Tempest Revealed (24 page)

I smirked up at him, amused by the formal way he was talking. But as we watched each other, a dawning horror swept into his eyes and I realized he wasn’t being funny. He hadn’t recognized me with all the cuts and bruises.

Tempest?
he demanded, his voice a lot harsher than it had been.
What the hell happened to you?

Kona was beside me in a flash, which meant Jackson had called to him on a private pathway at the same time he’d been talking to me.
Tempest?

I’m okay
, I told him, though it was pretty obvious I wasn’t. Still, he looked so pale, so sick, that I felt like I needed to say something to calm him down. Not that my reassurances worked. But then, how could they when his silver eyes ran over every inch of me, taking in each visible mark with a tangible fury. Not for the first time, I wished I’d had time to change into something a little less revealing than my turquoise bikini.

Sabyn?
he asked on the private pathway that existed only between us.

Yeah
.

He looked away. I didn’t make the mistake of thinking he didn’t care, not with his taut jaw and clenched fists.
When?
he asked.

He grabbed me the day we got back from La Jolla
.

Kona’s eyes jumped back to mine.
That was three weeks ago!

I nodded.

He’s had you for more than three weeks?

Yes
. There wasn’t really anything else to say.

When did he let you go?

He didn’t. Mahina got me out this morning. In fact
—I glanced nervously behind us—
we need to get out of here. We just staged the great escape, but it won’t be long before they catch up to us.

So you were at Sabyn’s mercy for three weeks?
he asked again, as if he was trying to clarify things in his mind.

I shrugged in reply. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me, the way they all were looking at me. Like I was a specimen in a petridish. Or worse, a victim.

I figured Kona wasn’t really seeing me—he was seeing his little sister, who’d been brutally abused by Sabyn and then left for dead. But the others, they were staring at me the same way, and it was making me uncomfortable. I’d never been very good at being the one people felt sorry for and I had no intention of starting now.

You need a healer
, Kona said abruptly.

I know. We were going to try to make it to your land. We thought maybe—

My lands have fallen. When I was in La Jolla with you, the Leviathan moved in. Took over everything. Tiamat’s other forces have done the same to numerous other selkie and mer lands.

For long seconds, the horror of his words didn’t register—almost as if my abused mind knew it couldn’t take any more. But when it did sink in, I whispered,
The Leviathan?
He was the most terrifying sea monster in the world. I’d never seen him,
but in my year as a mermaid I’d heard hundreds of horror stories, all from trusted sources. He wasn’t exactly the live and let live type.
Your people?

Most of them are fine. About seven hundred or so escaped and are with me on an island in the South Pacific. The rest are living under his rule. I don’t know how many casualties there were, but early reports say not too many. It seems he wanted to keep them alive.

Kona spoke matter-of-factly, but I could hear the pain beneath the words. Another layer of guilt piled on top of all the rest I’d been feeling. Kona was one of the best fighters I knew. If he hadn’t been off fetching me from my little human fantasy world, he would have been there to fend off the Leviathan’s challenge.

I’m so sorry
. It wasn’t adequate, but it was all I had to offer right now. When I was healed I would fight beside him, do anything I could to help him regain his throne. But for now, I could only voice those three pathetic words.

He laughed, and it was a bitter, weary sound. It brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back. I’d cried enough in the last few weeks to last me a lifetime; I wasn’t going to cry anymore. Not over things I couldn’t change, and not over the mess I’d made of everything. It was time to fix things instead of whining about how I wanted them to be.

You’re sorry? I was so blind that I led you back to Coral Straits like a lamb to slaughter and
you’re
sorry? Jesus, Tempest, look at you. If I’d just left you in La Jolla
—His voice broke and he looked down, like he couldn’t bring himself to meet my eyes.
That psychopath nearly killed you and I didn’t even know.

But he didn’t. I’ll be fine once I get to a doctor and have my hand set. The bruises will fade and—

Oh, I think we can do better than that
.

I froze at the familiar voice, whirled behind me to see Zarek standing there. He was the most powerful healer in Kona’s clan and I’d met him twice before. Once when he helped heal my tail after a couple of Tiamat’s shark-men had attacked me, and once when Kona brought him to the hospital to heal Moku. He had saved my brother’s life, he and Kona, and that was something I would never forget or be able to repay.

Zarek!
Heedless of my bruises, I launched myself at him. He caught me before I could do any damage to myself, folded me gently into his burly, tattooed arms.

I’ve missed you, Tempest. But I have to admit I was hoping to see you under better circumstances than this
.

Me too, Zarek
. The last time I had seen him, he’d been cleaning up Tiamat’s disastrous attack on Kona’s lands—the attack that had killed Kona’s parents and so many of his siblings. This wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t good either.

He sighed.
Well, let’s get you to land somewhere so that I can see to all those injuries
.

No need
, chimed in Mahina.
You can ride with us, heal her in here
. She nodded toward the subbloon.

Of course
, Kona said.
But then what are you planning on doing?

I didn’t think much past finding you. I didn’t know about the Leviathan
. Kona didn’t say anything, just nodded, which kind of threw me off course. I stumbled a little trying to get the rest out, even though I suddenly felt like I was crashing a party that I had no business even thinking of attending.
So I guess if you don’t mind, maybe we could go where … I mean, we could come with you to the South Pacific. If there’s room on the island. And you want us
.

I’ve always wanted you, Tempest. You know that
.

I didn’t know how to answer without sounding like an idiot, so I didn’t say anything. When the silence got too awkward to bear, I turned to Zarek and said,
I don’t feel very well. Do you think maybe we could try the whole healing thing now?

Of course. But I’d prefer to be above water when I do. I think some of your injuries would benefit from being treated in air instead
.

I can do that!
Mahina said.
The subbloon is designed to be either air or water filled. Once I pressurize the cabin, it will be just like being on land
.

I didn’t know that
, I told her.

She smiled impishly at me, winked at Kona.
There’re a lot of things you don’t know, Tempest. I don’t hold it against you
.

She swam toward the subbloon and I started to follow her. But it had been a long day and I’d done a lot. I was exhausted, and the pain of swimming only made the exhaustion worse.

I got only about three strokes in before Kona scooped me into his arms and gently carried me across the ocean floor to where the subbloon waited.

Thank you
, I told him.

Don’t be stupid
. He nodded toward the subbloon.
What is that anyway?

A subbloon
.

A subwhat?

I giggled.
Something Mahina and her father invented. The way it runs is a cross between a submarine and a hot air balloon, hence the name. Whatever it is, it’s pretty kick-ass. It goes from zero to a hundred in ten seconds
.

Really?
Kona’s eyes lit with interest. He had a thing for fast vehicles—cars, boats, it didn’t matter.

If you’re nice, I bet she’ll let you take it for a spin
.

He smiled.
I’m always nice
.

And so modest too
.

It’s hard for a king to be humble
.

But important
, I whispered.

Yes. Which is one of the many reasons I think you’ll be an amazing merQueen for Coral Straits
.

Yeah, well, seeing as how my people pretty much threw their lot in with Sabyn, I doubt that’s something I’m going to have to worry about
.

They made a mistake. Sabyn can be a persuasive bastard, and if you weren’t around to contradict him … Once we take care of him and the others, they’ll welcome you with open arms
.

I thought we’d taken care of them months ago
.

Kona handed me through the open hatch into Mahina’s waiting arms, then climbed up behind me. He barely glanced around the subbloon before grabbing the nearest chair and then reaching for me again. He settled me on his lap, searching for the position that would cause me the least amount of pain. I started to struggle—his hold was too familiar. Too possessive.

Relax
, he told me on our private communication path.
I’m not trying to score. I’m just taking care of you, like any friend would
.

As long as you understand that’s all this is. Friendship … without benefits
.

I got it
. But his teeth were clenched, his jaw working back and forth. I felt bad for being so blunt, but just because I’d broken up with Mark didn’t mean I was planning to get back with him. It wouldn’t be right, or fair. To any of us.

I’m fine
, I told him as he shifted so that he was touching as few of my bruises as he possibly could.

Yeah, you look great
. He started to say more but was interrupted when Zarek climbed aboard carrying his medical bag.

This thing is pretty cool
, the healer said.

You have no idea
, Mahina told him as she closed and locked the hatch. Then, under our fascinated gazes, she flipped two switches—one that forced the water out of the ship and another that subsequently filled it with breathable air from the oxygen tanks.

“I’m impressed,” Kona told her.

She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. “You should be.” They talked a little more, but I was too busy concentrating on switching to lungs and vocal cords after more than three weeks of gills and mental communication to pay much attention to what was said.

“Okay,” said Zarek. “Let’s get Tempest on a chair of her own and see what we’re dealing with.”

“You can’t help her like this?” Kona asked with a frown.

“I could, but eventually I’ll still have to move her to treat some of her injuries, so why not do it now? It’ll be more comfortable for her.”

That’s all Kona had to hear. He placed me carefully on one of the rear chairs, which had a footstool that opened up and a reclining back, so I was almost lying down.

“Sorry to interrupt, Kona, but can you tell me where you think we should go?” Mahina asked from the pilot’s seat. “I’m sure Sabyn’s guards will be here any second and I, for one, would really rather not be around when they show up.”

“I would,” Kona grumbled.

“No, you wouldn’t. These are just his guards. I’m sure Sabyn
is back at the castle, stuffing his face with bonbons and bemoaning the lack of competent help.”

I laughed, then regretted it when my ribs throbbed. Zarek, who was checking my vitals, noticed but didn’t say anything. I was totally onboard with his silence. Kona was already livid, and no good would come from getting him more upset than he already was. Although I had to admit that his attitude confused me. When we were coming back from California, he had barely been able to stand being in the same ocean with me. Now he acted like being separated by the width of a chair was too far of a distance between us.

“Set course for the South Pacific,” Kona told her. “My people will surround the ship and protect it from whatever comes along.”

I glanced out the window at the guards who were three deep around the subbloon. “It’s almost enough to make me wish Sabyn would show up, just so we could get rid of him.”

“You have no idea how much I wish that loser would appear, right here, right now,” Kona growled

“Where in the South Pacific?” Mahina asked as she messed with coordinates. My ears perked up. I had surfed Tahiti and Samoa, knew the waves were amazing, but I couldn’t imagine what Kona wanted down there. The last time we’d been that far south it had been at Tiamat’s behest. As weakened as we were now, I couldn’t imagine trying to confront her. Of course, that could just be my pain talking, but even so, it seemed like a singularly bad idea.

“It’s where I’ve been staying,” he told me. “I’ve got a kind of home base there that we can operate from.”

“Operate from?”

“You’re not just planning on taking this, are you? Tiamat and those bastards have stolen our kingdoms, not to mention a dozen or so others. Tell me you weren’t just going to let that stand!”

“Of course not!”

“Okay, children,” Zarek cut in. “Can we plot ocean domination later? I need to talk to my patient.”

Kona clammed up, though he did make a go-ahead gesture that had Zarek smirking and me squirming uncomfortably. We were falling into old patterns with each other, and I didn’t know what to do about it. It was one thing for Kona to help me when I couldn’t physically manage something, but it was quite another for him to be this proprietary. That gesture had been all selkie king giving permission for the healer to treat his woman and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. If it was a friendship thing, fine, but it smacked of something more. Something darker, more possessive, and that I didn’t know how to handle. Especially when I was in such bad shape that I could barely keep my eyes open or track the conversation.