Water and Blood

  “The clothing you wear kinds of melts into you as you transform. It can affect your fin color. We were a bit concerned that your choice of clothing color to wear and your toenail polish affected your fin color strongly because you’re new. How new are you?”

  Whitney stared at her, and for once, realized that she wasn’t sure what sorts of things she should say. Sam had said that his parents tried to throw him away when he was a kid by placing him across the US in a different ocean. What should she say to someone that might not actually like her son much?

  “Is Sam safe?” she asked, not answering the question before her.

  The queen appeared to be thrown off, and she quickly tried to hide her emotion behind a neutral mask, but there was enough for Whitney to see that she was sad.

  “For his crimes, Sam will be put on trial before the king when the moon is high in the sky,” the queen replied. “And punishment will be immediate.”

  Whitney stared hard at the woman. There was much she didn’t know or understand, and there was no time to learn it. Sam had tried to teach her, but there was much to catch up on. And since Tim now asked for her as his mate is was all beyond belief. She couldn’t tell if Sam’s mother cared, but she couldn’t chance it. If they had Sam, then Whitney needed a plan. She wasn’t going to let him be punished for saving her life. All she needed was to figure out how to get out of the restraints, find Sam, and make a break for it. Not that difficult … or at least she hoped not.

  The queen left Whitney alone when she refused to give more answers. Whitney just couldn’t share much more because she wasn’t sure if her answers would get Sam in more trouble. At least it seemed like the queen pushed it all off due to ignorance and easily gave up, instead of knowing that Whitney was actually refusing. Unfortunately, she didn’t untie her before she left. That would have made things easier. Whitney was left alone but still unable to do anything. Her view outside of the place wasn’t much, either. The windows faced the woods.

  Alone in the room, Whitney finally looked around again. She was certainly in some sort of kitchen, she saw the sink and some dishes beside it after all, but it wasn’t much of a kitchen. It consisted of one long cabinet with four doors and a sink in the middle. That was it. Whitney turned to each side and tried to see more around her. There was a window on her right side about ten feet away, but even if she hopped her chair over there, she wouldn’t be able to see out. It was too high up on the wall. She could only see pretty blue skies and treetops. Everything she could see in the room gave it a very island feel with teak cabinets and tile floor, but it still didn’t give her an ounce of information as to where she was or how to get home.

  Whitney attempted to look behind herself to see what else was in the room, but she had been positioned closest to the sink, so there wasn’t much to see. As she twisted her head left, she could make out a doorway. She really wanted to know where it led. Was she in a house, an apartment, or what? Was the queen nearby, or was someone guarding her? They obviously didn’t trust her, since they had tied her up in a chair, but for now it seemed like she was alone.

  Sitting perfectly still, Whitney listened for any sound at all. Was she truly alone?

  A bird sat outside the window, occasionally tweeting, but that was all the noise she could hear. There was no other breathing in the room, no other shuffling of feet, nothing else to hear. It was like she was in a sound-proof kitchen.

  If she was truly alone, she needed to try to leave. She didn’t want to sit around and wait for some king, one that would rather get rid of his youngest son than accept him, to decide her fate. And she certainly wasn’t sticking around to mate with Tim. She had looked in his eyes and knew his type. There was no compassion of any sort in that guy. He was rotten right down to the core, and she understood that very well since he didn’t hesitate to try to kill her in the swimming pool. Sam had explained, more than once, that the sirens didn’t look at day humans as anything but food, but to kill her without reason other than to upset his brother just seemed ridiculous … until she found herself underwater.

  She needed to break free. That was step number one. Figure out where she was and where she would go would have to come next, but no need to worry about something like that if she couldn’t get free. Her first attempt was to try to move the chair. It was solid, or at least weighed enough with how she was tied to it. She wasn’t going to be able to break the arms or legs off it to get free. Darn sirens used sturdy materials for chairs.

  The plan to break free would have been easier if being a siren came with Superman strength. She was stronger than a normal human, but not strong enough to break the heavily braided ropes. Then again, they wouldn’t have left her alone tied down if she could. They already knew she was a siren too. Magical powers would have been nice, also. Then she could just disappear and magically transport herself home. Nope, that wasn’t an option either. But she did have cool transforming powers that took her clothing with her. Whitney glanced at her arms. The ropes tying her were tight. Were they tight enough to be considered clothing if she transformed? She had never purposely turned into a siren, but if she could control her legs going fishy now, couldn’t she do the reverse?

  Whitney stared hard at the ropes. She had to hope and try.

  Without being completely sure, Whitney attempted to will herself some fins. Nothing happened, so she closed her eyes and tried to create a mental picture of it, hoping that would be what she needed. After a few more moments, she opened her eyes and still wasn’t a mermaid. That was unfair. She wanted it to be easy. Maybe if she pictured water instead. She closed her eyes a second time and thought of Victoria Falls. She’d seen a documentary in school about the great waterfall. Now that was water. Peeking through one eye was enough to see it didn’t do a thing. It wasn’t like the rest of her escape would be easy either, but it would give her the confidence to do it if she could only get out of the chair she was tied to.

  Whitney twisted in her chair again. If she wasn’t going to be able to use her siren half to get out, then she would use her own day human wiles instead. There was no way she was going to just sit around and wait. Searching the room, she continued to look for something sharp enough to cut the ropes on her wrists. Could she do it even if she found something sharp? She’d seen it done on TV shows; she had to try. She grinned as there was a cupboard drawer open just enough to see the silver glint of silverware inside. Jackpot.

  Shuffling her chair as much as she could, Whitney tried to make it the five feet to the sink cupboard. It took a lot of effort just to move the chair. It was way more solid than she first thought. She shuffled it more, going only centimeters at a time. Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle. Catch her breath. She worked out her own rhythm, getting closer and closer. Shuffle. Shuffle. Stop.

  Suddenly, she heard a door opening and froze in place. Was someone coming back to check on her?

  Remaining still, Whitney silently cursed herself for not turning the chair around in the process of trying to move it. Her whole situation would be better if she could see what was going on behind her. Well, it wouldn’t be better, considering that would take being free and back home in bed. She had a major headache—probably from almost drowning. That always gave her a headache.

  Quick, soft steps padded around to the front of her. Some guy hastily bent down and cut through the ties on her hands. She had no idea who he was, but since he was freeing her, she wasn’t about to complain. The guy cut the ropes on her legs also.

  “Why?” Whitney asked, causing the guy to glance up as he cut the last one.

  “Because mermaid hair is impossible to break and stops you from transforming.”

  Whitney looked at the young man. That wasn’t really the answer she was seeking. It was a great fact to know, but she wanted to know why he was helping her. He seemed to notice her confusion.

  “Um, because we’re friends, and my sister would kill me if they did anything to harm you,” he replied.

  Whitney did a double take. She knew who h
e was once he said “friends.”

  Noah finished cutting her free. “And there’s the small matter that I promised Prince Sam, also. And I can’t go back on a promise to him. He’s the only reason we’re all still alive. If he hadn’t turned you, Tim would have killed all four of us for showing you that we’re siren,” Noah finished explaining as he stood up and offered her a hand.

  Whitney stared at him. Like his twin sister, without his glasses, he was barely recognizable.

  “You have to get out of here. When night comes, they’ll start Sam’s trial, and they will bring you with to show what he did. If you’re gone, they’ll have to take Tim’s word. Without you, they can’t kill Sam for him turning you since the evidence is gone,” Noah explained quickly.

  “He’ll be free?” Whitney asked, as this wonderful plan seemed to plop into her lap.

  “Not exactly, and neither will you. Sam left you this. He said there’s enough money for you to go home and hide away,” Noah replied, pulling Whitney in the direction of the part of the room she couldn’t see before.

  Whitney planted her feet. “What will happen to him?”

  Noah shrugged, not meeting her eyes. Even though he looked different, she knew Noah. He was trying to not tell her. Just like the other sirens she knew. It was their normal reaction when they didn’t want you to know something.

  “What are you leaving out?” She gave him a direct question he couldn’t avoid.

  “Sam will never be free again,” he explained. “He will never be allowed to leave the island for land. If a siren is even suspected of doing the things Tim will accuse him of, then Sam is a liability. He will have to stay here forever.”

  Whitney took in a breath. He talked much of how he hated the island and never wanted to go back. Now he was trapped there, all because he saved her life.

  “They can’t do that to him if I leave. You said I’m the evidence,” Whitney complained. It wasn’t fair. If it was his word against Tim’s, then why would they just believe Tim?

  “Telling day humans about the night human world is a crime punishable by death. They don’t have a punishment for turning someone into a mer. Without you to testify against him—that he told you about night humans—then his only confirmed crime will be that he turned you, which can only be proven by words. They can’t do any sort of extreme punishment without physically having you. He said if you go home to your brother, you will be protected.”

  Whitney knew that was true. She wasn’t a skinwalker anymore, but she was still family. If she went back there, they would protect her. The skinwalkers were very territorial, and they would never let the siren come in and take her. Sam was right about that.

  “Take this, and I’ll lead you to the ocean. Land is straight to the west, just keep the sun at your back, and you’ll be there in no time,” Noah explained, turning to leave and pulling her with him.

  “Wait,” Whitney said. She wasn’t comfortable with leaving Sam behind. If he came with her, she was sure her family would protect him also. “Sam can’t be found guilty of telling me about night humans because I used to be one.”

  Noah froze in his tracks.

  “What?” His eyes were wide as he turned around.

  “I used to be a skinwalker. Sam thinks that’s why, when he just tried to save me from drowning, he turned me instead. He can’t be found guilty of telling me anything about night humans. I already had heard of sirens and mermaids before.”

  Noah faltered as he tried to turn back to lead her out of the house. That changed everything. Her knowledge was key to setting Sam free.

  “Sam knew this?” Noah asked as they walked through a small living room.

  “Yes,” Whitney replied, wanting to look around but focusing on her friend. She needed to see what else she was missing. Obviously, her admission meant something to Noah, but Sam not using it also meant something.

  “Then we still need to get you out of here. If he knows and still is sending you away, then he has a reason. He wants you to be safe.” Noah reached for the door, and Whitney stopped. “We need to do what he asks. He knows this world better than both of us. We need to keep you safe.”

  Yes, it was true that Sam wanted her safe—and he was risking her friend to do so—but she couldn’t just leave him. It wasn’t because of his great kissing or her massive crush on him, either. It was because he was a good guy. He didn’t deserve any sort of punishment for being who he was. And the sirens on land needed him. Heck, she hadn’t seen him all week, and that wasn’t by choice. He was keeping them all safe. He was dedicated to them. She needed him back on land, and the sirens needed him. Sam couldn’t stay on the island forever. She wouldn’t allow it.

  Whitney sat down in the nearest chair. She couldn’t leave him. She could never tell him the real reason why, but she knew it in her heart. She loved him.

  CHAPTER 10

  Sam didn’t even try to escape. His fate was sealed the moment he saved Whitney, and he knew it. The funny part was even after his father yelled at him, he would have never done it any other way. He had as much power to not save Whitney as he did to make the sky rain. From the first moment he met her, he was done. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. Every free moment, she was all he could think of. That blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty flew into his life like a tornado, turning everything around and nothing was the same afterward. And he was fine with it. In fact, he was more than fine. He wished he had the chance to see her one last time before she escaped to tell her thank you. She had changed his life, and it was worth it. Every moment he had with her in the past week was worth everything he’d have to go through and would have to last a lifetime. His punishment was coming, and there was no getting out of it.

  Growing up in the siren world was hard, but it was worse if you didn’t fit in. All around him, the sirens considered themselves superior to all the mer. And, yes, in many ways they were. But that didn’t mean they needed to treat everyone like second-class citizens. It was even worse to be raised in the royal family. They felt they were at the top of the food chain, and there wasn’t a day that went by that Tim didn’t remind Sam he needed to force everyone to follow his will. It was a wonder Sam turned out normal with what he had to deal with every moment of his childhood. Tim was one of the nicer of his siblings.

  Sam had resented his father for years for sending him out young, but it was a blessing. He was able to get away and find his own way in the world. The freedom had been great, but the past year was even better.

  Punishment would come when the moon was fully up in the sky above the island. Sam looked out the window of his mother’s home. It wouldn’t be much longer. He hoped that Whitney had made her way far enough away that no one would find her. Noah would make sure she got out. He wasn’t a bad siren, and he seemed to like Whitney, even when he thought she was a normal day human.

  Sam made another loop around the room as he paced. By the time he left, there would be lines from where he walked. His mother wouldn’t mind, but he wanted to see how his perfect father would take it. Sam stopped as someone walked up the pathway to the front door. When he saw who it was, he continued walking.

  “Still mad at me?” Amber asked as she strode past the two sirens keeping watch of the door.

  It was pretty pathetic there was only two. Sam could easily get by two men. But his father trusted he wouldn’t do anything that would endanger Whitney. And he was right. Until he knew she was safe, Sam would wait in the house.

  Sam raised one eyebrow at Amber. Mad? Furious was more like it. Amber had been his friend since they were little. He trusted her and even after she began to show a jealous streak, he still trusted her. Now that was gone. He was pretty sure she set Whitney up with Tim. No one else would have told his family about him dating a human.

  “Hey, you’re the one that got yourself into this.” She raised her hands like she was surrendering. “I was just trying to protect you.”

  Sam still didn’t reply. He had never seen anything but a younger sis
ter in Amber, but that was obviously not how she viewed him. Protecting him didn’t seem like the right word for what happened. Amber grabbed his arm to keep him from pacing.

  “Honestly, Sam. I didn’t think you’d turned her. Now you’re facing possible death for that.” Amber chided him like a child, or better yet, like a disobedient boyfriend—something he was never going to be for her.

  Yanking his arm away, he moved as far across the room as he could so that he didn’t end up facing a second charge of hurting another siren. He wasn’t one to hit a girl. His mother had raised him with manners, but Amber was pushing him to his breaking point. First, she helped his brother take his girlfriend and then she helped kidnap him to bring him back to the island. There was nothing in that behavior that said she was acting as a friend. Everything she did was to get back at Whitney for being what Amber wanted to be. And the fact that she acted like everything was going to get better was grating on his last nerve.

  “I thought she was just a toy. You said that to everyone. I figured once your toy was dead, you’d come home and behave like you were supposed to.” Amber pouted. Her arms were crossed, like she was attempting to enhance her chest, still trying to get him to fall for her.

  “Amber,” Sam said quietly, “it was never going to be you.” He enunciated each word to be sure she understood.

  Her face visibly dropped before she could hide her reaction.

  “There isn’t a single mer on the island I would have agreed to bond to. I would rather have been cast out alone the rest of my life than bond to someone I don’t love. It wasn’t and will never be you. Even if my father tells me I have to mate with you, I’d choose exile over that. Heck, at this point I’d choose death. Do you understand? No matter what happens to Whitney, it will never be you.” He hadn’t meant to sound mean, but she was getting to him, and he never seemed to be able to get through to her. Maybe if he had, she wouldn’t have brought Whitney into this. It was his fault that Whitney was involved.