Chapter Eight
Meeda, Serin, and Harper were at the bed and breakfast when Piper wandered in wearing a tent with sleeves.
Meeda grinned. “Had a good night?”
“Yeah. Courtship is exhausting.” She swiped a bagel. “Did I get a room here?”
Serin nodded. “Follow me. Just as well you weren’t next to Harper. She’s loud.”
Piper giggled and followed Serin up to her room. She needed day clothing.
Meeda smiled. “If Serin is thinking what I think she is thinking, we are going to need Orc Daring and Thera to shoot some footage.”
Serin returned and settled herself. “Thera is going to meet us at the falls in an hour. Piper has good timing.”
Harper grinned. “That is true. She even remembered to bring the piece that we use for shop displays.”
“She said she’s bringing it.”
Meeda nodded. “I have some suits based on Harper’s figure.”
Harper chuckled. “It is far better than me wearing them.”
Serin said, “Oh, we are going to have both of you in them, in and out of the water. Buckle up, it is going to be a long day.”
Piper snorted and assembled a sandwich. “Prepare to remove a lot of hickies digitally.”
Harper started laughing and said, “Ditto.”
Serin sighed. “It’s a good thing our editors are all in-house. Now I am just waiting to hear from the company to raise the wreck. If not, we will have to use the replica from Breakridge. The actual wreck will be better.”
Meeda nodded. “The costumes are here and adaptable to any figure.”
Piper was still stuffing her face.
Harper looked at her with concern. “Why are you so hungry?”
“I didn’t have dinner, just those fruity mocktails. The guys forgot to feed me. They were distracted.”
Harper chuckled. “So, they are the ones?”
Piper reached under the fall of her hair and pulled out a braid. “Yup. They put a ring on it, so to speak. I am guessing they are the ones who will be raising the wreck.”
Meeda smiled. “Akervel said they are also water serpents?”
“Sort of. Yes.”
“Then, it would be cool if they could keep time with the wreck and then guide it to the depths on camera. My goal is to get enough raw footage that Serin can sell clips for a year to any takers.”
Serin rubbed her hands together and winced as her occupant kicked. “I am going to have to be the command centre, but all of the cameras are rigged for remote viewing. I will be nagging Thera and looking forward to seeing what Violet’s tech and our great camerawoman can produce. Well, and Orc.”
They laughed, brought the costumes they had, and headed to the tourism office to get more. Piper would do her backup vocals later. For now, the light was good, and everyone was alert.
* * * *
Exhausted, sweaty, and a bit sunburned, they got together at the bed and breakfast for a watch party of the footage.
A bunch of villagers joined them, and on a projection screen, they watched a ship rise from the deep escorted by two water dragons.
The next image was Harper in a red, vaguely historical pirate outfit, and she was sailing toward the main Wonder Island.
Meeda and Akenvar were swimming alongside the ship.
There was a cut scene of Piper dancing, and her outfit changed three times until it was the enamelled flowers that cupped her breasts, crossed her torso, before wrapping low on her hips. The crown was pretty, too. The floaty, gauzy skirt underneath was barely concealing.
Everyone laughed after she finished. The water dragons surged up and carried her to the ship with Harper as they continued the journey, and Harper laughed.
That had not been in the script.
The dragons had turned dark elves and joined her on the deck of the sunken vessel, sailing again.
The sea monster glided past them with a mermaid sounding.
The HD drone footage was astounding.
When they had finished their watching of the dailies, Piper had yawned and was cuddling with Yeskin, which caused the trio to begin heading off the cliff and toward the water near the harbour. It was apparently time for bed.
Mia smiled through the whole thing. “This is spectacular. It is going to be so much fun spliced into a story.”
Violet smiled. “Andreux is eager to work on edits. I have also commissioned an award winner in Ledic City to create something with it. To pull the plot out. Serin gave me a few tag lines, and Eudora is willing to see what they do to the end scene, whatever she chooses.”
Mia grinned. “You are racing editors?”
“Yup. The Darings are even going to tackle it. I think we will end up with three very different and very fun stories. Do you feel your suits got enough representation for the Wonder video?”
“Yes. I am going to do something more formal to show the different lines. Fortunately, my sister’s new partner looks fit, and Harper and Piper are staying around and not pregnant yet.
Xida said she will help with the fitness side, as will Moira.
I will put her wraps and gowns into the ads and show the beaches and hotel resorts to the best advantage.
Including your bed and breakfast. How many rooms have you grown now? ”
Serin chuckled. “Twenty. Deno handles it.”
“How are you coping with impending motherhood?”
Serin smiled. “I think the house is ready. Deno is braced, and I can’t wait. Any minute now.”
“Do you know the gender?”
“Nope. It kept hiding from scan to scan, the bloodwork was inconclusive, and we don’t care, so we just prepared for anything. I am pretty sure that the spirit and the life of the island got together for this one. Deno and I can have the next one.”
“So, you are giving birth to...”
“A baby.” Serin smiled and paused. “And soon.”
Mia paused. “How soon?”
“I am thinking that sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Deno!”
Deno was talking to Kekoa and Alohi. At the sound of her voice, he was at her side in a moment. “What do you need?”
“Call the midwife and get her ass to the island.” Serin touched her belly.
Deno picked up his phone and dialled. He put it on speaker. “Yeah, Calypso? Serin says today is the day.”
A low and amused voice said, “Get her to a comfortable spot. Keep her busy. I should be there in the next four hours. The ocean is choppy tonight.”
Deno looked at Kekoa and Orc. Orc picked up his phone and spoke. He nodded and twirled a finger in the air.
“Helicopter is on the way.”
“You had better not forget to get me a ride home, Deno.”
“No, ma’am.”
Calypso chuckled. “Right. I will pack up. Doc Iro is over here, so I will see if he wants to come along.”
Orc frowned. “Is someone sick?”
“Orla wanted a checkup, and I had a few appointments here, so they brought me to Blackridge. Avenar was standing by for word of grandchild progress, and now we were just having tea.”
Orc called again and updated the location for the pilot. He nodded when the acknowledgement came through. “They are heading for Blackridge.”
Serin nodded. “Good. We have some time. A doctor would not be amiss.”
Calypso laughed. “I am packing to travel.”
Deno nodded and rubbed her back. She sighed and relaxed. He put his hands on her belly from behind and took the weight for a moment. Serin smiled and relaxed. “I want to be close to our bed but not in it.”
Those gathered nodded. Mia said, “That sounds like more videos then. Let’s distract you.”
Mia said softly, “Cue the blooper reels.”
Everyone laughed, and then they watched the outtakes that Orc had separated from the good video while they travelled around the islands.
Slips and falls off surfboards, Yeskin and Temal pulling a leering alpha under when he looked too long at Piper. The shocked alpha was spat out onto the sand.
Laughter filled their gathering.
Serin looked over at Yeskin and Temal. “Did you finish that side project?”
Temal said, “It isn’t perfected, but it is fun to watch.”
Serin laughed. “Put it on, and we will offer constructive criticism.”
Temal snickered and eased out from under Piper.
“This is going to be interesting.”
* * * *
Piper sat on Yeskin. “What is going on?”
“Oh, we asked Harper for some footage of you dancing, and then we wrote a little song. It gets the point across.” He chuckled.
“How embarrassing is this going to be?”
“Oh, I think that everyone will be happy with it.”
Temal tossed the drive to Orc, and he grinned. He plugged it in, and the surprise started.
Piper watched and muttered, “Oh no.”
It was the full-moon rising dance with the floral top and belt; the silver panel skirt and fluttery sleeves moved with every shift of her body. The music throbbed, and Yeskin’s voice rumbled out with Temal singing backup.
When she started to make out the lyrics, a blush crawled up her cheeks. Meeda in Akervel’s arms blushed as well as he whispered in her ear.
Piper watched clips of her swimming while holding onto her dragons underwater. The throbbing music and low growl of Yeskin’s song in defense of anyone who tried to touch their beloved orchid. It was a very musical threat and marking of territory.
Temal returned, and Piper punched each of them in the shoulder. “Why not a tattoo?”
Yeskin murmured in her ear, and she gasped.
Harper asked, “What did he say?”
Akervel chuckled. “He said he wanted some on her inner thighs so that he could admire even more beauty.”
Piper glared at her mates. They were way too happy.
Yeskin hugged her. “Did you like the song?”
“It was interesting and very creepy.”
Temal laughed. “You have seen me shifted. I am very creepy.”
“Well, yeah, but it’s part of your charm. I really don’t want to have needles in my skin.”
“Then, there will not be, but there are magics that can be employed to get the desired result,” Yeskin murmured.
“Let’s wait a bit before we start enchanted doodling. Okay?” She patted his cheek.
The song came to an end with the moment when the two water dragons had carried her above the waves, twisting around her and keeping her safe in a flying spiral. That had been a sphincter-tightening moment if ever there was one.