Page 23 of A Kiss of Healing & Honor (Darkstone Academy #4)

The next evening, I swam alongside the ship, resting my aching arms.

Hours of towing the ship had left me weary. I was beyond grateful for the warriors of Dolphin Clan, who’d agreed to help me bring the crippled vessel to Baleares.

Trails of blue-green sea-light shimmered around me with every movement as I headed toward the back of the ship, and the crude sleeping-net that Dolphin Clan had knotted from ropes.

Then movement above me caught my attention. I surfaced and there she was—Jacinthe, leaning against the ship’s railing.

My chest tightened with longing. How long had it been since we’d had a moment together in privacy?

The memories of our recent trials flashed through my mind: the frantic preparations for Jacinthe’s duel, the cruel separation enforced by Lady Margitts, the fear that gripped me when Jacinthe was taken to the duke’s floating prison. And yesterday, she’d been surrounded by people from the hour of her rescue until she retired to the cabin she shared with her mother, Lady Alondra and Lady Karminn.

But now she was tantalizingly close. And alone for once.

I called out. “Jacinthe, my mate. Join me in the water?”

I wondered if she would refuse my request. Every line of her body spoke of weariness, of a long day tending the duke’s defeated warriors.

Thinking back on my conversation with Ilhan and Alondra last night, I struggled to understand their reasoning. Why would anyone want to spend precious effort healing defeated enemies? It was dangerous to leave foes alive. Everyone knew that.

Princess Jonquil should act in her capacity as clan matriarch and dispose of those men, I thought.

Perhaps I would suggest it to her, though Ilhan and Alondra’s reactions made me think that perhaps the princess would react with similar squeamishness.

I was distracted watching my brave, impulsive mate glance quickly around before shedding her clothes with swift, eager movements. My heart leaped with joy and desire as she climbed the railing, her smooth-skinned form silhouetted against the starry sky.

She dove, a graceful arc that barely disturbed the water’s surface. I surged forward, my arms outstretched to greet her.

As she surfaced, droplets shining in her tightly braided hair, I pulled her close and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. Her warm arms twined around my neck and she responded with enthusiasm.

I cradled her to my chest, reveling in the feel of her soft curves pressing against me. “I’ve missed you, my mate,” I murmured, trailing kisses along her jaw. “These days apart have been torture.”

Jacinthe’s laugh was breathless as she pressed herself closer. “Then we have some lost time to make up for, don’t we?”

We floated together in the warm southern sea, trading deep, hungry kisses and tender caresses. The ship moved past us as the Dolphin Clan warriors pulled steadily on the ropes, but I knew I could easily catch up with it again when the time came to return Jacinth to the Drylanders.

Our soul-bond thrummed between us, a connection deeper than the vast ocean surrounding us. I would gladly spend eternity like this, cradled in the sea’s embrace.

I couldn’t resist the urge to explore Jacinthe’s body further, my lips and hands tracing familiar paths that I knew would ignite her passion. As I kissed and nibbled her earlobes and the sensitive spots on her throat that made her sigh and her pulse speed up, I felt my arousal swelling in my lower body. My clasping tentacles and penis slid out of my genital sheath with a rush of anticipation.

Jacinthe kissed me hard, wrapping her legs around my hips and pulling me closer.

I pulled Jacinthe against me, using my tail to spread Jacinthe’s thighs as my tentacles slid around her waist, and I positioned myself for our joining.

But before I could enter her, Jacinthe’s voice broke through my haze of desire. “Tama, wait. Can I… can I do something for you first?”

I paused, curious. “What did you have in mind, my love?”

A blush colored her cheeks as she spoke. “I want to pleasure you with my mouth. Like that time with Boreas, remember?”

The memory of my energetic encounter with Jacinthe and the Wind-Walker sent a fresh jolt of arousal through me. Spirits of the Abyss, how I wanted to feel her lips and tongue on me again!

But I’d been taught that a man’s mate should always be satisfied first.

“Maybe after I’ve seen to your pleasure,” I said, my voice husky with desire.

She laughed. “Why don’t we pleasure each other at the same time?”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the suggestion. “Oh?”

Jacinthe nodded, her eyes dark with desire. “Yes. I think you’ll like it.”

At her command, I rolled onto my back, letting the water support us. Then I lifted Jacinthe on top of me, with her face over my erection.

As she wriggled around, positioning herself, I enjoyed the sight of her intimate folds so close to my face.

“Is this all right?” Jacinthe asked, her voice breathy with anticipation.

“It’s perfect,” I assured her, kissing my way up the inside of her thighs.

Then her mouth enveloped me, and all coherent thought fled. The sensation was exquisite—warm, wet, and impossibly soft. I groaned, the sound muffled against her flesh as I buried my face between her legs, eager to return the pleasure she was giving me.

I maintained our position on the surface with tiny flicks of my tail, which had the unexpected side effect of thrusting my penis deeper into her welcoming mouth.

Jacinthe’s clever tongue swirled around me, and I felt my tentacles instinctively reaching for her, holding her in place against me.

As we explored each other, the sea around us came alive with swirls of brilliant blues and greens, as if the ocean itself celebrated our union.

I used everything I’d learned about her body to bring her pleasure. My tongue found her most sensitive spots, alternating between gentle licks and firm pressure. Her arousal poured through our soul-link, intensifying my own.

As our passion built, so did the intensity of the sea-light around us. We were surrounded by a living light, pulsing in time with our movements.

The vibration sent pleasant shivers through me. I knew she was close to her climax, so I redoubled my efforts, nibbling, licking, and sucking at her.

Then she made a muffled scream, and I felt her flutter and pulse against my mouth as her climax took her. Jacinthe writhed against me, panting and moaning around my penis, and pleasure as strong as sunlight suffused our bond.

Her release triggered my own. My hips snapped up as my orgasm roared through me and poured out. I filled her mouth with my seed, and felt her swallow it down, then clean me with soft strokes of her tongue.

Afterwards, I continued to float on my back, cradling Jacinthe in my arms as we basked in the afterglow.

The stars above us mirrored the sea-lights in the water, creating a dome of twinkling lights that stretched as far as the eye could see. Pride swelled in my chest—I had satisfied my mate, and her contented sighs were music to my ears.

“Thank you,” she murmured, kissing my chest. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’m not done with you yet,” I warned her, nuzzling her neck. “I won’t return you to the ship until you’re too limp to swim.”

Jacinthe laughed softly, the slight movement sending ripples of light through the water. “Is that a promise, Tama?”

“On my honor as a warrior,” I replied, unable to keep the smile from my voice.

She turned in my arms, her skin glistening in the starlight, and pressed a slow, sensual kiss to my lips. When she pulled away, her eyes were serious.

“Tama,” she began, her voice soft but clear, “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me since we first met. And especially for risking your life to rescue me yesterday.”

I shook my head. “I need no thanks from you, Jacinthe. You are my mate. I would do anything for you.”

She took a deep breath, and I felt a sudden, inexplicable dread. “But don’t you want your freedom, Tama? Lady Erzabetta and Lord Roderigo violated the terms of the peace treaty. You’re no longer bound to Darkstone Island as a diplomatic hostage. You can return home to your people now.”

The words hit me like a blow to the chest. I stared at her, uncomprehending. “What are you saying?”

“I know how much you hated Darkstone Castle. You always called your rooms there ‘stone boxes,’” she explained, her voice trembling with emotion. “You don’t have to go back to anything like that now.”

I felt as though I was sinking, though we still floated on the surface. Does my mate really want me to leave?

The very idea was like a knife to my heart.

“No,” I snarled. “You’re mine, and I want to stay with you.”

Jacinthe’s eyes widened in surprise. “But Tama, I thought—”

A terrible suspicion crept into my mind, poisoning my thoughts.

“Is this about Ilhan?” I couldn’t help adding bitterly, “The one who rescued you where Boreas and I failed?”

Jacinthe’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What? No, Tama, that’s not—”

“You are my mate, Jacinthe,” I said, my hands gripping her shoulders gently but firmly. The bioluminescent swirls in the water cast an eerie glow on her face. “Were you lying when you told me you loved me?”

Jacinthe shook her head wildly. Her hands cupped my face. “No! Of course not! I love you with my heart and soul.”

I searched our soul bond and felt only distress and sincerity. “Then why are you trying to send me away?” I asked, puzzled.

“I’m trying to give you a choice.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “You’re one of the Sea-People, Tama. I know how difficult it is for you to live on dry land, how having legs feels like torture.” She leaned in to kiss me.

“I just want you to be happy,” she continued, her thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I don’t want you to have to sacrifice everything that you are just to be with me.”

I let out a long breath of relief. Jacinthe wasn’t rejecting me! In her own misguided way, she was trying to protect me.

I leaned forward, resting my forehead against hers. “If you truly want me as your mate, then I will do whatever it takes to stay with you. No matter the cost.”

Jacinthe’s eyes widened, a mix of surprise and hope flickering across her face. “But I don’t want you to sacrifice—”

I interrupted her ruthlessly. “I was Walrus Clan’s most junior warrior,” I confessed, feeling bitterness flow over my tongue along with the words. “In the months since Clan Grandmother sent me to the Drylanders as a hostage, I’ve realized she chose me because I was disposable.”

“Oh, Tama, no—” Jacinthe began, distress flowing through our link.

I pressed a finger to her lips. “No, it is the truth. I had no mate, no children. I have not lived long enough to offer the wisdom of experience to my clan. Walrus Clan sent me away because they did not need me, Jacinthe.”

“But I need you,” she said in a choked voice.

“I know.” I cupped her face in my hands, marveling at the warmth of her skin against my palms. “So, do not send me away.”

Jacinthe’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I won’t. I want you to stay. But I had to give you the choice.”

I smiled at her, feeling a weight lift from my spirit. “You are my clan now, Jacinthe. My home.”

The stars above us seemed to shimmer with possibility, mirroring the happiness that now blossomed in my chest.

“I will do anything to stay by your side, my mate,” I continued. “Even if it means shifting back to human shape when we arrive in Baleares.”

Jacinthe’s eyes widened. “But Tama, your merman form—it’s who you are. I couldn’t possibly ask you to—”

I shook my head, silencing her protest. “The older members of my old clan could work shape-changing magic to visit the Drylanders and trade with them. Gwydion has offered to teach me how to shift between Drylander and Sea-People bodies.”

Jacinthe’s fingers intertwined with mine, her touch sending a familiar warmth through my body. “Are you sure, Tama? Living as a human—that’s an enormous sacrifice.”

I smiled, bringing her hand to my lips. “It’s not a sacrifice if it means being with you. And once I’ve mastered the shape-changing spell, I can change back and swim in the sea whenever I like.”

I changed positions in the water and drew Jacinthe against me. My clasping tentacles wrapped around her thighs and parted them.

“Let me show you how much you mean to me,” I whispered, bending to kiss her breasts.

As I pulled her onto my reawakened penis, I marveled at how perfectly we fit together. The sea cradled us as I thrust into her warm, welcoming body, claiming her for my own.

Soon, I would have to swim to the ship and return her to the others. But for now, I could pretend we were the only two beings in the entire world.