Seascape Page 10

  “Fascinating,” he said as he lowered the knife from his lip and rested the blade beside her leg on the stone lip. Quite near her right arm.

  “Isn’t it just!” Elanna said with a smile as she totally relaxed around the stranger. He wasn’t so bad when he wasn’t brandishing a blade like Michael Myers with flippers.

  “Yes, it is!” he said as he considered her words. “I’m still going to cut you though.” He suddenly lifted the blade and slashed a long thin line down her arm.

  “Oww!” Elanna said quite calmly as she looked down at her arm, as if she couldn’t believe he did that! Or even worse, that she couldn’t talk him out of it.

  “It is an interesting theory,” he continued as he reached for Storm’s arm. “I’ll discuss it further with you later. So simple, it’s almost brilliant!” he mused as he made a similar slice on Storm’s left arm.

  “May we continue now?” Storm asked as he sighed at the fates that gave him such a complicated, chatty woman.

  “By all means,” the Life Binder replied.

  “You cut me,” Elanna said, looking at the few drops of blood that welled up.

  “Yes, I know,” he replied.

  “And you didn’t use antiseptic,” she said, and both men again looked at her as if she were crazy.

  “You know, stuff to keep it from getting infected? Things to kill germs?”

  The Life Binder blinked at her once—men seemed to do that a lot around her lately—and scooped up a handful of salt water and liberally doused her arm with it.

  “Ouch!” she hissed as she glared at him.

  “There, now may we continue?”

  “Please!” Storm sighed, as he shook his head in wonder. If all matings happened like this, it was a wonder that any man did it at all!

  “Very good,” the Life Binder said as he picked up Elanna’s arm and placed the cut up against the slash he made on Storm’s.

  “With the mingling of your blood and life essence, I declare you one! One being with one purpose, one goal, one rhythm.”

  He bent Storm’s head down and quickly cut a long lock of his hair. Then turning to Elanna, he pulled her head down, and before she could squawk, sliced a thin lock from her nape.

  “You cut my hair!” she hissed.

  “Yes, I know,” he said as he quickly intertwined the two locks into one. “And a more lovely type of hair I have never seen. Just don’t move your arm. We are getting into the serious stuff.”

  She blinked at him then. “Okay,” she said. “But hurry, I’m getting hungry.”

  He nodded his head and continued, as promised.

  “As I intertwine this hair, so shall your lives be intermingled, synchronized, united. It’s a pity yours is so short,” he said to Elanna as he rubbed the braid against his palm, shaking his head at the loss of the interesting texture her hair lent to Storm’s, as if it actually created something from both of them, yet entirely different.

  “That’s okay,” Elanna said to him. “My life is short anyway. I guess it’s symbolic.”

  “Uh,” the Life Binder began.

  “Elanna, you don’t know how sorry I am,” Storm finally spoke, all of his amused annoyance at the proceedings vanishing in the blink of an eye. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t left that pouch…”

  “It’s not your fault, Storm!” she insisted as she turned to him and lifted her left arm to run her hand against his face. “I did it to myself! If I had not meddled where I had no information, no right to be, this would have never happened.”

  “Er,” the Life Binder began, but was cut off again.

  “But it was my responsibility to take care of you! I am the one who saved you! I should have been more cautious.”

  “Um…”

  “No, Storm! I knew better! I knew the consequences, and yet I took the risk! Me and only me. I alone am responsible, Storm! Don’t you ever blame yourself!”

  “Yes, well now…”

  “But Elanna! You are special!” Storm said, his eyes beginning to widen with emotions he thought he could never have for another female. And in futility as he knew the fate of his woman and was powerless to do anything. He could control the forces of nature, command the sea, but he could not pull the powders from one small female. “You are the one I have waited my whole adult life for! You are the one who makes me live again, feel again! I have waited a long time for you, searched for you, fought for you, and when you land in my lap, I lose you, because of something stupid that I did! That I did, Elanna. I have caused my own misery, and cursed us both!”

  “Storm! You are not cursed! You are such a special man! You are loving, and decent and kind, and in no way to blame for what I have done! You’re not responsible for the actions of others! You are only responsible for your own! You can’t protect the world! You can’t be everyone’s conscience! You can only do what you can to the best of your ability! And that is something you do well! Take care of your responsibilities, that is! And I refuse to be another responsibility! I am a woman who takes her own blame! You are not responsible for me! You didn’t make me do what I did! That was me! All me!”

  “You were meant to be mine!” he cried, a few scales finally falling. “I held paradise in my arms, and I never realized what I had, until it was taken away from me! You are mine, Elanna! Do you hear me! I love you and you are mine! My responsibility if I wish it! Because it is an extension of my love!”

  “Oh, Storm!” Elanna cried out, her own tears breaking free. “You love me?”

  “Elanna, I love you! It took me some time to recognize it for what it was, but I love you!”

  “Oh, Storm!” Elanna, keeping their arms touching, reached out and lifted her head for his kiss.

  She inhaled the sea smell of him and rested her mouth against his cheek. He tasted of the salty sea, sweet and bitter at the same time.

  “My Elanna!” His arm went around her, pulling her to the very edge of the stone, turning his head to capture her lips.

  They groaned together at first contact, savoring the difference between them, feeling the heat of his body and the force of their emotions as they moved to deepen the kiss.

  “My Creator!” the Life Binder finally sighed, throwing up his hands in disgust. “You can move your arms now! There is no purpose to me even being here! Here!”

  He thrust the hair chain at the two surprised people, who broke off from the kiss before it could get really good.

  “Take this! You are mated! You never needed me here anyway! But for the council’s sake, it’s official! You are mated! Go in peace so that I may find some peace this day!”

  He sank beneath the waters mumbling, “Wasted my time here! To hell with tradition! Who needs tradition anyway! Young people! Ha! They need to be told when they are mated, not going off on tangents of their own! And I had the words perfect this time!”

  “We are mated?” Elanna asked, raising her other hand to caress his face.

  “All but for the act.”

  “The act,” Elanna sighed, remembering the pleasure that she felt at his hands and wondering what the mysterious bulge was. But the time for wondering had passed! She was going to find out, and soon from the looks of things.

  “Yes, the act,” he breathed as he moved in to kiss her again.

  Moaning in glee, Elanna lost herself in his kiss, carefully running her tongue along his teeth, delighted at the feel and taste of his mouth.

  So happy was she that she almost missed the splash as a few people entered the chamber. Almost.

  Pulling back from the kiss, she tried to turn her head to see who had entered the room.

  “Storm?” she began, but he began to kiss her open mouth, each individual lip, her face, and her hair as he pulled her closer to him, causing her to wrap her legs around his body.

  They both groaned at the contact. His heat was incredible, but there was that annoying splash again.

  “Storm,” she said, pulling back a bit, only to have her naked body pulled completely against
his own, her breast now pressed deeply into his chest.

  “Ignore them,” he gasped as he delighted in the feel of her soft skin pressed tightly against his. Even their color contrast was a feast for his eyes. He looked at them, held so closely together, and moaned.

  “Ignore them,” she repeated as he gripped her hair in his hand and pulled her head back to nibble at her neck. She groaned as her eyes closed in the ecstasy of his touch.

  “The witnesses. Ignore them.”

  “Witnesses,” she breathed, losing herself in a sinking pool of desire.

  Wait a minute! Witnesses?

  “Witnesses?” she nearly screamed as she pulled back to stare at him.

  “Witnesses to our mating.”

  She turned her head and saw the demented trio, along with Sting, were back! Sting even had the nerve to wave at her.

  “Oh no!” Elanna said, pushing Storm away, then pulling him closer. She’d forgotten she was naked. “What are these people doing here?”

  “They ensure that I don’t hurt you and the act actually takes place,” he said and he lifted passion-glazed eyes at her. “It is tradition.”

  “Fuck tradition!” Elanna screamed, feeling frustrated, loved, and angry.

  “Fuck?” Sting asked politely.

  “No way, Storm! Not in this lifetime!”

  “But Elanna,” Storm began, running a hand shaking with frustration through his hair.

  “No!” Elanna insisted.

  No one was going to watch her consummate her love with her Fish Boy! And she meant it!

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Elanna.” Storm tried to reason with her. “They have to be here. We need witnesses!” It was hard for him to think with her legs wrapped around his waist!

  He never knew legs could feel so good, so soft, so strong! And the heat was radiating off of her skin! He had to resist the urge to wrap them tighter around his waist and just wiggle between them!

  “I have waited a lifetime to get married, Storm! And I will not spend my wedding night as part of a peep show!”

  “Peep show?” Storm asked, his attention drawn away from the novelty of having actual limbs other than arms surrounding his body! He closed his eyes and luxuriated in the feeling.

  “Storm!”

  “What does ‘fuck’ mean?” Sting interjected from behind, looking at them in wonder. Those legs looked like they could be fun! “And how does that feel, Storm?”

  “Sting!” Storm groaned while running his hands along Elanna’s thighs. “It is like nothing that I have ever felt before! You have to try legs!”

  “They are not all that!” Rage snapped, looking jealously at Storm, who was now totally wrapped around that human female. “Do they work both ways? I mean, does the male of the species possess the ability to wrap legs, too?” That might be more fun, she thought.

  “Will you all get out of here!” Elanna yelled. “I am not a side show! You will not get your jollies watching me and Storm get it on!”

  “Get it on?” Sting asked, looking at Storm for an explanation.

  But Storm was lost, awash in sensations he had never felt before! He felt himself harden, felt his stomach tighten with the feelings. He was barely capable of thought, let alone coherent speech.

  “That looks weird!” Rage added, but it was clear her thoughts were still on human males and what they could do with their legs.

  “Some people like to try different things,” Sting sagely said to her, in his Merman-of-the-world mode. “We shouldn’t make fun of them or treat them any differently. Although, the possibilities of legs escaped me before. Imagine, mating face to face, intertwined with your lover. It sounds different, but kind of nice.”

  “That’s it!” Elanna fumed. “I will not sit here and be discussed like the main attraction in a circus! I’ve had enough of that all my life, and I won’t tolerate it now! If you won’t do something,” she jabbed a finger into the drooling Storm’s shoulder, “I am leaving!”

  Then she showed them all a new use for legs. Dropping them down and ignoring his frustrated moan of protest, she brought her knees up between them. With one quick shove, she kneed him back far enough to get her feet between them. Then, planting her feet on his strong abdomen, she shoved him back with all of her strength!

  “Omph!” Storm grunted as he suddenly found himself thrust from the gates of nirvana, back under the sea.

  While he tried to puzzle out what had happened, Elanna neatly slipped from the stone outcrop and dropped neatly into the water.

  “Female! Elanna!” Storm wailed, as he watched his human fair disappear into the deep waters.

  “Lost something?” Sting couldn’t help but interject, face devoid of emotion as he watched the confusion on Storm’s face.

  “Huh?” he asked, looking at the spot where Elanna had disappeared.

  “Your woman, Storm. You lost your woman.”

  “I didn’t lose her,” he said quietly. “I think she swam away.”

  “I don’t think she can swim in her condition,” Sting pointed out.

  “What?”

  “She can’t survive at this depth,” Sting advised.

  “You had better go and get her,” Rage added, her sisters nodding their heads in agreement. “I want to see a human mating. I am taking mental notes.”

  “Oh Creator!” Storm suddenly gasped. “She can’t swim in her condition!”

  “That’s what I said,” Sting replied as he looked at the spot where she’d sunk below the surface of the water. “I think you should go and get her.”

  “And bring her back here!” Rage insisted. “I want to see what legs can do!”

  “Elanna!” Storm growled in frustration, running a hand through his hair, before he dropped below the surface in hunt of his mate.

  “I hope he brings her back,” Rage sighed as she lay back on the surface of the water, floating in her element.

  “I hope she isn’t dead,” Sting said, remembering what the human had done for him and Amadala.

  * * * * *

  I think I may have miscalculated, Elanna thought as she began to sink like a stone. Instinct had her holding her breath and keeping her eyes open.

  She had never expected to sink so fast! For that matter, she never expected to get lost! But the only way she was going was straight down, and suddenly the water became very cold.

  Where was Storm when she needed him, she thought? He should be here by now!

  Crossing her arms, she let a small amount of air escape her nose, glaring at the bubbles that floated upwards, marking her position. It sure was taking him a long time!

  But she had to get out of there, she reasoned. Those people were looking at her! They were waiting to see the sex act between her and Storm! She didn’t even know what the sex act was for a man who was part fish! Well, mammal, she decided. He could breathe in the water and in the air. Or did that make him amphibious?

  But she had no time to puzzle through his classification, for there was a flash of blue green and then she was in his arms.

  Knowing the drill, when he pressed his face close to hers, she leaned in and opened her mouth to his.

  Almost immediately, she felt him pulling the air out of her lungs and replacing it with fresh oxygen.

  She opened her eyes and glared at him. They seemed to say, Why did you let me go through that?

  He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close to his body, instantly heating her skin and relieving the pressure that he only felt now was gone. His eyes answered, What could I do, Elanna? It is always done like that!

  She narrowed her eyes and communicated, Well, it won’t be done like that for me!

  I know, his eyes answered. But I was so lost in what you were making me feel.

  It is intense, but that is for us to share, Storm! I won’t share you with anyone else!

  I know, love. I know that now! I did not realize how our traditions might seem strange to you. That was insensitive of me. I will make it up to you?
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  How?

  Like this.

  With a kick of his fin, he propelled them out of the maze of caves and into the open sea. It was almost noon, and the sun was at its most powerful.

  It created a glittering world of purple and green for her delighted eyes. As Storm propelled them towards the surface, the water heated, entering her pores, relaxing her in his embrace. The flow of the water around them washed away the last of her upset and anger, and Storm twisted and twirled in this undersea paradise.

  Long ropes of purple kelp and light green seaweed waved as if being blown by air. Colorful coral in brilliant hues of fuchsia, yellow, blue, and red dotted the sea floor below them, glistening like jewels in the pale light of day.

  Jewel-toned schools of fish, living gems, darted past in synchronized movements, blending momentarily with their underwater tropical environments, then in a flash becoming visible, before they streaked away, bright bolts of life, creating a rainbow of movement.

  Small white motes, sea dust, floated down around them like dove feathers or angels’ wings. They drifted all around them, making the place seem like some magical dream. And through it all, he held her safe and secure, spiraling, flowing with the tides. Weaving in and out of enchantment, making time stand still, creating a moment, a memory that would stand for all eternity.

  The silence was almost spiritual as they gently floated past, becoming one with their surroundings, with themselves.

  This is so beautiful, Elanna said, her eyes turning to those of her mate’s, the pale color no longer seeming strange to her. She raised her hands to cup his face.

  Like you, be answered, his eyes dilating and glittering with his emotions. Stunning in its natural beauty.

  She looked down, closed her eyes in her sudden shyness, but felt her heart begin to melt between them.

  Don’t look away, he said, his eyes drinking in the delicate aura that suddenly surrounded her.

  You unnerve me.

  You unman me.

  She looked up, her eyes wide in shock.

  In a good way, he added.

  You make me complete, she decided, realizing she loved the rhythms of his body syncopating with hers. It felt as if they shared one heartbeat, one breath.