She and their cook, Lorana, had worked all day to prepare this feast. And that was exactly what it was: a feast to celebrate my mating to her son. Everyone was there except for Lachlan, and no one mentioned his absence. Even Dustin had been invited inside, though he’d taken a plate back to his post at the door.
She’d forced me into a long, silver-gray gown, the traditional mating garment for her line. It was the same color of Kellin’s sealskin, which he’d offered to me when he came out of his room. When I’d thought to refuse it, Stellina had pinched the back of my arm, hard. I’d decided discretion was the better part of valor and that blood on the dress would be an insult to the hostess, and wrapped it around my neck. It smelled good, like a combination of our scents, though I hadn’t realized I’d donesomething significant until Stellina clapped her hands together like a little girl.
“Around your neck! So soon after you mated, too. It was meant to be,” she’d murmured, then hugged me and Kellin, who blushed. He had barely spoken since, but I liked the little half-smiles that passed over his face every time he glanced at me through the meal.
Liked it a lot more than the glances sent my way by Goran. The only one who seemed relaxed at the table was Alexios, who’d been given some sort of mushroom ragout instead of the venison and was eating it like he’d never had food before. I made a mental note to ask Stellina for the recipe. Not that I’d cook it, but Alexios wouldn’t ask for himself.
“So, I was a bit shocked you left your mating nest so soon,” Stellina said over dessert.
My mouth was completely full of the richest, smoothest custard and berry pie I’d ever eaten, or I would’ve corrected her. It wasn’t a mating nest. It had been a sickbed. A very comfortable one with amazing pillows.
But I was not spitting out this pie. As I’d told my crew of street rats back home: never waste a dessert, not even if you think it’s tainted. “There are good ways to die and bad ways. And cake or cinnamon rolls laced with a little bit of poison is one of the sweeter ways to meet the Goddess,” I’d said at least twice. I even carried a few cubes of sugar dipped in the stuff in my cloak. You never knew when you’d need to sweeten a final cup of tea for an enemy.
It was exceedingly hard not to spit out the dessert when Stellina continued. “Of course, Kellin told me you didn’t exchange blood, so you have an incomplete bond, which may explain why you were able to leave the nest. You’ll want to prepare the rituals as soon as you can, son.” She shot him a look that I couldn’t interpret.
“Whah?” I asked, stuffing in another bite and half-hoping the pie was poisoned. My face was the shade of berries; I was sure of it.
“Wren didn’t tell you about the traditional mating month for selkies? I’m surprised.” She tsked. “Twenty-eight days until the moon turns back to—ooh, you bonded on the new moon, that’s not auspicious, but it’s better than a waning gibbous. In any case, I’ve asked Lorana to make plenty of protein-rich foods. Easy to eat in bed, for the both of you.”
“Ah, why might that be?” Goran asked, sounding less pissed as he witnessed my humiliation.
“For the twenty-eight nights. Kellin has a long and arduous task ahead of him. Even if your blood is mingled, the rituals and traditions must be observed. Rada will also need sustenance, of course. Kellin must provide?—”
Goran broke in, a wicked smile curving on his face. “Oh, I’ve heard this one. She must ‘taste the shores of bliss as many times as the moon’s cycle before her mate is allowed into her temple.’” He raised an eyebrow at Kellin. “You didn’t make the mistake of entering her temple, did you, friend?” I’d never heard the wordfriendsound like such a threat.
Ignoring Goran, Kellin addressed me quietly. “I would speak of this after dinner, Rada. Will you walk with me on the beach?” I nodded, my heart aching at the sadness in his tone. But at least he was speaking to me.
When Stellina, Goran, and Alexios started talking about something in the camp that involved two warriors, an arm-wrestling contest, and an unlikely amount of whiskey, I turned to Kellin and murmured, “I’m sorry.”
He reached out a hand and took mine under the tablecloth. “No. I’m sorry. I know you didn’t mean to harm me. I wish you hadn’t attacked my brother?—”
“I truly didn’t mean to,” I interrupted, aware of how awful it sounded. “I was taken by surprise and went for a weapon. I’ve lived a dangerous life, though that’s no excuse.”
“You stab first and ask questions later.”
“I know, it’s a character flaw.”
“Call it a quirk? I’m not sure you have flaws, Rada.” His dark eyes shone with that emotion I’d seen before. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. He’d said he didn’t like me, all those years ago. What had changed, besides me nearly killing him?
I leaned closer. “Kellin, trust me. I am a terrible person. I am a thief, a liar, a cheat, and a murderer. I’ve killed more people than you’ve kissed, most likely.”
“Have you killed more than a hundred?” he asked, blinking.
I knew better than to answer that. “Maybe. But that’s not the kind of body count we’re talking about right now… You’ve kissed ahundredwomen?”
“Well, people. Some women, some men, a few who were two-spirited. Not all humans, of course. A dozen mermaids, and one or two mermen in my youth.”
“In your youth?” For some reason, I couldn’t stop staring at his lips. He was probably good at kissing, with all that experience. “Who else have you kissed? Or maybe it would be quicker to say who you haven’t.”
His lips curled. “Well, I’m a bit older than you, my queen. Sixty-three this summer.”
That’s right. I remembered Stellina talking about how slowly selkies aged.
“My brother’s fifty-six, and he only reached the end of what humans would call puberty a few years back. That’s when he discovered his underlying nature.” He hummed. “He would be a bit younger than you, if he were human. Selkies live to be around two hundred.”
I wanted to ask how old Stellina was, but she was listening in, and I knew better. “So, you’ve kissed merpeople and humans, and…?”
He grinned. For a moment, his dark beauty flared almost too bright. “Ah, yes. A sea witch once, though she was a mistake I would not repeat. It’s the teeth, you see?” He made an odd gesture with his hands like teeth wiggling back and forth. I had no idea, but I leaned in even closer as he continued. “I once had a liaison with a sort of tree spirit, long ago. She saw me in the waves.” He gave a small half sigh. “A willow, very graceful. Very flexible.”
