Floating Alone (7 page)

Irdan’s lips twisted. “You have locks?”

“Yeah, we were distracted by the female in labour before I could finish the tour.”

“Oh, right. Things kind of took off from there.”

She laughed. “You could say that.”

They drove out to the string of islands connected by small bridges until they turned off and waited at a dock.

She should have been more surprised, but when a barge rose up from the water, they left the car and stepped on it.

“This is the least weird thing that has happened in the last few days.”

Irdan sighed. “I wished this had gone a little more smoothly.”

“Me too.” She chuckled. “Do you think there is a way to create a charm, a spell or something to physically restrict the speed in the water in a certain area?”

Irdan blinked. “I don’t see why not. You might want to contact the Mage Guild.”

“I will think about it. My gut is telling me that there is something I can do.”

“If the magic is pulling you, it probably has its reasons.”

She chuckled. “This is weird. I have spent my life balancing between three natures, and now, I have two more added to the mix. Add to that your parents, my father and floating on a barge in the middle of the ocean.”

“My mother is abrupt, but she is happy that I am courting a mate.”

“And your father is happy about the situation. They have a weird power dynamic.”

“According to legend, she petitioned for his hand. It happened far before I was born, so it is down to myth and legend.”

“Why are so many politicians fey?”

“They have name recognition because they have been around so long, and they have seen all the faces that humans can put on and know them by sight. They have literally seen it all before.”

She smiled at the weird logic and looked at the island that they were approaching.

The home on the largest hill was expansive and spoke to every creature comfort.

“I thought we were meeting them somewhere neutral.”

“My mom thought we could speak frankly at the family home.”

“That makes sense. Did you send her yesterday’s footage?”

“I did. She said she has done some research. You may get an explanation for your latest form.”

She chuckled. “That would be nice.”

They stepped onto the island’s dock and walked up the winding steps to the front door. Imilia was dressed more casually in a brilliant caftan that mimicked the pattern of a butterfly.

“Come in, come in. Marina, you are looking well today.”

Marina smiled. “I had a good night’s sleep, and now, I finally know where your son lives.”

Imilia linked arms with her and pulled her away from Irdan. “You know, when he told us the seers had ordered him to seek out a manatee, I thought he was mad. I can understand now that they were correct. He needed you. You don’t just look for the future; you take care of the present. It is a lovely change.”

The senator chatted on cheerfully as she hauled Marina through the house. They ended up in a library, and a huge and old tome was lying on a bookstand opened to a brightly colourful page.

“I have researched your condition and found this particular mention of a convergence.” Imilia pointed out the script that was written in a language older than the civilization they were in.

“What does it say? I don’t read squiggle.” She wriggled her fingers at the pages. To her shock, they rearranged into clear and precise English.

Imilia smiled. “That is due to what has happened here. You are a convergence of magic. You are a beast-born—yes, I know about that—to a shifter, balanced with a fey and that has left an opening for wild magic to step in. The splice of power is what made you possible. The last marine convergence was over three thousand years ago.” Imilia tapped the page. “This was her.”

The creature on the page was not just a mermaid on steroids; she was part shark, part human, with webbed hands, claws, gills and glowing blue eyes. Her hair was waves of smoke-silver silk that ran down her back.

“Wow, she is fucking scary.”

Imilia smiled and stroked the image. “Yes, she is. I would like to see your final form if you have the inclination to take an image.”

Irdan wandered in, waving his phone. “Check the internet. They are calling her the
Wake Master.
I must say that it is appropriate.”

Imilia stared at the tiny screen as Marina’s attack on the jet skiers was played out on the digital feed.

“You injured them?”

“I did no such thing; I merely grabbed their vehicles and let the teens go flying.” She was perversely smug. “There were manatees in the area, and it was a no-wake zone. They were harassing the mother and calf. I had to stop it, so I did.”

She smiled brightly as two fey stared at her in surprise, and Irdan walked up to her and hugged her.

They all knew where she stood, and it was going to be fun to see what happened next.

Six months of senate hearings, reports on endangered species and three lawsuits later, Marina was ready to tear something in half.

Irdan stood at her side and smiled. “Ready?”

“Yes, dear.” Their courtship had culminated in a quick ceremony when she realised she was pregnant. Her child would have both parents, and he was determined to be there.

“Do we really have to do this?”

“If you want to take in those four manatees that are waiting for space, yes.”

She sighed and lifted her hand to his forearm. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

They left her quiet office at the back of the new education centre where elementary schools were already lining up to send classes of children.

Her official declaration as fey Wake Master was registered with the government. No one knew she was a shifter, and no one would.

The crowd cheered when she and Irdan came out from the office and stood on the balcony overlooking the atrium. “Maweel really outdid himself on this.”

“The building or the grand opening?”

“Both.”

All of the fey and shifters she had met over the last few months were there, as well as human press who wanted pictures of her. She was good with it. Her official status had gotten her a wave of money, as well as a court position with the fey king. She went from a small, annoying researcher to a mover and shaker.

It was fucking weird.

They headed for the dais and stood in front of images of manatees in the stages of healing.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming to the official grand opening of the Wake Manatee Refuge. Our goal is no longer rescue but protection of the beautiful, great beasts in our waters and waters all over the world. I am devoted to this cause and to all of the natural inhabitants of these waters.”

She looked around and sighed. “Ask me any questions you like, but right now, I am declaring this place open so we can work on getting some new guests into those tanks and prepared for the outside world.”

She was handed some huge scissors and snipped the wide red ribbon in front of her.

Irdan smiled, and she leaned up to kiss him, keeping her scissors down. “And congratulations to you. You haven’t had to cough up a dime yet.”

Irdan grinned. “I have no doubt that over the centuries, you will make me pay over and over again.”

She leaned against him as the caterers sprang into action. “That sounds nice.”

She dropped the ceremonial scissors, fished her phone out of her bra and made a call. “Hey, Morry. It is confirmed; we are open for business. Send them on down.”

She tucked the phone back into her bra, and Irdan looked at her. “Is that thing always in there?”

She stroked his jaw. “Only when I need to make a call. Materializing things under my clothing is definitely preferable to pulling them out of thin air.”

He grinned and kissed her palm. “That is a trick I will be watching for.”

“You have taught me well; now, excuse me while I score a cheese puff and start getting the tanks ready for the new arrivals.”

He chuckled. “You are doing it dressed like that?”

She gave him an arch look. “I am a committed professional. The animals come first.”

He followed her with a sigh. “As long as I get to be in there somewhere.”

She laughed, a bright sound that made heads turn. Her status as a siren made her a popular public speaker. It occasionally felt weird to have come to this situation in this particular way, but when she looked around her and saw what her new position had given to her and those who needed protection, she gave up on guilt.

The Wake Manatee Refuge was also sponsoring a local orphanage where Marina had spent a good portion of her youth. The money kept flowing, and she would keep bringing it in.

She put her hand over her belly as she felt a kick. Everybody deserved a better tomorrow, whether flippered, finned or footed. She could feel that Irdan was behind her, and her smile softened. Or fey. He was definitely entitled to a better future. His next few years were going to be tricky as she got the hang of being herself all over again.

I love manatees. They are the mellowest of all mammals and just want to eat and have little manatees. While we don’t have many in Manitoba (Ha!), I do enjoy the one sighting I have had of them.

Twenty years ago in Cuba, one dove under the catamaran I was on. The size of it has stayed with me, and seeing something move that silently but be so vulnerable was a contrast that I have always wanted to express.

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.