Tempted by the Forbidden Mate, page 8
Three heads snap to me.
Only Nico’s amber eyes aren’t shocked. “Little Krill.” I try not to flinch. Him calling me that is different now, knowing that it’s an endearment and not an insult. Krill are the most valuable resource in the ocean. It’s sweet really. Which isn’t something that anyone would think of when they think of Nico. “I’m wholeheartedly for you learning how to defend yourself. But there’s still a lot you need to learn.”
“The optics of it will be off too. You’re the mate of the second most decorated military merman of Doria. If you’re seen learning how to fight, other merman might not see—”
“If they’re not man enough to see me as an equal, I don’t want them.” I glare right back at Castor. Screw his optics.
Castor laughs and shakes his head at my words. His glare is on Nico, though.
There’s a knock on the door.
“It’s Ophelia,” comes through the door.
“Speaking of optics.” Nico strides to the door, pulling it open. “Duchess.” He bows.
“Nico.” She glares at her son. “I want to talk to all of you.”
I realize that Holter and Castor are standing. My plate clinks as I put it down. My mouth is full of one of the little orange sandwiches. This one tastes more like a macaron than bread. To think I hadn’t ever had a macaron until I moved to Boston. And now look at me. Still trying to get back to Boston.
“Oh, you’re wearing a dark outfit.”
“It’s very pretty. Thank you again for letting me borrow some of Kai’s clothes.”
“Yes, well, you’re going to need to go shopping. First thing tomorrow.”
I glance back at the closet stuffed with clothes. But then again, they aren’t mine. “Oh,” is all I can think to say.
“You’re going to be the guest of honor at the ball, the day after tomorrow. And if you did as well as you did at the docking, you’ll have every eligible merman at your beck and call.” She claps her hands.
I blink up at Ophelia, my lips sucked in. I’m not great at being the center of attention. At school, I’ve learned to wear baggy clothes, no makeup. I want the male-dominated field to know that I mean business. Here, I suppose I’m going to have to do the opposite.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you study. But really, you’ve already learned all the governors. There are a handful of others you need to know. You can dance?” Castor asks.
“Uh.” Tension fills my forehead. Because that would be a big fat no.
“Remember not to use that phrase. ‘Uh.’ It makes one think you don’t know what you’re saying.” Ophelia cocks her head at me.
“I took a dance class when I was four.”
“Four, well that’s remarkably young. How many years did you take lessons?” Ophelia holds her hands in front of her.
“One. They told my dad I wasn’t ready. And he never brought me back.” I almost remember the day, but it might be my uncle telling the story over and over again that I remember. How Marlee did so well and I was just sitting in the middle of the floor playing with my tights.
“I see. Well, after we get you a dress, we will have to work on that as well.” Ophelia cocks her head at Nico as if to say couldn’t he have made sure the girl could dance before biting her.
Nico glares back.
“I can try.” I shake my head. “I’ll do my best.” I’m pretty sure I won’t sit in the middle of the floor and play with my dress. But I’m also not guaranteeing I won’t trip. The simple box step Bass taught me took hours.
12
Annabelle
“No, it’s lovely.” Really, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever put on my body. “How much is it?” I smooth the fine fabric over my hips. “It’s heavy and light at the same time.” I smooth my hands down the side of the gown, and my fingers catch on the side. “It has pockets! A ballgown with pockets.”
“Yes, of course it does.” The clerk, Rockney, looks at me momentarily like I’m insane and then continues on. “The fabric shimmer is a new process that the Permula scientists have come up with. My mate is quite fond of it.” He beams when he says mate.
“I can see why. I really like it.” When I take a step, it changes from gold to blue and back. I kind of want to say FU to the guys and get it in green. “Does it come in any other colors?”
He blinks. “Yes, but . . .”
I’m causing the sales clerk to have a heart attack that a mermaid from Glyden would think to wear anything but gold and blue.
“Do you want it shortened, or is the length good?” He’s crouched next to me, playing with the hem of the gown.
“No, this is a good length. But how much is it?” When he hustled it into the dressing room, I saw a tag swinging from the back of the gown. Actually, it was the only thing similar to shopping back home. Back in high school, I went prom dress shopping with my best friend. I knew I couldn’t buy one. We didn’t have money to buy a new dress. I wore a borrowed bridesmaid dress from my aunt’s friend.
He smirks.
“What?” I look down at him.
“I don’t mean to be disrespectful. It’s just I’ve never had a mermaid ask a price before. It’s such a strange concept. If she wants something, she gets it.” He’s still kneeling in front of me.
“Do you get everything you want?”
Another laugh—this one isn’t as robust as the last. “That’s a strange concept. I don’t want what I shouldn’t have. And if I shouldn’t have it, I don’t want it.” He stands and takes the next klarama, or traditional gown, from the hanger. “This one will look even better on you.”
I glance in the mirror again, and I don’t think that’s possible. It’s not vanity. I can still see my flaws. But this klarama is magical in the way it is hiding them. My ass has never been this round, and my breasts are perfectly round and high enough I could use them as a ledge to store my phone. Which I’m still missing. But a little less now. If that’s possible.
He wiggles the midnight blue klarama with golden trim. It’s not like any of the other ones I’ve tried on. “Oh, I think you will like this one.” Rockney’s smile is infectious. When he twirls it in front of me, I can see the fleeting glimpses of blue and gold, but otherwise it’s almost black.
Black like unmated mermaids wear when they are looking to change domes.
Rockney wrinkles up his nose at me, his twinkling blue eyes reminding me of Holter’s.
“It’s awfully dark.”
“It is. But then you don’t have four mates, do you?”
“No.”
“It’s not inappropriate. Tiana Kieran of Permula Dome purchased one of this same fabric last year. A completely different design. Have you met Tiana?”
“No, I’ve only met a few people at the ceremony and at Glyden Dome.”
“Tiana has a mixed pod.”
Mixed pod? I’m wondering if this is another weird confusion between Dorian and English.
“You’re confused. I believe I used the right word. She has mates from Permula, Diamont, and Stele. Five in total, and they are expecting a podling any day now.”
“I thought . . .” I thought mermaids couldn’t take mates from other domes. But of course, that’s what the guys would want me to think. Because it makes it that much easier to control me if I don’t pick mates from other domes. They’ll be able to secure me as a full-functioning, Glyden-only mermaid. Able to create a podling a year for the home team. Like my dad’s prized heifers. I clear my throat. “You are very informative, Rockney. And kind.”
“Thanks. So are you. My brother will be at the ball. I would love to introduce you to him.”
And there it is. My uncle always said everyone who’s being kind to you has an underlying motive. And that bastard certainly knows an underlying motive when he sees one. “I’ll be sure to find him. I’ll take both dresses. After all, Castor told me to get everything I need.” I glance at my watch. I’m due back in a few minutes, and I’ve taken so much time finding things for the komipidu. This ball scares the living daylights out of me. The docking ceremony was rigid with customs and things that had to be followed, but this sounds like chaos. I’ve neglected to even glance at the everyday clothes I need the most. “I need to get back to the Glyden Dome. “Can you please pick out a few blue and gold things for me to use every day?”
“I’d be more than happy to send things over for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Annabelle, it’s not my place to say this, but you do know that when a male mates you, he no longer owns any property. You do. Everything that was Nico Callis’s is yours.”
“What?”
“I apologize. It’s just that you seemed hesitant to purchase this because of the cost, and you are one of the richest mermaids in the Veiled City, one of the wealthiest people on the planet.”
“Excuse me?” I blurt it out, and it’s clear he thinks I’m rebuking him. He holds his hands up and moves behind his counter. “Oh, Rockney, you’re right. I didn’t know that.” I swallow. “I appreciate you telling me. I’ll look for your brother at the komipidu. Can my little faux pas stay between the two of us?” I smile, my lips wet, my head cocked.
He laughs. “You are becoming quite the mermaid.”
I’m not sure how I should take that, but I say, “Thank you.”
“Have a wonderful day, Annabelle.”
We bow to each other. It feels weird leaving the store without anything, but Holter told me that’s how it’s done. I pause by the door, readying myself for the hustle, and stare out into the main corridor.
I swallow. This is pushing it. Pushing, it’s just the thing that Nico and Castor need. They’re not going to let me go. And I’ve been “behaving” like a loyal fool. If I’m ever going to get any more autonomy, I need to get some space from Glyden. The males of the dome are circling like vultures. Rockney has told me more than Nico since I’ve known him. Okay, not really, but he boiled it down to some important facts.
Holter is sitting on a bench next to the door talking to someone who stands, quickly walking away, before I get there. Holter stands as I approach. “That didn’t take long.”
I glance at my watch and laugh.
“No, seriously, I used to accompany Castor’s mother here, and I could read an entire novel. But then I think she had a thing for Rockney’s uncle.”
“Rockney comes from a long line of charmers, then.”
Holter blinks. “It appears that way. Did you get everything you wanted?”
“I got what I needed.”
“They’re one and the same.” Holter’s hand brushes mine, and I want to take it. But I shouldn’t in public. Not with the political mess Castor is weaving.
Holter guides me away from the store. The stalls are a lot less chic, unlike the farmers’ markets in downtown Boston. Most of them still cater to the traditional male eye. Weapons. The hawkers call to the passing males, but they don’t say a thing to me.
I stop by one. Castor told me to not take too long, that I have too many things to learn. But then what sort of things are they really willing to tell me?
I stop by a weapons stall. The back wall is blue. The owner must be Zaffiro, Diamont, or Glyden.
“Arabel Porch-mouth, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m so glad you made the choice to stop at my stall.” He’s displaying lots of tridents, long-handled ones and short ones with buttons that transform into long-handled knife-like things. I step inside the stall, ignoring the straightening of Holter’s spine. I’m clearly doing a no-no. And right now, I don’t care.
“You certainly have a lot of things.” Darn it. I’m getting visions of my dad calling my seventh-grade art project interesting, but I can’t help it. How do I compliment weapons when I don’t know anything about them?
My heart pounds in my chest. Everyone here seems to have a trident, just as most people back home have a shotgun, although we weren’t shooting people but coyotes, wolves, and weasels in the chicken coop.
I pivot to Holter. “I want you to teach me how to use a trident.”
The shopkeeper turns to Holter, almost as interested as I am in his answer. The gleam in his eyes tells me that, unlike Rockney, he’s not going to be keeping my secrets. Holter nods. “Anything you want, Annabelle.”
“Anything?” As much as I want to call him out, he’s not exactly the yes man he appears to be. After all, he refused to mate me as well as refused to let me escape when he could have. So no, I don’t buy the “anything.” But I cock my head at the display of large tridents on the side wall.
Holter grimaces. “Maybe we don’t start with those.”
“I have something that might fit you better over here.” The shopkeeper lifts a woven tapestry from over a trident that looks like a Bedazzler has thrown up on it. Only, I’m pretty sure they’re not red and green crystals but rubies and emeralds. I really need to work on hiding my expression because the shopkeeper quickly puts it down. “Or maybe something more practical.”
“And better balanced.” Holter tugs the cloth back over it, covering the weapon that is more ceremonial than useful. Which reminds me of how Nico used his ceremonial trident back on the Centauri. A small shiver runs through me.
The shopkeeper doesn’t seem to notice, but Holter does. He intentionally brushes his arm against mine.
The owner steps deeper into his stall, which is barely wider than I am tall. But it’s a lot deeper than I imagined. “What about this one?” It’s small and golden, but when he hands it to me, it’s not heavy. “It’s super-charged, for deep ocean use. Which makes it compact and lightweight.” He holds it out for me, and I take it. The metal is cool, but it feels right. Like it’s something I should get used to. “It’s not charged, of course. We don’t have loaded weapons in the common dome––anymore.” He glances up at Holter, and I have a feeling there is yet something else I need to learn.
“Yes, this will do,” I say as I run my hands over it. Pushing my shoulders back, I lift my head. “I’ll take it with me.” I keep my tone as firm as possible. Because the midnight dress might not make it to my room, but this sure as heck will. And I’m going to learn how to use it too.
“Oh, that’s not necessary. It would be my honor to deliver it to you.”
“How kind. But I’m still taking it with me.” I lift my head.
“Right.” He turns to Holter, who appears to be holding his breath.
“She’s taking it with her.” His tone is firm. And I suddenly don’t want to buy anything from this eggplant, but I’m going to let it go because I want this trident. More than anything. And it’s a want I should have. Holding the cloth-wrapped package to my side, it’s comforting.
13
Castor
This is the longest day of my life. The speed with which my mother is orchestrating this ball is crazy. Nothing moves that fast in our city. Nothing but trials and matings, anyway.
I’m sitting in the dining room, working with my tablet that interfaces with my computer back in Greece. We’ve got a crisis on our hands here in the Veiled City, but that doesn’t mean things have stopped moving with the company. There are several messages from my assistant stating that members of the board want face-to-face meetings with me as soon as possible. Cutting my week short on land has left me with a lot of fires to put out. I look up, and my mother is standing next to me.
“How’s the company?”
“Good.”
It’s not the answer she wants. She’s been part of the business since her papa ran it. The way things used to be. But now we’re global, while still privately owned. The best thing for the company and our coffers would be to go public, let the humans help us grow even faster. But it’s not an option that the few expats on the board like. They want to remain secretive, and I don’t blame them. Going public to the humans could be a great thing for business, though. We could capitalize on all the human mythology and use our image as marketing. It’s crossed my mind more than once that the Boston battle might be the best thing that’s ever happened for Glyden Mining, the company I run for my family.
“You need to head back to the office.”
“Soon.”
“Anytime you need to, you should do it. I can take care of finding Annabelle a good mate.”
“You don’t like her?”
Ophelia clicks her tongue, pulling back like I’ve slapped her. It’s not often my mother shows her emotion about something like this. “No, I do like her, and that’s the issue. You like her too. Too much.”
“I do.”
“The list of reasons why you need to stay out of her bed is longer than the Odyssey.”
“I know.” But I don’t want to. And as long as I’m unmated and in the city—and her pod welcomes me—I’m not going.
“Good.” Her inflection says she understands I won’t. “I need you to check on a few invitations, those who haven’t responded yet. I’ve sent them to your block.”
I click over to the list. It is five long. Three in Seolfor. They’re probably too busy with their work to have even checked their blocks this week. I wouldn’t want Annabelle with them, anyway. They would park her in the corner like a trophy to be looked at. Ugo from Permula—not a bad match. But I think his breath smelled of eel the last time I ran into him.
The final name on the list has my head snapping to my mother. “Soren? No.”
“He’s your brother.”
“Exactly. He’s not going to be happy with my castoffs.”
“That’s the problem. She hasn’t been cast off yet, has she?”
My stomach flips. Fucking Soren. “Fine. I’ll go down and talk to him.”
“Excellent, and while you’re out, you should pick out a new suit.”
“I have several suits.”
“Yes, but you always wear your dark blue one.”
I narrow my eyes at her. The last time she saw me wearing it, she called me regal. Her seal of approval. “What color gown did Annabelle buy?”
She purses her lips as her eyes skim the page of mining notes back up on my block. “Send me the financial report from the last quarter when you get a chance.”
