The two older warriors standing outside his rooms recognized his furious expression and gave him a swift look of empathy before the one on the left reached out and grasped the door handle to pull the door open. Orion slowed almost to a stop and drew in a deep breath. He glanced at the warrior holding the door open.
“The young princes’ care only for you and the kingdom, Your Majesty,” Coralus said with a shake of his head. “You have to give them some credit for their tenacity.”
The comment did little to calm Orion. With a grimace, he shook his head at Kelia’s spouse. Coralus was all too familiar with the trials and tribulations of being a parent—and the numerous stories of his sons’ adventures.
“Dolph!” Orion loudly called as he strode through the door and into his living quarters. “Are you out of your mind, boy?! Kelia said that you have found a….”
Orion stumbled to a stop, frozen in mid-stride, and swallowed when a delicate face lifted to gaze up at him. A cascade of red hair with the stunning hues of hot flowing lava fell around the woman’s bemused face. From her expression, she looked as if she were caught in a trap she didn’t know how to escape. His eyes slowly tore away from hers. He was unsure of their color, but it reminded him of sea glass in a variety of colors. He vaguely noted the faint trace of dots across her nose before his gaze fastened on her parted lips.
A surge of need, unlike anything he had felt before, struck him hard and fast. His physical response was so strong and so unexpected that he took several steps forward before he realized what he was doing. Orion clenched his fists at his side, his left hand clutching the bag Kapian had given him in an effort to keep from grabbing the woman as she pushed up off the floor where she had been playing a game with Juno.
“Who...? Where…?” he mumbled incoherently before he stopped and drew in a deep breath. He shook his head and straightened his shoulders. “Who are you, and where did you come from?” he demanded in a terse tone.
He silently moaned when the woman tilted her head and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He swore he could feel the heat inside him increase into a full blown inferno, much like the fire of the dragons. He released a low growl of frustration at the thought of comparing anything to the snarly beasts that lived on the Isle of the Dragons. The sound of his son’s voice refocused his attention on the situation instead of his physical reaction to the woman standing in front of him.
“Father,” Dolph said, coming to stand between the woman and his father.
“Go tell Coralus to take you and your brother to Kelia,” Orion ordered in a stern voice, not looking at his oldest son.
“Father…,” Dolph protested.
Orion glanced at his oldest son with a stern expression. “Now, Dolph. I will speak with you later.”
“But, Father,” Juno protested, standing to hold onto Jenny’s hand. “She's ours. She can be our new mother. She likes to play games with me."
Orion's face softened at the pleading expression in his youngest son’s eyes. Where Dolph had found such a beautiful woman, he had no idea. The one thing he did know was that she was not from the Isle of the Sea Serpents.
"Go with your brother, Juno," Orion gently commanded. "Kelia is waiting for you both."
Juno reluctantly released the hand he was clutching and bowed his head as he followed Dolph out of the room. Orion turned to watch the boys as they paused in the entrance to the door that still stood open. His eyes locked with Dolph's suddenly stony expression.
"She's the one, Father," Dolph said stubbornly. "I know she is. The water led me to her."
Orion watched in silence as the boys left, closing the door quietly behind them. Drawing in a deep breath, he turned to face the woman. She was watching him with a look of sympathy and bemusement. He raised his right hand and ran it over the back of his neck.
"Who are you and which kingdom did you come from so I can make sure you are safely returned?” he demanded in a gruff voice as he dropped his hand back to his side.
Jenny fingered the soft material of the long, forest green blouse as she slid it on over a pair of dark tan trousers. Kelia had escorted her through the magical garden to a magnificent castle. The older woman had spoken in a soft voice to several other women as they entered. Jenny missed most of what Kelia had said because she couldn’t stop staring up at the clear dome and the colorful fish that passed overhead. She finally guessed what the discussion was about when one of the women appeared with fresh clothing a short time after they arrived at the elegant but inviting suite of rooms.
They had no sooner entered the large, elegantly furnished room before Kelia led Jenny to an exquisite bathroom to freshen up. The older woman bowed and explained that she would have refreshments available in the living room when Jenny was finished. It didn’t take long for Jenny to figure out how to work the plumbing. She softly groaned as the warm water took the last of the chill from her bones and washed the salt from her hair and body. Twenty minutes later, she felt refreshed and excited to explore this new, fascinating world she now found herself in.
Jenny retraced the path to the living room. She paused at the entrance and quietly watched Kelia and another woman place several small trays on a side table. She smiled when Kelia teasingly scolded Juno for pinching one of the pastries.
“But, I had to grab it. It was about to fall and you always told me that if I touch a piece of food, I needed to eat it,” Juno defended around a mouthful of the flaky bun.
“It is amazing how often food, especially your favorite, always falls off of the tray and into your mouth at just the right moment,” Kelia chuckled.
“This one looks wobbly, too,” Dolph said, snatching not one, but two pastries before he danced out of Kelia’s reach with a laugh.
“I’ll admit, the one with the purple filling did look like it might fall off,” Jenny teased with a wink at Dolph.
Dolph grinned in delight at having her support. Jenny decided it wouldn’t hurt to support the little boy. She figured he was probably starving after his adventure earlier. She knew she was.
“Those look delicious,” Jenny said, walking over to where Kelia was standing.
“The chef is known for his pastries. They melt in your mouth and stay on your hips,” Kelia chuckled, running her hands down her sides.
“Well, one can’t hurt too much,” Jenny laughed.
She picked up one of the pastries with a dark red filling and took a bite. A soft moan of pleasure escaped her when the flaky dough melted in her mouth. The filling was still warm and the sweet taste of the fruit washed over her taste buds.
“The problem is stopping at just one,” Kelia said, picking up one of the cream filled delicacies with a rueful look.
Jenny covered her mouth and giggled. Kelia was right, there was no way she would be able to resist trying another one… or two. Picking up a bun with a mixture of nuts on it, she walked over to the window to gaze out over the gardens before glancing up at the crystal dome again. Her hand lowered and she stared in awe. Several large whales were pulling carts behind them. They passed overhead before disappearing from view.
“This world is… incredible,” Jenny whispered.
“I hope you find it fascinating enough to want to stay, Lady Jenny,” Kelia replied.
A smile pulled at Jenny’s lips and she dragged her gaze away from the crystal dome to stare down at the colorful garden with its bizarre yet beautiful plants. Her head turned when she felt a small hand slide into hers. Her gaze softened when she saw the hopeful expression on Juno’s face.
“I hope you do stay, Jenny, and be our mother,” Juno replied.
Jenny’s throat tightened at the earnest tone and slightly pleading look in the little boy’s gaze. How could she extinguish that look from his eyes? She squeezed his hand and turned to look at Dolph. The older boy was studying her with a quiet, determined gaze.
“Why don’t you tell me about your home,” Jenny replied lightly.
Nearly three hours later, Jenny had more question
s than when she’d first arrived. According to Kelia and the boys, she was in a magical underwater kingdom ruled by the Sea King. The Isle of the Sea Serpent belonged to the sea people, aka mermaids and mermen. Dolph and Juno had burst out laughing when Jenny called them mermaids and had teased her endlessly about it.
For the last hour, Jenny had played games with the boys while Kelia ran an errand. Jenny hadn’t minded. The two boys were delightful and extremely well behaved. After Dolph found some colorful rocks and shells along with some twine, she showed the boys how to create a Tic-Tac-Toe board with the materials. She had been coaching Juno on how to move his pieces when the door burst open and a very sexy but furious man suddenly stormed in.
It took less than five seconds to figure out that this was the boys' father. She would have been intimidated by the six feet plus of muscled fury if she hadn't noticed the blatant look of shock on his face when he saw her or the way his expression softened when he gazed at Dolph.
She practically melted when he turned his gaze on Juno after the young boy protested. The expression in his eyes showed that this was a man who knew how to love and wasn't afraid to show it. Jenny felt the tug on her heartstrings and knew she was doomed. This was a man who could take her heart prisoner any time he wanted as far as she was concerned.
Needless to say, the whole encounter shook her. She had never been a believer of attraction at first sight. Now she would have to re-evaluate the possibility. Of course, she was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t on Earth—or at least not on a part of it that she had ever heard about before. Jenny flushed when she noticed that she had been so focused on the man in front of her that the boys had left the room before she realized it, leaving her alone with their father.
"Who are you and which kingdom did you come from?” he asked again.
"I was from Yachats, Oregon, but I moved to Portland a year and a half ago to teach third grade there after my friend disappeared. I’m not from around here, but I guess I already told you that,” she finished with a rueful grin.
“Does this person from Yachats, then Portland have a name to go with where she comes from?” he asked in a softer, deeper voice.
“Yes, actually, she does. My name is Jennifer Ackerly,” she murmured. “But, everyone calls me Jenny.”
Jenny softly groaned. She finally meets a guy who looks like a freaking god, and she can’t think straight. It wasn’t like her to be so flustered! Bowing her head, she let her hair hide her face—which was pretty much the same color as her hair at the moment—and wished for the ground to open up and swallow her.
A soft gasp escaped her when she felt the slide of rough fingertips along her jaw, slowly lifting her chin upward until she was forced to open her eyes. Gazing into the intense green eyes, she felt her insides melt again. A slow, goofy smile curved her lips when she saw him staring down at her with an intensity that took her breath away.
This…, she thought, is someone I could wake up next to for the rest of my life.
Orion gazed down at the delicate face he held tenderly in the palm of his hand. He had listened intently to her as she explained who she was and where she came from, and he did not recognize either Yachats, Oregon, or this Portland. One thing he did know, they were not part of the Seven Kingdoms. He had met each of the other species from the different Isles. Jenny Ackerly was different from them. Orion couldn’t ever remember having such an instant physical reaction to another person the way he had reacted to Jenny. It confused and intrigued him at the same time.
This…, he thought as he lowered his head, is someone I could wake up next to for the rest of my life.
Orion brushed a kiss against her soft, parted lips and quickly became lost. A wave of fiery passion exploded inside him when she opened and returned his kiss with the same fire that colored her hair. A soft moan escaped both of them, mingling their breaths together.
Astonishment washed through Orion when he felt the slender threads binding his heart inside a cocoon slowly unravel. He swore he could feel the threads release and stretch outward as if yearning to wrap Jenny in their bonds. A wave of energy coursed through his veins, making him feel invincible.
Sliding the fingers of his right hand into her hair, he wound his left arm around her waist to pull her tightly against him. Pleasure flooded through him when she wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him just as desperately as he was kissing her. They were both panting by the time she reluctantly ended the kiss. She leaned back far enough to gaze up at him with wide, shocked eyes.
"Wow!” she whispered. "That was just– Wow!
Orion's lips pulled up at the corners. "I do not know this word you use, but I think it means you felt the same thing that I did," he admitted with a bemused smile.
Jenny tilted her head to the side and grinned. "Did you feel the ground tremble and shake?” she asked with a teasing grin.
An unexpected chuckle escaped Orion. Yes, he had felt the ground tremble and shake when she kissed him and more. Running his fingers through her hair, he stared in amazement at the curtain of red fire.
"I am Orion, by the way. I guess I should have introduced myself to you first before kissing you," he murmured in a soft voice. "I rule this kingdom."
"I kind-of figured who you were when the boys called you father," she replied with a sigh. "The boys also told me that they wanted a mother and that you needed a bride. I honestly don’t know what is going on. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not from around here. I don't even know where here is," she whispered, looking over his shoulder toward the glittering garden and the dome covering the city. "I was just walking along the beach when I saw Dolph run into the water. I was afraid he would drown and went after him. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Orion's mouth tightened when she pulled free and wrapped her arms around her waist. She turned away from him to walk over to the windows. A worried frown pulled at his brow when he heard her release a long, deep sigh.
There was only one other person he knew who was aware of the portals between their world and another—his cousin. After their experience as teens, his father had cast a spell upon the pool, closing it to all but the small sea dragons. Magna would have had to use the Eye of the Sea Serpent, along with a very powerful spell, to open it.
Without the stone Kapian had retrieved, his cousin’s magic would once again be limited to only what she was capable of creating. Dread filled him and his lips tightened when he thought of the price such a spell would cost his eldest son. Fear for his Dolph swept through him.
Walking over to her, he placed his hands on her arms. He wanted to pull her back into his arms in an effort to comfort her. She briefly stiffened before she relaxed against him.
“Jenny...,” Orion started to say when the sound of a knock on the door drew his attention.
Orion glanced over his shoulder in frustration at the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jenny turn to look at the door as well. Her face was pale but composed. Her chin lifted, and she straightened her shoulders. Once again, a shaft of unfamiliar emotion swept through him.
When did life become so complicated, he wondered in resignation when the knock came again, this time louder than before.
Chapter Seven
“Enter!” Orion ordered.
He stepped back and turned, shifting slightly so that his body was between the door and Jenny. Kapian shot him a questioning glance when he entered the room. It was obvious from his friend’s curious expression that the news of his sons’ unusual guest had already spread through the palace.
“So, it is true,” Kapian said, glancing over Orion’s shoulder.
Irritation swept through Orion when he saw the glimmer of appreciation and curiosity cross Kapian’s face. Once again, he was surprised by the intense emotion that he felt in regard to Jenny. He quickly determined the flash of irritation was another new emotion for him—jealousy.
"What is it?” Orion demanded in a cutting tone. "I said
we would meet later."
Orion watched as Kapian's eyes widened in surprise at his tone. He shook his head at Kapian even as his hand unconsciously moved to pull Jenny further behind him. He didn't miss the change of expression on Kapian's face or the slightly worried frown that creased his friend’s brow.
"You have a visitor," Kapian replied, glancing again at Jenny. "Magna is here and she is demanding to speak with you."
Orion's face darkened. He had anticipated Magna’s visit, but not quite so soon. Juno's fifth year celebration was not for another two days. He expected his cousin to appear to make her demands, but not until the last moment when he would have no other choice but to agree to accept her as his bride or choose another before midnight two days hence.
“I will see her in the throne room,” Orion ordered with a dark look.
Kapian glanced at Jenny before turning his own dark gaze back to Orion. “Magna has demanded that you bring Dolph with you. She says he owes her payment, and she has come to collect,” he added.
The dread Orion had felt earlier returned. When Kelia had told him what Dolph had done, he’d feared his son had made a costly bargain that would change his life forever. Orion’s only hope was that Magna had not required Dolph to sign a blood oath. If his son had, and Orion could not find a way to break the spell binding Dolph to Magna, he would have no choice but to offer his life in exchange.
His mind whirled even as he nodded to Kapian. He started to take a step toward the door when he felt a slender hand on his arm. Turning, he looked back at Jenny.
“This has to do with Dolph being on the beach and with me being here, doesn’t it?” she asked in a quiet voice, noticing the look of worry in Orion’s eyes.
“Yes,” Orion responded with a short nod. “And more. The Sea Witch is a powerful opponent and only she would have been willing to grant Dolph his wish.”