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Chapter Three

Nothing could have prepared her for the simple beauty that was Caspian’s human-realm home. Simple in the earthy brick cutter wall of a single-story home, the east side coated with creeping jasmine blooms and the west trimmed with saw grass. A simple wooden door opened into an indistinct room, furnished with a sofa, dining table, and some other odds and ends.

The view, on the other hand, was anything but simple.

Caspian managed to create an abode on the precipice of the cliff that peered out over the ocean unobstructed. The rich scent of seawater soothed the ache in her soul and made her yearn to return to the water. Give up the legs and weak body for her tail and scales. The water was fraught with danger, but nothing near as perilous as that to be found on the land.

Aria stood at one of two windows on the west side of the house, gazing out at the darkened waters that rolled beneath a silver sheen from the moon. The waves were gentle, an illusion that concealed the turmoil that boiled underneath.

“It’s safe to remove your cloak, Aria.”

Caspian’s voice, lacking all insult and sarcasm, snapped her out of the ocean’s trance. She hesitated before pushing the hood back to reveal what she knew to be a sallow face caught somewhere between human and mermaid. She didn’t understand why this change was so incomplete when the last time she came to land she looked as human as the next woman.

If she were honest, now she looked like a sea monster with stringy red hair and a gray-blue tint to her skin

Slowly, she turned from the window and hugged herself. Caspian placed a dish piled high with shellfish and greens and chunks of cooked red meat on the small dining table. A fork and knife flanked the dish, and a shimmering glass filled with something red caught the candlelight.

He arched a brow and motioned for her to sit. “There is no one here to hide from.”

Aria frowned, slipping quietly onto the chair. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled loudly as the scents of seasoned food filled her lungs. She picked up a shrimp, looked it over, and shoved it, tail and all, into her mouth.

A moan escaped her lips as the succulent sweetness of the crustacean conquered her taste buds. “Oh, wow.” She picked another one off the plate and devoured it faster than the first. “Mm. Delicious.”

Caspian chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve learned a few things about the kitchen since coming here.”

Another shrimp became victim to her ravenous hunger. She pointed to the plate, shamelessly asking with a full mouth, “You cooked this?”

“I did.”

Aria rolled her eyes to the ceiling, moans of delight fleeing her throat. “Amazing.”

“Glad I can appease your appetite, one way or another.” He braced his arms on the back of the chair across from her. “What are you hiding beneath the cloak, Aria?” She paused, a chunk of chilled roast meat between her fingers, and looked up at him. His fingers were steepled, his eyes sharp. “Besides the cursed bracelet.”

As she swallowed the food in her mouth, a bitter taste welled up in the back of her throat. “Nothing.”

“Then why haven’t you shed the cloak?”

“Does it bother you that much?” She began to unfasten the hooks down the front of the cloak. When she reached her belly, exposing a long slash of bare skin, Caspian threw up a hand to stop her.

“You’ve had nothing other than that flimsy piece of material? No clothing?” He pushed off the chair and groaned. His disgust made her close the cloak twice as fast as she had opened it. It wasn’t like he’d never seen her skin before. “For gods’ sake, why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“We weren’t on the best of speaking terms back at your office, if you’ll recall.”

Caspian snorted a laugh, crossing the short distance to a door. “And who’s at fault for that, princess? It hasn’t escaped my notice that you’re here not to make nice with me, but to do a sea demon’s bidding.”

He disappeared into the darkened room, leaving Aria staring at the fabulous feast before her while her appetite failed.

“I’ll run a bath for you when you’re through eating,” he called to her. “And be sure to eat, princess. Your appearance depends on nurturing your human form, if you’ve forgotten. I have my man gathering a few items of clothing for you from a local seamstress. If you’re going to traipse around this godsforsaken village like a fool, then you might as well dress and look the part. Though”—he popped his head from the room—“I’d highly discourage reckless wandering. Yours is a face hard to forget and the king will surely hear of your return from scavengers seeking hefty coin in reward.”

With a deep sigh, Aria picked through the rest of the dish of food while she listened to water run in the adjacent room. She wondered when Caspian had sent his manservant to arrange clothing for her. A soft yellow glow slid into the main room from the half-open door. Fragrant scents she wasn’t familiar with soon wafted into the main room, scents that calmed her enough to finish the plate of food and follow the sound of running water.

Caspian looked up from his perch on the edge of a copper tub, untidy locks of jet-black hair hanging over his forehead. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were rolled up past his elbows, showing off well-toned forearms. He’d always had a toned and muscled torso. Most mermen did, but his appeal had definitely grown over time. His shirt hung open over his chest, and her gaze drifted to the well-formed curves of his pecs before lifting to the gold medallion that hung around his neck. A single jewel, one she couldn’t quite discern, glinted in the artificial light.

“Test the temperature. Let me know if you wish for cooler or warmer.”

Aria stepped up to the side of the tub and dragged her fingers across the surface. The water was lukewarm, comfortable considering the ocean’s water was usually cool. Even so, her flesh erupted into tiny bumps, which Caspian must have noticed on the small sliver of skin where she’d pulled up the cloak’s sleeve. With a nod to himself, he twisted the faucet toward a red line. Steam began to rise from the water pouring into the tub.

“Caspian.” The soft tone of her voice brought his attention to her, a faint crease between his brows. She mustered a small smile. “Thank you. For your kindness.”