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Ignoring the buzzing questions in my mind, and ones I couldn’t ask otherwise he would know I snooped, I walked out of the room and followed him outside the brothel.
A lone white horse, saddled and with two brown satchels on its back, had been hitched to the railing.
Leon placed a hand on my back, steering me forward. When we reached the horse, he nodded at me to mount first. Grabbing the saddle and placing my foot in the stirrup, I pulled myself up, Leon’s hands firmly on my waist, guiding me. Once I had settled into the saddle, he climbed behind me. He wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me closer.
“I do know how to ride a horse,” I said, leaning back into him.
Though I couldn’t see his smile. I felt it against my ear. “Aye, love, but you don’t know where we’re going.”
“You have a point.” I gripped the saddle in front of me, holding on as he turned us down a hill, farther away from Lily’s and deeper into the woods.
“But don’t worry, love. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure we take two horses. I wouldn’t want my guest to feel uncomfortable.”
“Tomorrow? Do you have plans already?”
“Aye. You said one week. Got to make sure you see the best part of the island.”
“And where are we going today?”
“One can’t come to the Oasis without seeing Mermaid’s Cove.”
I inhaled sharply, the excitement bubbling in my chest. I had read about Mermaid’s Cove, and I prayed it was as wonderful as the stories in the library. It was one of those places that seemed too magical to exist, and it wasn’t just mermaids. All kinds of creatures stayed there. Mermaids greeted travelers and pixies played tricks on unsuspecting visitors. The pixies were the ones I wanted to see. We didn’t have any fairies like that back home.
This was why I came.
To experience everything that I’d ever read about since I was a little girl. Then when my father and my future husband locked me away to push out baby after baby, I would spend those lone nights in the halls reliving every exhilarating moment.
Even though this journey had been bumpy, it was everything I had dreamed about. As I breathed in Leon’s leather and pine scent, I realized it was more than I imagined because it wasn’t just a picturesque island far from home. It was all of it. It was sailing on the sea in the open water, fighting exotic monsters and creatures, seeing a siren . . . but most of all, the part that I never expected was to find someone here that I cared for, and though it made the journey that much harder, I was excited about it. Leon wasn’t something I ever anticipated.
The more time I spent alone with him, the harder it would be to leave. No matter what awaited me back home, I would enjoy these moments. I would breathe in the salty air filled with fragrant flowers and not regret one second.
The only thing I would allow to hold over me was telling Leon the truth. I knew the longer I waited the consequences would be worse. He would be angry, furious, and maybe even threaten not to return me, but telling him and having all of this end . . . I couldn’t bear the thought.
I didn’t think Leon would understand where I was coming from or why I was doing this. And maybe if I was honest with him, he wouldn’t be mad, but that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. Not when we were on our way to another great adventure. No, I would tell him later, or tomorrow, or never.
“Tell me about the mermaids,” I said, needing to break away from my own thoughts.
“Well, they’re nothing like the sirens you care for so much.”
“I do not care for the sirens. I was magically seduced. It’s not my fault that your idea of protection from a siren is a plug shoved in the ear.”
Leon laughed and the sound vibrated against my back. “Aye, but that’s all we’ve got.”
“I’ve read about mermaids since I was little. They seem beautiful and mysterious.”
“A bit of a rough lay, but it depends on how long you can hold your breath.” He laughed, his mouth wonderfully close to my ear. “They’re not like the sirens who are out to kill you. They’re like us except they live in the water, really far down. Beautiful. I’m sure you’ve heard that. They do sing and their songs are uplifting. Though I have heard sad songs sung by them. Not something I enjoy.”
Leon tugged the horse deeper into the wood. The large palms slowly thinned out as we got closer to the western area of the island. His fingers drummed against my stomach, sending tiny sparks of excitement through the places he touched.
“Why do they call it Mermaid’s Cove?” I shifted in the saddle, making him pull me back against his chest. My breaths came faster as those dangerous fingers crept along my side, rubbing my hip.
“Well, mermaids are like any other creature. They need to make a living, so they entertain.”
“It’s a tourist spot?”
“You can say that. Everybody plays their part on the Oasis. It’s why it’s so magical. Why people will run away from home just to spend a few days on its luxurious beaches.”
I didn’t miss the jab at my circumstances, but I let it slide, the scenery too enthralling for an argument.
