Wet and Wired (4 page)

Mak jolted and tried to free his hand from Dira’s death grip. “I thought I was helping.”

Leda pinched him. “Hold her hand until we get her into the tub.”

“We have a hot spring pool.”

“Good. I am sure that Altion can manage. Let’s get them all out of this in one piece.”

Mak blinked as if he was having trouble focusing. “You know?”

“I have seen the babies’ head in three places at the same time. I figured it out.”

“Right. What does Altion need?”

“A pool of water and me to act as intermediary so his fey hands don’t make Dira tense up.”

“What can I do?”

Leda looked over to Teebie. “Keep Teebie powered up. She is tired, but her link to the shifters will make her Dira’s lifeline. You can hold the babies as soon as we get them out.”

He sighed and nodded. “Come on, darling. We are going to give you a nice soak and get things moving.”

Altion gave Leda a thumbs-up, and they followed Mak and Dira through the halls to the wide and steaming pool.

Altion stripped off, and he gestured for Leda to do the same as Dira was lowered into the water, with Teebie holding her hands. The posture that Dira was in was suddenly relaxed, and Leda had hope for the outcome.

She pulled off her clothing but kept the underwear as she jumped into the water. She didn’t have access to a tail, so she wasn’t getting naked.

The moment she ducked her head and faced the nude, pregnant belly, Altion began to whisper in her mind. He was behind her, and he guided her to Dira.

She could feel the heartbeats under her hands, the taut skin writhed and the body-temperature water was perfect.

When the contraction hit, Leda changed her position and let Dira brace her foot against her shoulder. The first baby’s head was on the way.

There was a little blood in the water, and Leda could taste it. She waited for her body to demand oxygen, but there wasn’t a demand. Her normal ten minutes submerged came and went as the first little shifter made its way into the water. The rush of fluid mixed with the water, and the child slid into Leda’s hands.

She stared into the eyes of the baby, and the black-on-black gaze was delighted with the bright enthusiasm for being out in the world.

Through the water, sounds of excitement came to her, and as the baby paddled up to the surface, there were hands to hold it as Mak jumped in and stood on the shallow ledge where Dira was perched.

The umbilical cord was still connecting the child when the next sister arrived. She also swam free and headed for the surface.

The third baby tangled in the cords of her sisters, and it took a little bit of angling to get her to clear her mother, but after that, it was a few pulsing placentas and the cords were cut topside.

Leda could taste nothing but blood and amniotic fluid. She made sure that everything was clear of Dira and then surfaced and smiled at Mak. “Touch her as much as you want. Everything is clear.”

Altion was grabbing the tissue that had acted as life support for the sisters, and he set it on the side of the pool. His tail fanned and flashed nearly two metres behind him.

Dira smiled as her husband healed her with a kiss, their children bundled between them.

Teebie was leaning against her mate, Andor.

Leda didn’t know where he had been when they arrived, but they were looking at each other with exhausted devotion.

Leda felt a weird sensation, and she touched her ribs. “What the hell?” Water gushed when she spoke.

“You have gills.” Altion observed from behind her.

“Yeah, but I don’t have gills. I have a flat tail and big teeth.”

Dira chuckled weakly. “You have gills now. You were under water for nearly two hours. Your skin isn’t pruney, and you are breathing calmly. You have absorbed water fey magic.”

She looked around at the surrounded folk and Altion’s surprised and pleased expression. There was only one thing to say. “Well, fuck.”

She had to dry off before she could lose the gill slits that filtered the water and provided air for her lungs.

Leda crouched at the edge of the pool, and she waited to feel that she was in control of her body once again. Altion got out behind her, but she was definitely not looking. She wanted to look, but she wasn’t going to do it. She had standards, and she was ticked off.

Dira was being helped out of the water, wrapped in an ornate robe and escorted back to her bed, moving slowly but strongly.

Leda and Altion were the last ones in the bathing room, and she turned to him as he finished fastening his pants. “Did you know about this?”

He shook his head. “I had no idea. It was none of my doing. Perhaps it was something that happened in the space between portals.”

She felt the gills sealing and slowly got to her feet. She grabbed her clothing and pulled her shirt on with short jerks.

“Why are you so upset?”

She turned to face him, and he was standing with his shirt open and a truly confused look on his face.

“I am upset because if I am growing gills, then I have been infected with fey magic. I don’t want to be infected with fey magic. I am very happy being a shifter.” She yanked her work trousers on and stepped into her shoes.

Her socks hadn’t made an appearance that morning.

“Obviously, something thought that this was what you needed or you wouldn’t have accepted the change. Seriously, you would have felt it.”

He took her hand, and the shock was still there but subtle. She felt heat moving from their joined hands, coursing up her body and settling in places that she was glad were covered by clothing.

“Right. We need to check on the family.” She changed the topic.

Altion sighed. “Right. Of course.”

She smiled tightly. “And we still have to get that portal working. Don’t worry. I am not running away... yet.”

He let out a gust of air, and she rolled her eyes. With a determined step, she returned to the bedroom and watched the family gather around Dira and her overflowing arms. The dragon had never looked so happy.

Leda stepped forward and smiled. “Congratulations, Dira and Mak. You are going to have your hands full.”

Mak pressed his forehead to Dira’s, and he smiled. “We are going to head back to the human world long enough to get these little darlings officially registered, and then, we are coming back here. My family can visit if they want to see the babies.”

Dira chuckled. “Now that they are here, I am good. A few months and they will be able to protect themselves.”

Mak scowled. “Months?”

“Don’t worry, they will still be babies, but their powers will begin to manifest.”

Leda smiled. “And on that note, my interference is done.”

She turned and left the bedroom, sighing in relief when she made it to the hall.

Altion was right behind her. “You did very well.”

“Thank you. I need a nap.”

“Back to the Isthmus?”

She looked at his lovely and earnest face and nodded. “Yeah. That sounds good. Do we want to chance the portal?”

“I think we should wait until tomorrow. Today, I am done with magic. I just want to crawl into bed and rest. I feel like I haven’t slept in days.”

She snorted. “You haven’t.”

She swayed dramatically, and he responded by putting an arm around her waist.

“Damn. If I am tired, you must be exhausted.” Altion supported her as they left Dira and Mak’s home.

Shooting stars above their heads showed the joy that Dira felt in her daughters. With that kind of joy being expressed, Leda’s foul mood wouldn’t stay grumpy. She looked up toward the sky and laughed at the sight.

Altion stopped his ushering of her, and they stood together, looking at the show that Dira’s joy and the Crossroads were putting on for all who could look up.

She leaned against his shoulder and felt her body giving up the struggle to remain upright. He caught her and quietly carried her through the woods and toward the Isthmus.

Leda drifted in and out of consciousness during the journey, and she mumbled, “You can put me down. I can shift and scamper to the building.”

He grinned. “As much as I would enjoy seeing you scamper, it isn’t necessary. The merfolk have denser muscular structure than other fey. You don’t weigh anything.”

She dozed again, and she woke when he was hiking up the steps in the tower. “Wow. I missed the town.”

“Juno is prepping your room and will help you change for bed. Get some rest, and if you feel dry, use the wet entry to do some swimming.”

She chuckled. “It sounds a little lewd.”

“I suppose it does. We have both been through the wringer today. Rest is the key. Well, until you have rested, and then, food will be the key. There are lots of keys.” He was mumbling as he continued to pace upward toward her room.

She was suddenly awake and worried that he was just as tired as she was, but he was doing the heavy lifting. He turned, and to her surprise, they were at her door and Juno was guiding him in like he was a landing aircraft.

Leda sighed with relief when he set her on her bed. She squeaked with alarm when he crashed to the bed on top of her.

Juno helped pry him off, but she frowned. “I will get Derix.”

Leda looked at Altion’s exhausted face. “Help me straighten him out and leave him here. At this point, if he tries anything, I can take him.”

Juno frowned. “Just call out if you need me.”

“Will do. You take his feet.”

They wrestled the unconscious merman into a sleeping position with his head on the pillows. When it was done, Leda wanted to sleep, and Derix brought a huge tray in, setting it on the table.

“It will be ready when you are. See you in the morning, Leda.”

She smiled and got to her feet, heading for the shower. She could feel traces of the birthing fluids on her skin, and since she wasn’t in beaver form, it wasn’t appropriate to lick it off.

The shower was relaxing, and she thanked the tower softly. The gown and robe were waiting for her again, and she didn’t want to insult her host by ignoring it.

Leda dried off, got dressed and staggered back to the bed. She pried open her side of the sheets and crawled in between. She was out before she settled in.

She heard the waves crashing, and she flipped back the sheets to walk to the balcony. The water called her, and she wanted to answer, but she didn’t quite speak the language.

Leda stared at the water for what seemed like hours before she returned to bed. There would be time enough to test her gills later.

Altion was still breathing evenly, so she used his rhythm to put herself to sleep.

Her bed companion was gone when she woke the second time.

“Well, that is a little rude.” She got up, stretched and headed for the tray.

The crackers, cheese and cold meats were still cold. The miracle of the magical tray. Or the ice pack underneath the platter, she wasn’t fussy.

She poured some water from the pitcher on the tray and worked her way through the snacks. There were some vegetables on the tray, but she couldn’t be bothered.

Leda was thinking about the water outside her balcony, and if she was thinking about it, she should probably do something about it.

Since she was still wearing her robe and gown, she left her room and walked down the stairs. Her focus was on the water that she could feel dozens of metres below her.

Juno and Derix were nowhere to be seen, so Leda followed the pull of the water, down to the lower entryway of the tower.

Her beast wanted the fresh water, but whatever had hold of her wanted the salt. She opted to listen to her new instincts.

She shed the robe and dropped the gown on top of it, draping them both on a bench. Naked, she stepped into the saltwater pool and let her body do what it wanted to.

The tail came as a surprise.

Her gills manifested with the tail, so as she thrashed around, at least she could breathe.

She looked at her hands and the normal human webbing had extended up her fingers. She scooped at the water, and to her shock, she propelled herself forward. A flick of her tail and she darted toward the surface with speed that amazed her.

So, you made a complete transformation.

She tried to change direction and ended up popping out of the water and falling to one side.
What the hell?

I am below you. Come on down.
Altion’s voice was the same, even in her head.

She tried to get down to the golden shimmer below her, but she had no clue where to start.

Ah, right. Purge the air from your lungs and you will sink. Hold your breath, and when you feel you are deep enough, flick your tail. Your body will take over if you let it.

Easy for you to say. You have done this before.
She tried to follow his directions, and as she relaxed and let the gills press the air from her lungs, she sank.

Once under the water, she was able to move a little better.

Would you care for a tutorial?

Please. This is one tail I can’t manage. A beaver tail is easy in comparison.

Speaking of, I woke up in the woods with bark in my teeth. Is there something I should know?

She made a face.
It seems we have been bonded without bonding.

Would you mind being bonded to me for life?

I don’t know you. Hell, I don’t even know how we are talking right now.

A combination of telepathy, sonar and biological chemistry that codes our conversation between us.

She used her hands to keep her stable in the water.
Please, show me how to use this tail.

Yes, Leda. Let me show you what you can do.
He smiled, and she could feel the smugness that he had her in his territory.

She settled in to learn another shape and was very glad that she already knew how to work with a tail. This was just a tail instead of legs.

As they went along, Altion used every excuse to touch her, and as a merwoman, she didn’t mind. Her naked breasts and his naked torso were interesting but not as fascinating as they would have been if she was on land.

After two hours of paddling around, he coached her through the water exit. She needed to speed up, purge the water from her system, suck in a breath of air and transform while in the air, landing on her feet.