Current Impressions (10 page)

I sighed, and I hoped he heard that, too.
Arguing in my head was exhausting. It didn’t faze Kieran. He seemed
to enjoy it.

How much further?
I asked. He
chuckled, and the sound rippled through me. I shivered
involuntarily. I couldn’t wait to take my human form again and get
him out of my head.

We’ve arrived. Can you not see the slope of
the shoreline?

As he spoke the words in my mind, I saw
it—the upward slant of the ocean floor and the lighter, bluer water
ahead. We approached quickly.

I’ll go first and see that it’s safe to
Change
. He turned back and looked at me.
Stay here until I
tell you
.

I bristled at his commanding tone. With all
the training, I should be used to his orders and demands, but they
irritated me as much today as they ever had.
Yes sir
, I
whispered. Instead of irritating him like I intended, he
laughed.

A minute later, he gave me the all clear. I
slid out of the water and onto the smooth rocks that made up the
shore. Changing, I visualized a floral skirt and bright pink tank
top. I learned my lesson about lighter-colored shirts. I ran my
hands through my hair, drying and detangling it at the same time.
It was one of my newest tricks and pretty darn useful, too.

Kieran paid little attention to me. He wore
his baseball cap, cargo pants, and black T-shirt. Where I chose
sandals, he wore practical tennis shoes. They were Nike, and for
some reason, I found it funny that he chose a particular brand. He
turned and caught me smiling.

“What?” he asked, and I almost sighed with
relief that he spoke aloud.

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

I looked around at the deserted shore. Like
our island, this area was a cove, mostly hidden from the looming
cliff above. “We need to go up there?” I asked, looking at the
cliff.

“I imagine so. There’s nothing down here,”
he said.

I closed my eyes to transport myself to the
top when I felt Kieran’s hand on my arm.

“Don’t,” he said. “Someone up there might
see you. We have to go the human route.” He pointed to the right,
to a path flanked by tall grasses. I missed it on my initial
inspection of the area, but it looked functional. I followed Kieran
to it. Stepping to the side, he motioned me ahead.

My heart thudded in my chest. I was mere
steps from Evan now. I didn’t exactly know where he was, but he was
close. It was like a sixth sense that I had now. I could feel him,
and if I tried hard enough, I might even be able to tune into his
thoughts. I wouldn’t do it, though, not without his knowledge. It
wouldn’t be right.

I stopped at the top and stared at the
house, or rather, mansion, in front of me. From the heat at my
back, I knew Kieran stood right behind me.

“So, these are the swanky digs of your human
boyfriend,” he said. “Nice spread.”

I turned and looked at him. His eyes were on
the house. Now was my chance.

“Kieran,” I said. “Can you wait for me
here?”

“No way.” He crossed his arms and stared
down at me. “David appointed me as your escort. You’re not leaving
my sight.”

“What could possibly happen?” I asked.
“They’re just humans. You said so yourself.”

A vein pulsed in his neck. His stance did
not change. I held his gaze and waited. Finally, he sighed and
shook his head.

“I have no desire to see you making out with
your human boy toy.” He looked at the house again and then at me.
“I’m coming with you. I’ll meet him and make sure it’s safe. Then
I’ll leave you alone.”

“Thank you!” In my excitement, I threw my
arms around him and hugged him. His body stiffened, and he kept his
arms at his side.

“Easy,” he murmured. “You don’t want your
boyfriend to get the wrong idea.”

“I’m not… I wasn’t…”

While he laughed, I stomped away, knowing
that he would follow. The anger wore off by the time I got close to
the house. Fear replaced it. The place was huge and imposing. Evan
was living here? Who owned it?

With a shaking hand, I rang the bell and
waited. Kieran whistled “Funeral March” behind me. “Cut it out!” I
whispered. He ignored me, but stopped when we heard footsteps
approaching. The door was opened by a man dressed in a formal
suit.

“May I help you?” he inquired politely.

“Hello,” I said. My face burned, and I
wanted the ground to open and swallow me. I felt so stupid. What if
this wasn’t the house? My gut told me it was, but could my gut be
wrong? One way to find out. “Is Evan Mitchell here?”

The man’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “He is
indeed. Arrived a few hours ago with Master Nolan.” His eyes
narrowed as he studied me and then moved beyond me to Kieran. “Whom
may I say is calling?”

“Meara Quinn,” I said. “And Kieran—”

“Voda,” Kieran added. I was grateful since
it wasn’t until that moment I realized I had no idea what his last
name was. I said his full name to myself while I watched him shake
hands with the man before us.

Peter
. Kieran’s teasing voice floated
through my head. Damn. He could still speak to me telepathically in
human form. So much for getting him out of my head.

Peter what?
I had no idea what he was
talking about. Was that the name of the man who answered the
door?

Kieran Peter Voda
, he said.
My
full name
.

“I’ll sleep better now. Thanks,” I replied
sarcastically. I didn’t realize I spoke out loud until the man in
front of me responded.

“Pardon me?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I said, adding, “May we come in?”
I didn’t want to be rude, but really, how long was he going to make
us stand on the porch?

“Of course.” He stepped back smoothly and
gestured for us to enter. The floors were marble tile. A deep
mahogany table stood in the center, with a large arrangement of
flowers on top. My nose told me they were fresh. They smelled as
gorgeous as they looked.

“Please have a seat in the parlor. I will
let Master Mitchell know that you are here.” The man motioned to
the room on the right. A large room full of formal
furniture—antiques, if I had to guess. He started to walk away.

“Excuse me,” I said, “but what is your
name?”

The man stopped and turned back to us.
“Stonewall.” Almost reluctantly, he added, “Please call if you need
anything.”

“Thank you.” Kieran and I spoke at the same
time. Stonewall shook his head slightly before continuing on his
way.

Kieran crossed the parlor and stood before
the imposing stone fireplace. A large oil painting in rich,
swirling color hung above the hearth. It reminded me of
gilded-framed paintings I’d seen in museums.

It’s original
. Kieran turned back and
met my eyes.
A Rembrandt
.

Could you get out of my head?
I
admonished. Evan might not notice, but I didn’t want him thinking I
was carrying on a sidebar conversation with another guy.

Sorry,
he apologized. He sounded
sincere.
It’s hard for me to make the adjustment. I’m so used to
communicating this way.

Nodding once to show him that I heard, I sat
on the edge of one of the chairs. From this angle, I had a good
view of the hallway. Footsteps echoing in the hall made me jump to
my feet. A moment later, I saw him. Last summer, he had a deep tan
from working at the docks. Today, he looked pale with dark smudges
under his eyes. He needed a haircut, too. It didn’t matter. I’d
never been happier to see anyone in my life. I launched myself into
his arms. He pulled me into a kiss. My blood heated as the kiss
deepened.

Meara, shield!
Kieran’s voice sliced
through my stupor. I forgot he was in the room. Startled, I blocked
him and everything else out. Evan broke away from me, gasping for
breath. He hadn’t been breathing!

“Omigod, are you okay?” I gripped his
shoulder. Evan bent at the waist, his hands resting on his knees.
He breathed deep, greedy gulps.

“Ye-yeah. What happened?” He straightened
and stared at me. Color was returning to his cheeks, but his
stunned expression must have mirrored my own.

“I happened.” I gestured down the length of
my body. “Selkie seduction.” I stole a quick glance at Kieran. He
watched us with interest. “I’m so sorry, Evan.”

“That’s some power you pack in a kiss,
Quinn.” Evan grinned and rubbed my back.

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered.

“You seduced me when you were human, too,”
he teased.

“I don’t recall making you forget to
breathe.”

“No,” he agreed. “That’s a new one. How’d
you know I wasn’t breathing?”

“I…” I couldn’t tell him that Kieran was in
my head, warning me. He wouldn’t understand. I hated lying to Evan,
but this was such a small one. “I could feel it.”

Kieran cleared his throat. Evan’s eyes
immediately locked on him, and his brows drew together in
confusion. I put my hand on his chest and braced for the worst.
“Evan,” I said, “this is Kieran Voda.” I whispered the rest,
although I knew Kieran could hear me. “My dad insisted that he
escort me here.”

Evan looked from Kieran to me. Neither of
them moved to shake hands. I felt the tension like a hand at my
throat. I tried to joke and lighten the tone. “Boys, play nice.”
Evan glanced at me with hurt in his eyes. He remembered. How could
he forget the name of the guy I kissed?

“The only way I could come today was if
Kieran escorted me.” I pleaded for him to understand. It took a
moment, but I felt him relax. He extended his hand to Kieran, who
shook it. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Kieran took off his hat and scratched his
head. He looked around the room and then back at us. “You have two
hours,” he told me. “Then we need to go.”

“Where should I meet you?” I asked.

“In the cove.” He put his hat back on his
head and brushed past us. I heard the door open and then close with
a click.

“Where’s he going?” Evan asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But he promised
he’d keep his distance if he thought it was safe.”

Evan’s face darkened. “What do you mean? Why
wouldn’t you be safe here?”

“My dad…” I started to answer when a strange
feeling crept up my spine. Someone was listening to our
conversation. I knew it with certainty. I didn’t get a sense of
maliciousness, but I didn’t trust my powers yet either. “Do you
want to get some fresh air? Maybe take a walk?”

“Sure. Yeah. I mean, I don’t know the area
yet, but—”

“I can find our way around,” I interrupted.
Tapping my temple, I whispered, “Selkie sense.”

“Is that like Spidey sense?” Evan whispered
back and grinned. He loved comic books.

I laughed. “Something like that.”

We went out the front door. I assumed Kieran
went for a swim, so I wasn’t worried about running into him. Not
knowing where else to go, I headed back down the path to the cove.
At least we could talk there without others overhearing. Evan
followed me. I stopped when I reached the shore and turned to
him.

“You okay?” he asked, searching my eyes.

I nodded. “Someone was listening to us. What
I’m about to tell you… I didn’t want anyone overhearing.”

“How did you…?” He shook his head. “Never
mind.”

“My dad told me that my grandparents were
murdered,” I said. “He didn’t give me details, but I know that he’s
worried. He won’t let me leave the island without an escort.”

“When were they killed? Does he think
someone will try to hurt you?” Evan stepped forward and wrapped his
arms around my waist. “Are you in danger?”

“I think they were killed a while ago, but I
don’t know for sure.” I rested my head against his chest and
listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. “I can’t figure out why
he’s worried about me getting hurt. I haven’t felt anything
dangerous.”

Evan’s arms tightened around my waist. “I’ll
protect you.”

It was a sweet thing for him to say,
although I knew he stood no chance. If I made him stop breathing
just by loving him, what would a Selkie with bad intentions do? I
tilted my face up. His lips met mine.

He pulled away first, keeping his arms
around me. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” I said.

“Why Kieran?” he asked, and my heart
dropped. “I mean, there has to be other Selkies who could escort
you, right?”

“There are…” I bit my lip. How much could I
tell him? I could trust him, though. This was Evan. He loved me. I
disentangled myself from his arms and took his hand. There was a
flat boulder near the water, and I wanted to soak my feet. The
ocean soothed me. “Let’s sit.”

I sat down and tugged his hand until he sat
next to me. “There are others,” I said, “but only a few are
powerful enough, according to my dad.”

“Kieran?” Evan asked again.

“Yes. And my aunt Brigid,” I quickly added,
“But she wasn’t available until tomorrow, and I wanted to see you
today.”

He searched my eyes. “Do I need to be
worried?”

“What? No! Of course not,” I said. “Kieran’s
only here because my dad asked him to train me.”

“Why doesn’t David train you himself?” It
was a fair question. One I asked myself.

“He’s in charge of all of us,” I said. “He
doesn’t have the time.”

“For his only daughter?” While I understood
the disbelief in Evan’s voice, it still hurt to hear him say it
aloud. I kicked the surf and didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry,
Meara. It’s not your fault. I’m just jealous.”

I placed my hand on his leg. “Don’t be.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed
my eyes. The breaking waves sang like the sweetest lullaby.
Everything was right in the world. Evan was here with me.

“Do you have other powers now?” he asked.
“You know, besides super seduction?”