Sealed Fate: Paranormal Dating Agency (Otherworld Shifters Book 5) Page 16

  Pavel dropped his cup, sending dark liquid across the counter and to the floor. He stared outside. “What just happened?”

  Speechless, Annika grabbed a towel and wiped at the spill. “I think your friend needs you.”

  “But…”

  “I don’t get it either. Or rather, I understand her pain but not why she subjected herself to it.” Annika glanced out the window and shook her head. “But I know that she’s about to spill more emotion than she’d want a stranger to witness, so you should help her.”

  “You don’t have to be a stranger.”

  “Trust me. She doesn’t want me to hear what she needs to say.” Clearly, Vevina was suppressing a side of her, and she would only do that if she thought less of it. She’d said she didn’t hate selkies, but the wording was particular. Annika had seen it before, really. Many of the fae were hybrids by this point, save the selkies.

  A sprite and naiad combination was strange, but not impossible. Vevina had chosen a path and buried the rest. It was an unfortunate occurrence that happened often with descendants of water fae.

  “Go on.” She patted his arm. “I’ll be here.”

  Twenty-Three

  Pavel

  Pavel joined Vevina outside but couldn’t fathom how her mood had changed so quickly, much less the topic. She’d always been cheerful and fun. Her hair was usually as bright as her personality, but even her long waves had changed to be midnight blue with sickly gray tips. This was a new side of her, and he wanted to get to the bottom of things.

  “What’s wrong?” He stood beside her, his eyes on her while her own attention was locked on the sparkling water.

  “It calls to me. I guessed that it would, but I didn’t anticipate it taking over.” She spoke as if in a trance. “I thought I could change myself. Adapt, I suppose. But this magic doesn’t change.”

  He tucked his hands into his pockets and gazed out with her. He gathered her words to mean that naiads were like selkies. They needed the connection. “Why did you think you needed to change?”

  She wiped at her cheeks, smearing tears over her shimmering skin. “Fae genetics tend to be unpredictable. My great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side was naiad. It didn’t carry until it hit me.”

  “So?”

  “Well, I don’t have a tail, but I have the less powerful traits, I suppose. Water breathing. Sight in darkness.”

  “That nifty thing where you make shells unearth from the ocean,” he recalled.

  She nodded somberly. “Yeah. Sort of the parlor tricks of the species, really. I mean, there are other things… but when I started exhibiting my water fae talents, it didn’t exactly spark joy in my family.”

  “Why not?”

  “A bit of politics. A bit of cultural divide. As a younger fae I was always regarded as flighty and reckless. My parents worried I wouldn’t be a proper fit to serve Kerren once they stepped aside and I took my place within the Barrows.”

  Pavel had a rough understanding of what she meant. Her family owed Prince Kerren’s a blood debt, and she was his servant, though he’d adjusted her title to personal assistant. She took the role seriously, though Pavel didn’t know all that it entailed. Plus, they hadn’t spoken in a while and he thought she was somehow retiring soon… but that was beside the point. “You’ve never struck me as flighty.”

  “I allowed what others perceived to shape how I presented myself. Even to the point that… well, my naiad ancestry isn’t a secret, but I’ve made sure it’s the last thing anyone thinks of.” She laughed drily. “I didn’t want to go through life being treated like a ditzy mermaid.”

  “I met a few naiads the other night. I didn’t think they were ditzy. They were flirtatious, certainly, but that wasn’t the entirety of their personalities.” In truth, they didn’t stick around. They’d come across him while he’d practiced the violin on the beach, and they’d promptly left when they found out he was dating a selkie. They seemed a bit intimidated by the fact. “It’s weird to think you feel that way. When you were on Earth you were showing off your naiad tricks.”

  “It was different then. Humans have limited assumptions of naiads or mermaids, and Blair, having never seen any open water before, has always been fascinated with my magic. He never made me feel self-conscious.”

  “I doubt Kerren cared, either.”

  She furrowed her brow. “No. Kerren treats everyone the same. Always has. Actually, he was delighted when he found out. I hadn’t meant to—because I had no idea I had the ability to—but I sort of enchanted all the tubs at his home.”

  “You what?”

  “The water is always the perfect temperature and soothing. And in the master bath, it’s always a bubble bath. I think he would have preferred that not stick around, but as I said, I didn’t even know I could do that.” She huffed softly. “He doesn’t believe me.”

  “It sounds like maybe you didn’t need to change.” He rocked on his toes, trying to move past the dozens of questions he had for her, including a request that she’d enchant a tub for him if he ever convinced Annika to build a proper bathroom addition to the hut. All they had was a toilet and a sink. He wasn’t sure how, but swimming every other day kept him from smelling like a sweaty mess and felt oddly clean. But he’d still prefer a proper bath.

  She turned to him. “There are a lot of complications to you being here, Pavel. And aside from making me face the side of myself I’ve shoved into a dark corner, you also make me worry. Humans and selkies… they don’t mix.”

  “You’d be surprised.” He glanced back at the house. “Right before you walked up, Annika tried to give me her skin. I didn’t accept it.”

  Vevina stared at him for a long moment while her hair faded to a pastel yellow with white streaks. “That’s impossible.”

  “No. Because… magic, I guess. You know, back home I could believe certain things were impossible.” He lifted her hands, motioning around them. “But here? It seems to be a matter of luck or something.”

  “But how? Humans tried to bond with selkies for hundreds of years. It never, and I do mean NEVER ended well.”

  “Annika doesn’t agree with me, but I think it works out because she has everything here. I’m on Prism, so I’m where the magic is, nullifying her need to choose between the two.”

  Vevina’s brow furrowed before her expression became one of curiosity. “You could be right.”

  “Yeah. And if that’s the case, all I need to do to keep things moving forward is to pick a court.”

  She glanced down at where her sandaled foot drew a circle in the sand. “Yeah. My personal breakdown aside, I volunteered to invite you to the pure court in lieu of Lorelei busting down your door. She really doesn’t like selkies.”

  “Because of the Mira thing?”

  “Yeah. Did anyone tell you how Mira became a duchess?”

  “Something about sleeping with the kings.” Pavel tried not to overthink it, but he was curious. Both at the same time? And was it a one-time affair or a recurring action?

  Vevina chuckled. “Not the current set, of course. The Prism royal families tend to retire after a certain amount of time, usually once they have grandchildren. But yes, that’s how she got her title. The Pure court was ruled by King Odval at the time, and he had many mistresses. He also had many women he rejected—Lorelei being one of them.”

  Pavel sucked in a breath. “Ah. Personal vendetta.”

  “Of the bitterest sort. Lorelei isn’t a bad fae, but she cherishes a grudge. In this case, she would’ve been a poor representative to invite you to the court.”

  “I appreciate that. I’ve heard a few tales of how the other fae treat the selkies,” he admitted. “Which is why I’m having difficulty wanting to join any court at all.”

  “Well, you know me. You’ve heard of Kerren and his human wife Brook, of course, and some day they’re going to rule the Pure court, which gives you a unique opportunity to help mend the relations between them and the selkie population.”


  “That’s true, but you know how I feel about being in the spotlight.” As great as it would be to help a court remove the stick from its ass regarding the water fae, it went against everything he desired. Hell, he’d turned down dating a princess for much the same reason. He wanted a quiet life. “What about the Virtuous court, though? What can you tell me about them?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t complain about them, honestly. I still have family on that side.”

  “They seem to only want me for a gift. Which makes me wonder what they’d do if whatever gift they got from me wasn’t groundbreaking.”

  “It may seem that way.” Vevina’s eyes grew distant. “When Brook brought a burst of fertility, many in the Virtuous court were heartbroken. I suppose no one explained to you that we fae don’t have many children. We never did, really, but it’s halted completely. Until Brook.”

  “No one told me that.” He gazed down the empty shore. How many selkies were there, then? “What about those outside of courts?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that the Virtuous court wouldn’t abuse you, but they are most likely desperate for their own chance at a boon. Children would be their highest wish, I’m sure, but anything would be nice. Anything to prove that our world is thriving if that makes sense.”

  Put that way, he wished there was a way to help both courts. Something that had been bothering him came to the front of his thoughts. “Iona claimed that both courts love humans, but I got the feeling, and the selkies agreed, that the Virtuous court doesn’t want them.”

  “That’s because a while back, roughly… three or so hundred years? One of their humans committed a crime that turned an already horrible war into a worse bloodbath,” she said, her voice barely rising over the gentle sound of the tide. “Ever since, they’ve been paranoid. They welcomed a stranger into their territory because he fell in love with one of their fae and paid the price.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s a grudge or justified caution.”

  “You know… I hate to cut this short, I really do, but I should go.”

  “What? You just arrived. You should stay and get to know Annika.”

  Vevina squirmed under his scrutiny. “It’s a lot to adjust to. Not just the idea of you here and in a relationship with someone, but this.” She inhaled and motioned around them. “The longer I stay, the more conflicted I become inside, and I can’t even explain what that’s like. It’s beauty and safety and heartache all rolling together.”

  He opened his arms, inviting her for a hug. “Then when could you return? I would love to have another friend come around.”

  She squeezed him tight and exhaled a high-pitched sigh. “Soon. I’m sorry to make your amazing story all about me.”

  “You haven’t. Trust me, I’m well aware of how my problems aren’t the only problems in the world. When you’re feeling better, I’ll tell you everything about me being here, from how I got here to why I’m staying.”

  Stepping back from him, she stared at the open water. “I need time. Maybe a hefty dose of perspective. I’d stick around if I didn’t fear that I’d dive into that water and forget who I was.”

  “Then go. I don’t want you to lose yourself.”

  She smiled at him and he stared into her blue eyes until they vanished between one blink and the next. He scanned the water, noticing ripples beneath the surface. As the days had gone by, life had become more prominent in their area. Annika was happy to look out and see the selkies and naiads returning, no longer scared off by recent events.

  He could only imagine what life would be like in the upcoming weeks. Eventually, he’d have to meet more fae. It was a prospect he both looked forward to and worried over nonstop.

  As he turned to go back to the house, a dark cloud sped over the beach toward him. He groaned and rolled his eyes, already certain of who it was.

  “Aria?” he asked.

  The cloud solidified into the moody representative of the Virtuous court. “Did I just miss her?”

  “Who?” he asked feigning ignorance.

  “Lorelei.”

  “I haven’t seen her.”

  Aria narrowed her eyes on him. “I was told the Pure court was visiting you.”

  He shrugged and offered nothing. He wasn’t about to disclose his friendship with Vevina or give a hint that he had reason to choose any side in particular.

  “I see. In any case, I owed you a second visit. Have you given it any thought?”

  “Not too much. The courts don’t seem to have enough difference for it to matter.”

  A devious smile grew over her mauve lips. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, I think in my earlier haste to explain why the Virtuous court would suit you went down the wrong path.”

  “You think? Because it seemed like you wanted to use me.”

  “I believe I mentioned that many of the water fae pledge us loyalty because our kingdom touches the water.” She arched a pink brow. “But you see, I didn’t explain that even though this is the case, we don’t force our citizens to live within our territory.”

  He frowned as he thought through her statement. “Why would you make that a rule, anyhow?”

  “We wouldn’t and never have, but the Pure court does have that law for each claimed human. Still in effect.” She took a few steps towards the house and looked pointedly at it. “If you join them, you’d have to live within their kingdom. That means leaving your lover. After all, it would be unpleasant for her to try and live that far inland.”

  Vevina hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort. “How do I know you aren’t lying?”

  “I don’t lie. No need.” She tilted her head. “Just ask the Pure fae next time he or she visits. Whoever is selling their side is holding back rather vital information, don’t you think?”

  Twenty-Four

  Pavel

  Days passed and Pavel was no closer to choosing a side. He’d resolved to remain unclaimed until he had the chance to speak with Vevina again. The scales were heavily tipped in favor of the Pure court except for the prospect of moving.

  Unfortunately, there was no way to call a sprite. As Annika had explained, sprites weren’t meant to be caught, even by communications. If she were more naiad, he could pool his blood into a shell and call her—which, first of all, no fucking way—but since she didn’t have a tail, she wouldn’t count as “naiad enough.”

  “She’ll be back,” Annika promised.

  “I know.” He brushed at the sand on his pants. “It’s not just about me needing answers, of course. I want to make sure she’s okay. She’s a good friend and I hate to imagine her out there, miserable.”

  They’d just had dinner and were sitting on the beach, waiting on Cam. It was time for the after-meal swim, which Pavel didn’t participate in but wanted to be a part of somehow, even if it meant sitting on the beach.

  “I’m still confused about how you know her. How you got so close but didn’t know her past.”

  His mind flashed back to the island getaway nearly two years ago. “Remember I told you my parents wanted me to date a princess? Alethea?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Gerri set her up with the dryad, Blair. Vevina came to Earth with him to help him adjust, and she was his only friend, besides.”

  “Ah. That makes sense. I’ve heard rumors about the dryad that uprooted. Then you must have spent a fair amount of time together while he and the princess got to know each other?”

  “We ended up taking a holiday, and Alethea had hoped to set me up with her cousin, Nikki. By the end, however, Nikki and Vevina had become inseparable.” He smiled. “When they speak of the human that brought a healing flower to the Pure court, that was Nikki. I haven’t seen her in forever.”

  “We’ll just have to invite them both over.” She hugged his arm and nuzzled his neck. “I want to meet your friends.”

  Cam walked up from behind them. “Ready to swim?”

  Annika gave Pavel a quick peck on the cheek before sta
nding. “It’s been too long since we did this.”

  They hurried into the water in their human forms then separated as they sought out their skins. Pavel didn’t fully understand why they didn’t just keep them inside if there was no threat, but the notion made them uncomfortable. Hiding them was simply how it was always done.

  He watched the surface of the water as they each dived down. He wouldn’t join them because as the night went on, other selkies were likely to join them. Selkie play involved nipping, and if naiads joined in, lots of touching. It would be a dangerous experience for Pavel.

  Splashes came from all across the surface as tails and heads skimmed the surface. Excited seal squeaks pierced the night, but his eyes could barely make out each figure. Even though Annika was silver, the water absorbed all light. A flash of pink shimmer caught his attention from the corner of his vision, which may have been her, but he wasn’t sure.

  The ache in his chest that he’d been ignoring for so long now seemed to triple in size. Even though he’d watched Annika don her skin before, their relationship nearly existed in a bubble. Tonight, he witnessed her true nature. He loved her as a woman, but that’s not all she was. What she and Cam shared was something he could never take part in, and he’d tried not to think of it before.

  That was only part of his pain, however. The gentle tide flowing in and washing out ebbed with the mysterious emptiness within him. It called him to enter the dark water and go deep. But he’d walked and waded and swam in this water before and knew that nothing he did would sate the urge. The desire itself made no sense and threatened to drive him mad.

  He stood and turned away from the scene. He kept meaning to discuss his strange longing to Annika and Cam, but there was always something else going on.

  Though he’d promised to stick around and watch, he walked away. Not toward the house, but further down the shore. He couldn’t’ bring himself to leave the water completely, but he had to escape the fun and games.