Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Jaykun swam behind Jileana, following her to a part of the coral reef that was surrounded by sentries. There, armed men were busily swimming back and forth, coming and going from a central point. Jileana led him to a muscular dark-haired male swimming about, giving orders to the men.
“Kurn, I want you and the sixth regiment to relieve our men at the border. The siren incursions have increased of late. We want to be on the lookout before they get too bold. Drato, you can take your men and change the guard at the chains. Lesun, your men can relieve the palace guards.”
“Yes, sir!” they all replied briskly before heading off in three separate directions. The male then turned and met Jileana’s eyes.
“Daughter!” he snapped, a frown warring with the relief in his eyes. He swam over to her and Jaykun noticed Silan shadowing his father. “I was worried sick! You worried your mother as well!”
“Father, you know Mother is not the one who frets about me. I’ve already seen her and she didn’t look all that worried to me.”
“That is hot the point! You went to the Overworld! Alone. And you’ve brought back some human pet.”
“Father! He is not a pet! He is a man just as you and my brothers are men! I won’t have you insulting him!” she said sharply.
Jaykun smiled at her from behind her back, where he was waiting at what he deemed a respectful enough distance.
Jileana must deal with Creasus in her own way, he realized.
He should not interfere, even though he wanted to very much.
He found he did not like to see her upset.
It was a strange sort of sensation, realizing that he cared about her feelings to that degree. When exactly had that happened?
Jaykun pushed the uncomfortable realization aside and paid attention to the discourse Jileana was having with Creasus.
“You should never have gone without at least telling us where you were going. Without some kind of an escort,” her father was saying sternly.
“If I had told you where I was going, you would have tried to stop me. Possibly even locked me up in the chains until the full moon had passed.”
“I would never do that,” Creasus said, looking offended. “I would have tried to talk you out of it, yes, but the chains? I wouldn’t wish the chains on even my worst enemy. They are a necessary evil, but I would not wish it on anyone.”
“And if I had taken an escort, he would have curtailed my exploration of the human World. This way I got to see and experience absolutely everything. It was simply amazing, Father! It was so exciting! And the food! You should taste the food!”
“Thank you, Daughter, but I have been to the Overworld. I am well aware of what it is like. Just as I am well aware of how dangerous it is.”
“You should never have gone! You could have been hurt,” Silan barked at her from over his father’s shoulder. “You should have taken Barban with you.”
“Ha! I went to the Overworld to escape Barban!” Jileana said with fiery spirit.
“He thinks he owns me and you do nothing to discourage that notion. When are you and Barban going to understand that I am not his. I am not going to be his bride no matter how much he wills it to be so. No matter how much you will it to be so.”
“Barban comes from a great selkie house, steeped in the traditions of our ways. He would never have disrespected you the way this human beast did when he shared your bed. Father, you must talk some sense into her. Can you not force her to behave herself?”
“Force me!” Jileana scoffed. “I will listen to reason when reason is spoken, but if you think to force me to your will, then I promise you, you will lose me. I won’t be forced into your idea of what a proper and good sister should be.”
“Jileana! When are you going to see it is for your own protection? There are dangers out there! Especially in the Overworld! At least here, amongst the selkies, you are safe.”
“It is just as dangerous amongst the selkies as it is in the human world. We have our enemies just as they do. I could easily run afoul of a siren or a sea beast or any number of things. Barban being one of them. You will not listen to reason when it comes to Barban. You think he is this great, respectful warrior? Well, I tell you I have seen a different side of him. A side you would not like. At least my human pet, as you put it, has treated me with care and respect the entire time I have known him.”
“Respect? You call being in your bed respectful?”
“Silan, stop it! I am not some virginal child who cannot decide these things on her own! You are suffocating me! And I promise you, the more you suffocate me, the more I will fight to be free of you. You have made living here all but unbearable. Is it any wonder I wanted to escape to the Overworld?”
“Jileana.” Her father spoke up in a kinder and gentler voice. “Your brother is simply worried about you. He loves you and cares about your well-being.”
“Well, he needs to care a little less,” she said angrily.
“Father, I am sorry I worried you. But I was curious about the Overworld. You wouldn’t believe the things I saw.
And Jaykun”—she gestured to Jaykun, who had moved up against her back in support when she had grown so violently upset—“Jaykun is a remarkable man. If you would just take the time to get to know him, you would see that.”
Silan scoffed. “He is a human. There is no such thing as a remarkable human.”
“Oh! There is simply no talking to you!” Jileana cried out in exasperation. “Jaykun, you have no idea how fortunate you are to have brothers who do not try to force their will upon you.”
“Well, not force … but they do try to exert influence over me. They certainly aren’t obnoxious about it,” he said with a pointed look at Silan.
“Why, you little—” Silan lunged, his hand going to his sword.
But his father stopped him with a hard hand in the center of his chest. “Enough, Silan. Why don’t we get to know this human a little before we make rash judgments about him?
Yes, I am inclined to agree with you that humans are nothing but trouble, but if my daughter sees something special in this human, then I have to ask myself what that specialness is.
I have to ask myself why she risked bringing him here. My daughter is not a foolish woman.”
“She is a child who has behaved rashly and stupidly!” Silan barked.
“Enough!” Jaykun roared suddenly, stepping around Jileana and facing off with her brother.
“I won’t stand here while you continually insult your sister!
She is a good woman with a fine heart and a happy soul.
Would you sully it with such disparaging thoughts about her?
Will you continue to hurt her with these cruel words? No. I will not allow it!”
“You will not allow it?” Silan roared back, this time drawing his sword as he lunged past his father. “Who are you to interfere in this family?!”
Silan made it past his father this time, and it wasn’t lost on Jaykun that the father purposely moved out of the way to let him.
Fighting underwater was a skill he’d never had the opportunity to develop, and Silan had done so for what Jaykun assumed was all of his adulthood.
In that way Jaykun was outmatched. But Jaykun was still a warrior of some renown, and his strength and skill were nothing to be disregarded whatever his disadvantage.
Silan’s sword slashed through the water connecting with Jaykun’s arm as he threw it up to block the other man’s swing.
Once again his blood clouded the ocean waters.
The sword Silan used was sharper than any Jaykun had encountered before.
Silan’s blade hit straight to the bone and Jaykun had to grind his teeth against the pain.
But he took advantage of the other man’s overconfidence that the blow would leave him cringing in a ball of pain.
Silan didn’t realize that Jaykun bore far more excruciating pain for hours every night.
The cut of a blade into his flesh was child’s play compared to his flesh roasting from the inside out.
Jaykun reached out and grabbed the other man around his throat, yanked him forward, and used the only weapon he had: his head. He cracked his skull hard against Silan’s, sending Silan into a stunned twirl.
“Stop it! Stop this right now, Silan, or I swear I will go to the Overworld and you will never see me again!” Jileana cried out.
Floating back dazedly, Silan put a hand to his ringing head and looked angrily at his sister. “You wouldn’t dare!” he hissed at her.
“Wouldn’t I?” she retorted, moving to Jaykun to touch the injury to his arm with gentle fingers. His arm was hanging almost uselessly at his side, but it would heal in time. Faster with Jileana’s tender care. “Are you all right?” she asked worriedly.
“You know he can’t hurt me,” he reminded her gently.
“That’s untrue. I know this hurts a great deal. Pain and death are different matters. Father, keep Silan under control or I swear it will be the last you will ever see of me.”
“You would give up our beautiful world just to be with this inferior creature?” Silan ground out in disbelief.
“Jaykun has nothing to do with it. He has made me no promises of a place in his life. Quite the opposite, I assure you. No. If I leave, it will be because of you and others like you who are intent on driving me away. This world holds little beauty in it so long as you have a hand around my throat and suffocate the life out of me. Father, you are little better. You give him free rein. You even encourage him. The only one who seems to understand this is Mother.” She swam away from them, pulling Jaykun along with her.
“Until you learn how to better behave, you will keep your distance from me! You are not welcome in my home room, Silan! Do you understand?”
“Father! Are you just going to let her leave like this?”