Seduced by the Sea Lord

Chapter 17

Lucy's tentative promise nestled deep in Torun's heart.

Even more important than when she had accepted his Sea Opal, her promise to join him forever etched their fate in stone. She knew what his ocean world truly entailed. She promised to leave the air world behind.

"Come. We will go to my city."

She wiggled. "Let me grab my cell phone. How deep is your city?"

"It is on the bottom of the ocean."

"The bottom close to an atoll like this, or the bottom of a trench?"

"We are not near a trench. However, swimming directly up to the surface would take a long, long time."

"Probably deeper than the waterproof case is rated for." She relaxed into him. "I'll come back. We'll organize deep-sea cameras later to take pictures of a real mer city."

"You will have many chances." The council would have to relax their secrecy restrictions to woo modern women. Lucy would show others the beauty of their world.

He somehow sensed her unexpressed doubt, which was odd because he never heard unexpressed feelings from other warriors. I hope so.

"You will."

She smiled.

He twirled with her through the water. His body pulsed to fulfill their ancient destiny in this submerged church. She shone within his arms, nearly blinding.

But her doubts remained. She feared she could not give him young fry. She needed the healing song of the Life Tree to chase her last fears away.

He led her to the cave entrance.

She kicked furiously to keep up. "I can't make my feet into fins like yours."

"You must flex." He demonstrated, flicking back and forth between fin and foot.

She tried to mimic him. Her adorable features screwed up in concentration. "Do it slower."

Slower made the movement more difficult. Like focusing on breathing could cause choking in the lungs.

"You can't blame me for choking like that," she said, responding to a thought he hadn't meant to transmit to her. "It was my first time! Normally, breathing underwater is death, if not from actually drowning, then from the bacterial infection and pneumonia you get afterward. Oh!"

She flexed her foot in the right way. Her two smallest toes flattened, and her foot half expanded. She kicked, wheeling in a lopsided circle. "This is awesome!"

Her light shone so brightly, it made his heart ache.

But she couldn't get her other foot to relax into the correct shape, and her first one flexed back to a human foot when she wasn't paying attention. He put his hands on hers to stop her from being too violent with herself.

"It just won't go," she cried.

"You have mastered breathing and communicating underwater," he told her. "Forgive yourself if you must practice longer to achieve flight."

She blew a stream of water out of her mouth. Her bangs danced. "I'll get it."

"You will."

She brightened. His faith in her made hers stronger.

Again, his chest ached.

This precious woman captured him. His heart stretched to hold their love. He would protect her with his life.

He drew her arms around his neck. "Hold on to me. This first flight will be mine."

She nestled against his chest. "Don't drop me."