He had freed her. Freed her to live. Freed her to love. Freed her to know what happiness truly felt like.
For the first time in a long, long time, Summer looked into the future... and felt hope.
She turned to press a kiss against his crown, breathing in the exotic, intoxicating fragrance of him. A smile played about her lips. After more than twenty-four hours of virtually nonstop sex, the pair of them should smell rank as a stable of goats, but they had paused once or twice to bathe along the way. And making love with a Sealord in a body of water—even a small one—well, that had come with its own set of surprises. She squirmed, remembering how he’d taken control of the water, used it to stroke and tease every inch of her skin inside and out, brought her to multiple screaming orgasms without laying a single finger on her.
Gods, how she loved what he did to her. She loved that almost as much as she lovedhim,and that was saying a lot.
A sudden, loud pounding on the cabin door ripped her out of her happy reverie. She jumped, and Dilys came instantly awake, leaping out of the bed and landing on the balls of his feet, sword in hand. Where had the sword come from? She hadn’t even seen one within reach.
“Dilys! It’s Ryll!” More insistent pounding. “Open up!”
Gabriella sat up, dragging the sheets up to her chest as Dilys flung open the door. “Ryll?” Dilys asked. “What are you doing here? What’s happened?”
“The Shark didn’t die in that explosion like we thought. He’s still alive, and he has Ari.”
Chapter 26
TheKrackensailed north towards the Olemas. Ryll’sNarwaland the rest of the western Varyan fleet sailed close on theKracken’s stern. The captains of those ships had gathered in Dilys’s stateroom aboard theKrackento discuss their option and come up with a plan to get Ari back and put an end to the Shark.
That Nemuan and the Shark were one and the same was no longer a suspicion but a certainty, one he shared with Ryll and the other captains as he called the meeting to order. Not surprisingly, they were shocked and disbelieving at first, but when Dilys asked Gabriella to describe the Calbernan who’d held her captive aboard Mur Balat’s ship, her mention of the matte-blackulumicovering a good half of his body left Ryll and the other captains stunned but convinced.
“I had my suspicions before the Kuinana,” Dilys admitted, “but I didn’t want to slur aMyerielua’s name without proof. I regret my reticence now. If I’d been more open... if I’d shared my suspicions... perhaps Ari would never have been captured.”
Gabriella, who was sitting beside him at the table, laid a hand over his. “We don’t know that it would have made a difference.” She pitched her voice low, her tone and her touch a soothing balm.
The guilt that had been beating him up since the news about Ari suddenly lost its power to injure. Her help wasn’t necessary. He would have handled it. Warriors were trained from youth to compartmentalize their feelings and focus on the mission at hand. But it was nice that he didn’t have to, nicer still that she loved him enough to save him that small hurt. He spread his fingers so that hers fell between them, and gave a gentle squeeze of thanks.
Their eyes met in a moment of silent understanding. Then she pulled her hand back and turned to the rest of the table. Her voice became brisk and authoritative. “And it doesn’t matter one way or the other. Right now, the only thing we need to be thinking about is how to get Ari back.”
Ryll’s eyes widened a little, and he gave Dilys a look that was part admiration, part indulgent amusement, the sort you might express after watching a child display a new skill. Dilys realized Ryll had never seen Gabriella drop her Sweet Summer mask. Despite her considerable Siren’s power, Ryll still thought she was that kind, shy flower who naturally faded into the background beside her bolder, brighter sisters. Amusement flickered through Dilys. Poor Ryll. He was in for a shock.
“What I want to know is why Nemuan would turn traitor?” That came from Anat Popolo, captain of theMermaid.He and Nemuan had sailed together in their youth.
“I don’t know,” Dilys bit out, “and to be honest, I don’t really care. For now, we just need to get Ari back and put an end to Nemuan’s treason. He knows I’ll be coming for him. That’s why he took Ari: to make me come after him. And there’s only one place the Shark would go: to his base of power in the Olemas. No doubt he thinks that will gain him the upper hand.”
“Forgive me for saying so,moa Myerielua,” Narun, captain of theWindrunner,pointed out, “but in the Olemas, hedoeshave the upper hand. His pirates have already proven their ability to fight and defeat us. That’s how they wrested control of that ocean from Calberna to begin with.”
“Now we know why,” Ryll put in bitterly, “afarkingtraitorous prince of the Isles has been teaching them how to beat us!”
“It’s not just that,” Narun said. “According to our last estimates, he has at least two hundred pirates sailing his flag. He’s built an armada. We should at least gather the rest of the fleet before we go after him.”
“Ono,” Dilys said. “If we wait, we lose any chance of getting Ari back alive. You all know what happened to Fyerin.” Poor, bright, trusting Fyerin. His brutally tortured remains “discovered” and brought home by Nemuan. Discovered? Ha! How thatkrillomust have laughed, accepting the weeping thanks of Fyerin’s mother for bringing her son’s body home.
“We’re just ten ships.”
“Nine,” Dilys corrected. “I’m sending Gabriella and theDolphinback to Calberna, to inform theMyerialof Nemuan’s treason and let her know what’s going on.”
“What?” Gabriella sat up straight. “I’m not going to Calberna. I’m going with you.”
He’d expected an argument. That’s why he hadn’t brought it up to her last night. “You are the first Siren born in two thousand five hundred years. Ensuring your safety has to be our first priority.”
“Yourakuais right,Myerialanna,” Ryll said. “You should listen to him.”
Her brows snapped together. “Was I speaking to you, Ryllian Ocea?”
Ryll gaped at her for a moment, then clamped his mouth shut.
Gabriella turned back to Dilys. Her eyes were now snapping with golden sparks. “I’m not asking for your permission, Dilys. I’m telling you I will be sailing with you to the Olemas and assisting in the rescue of Arilon Calmyria. That’s not up for debate.”
