Bound by Sin (20 page)

“So it's resources they want.”

“They do indeed.”

“So why not let them hunt on your side of the island?” Jaykun asked. “It's not as though they are going to stay and take it over. You don't use the meat from the animals very often, as I understand it. Let them have controlled hunting parties. Have them put together a hunting party and have selkie soldiers accompany them on their hunts. If you do this, they get what they need and it keeps the peace between you,” Jaykun said. “They won't need to take the resources they are freely given. At the end of the hunt the party is escorted back to its side of the island and that is the end of it.”

“Why…I…” the empress said with some reluctance. “In truth, I never thought of such a thing. We've always been so militant about protecting our borders. It's what we've always done. But as you say, if I give them what they want…then there is nothing for them to take by force.”

“Exactly.”

“They still want the entire island to themselves,” the empress said with a frown. “The sirens and the selkies have never cared much for one another. There is much hostility there. It will be very hard for hunting parties to get along. I shall have to choose tolerant guards. Those with slow tempers…those who can take insult and abuse without losing their tempers. I am sure the sirens will be very provocative at first.”

“Especially if they have no love for the selkies,” Jaykun said. “They will not like being controlled in the hunt, but over time they will get used to the way things must be done. Or so one would hope.”

“This is remarkable,” the empress said. “Only ten minutes in your company and already you have been more useful to me than my entire cadre of advisors has been for months. But I still fear giving them this concession. I feel if I give them a little they will want to take much more. This is why the hunts must be controlled.”

“You decide when, where, and how much. It is entirely by your good graces. And if you go to the siren roja with this, you will be seen as generous. Is there something you desire from them in return? This could be used as a bargaining tool. A piece of leverage.”

“No. The only thing I want from the sirens is for them to stay on their side of the island and to leave my people alone.”

“Then make yourself appear to be the better and more generous ruler. Surprise them with this generosity.”

“Yes. Yes, I think I will,” she said with a slow smile. “I will contact your father at once, Jileana, and have him choose from his guard those who can immediately be sent to lead a siren hunting party. I will send them to the siren court straightaway as a gift to the roja. Then we will see about scheduling more parties more regularly.” She smiled again. “Now, if only you could solve my problems with Horgon so easily.”

“I have a solution,” Jaykun said, “but it is a cold-blooded one and you will deprive yourself of an heir.”

The empress blanched. “You mean have him killed.”

“Yes. Your reign is under threat. You must remove that threat or it will be hanging over you for all of your days…perhaps leading to your own death. Because I promise you, if he is as cruel as you say he is, he will have no qualms about killing you in order to secure his reign if he should overthrow you.”

“Gods, you are cold-blooded,” the empress said in a heated rush. “I do not think I can bring myself to that. To order a man's death just because of what he might do. I cannot bear the thought of making myself just as cold and cruel as he is.”

“Then your only recourse is to tolerate him and try to remain one step ahead of him.”

“Which is exactly what I have been doing all along.”

“Perhaps with this new agreement with the sirens the people will see your power and benevolence as a ruler.”

“Or they might feel more threatened by the idea of siren incursions on our territory. It might be just the thing Horgon needs to rally the people against me.”

“One thing at a time, Majesty. Quell the siren threat first. Deal with Horgon afterward.”

“Yes. Yes, you are right.” The empress smiled at him. “I believe you are going to be my new favorite. My favorites call me Jalaya. I will enjoy ‘Majesty' on most occasions, but when we are speaking in private like this you will address me by my given name.”

“I am honored, Majesty,” he said, inclining his head in respect to her, then corrected himself. “Jalaya.”

“You must have evening meal with me tonight,” she said eagerly. “We eat at dusk on land in the communal caves on the lowest level of the cliff wall. My cave is on the far left. Jileana will show you.”

“Your pardon, Majesty, but I must decline,” Jaykun said hesitantly. “I am…spoken for from dusk to juquil's hour every night. Perhaps your midday meal today?”

“Very well,” Jalaya said slowly, her eyes narrowing on him curiously. “In what way are you spoken for?”

“My goddess makes demands of me,” he said. “There is a price to be paid for the immortality I have shown you. My goddess speaks and I must listen.”

“Yes. I see that you must. Very well, I will see you at midday meal. Jileana, see that he is there.”

“Yes, Majesty,” she said.

Jileana took Jaykun's arm and pulled him away from the empress. But he stopped and looked back at Jalaya.

“Majesty, demand Horgon's attendance at the midday meal tomorrow. Tell him to come or he will be thrown into prison. You do have a prison, I take it?”

“We do. Any selkie who breaks the law is chained to the bottom of the ocean. They can swim only to the end of the tether and must live under constant guard. Their freedom is taken from them in a way that can drive a selkie mad.”

“We value our freedom and the ability to swim swift and free more than anything else,” Jileana said.

“I can imagine you would,” Jaykun said. “Very well. Tell him to come or be chained—those are his only two choices. And make sure you send a contingent of guards to escort him to your table. He must obey you, just as any other subject must obey you. It is time you put him in his place.”

“But will that not anger him?” Jalaya asked.

“I am counting on it. Let us see what he does when he is provoked. It will tell me just how far he is willing to go. It should make for some interesting conversation at the table at the very least.”

“Indeed it should,” Jalaya agreed. “Very well. I will send word immediately that he is to obey me. You are right. It is high time he and others like him be put in their place in all respects. You know, I have ruled successfully for quite a long time, but sometimes it takes the vision of an outsider to see things more clearly than those of us who are too close to the problem.”

“Also, we are very different rulers,” Jaykun said. “You are more peaceable. I am not above stirring things up.”

“Perhaps that is a weakness of mine,” Jalaya said with a frown.

“Not at all. Peace is to be valued above all else. It is what should be strived for. However, by not taking more definitive, forceful steps, your peace is threatened at any given moment.”

“It is something to think about, in any event,” Jalaya said, her frown fixed.

“I can just as easily learn patience from you,” Jaykun said, “as you can learn violence from me. So we will see you at midday meal?”

“I look forward to it,” Jalaya said.

“We are off to see my father,” Jileana said. “Shall I tell him to attend you afterward?”

“I will send a separate messenger, but thank you.”

“As you wish, Majesty.” Then Jileana pulled Jaykun away once more.

They left the palace in relative silence, each busy with their own thoughts. “I know a lot of the selkies will be upset by the idea of siren hunting parties on our side of the island, but there are those who don't hate the sirens.”

“Tell me more about them, Jileana,” Jaykun said. “I have heard stories of sirens…how they can lure a man to his death with the sound of their voices. Is that true?”

“It is. The sirens sing almost constantly. It is in their blood to do so. The selkies are immune, but humans are drawn to the song of the sirens. Usually it's sailors, and they are lured into the storms that surround the island where their ships are invariably destroyed and the sailors are doomed. The sirens go to the edge of the storms and sing for them, then plunder the broken ships once they have sunk. You would not be immune to the siren song. A siren could enchant you into believing you were in love with her and use you as she wished. The sirens use the portal on their side of the island in order to find human mates to sire their children. You see, the sirens are all female. They birth only female children. If they wish to become impregnated, they go to the Overworld and lure human males into their beds.”

“I understand.”

“When the Krizans call us
prava,
they mean any of the sea creatures and often they mistake selkies for sirens. Sirens are much more…Well, they are more disruptive. They don't care if a human male is already in love with someone else. If a siren wants him, she will take him and then leave him to pine for her for all the rest of his days. She would never do what I have done. She would never bring a human male back to the island with her. You must promise me you will never leave the cliffside, that you will never venture into the island forest,” she said with passion. “I…I don't want a siren to have even the slightest chance of being able to sway you.”

“Don't worry. The last thing I want is to spend my immortality longing for the love of a siren.”

“Good,” she said. “Good.”

J
aykun swam behind Jileana, following her to a part of the coral reef that was surrounded by sentries. There, armed men were busily swimming back and forth, coming and going from a central point. Jileana led him to a muscular dark-haired male swimming about, giving orders to the men.

“Kurn, I want you and the sixth regiment to relieve our men at the border. The siren incursions have increased of late. We want to be on the lookout before they get too bold. Drato, you can take your men and change the guard at the chains. Lesun, your men can relieve the palace guards.”

“Yes, sir!” they all replied briskly before heading off in three separate directions. The male then turned and met Jileana's eyes.

“Daughter!” he snapped, a frown warring with the relief in his eyes. He swam over to her and Jaykun noticed Silan shadowing his father. “I was worried sick! You worried your mother as well!”

“Father, you know Mother is not the one who frets about me. I've already seen her and she didn't look all that worried to me.”

“That is not the point! You went to the Overworld!
Alone.
And you've brought back some human pet.”

“Father! He is not a pet! He is a man just as you and my brothers are men! I won't have you insulting him!” she said sharply.

Jaykun smiled at her from behind her back, where he was waiting at what he deemed a respectful enough distance. Jileana must deal with Creasus in her own way, he realized. He should not interfere, even though he wanted to very much. He found he did not like to see her upset. It was a strange sort of sensation, realizing that he cared about her feelings to that degree. When exactly had that happened?

Jaykun pushed the uncomfortable realization aside and paid attention to the discourse Jileana was having with Creasus.

“You should never have gone without at least telling us where you were going. Without some kind of an escort,” her father was saying sternly.

“If I had told you where I was going, you would have tried to stop me. Possibly even locked me up in the chains until the full moon had passed.”

“I would never do that,” Creasus said, looking offended. “I would have tried to talk you out of it, yes, but the chains? I wouldn't wish the chains on even my worst enemy. They are a necessary evil, but I would not wish it on anyone.”

“And if I had taken an escort, he would have curtailed my exploration of the human world. This way I got to see and experience absolutely everything. It was simply amazing, Father! It was so exciting! And the food! You should taste the food!”

“Thank you, Daughter, but I have been to the Overworld. I am well aware of what it is like. Just as I am well aware of how dangerous it is.”

“You should never have gone! You could have been hurt,” Silan barked at her from over his father's shoulder. “You should have taken Barban with you.”

“Ha! I went to the Overworld to escape Barban!” Jileana said with fiery spirit. “He thinks he owns me and you do nothing to discourage that notion. When are you and Barban going to understand that I am not his. I am not going to be his bride no matter how much he wills it to be so. No matter how much
you
will it to be so.”

“Barban comes from a great selkie house, steeped in the traditions of our ways. He would never have disrespected you the way this human beast did when he shared your bed. Father, you must talk some sense into her. Can you not force her to behave herself?”

“Force me!” Jileana scoffed. “I will listen to reason when reason is spoken, but if you think to force me to your will, then I promise you, you will lose me. I won't be forced into your idea of what a proper and good sister should be.”

“Jileana! When are you going to see it is for your own protection? There are dangers out there! Especially in the Overworld! At least here, amongst the selkies, you are safe.”

“It is just as dangerous amongst the selkies as it is in the human world. We have our enemies just as they do. I could easily run afoul of a siren or a sea beast or any number of things. Barban being one of them. You will not listen to reason when it comes to Barban. You think he is this great, respectful warrior? Well, I tell you I have seen a different side of him. A side you would not like. At least my human pet, as you put it, has treated me with care and respect the entire time I have known him.”

“Respect? You call being in your bed respectful?”

“Silan, stop it! I am not some virginal child who cannot decide these things on her own! You are suffocating me! And I promise you, the more you suffocate me, the more I will fight to be free of you. You have made living here all but unbearable. Is it any wonder I wanted to escape to the Overworld?”

“Jileana.” Her father spoke up in a kinder and gentler voice. “Your brother is simply worried about you. He loves you and cares about your well-being.”

“Well, he needs to care a little less,” she said angrily. “Father, I am sorry I worried you. But I was curious about the Overworld. You wouldn't believe the things I saw. And Jaykun”—she gestured to Jaykun, who had moved up against her back in support when she had grown so violently upset—“Jaykun is a remarkable man. If you would just take the time to get to know him, you would see that.”

Silan scoffed. “He is a human. There is no such thing as a remarkable human.”

“Oh! There is simply no talking to you!” Jileana cried out in exasperation. “Jaykun, you have no idea how fortunate you are to have brothers who do not try to force their will upon you.”

“Well, not force…but they do try to exert influence over me. They certainly aren't obnoxious about it,” he said with a pointed look at Silan.

“Why, you little—” Silan lunged, his hand going to his sword.

But his father stopped him with a hard hand in the center of his chest. “Enough, Silan. Why don't we get to know this human a little before we make rash judgments about him? Yes, I am inclined to agree with you that humans are nothing but trouble, but if my daughter sees something special in this human, then I have to ask myself what that specialness is. I have to ask myself why she risked bringing him here. My daughter is not a foolish woman.”

“She is a child who has behaved rashly and stupidly!” Silan barked.

“Enough!” Jaykun roared suddenly, stepping around Jileana and facing off with her brother. “I won't stand here while you continually insult your sister! She is a good woman with a fine heart and a happy soul. Would you sully it with such disparaging thoughts about her? Will you continue to hurt her with these cruel words? No. I will not allow it!”

“You will not allow it?” Silan roared back, this time drawing his sword as he lunged past his father. “Who are you to interfere in this family?!”

Silan made it past his father this time, and it wasn't lost on Jaykun that the father purposely moved out of the way to let him.

Fighting underwater was a skill he'd never had the opportunity to develop, and Silan had done so for what Jaykun assumed was all of his adulthood. In that way Jaykun was outmatched. But Jaykun was still a warrior of some renown, and his strength and skill were nothing to be disregarded whatever his disadvantage. Silan's sword slashed through the water connecting with Jaykun's arm as he threw it up to block the other man's swing. Once again his blood clouded the ocean waters. The sword Silan used was sharper than any Jaykun had encountered before. Silan's blade hit straight to the bone and Jaykun had to grind his teeth against the pain. But he took advantage of the other man's overconfidence that the blow would leave him cringing in a ball of pain. Silan didn't realize that Jaykun bore far more excruciating pain for hours every night. The cut of a blade into his flesh was child's play compared to his flesh roasting from the inside out.

Jaykun reached out and grabbed the other man around his throat, yanked him forward, and used the only weapon he had: his head. He cracked his skull hard against Silan's, sending Silan into a stunned twirl.

“Stop it! Stop this right now, Silan, or I swear I will go to the Overworld and you will never see me again!” Jileana cried out.

Floating back dazedly, Silan put a hand to his ringing head and looked angrily at his sister. “You wouldn't dare!” he hissed at her.

“Wouldn't I?” she retorted, moving to Jaykun to touch the injury to his arm with gentle fingers. His arm was hanging almost uselessly at his side, but it would heal in time. Faster with Jileana's tender care. “Are you all right?” she asked worriedly.

“You know he can't hurt me,” he reminded her gently.

“That's untrue. I know this hurts a great deal. Pain and death are different matters. Father, keep Silan under control or I swear it will be the last you will ever see of me.”

“You would give up our beautiful world just to be with this inferior creature?” Silan ground out in disbelief.

“Jaykun has nothing to do with it. He has made me no promises of a place in his life. Quite the opposite, I assure you. No. If I leave, it will be because of you and others like you who are intent on driving me away. This world holds little beauty in it so long as you have a hand around my throat and suffocate the life out of me. Father, you are little better. You give him free rein. You even encourage him. The only one who seems to understand this is Mother.” She swam away from them, pulling Jaykun along with her. “Until you learn how to better behave, you will keep your distance from me! You are not welcome in my home room, Silan! Do you understand?”

“Father! Are you just going to let her leave like this?”

Jileana's father just gave a silent shrug of his shoulders. “She will do as she pleases whatever I say. We will see her later tonight. We can discuss it further then.”

“Discuss?” Silan said in disgust. “What is there to discuss? You are her father and she lives under your roof. She must do as you demand.”

“Silan, I said we will discuss it later!” Jileana's father said, raising his voice in temper.

Silan subsided at last, but it was obvious he was none too pleased about it. He glared mutinously at Jileana and Jaykun the entire time they swam out of sight.

“I'm so sorry,” Jileana said after several minutes, her voice low and contrite. She hovered over Jaykun's injury, speaking a soft magic to stop the bleeding.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for,” Jaykun assured her.

“There is. Silan's behavior is inexcusable. He thinks he owns me. He thinks he can map out my entire future for me…that it is his right to do so.”

“Clearly you have other ideas.”

“Yes. I do. I wish I did not live under my father's roof, but I cannot leave until I am mated. You see, each level of the caves is occupied by a specific house of the nobles. The higher the caves, the higher the nobles' standing in the eyes of the empress and the court. My father comes from an ancient bloodline, almost as ancient as the empress's. That and his role as captain of the empress's army puts him high in the houses. It also makes his daughter a valuable item. For as long as I can remember, men have tried to win me over. Win me so they may enter my father's great house.”

“Barban?”

“He is but one. The most persistent one. Mainly because my brother has made it clear that he would be very much in favor of the match. My father has done nothing to discourage it either.”

“And when do they consider your wishes in the matter?” Jaykun asked.

“They never do. They never will.”

“Is that why you came to my world? To be free of them, if only for a little while?”

She nodded and then swam upward, her hand holding his, her feet kicking in strong, graceful strokes. Not another word was said until they broke the surface of the water and took strong breaths of the air. Jaykun did not need to breathe air while underwater, but it still felt more right to take in the air through his lungs. More natural. The habit of a lifetime.