Page 61 of I Married A Syllen

I burst out laughing.

“No, I will hold them, and you can hold my hands. But I don’t want to squish you while trying to reach for them,” I said teasingly.

“Oh,” she replied, her face heating in that adorable fashion I loved.

“Most of the time, we just keep our veris connected to theirs so that they instantly know where we want to go so stirring becomes unnecessary. It also reduces the strain on us trying to hold on by hand when they travel at great speed,” I added.

Unable to resist, I rubbed my face against her hair, before kissing her cheek. She gave me a timid smile.

“You should put on your mask now,” I said with much reluctance.

Mirella nodded and complied, detaching it from her belt to place it against her face. It fascinated me to see how it fastened around her face tightly, covering her ears as well. That part worried me.

“Are you able to hear me?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes. It only covers my ears to protect them from the pressure if we go too deep.”

“Perfect,” I said, relieved that I could hear her well enough.

The clear glass of her mask also allowed me to see her face. As much as it chagrined me to no longer have direct access to any part of her skin, between her suit and now that mask, It pleased me that she would be safe for the journey ahead.

“Off we go,” I said, intertwining my veris with the Elijinn.

Mirella leaned back against my torso, and I brought my hands closer in front of her to partially embrace her, even as I held the creature’s antennas. She placed her hands on the back of mine as the creature started gliding at the surface of the water. It propelled itself forward with both its large front flippers and the smaller set at the back of its long, serpentine body. After a couple of minutes, it slowly dove until we were fully submerged.

Under normal circumstances, it would have dove even deeper right away. However, I was mentally communicating to it through my veris to proceed gradually as I wanted to make sure my mate wasn’t suffering any negative reaction to us traveling underwater. As she continued to show no distress, we descended further, soon to be surrounded by countless fish and other sea creatures.

It thrilled me to see her marvel at the beauty of our oceans. A few creatures raced alongside us before diverting to a different destination. The Elijinn cleverly made optimal use of the undercurrents to accelerate our travel. It saddened me that I couldn’t communicate with her through ultrasonic pulses like I would with my people when underwater.

And yet, we still managed to communicate. My mate once more proved how smart she was by asking questions or wording her comments in a way that would only require for me to answer by yes or no. I didn’t doubt she would have a million more questions for me once we touched land and were able to converse normally.

It took us less than forty minutes to reach our destination. Had we been forced to ride on the surface, the journey would have been twice as long.

But my spine stiffened as soon as we dismounted the creature a short distance from the shore. To my surprise, at least twelve members of the Ungaro Tribe and five members of the Galnir Tribe were already awaiting us. Their angry expressions upon seeing my mate whipped my protective instincts into a frenzy. I stood partially in front of Mirella to shield her, not that I actually feared any violence against her from them.

“You brought a human here?!” Athusa shouted with disbelief as we slowly exited from the water.

“My message stated an off-worlder would tag along,” I countered as I stopped at a safe distance from our hosts.

“We assumed it would be Torokso or the Birdman. Not one of those foul Settlers!” Athusa hissed.

“She is not a Settler!” I retorted sternly. “You know better than that. We drove them away 450 years ago before the Long Sleep. More importantly, she is my soul mate sent to me by the Goddess, and she’s here to help us.”

As expected, a collective gasp escaped them all as they stared at my woman with a mix of shock and horror.

“Your mate?!” Athusa exclaimed.

“Yes,” I replied in a calm but firm tone. “I shared your shock when my body first responded to her presence. Since then, I have started to get to know her and now recognize her for the blessing that she is. Soon, you will see it as well.”

Apparently not wanting to remain partially hidden behind me, Mirella moved next to me and slipped her hand in mine. At first, I thought she wanted some comfort, but a look at her face erased any such thought from my mind. A wave of pride surged through me at finding her holding Athusa’s gaze unwaveringly. Her attitude wasn’t provocative or defiant but spoke of the peaceful confidence of someone who knew themselves to be well within their rights.

“The Birdman and Torokso brought her to me after the land claimed her,” I continued. “And now, I introduce her to you.”

“Nym indeed stated that both the land and a Kalrin had claimed her,” Orian said. “I would hear what your female has to say.”

To my utter relief, the others nodded or muttered their agreement. The battle was far from won, but this was a first step in the right direction.

Chapter 12