Blood of a Mermaid (27 page)

Shea smiled. “You mean a cake walk?”

Her grin grew wider. “Yeah, that must be it. Cake walk. We need to go on one of those, it sounds interesting. And squishy.”

He leaned back in to kiss her, regardless of whether her father woke up and saw them or not, but a voice from behind interrupted. “My Prince? There are still matters to discuss before dawn fully breaks and this island is swarming with even more drylanders.” Shea turned to see the Lord Magistrate standing behind him, tapping his foot impatiently like any self-important man in the world above water would.

Slowly Shea released Kae’s hand and rose to his feet. “What sort of matters, Lord Magistrate? I brought you to the island. Your guards captured Prince Demyan and his sorcerer. Kae and I will come to Atlantis and testify at Demyan’s trial about these and past crimes. We just need to wait until her father awakens so she can see for herself that he’s fully recovered.”

“There’s the matter of what to do with the sorcerer.” The magistrate tilted his head toward Zan, who was still chatting with Hailey. Shea saw that four Atlantean guards stood nearby, apparently awaiting some word from the magistrate.

Kae shot to her feet, hands hanging by her sides in clenched fists. “But he helped us! He protected me from that madman, Demyan. He doesn’t deserve to go to prison!”

Shea glanced at her, and saw the passion of her conviction written across her face. If she truly believed in Zan, there must be good in him. Shea trusted Kae’s instincts completely.

But.

This was the same merman whose rage had sent an entire plane load of humans crashing into the sea.

The same merman who caused the death of his father.

Zan had to pay for his crimes.

The Lord Magistrate crossed his arms over his chest, obviously quite a bit more skeptical about Zan’s intentions than the mermaid. “Young lady. That sorcerer was instrumental in the deaths of King Anaxima and Queen Jessamine of the Southern Ocean, as well as being part of the plot to poison their young son, Theosisto, and your own King Koios. These crimes against the Adluo and Aequorean royal families can not go unpunished.”

“Don’t forget those people he just killed in the plane crash,” Shea added, trying to remind Kae that Zan did have quite the checkered past. Okay, so the guy saved Kae’s life. And Hailey’s. And Lybio’s.

But.

The Magistrate waved off Shea’s words. “Drylander events hold no bearing in the courts of Atlantis. Royal assassinations, however, are most pertinent. As is the death of the High Chancellor himself.”

“I was present for the Chancellor’s death,” Kae argued, her cheeks flushed with anger. “It was Prince Demyan alone who slew the High Chancellor. As for the others, Zan was like a slave to Prince Demyan, only following orders. He does not have an evil heart.”

“And what would the serving girl suggest?”

Shea found the merman’s attitude exceedingly patronizing on many levels. Humans don’t count? His grandmother had warned him of the Lord Magistrate’s feelings about drylanders. But was he dismissing Kae’s opinion solely because of her class status? That he could remedy, he decided, and moved closer to Kae, draping his arm across her shoulders. “Sir, I think you should take my girlfriend’s assessments more seriously. She was the one held captive by the rogue prince, and she says it was Zan who saved her.”

The merman’s eyebrows shot so high they practically got lost in the tufts of his white hair. “My Prince, I didn’t realize…you didn’t mention….” He narrowed his eyes at Kae for a moment, as if seeing her in a whole new light. Clearing his throat, he turned to face Shea once more. “I’m sure that the Courts can find grounds for some modicum of leniency, given the nature of the help the sorcerer has rendered to…your royal family. Perhaps you would be willing to help paint a fuller picture of his situation at his hearing?”

Shea felt his stomach clench uncomfortably at the word “leniency.” With every fiber of his being, Shea wanted Zan to pay for all the pain he’d caused. But he also owed him a debt for saving Kae’s life. And for saving his friend Hailey. His arm tightened around Kae as he nodded. “We would both be happy to speak at his trial, to help the court understand the extenuating circumstances of Zan’s crimes.”

Kae didn’t seem to be buying into the Lord Magistrate’s placating words. She wanted firm promises, apparently. “He saved my life and the life of my father,” she repeated. “Zan doesn’t deserve Atlantean jail.”

“And my father and grandfather didn’t deserve to die,” Shea said quietly. “Even if they were merely human.”

Kae’s eyes flew wide, seeming stunned. “Poseidon’s beard! How could I have forgotten your dad? Oh, Shea, I’m so sorry. I’m a jellybrained cuttlefish if there ever was one. But you have to understand that I would’ve died up there in the Arctic if it weren’t for Zan.”

Shea bit his tongue. He wanted to remind her that she wouldn’t have even been in the Arctic in the first place if it weren’t for the wonderful Zan. As he gazed into her shining green eyes, he decided to let go of the argument. Zan was in custody. The courts of Atlantis would decide his fate. He let out a sigh and smiled at her instead of fighting.

The Lord Magistrate chuckled. “I see you have your hands full with this one. A sorceress in training perhaps, to sway your mind so easily with mere words.”

Shea narrowed his eyes at the magistrate, who threw up his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “I apologize for the jest, my Prince.”

Playing the royal card for the second time, Shea waved his hand to dismiss the rude merman. “There are things we need to attend to here. We will join you in Atlantis.”

The merman bowed at the waist, the gesture of submission belied by the surly tone of his voice. “As you wish.”

“And, Lord Magistrate?”

He swiveled to look back at Shea.

“Tell your guards to be more gentle with Zan than they were with me.” With the tips of his fingers, Shea gently massaged the skin around his still swollen eye. “We certainly don’t need matching souvenirs from Atlantis.”

The Lord Magistrate bowed again and started walking without saying another word.

Kae threw her arms around Shea’s neck. “Oh, Shea! You were wonderful with that nasty merman. Thank you so, so much for sticking up for me.”

His arms slipped around her waist as if it were the most natural place for them to be. “Don’t mention it. Or, on second thought, do. Feel free to thank me with lots and lots of hugs and kisses, of course, and any baked goods you might have lying around.”

She drew her head back to look in his eyes. “Baked goods?”

He sighed. “Cookies, cupcakes, brownies…stuff like that. It’s, you know, a drylander thing.”

She smiled and leaned her forehead against his. “You’re my
thing
, as you say.”

“Sounds good to me.” He tilted his chin up and caught her mouth with his, savoring that salty-sweet taste that he knew he’d never get enough of. “I love you, Kae,” he said when their lips finally parted.

“And I’m
in love
with you,” she said, her emerald eyes twinkling brilliantly in the pink light of dawn.

“Is there a difference?” he asked, not really caring about anything but the next taste of her soft, sweet lips.

“Oh, yes,” she whispered before his mouth claimed hers.

The End

The Atlantic Ocean: Home of the Aequorean Clan

Ruled by King Koios, (wife Liana deceased), father of Brynneliana (Brynn), grandfather of Sheachnadh (Shea)

The Pacific Ocean: Home of the Wahina’nee Clan

Ruled by King Ali’i, father of ten including Prince Azul, recently deceased

The Southern Ocean: Home of the Adluo Clan

Ruled by Queen Brynneliana (Brynn), daughter of the Atlantic King Koios and the Adluo Princess Liana; Brynn succeeded King Theosisto (Theo) (after he was poisoned by his cousin, Prince Demyan) who succeeded his father, King Anaxima, and Queen Jessamine (after they were killed by their nephew, Prince Demyan)

The Arctic Ocean: Home of the Nerine Clan

Ruled by King Naartok and Queen Nimiane

Also inhabited by the Sea Witches, descended of the Gorgons

The Indian Ocean: Home of the Abhay Clan

Ruled by King Rajamandala (and his harem of many queens)

The Mediterranean and Aegean Seas:  Home of the Daeira clan

Ruled by the City of Atlantis, which is in turn Ruled by Lord Magistrate Andreaopolous underwater and his daughter Monica above the surface.

First I’d like to say a general and heartfelt thank you to the many people who purchased and enjoyed my first YA novel,
Son of a Mermaid
, and who encouraged me to tell more tales about Shea and his world beneath the waves. You all helped make this book, and this series, possible.

Special thank yous are in order for my husband, for giving me the time to write and the support when I needed it (which is always), and to Sean and Brian and Teagan for all your understanding, ideas, and encouragement. I love you guys. And Brian, you are the best beta reader ever.

Thanks go out to my extended family and all of my fabulous friends who braved every kind of weather and endless weekend traffic jams to support me at book parties and signings around Cape Cod. You’ve helped me celebrate each step of this journey, and I totally appreciate each and every one of you! Let’s keep this party going!

Thank you to Marlene and Stephanie at Crescent Moon for believing in mermaids, and to my wonderful editor, Kathryn, for helping my ideas sparkle. More big hugs to all my fellow Crescent Moon authors – It’s great to work with you all.

And a last heartfelt thank you and couple of gigantic hugs go out to my mom and dad, to whom I dedicated this book. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that you really liked the first book so very much. I love you both!

Katie O’Sullivan lives on the shores of Cape Cod and dreams of mermaids. Together with her family and their big dogs, she enjoys long walks on familiar beaches as well as visits to new places.

A graduate of Colgate University with a degree in English Literature, Katie has been writing stories since second grade. She’s written for a variety of local magazines and newspapers in the Boston area, and has also worked as an editor making other people’s words sparkle. She reads omnivorously, and writes YA and romantic suspense.

Blood of a Mermaid
is her fourth novel.

Please visit her website and blog for the latest information on upcoming events and news.

Website: www.katie-osullivan.com

Blog: http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com