Lottery King 5, page 6
“Healing isn’t linear,” I sighed as I recalled what Helena had told me before I’d left Orlando.
“Exactly,” Gemma murmured. “These people need a kind of cleansing of their minds that doesn’t exist. The most we can do for them is support them and give them a safe and caring place to work through the tangled mess Rhaiden’s mind control left behind.”
There was something I could do, though, and that was to keep anything like this from ever happening again or to anyone else. Rhaiden was dead, but his allies were still out there.
My staff’s research had gathered enough information to prove that Rhaiden hadn’t been working alone. There was too much going into his plans for him to have done it all by himself. We hadn’t gotten any solid leads about who those people were, but I knew they couldn’t hide forever. Sooner or later, we would uncover them, and that’s how I could help.
“We are doing everything there is to do,” Gemma assured me. “And your presence here will bring them comfort and strength. You should meet as many of them as you can.”
I started to nod, but then a question came to me.
“How did Pearl know who I was?” I asked with confusion. “She had trouble remembering her own name. How did she know mine?”
Gemma smiled and pointed to a nearby table. I turned to follow her finger, and I saw a copy of my coronation photo in a picture frame with my name written in simple bold letters.
“Even in their weakened and confused states,” Gemma murmured, and her voice was filled with affection and admiration, “your subjects love their king. It’s the one new detail they all can latch onto and keep as a solid thing in their minds.”
“Wow,” I breathed.
I was overcome with a torrent of emotions for a long moment, and Ivis gently stroked my arm. Nyxx’s fingers touched my shoulder in a subtle and comforting way, and Gemma reached out to clasp my hand, too.
“You are their king,” Gemma said. “The love they feel for you is deep in their hearts. Much deeper than Rhaiden could have ever reached.”
“Do we have time?” I asked. “I want to go around and meet them.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Nyxx said in a quiet voice.
“Speak with as many as you like,” Gemma agreed, and she waved in a welcoming gesture.
I spent the next few hours walking around the bubble part of the infirmary and speaking with the survivors. They were all in various states of healing. Some were ready to reenter the ocean in the next few days, others had only just been brought in by the scouting teams, and most of them were somewhere in the middle.
Gemma informed me that they were still finding survivors, but the frequency was dropping dramatically now.
The sea sprites had tiny and high-pitched voices that reminded me of Christmas bells, and they recuperated in small tubs that were only a few gallons. The sea nymphs occupied most of the large bathtubs, and the merfolk were in more of the beds. After the first dozen merfolk, I started to be able to guess how far along they were in their healing journey based on the brightness of their scales. The ones who were preparing to reenter the ocean in the next few days had the brightest scales, and I mentioned my observation to Gemma.
“You noticed.” Gemma grinned at me.
“It’s kind of obvious,” I whispered.
“A merfolk’s health can be assessed by their coloring,” Gemma said in a voice filled with humor. “But most outsiders have trouble telling the subtle differences. It takes a trained eye to see.”
“Really?” I asked with disbelief. “It’s so clear to me.”
“I can see that their scales aren’t as bright or shiny as yours, Gemma,” Ivis commented. “But I see no difference among the survivors.”
“Which is why I’m so impressed by King Michael’s assessment,” Gemma murmured, and she gazed at me like I was a fascinating and challenging puzzle she was trying to figure out.
“Have we met all the survivors in this section?” Nyxx asked.
“We have,” Gemma answered the shadow nymph while still staring at me with curious eyes, and then she turned to look at the others. “Your presence will give them hope and bolster their resilience.”
“I wish there was more we could do,” Ivis sighed.
“There is a group of merfolk who have requested the honor of your presence for dinner this evening,” Gemma said. “Members of old families that have long-standing reputations among my people.”
“High merfolk society?” Rune asked with a touch of humor.
“Sort of.” Gemma nodded and grinned. “Merfolk society isn’t all that different from surface dwellers. We have political affiliations and strings we can pull, too. Anyway, there is a royal representative among them.”
“Lord Finn?” I guessed.
It would be nice to see Gemma’s brother. Since so much of the damage from Rhaiden’s actions had been inflicted on the people of the ocean, he’d been as busy as I had been since the hurricane. It would be nice to catch up in person and see how his work was going.
“No, my brother is checking in with the merfolk in the rural areas off the coast of Brazil,” Gemma said. “This is a representative you haven’t met yet, your majesty. Lord Zale.”
“Lord Zale?” I repeated the name, but it didn’t ring any bells. “I don’t know anything about him.”
“I’m not surprised,” Gemma said in a dry tone. “Lord Zale doesn’t go onto the surface anymore.”
“He’s what you might call a tenured representative, your majesty,” Rune said with a slight grimace.
The phrase immediately brought up the image of an aging college professor who refused to retire despite his inability to stay awake during his own lectures anymore.
“Hmm,” I hummed. “Right.”
“He was appointed by King Roman early in his reign,” Gemma said.
The sexy mermaid started to lead us out of the infirmary through another door and down a longer bubble tunnel. We turned closer to the center of the city, and soon we were walking under stone archways and beneath towering stone buildings. Merfolk swam all over the place like pedestrians in New York City, and most of them stopped to gawk and wave at me. I did my best to put on a friendly face and waved to as many of my subjects as I could manage.
The whole thing felt a bit like a reverse fish tank, just as I’d imagined, and I wished there was a way I could swim with them instead of being isolated behind the bubble walls.
“Lord Zale was a very hard-working and well-loved representative for decades,” Gemma said as she led our group. “He did incredible work for the merfolk, and he earned a place of great respect. Now, he’s well on in years, but he refuses to step down from the position.”
“If I recall correctly,” Rune said, “King Vairn didn’t see any reason to appoint someone new to his position. The work was getting done.”
“Yes,” Gemma said, and she grimaced over her shoulder at me. “My brother and the other representatives of the region have filled in for Lord Zale. They’ve picked up the slack, so to speak, so King Vairn wouldn’t have noticed any issues.”
There was a frown in Gemma’s magenta eyes, and I could tell she wasn’t thrilled by this arrangement. I decided to see what could be done about Lord Zale and his region.
“Why does he refuse to step down?” Ivis asked the question I was wondering, too.
“Because he is old,” Gemma scoffed. “He enjoys the status and perception the title allows him.”
Maybe I could persuade him with an honorary title to relinquish the representative’s seat, and then I could appoint someone new to the position.
“Be sure to speak clearly when you meet him later,” Gemma added, and she pointed to her ear. “His hearing isn’t what it used to be.”
I grinned at the comical look on her beautiful face, and she smiled back at me.
“These are our guest suites,” Gemma said, and there was a slight blush to her cheeks. “It’s sort of like a human hotel. I’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I realized we’d walked straight through the heart of Salirius City to the opposite side. The large buildings were behind us now, and the infirmary was clear across the maze-like city.
Gemma led us down a long bubble corridor that was much more opaque than the ones we’d seen so far. They were like frosted glass windows, and they offered good privacy to each of the bubble rooms behind the circular doorways.
“Rune, your room is here,” Gemma said as she pointed to a doorway, and then she raised her other hand to indicate a door right beside it. “Nyxx, your room is here.”
I could see the urge to insist on being as close to my room as possible for security purposes, but before Nyxx could object, Gemma continued.
“His Majesty’s room is right there,” Gemma said, and she pointed to the room across the hall from Nyxx’s. “And Ivis’ room is right beside his. So you’re all right next to one another.”
Nyxx nodded her head, and I could see the nearly imperceptible smirk at the corner of her mouth.
“Sounds good to me,” Rune said, and he stuck his head through the frosted bubble doorway to have a look.
“Do the bubble walls work the same way as the doors?” Ivis wondered as she stared at Rune’s body halfway through the frosted membrane.
“No,” Gemma chuckled. “The walls are made with a more dense material, so you can’t just pass through them like that.”
Gemma extended her arm and pointed at the clear structure that made up the circular door frame.
“This frame here keeps the membrane in place,” Gemma explained.
“It’s strangely fascinating,” Rune chuckled as he stood up straight again. “And it’s nearly soundproof. I could hear you saying something but only just barely.”
“Your bags should already be in your rooms.” Gemma smiled. “I’ll have a member of my staff come to collect you in a few hours for dinner.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I searched for a reason to reach out and touch her.
Gemma’s eyes sparkled as she stared at me, and a zap of electricity crackled in the air between us. “Let me know if there’s anything you need, your majesty.”
The sultry shift in her voice and the way her eyes narrowed just a fraction of an inch completely altered the tone of her sentence, and my skin got hot.
“Alright, see you all later,” Rune said, and without another word, he stepped through the doorway into his room.
“I’m going to check out my room,” Ivis said in a breathy voice, and she walked a few feet to her doorway and disappeared inside.
“Is there anything you need, your majesty?” Nyxx asked.
“No, I’m good,” I said. “Take a break for a little while. I’ll see you later.”
Nyxx nodded, walked into her room, and left me alone in the hallway with Gemma.
“We’re all very glad to have you here in the city, your majesty,” Gemma whispered.
“I’m glad to be here,” I said, and I leaned a bit closer to her. “The city is beautiful.”
Gemma smiled, and she lingered in the corridor like there was more she wanted to say. Then she shook her head slightly and cleared her throat.
“I have some business to attend to before dinner tonight,” Gemma said, and I could hear the disappointment in her voice.
Despite her excuse, she still didn’t make a move toward leaving, and I figured now was a good time to make a move.
“I’d like to spend some time alone with you while I’m here,” I said in a voice that was bolder than I felt.
“Is there a matter you wanted to discuss?” Gemma asked.
“No.” I smirked. “I wanted to spend some free time with you. If you have any to spare, that is.”
Gemma’s smile spread slowly across her face until she was grinning like a schoolgirl. She pressed her lips back into a more casual smile and nodded confidently.
“I would enjoy that very much, your majesty,” Gemma said.
“Good,” I murmured, and my voice was raspier than normal.
I leaned in closer than good manners would have allowed, and I let my eyes rake down her frame to make sure there wasn’t a bit of confusion in my next sentence.
“You look stunning, by the way,” I purred.
“Your majesty,” Gemma chided me with a playful grin. “Your correspondences have been quite flirtatious.”
“As have yours,” I chuckled.
“Yes,” Gemma hummed. “I was worried the flirtations would stop when you arrived in the city. I’m very glad to see they haven’t.”
Gemma leaned closer to me, and she was so close to me in height that I would barely have to bend down to kiss her.
“Me, too.” I grinned.
“Unfortunately,” Gemma sighed and straightened back up. “I really do have some urgent business to attend to. I have a scouting team returning any minute now. Hopefully they will have information that will help us in our investigation of Rhaiden’s allies.”
“That is very important business,” I agreed in a serious tone. “I really appreciate all your hard work, and the hard work of your soldiers and scouts.”
“We are honored to assist the crown in any way we can,” Gemma said in a loyal tone, but her eyes were filled with mischief. “I will see you later for dinner, your majesty.”
“See you later.” I smirked.
Gemma narrowed her eyes playfully at me before she walked away, and I felt zero guilt about watching her until she turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.
“Aahh,” I sighed, and I walked into my room.
The room was as gorgeous as the rest of the city I’d seen so far. It was a large dome shape with several small porthole-style windows that were the clear bubble membrane, and the rest of the bubble walls were the same frosted membrane as the hallways. A massive bed took up most of the back quarter of the room, and a large couch sat across from it. There wasn’t any art to speak of, but there were tropical plants positioned in stone pots around the floor.
I suddenly realized the temperature of the bubble buildings was very pleasant, and I wondered again what kind of heating system they had. I knew the ocean was freezing cold this deep, but the air in the bubbles felt like a comfortable seventy-two degrees.
I scanned the room and spotted my luggage on the cushioned bench at the foot of the bed, and then I noticed a circular doorway that was positioned conspicuously close to what would have been the wall of Ivis’ room.
My eyebrows raised with curiosity as I walked over and inspected the doorway. There wasn’t anything solid to knock on, and I debated how best to get Ivis’ attention. Rune had said the frosted bubble walls were nearly soundproof, and I considered just sticking my hand through to wave at Ivis.
“Nah.” I shook my head.
I didn’t want to scare her.
I stood there for another few seconds, and then I nearly jumped out of my skin when Ivis’ green hands suddenly thrust through the membrane from her side of the bubble walls.
Her disembodied arm waved awkwardly, and then she clenched her fingers into a fist and yanked her hand back into her side. I chuckled lightly at the obvious embarrassment of the action, and I slowly moved my hand through to her side and gave a little wave. Then I curled a finger in invitation and stepped away from the door.
Ivis hesitated only a second before she walked straight through the membrane and into my room.
“Hey,” I murmured softly because I couldn’t form any other words even if my life had depended on it.
Ivis had changed out of her clothes and wore a shiny silky bathrobe that ended mid-thigh. It was a beautiful shade of green that was the color of sea foam, and it did nothing to keep me from seeing the pointed tips of her nipples.
“I…” Ivis breathed nervously. “I wasn’t sure how to knock.”
“Neither was I,” I said with a smile, and I let my eyes roam over the shape of her body under the silky robe. “You look stunning.”
Ivis blushed that pretty shade of green, and she fisted her hands like she was forcing herself not to try and hide behind them. Then she stuck out her chin boldly and yanked the tie of her robe until the silky fabric slid open and revealed her naked body.
“Fuck,” I breathed.
Chapter 4
Ivis’ nipples were a darker shade of green like the blush that I’d come to love so much, and her body was completely smooth. There wasn’t a single patch of bark-like skin anywhere in sight, and as I stared at her, that delightful blush spread across her full breasts and down between her thighs.
“Your majesty?” Ivis asked in a shy voice, and she started to close her robe.
“No,” I growled softly as I stepped forward, and I grabbed the silky material to keep her from hiding from me. “I want to look at you.”
Ivis sucked in a shallow breath and let her hands drop to her sides as I held the robe open to enjoy the curves and planes of her body.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” I purred.
I moved slowly so she had plenty of time to stop me, but I prayed to the Goddess she wouldn’t. My hands slid around her waist, and I gently urged her forward until I could capture her lips with mine.
“Oooh,” Ivis gasped the second before I kissed her.
She tasted like the forest, and I could smell the arousal coming off her in waves. Her lips parted under the probing pressure of my kiss, and I laid my palms flat on the small of her back. With a little push, she stepped forward, and I molded her body to the shape of mine.
Having her nearly naked in my arms while I was still fully clothed was wildly arousing, and she gasped around my kiss when I pressed her against my erection. I took full advantage of the opportunity and pushed my tongue into her mouth.
I’d kissed Ivis plenty of times over the last several weeks, but it had been nothing like this. There was a pounding passion in my veins, and I could taste the desire on her tongue stronger than ever before. It only sent my own arousal higher.
My hands wandered freely under her robe until they came up to her shoulders, and I pushed the silky fabric to the floor. Then I delved my fingers up into her green hair, and I was amazed at how soft the dark green oak leaves of her hair were. I’d expected them to feel like ordinary leaves from a tree, but they were just as soft and supple as the rest of her hair.
