Sea Witch: Children of the Waves (2 page)

Chapter One

Once his king and queen were safely
returned to the depths in King’s City within their palace, Aaron finally
breathed a sigh of relief. He’d sent for two other warriors to accompany them
back to the depths from Zek’s island home. He would let nothing harm them.
Thank Poseidon nothing more happened on their journey back. The dolphins ringed
them for miles, ready to give warning and help defend, if they saw or sensed
anything. Thank fuck, just an easy journey. If Aaron never saw another one of
those damn demons again, it would be too soon.

“Did you have any luck, son?” Balen moved
beside him back to his home.

Aaron smiled at his father’s question.

Being a strong telepath, he could have
just gone into his mind and found the answer. His father’s real question was
obvious as well. Balen knew if he had
any
luck
, he would have brought his bride home with him.

What he couldn’t tell his father, what he
blocked from him and not even his best friend knew, he’d already found her. Had
known for almost several decades who and where she was. She never left the
depths or rarely, these last few years.

While everyone knew at some point, he’d
met her, since his people began aging once they found their brides or mates.
He’d seemingly begun to age about the same time as Xavior, the then heir, but
since he had yet to claim her, most were beginning to assume he didn’t know who
she was, so perhaps she was a landwalker. Aaron continued to let his family and
friends…everyone believe that. However, she wasn’t. He just couldn’t reveal her
identity…and each day, it got harder and harder to maintain the façade of
looking for her.

Watching his best friends, Xavior and his
brother Ezekiel find their brides, along with the contentment, love and
satisfaction surrounding the couples—well, it created an ache in his
heart. He wanted what they had, with everything in him. What killed him, was
the fact, he could have had it to for years now. Except, it wasn’t so simple.
Nothing ever was. Instead, he had been condemned to this lonely existence. Only
half alive, because he had to deny his other half.

Each day he missed her, a part of him was
missing. He’d only seen her one other time, since the first time they’d met.
The day Xav sought her out to help him find his own bride. While Xav saw the
witch as still a child, as did all others, he alone saw her as she truly
appeared. A fully grown adult, one who’d found her mate. And his heart ached.

He must have been quiet for too long,
because his father asked his question again.

“I’m sorry, Father. I’m tired. It’s been
a long week. A lot has happened, but no, she wasn’t on land. Not this time.” He
hated lying to his father, but at least what he’d said was the truth, just not
all of it. Such had been his life, lying to his family and friends. All the
women everyone thought he’d been with, something he cultivated, not a soul
didn’t believe he truly didn’t know who his mate was. They all believed he
actively and aggressively searched for her. As was custom for their kind.
Everyone believed—except one. The only one who knew the truth. The only
one who mattered.

He could never be unfaithful to her.
Impossible to be. Not once, since he’d met her, knowing who she was and what
she meant to him. He might have flirted and kissed other women, but he’d never
fucked them or touched them beyond a casual meeting of lips, not even close.
One woman owned him. Heart, body, and soul.           

Balen squeezed his shoulder as they
halted in front of his home.

Aaron usually stayed in the palace. In
his own section near the king’s chambers, but a long time ago, he had this
place built next to the palace and moved in. Spending time there when he needed
to be alone, now Xav had a queen in residence, he might be spending more to
give them privacy.

A cylinder shape, in landwalker terms
about two stories high and three thousand rounded feet. The entrance to his
dwelling looked much like quite a few of the structures down below. An arch cut
out of the side of the sandy textured walls, their version of a door. None were
necessary there. Upon entering, instead of stairs, everyone swam up into the
living levels, as though in an upside down well, until you came to a few stone
steps. Aaron stood on the first one and walked up out of the small pool of
water into his home. He entered the open great area, sort of like a foyer in a
human house, but one with a pool at its center. Four separate hallways took you
to various parts of his dwelling and always, with a view of the sea.

His house wasn’t as grand as the king’s
palace, but still a large dwelling, large enough to share with a mate and raise
a family. Someday. He prayed to Poseidon it would be so.

Balen followed him out of the water. His
parents had their own wing in the palace. His father, as the king’s advisor,
ran the place when the king wasn’t in attendance and his mother was the queen’s
lady. She would probably be the next most excited person in King’s City after
the king, once the Chair accepted Cori as queen.

Chapter Two

The sea witch stared into the mirror of
water before her. The images flashing across it were clear to see. The time was
near. The child was grown now, beautiful like her mother, as was her mate.
Sienna made sure they met when the child was young, so the girl would never
stop aging, would not suspect what she truly was. And neither would anyone
else. Yet, the man who would be her mate was half human, but carried the blood
of a son of Poseidon, making him a fit mate for a powerful witch.

Yes, she knew who he would be and while
he might have been born of the land, like all their people been drawn to the
sea. There, he found his own kind and the secrets to his linage. While the girl
remained ignorant of her heritage. She would come into her gifts soon; she may
have some of them already. Unlike Sienna, she would not have the limitations
her aunt did.

Each child of the waves has a gift, to
some degree. Sienna came from a line of witches, those who could cast spells as
well as possessing some of Poseidon’s other gifts. Hers was that of foresight
and guidance. She could call upon the forces of the ocean itself. She was known
simply as the Sea Witch, both name and title, amongst her people, few knew her
birth name.

She could also cast spells of illusion,
which allowed her to control some of the denizens of the depths, and to some
extent, she could control the weather. Yet, the dolphins were the only ones she
could communicate with and they to her. So, they were her closest companions.
They let her know of everything happening in the depths, as well as the
going-ons on land, for some could communicate with other mammals.

Glancing away from the water mirror, she
waited for the person who approached her dwelling to get closer before she
moved over to the entrance of her home. From the outside, it looked as though
you were approaching a crystal blue waterfall, but you could not see through
it. The water churned at the bottom and rippled into the sea. In truth, it was
merely the doorway to her home. Once you crossed the entryway, you walked upon
dry ground of cool tiles with etchings of underwater life. If you turned
around, it appeared as though you were looking through a curtain waterfall into
the depths of the sea beyond.

“Sea Witch,” the young girl greeted her
and bowed.

“Aurora. I’m glad you came.” Smiling,
Sienna watched her best friend.

Aurora’s pale pearl-colored hair curled
around her waist in the water. Her skin glowed like the pink of the coral
surrounding most of their homes.

In fact, the walls of Sienna’s dwelling
were coral beds in shades of orange, red, pink and pearl.

Aurora stepped over to her and gave her a
hug. All long limbs and the grace of youth. While neither of them were ‘young
girls’ they both appeared as adolescents in human age. For their people, it
simply meant neither had found their mate yet. However, in Sienna’s case, she
merely created an illusion. One that she found harder to bear.

While she might look as though she were
anywhere from thirteen to fifteen, she was not. Using her powers, she had kept
her true appearance hidden these last twenty-five years or so. Ever since the
day on the rocks, when she finally allowed herself to come face to face with
her mate. Oh yes, she knew who he was, had known far longer than he. When he
had come for her, she told him he could not claim her and why, it had been one
of the hardest things she ever had to do. They’d only seen each other once
since then, when his friend and their king came to her for advice about his
bride.

She shock off her forlorn thoughts to
turn to her friend.

Aurora was the youngest of the king’s
direct line. “Have you heard?” she asked, but answered her own question in the
next breath and laughed. “Of course, you have. Zek has found his bride, and Xav
and Cori are back.”

Nodding, she laughed. “Yes, I think all
in the depths know.” However, they didn’t know Xavior and Cori had been
attacked on their way to see Zek on land. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Tabatha
has gotten bolder and much more dangerous since Xavior was now king. She had
managed to open a gateway to the dark depths, allowing high demons of Hades
loose and access to their world. May Poseidon preserve them. Then again, they
need help themselves. The sea father had long gone from this existence.

“I’m trying to talk Xav into letting me
go visit with Zek for a while and meet his new bride. Did you know she was
Cori’s best friend?”

“I do now. What did Xav say when you
asked him about going to stay with Zek for a while?”

She pouted as only the young sometimes
can, even at over a hundred years old. “He said now is not a good time to
travel far from the city. But I thought if he sent some warriors with me and
you watched over my path, you’d be able to satisfy him that no harm would come
to me.”

“Not to mention, you want to search for
your mate on land. You think because your brothers’ mates are landwalkers yours
might be, too.”

“Yes.” She waved her hand in front of her
face. “Yes, yes. I know you told me you didn’t see that, but you didn’t really
see him of the sea either and lord knows, I’ve searched the depths. There isn’t
a male I haven’t gotten close enough to, to trigger my aging and look at me.”
She tugged at her top wrap and sighed. “Still flat chested. I don’t know; it
won’t hurt to try. Besides, I want to meet Des. I love Cori and she’s told me a
little about Des.”

“No, it does not hurt to try. But Des and
Zek will be here soon for a visit. However, you know very well, the other
reason he does not want you on land. Your coloring is not natural, what is
considered normal for landwalkers. You know this.”

“Yes, but it’s been years since we’ve
talked about this, things have changed. The landwalkers would just think I’m
what is it again? Emo. Yeah, Emo.”

Sienna smiled, she could not help it.
Aurora might be emotional, but Emo, no. She shook her head. “That might apply
more toward your sister’s coloring, yet even she would have trouble with her
sky blue skin.”

“Is there nothing you can do, Sienna? You
are the most powerful witch among us, well other than your sister, who no one
can trust, but you have to help me.” The girl grabbed her hands and squeezed
them. “You’re my only hope. You must know of a potion or spell. I’m desperate!
I’ll try anything. I’m tired of looking like a child, existing in a child’s
body. I want my mate. I want to grow up.”

Sienna sighed and stroked Aurora’s hair.
Such was the way of their people. The way they aged, both curse and blessing.
She had heard this plea many times, for much the same reason. While she could
not necessarily change the aging process, at least for anyone other than
herself. The way people saw her was nothing more than a mere illusion, a
grimore, but she could help her younger friend. “There is something you can
take, a potion that will temporarily…emphasis on temporarily, change the color
of your skin, so it is not quite so pink. Merely pale with a perhaps a look of
too much sun, and we can make your hair blonde instead of that pearl color.”

“No. Can’t I keep my hair color?
Landwalkers dye their hair in all manner of colors.”

“True enough. Very well. Just your skin
then, but mind you, the effect is only temporary.”

“How long would it last?”

“A week and you can take a second dose at
the end of the first week, but two is all you will be able to have.”

“What happens if I take more?”

“It can make you very ill, but it would
no longer change your skin color and you’d have to return to the depths.”

“Is it harmful?”

“If you take more than you should, it
would hurt like Hades once it wore off, if you weren’t back in the depths. But
you don’t have to worry about that. I will only give you enough for you to have
one other dose.”

“All right! It’s a deal!”

“Promise me, Aurora. At the end of the
two weeks, you must return to the depths. I will also let Xavior know, I will
send the dolphins to bring you home if you do not.”

“I promise. Can I have this potion now?
And will you let Xav know it’s perfectly safe for me to travel to the surface.”

“First, I have to gather what I need and
yes, I’ll also talk to Xavior. Come back and see me again, tomorrow. I should
have it ready for you by then. And let your brother know I will also be able to
answer his question then too.” She knew he wanted to ask her about the portal,
but she needed to find it first and confirm what she suspected.

“Oh, thank you, Sienna, and I’ll tell
him. I promise.” Aurora hugged her. “You are my best friend. I just wish you
could come with me, perhaps you can find your mate on land, too.”

“There is no guarantee your mate is on
land, Aurora, nor even if he is, you would find him during this visit. Besides,
you know I cannot leave the sea.” Partially true, her powers were bound to the
oceans. Her very life, yet while everyone thought she would die if she left the
sea, to leave the waters for a significant time really meant losing all of her
powers. To someone like her, it would be like losing all your limbs as well as
your sight. However, the more important reason, it would strip away her
illusion—showing she had aged.

Then Tabatha would want to know if she’d
found her mate, why had she not claimed him. She rarely saw her sister. There
was no love lost between them, there never had been. Tabatha had no love in her
for anyone or anything other than power. Blood or not, if Tabatha knew what she
had done, she would kill her.

Aurora hugged her. “I just want you to be
happy. I’ll be back tomorrow and don’t forget to talk to Xav.”

“Before you ask, let us deal with the
issue of Aurora first.” After glancing at an impatient Aurora, Sienna spoke
first to stop Xavior from asking the questions everyone knew were foremost in
his mind. “Then we can discuss all of your concerns.”

Xavior frowned. “Very well. Are you sure
this is safe for her to take, Sea Witch?” Xav asked, while Cori stood beside
him.

Aaron remained toward the entrance of the
room, letting his king and queen speak with the Sea Witch. Aurora sat on the
back of a giant loggerhead sea turtle, Sienna’s pet. This one seemed to be an
odd color, the back was purple instead of the more typical reddish brown, and
the hide looked yellow like a noon day sun up above. It lazed against the wall.
Aaron recognized her pet, fully grown now, because he had given it to her.

Neither of them ever spoke to the other
directly, not since that one day, so long ago on the rocks. He kept his
distance, except for some years ago, he’d found the turtle, half dead on its
back. Sharks had been attacking it. He’d driven them off, but it’d been hurt.
He’d brought it to her and left it in front of her dwelling. Not trusting
himself to stay and actually talk to her. Be that close to her. So, he remained
hidden nearby then waited for her to come out and retrieve the reptile.

He didn’t have long to wait. When she
came out and found it, she raised her head, then looked right at him, toward
his hiding spot.

Still, he didn’t approach her.

She bowed her head, picked up the turtle
and took it inside.

This was the first time he’d seen it or
her again. The turtle weighed a good two hundred pounds now, and Sienna no
longer had the body of a youth. No, she had the curves of a woman fully grown,
but he was the only one who saw her as she truly was. The only one who knew her
to be a woman in her prime.
His bride.
Whom he couldn’t touch. Couldn’t take. Could not claim. His soul suffered in
torture, being so near her and yet…so far.

Aaron now forced himself to stop staring
at her bronzed beauty and pay attention to the questions being asked and
answered.

“Yes, my king. As I’ve explained to
Aurora.” Sienna held up the blue glass bottle. “She will take the first dose,
once she gets to shore. When she leaves the waters, the effect will be
instantaneous. It will last exactly seven days of the sun on the surface. Then
she can take the rest of it, but seven days after the last dose, she must
return to the depths. If she doesn’t, her skin won’t revert back to her natural
coral pink, but she will be in great pain until she does return to the depths.”