Aella's Song Read online

She whimpered, trying to shift her mind. Damon was smoothing his palms along her hips, dipping between her thighs to tickle along her sensitive flesh. She was completely bare, open to his perusal when he looked down to where his fingers were playing. Teasing touches glanced above her clit, so achingly close but not quite there. She shifted in place, trying to beg wordlessly for him to touch her where she was aching.

  Aella moaned, tilting her hips, pressing into Damon’s hand. Pythias was intimately close to her from below. She squirmed in his lap, causing him to groan.

  “Yeah, I think she’s into it now, Damon,” Pythias grunted.

  Damon lifted his head, staring past her to look at Pythias behind her. He lifted his free hand, bringing it past her head.

  Turning to the side, she shifted to keep them in focus, Damon’s hand playing so close to her clit forgotten for the moment. Damon had placed his other hand behind Pythias’ head, the two men staring intimately at each other. They locked eyes, both men panting harshly. They didn’t make any other moves, obviously content to stare deeply at each other. She was sure they were communicating in their minds, they had a look of deep concentration all of a sudden. What were they saying that they didn’t want her to hear?

  She panted, blinking to bring the cavern into focus. Wait… focus? Phocas! Where was Phocas? She looked up to the opening of the cavern, blinking quickly to clear her mind. She must have made some kind of noise because Damon started, turning his head to look at her.

  “Hey, hey, what’s wrong? What just happened here?”

  Damon backed up, letting both Pythias and her go. Pythias froze beneath her, not moving. She didn’t know what to do. Should she get off him? Would that be awkward. Snorting inelegantly, she realized that things couldn’t get any more awkward than they already were.

  Phocas chose that moment to surface beside them, peeking his little nose above the water to study her. Well, looks like I was wrong. She huffed. Things definitely could get more awkward. Phocas was just way too much like a little brother for her, and there were certain things that she wasn’t exactly comfortable having him see.

  A second and third head popped up beside him, two of the other monk seals. Aella struggled to shift off Pythias, but he held her in place. Heat flushed up her neck, blooming on her cheeks. She was ready to bury her face in her hands when Damon stopped her.

  “There’s something wrong with them,” he said, his voice tight.

  “What?”

  “The seals with Phocas. Look at them. They don’t look right,” he clarified.

  Aella wiggled forward, ignoring the long, drawn out groan from Pythias. Studying the little faces beside Phocas, she realized he was right. There was something off about the seals.

  Pythias grabbed her around the hips, thrusting her into the water, following her in. She trod water, clumsily trying to move her legs. With a grunt, she shifted her lower body, bringing back the vibrant scales. It just felt so much more natural like this.

  Aella studied the seal closest to Phocas. He looked sick, his skin dull and almost lifeless. Concerned, she threw out her hand, grasping the fingers that reached out to meet her. Glancing to the side, she realized that Damon had grabbed her hand. He squeezed, comforting her with his presence.

  “What’s wrong with them? Phocas has been here the whole time.”

  Damon studied her. “Not quite. He left after we arrived. You mustn’t have noticed.”

  She turned her face, feeling the blush heat her cheeks. Great, of course she hadn’t noticed because she’d been crawling all over them at the time.

  “I need to know what happened to them.”

  “We’ll find out what happened, Aella. Together,” Pythias murmured, brushing aside her hair.

  Chapter Two

  “Where would they have gone?” Damon asked, staring at the little ones in front of them.

  The seals in question were bobbing in the water, blinking large, soulful eyes at Aella and the two men.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered, moving away from Pythias and Damon to swim closer to the small creatures. “Where did you find them, Phocas? Where are the rest of them? Can you show me?”

  Phocas blinked, a long and slumberous movement, strangely quiet. He nodded his head, diving under the water. She immediately followed him under, conscious of the larger bodies of the men behind her. This had nothing to do with them, but she was glad they were there. If she was alone… well, it didn’t bear thinking about.

  She had never seen the seals like this, their coats were dull and they seemed so listless, hardly moving around at all. This wasn’t how they normally acted, there had to be something wrong with them. What should she do?

  It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to handle issues when they came up, but she was more used to having her father take care of her. She wasn’t sure she wanted Poseidon to pop in here when she was with both Damon and Pythias, though. He may have his share of women but Aella was still his baby. He’d never approved of any man she’d even thought about being close to.

  Should she call her father after all? She really didn’t want to talk to him about this. He had entrusted the care of the monk seals to her. If she couldn’t do this without his help, he might decide to take them away from her.

  The two men halted, Damon throwing his arm out to stop her in place. Damon and Pythias exchanged a glance that seemed full of hidden secrets.

  “Have you tried contacting your father?” Damon asked.

  “I’m not calling my father just because there’s something going on with the seals. It wouldn’t take much for him to come in here thinking he was riding to my rescue. Trust me, Poseidon would be taking over everything in a matter of minutes and he’d never let me leave my room again. I’d be locked up forever with him saying he couldn’t trust me outside. Besides, there’s the little matter of the two mermen who’d he probably try to kill just for looking at me naked.”

  Pythias had a frown on his face, looking off to the side. He looked back at the two of them, shaking his head.

  “I can’t reach anyone, Damon. There’s something going on here.”

  Damon closed his eyes, obviously trying to send a mental call.

  “Fuck. I was afraid this would happen.”

  “What? You were afraid what would happen?” she asked, confused.

  Pythias shook his head, pointing their attention back to the seals. “We don’t have time to figure this out right now. One thing at a time, okay.”

  “No, it’s not okay,” she said resolutely. “What did you think was going to happen?”

  “There’s more going on here than you realize. When the gods are involved, things are never as easy as they appear. When we were sent to come here and see you, we knew this was a possibility. We knew we could get caught up in something bigger.”

  “What’re you saying? That this has something to do with my father? Why would he block the three of us? And what do you mean you were sent?” She swished her tail, furious, as she stared Pythias down.

  Damon sighed heavily, moving off to the side, watching Pythias and her square off.

  She wanted these two men, men who actually had the gall to stand up to her, to put their hands on her. Aella couldn’t believe how much that though excited her. Even if they were acting like jerks by hiding the truth from her. Had her father sent them? Were they here at all because they wanted her? What was she supposed to think? There was something bigger going on here, and she’d eventually get to the bottom of it.

  “You do know that we’re all on the same side, right? Why don’t we just figure out what’s going on and then you two can go at it,” Damon said, rolling his eyes when Pythias sent a glare in his direction.

  Aella shook her head. “I’m not going to sit around and listen to the two of you. For all I know, you’re the one that’s blocking me.”

  “You know that’s not true,” Pythias gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “Do I? Prove it,” she shot back, flicking her tail back and f
orth. Gods, they were driving her crazy. She needed to think. Backing up, she managed to evade both men when they reached for her.

  Damon reached out a hand, halting when Phocas threw himself between them. Shaking his head, he butted his nose against Damon’s chest twice in rapid succession. She pulled Phocas to her gratefully, hiding behind the small body.

  Following Phocas, she ignored the two men, unbearably conscious of their massive presence behind her again. She wasn’t a fool. Could she trust them?

  Turning the corner, the view in front of her was obstructed at first. The walls of the tunnel turned around on themselves, normally creating interesting paths, but now it was just frustrating.

  The view opened up, the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean showcasing everything within its depths in one terrifying glance.

  She screamed, crying out, unable to believe what was in front of her. Pythias immediately grabbed her close to his chest, bringing his strong, comforting arms around her. She burrowed back into him, closing her eyes briefly.

  “What happened here?” Damon whispered, a thread of rage evident in his voice.

  She shook her head, her chest heaving within Pythias’ hold. He was whispering to her, so low she couldn’t make out the words. He lifted one hand, bringing it up to smooth along her hair, tangling in the red strands.

  “Shh, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” Damon crooned, coming to block her front. He pressed himself close, trapping his friend’s arms between his body and hers.

  “It’s never going to be okay,” she sobbed, unable to get the sight out of her mind. Shaking, she opened her eyes, meeting the concern in Damon’s gaze head on. His face was blurry until she blinked away the tears filling her vision. Sniffing once, she straightened her shoulders, looking behind him to the devastation.

  Over a dozen bodies floated within the small cavern, the dead seals laid out in their watery grave.

  * * * * *

  Damon snarled, staring past the diminutive figure in his arms to stare at his closest friend.

  This can’t be happening. Pythias’ furious voice rang out inside his head.

  The sea god was right, Linos must be back. We have to stop him this time, Pyth.

  I know that! Pythias tightened his hold on Aella.

  The two men had her bound between them, refusing to let go. Damon would never forget the sight of her face when she spied the seals. These were more than her friends, they were her charges, her children. He would have given anything to spare her that.

  Damon had never expected the depth of his emotions when he first realized how lovely this adult Aella was. They’d watched her grow up under her father’s watchful shadow, but she’d been nothing more than a happy child for many years. Then one day he’d spied her, and been nearly flattened by his lust for the wild, exotic creature she’d become.

  She’d called to him. He knew he would have her, from his first glimpse of her mischievous face all grown up. Her nose was pert, tilted up at the end ever so slightly over wide, full lips. Her eyes were what really defined her, though. They were bright and as open as the wide seas, a greenish blue that hinted at depths. She couldn’t hide her emotions there, they were plain for anyone to see.

  I felt the same, Damon. She is meant to be ours. After all these years, we have been blessed. I won’t let anything stop us from claiming what is ours.

  He studied Pythias, considering the other man. They’d been friends for centuries, ever since they were children. They’d been through a lot in the long years they’d known one another, and nothing and no one would ever get between them. It was only fitting that they would share a mate. They would have it no other way.

  Pythias nodded, silently confirming Damon’s thoughts.

  Aella stirred between them. “I-I have to contact my father. I don’t know what to do. What do I do?” She sounded so uncertain, so fragile. So unlike the beguiling sprite she’d been when they first met.

  Damon met her gaze, staring into her watery green eyes. The tender skin around the orbs was red and blotchy -- her nose too, had a spot of red -- but she’d never been more beautiful in his eyes.

  She closed her eyes, furrowing her brow. He had a feeling she was trying to connect mentally with her father.

  Damon noticed she hadn’t moved from their embrace, and a fierce pride filled him, despite the horrible surroundings. She was still clinging to them, she hadn’t denied them outright.

  Within moments, she shook her head, the frustration evident in her gaze. “He isn’t answering me. I can’t reach my father. What’s going on?”

  Damon reached inside himself for his connection to Poseidon.

  Poseidon? Your youngest needs you now. Please answer her call. Linos has returned. It is as you feared.

  Tensing, Damon waited for the sea god to answer him. Nothing. What was going on?

  “He’s not answering me either. Something is definitely blocking us from communicating outside.”

  Aella tensed, wriggling out from between them. Pythias frowned, but Damon nodded for his friend to let her go easily. He didn’t want to overwhelm her.

  She closed her eyes again. He felt the buzz of her mindspeak, but couldn’t hear the individual words. She finally relented. “Triton isn’t answering me either. This doesn’t make sense. If Poseidon is busy, I could understand him not answering right away. But, Triton has never ignores me.”

  Damon understood her concern. Poseidon didn’t answer to many, but considering Triton was the messenger of the seas, he was supposed to be available at all times. For him to ignore his youngest sibling meant there was something else going on. It was as he feared.

  “What’s going on?” Aella demanded.

  Pyth growled. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for questions?”

  Damon shook his head, rolling his eyes at Pyth. Great, like that wasn’t guaranteed to put her back up.

  What would you have me do? I won’t let her refuse our bond.

  I know, Pyth, but she still needs time to figure out her feelings. She’s young, still.

  She’s old enough, so don’t even try to make excuses for her. She knows what she’s feeling, she’s just scared and wants to ignore it.

  “Enough! I know you’re talking to each other and you can just stop that right now. I won’t have you treating me like a child by leaving me out of whatever discussion is going on. Either you include me or you can just march your tails down that cave and disappear. I won’t be ignored.”

  Aella had her hands on her hips, her aquamarine tail swishing madly. She was churning up the sea around her, and if they hadn’t been immortal -- and immune, thanks to Poseidon -- they’d definitely be affected by her siren voice. She was unbelievably appealing with her eyes snapping fire at them.

  Damon tried to reach for her again, chuckling when she evaded his outstretched arms. “We weren’t trying to exclude you, we are just used to talking to each other. We’ve never had another to concern ourselves with. Forgive us?”

  She sniffed, obviously trying to hold on to her anger. Turning her back to them, she stopped when she was faced with the bodies in the water. Pythias swam up behind her, pulling her into his arms once more. She let him, leaning back into his embrace.

  Damon smiled his thanks and turned his attention to the bodies. Swimming closer to them, he studied them. They’d obviously been poisoned by some means, they were pale and their soft fur was muted in color, as if the very life had been drained from them. What could cause such a thing?

  I don’t know how he did it, but it had to be Linos. You know it as well as I. Pythias met Damon’s gaze over Aella’s head.

  I know it. We have to tell her. Damon sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “We have to leave them here, Aella. I’m sorry for even suggesting such a thing, but we don’t know if the poison originated in the water or in their food. We should get out of here until we can contact your father to collect their bodies and send their spirits on.”

 
She nodded, meeting his gaze briefly. Phocas approached her once more, rubbing his head against her belly. She raised one hand to run it along the side of the small seal. The other two survivors came close, pushing in to butt against her.

  With a last, longing glance, Aella motioned the seals to move forward. It was in silence that they retraced their path, coming once more to the juncture where they’d first met. Aella continued on to the opening, sliding her body through.

  Exchanging pained glances with Pythias, Damon approached the opening, squeezing his larger frame through the cave entrance. His shoulders scraped against the rock wall but he refrained from commenting. Pythias followed him out, cursing quietly.

  She did that on purpose. Pythias snarled in his mind.

  Probably.

  Damon glanced up to where she’d surfaced above them. The seals bobbed in the sea beside her, staying close. He flicked his tail, cutting powerfully through the water, emerging beside her to study the island in front of them.

  Pythias slicked back his hair, running his hands along the chestnut strands. “Is it a coincidence that you make your home at the Siren Rocks?”

  Aella smirked. Her home was in Foca, in the beautiful land of Turkey. It was once known as ancient Ionian city of Phocaea. Some of her siblings had lived here over the centuries and it made her feel closer to them.

  “What do you think? Father gets a kick out of it. Said he loved it when my cousins used to crash the ships here by singing sailors to their deaths. All except for Odysseus, but he’s another story for another day.” Aella studied them both, flicking her gaze back and forth. “Is it time for that explanation? How exactly did you just happen to appear here, now of all times? What’s going on that I don’t know about?”

  “I don’t believe we have any other option. You need to know what’s going on here.” Damon nodded to Pythias, motioning for him to swim to the small craft anchored nearby. Whirlwind was printed on the side in bold, blocky letters. He snorted, it was an apt description for the small siren beside him.

  Pythias shifted his tail into strong legs once more, lifting himself out of the water and into the boat. Reaching down to grab the hand Aella held up, he hauled her up beside him. Damon quickly shifted his own tail, surging up to land on the deck.