Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series) (11 page)

Politely pushing my way through the
crowd, I made my way to the side of the room and towards the
awaiting party. Kain, his mother, my mother, and a few other
important political clan members were all lined up and talking
amongst themselves. Kain’s mother was trying to smooth down his
hair and he kept pulling away and swatting at her hand. I smiled at
that scene and when he caught my eye, he just grinned and shook his
head. Nothing like your mother doting over you before the most
important day of your life.

“
It looks fine,” I
whispered as I slid in next to his side. He was still fiddling with
it as a regal old man took the stage and began speaking. In just a
few moments, we were all called up to the platform and the ceremony
began. There was a formal agenda to follow that my mother had
actually briefed me on. Basically, my role was to stand in the back
and smile. There was nothing for me to say and nothing for me to do
until the end when I was asked to pin the shield on
Kain.

My hands were shaking when I picked up
the small ornate broach off of the pillow the old man was holding
out to me. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that a whole
bunch of people had their attention focused on me, or if it was
because the shield seemed to pulse with electricity. I had never
touched a valuable clan item before and although I’d heard stories
about them being charmed with merfolk essence and magic, I had
always thought that was a fairy tale. But this shield seemed to
radiate energy. It trickled through my fingers and up my arms as I
looked at it in awe. Kain quietly cleared his throat, bringing me
back to the present and encouraging me to continue with the task. I
smiled up at him and took a step forward.

The shield didn’t have a clasp or a
pin and after a brief stir of panic rushed through me, I remembered
that it will adhere to the leader without any physical attachments.
It was another sign of our magic and birthright; a shield will only
adjoin with its rightful owner. I lifted my hands and held out the
broach towards an area on Kain’s upper left chest, just above his
heart. In an instant, the shield literally jumped from my hands to
land on his body. He took in a deep, shuddering breath, closed his
eyes, and froze.

The room was silent; not even the
rotating ceiling fans seemed to make a noise. Everyone was
watching. Waiting. I jumped when Kain suddenly let out a sigh and
opened his eyes. He grabbed my hand and squeezed, using me for
support in front of everyone. His grip was intense, but a few
seconds later he released some of that tension but kept a hold of
my hand. I moved to his side so that my back was not facing the
curious crowd anymore.

“
It is done,” the old man
declared. “I give you Kain Harlan Matthew, leader of the Matthew
Clan and Protector of All.” Kain stepped forward pulling me along
with him since he was still holding my hand. The room erupted in
cheer and a few of our friends in the back of the room whistled
loudly with delight.

“
That was intense,” Kain
whispered through his smile. I looked at him questioning his
comment, but he never had a chance to explain further. A round of
sitting sessions occurred next so that there could be an official
portrait of the ceremony and of Kain. It would hang in all of the
Matthew Clan houses as well as any official political building. The
remainder of the day seemed to pass in a blur and once darkness
came, we finally had a chance to relax and unwind.

Our friends had started a bon fire
down at the beach. After exchanging the formal gown for a pair of
jeans and a sweater, I took out my hair and walked downstairs to go
join them. Kain met me in the kitchen, already free of his official
attire except for the gold shield still attached to his
chest.

“
Why did you do that?” I
asked pointing to the broach. I didn’t think that he would have to
wear it all night. He looked down at it awkwardly while pulling his
shirt away from his body.

“
I don’t know. It was like
I couldn’t leave the room until it was attached to me again.” He
shook his head and laughed. “Freaky stuff.”

“
Yeah, no kidding. Wouldn’t
it be nice if our elders would enlighten us about more
things?”

“
Agreed,” he said as we
walked through the doors, down our large deck, and towards the
beach. The night was cool and crisp, and the smell of smoke and
burning driftwood filled my senses. It was just after nine but from
the sounds of laughter and chortling coming from the bon fire
crowd, it seemed as though the night was just beginning.

With that thought, my heart froze.
This was going to be the last time I would set foot on my beach.
The last time I would see my friends. The last time I would see
Kain before breaking his heart. Once again, the guilt stomped down
to smothered my excitement and I didn’t realize that I had stopped
walking until Kain spoke.

“
What’s wrong?” he
asked.

“
Nothing,” I said a little
too sharply. I really didn’t know what excuse to use. He gave me a
look and I shook my head. “Really, it’s nothing.”

He moved his body in front of mine,
effectively blocking the pathway to the fire and our friends.
“Listen, I know that you are not thrilled about the wedding
tomorrow, but I promise you that I will do what I can to make you
happy.” He grabbed my hands and pulled them to his chest. “I want
us to be partners in this, Eviana. I won’t keep you in the dark
like your mother. I won’t force you to stop seeing Brendan.” I
dropped my head, weighed down by my heavy conscience with the
mention of Brendan’s name. “We can do this.”

“
I know,” I whispered
without making eye contact.

“
Eviana, look at me,” Kain
demanded. I lifted my head and hoped that he wouldn’t comment on my
glistening eyes. “Please know that I will do anything for
you.
Be
anything
for you. All you have to do is ask.”

I would never understand why Kain
continued to place me on a pedestal and hold me in such high
regards. It was clear that he was in love with me, and I suppose
that a part of me deeply cared for him as well. But I did not
deserve his affection or his attention. And he certainly didn’t
deserve the pain and humiliation he was going to face tomorrow
morning when I was gone. I frantically wished there was some way I
could tell him or warn him. But I knew I couldn’t and that fact
seared through my bones like a knife.

“
You are a good man, Kain.”
The words were flowing without a filter now. “Please know that. And
if something were to happen to me, I want you to find someone else
and be happy with them. Don’t mourn me. Don’t hate me. Just live
your life.”

“
Why would I hate you?” His
brows were pinched in concern.

“
Just promise me that you
will live and move on. Please!” I squeezed his hands harder and
pulled them against my body. Escaped tears were rolling down my
cheeks adding authenticity to my plea. Kain leaned forward and
kissed my forehead.

“
Okay. I promise. Now stop
crying.” He was trying to tease me, but his voice was strained. I
took a deep breath and sighed.

“
Thank you,” I breathed,
but the remorse and fear of his impending pain and heartbreak were
still stirring around at the surface of my skin. I looked up at
Kain and could see that he was studying my behavior. So much for
playing along and keeping my cool. To distract him, I let go of our
entwined hands and wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him
towards our friends. “Let’s go. They’re probably waiting for
us.”

It took a few tugs but Kain finally
began walking with me. He slipped his arm over my shoulder and we
approached the orange fire ball. Shadows from the flames cut
throughout the collection of mermaids sitting next to each other in
a semicircle facing the ocean. We found an empty spot in the sand
at the edge of the group, and I sat down while Kain walked to the
other side to greet Vance and Daniel. My sister’s annoying voice
squawked out a laugh and I almost told her to go home. But then I
thought about it some more. She should be here to represent our
family, because in just a few hours, I would be leaving. I didn’t
know what would happen to me in regards to clan politics, but at
least they would still have one Dumahl left that everyone could
count on.

“
What’s going on with you?”
a smooth, silky voice asked. I hadn’t even noticed that anyone had
sat down next to me.

“
Huh?”

Carissa threw back her head and
laughed. “Very eloquent, Eviana.” Her longs legs were folded
underneath her and she held some sort of drink in her hand. “You
are going to be wife of a clan leader tomorrow. Better get all of
the one syllable words out tonight.” I think that she was toying
with me, but it was still kind of rude. Choosing to ignore my
glare, she continued to press. “I saw your exchange back there.”
She jerked her head behind us towards the place where Kain and I
had stopped.

“
And?”

“
And I wanted to see if
everything was okay with you two. Is someone getting cold feet?”
Her shoulder pushed against mine and I tried to pull out a
smile.

“
No. Everything is
fine.”

Carissa sat and stared at me for at
least half a minute before shaking her head. “You’re
lying.”

“
No I’m not.”

“
You are. I know.” I looked
at her with curiosity. She said that like it was a fact. Like she
really could declare when someone was lying and when someone was
telling the truth. “There is something going on with
you.”

I didn’t like the way this
conversation was going, so I decided for a distraction. Maybe a
partial truth would keep her busy. “I’m nervous. I’m going to be a
child bride.”

She laughed again and the serious look
she was giving me disappeared. “That’s not all that’s bugging you,
but it’s a start. You’ll be eighteen in no time.” She waved her
hand around. “Besides seventeen was practically middle-aged back in
the day.”

“
Yeah, like a hundred years
ago,” I said with a groan, getting another chuckle out of
her.

“
What’s so funny?” Lily cut
in with authentic curiosity.

“
Oh, just talking girl
stuff,” Carissa replied coolly. When Lily looked at her
questioningly, she continued in a friendlier tone. “We’re
discussing her upcoming nuptials.”

“
Oh! I’m so excited for
you!” Lily exclaimed and plunked down in front of us. “Tell me
about your dress. Who’s doing your hair? Are you going on a
honeymoon?”

And so went the rest of my evening.
Brendan would be proud of me. I spoke of the wedding with ease,
swallowing the ball of guilt each time it tried to escape. For
several hours, all of our friends talked, laughed, and shared
stories about Cotillion and how Kain would never have to go again.
He played along, although I could sense his unease when the topic
broached his father’s death. No one spoke of it outright, but
whenever his new leadership was mentioned, it was an unspoken link
to his father’s legacy.

By midnight, we had doused the fire
and returned to my house. Everyone said their goodbyes, but mine
were pierced with the reality that I would not see any of them
again. Brendan and I would be safest if we cut all ties from our
current lives. Besides, once they realized what I had done to Kain
and our families, I doubted that any of my friends would ever want
to speak to me again.

Surprisingly, saying goodbye to
Carissa was hard. She had spent the entire evening by my side,
refereeing Lily and Brinsley and changing the subject when she
sensed that I was uncomfortable.

“
Whatever it is, I hope
that you are sure,” she said to me as we hugged goodbye. I jerked
back in surprise but she walked away before I could ask.

“
She’s an interesting one,”
Kain said from behind me. I turned and looked at him.

“
What do you
mean?”

“
Carissa. I can’t quite
figure her out,” he said while still staring after her retreating
form.

“
That makes two of us,” I
mumbled back. He shrugged and stepped towards me.

“
I’m going to go too. We
have a big day tomorrow.” His mouth curved up in a grin and I had
to return it. He was standing there with his heart on his sleeve
again. I wrapped my arms around his solid body and rested my head
against his chest. The steady beating of his heart soothed me like
a lullaby and suddenly I didn’t want to let go.

He rubbed his hands against my back in
a calming motion and we swayed back and forth. Neither of us said
anything for a long time. In fact, I began to get sleepy because
his presence was so relaxing for me. When he pulled away, the angry
ball of shame began clawing around in my stomach again.

“
I will see you in the
morning, Eviana. Sleep well.” He kissed me quickly on the mouth and
then walked out the door. I didn’t say anything. Didn’t do
anything. I let him walk away knowing that his world would change
tomorrow. He would face humiliation and embarrassment, and worst of
all, he would hate me. I stood there, with my hand on the door,
watching him walk out of my life permanently.

“
Goodbye, Kain,” I
whispered and closed the door with a click.