Always Remembered (37 page)
Authors: Kelly Risser
Tags: #romance, #fantasy, #young adult, #mermaid, #selkie, #scottish folklore, #fairtytale
I looked up at him and rolled my eyes. “I was
gone a week, Dad. That’s nothing.”
Visiting with Ula was a blast. The first
thing she did was drill me for information on how things were going
back home. She missed all of us. Once I learned about her world, I
was surprised she even had time to miss us. She was super busy as
the new ruler of the Blue Men.
I told her that Brigid had moved into the
apartment next to Dad’s, the one that belonged to Uncle Angus. She
started helping Dad with the day-to-day functions of the clan, too.
There was a rumor she started seeing one of the guards. Ula wanted
details on that, but all I could tell her was that I saw Brigid
walking on the beach with a man one morning. I was too far away to
determine who it was, so I had yet to confirm the gossip. In any
case, she was less edgy and smiled more these days. To Ula, that
was confirmation enough.
“You’ll miss the next Elder meeting,” Dad
said, breaking through my reminiscing with his teasing.
“I think you and Aunt Brigid will carry on
fine without us.”
I kept my voice light, but a part of me was a
little sad that I would miss my first Elder meeting. After
realizing how much my leadership helped with the battle, Dad held a
small ceremony the night before Kieran left for California and
swore me in as an Elder. When I told Ula, she squealed and pulled
me into a bear hug. Then we celebrated with too much ice cream.
Brain freeze aside, it reminded me of old times, complete with a
discussion of guys. It seemed that Vesh was not intimidated by her
new royal status. They started seeing each other privately. From
what Ula said, things were going well. Her eyes lit up when she
talked about him. Over the course of the week, I noticed how much
they watched each other, even when the other wasn’t looking. Vesh
had it just as bad as Ula, which was great in my opinion. They made
a cute couple. By the time I went home, I was satisfied that Ula
was happy. That was what mattered most.
Dad leaned forward and rested his arms next
to me on the window ledge. Together, we watched the cresting waves
and soaring gulls. It was peaceful, although my eyes wouldn’t rest.
I continued to search the horizon for any sign of Kieran. Then,
movement in the distance caught my eye.
“It’s him!” I squealed, turning to run down
to the cove and greet him.
Dad caught my arm and leaned down until our
eyes were level. “Be careful out there.” He tapped the silver
bracelet on my arm. When Ula left, she gave me hers so I could
communicate with my dad. “Send a message when you arrive.”
“I will, Dad.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
This time, I hugged him, and he kissed the
top of my head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He let me go, and I raced out the door. Once
I was outside of the fortress, I transported to the shore. A moment
later, a magnificent seal with large, chocolate eyes emerged from
the water. The air shimmered and then Kieran was standing there.
His dark eyes drilled into mine. My heart raced in response. I
thought that over time, the intense way he made me feel would start
to fade, but it was as strong as ever.
“How’s Ula?” he asked, placing his sealskin,
now in its baseball cap form, in his back pocket. The light tone in
his voice directly contrasted with the smoky expression in his
eyes.
I ran into his open arms. I’d never tire of
the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me. In his warm embrace,
I looked up and smiled. “She’s made a lot of progress. The strait
is peaceful once again.”
“Any reports on Evan?”
I knew Kieran really didn’t care how Evan was
doing, but I was touched that he asked all the same. “Evan and
Deanna enrolled a few days ago, and they found an apartment near
campus. I guess they’ll start taking classes next semester.” I
smirked. “Evan caved in and dyed his hair. I guess his mom really
flipped out when she saw him.”
“He should’ve dyed it before he went home.
How did he explain to her?”
“He…um, he…” Kieran ran light kisses along my
neck, making it hard for me to concentrate and form a complete
sentence.
“Yes?” His voice filled with humor, and his
wicked mouth moved to my ear.
My knees weakened. With some effort, I
focused enough to get my thoughts together and out of my mouth
coherently. “He told her it was a reaction to the chemicals he was
exposed to while working on the mantle plume. She thinks he was in
a hospital all this time detoxing.”
Kieran paused with his kisses to consider. “I
suppose that’s as plausible as anything.”
“Whatever.” I hit his arm playfully. “It was
a good explanation and you know it.”
His face grew serious. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” I leaned up and kissed
him. I missed his kisses a lot.
“Do you need rest?” I asked. “Do you want to
go inside and eat or something?”
We originally planned to leave as soon as he
got back. I hadn’t considered how much swimming that meant for him.
I wondered if he was up to it.
“I ate plenty on the way here.” He laughed
when I made a face. “Unlike you, I prefer my food fresh.”
“So, you’re ready?” I asked.
“If you are.” As usual, he left the decision
to me. “Did you say goodbye to your dad?”
I nodded. “We said goodbye just before you
got here. I told him that we’re leaving right away.” Running my
hand across his collarbone, I smiled when he shivered. “I know
you’re anxious to introduce me to your family, but can we make a
stop first?”
“You want to see your grandparents, don’t
you?”
“I miss them,” I said. “And I know they’re
worried about me.”
“Of course we’ll stop,” he said. “It might do
my father good to wait a few extra days. He is anxious to meet you,
though. So are my siblings.”
“What did you tell them about me?” I teased.
“Should I be nervous?”
“Only good things.” He winked. “They’ll love
you as much as I do.”
I rose up on my toes and kissed him. “I love
you, too.”
Taking my hand in his, he said, “Shall
we?”
We walked toward the ocean, the waves
welcoming us in their ever-flowing embrace. As the water lapped
over my bare feet, a shiver of anticipation traveled up my spine. I
exchanged one last grin with Kieran.
We dove in.
First, I’d like to
thank my parents, Dennis and Mary. If it weren’t for you, I
wouldn’t be here today (in more ways than one!) Thank you for your
love and guidance. You’ve always believed in my dreams, and I am
forever grateful for you.
Thank you to John, Dori, and Nate, for
letting me have the family computer most evenings and weekends. You
know how important this dream is to me, and without your support, I
wouldn’t be able to achieve it. Even if I’m zoned out in writing,
you know that I love and appreciate you!
Next, my beta readers…you all rock! You had
great feedback and caught those little errors that disappear when I
look at my manuscript. I’m so glad you loved the conclusion to
Meara’s story. You’ve been a great help, and your review of my
manuscript means more than I can say.
Thank you to Clean Teen Publishing, the CTP
street team, Nerd Girls, Cynthia Shepp, and my readers and fans.
This book would not be what it is without all of you. I appreciate
everything you do!
Kelly Risser
knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up.
Unfortunately, Fairy tale Princess was not a lucrative career.
Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of
creative business writing where she worked in advertising,
marketing, and training at various companies. Currently, she works
full time as an eLearning Instructional Designer, fitting her
creative writing into the evenings and weekends.
She’s often found lamenting, “It’s hard to
write when there are so many good books to read!” So, when she’s
not immersed in the middle of someone else’s fantasy world, she’s
busy creating one of her own. She is the author of the Never
Forgotten series—Never Forgotten, Current Impressions, and Always
Remembered. She also contributed to the Fractured Glass young adult
science fiction anthology.
Kelly lives in Wisconsin with her husband and
two children. They share their home with Clyde the Whoodle and a
school of fish.
