Bliss (21 page)

The realization of what they were about to do slammed into her. She didn’t want it this way. She couldn’t let it happen.

Pushing her arms against the cave’s wall she managed to spin herself around. She panted from the effort and from the acute sexual stimulation her body was feeling. She titled her head up to look at him. There was a heated look in his eyes that scorched her soul.

And then it was gone. He blinked
, and she watched as the awareness of what they had almost done washed over him. Before she could say anything, he darted from the cave. Her body almost sang for him to come back to finish what he started, but she knew better. It was for the best that he had left, but like her friend Melissa would have said, “How come the best things in life sometimes hurt so damn much”?

Darius didn’t stop until he was far enough from Kassandra that he could no longer smell her scent. Even though, if he was honest with himself, her scent was now fully ingrained in his being. She had tasted as sweet as the morning dew as it gathered on the lily pads he had drunk in delight during his travels in Ireland. It was a heady mix of innocence and wantonness.

He shook his head, angry at himself for what he had almost done. The ancient words that would have
bound, not just her soul to his, but her body and heart had rolled around in his brain until the beast within him had tried to force him to chant them, to give into the urge to claim all of her. But he hadn’t. Even in his frenzied state with every cell in his being urging him to brand her tantalizing body with his, he didn’t dare utter them.

By Tethys he was glad she had pushed him away. Never in his existence had he ever taken a woman or a
Siren in anger. He was the Prince of Sex, who lived to pleasure his lover senseless. He had prided himself on his controlled love making. It would seem that finesse and all he’d learned over the centuries mattered little when he was around Kassandra.

Why by the
gods didn’t she tell me?
He realized as he swam like a
freshling
through the sea that he wasn’t paying attention to his where his wanderings were taking him. It took the soft ripple of water against his body to alert him that he was no longer alone.

“Why did you leave her alone?” asked Me
rcka, darting past him at lightning speed.

Darius re
alized he had wandered into the stadium, which was uncannily empty. “Leave it,” he replied, noticing almost immediately that all of the warriors’ Tritons still looked as if they could use a good cleaning.
What was going on?
It frightened him that his
mardom
could have fallen so quickly into a state of decay.

“You need to go back and get her. You turned her into a
Siren. You can’t just leave her,” said Mercka, ignoring him.

“She’ll manage fine on her own. She always does.”

A hard yank on his arm stopped him. He could have easily shrugged off his little sister, but he didn’t.

“Darius, what’s wrong with you? You seem different. The
Darius I knew would never leave his Sokhan. I’m not sure what’s really happened to you, but I don’t like it. And, let’s be honest.” Here his sister paused. “I’m sure you haven’t told her everything, either. Go back, apologize, and talk to her. By the way, Father wants to see both of you,” said Mercka, finally leaving him in peace.

Go back and apologize..
.if Tartarus froze over, but not until then.

Part of him wanted to shout
that he
was
different. Ever since the sea dragon had healed him, he had felt changed. The knowledge he was no longer a Titan in his prime and that his eyesight would never be the same were facts of his life now. But he’d be damned if he was about to share that morsel of information with anyone, let alone his baby sister. Or Kassandra.

“Fine,” he mumbled
, more to himself than to acknowledge that his playful, baby sister’s words had had their desired effect on him. Swiftly turning about, he made his way back to Kassandra, not liking the conversation they needed to have.

If she knew
how close she’d come to being fully tied to him, she’d kill him. That idea immediately caused a part of his anatomy that remembered every feel of her silky skin to buck to attention with a mind of its own.
By Zeus!
He hated she had fueled his fantasies as a woman, but now that she was a Siren, he knew that being celibate around her was going to leave him hard and on edge, probably permanently.

He spied her the moment he crested the last outcrop. She was sitting regally on a large boulder and talking to a young warrior as if it was a normal, everyday occurrence. Relying more on scent
than sight, he recognized the warrior as none other than Galagan, who had been with his father when they had tried to kill her.

A red haze of jealousy slammed into him. Did she have no idea how alluring she was? Her wild
, untamed chestnut hair streamed sensually around her body, and even though she kept her arms firmly crossed over her breasts, he knew, without relying on his poor eyesight, that she was looking up at the warrior with those chocolate brown eyes of hers that were a deadly mixture of sex and innocence.

He didn’t like her talking with the
Titan, at all. The realization of that hit him hard. She was his, whether she knew it or not. Every cell in his body knew it, and that blasted young Titan was about to find out.

“Like what you see
?” The words were a low growl meant for Galagan’s ears only. He could have used his telepathy to push the young warrior away, but he played by the books.

Darius watched the young warrior bow his head in acknowledgement of his status. “Prince, it is not as it appears,” said Galagan.

He crossed his arms over his chest as he moved closer. “It appears to me that you are talking to Kassandra...is there something else I should know?”

“No...no...that is to say, yes, I was simply talking with her.”

Darius took great pride in watching the formidable Titan trip over himself. A motion behind him told him that Kassandra was now standing.

“Stop it
, Darius. Galagan was simply looking for us, and he came to personally apologize to me for what he was forced to do. Thank you, Galagan,” said Kassandra, reaching out to touch the warrior’s arm. In doing so she could no longer completely cover her chest. That meant she was now bare to Galagan’s gaze.

If you so much as bat an eye movement lower than her
nose I will break you in half,
said Darius, pushing his telepathic thoughts loud and clear into the young warrior’s mind.
So much for going by the books.
He hated the intense range of emotions Kassandra made him feel.

Immediately Galagan turned his back. “It’s...it’s...I’ve got to go. Have to relieve the outer guards. See you around, Prince,” said Galagan, swiftly exiting.

“Well, that was very princely of you, Prince,” said Kassandra, mockingly. “So are a real prince?”

He nodded. Already he felt bad for his brutish behavior toward Galagan. Not that he had any intention of doing anything about it. “We need to find you something to cover up with,” he snapped, fearful he’d smash the next
Titan who eyed Kassandra’s chest to smithereens. While Sirens didn’t normally wear anything, the Titan he was didn’t think he could stand it if she didn’t. That was an oxymoron if he had ever heard one. The Titan he was shouldn’t care, but maybe the man he had been forced to be did. Whatever, he didn’t like the possessive feeling, and he certainly didn’t want to go off half-cocked wanting to bash any titan who simply dared a glance at the lovely Siren by his side.

“That would be great. Then we can talk,” she said, sweetly, flanking his side. He breathed a sigh of relief that t
he idea of covering up didn’t faze her. Then he realized she was still thinking like a human, but for once, it didn’t matter.

They didn’t have far to go before Mercka showed up again. “Here this will make you feel more comfortable,” said the perky
siren, as she dangled a bright red swimming bra in her hand. “I think I judged the size correctly, but if it doesn’t fit, let me know. Darius, father is waiting.” Then as quickly as she had come, she vanished.

Darius grumbled as he helped fasten the small hook of the swimming bra in the back for
Kassandra. He wondered where his little sister had found the material and why by Tethys couldn’t she have used another color, say a dull gray. No, instead Kassandra was now sporting a bright red swimming bra that left enough to the imagination to cause him instantly to harden. He had hoped having her covered would make him feel less like tossing her to the ocean floor and having his way with her – it would appear that was not going to be the case.

“I’m sorry, Darius, I should have told you sooner.”

It took him a moment to realize they were already having the conversation that he had been hoping to avoid.

“Yes, you should have
,” he growled. “How long have you known you were a Seeker?”

She shrugged her dainty shoulders, the movement causing her hair t
o spill around to the front. She pushed the wild strands out of her face.

“Since I was a child. Actually, it was my brother, Geoff, who discovered it. Whenever we used to play hide and seek
, I could always find him. Then he started to hide objects around the house. At first I couldn’t find them but if I touched him and saw the objects through his eyes I could. Sometimes I can find things simply by thinking about them. I know it’s weird, and for me it’s very unnerving. Geoff used to tease me and say I could find anything I put my heart to,” she admitted, twisting her long hair into a knot to keep it in place.

Her admission broke through his hurt and his anger. “
It sounds like you were close to your brother,” he said, gliding away.

Her soft answer stilled him.” Yes, but he was wrong.”

He looked at her. Her eyes had filled with tears. “Wrong about what?” He moved closer, hoping she wouldn’t start to cry. He’d never been able to deal with crying females of any sort.

She
composed herself and he gave her credit for that accomplishment. “It’s nothing,” she replied, darting away.

As much as he’d
have liked to pursue it, he couldn’t. His father wasn’t a Titan you kept waiting. “Father wants to see us.” He grasped her hand. He was surprised she didn’t shake it off. Instead she gently squeezed his hand, causing him to smile.

“Thank you,” she said, a sad smile lighting up her face.

“For what?”

Wide, brown eyes assessed him. “For coming back
, and for not asking me for more than I can give you at the moment,” she replied, her honesty cutting him as deep as any Triton.

Again he felt like a heel. “Sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”

“No, it won’t,” she replied, evenly, looking him squarely in the eyes. “So, prepare me. What type of Father is yours like? All I know is that he was the one who tried to kill me, which, I have to say, puts me on edge already. If he’s anything like my father, Mr. Commander, Mr. In-Control, then I’m sure we’ll get along famously –
not
!”

He noted how she shielded her hurt and anger through her casual sarcastic comment, as if it didn’t mean anything, when he knew it did. That bit of information he’d store for another time to ponder.

Bringing her body closer to his, he said, “Kassandra, your father is a pup compared to mine. Picture a king used to having his way and having his orders followed. A king who believes in the sea law more than his own family. Picture a man who wouldn’t bat an eye at following those rules even if it meant destroying his own son. That’s my father,” grumbled Darius, moving past her.

She glided past him and turned her head to look at him. “Is that what happened to you?”

“It’s a long, complicated story but let me say that if my mother hadn’t interfered, than I wouldn’t be here,” replied Darius, a grin lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Somehow that doesn’t comfort me. So, let me guess, big commanding men...I mean,
Titans, run in your family. Great, that’s just great,” she mumbled, more to herself than to him.

He knew she was analyzing her options, which weren’t many.
She huffed out a long breath and then bravely said. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

This was the Kassandra he liked. She had mustered her courage to face the unknown
, and he was proud of her... more than proud of her. He admired her. Together they glided through the waters to his father’s Palace. He wished he could bottle her confidence and take a shot of it himself.

“You did the right thing. I am proud of you, son” said King Sadok, speaking the words to Darius but looking solely at Kassandra. She gulped. Before her was the Titan who had tried to kill her. And he embodied everything she had read or seen in the ancient textbooks she had studied. He was handsome, muscular, regal and the ancient knowledge she saw in his green eyes terrified her. Immortality and wisdom oozed out of every pore of his being making her feel unconsciously small and mortal.

“He is not immortal, Kassandra
. We just live longer than your average human lifespan,” said Darius, interrupting her wayward thoughts.

“I must say I like what your mate thinks of me,” replied King
Sadok, his eyebrow lifting in a small salute.

Kassandra watched as Darius huffed. She noticed how the tick in his jaw had resumed. “Stop reading her thoughts,” he commanded.

“You will need to teach her how to shield them. But, first come, have a seat,” said the King, ushering them both forward.

Kassandra tried hard to stop looking around the palatial throne room. It was like nothing she had expected. A large round marble table held most of the King’s works. The floor was black granite, as were the walls.
The dwelling only had walls, no ceiling. There were two round windows on each side of the room which made it appear even bigger than it was. The centerpiece of the room was a large fountain with massive Titans arching their Tritons in the middle. Water gurgled neatly up to sprinkle into the surrounding pool. Kassandra wondered absentmindedly how water could bubble up when they were fathoms of leagues underwater. Then again, if it was like her being able to breathe water like it was oxygen, it made sense in a weird sort of messed up logical way.

“You are a true delight. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you, Kassandra Lily Delong, daughter of Ivan, direct descend
ant of Sangerious, River God of the Balta.”

“What!” bellowed Darius, flying out of his chair.

Kassandra was stunned. Then she started to laugh. Really laugh. After all, what else did they expect her to believe? When she was finally able to compose herself, she noted the patient look on King Sadok’s face and the hard set of Darius’.

“That was funny. Really funny. Next you’ll be saying I’m a princess,” she said, smartly.

“Actually, you are,” replied King Sadok as his clear, emerald eyes bore into her.

“You could have told me,”
complained Darius.

Kassandra watched the King cross his arms over his chest. “Why? What would it have mattered?”

“I could have let...you know what I mean,” said Darius, darting his eyes from her to his father.

King
Sadok shook his head.

Kassandra felt she was missing important parts of the conversation. “Look, King
Sadok, really, my father’s name is Ivan, but we’re not royalty of any kind. He’s not a Titan or a god or anything like that.”

“He was,” said King
Sadok, softly.

“I can’t take this anymore
,” Darius snapped, glaring at King Sadok. “I’m going out for a while. When you’ve sorted all this out, let me know...after all it would appear that I am just your humble servant doing your bidding, Father. For now, I’m out of here.”

Darius brushed past her like there was no tomorrow. Without as much as a goodbye, see you later, he was gone. And she was left alone with his father, King
Sadok, ruler of the north seas, who was assessing her like she was a specimen. She didn’t like it one bit. Then again, she didn’t like what he’d made Darius do to her.

“I didn’t make him do it. The choice was always his,” said the King, obviously reading her thoughts.

“What choice? You were going to let me drown. He did what he thought was the right thing to do.” Kassandra gulped. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with Darius’ father and that he was treating her like an equal.

“There you are wrong, Kassandra. He always had the choice. And well he knew it. Darius knows more about our sea laws than he has let on. B
ut that is his tale to tell. I did what was right. If the Fates wanted you to be who you are now, then I had to play my part, as did my son.

“
I will admit to being surprised to discover you were a descendant of my good friend, Ivan, but even that would not have been enough for me to turn my back on our tradition. It has been what has kept all our kingdoms safe from prying humans,” said the King as he rose and moved towards the marble table.

“Do you recognize this?” he asked, holding a gold heart
in his hand. The words, “For Military Merit,” shined at her.

“Yes. It’s given to our soldiers when they are injured in the line of duty or for their heroic deeds,” she answered.

“I know. The only thing I know about this solider is his name. This is from your World War I era. His ship was blasted by one of those human weapons that shook our kingdom. There weren’t many survivors but this man, this soldier, was alive when I discovered him. When I gave him the choice of life or death he chose death. Everyone has the choice, Kassandra. This man knew his. As did Darius. He wouldn’t have given you the
brek’ah
unless he knew, deep within his soul, that you were his true mate.”

“You’re wrong. Darius’ sense of integrity and his ties to his family are what made him save me,” she said, fingering the
medal. The knowledge that Darius’ father had offered to save this soldier touched her in a strange way. “You really would have saved this man?”

“Yes, I would have commanded one of the
Sirens to give him the
brek’ah
.”

The words didn’t sit well with her.
“See, that’s what I mean. You would have commanded someone else to do it, just as you commanded Darius to. The act was not yours to give.” She couldn’t believe she was standing up to the formidable King, who appeared to be considering her words.

“You are so much like your father it hurts,” he said sadly.

Wow, talk about changing the topic.
”My father really isn’t royalty, you know.”

“Actually
, he is. Once you have settled in, I will send Jamie, Seth’s wife, to take you to the reflection pool. That will help you learn more about who you are. For now, I must go check on my
Sokhan
, Helem. I will have Mercka escort you to Darius’ dwelling.” There was genuine concern in his eyes.

“Thank you,” replied Kassandra. “What’s a
Sokhan
?”

“
There is no comparable term in the human language, but Helem would say she is my wife. The word means much more than that, though. She is my…
Sokhan
. She is the other half of my soul, as you are the other half of Darius’ soul. We will talk more later.”

The King reached out and took the
medal from her. Gently, almost reverently, placed it back inside a cubby-hole in his marble table. Kassandra knew she was dismissed.

“I do hope your wife...I mean, your
Sokhan
, will be okay. Please let me know if I can do anything,” she said, on her way out.

The King’s
response left her all but gasping at the sheer intensity. “I am counting on you, too,” he said.

What did that mean?
She passed four guards on the way out. Not one paid her any attention. They were obviously in a hurry to talk with the King.

“Kassandra, I will show you Darius
’ dwelling. It’s not much to look at, I’m afraid. Mother would say it needs a Siren’s touch,” said Mercka, materializing in front of a towering warrior who didn’t even blink when she swayed by him.

They twisted and turned throughout the kingdom. Kassandra noted that very few Titans and Sirens roamed the area, and so far she hadn’t spotted any that looked like children.

As if she
had read her thoughts, Mercka answered her. “All the
freshlings
, the young Titans and Sirens are either in their various schools, or working on the play they are soon going to perform. Most everyone else has been assigned to their task and many, I’m sad to say, are sick and recovering in the crèche.”

“
Crèche?” asked Kassandra, trying to keep pace with Mercka.

“This is Darius’ place,” said Mercka, moving to glide in front of a non-descript dwelling. Like the rest she had seen
, it had walls but no ceilings. Unlike the rest it had a lightweight marble door.

Mercka motioned for her to move inside. “The
crèche used to be the daycare and academic school for the Titans but it’s now used as a makeshift hospital for our sick. My mother and brother and many of my friends are now there.”

The emotion that poured from Mercka into Kassandra caused her to gasp. Then as quickly as it came the intense pulse vibrated away.

“Sorry about that. If I think about what’s happening to our kingdom, I tend to forget to shield my emotions. That won’t happen again. I really am happy that you’ve joined our family. I’m not sure what’s happened to Darius, but he needs you.”

“The last person your brother needs is me. Trust me on that score. But, let me know if there’s anything I can do to hel
p in the crèche. I didn’t realize the sickness was so widespread,” said Kassandra, cautiously entering Darius’ dwelling. She felt like an intruder and wished he was the one showing her his place.

Then she realized sadly that
maybe this was better after all. It was hard for her to think rationally when he was around. All that naked, polished skin called to her.

“See, you’re thinking of my brother. That’s good,” chimed Mercka, causing Kassandra to blush deep red. “Don’t be
embarrassed. You’re his mate. That’s to be expected.”

Moving to the
center of the large living area, Kassandra said, “Thanks, I think.”

“Okay, I’ve got to go. I promised I’d help Jamie in the crèche. Once she’s finished she’ll come to take you to the reflection pool. In the meantime, poke around. I know I would,” joked Mercka, darting away.

The last thing Kassandra wanted to do was poke around, not that there was much to poke into. The place was beyond sparse. It was empty.

The living area was large and there were a number of beautifully carved stones placed around it. A large ledge ran around the perimeter of the room.

Making her way to the back, she found what had to be Darius’ bedroom. Heat pooled to her core. A large scallop-shaped bed rested dead center in the room. It called up a number of fantasies that made her hastily exit. The living room was safe so she’d sit there until he found her. In the meantime, she tried to recall every single thing she’d read about merpeople and the legends of the gods. There was no way she was going to sit idly and not try to find an opportunity to free herself and Darius from what he’d done to them.

A few minutes later a knock on the door
on the outside of the framed house interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s me, Jamie. Darius’ sister-in-law. May I come in?”

Kassandra welcomed the beautiful siren whose black hair was neatly arranged in a long braid that ran down the length of her back.

“Yes, please. I’m Kassandra. It’s a pleasure to meet you,”

“I bet you’re feeling completely overwhelmed. I know I did when it happened to me,” replied Jamie.

Instantly Kassandra knew
that she and Jamie were going to get along famously. If anyone could understand how she felt about being a siren it had to be Jamie who’d also spent the first part of her life as a woman.

After all the niceties had passed, Kassandra asked what had been on her mind since Mercka mentioned the sickness. “What’s wrong with Seth?”

That stopped Jamie cold. “Didn’t Darius tell you? Of course he didn’t. These Titans like to keep everything bottled up inside them. Seth has been afflicted with the plague. We’ve been trying for over a decade to find a cure. If we don’t I’m afraid...”

Kassandra realized Jamie couldn’t continue.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, swiping at her long hair that kept billowing into her face from the undersea currents.

“No, you have a right
to know. I hoped Darius had told you,” she said sadly.

“Is this the same thing that is affecting the King’s wife?” asked Kassandra, wanting to switch the conversation away from Darius.

“Yes, it’s affecting all the royal blood Titans and Sirens, some more so than others. That’s why we sent Reece to find Darius. Now I’m not sure we did the right thing.”

Gliding forward, Jamie stopped
. Turning to face Kassandra she said, “Kassandra, it isn’t easy learning who you really are. And it can be especially hard to realize that all your human notions and ideas have to be discarded if you’re ever going to be happy here.”

“And are you?”

“Happy, you mean? Yes. I love Seth with every cell in my body and my son, Reece, is a true wonder,” Kassandra noted Jamie’s worried expression.

“He will be okay. He’s a very handsome young man,” replied Kassandra, trying to alleviate Jamie’s motherly concerns. After all, they were valid. Not every mother could claim to let her ten-year-old son leave the safety of what he’d always known to venture to land
, only to somehow go through an exceedingly painful process and transform from a boy into a full grown Titan.