Evermore (22 page)

My heart pounded in anticipation as I waited on the dock for things to start. Mer after mer had poured in from my parents’ house, bright-eyed and smiling, like our wedding was the perfect distraction after Merric’s death.

“You look great, Son.” Mom kissed each cheek.

Dad stood alongside her. “We’re so happy to add Ash to our family today. I’m proud of all your hard work with the cottage and handling the situation.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I grinned, but I hadn’t exactly handled everything with ARC, though we’d been on the lookout.

I couldn’t stop my nerves, though. How was Ash handling all of this? Badger had taken my phone when I tried to call her earlier, and threatened to throw it in the lake.

“That’s cheatin’,” he’d told me.

I thought of last night, and how she’d surprised me with the Jeep. We, of course, had planned to wait until tonight to celebrate, but with the fight and the stolen moment alone, we didn’t have much self-control.

After that, Ash, Tatiana, Girra, and Galadriel stayed in the basement pool of my parents’ house as a final hurrah. I stayed in the lake — my last night having to sleep alone. I couldn’t wait until the moment I carried Ash over the threshold of our new home. So much love would be shared there, especially after our child was born.

Tatiana bustled over in her green dress, her hair a mess of jewelry and pearls. “You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good.” She glanced up at Ash’s house, but with a floral barrier, neither of us could see the porch.

“I’m going to have them start the music. You seat the parents, then do as we practiced yesterday, okay?”

I nodded and followed her around the back of the audience. Once the music started, my nerves went into full gear. If only my Ginger Girl were here, then I knew they would fade. I just had to see her green eyes shining at me.

I proffered my arm, and Mom took it, clasping her hands around mine. “You’ll do fine.”

“I know.”

My feet felt like they barely touched the sand as I walked my mother down the aisle. All eyes were on me — hundreds of pairs, not only anxiously awaiting the ceremony, but curious to see what life was like interacting in the human world. Today marked a momentous feat — that we’d done so, and may others could join in and enjoy the same privileges.

Once Jax seated Ash’s mother and we took center stage, the audience turned. Girra started first, followed by Galadriel, then Georgia. After the fiasco with Nicole yesterday, Tatiana decided against her attending, and she walked down alone — eyes trained on Jacob. Lucy appeared at the back of the audience, a catlike smile on her face. Once she made it to the front with the rest of us, the music changed and my heart began to pound.

I held my breath and waited, watching to capture this moment in my mind forever. But Ash didn’t appear. After ten long seconds passed, she still didn’t appear.

“Where is she?” I heard Tatiana say between her teeth.

“She was right behind me,” Lucy said softly, lips unmoving. “I don’t know.”

After thirty seconds, Tatiana left her spot and rushed down the aisle. The audience broke out in a hush of whispers, then I heard my sister gasp. The top of her blonde head bobbed along the walkway, headed toward the house. She threw open the front door, calling Ash’s name.

The DJ stopped the music, and the audience’s voices grew louder. Some stood to try and see over the fabric wall.

“Stay seated,” Oberon said calmly. “We’ll start the ceremony in a few moments.” He leaned in and whispered to me. “Go find your bride.”

I walked firmly down the aisle, terrified she’d gotten cold feet or was mad at me again, and then marched up the walkway to the Lanski’s house.

“Fin,” Dad called behind me. “What’s going on?”

I quickly glanced over my shoulder before heading inside. “I don’t know.”

Tatiana came down the stairs toward me. “She’s not here!”

“Where is she?” I looked around the living room and spotted the sliding glass door open. Behind the kitchen table, Bill was lying passed out on the floor.

I quickly checked that he had a pulse, then ran onto the back porch, and scanned the side yard, not seeing anything. “Ash?”

“What happened?” Bill groaned.

“We were hoping you’d be able to tell us,” Dad said.

The entire wedding party flooded into the tiny living space, everyone but Lucy.

“What’s going on, Fin?” Galadriel asked.

“Ash isn’t here.” I pushed past everyone to find the person who saw her last.

Audience members were now standing, and milling about the beach and walkway, asking questions. Ash’s sister stood off to the side, watching with a smirk on her face.

“Where is she?” I sang to her.

Lucy blinked at me, but her eyes didn’t lose its normal clarity like it should have with the song. “I don’t know.”

“You were with her last.”

“Maybe she didn’t want to marry you.”

My hand formed into a fist. Who had mer-mojoed her back into her snarky self? Then the horror hit, and I grabbed her hand to confirm she didn’t have the promising tattoo, not finding anything.

She yanked her hand away. “I beg your pardon.”

Then her eyes lifted, finding someone in the audience.

I turned to see where her gaze landed, spotting Colin. He cocked his head to the side, his lips holding a knowing sneer. I charged him and pummeled my fist into his jaw. We collapsed into a group of guests. Garnet shrieked, screaming for her mother, as Lucy screeched behind me to stop.

Blood spewed from Colin’s split lip. The women nearby started to squawk, backing away. Colin picked himself up and prepared himself to hit me when I grabbed his collar. “Where is she?”

“How the heck am I supposed to know?”

“Out of my way!” Desirée barked. The sea of mers parted. “What is going on here?”

“Ash is missing,” I said, dropping Colin and straightening my jacket. “And he did something to Lucy to cover it up.”

“I did not!”

Desirée lifted her chin. “Or maybe she’s changed her mind.”

I curled my fingers into a fist, not caring that she was the Chancellor pro-tem until the people had a chance to vote, or not. “She didn’t.”

“Silence!” Desirée barked, and the mers around us stopped talking. “I can’t hear myself think. Now, Finley, why do you suspect Colin has something to do with this?”

I clenched my jaw. Blaming Colin was far easier than telling Desirée Ash’s life had been threatened by the ARC, especially after we’d sworn over and over that we had control of our secret on land.

“Because Colin took Lucy aside and sang Poseidon knows what at the graduation party.”

“Son.” Dad came up behind me and put his arm on my shoulder. “Let’s talk.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Desirée asked him.

“Fin!” Tatiana ran up to me crying. In her hand was a bunch of white fabric. “It’s the skirt from Ash’s dress. I found it in the closet. It’s been completely ripped off! She’s been kidnapped!”

“Jacob! Jax!” I called, pulling out my keys. “Let’s go!”

We tore through the audience, as Desirée commanded me to stop, but I ran up the hill toward the Jeep anyway. After yanking off the sign on the back, I jumped into the driver’s seat. Jax and Jacob climbed into the back.

“Fin!” Dad called, running up the hill. “Wait. We need to regroup. Figure out—”

I tore out of my spot. “They took her, Dad! And I can’t just wait around and hope she comes home. I have to find her! I’ll call you—”

I patted my pocket for my phone when I remembered Badger had it. “Shit!”

My mind raced, trying to think of what to do. My only lead, after my search for ARC online was a bust, was to interrogate Ash’s former stalker. But in order to do that, I had to return to the cellphone headquarters in Reno and see if I could track down his cell phone like I’d done before.

Dad stood in the way of me backing up the Jeep, hands lifted out. “Just wait. We can interview the guards. Find out if they saw anything first.”

A scream came from Ash’s front yard. I craned my neck around, then turned off the engine. The three of us jumped out and followed Dad as he ran over to the lawn behind Ash’s house. A mer woman wearing a fine dress sobbed over the lifeless body of a guard. His blood had pooled in the street.

Hysteria broke out. Women screamed and men yelled, as mer trampled one another and rushed for the lake, diving in en masse. Desirée ran to the podium and snatched the microphone.

“Everyone, calm down,” she said. “I need the Council members, the wedding party, and the king’s guard to meet me inside Jack and Maggie’s house. The rest of you need to return to Natatoria peaceably through the hatch. Oberon, you’re in charge.”

The mass of mers slowed, but they continued to head for the lake all the same, completely ignoring the fact they were instructed not to be so obvious.

Desirée sighed and motioned to Colin. He took the microphone.

“If you’re human, it’s time for you to go home as well,” he sang. “The wedding has been canceled, and that’s the only detail you’ll remember.”

His satisfied smirk found me as he returned the microphone to its stand. I clenched my fists. If he had anything to do with this, there’d be Hades to pay.

The few family members and friends Ash had invited gathered up their things, and returned to their cars, but we were running out of time.

“Dad, I’m going!”

He grabbed my arm. “No, Son. You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“This is a security breach. The Council has to come up with a plan first.”

“The plan is I go to Reno and find this son of a bass.”

“Yes, I agree with you, but you must abide by Natatorian law!”

My hackles rose. How in his right mind did he think Natatorian law had any say over whether I tracked down this guy or not? “This is my promised mate’s life we’re talking about!” I blew out an angered breath. “So help me if something happens to her—”

“I know. A few extra minutes to come together and hatch a plan could save hours in the long run.”

“Fine.” I threw up my hands and headed to my parents’ house completely unwilling.

Noise from the room assaulted my senses, and I pulled in a breath, my throat parched. The pungent smell of antiseptic and cleaner flooded my nose. Looking through half-lidded eyes, I tried to see who was there, but my vision was blurry. I lifted my hands, only to find them tethered to the bed. My heart started to pound, making a machine close by beep faster. I checked my legs, instead flipping my tail.

My tail!

“It’s okay, honey. Just relax.” A dark-haired woman dressed in a white coat placed a gloved hand on my arm.

I pulled in a deep breath and squinted in the dim light. IV’s were attached to my arm. One had clear liquid while the other had red. Blood maybe? The tube ran somewhere I couldn’t see.

“Where am I?” I croaked out.

“Just relax,” she said.

The beeping didn’t slow, then something warm flooded into my arm. My eyes slipped shut. “I’ll die out of the water.”

“I’m almost finished.”

Finished? With what? And why wasn’t she freaking out over the fact I had a tail?

My mind felt warm and soft once more. I opened my eyes again when the thirst was too great. The red IV was gone. Only the white remained.

Alaster stood at the foot of my bed. I tried to scream, but nothing but air came out of my throat.

“Catfish got your tongue?” he asked with a slippery smile.

Around his neck was a silver ring that shot orange light onto his face, casting horrific shadows.

“Alaster,” I croaked.

“Good to see you’ve remembered my name.”

I looked at the drying scales on my fin. If it was night already, why wasn’t he a fish, too?

“You’re alive?”

“Of course I am.” He chuckled, darkly. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“Why am I here?”

“Oh, I think you know.”

My fingers throbbed at the memory of what he’d done to me in the cave — the forced promise and then how he’d cut off my fingers to pawn me off as Galadriel. This couldn’t be for power, could it? There wasn’t royalty in Natatoria any longer. Was this all for revenge?

My stomach tightened with a cramp, but I was too weak and restricted to clutch my stomach. “I’m going to die.”

“No, you’re not.” Alaster took out something from his pocket and flipped a switch. Light turned on from a similar device that circled my neck. My fin shifted into legs. I tried to tuck them under me, but they wouldn’t move. Luckily, what remained of my wedding gown covered the tops of my legs, but my chest constricted in fear. Fin was waiting for me to walk down the aisle. He’d be hysterical with worry to find me missing.

“Imagine my thrill when investigators showed up at your door looking for the girl with magical blood,” he said. “An opportunity waiting for my exploitation.”

I licked my chapped lips. “What?”

“Yes. After you left us with my Dradux friends, I returned here to Lake Tahoe to clean up your mess. And I’ve found a better partnership than what Natatoria could give. One more lucrative and responsive to my tastes.”

He snapped his fingers and three girls ran in, a redhead, a blonde, and a brunette, all in heels and tight dresses showing way too much cleavage. They fought over who would get to stand next to him.

“Meet Candy, Brandy, and Sue,” he said.

They scowled at me.

“He’s mine tonight,” the blonde said.

“You had him last night,” the brunette whined. “Don’t you remember?”

“If you would have remembered to check the schedule, girls, you’d see he’s mine,” the third said as she rubbed her hand over his chest. “Aren’t you, Al?”

Alaster’s smile broadened as he brushed the redhead’s hair off her forehead. “There’s enough of me to go around, ladies.”

A sick feeling washed over me, watching him toy with these women, and I turned my head. Then the light clicked off, and my legs phased into a fin.

“Wow!” the blonde said with a giggle. “Do that again.”

He let her click the button, and my legs returned.

“I want one of those.” The redhead pointed to my fin.

“All in good time, my pet.” He leaned over and gave her a sloppy kiss. She leaned against him, moaning. The other girls watched on longingly.

I tried my hardest not to cry, but the tears formed on my lids anyway, then another cramp gripped my stomach. I withheld a groan.

He broke from the redhead’s lips, and stepped forward, tracing his finger along my ankle and up my leg. “But I might have a change in plans. It is, after all, Ash’s wedding night, and I’d hate for her to have to sleep alone.”

I slid my leg away from him. “Don’t touch me, you son of a bass.”

He lashed out and grabbed onto my leg, hard. “I’ll do what I want!”

I yelped out in pain. The tears falling freely down my cheeks now.

“Oh, Al. Stop teasing. You can’t rearrange the schedule, you promised,” the redhead whined. “I’ll be your bride.”

“Me, too,” the blonde said.

“Me, four,” the brunette followed.

But even with three willing participants, Alaster’s eyes raked over my body lasciviously. My skin crawled.

“I guess you’re right,” he said to them. “I’ll have to put Ash on the schedule like the rest of them.”

“Nooo.” The redhead clicked her tongue. “Then that means less time with you, and you already have a redhead. Me.”

“That’s right, I do.” He kissed her again, and the ghastly memory of his lips on mine made me gag. “We’ll work it out, now that I’ve added another.” Alaster’s eyes gleamed with treachery.

The redhead pouted. “You said if we added anyone else, it would be a girl with black hair.”

“You’re right, Candy.” He ran his finger down her arm. “And I wonder who that could be.”

I felt my stomach clench, deeper and harder this time and prayed he wasn’t talking about my little sister, Lucy. I hated how she tricked me yes, but if she’d been kissed, she’d be loyal to my worst enemy. Tied to him until death.

A memory of Alaster swearing he’d go after Lucy if I didn’t cooperate packed a punch to my stomach, making it knot in pain. Is that what he meant by revenge? My body started to tremble as the four left the room. I rolled over and clutched my stomach with the closest hand, praying Fin would find me, praying it wasn’t too late.