I fell asleep before I knew it because the insistent knocking on my door woke me up early the next morning. Stifling a groan, I opened my eyes to see it was still dark out. The clock showed that it was just before six and I couldn’t imagine who was at the door this early.
“What?” I growled. Taking that as an invitation, Graham threw open my door and flipped on the light. I shielded my eyes with one pillow and threw another in his direction. “What are you doing? Get out of my room!”
He dodged the flying cushion and began rifling through the closet where I’d unpacked my clothes. “Time for your training,” he said although it sounded a bit muffled under the pillow.
“Did I hear you say training?” Looking at the clock again, I decided this must be some kind of sick joke. “The sun’s not even up yet.”
He threw a pair of shorts and a tight tank top on the bed. “I only have four hours with you before Jeremiah takes over. We don’t want to waste any time.” He moved around the room like a caffeine junkie. I didn’t smell any cigarettes or alcohol and he looked relatively refreshed, but he was still acting weird.
“Did you even sleep?” I asked.
He shrugged. “A little. Now let’s go.” He bent forward and pulled the blankets down to the end of the bed, exposing me to the cold air and his playful eyes. I was wearing a camisole and underwear…and nothing else. He stared and I cowered under the heat of his gaze. His mouth fell partially opened and his eyes never left my body. It took another pillow to the face before he snapped out of it.
“You don’t get to look at me like that,” I said sharply.
Running his hand through his head, he gazed at the floor. “No?”
“No. Now get out so I can get dressed.” He hesitated a moment more, not making any attempt to leave. “What?” I shrieked.
Now he laughed. “Just wondering if you’re telling me the truth or not.” Crap. I had forgotten about that little ability.
“Yes, I want you to leave now.” That really was the truth. I certainly wasn’t going to change in front of him. There had been just a few too many awkward moments.
“All right then, tart. Meet me out back in five.” Graham bounded out of the room and I didn’t move until I heard him running down the stairs. How he had this much energy in the morning, especially after drinking all night, I would never know. Succumbing to the idea that he was being serious, I got dressed, brushed my teeth and headed downstairs.
Last night had been a little too much for me and my self control, so I was slightly hesitant to delve right into physical combat again with Graham. Seeing him warming up with side stretches and fast jumping jacks nearly set my heart into overdrive. Why was I reacting this way? Apparently I was most attracted to what I shouldn’t have. First it was Brendan, although he wasn’t a bad boy per se, he just wasn’t what everyone wanted for me. Now it was Graham - the prodigal Council member who loved his women and his booze. Not to mention he had immense powers no one single merman should have. He was dangerous. And I was smitten.
He caught me staring, so he turned to face me and lifted both of his hands up over his head enough to show the lower part of his bare stomach. It was muscular and fabulous and I quickly walked past him. If he wanted to play, then I was willing to give him a show as well.
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“I thought we’d go boot camp style today.” He reached over and squeezed my bicep lightly. “You could use a little more muscle.” I bent over to touch my toes, showing him the best muscle on my body. When he hissed in a breath, I knew I’d gotten the reaction I intended.
He must have seen my smirk because he suddenly let out a laugh. “Oh no you don’t, tart. You do not even want to start playing that game.”
“Why, whatever are you talking about?” I asked innocently while bending from side to side, being sure to get in a good stretch of the hamstrings. He slapped my rump and jogged past me. I jumped up, rather taken aback by his boldness, and started to yell at him.
“I am the master of seduction. Don’t you ever forget that little syrenka.” He ran backward, waiting for me to catch up. “You’re playing with fire.”
I totally agreed with him on that one. Sprinting at almost full speed, I finally caught up with him, but that had pretty much ended our flirting session. For the next several hours we ran on the beach, ran in circles, and ran in place. He had me doing all kinds of squats, pushups, sit-ups, and weight training. Somehow, he found two fairly identical pieces of beach rock and hade me mercilessly doing shoulder presses and bicep curls. He barked out commands and wouldn’t let me rest. In all fairness, he did most of the workout too, but if this is what it was going to be like every morning, I didn’t know if I really wanted to train with him anymore.
We made it back to the house with just over an hour to spare before I needed to meet with Jeremiah. Graham told me to go shower and he’d cook us some breakfast. Surprised at the offer, I ran upstairs before he could change his mind. I was also happy to see that my suitcase from California had arrived, giving me a much better selection of outfits.
Throwing on a pair of jeans and a tank top, I came down the stairs following the smell of fried eggs and fresh orange juice. Graham was facing the stove, leaving his back toward the kitchen entrance. He’d removed his shirt and it now rested over his right shoulder. His baggy gray sweat pants hung low on his waist, giving me an ample view of his defined back muscles. There was simply no denying how gorgeous this man really was. He moved around the kitchen with ease, causing me to wonder if he had yet another talent that didn’t involve mind control. When he finally turned around and spotted me, he didn’t seem surprised.
“Here. Eat up.” He handed me a plate and I sat down at the counter across from him. There were potatoes and egg whites and something green that I assumed was spinach. Definitely a power breakfast. Fixing a plate for himself, he pulled up a chair next to me and we ate in silence for a while. It tasted delicious and I told him as much once I nearly finished eating everything.
“Thanks. I like to cook.”
“That’s good because I don’t.” I didn’t realize what that actually sounded like until he laughed and shook his head.
“Good to know. Perhaps I can be the stay at home dad and you can run the world,” he said with a smile.
I blushed again. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No?”
“No. I was just thinking that you can keep cooking breakfast for me after each horrific training session.”
“Horrific?”
I gave him a look. “I don’t think I’ll even be able to get out of bed tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s okay because I’m actually not going to be here tomorrow.”
My stomach plunged in disappointment at the realization I might not get to spend more time with him. “Why not?”
“I need to go take care of something while I’m nearby.” He smiled crookedly at me and added, “I’ll be back tomorrow evening.”
“When do you leave?”
“As soon as we’re finished here. My ride is on the way.” I wanted to ask him more about what he was doing, but I didn’t want to sound like a jealous or insecure teenage girl. If he was going to meet one of his many girlfriends, then there wasn’t anything I could say. Nor did I really want to. I had Brendan. At least I hoped I did.
My skin suddenly shivered with chills and it was like I knew the moment Jeremiah entered the kitchen behind us. His presence alone was enough to send my senses on high alert.
“Ah, Master Forrester. So nice of you to take care of our Eviana.” He walked to the stove and lifted the lid off the frying pan. His dark red robe hung freely over a bare chest and tight pair of jeans. He’d braided his golden hair and it fell gracefully down the center of his back. “Any left for me?”
“’Fraid not, mate.” Graham shoved the last bite in his mouth and began to clear our plates. Jeremiah watched him with a smirk on his face but didn’t comment. Something traveled through his mind but I had no idea what that could possibly be. It just seemed as if Graham was the most amusing thing in the world to him right now.
Graham walked back around the island counter and grabbed his shirt off the chair. He quickly rubbed the top of my head, effectively creating a jumbled rat’s nest. I pushed his hand away and he laughed.
“See you tomorrow night, tart. Try to get some cardio in if you have time.” I watched him leave and wondered if I should beg him to take me too. A snort from across the room brought my attention back to Jeremiah.
“Interesting,” he mumbled.
“What’s so interesting?” I snapped back.
He pulled in a deep breath and pushed himself away from the stove. “It would appear that you’ve been able to tame the beast.” He shuffled his feet back and forth and looked at me curiously. “That is rather unexpected.”
I had no idea what he was talking about and I really didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of asking. So instead I said, “Are you ready?”
He raised an eyebrow and I thought he might continue speaking in riddles, but he simply nodded. “Let’s get started.”
I followed him out of the kitchen and down the long hallway toward the indoor pool in the back of the house. I’d feared this day since Mistress Lyonetta sentenced me to this place. Jeremiah had a flock of human’s here and I was sure I’d be forced to practice on them.
We walked through the double door entrance and into a steaming room. It was almost like an arboretum with the artificial warmth and numerous plants creating a jungle-like atmosphere. I heard a soft drumming in the background that I attributed to one of Jeremiah’s exotic albums. Just like last time, at least two dozen humans lined the walls and stood in silence. I was surprised that I hadn’t seen more of them around the house. In fact, I hadn’t really encountered anyone other than Graham and his protectors.
“Where do they all stay?” I asked distractedly.
“Who?” Jeremiah turned around to face me and saw where my gaze had fallen. “Oh, their quarters are next door in the guest house. The sprites stay in the pool. Or the fountain,” he said with a wink, letting me know he was referring to Abhainn.
I cleared my throat. “All of the humans live here?”
“Yes. Their quarters are quite large, don’t you fret.” He smiled at me in such a condescending way it made me wish I could slap the grin off his face. “Now,” he clapped his hands together, “let’s begin.”
We moved to the center of the deck surrounding the pool then he raised his arms, gesturing to all of the humans standing around at attention. “Show me what you can do.”
“What should I command?” Even saying those words made my stomach cringe in disgust. I did not want to be able to take over the minds of other people. It just wasn’t right.
Jeremiah’s face sparkled with evil. “You could make them go for a swim,” he suggested, knowing how much that would anger me. I couldn’t help my response.
“You are the most despicable person I know. You aren’t even a person. You’re a…a…” I couldn’t think of the right insult.
“A king? A god amongst men? A bastard? A genius?” He turned in a circle flaring out his robe and extending his arms. “This is who we are, Eviana. This is what it means to be one of us.”
I watched as three females walked to his side and stripped the robe from his back. He hadn’t said a word and he’d been talking to me while giving a silent command. As much as I hated to admit it, Jeremiah Williams was probably the best one for me to learn from. I would tolerate his lessons and fine tune my skills, but I vowed that I’d never be as careless with others’ minds like he was.
“Now, do something,” he commanded.
I closed my eyes and envisioned the tiny light balls again. It was so easy that I realized belatedly Jeremiah wasn’t trying to keep his hold over them. I’m sure those types of lessons would come later. One by one, the humans dropped to their knees and when I thought I had them all, I opened my eyes. Jeremiah wasn’t impressed.
“You forgot one.” He jerked his head to the corner and I turned to see a man hiding in the shadows. His dark skin and shaved head did little to reveal his true identity, but I recognized who he was instantly.
“Malcolm?”
“Hello again, Miss Eviana.” He stood and walked over to me, extending his hand. I reached out toward him only to watch as he gently lifted my fingers up to his lips and placed a kiss on the top of my hand. “I’m surprised to see you here again.”
I sighed and nodded over my shoulder to Jeremiah. “It wasn’t my choice.”
“Yes, I can see that,” Malcolm smiled. There was something so innately familiar about him. His smell. His demeanor. The way he moved. Malcolm was a selkie just like Brendan and my heart begin to ache. I’d literally grown up with Brendan and often felt more comfortable around his kind than mine. I missed playing in the ocean with him or arguing over the name of a fish. We’d shared so much that I really didn’t feel whole without him anymore. Malcolm’s presence was only going to exacerbate that pain.
“I won’t control him,” I whispered to anyone who would listen.
“You will,” Jeremiah replied. I snapped my head around and took the two steps needed to invade his personal space.
“I will not control a selkie. I can’t.”
“Lucian has an army of selkies and without their control, you will fail. My job is to make sure that you can stand against him. So that means learning how to use your gift to its fullest potential.”
He was right, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
As soon as I accepted that fact, the easier the day got. Well, relatively speaking. Jeremiah taught me how he could almost see the aura of a free mind glowing around the subjects. A human mind was white, or blank as he liked to call it. A selkie’s mind glowed red. They were a bit harder to command, but always ultimately succumbed.
Malcolm assured me that he did not mind playing practice doll. He was appalled at what Lucian was doing with his kind and if his help would stop him, then he was willing to do it. I had to admire his outlook. It was mature and insightful, two qualities I needed to vastly improve upon.
My brain felt dead by the afternoon, so Jeremiah allowed me to quit early. I was so tired that all I really wanted to do was crawl into bed, but when Malcolm followed me into the kitchen, I knew there was something he needed to say.
“I heard about your selkie,” he said by way of introduction to the conversation. Not exactly what I was expecting.
“About what?”
“That you saved him but your power scared him and he left you.” Well, that was blunt. He must have read the reaction on my face. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be insensitive.” His large hand ran over his bald head and he sighed. “I think I just wanted to let you know that you guys can get past this.”
“How do you know?” Malcolm had never met Brendan and he certainly didn’t have any insight to our relationship.
“Because you’re not like the others. You may have this gift, or curse,” he said with a wry smirk, “but you’re not evil.”
“Gee, thanks.”
He smiled wider and I noticed two identical dimples in his cheeks. “I’m not real good with words.” Pausing for a moment, he collected himself. “I think what I’m trying to say is that he would be lucky to have you.”
“That’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” I swear I saw his dark skin blush.
“You mean well and you’re obviously in love with him. If he’s smart, he’ll realize that.”
This time I couldn’t hide my smile. “He said he’s coming back to me.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. It was great. I just wondered why I was feeling so attracted to Graham when I should only be thinking about Brendan. But what if he changed his mind again? What if he couldn’t resist the call? I suddenly had a thought. “You haven’t felt the call yet?”
All selkies were required to breed with humans in order to continue their line. Apparently the urge to mate just kicks in one day and then nothing else in the world matters. Brendan said he wasn’t going to do that to me, but how did he really know if he could resist.
Malcolm stared at a spot on the wall beyond my shoulder. “No, not yet.”
“But you will, right? They all do.” He nodded solemnly, and I continued. “Is it possible to resist?”
“I’ve never known anyone who could.” Seeing that realization pass over my face he continued. “But I also haven’t known very many selkies who’d promised their love so strongly to someone else before feeling the call. Perhaps it will be different for you.”
I sighed again. “Perhaps.” Not only was I tired, but now I felt completely dejected after having this conversation. I’m sure that wasn’t Malcolm’s intent, but the thought of losing Brendan again when I didn’t even really have him back for sure, just crushed me.
Excusing myself from the kitchen and our intense discussion, I walked upstairs to my room and curled up on the bed. I needed something else to think about. Grabbing my phone, I checked in with my sister, Palmer, and then finally with Kain. Everything was running smoothly without my presence and that made me feel even worse.
No one needed me.
Although once I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I realized that they all did need me. That was why I was here. Lucian was going to continue killing us until someone took care of him. And the only way to him was through his army of zombies. I wasn’t narcissistic enough to think I was going to have to do this on my own, but I knew I would play an important role in some form or fashion.
Feeling a little bit better, I spent the rest of the day in the ocean swimming around leisurely to let my mind and body relax. Two of Jeremiah’s protectors accompanied me, but they stayed far enough away that I had at least some semblance of privacy. And if I’d really thought things through, I would have realized this was probably going to be the last time I would have some peace for quite for a while. Once my training was over, I would have to jump back into my leadership role and take us into a war.
Perhaps coming to Jeremiah’s was less like a chore and more like the calm before the storm.
