Tempest Unleashed (6 page)

If that was the truth, then Kona’s anger really didn’t make sense. I told him as much and he looked at me like I was dense. “I’m angry because you went alone. You know Tiamat is gunning for you, and yet you went anyway. What if you hadn’t made it back? What if you’d died? This isn’t pretend, Tempest. This is real.”

“I can take care of myself! I’m not a child playing make-believe.”

“Then stop acting like one, running off in secret instead of owning up to what you want. If you need to see your family, let’s go see them. But there are precautions that have to be taken. What if you’d run into Tiamat or one of her crew? What would you have done?”

“Exactly what I did do. I fought them and then swam to the nearest ally and asked for help. I’m not a moron.”

“What are you saying?” Kona demanded. “That. You. Fought. Tiamat.
Alone?
”

Chapter 5

I only
thought
people were staring at us before.

As Kona’s words thundered through the clinic, I realized every eye in the place was on me. Even Zarek had stopped stitching to stare with his mouth agape.

Obviously, telling Kona how I’d gotten hurt had been a supremely stupid move.

“Not Tiamat,” I was quick to reassure him, my heart pounding in my chest. “Just a few of her henchmen. Shark-shifters.”

The eyes Kona turned to me were a dark, endless black—no silver in sight and with none of the light I’d come to associate with him. “How many is a
few
?”

“Umm …” Suddenly telling him I’d gone up against five of Tiamat’s crew didn’t seem like such a solid idea. Especially considering what I’d had to do to get away from them.

“Tempest.” In that moment, in that one word, I saw a side of Kona I had never seen before. Royal, entitled, unwilling to be denied. I could tell he was using his power to influence me, but I was not without power of my own, and it annoyed me that he thought he could force compliance.

Heir to the selkie throne or not.

I tried to shove back, to show him I wouldn’t be coerced, but I was still too weak. The second my defenses lowered, he reached through the path we used to communicate—one that was exclusive to us—and snatched the answer right out of my head.

“Five!” It was as close to a yell as I’d ever heard from him. “You fought off
five
of Tiamat’s goons alone?”

Fury bloomed deep inside me. How dare he use our bond like that? I elbowed him, struggled to push him off the bed. I was rewarded by a raised eyebrow from Kona, who didn’t so much as budge, though I’d put all the strength I had left behind it, and a hiss from Zarek, who was still, unbelievably, working on the last part of the cut.

“How many stitches do I need, anyway?” I demanded, completely frustrated that, though I was beyond angry with him, I was forced to stay cuddled up to Kona like some good little girl.

“So far?” Zarek answered with a downward twist of his lips. “One hundred and fifty-seven. Before I’m done, more than two hundred.”

His answer only enraged Kona more, though he never moved an inch. “What the hell happened out there? And don’t even think about lying to me.”

“What is
wrong
with you?” I asked, annoyed. “You’re acting insane. I’ve never lied to you, and I don’t appreciate being treated like some damsel in distress who can’t take care of herself. Back the hell off!”

One of the nurses dropped a tray of instruments, and for long seconds, the only sound in the room was the clatter of steel hitting tile. Obviously, no one was used to hearing the crown prince addressed so bluntly. But I wasn’t one of Kona’s subjects. I was his girlfriend. If he thought he was going to get away with beating his chest and acting like a total caveman around me, he was going to be sorely disappointed.

Kona glared at me as he tried to accept the fact that I wasn’t going to bow and scrape for him. I glared right back, refusing to give an inch. Finally, with a sigh, he closed his eyes and buried his face against my neck.

“I’m sorry, Tempest. The idea of you in danger makes me crazy.”

“Obviously.” I stayed stiff against him, not willing to relax just yet. “Don’t ever do that again—you know how I feel about you reading my mind.”

“I didn’t—”

“You know what I mean.”

He sighed. “Yes. And I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

His obvious sincerity, coupled with the torment I’d seen in his eyes, was enough to make me relent. “I was about halfway back to Hailana’s waters when they ambushed me. We fought, I killed three of them, and the last two ran away.”

My synopsis of the events didn’t exactly explain everything that had happened, but unlike Kona—who had grown up with servants everywhere—I wasn’t used to airing my private business in public. Some sixth sense kept urging me to be quiet about the electric thing, to not let anyone but Kona know about it.

I finally spoke to him using our private line of communication.
Kona, can you please trust me on this? I swear I’ll tell you everything later.

You’d better.
He didn’t look happy, but he gave in, asking only a couple of benign questions for show. Of course, that just meant he was going to be in my face about this as soon as I got out of here.

“That should do it for the stitches,” Zarek finally said.

“Thank God.” I glanced down at my tail, saw he’d done such a good job that already the cut was barely visible. “Thank you,” I told him sincerely. “I’m sorry I was such a pain.”

Zarek grinned. “I’ve had much worse patients.” He looked meaningfully at Kona, who was suddenly very interested in the striped pattern of the wallpaper. Which totally piqued my curiosity …

But before I could ask what Zarek meant, he continued. “Besides, I got my entertainment for the week. It does my old heart good to see Kona being led on such a merry chase.”

Kona groaned. “Don’t encourage her. If she leads me on any more of a chase, I’ll end up lost somewhere in the darkest depths of the ocean.”

I ignored him. “Can I leave now?”

“After I go over the rules with you.” Zarek gave me a stern look.

“What rules?”

He went over to a cabinet and pulled out two pills. “You take these now, for pain.”

“I feel fine—”

“Because the numbing agent is still blocking the ache. These will take the edge off for the next twelve to fifteen hours, and by then you should be well on your way to healing. I did everything I could to speed the process along.”

Which meant not only had he given me his blood, he’d also drained his reservoir of power trying to heal as much of the damage as he could. “Thank you,” I said again. “I really appreciate it.”

“Well, show your gratitude by staying out of trouble, will you? I don’t want to have to stitch you up again anytime soon. Got it?”

“Believe me, I’ve got it.”

“Good. Now, no shifting for at least twenty-four hours and you should be good to go.”

“No shifting?” I stared down at my tail. “How am I supposed to get back to the water?”

Zarek actually winked at me. “Kona’s got a strong back. Use it. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll mind.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was, indeed, back in the ocean, along with Kona and the largest contingent of guards I’d ever seen. To keep me from exhausting myself, he had me wrapped snugly in his arms and was using his legs to propel us quickly through the water.

Not taking any chances, hmm?
I asked him along our private telepathic link.

Not with you
, he answered grimly.

I’m fine.

I’m still not sure how that’s possible, by the way. And just so you know, I expect my ignorance to be remedied very soon.

I didn’t argue with him. Not when I wanted answers as badly as he did.
It was strange. I had been in the middle of the shark-men, thinking I didn’t stand a chance—

His arms tightened around me, and I stroked his bicep in an effort to calm him down.
I’m fine
, I reminded him. Then I went on to explain everything that had happened, including the weird electric current I’d managed to pull from the water.

You really did that?
Kona demanded.
Pulled electric energy from the ocean?

I think so. That’s what it felt like, at least. Is that a bad thing?

It’s a
rare
thing. I mean, through the years I’ve heard of some mer being able to do that, but I’ve never actually met one who could.

Yeah, well, I’m not sure I ever want to do it again. Throughout the whole thing I was convinced I was going to electrocute myself.

I bet.
He paused.
So nothing like that’s ever happened to you before?

Never.
I shook my head.
I would have told you if it had.

He relaxed imperceptibly.
We need to tell Hailana. See what she says.

I paused.
Are you sure that’s a good idea?

Of course. Why?

When I didn’t immediately answer, I sensed his attention getting sharper, narrowing in on me exclusively.
What’s wrong, Tempest?

Nothing.
I tried to shrug off the whole topic. Now wasn’t the time to tell him that things between Hailana and me weren’t quite like he assumed.
I guess the painkillers are kicking in. My thinking’s going a little nuts.

He didn’t say anything for so long that I thought he’d dropped it—at least until he replied softly,
I thought you knew that you don’t have to do that with me.

Do what?

Front. You always deflect, like you don’t want to burden anyone with what’s bothering you. When are you going to figure out that you’re never a bother to me, Tempest?

I think I was a pretty big bother today
, I said with a quick grin.

He sighed.
There you go again.

I don’t deflect
, I told him. But even as I protested, I sensed the truth in his words. From the time my mother left, I’d hidden most of my concerns or worries. Partly because I didn’t want to stress out my dad—he’d had enough to deal with—and partly because I was embarrassed to be such a mess.

And then, when I got older and the whole half-mermaid thing came up, I felt like I couldn’t talk about it. Not to Mark, who knew something was wrong but who I didn’t think could ever understand if I told him the truth. Not to my friends, because they would have thought I was a candidate for the mental institution. And, except there at the end, not to my dad, because I was so worried about hurting him, of reminding him of my mom, that I would rather bumble through things alone than ask his advice.

Kona didn’t bother to contradict me, but then I figured that was because he had a pretty good idea of what I was thinking.

Can we talk about this later?
I asked.
The pain medication really is starting to kick in.

Of course. Close your eyes and relax. Let me do all the work.

His words startled a laugh out of me.
You know what that sounds like, don’t you?

His lips twisted in reluctant amusement.
Only to dirty girls like
you.
But his arms tightened around me even more, until we were molded together like we had been in the clinic—my back to his chest. Out here, in the water, it felt so much better. Sexier. Even with all the guards around us.

Besides
, he continued,
when we get to that situation, I am
not
planning on doing all the work
. His teeth nipped at my earlobe.
Lively participation is pretty much a requirement, after all.

His words sent crazy shivers through my body. My heart sped up and I could feel a flush spreading through me that had nothing to do with embarrassment.
I love you, you know.
The words—and feelings—were there, unable to be denied despite what I’d done in La Jolla.

That whole thing had been an aberration, I told myself sternly. A mistake. I’d confused my feelings for home with my emotions about Mark. That was all it could have been, all it would ever be.