Authors: Tracy Deebs
Tempest Revealed (37 page)
It was enough. More than enough. Because I knew, when he was around, my greatest fear would never come to fruition. Deep inside, Mark was the best person I knew. He made me a better person. Gave me control over my darkest mer instincts, the ones that clamored for power and destruction and revenge. With him by my side, I could fight those instincts off, as well as the seductive lure of my power. I could be the merQueen Coral Straits needed instead of the one my powers would always tempt me to be.
I wrapped my arms around Mark’s neck. Pulled his face close to mine. “Thank you for sticking with me through all the horrible things that have happened. Thank you for taking such good care of me. And thank you for loving me when I wasn’t sure how to love anyone, even myself.”
“No problem.” He grinned, that crazy, cocky grin that had wormed its way into my heart all those years ago. “It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”
And then he kissed me, and everything that had come before this one perfect moment just disappeared.
Early-morning sunshine woke me as it came through the skylight over my bed, and I rolled over with a smile, reached for Mark, only to come away empty-handed. Panicked, I sat up and searched the room. When I didn’t see him, I slipped out of bed and padded down the hall, my heart beating like a metronome.
I knew it was stupid, knew that he was perfectly safe here on our private island. Deep in the middle of Coral Straits territory, it was accessible only to my subjects and those who knew about the secret passage. And these days my people were loyal to me, loyal to
us
. There was no way they would give up the secret and put us in danger.
Not that there was much danger left to speak of, with Tiamat dead and her minions vanquished to the far corners of the Pacific. Without her to unite them, they were all keeping a low profile—even the Leviathan had decided to give it a rest for a while. Thank God. I was ready for peace. I’d had more than my share of war in the last year.
When I got to the kitchen, I found that Mark had been
there. The coffeepot was on, my favorite cup sitting next to it just waiting to be filled. So I did, and then wandered over to the bank of windows that stretched across one whole side of my kitchen. And that’s when I saw him, dressed in a wetsuit with a surfboard under his arm.
Not that this was exactly a surprise. Proclaiming the waves as excellent here as they were at home, Mark hadn’t missed a day of surfing since we’d arrived. But what was a surprise were the five merboys that were tagging along behind him, homemade surfboards beneath their arms as well.
The oldest of the boys was probably about fourteen, the youngest maybe eleven, but they listened raptly to Mark’s every word like he had hung the moon and stars and sun. Not that I blamed them. Most days I found myself doing exactly the same thing.
I had a million things to do today. Two Council meetings, a lunch with the Councilor of Education to bring me up to speed on Coral Straits’s school system, a tour of our military base just to make sure everything was in order after the battle, and a thousand other smaller tasks that pretty much guaranteed I wouldn’t be back here until late. Mark was doing the military tour with me, but that didn’t exactly smack of romance, so I had counted on these early-morning hours to do that. To hold him and kiss him and remind myself that we really had made it through to the other side of hell. But watching him with my young clanmates, so patient and big brotherly, made my heart melt for entirely different reasons.
After finishing the last of my coffee, I slipped back into my bedroom and into a purple bikini that matched the plethora of tattoos that decorated most of my upper body these days. Gifts
from the sea for vanquishing Tiamat once and for all and warnings of the power I was very careful about wielding.
I brushed my hand over the belly chain at my waist. Mark had added two more beads—one for this island and one for the merCastle under the ocean. They were beautiful, but my favorite was still the one made with La Jolla sand. This was home now, but that would always be
Home
.
Then I was out the door, grabbing my own surfboard on my way to the water.
Mark was so engrossed in giving surfing lessons to his pupils that he didn’t notice me right away, but they did, their eyes growing wide. It was funny, though he was very obviously with me, Mark was their friend and playmate while I would never be anything but merQueen. Assuming that role, understanding it, had taken time, but I was finally beginning to think that I had gotten the hang of it. I just wished it didn’t mean that I lost my chance to be a playmate too.
But I couldn’t have everything, and I already had more than I’d had any right to expect. Mark with me every day and night. My family visiting a few times a year. Sabrina had disappeared when Tiamat died, slipping out of my father’s life as easily as she had slipped into it. He was dating a nice woman now, one I liked a lot and who took good care of all of them when they were away from me.
My two best friends had recently gotten married, their relationship blossoming after Kona had rescued Mahina from that terrible cage. Their marriage had only cemented ties between Kona’s clan and mine. And our subjects who had finally accepted me, really accepted me, as merQueen.
Yes, life was pretty darn perfect just the way it was. The only
one missing was Zarek, I missed him, as I knew Kona did, though we both worked to do him proud.
Taking advantage of the fact that Mark was busy teaching one of the boys how to wax his board, I sneaked up behind him and covered his eyes with my hands. He stopped midswipe, dropping the container of Sex Wax on the sand as he reached over his shoulder and grabbed on to me, twisting me around so that somehow I ended up in his arms.
“I got you!” I said, right before I planted a kiss on his cheek.
“And here I thought I had you.” He gave me a much more thorough kiss, until I started squirming against him, conscious of our audience. It probably wasn’t proper etiquette for a merQueen to be kissed senseless in front of her subjects, but it was hard to remember that when I was in Mark’s arms.
Very aware of my dilemma, he let me down slowly, making sure to steady me when my feet hit the sand. My ankle was still giving me some problems, and being weak in the knees didn’t help the situation.
“So, what do you have planned for this morning?” he asked as he let me go to finish waxing the surfboard.
“I have a Council meeting in two hours, and then the rest of the day is pretty much booked.”
He grinned. “What about until then?”
“It’s been a while, but I thought I’d hit the waves with some of my favorite guys.”
Mark grinned, the boys cheered, and then we were running for the water, boards at the ready. And as Mark and I paddled out to catch the first wave of the morning, I knew that whatever it had taken to get right here, right now, in this one perfect moment, had been worth it.
I thought back to that day on the beach, when I’d known what I wanted—Mark and Coral Straits and being merQueen. Back then, I’d never thought I’d be able to have it all. Now … now I knew better. But that didn’t mean I would ever forget how lucky I was.
Writing the Tempest trilogy has been a thrill ride for me these last few years. Completing this last book in the trilogy was both exciting and bittersweet—I’m so thrilled that I was able to finish Tempest’s story, but at the same time I’m a little sad to see her go. I know I’ll miss immersing myself in her world.
First, I want to thank all my fans for the support and love they’ve given me—and Tempest—since the first book came out. Your enthusiasm means more to me than I can ever say. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I also need to thank the wonderful people at Walker Books. Stacy Cantor Abrams, who bought that first Tempest book years ago and has stuck with the trilogy through everything. You’re an amazing editor, and I know I’m a better writer for having had the privilege of working with you. Emily Easton, another fabulous editor, who has been so wonderful to me during my time with Walker. Laura Whitaker, who is always enthusiastic and helpful, no matter what crazy task I ask of her. Bridget Hartzler, who is a talented publicist and so patient with me.
Donna Mark, who designs the most beautiful jackets for my books, and Katarina Sokalova, who did the gorgeous artwork for all three Tempest books.
Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts, Sherry Thomas, and Katie Graykowski—you guys are the bunch best of writing pals a girl could ever ask for. Thanks for all the ideas, the complaint sessions, the laughter, and the fun!
Emily Sylvan Kim—I don’t know what to say. You’re the best agent and friend a girl could ever ask for, and I am grateful every day that you decided to represent me all those years ago. Thanks for everything.
And to my guys, who roll with the punches and (almost) always understand when Mom says she has to write. Thanks for being mine.
TRACY DEEBS
is the author of the Tempest series and the technological thriller
Doomed
, as well as the coauthor of
The International Kissing Club
(under a pseudonym, Ivy Adams), for teen readers. She collects books, English degrees, and lipsticks, and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three young sons and teaches at her local community college.
Tempest Rising
Tempest Unleashed
Doomed
Writing as Ivy Adams
The International Kissing Club
Don’t miss the books that began it all . . .
www.bloomsbury.com
www.facebook.com/BloomsburyTeens
A Global Computer Virus—
Society Under Attack—
One Girl, Two Guys—
To Play The Game—
To Save the World.
Read on for a Sneak Peek