The Syren Queen | The Oceane Series

Nine

I looked up from my dinner plate, the sharp sound of our silverware scraping against the porcelain plates filled the dining room. Ronan’s face was calm as he ate as if he couldn’t feel my magic radiating off of my skin when I knew it had been ever since he came into my kingdom. I couldn’t help admire his courage, how he didn’t seem to be bothered by the dark tendrils on my power the spiraled around me, as it waited for my command.

I watched as he looked up, his blue eyes staring back at me before he spoke in an almost joking tone, “Do you like what you see?”

I couldn’t help the blush from creeping up my skin as I looked away before looking back at him, “No.” I lied, but my tone betrayed me as Ronan smiled, a almost cheeky grin across his features.

“I see how it is.” He said while standing, waving the servants off as they tried to grab his plate before he made his way casually over to my side of the table, “Are you finished eating?”

“Um, yes.” I replied, looking up at him, “Are you asking if you can take my plate?”

He only nodded before I stood while he grabbed my plate from the table and handed it to one of the servants. I stood still as I watched him reach out to touch me, his hand grazing my cheek in an almost cautious manner before he brushed my hair out of my eyes. I held my breath as I stared back at him, finding myself taking a step toward him before he wrapped his arm around my waist. I couldn’t help myself as I looked down at his lips and then back up into his gorgeous blue eyes. Suddenly he leaned in, my heart thumping hard against my chest as he pressed his lips against my own. They were soft and I could feel the need in his kisses as I found my fingers digging into his full head of hair when he pulled me closer to him and in this moment, I forgot about the things I had done. I forgot I had turned evil and my people were creatures who brought fear into the world and all I could focus on was the feeling of Ronan’s body against mine and I knew I wanted him. I wanted him but I would never force him and, in an effort to stop what I knew was happening, I broke the kiss, untangling myself from him and swimming a few feet away hoping we wouldn’t do what I knew we both wanted. Regardless if we haven’t spoken to each other in years and new barely anything about each other.

“What – what’s wrong?” Ronan asked, his brow furrowed as his face burned a bright red.

“Nothing's wrong, I--" I paused looking away, “I don’t, Ronan I--"

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder heavy and comforting all at the same time as if they were trying to reassure me that everything was going to be alright. “It’s okay, I understand.” I heard Ronan say as I turned to look at him, concern and worry evident on my face but his was entirely calm, “You want to take your time and you don’t believe you deserve me because you killed Kai. And I won’t stop trying to help you become the Symari I know you were supposed to be.”

I let out a shaky breath, unsure of what I should say to the Symari Lord before me. “I don’t want to hurt you Ronan. And I don’t want to be with you if I'm still filled with the need for revenge.”

“I know, that’s why we should work on bringing you back to the kind Symari who loves to read that I know is in there somewhere.” Ronan smiled, swimming towards me, “But, maybe we should make you more comfortable.”

“Comfortable?” I asked and just as I began to speak his tail began to change into a pair of human legs. An ability I hadn’t known he had. With wide eyes I looked back up at him, my face burning as I tried not to stare at the new appendages he now hosted.

“Now you can feel comfortable in your own skin around me, because we will be the same.” Ronan said, his smile never faltered.

“How did you do that?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“You mother.” He shrugged, before taking a step toward me, “You look tired, we should probably retire to bed.”

And before I could register what was happening, Ronan picked me up into his arms and ran towards my bedroom, not carding as I yelled at him to put me down or the fact that several of my Syrens ran after him before he closed the door behind us. He gently set me down, grinning like a fool as I hit him on his shoulder light and playful as I intended it to me.

“You’re still sleeping on the floor.” I said before pausing in front of the dresser, only realizing that he was almost naked behind me and I would need to change inti my night gown and there were no rooms for me to change, “Turn around."

“What?”

“I said, turn around.” I replied turning to face him, “I don’t want to change in front of you.”

“Oh, um, sorry.” He apologized before he did as he was told and we both changed into our night clothes, both of us catching quick glances if the other and then looking away as if we couldn’t help ourselves.

And when I watched him started to get settled in the floor instead of the bed, I sighed, shaking my head before making the decision that would start a chain of reactions, we would never come back from, “Ronan, you ding have to sleep on the floor. You can – you can sleep with me.”