definitely not until he knew exactly what she was so afraid of. She seriously thought he was going to leave her once his memories returned. Until he could prove otherwise, Cassie would more than likely remain skittish. “Then let’s get settled. We can start the healing first thing in the morning.”

She glanced out the window, biting her lip. “It might be better to try at night. Fewer witnesses.”

“But harder to see if anyone is coming for us.” But she had a point. They couldn’t reveal their natures to the mortals around them. “If you think it best, I trust your judgment.”

The pleasure she showed every time he told her he trusted her was intoxicating. “Thank you.”

He began unpacking, taking the right side of the dresser. “Shall we start tonight, then?”

“It might be best.”

But there were dark circles under her eyes, a weariness in her stance that had him biting back the urge to tuck her chastely between those sheets. “No. Let’s start tomorrow night. We’re both exhausted from running. We could use the rest.”

She nodded absently, rubbing her fingers over that pearl ring as she turned back to stare out over the ocean. “We need to do this quickly.”

“You’ll be of no use to either of us if you’re exhausted, Cassie. Rest. We’ll start tomorrow night.” He’d make it an order if he had to.

She glanced back at him for a moment. “As you wish, your majesty.”

He gritted his teeth, biting back the urge to tell her to never, ever call him that again. Every time he said something she didn’t like, she pulled out his rank and used it to put up a barrier between them.

No more. He’d shatter that barrier any way he could. She would not use his rank against him. That had been Titannia’s trick, and Oberon would not tolerate it from the woman he wanted to claim with all his soul.

She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you angry. I’m just…scared, and tired. Forgive me?”

The doubts were drifting away the more time he spent with her. “Forgiven. Never doubt it.”

The smile she gifted him with would have shamed the sun.

He would have to figure out a way to get her to believe that he had no intention of ever leaving her side. Perhaps then she’d open up to him, but until then, he’d do his utmost to protect her, even from herself.

Chapter Eight

“Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?” A light, feminine voice surprised him. He hadn’t thought anyone had noticed his approach to the blue and white Victorian farmhouse the Dunne family lived in, but apparently he’d been wrong.

Hell, he hadn’t even driven up the driveway. He’d shifted, using his raven form to fly to the farmhouse and perch on one of the peaked rooftops. He shifted back to his human form, confident no one could see him. Despite his father’s words, he wanted to be certain there were no surprises waiting for him.

He was wrong, but not in the way he’d expected.

He decided to answer, curious to see how the female would respond. “Raven.”

“Really?” The window opened, and a woman with dark red hair and shining brown eyes smiled at him. “You’re Robin’s son, aren’t you?”

He blinked, surprised. “Yes?”

She giggled. “You don’t sound too sure.”

He cocked his head, intrigued by the bubbly young woman. “I am.”

“Good. I’m Ruby Dunne. Robin’s a good friend. He’s told us all about you.” She gestured for him to come in the window. “Come in. We’ve been dying to meet you.”

“You have?” He would have thought Blackthorn would have warned the Dunnes against him.

“Of course. We adore Robin and Michaela. They’re family.”

Cute little Ruby was becoming more and more intriguing by the moment. “Is that so?”

“Come meet the family.” Ruby took hold of his hand and began dragging him into the room of the room. She opened the door, and Raven saw a tall, dark-haired man with blue eyes on the other side. “Sean? You were right. He was on the roof.”

Raven stared at the fae, certain this was the Dunne patriarch. He should have remembered a leprechaun ruled this land, damn it. “Lord Dunne.”

Sean’s brows rose. “Raven Goodfellow.”

Raven twitched. He really had to get used to being called that. He glanced around. “I’ve been sent by my father to speak to Jaden Blackthorn.”

“He’s in the kitchen with his mates.” Sean grinned lazily, and Raven fought the urge to push Ruby behind him. That grin was full of challenge. “Don’t hurt my family and we’ll get along fine.”

Ruby patted Sean’s chest, obviously startling the man. “Don’t worry, Sean. Robin wouldn’t send someone who would hurt us.”

Intriguing. This woman trusted the same way Michaela did. “Are you mated?”

She laughed. “Leo Dunne is my truebond.”

Damn. He had no luck with women lately. “Then lead me to him, my dear.” But that didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt, did it?

Ruby took his arm. “You’re going to like it here.”

“Am I?”

She nodded happily. “You’ll see.”

And Ruby Dunne led him into the kitchen, and warmth he’d never before known.

“This brochure says we can rent a boat at Del’s Boat Rentals.” Cassie flipped through the brochure, frowning as she went over the fine print. “But we’ll need to use a credit card.” She’d need to check her balance, but she thought she might have enough to cover the boat rental for a couple of days.

“No. If we try to charter a boat a human captain will go with us, possibly even a crew. We can’t drop our Seeming if they’re there.” Oberon stared out at the ocean from their little veranda, the doors behind him open to let in the breeze.

She could scent the saltwater, hear the waves and the call of the ocean creatures. The power tugged at her senses, had her yearning to fly beneath the waves once more.

He continued, but she could barely hear him over the sound of the sea. “We could purchase a boat, but if we do that, we run the risk of alerting our enemies as to where we are. Either way we’d still need to use your credit card.” He glanced over at her. “I’m sure that redcap has already informed the Black Court that a siren is my companion. It probably wouldn’t be difficult for
them
to figure out who you are.”

She winced at the mild accusation in his tone. “Then let’s just swim out to where we need to be.” She’d need to go a fair bit away from the shore, which was why she’d thought of the boat.

“Easier said than done. Not all of us grow fins.”

“I’ll be able to help.” She joined him on the veranda, the pull of the ocean even stronger out here than it had been in the room. “I can give you breath.” His brows rose. “You’ve heard of the mermaid legends, where a mermaid gives a sailor breath so that he can live with her beneath the waves?”

“I thought most of them simply drowned the sailors.”

Cassie shook her head. “Most merfolk avoid humans. Humans often would confuse whale song for that of merfolk, and accuse us of luring sailors to their deaths. Merfolk who kill that way are either Black Court, or feel that their territory or the Seeming has been threatened.”

“And the breath you mentioned?”

“Ah. Yes.” She could feel her cheeks heating. She’d never blushed so much in her life until she met this man. “I’ll be able to give you the ability to breathe under water, so don’t worry about that.” It was how she would give him that breath that had her blushing. It gave the term mouth-to-mouth a whole new meaning.

“Then all we have to do is worry about swimming out far enough and making sure we come back while it’s still dark.” He studied her for a moment. “You grow tired after a healing. Will you be all right to swim back?”

She was more worried about him than she was about herself. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll make it back to dry land just fine.” Swimming was like breathing for her. Tugging Oberon behind her would be like playing with the dolphins. If necessary she’d carry him back to shore.

“We have a plan, then.” Oberon reached into his pocket and pulled out a hair band, stepping back into the room. “Give me ten minutes and we can start making our way to the beach.”

“All right.” Cassie went to her dresser and pulled out her bikini, slipping into the bathroom to change into it. She couldn’t go down to the beach naked. She’d planned to strip on the boat before changing to her merform, but this would work too.

Aw, crap. They hadn’t picked Oberon up a suit. He’d either have to swim in his boxer briefs, or…

She gulped.

Oh, she could so get behind that. And in front of it. And just…

Whoa.

She slipped out of the bathroom, gratified when Oberon froze at the sight of her in the turquoise bikini. It was her favorite, a halter style with a bottom that tied at the sides, making it easy to remove when she wished to drop her Seeming.

He cleared his throat and finished braiding his hair. “Are we ready?”

“As we’ll ever be, I suppose.” She grabbed a pair of jeans and a top, sliding them on to cover the bathing suit. It was far too cool out for a dip in the sea. No one would believe they were heading out for an evening swim in this weather. They would, however, believe a newlywed couple heading out to sit on the beach and neck, so she grabbed a couple of towels, aware they’d be using them for more than just sitting on sand. “You don’t have a suit, though.”

“We’ll manage, I’m sure.” His voice had gone husky, his eyes burning silver, like white fire. His gaze was glued to her body, roaming over her like a brand, marking her as his without laying a finger on her. Oberon slid his feet into the gray canvas slip-ons and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go get my memories back.”

She grabbed her own coat and followed him out the door.

“Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Nerice.” Cassie bit back a curse as Greg, the front desk man, waved them over. “You heading out to eat?”

Cassie and Oberon exchanged a quick glance before she answered. “We’re going to go sit on the beach and watch the moonlight on the waves.”

“Ah. Hold on a moment.” Greg rummaged under the front desk and held out a card. “Just in case.” He winked at them. “Sometimes our honeymooners get, ah,
caught up
out there and forget the time. If that happens, this code unlocks the front door.”

Oberon took the card, thanking the older man. “This will be much appreciated, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and have a good time out there. The Pacific is gorgeous this time of day.”

Oberon leaned over and whispered something to the older man, who nodded sagely and whispered something back. He then tipped Greg with a smile before taking hold of Cassie’s arm. “Let’s go, love.”

Cassie trembled, earning herself a confused glance from her bondmate. If he knew how badly she wished he truly meant that, he’d probably run for the hills.

She held her tongue until they were out of the inn’s parking lot, heading around to the back of the house. “What did you ask him?”

“A good, private spot to set up our blankets and be undisturbed.” The glance he sent her was full of amusement. “Needless to say, he was more than willing to aid the newlywed husband in seducing his wife.”

“Oh.”

He smirked.
Smirked.
She didn’t even think his face could move like that. “We’ll have to make sure we don’t disappoint him.”

She stumbled, stunned at the comment.

The High King merely chuckled and kept right on walking.

Eventually he stopped at a spot hidden from prying eyes by tall grass and dunes. A small lean-to, creaky and barely holding up, had been created out of driftwood. It was the perfect spot to leave their clothing and dive into the sea. Cassie approved. “Not bad.”

“Now we wait for the cover of darkness.” He settled on the sand, his hands clasped between his knees, still managing to look more like a lost prince than a man sitting under a driftwood lean-to. “How long do you think it will take to cure me?”

“Now that we’re here?” She settled next to him, staring at the ocean, its pull so strong she almost dove in. “I think it won’t be nearly as long as I’d originally planned. I think…”

“Cassie?”

She hummed a little, testing the pull of the sea and her powers. “I think my gift has grown since I’ve been away.” She looked back toward him to find he was staring at her, watching her with that same calm silver gaze. But she was learning him now, picking up on how he interacted with her and the world around him. He wasn’t as calm as he seemed. His hands were clasped together a little too tightly, his mouth not as relaxed as it had been when they’d left the inn.

Oberon was nervous as hell and trying desperately to hide it, whether out of habit or something else she wasn’t sure. The High King would have learned early on not to show any weakness, even with those he trusted. From the memories he’d shared with her and the tales told of the ruthlessness of the Tuatha Dè Danaan, she doubted their court had been a warm and fuzzy place to be.

No wonder he blew hot and cold with her. He was still struggling, not only with his lost memories, but the belief that no one in his world could be trusted. “I’ve been out of the sea for a year now, avoiding either coast. Now that we’re back, the pull is ten times stronger than I’ve ever felt it before.”

“Even though it’s not your native ocean, it’s still your element. Working without it would have caused you to use your inner strength in a way you weren’t used to.”

Of course he understood. He probably knew more about how fae powers worked than anyone else in the world. “Exactly. Honestly, if I hadn’t had that sort of drawback I might not have been strong enough to save Shane and I might not have been able to heal you. For that alone I’m thankful that I was forced to run.”

He smiled faintly. “You are a remarkable woman, Cassandra Nerice. Most people would have left me on that road, or tried their best to pass me off to Jaden or Robin. But you’ve stuck by me and done your best to prove I can trust you.”

She shrugged, embarrassed. “It’s the least I can do for my—” She cut herself off before she could finish that sentence. No way was she going to inform him they were bondmates. She cleared her throat and stared back out over the ocean, unwilling to lie while looking at him. “My king.”

“Mm-hm.” He leaned forward, tilting her chin toward him with gentle fingers. “You promised not to lie to me, Cassie. Don’t start now.”

“I’m not.” As her king, she would do anything to save him.

“If you say so.” And he let her go, let her hope he believed the lie, because when the time came and he remembered everything she was desperately afraid it no longer would be one.

Swimming so far out in the icy waters had chilled him far more than he wanted to admit, but he could barely see the lights of the houses dotting the shores. Here, they ran no risk of being seen. Even the sight of Cassie diving into the sea, skin glistening under the moonlight in that tiny little bathing suit, couldn’t keep him warm.

Cassie dove briefly, and when she came up for air she had dropped her Seeming. The turquoise of her irises had swallowed the white, her pupils wide in the dark night. He felt her tuck something into the waistband of his underwear and realized it must be the bottom half of her bathing suit, something she couldn’t wear with a tail. “We’re not going too deep, but the dark can be frightening for someone who isn’t used to it.”

“And unlike a siren I can’t use sonar to find my way around.”

“Don’t worry. Concentrate on me, and everything will be fine.” She took hold of his arms. “I’ll light up for you, I promise.”

His brows rose. “Excuse me?” That sounded vaguely intriguing, but he doubted she meant it the way it sounded.

Cassie rolled her eyes. “You’ll see.” She smiled reassuringly. “This will sound strange, but don’t bother doing that deep breath thing. I’ll take care of it once we’re under water.” She bit her lip, appearing more nervous about this than he was. “Ready?”

Not even close, but time was running out. Things had gone far too easily for them to remain safe. Oberon needed to be at full strength, his memories intact, before he dealt with Cassie’s issues and the matter of the traitor in his court. “Let’s go.”

With a swish of water, Cassie pulled him under.

And under.

The sensation of floating was pleasant, at least at first. Cassie’s grip on his arms reassured him that he wasn’t alone as the dark waters swirled overhead. The scales on her cheeks, neck, arms and fin began to give off a faint aqua glow, giving just enough light to see the eerie beauty of the woman who dragged him beneath the waves.

But soon the urge to breathe became almost overwhelming, the desire to move, to reach for the air causing him to fight Cassie’s grasp.