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Her spine melted against my front.
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth to hide my grin, I slipped my hand down between her legs and pressed in against the fabric of her skirt.
She gripped my wrist and jerked my fingers away, fear, lust, excitement, and distress roaring through my mark from her emotions.
“Behave,” she muttered.
Chuckling, I returned my hands to her waist in a more respectable manner and rested my chin on her shoulder, taunting, “But you like it best when I don’t behave.”
This time, I only felt the lust and excitement as she glanced over her shoulder to send me an icy glance. “When it’s an appropriate time, maybe.”
“You mean away from Melaina?” I guessed.
“Yes,” she hissed. “Exactly.”
I nodded. “Okay. I gotcha.” Glancing ahead, I realized how far we’d come on the path and straightened. “Here,” I called so both she and Melaina could hear. “This is the place.”
Melaina slowed her mount and gazed around at the overgrown trees and vegetation, vines covering crumbling stones that made up the ruins of a long-forgotten manor.
“Uh, I hate to break it to you, High Clifter,” Melaina announced, lifting a censorious eyebrow as she looked around. “But it looks like whoever your trusted source was is long gone now.” She turned away from the dilapidated foundation, where only one half of a wall remained standing, and sent me an expectant look. “Can we be on our way to Tyler now?”
I frowned at the question, only to realize her meaning. “Oh! You think my friend lived in the castle? No, no. That’s been gone for as long as I can remember. My great-grandfather Havern lived there, actually, when he ruled Teller. But the House of Bjorn tore it down when they invaded and took over.”
“So we didn’t come here to visit these run-down remains?” Melaina demanded suspiciously. When I shook my head, she threw her hands in the air, frustrated. “Then what the fuck are we doing here?”
I chuckled as I dismounted Quilla’s horse.
“For this,” I answered and strolled toward the loch that sat to the south of the castle ruins.
Once I reached the edge of the bank, I crouched down and dipped a couple fingers into the water. It was as warm as I always remembered it being, much warmer than a normal body of water should be. Telling me that meant they still must be around, I began to tap the surface of the pond with the palm of my hand, speaking in the code I’d been taught years ago.
“You’re calling to someone,” Quilla realized in awe, coming up behind me as she watched.
I grinned over my shoulder at her. “Yep.”
Her aunt appeared beside her, the contrast of her bright red hair in the sunlight next to Quilla’s pale blond locks made a lovely diversity of color.
Except Melaina’s expression was anything but lovely. Scowling, she slapped a hand to her hip and demanded, “Who?”
“You’ll see.” I kept repeating the code, in case it took a bit for anyone below to notice it.
And a minute later, I was rewarded. The water began to stir, bubbles popped up around my fingers and rings forming on the surface, signaling movement underneath.
Both Quilla and Melaina lurched a nervous step back.
But then a feminine head full of flowing, green hair emerged from the depths. Long lashes blinked water from them before brilliant green eyes lit up at the sight of me.
Chapter 29
Indigo
“Indy?” The mermaid greeted almost cautiously, as if she couldn’t quite believe it was me. Starfish wreathed her head like a crown, and the only thing covering her ample breasts were seashells.
Grinning, I waved. “Hey, Jemma. Long time no see, huh?”
“Oh my God,” she shouted joyously. “It is you! But has it been that long? You’re all grown up now.”
“So are you,” I returned, laughing when she shot forward and reached out.
