The Sheik and the Siren (Elemental Series) (13 page)

Chapter 16

Ebba was brought into the palace and handed over to a tall, black-skinned man who seemed to be in charge of the harem girls. He was shirtless and had a whip at his side. She wondered what it was for.

“The sheik
wants you to prepare her and teach her what he likes,” said the guard. “He is going to call for her later tonight.”

“Of course,” said the man with the whip
, taking her arm and leading her away.

“Who are you and what’s going to happen to me?” asked Ebba.

“I am Kamil, keeper of the harem,” said the man. “And what is your name?”

“Ebba-Tyne,” she answered
.

“I have another in the harem with blue hair such as you. The sheik likes that. Very much
, as it is so different.”

“That’s my mother!” she told him. “Bring me to her, please.”

“I am to wash you first,” he said. “Then you will see her and the others.”

“I’ll not have
you touching my body,” she retorted.

“There is no fear, for I am not a man capable of carrying out
sexual actions.”

“Then what is the whip for?” she asked curiously.

“That is for the harem women when they get out of line or displease Sheik Talib.”

They stopped at a small pool of water, and Ebba, feeling faint and weak
, could not wait to feel the water against her skin. Without taking off her clothes or waiting for him to instruct her, she jumped into the pool, and submerged herself in the water fully. It felt so wonderful and immediately life flowed once again through her veins. She let the water embrace her, and she felt her strength returning quickly.

Then the man’s hand grabbed her hair and yanked her
from under the water and up to the surface. She struggled to get away, and he didn’t like it.

“We can’t have you drowning befor
e we bring you before Sheik Talib ibn Tamman.”

“I won’t drown, you simpleton. I am a siren. The water can’t hurt me.”

He seemed taken aback and wary of her now. He reached for the whip and in one motion lashed it out toward her. She brought forth the water, rising it up to the ceiling and coming down atop him fully, knocking him to the ground. He sputtered and jumped to his feet.

“You are a demon,” he
said. “You would be punished for this.” He reached for his whip again, but a woman’s voice from behind stopped him.

“Kamil
, I would see to her now, as she is my daughter.”

“Aye,” he said, lowering his head and running from the room.

“Mother!” Ebba jumped out of the pool and ran to embrace her mother. It felt so good to once again be wrapped in the warmth of her arms. Mother I have missed you so much. Are you all right?”

Her mother, Doria-Nerita
gave her a sad smile and ran her hand over Ebba’s wet hair.

“I know he’s brought you here to give him the siren baby he wants to rule the world. The baby he tried to get from me but I would not give him.”

Ebba surveyed her mother, as she looked older and more wary than Ebba had remembered. She had the same long blue hair as her, but now it was pulled up high and twisted, and wrapped in veils. The end trailed down her back. Her mother was dressed in a small top of glittering gold covering her breasts. She wore a small golden bottom as well with long flowing veils from it that trailed to the floor. Her skin looked shiny as if it had been oiled and she wore small bells attached around her wrists and ankles.

“
Mother, what do you mean by that? And why are you dressed so strangely? Please tell me you didn’t have to lay with the awful man.”

“These are the clothes of a woman of the sheik’s harem,” she told her. “And yes, I have had to lay with the man
many times, but as I told you, I did not give him a baby.”

“Oh, Mother, I am so sorry.” Ebba felt such sorrow within her by what she’d just heard. “But tell me,
how could you keep from giving him a baby?”

“Daughter, being a fae, I am able to
stop my ability to procreate, and that’s what I did.”

“Then I would
do the same, just tell me how.”

“Nay, Ebba. You are young and have not had the chance yet
to have a baby. Someday you would meet a man and fall in love and want to have children together. So I would not tell you how to stop a baby from coming.”

“I have met someone already
, Mother. His name is Ace, and yes, I am in love.”

Her mother hugged here, then held her at arm’s length and looked at her closely. “You have laid with him, haven’t you?”

“I have,” she said with a smile. “And it is the most wonderful thing.”

Then her mother put
her hand on Ebba’s stomach and a shadow crossed over her face.

“What’s the matter, Mother?” asked Ebba. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You are with child, Ebba-Tyne.”

“What
do you mean?” Ebba felt a shiver of excitement course through her yet she did not believe it. “I don’t think so. If I were, surely I would know.”

“No, you wouldn’t.
You are part human, remember. Being total fae I can tell.”

“Well, then that is good,” she said. “Then the sheik won’t want me.”

“Or he’ll kill you for it. We can’t tell him.”

“I won’t lay
with him, Mother.”

“Neither do I want you to.
But we have no choice, Ebba. I have been here for over a year and tried to escape every day. But even though I am around the pools of water, we are sirens as well. We need to be submerged in the sea or we will eventually die.”

“Then we
will get you to the sea, I promise. I have come to save you.”

“Sit down, Ebba,” she told her, sitting on the side of the pool and dangling her feet in the water. Ebba did the same. “I need to tell you that my life is almost over.”

“Nay, that is not true! Don’t say that.”

“
But it is true. Not only my body suffers from being away from the sea, but my mind and soul suffer as well. I cannot go on living after what I’ve done with the sheik. Especially since he was the one who killed your father.”

“But it wasn’t your choice
to lay with him. You were forced to do it.”

“I could have taken my own life long ago
and stopped this from happening. But I didn’t, because I had the hope of one day seeing you again so I could say goodbye.”

“Don’t say that!” Ebba could not hold back the tears. “I will get you out of here
, Mother, and we will go home together.”

“The sea is our home, Ebba. Remember that always. Always stay near the sea because if you don’t you will no longer have the will to live, nor the strength to do it.”

“We will be fine, I promise you. I feel it deep inside that my lover, Asad, will come to save us.”

“Asad?” Her mother sat up straighter and looked at her though squinted eyes.
“I thought you said his name was Ace.”

“His real name is Asad but he has changed it.”

“Please don’t tell me the father of your child is Tamarian.”

“He is. But he is different from the sheik. He is kind and gentle and very thoughtful.”

“If he is anything like Sheik Talib ibn Tamman, then that will all change in time, my dear, so don’t believe it. Now tell me, which man from this desert land is his father?”

“He is n
ot sure, but his mother once belonged to this very harem.”

“Then there is no doubt in
my mind,” said Doria. “Sheik Talib, the man who is a murderer and who defiles women freely, is Asad’s father.”

Chapter 17

There was little wind at all that day, and Ace wished more than anything he had the power of the water to bring a wave behind them and a current below them to move the ship faster toward Tamaris.

For all he knew his father could have already defiled Ebba, or mayhap killed her for that matter.
He had to get to Tamaris quickly and make a bargain with the sheik to let Ebba go. He knew his misfit crew would never survive up against the sheik’s army. A trade was the only chance he’d have of saving Ebba and getting his men out of there alive.

He held up the crystal dolphin and ran his hand along the smooth stone. Ebba had done all in her power to keep him from telling them where it was. She said it would be dangerous in the wrong hands and indeed, she was correct. But he had to bring it with for leverage. Aye, she wasn’t going to like this a bit, but he really had no other choice.

“What’s that in your hands?” Juturna walked up behind him, moving smoothly on the deck of the ship for such an old woman. She surprised him all the time with her actions and surely by the brashness of her words. ’Twas too dangerous a mission to have let her come along, but he respected her choice as she had been a good friend to him as well as to Lord Drake and all the faes in the past. Besides, he would need her if any of the men were injured. He needed every hand on deck that he could possibly get.

“’Tis naught
, old healer,” he said, starting to wrap the piece again in the cloth. Juturna grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

“I am not daft,” she told him. “I think you forget I am not just a healer but also a seer. It isn’t hard to see that piece is very precious and also a stone with which to scry. Do you deny it?”

“Nay, you are right, Juturna.” He pulled his hand away. “This is a stone that allows one to see into the past, the present and also the future.”

“And what would a warrior such as yourself be doing with something like this?”

He wrapped it in the cloth and shoved it into a pouch at his side.

“I stole it
from the underwater coral cave,” he admitted. “It belongs to the siren.”

“It belonged to an ancient civilization from long ago,” said Juturna. “I’ve heard of it but never laid eyes on it
until now. It belongs to the sea, Ace. You never should have brought it here. I can already foresee trouble.”

“I had no choice,” he told her, walking to the side of th
e ship and tightening a line that had come loose.

“We always have a choice,” she said, following him. “It is the outcome because of our decisions that tends to often be irreversible.”

“You are so full of wisdom, Juturna, and I thank you for your advice. However, I would do whatever it takes to free Ebba from the evil clutches of my father.”

“Even if your
decision is the catalyst of a war between nations?”

“I won’t let it go that far,” he told her. “I only mean to use it as a lure. Once I have seen to Ebba’s safety, I will collect the piece and we will head home over the sea.”

“And how do you plan on doing that? It seems to me you will be at a disadvantage being on their soil – or should I say their sand?”

“I don’t know,” he said, gazing out over the water. “But I would do whatever it takes – even if it means killing my own father.”

* * *

Ebba waited nervously for Kamil
to take her to the sheik. She’d washed and perfumed her body with oils as instructed, and also let the other harem girls paint her eyes and cheeks with pigments of red, blue and green, as she was told that was what pleased the ruler of Tamaris.

A half dozen harem women and another half dozen servants hurried around her now, brushing her long hair and f
astening desert flowers into her circular metal headpiece adorned with jewels.

“You don’t have to do this, Ebba-Tyne,” said her mo
ther coming up to her and placing her hand on Ebba’s shoulder.

“I don’t plan on actually l
etting him bed me,” Ebba admitted, “but only to catch him off guard so I can use my powers and somehow see to our escape.”

“Hold
still, please,” said one of the harem women, tightening the straps on the small and shiny top that held her breasts trussed up to expose her cleavage. It didn’t cover much, nor did the bottom piece she wore to cover her groin which was a small, thin piece adorned with long hanging veils that reached all the way to the floor. Ebba didn’t have any qualms about being naked, as she often swam that way in the sea. But ever since Ace pointed out that all the men were lusting after her, she’d begun to look at situations differently. She didn’t fancy going in front of the lustful sheik in not more than a few veils and then be ordered to dance and move her body in seductive ways as well.

“You can’t get away from the sheik,” her mother warned her. “I’ve tried for over a year now and every time he’s caught me and punished me more severely than the time before.”

“I may not be able to do it alone, but with both of us, we will have a better chance.”

“What are you saying, Daughter?”

“I’ve heard the sheik likes us to dance for him in front of his personal bath.”

“Aye. He has a pool of water than is twice as large as ours in the harem
chamber.”

“Then we shall dance, but when we are close to the water, we will call it to our aid. Once it washes over him, he will be distracted and we can make our escape.”

“To where?” her mother asked. “He has guards posted around every corner.”

“We can sneak to the docks,” she said. “I can feel Ace’s presence
now and am sure he is alive. He is nearing, and searching for us, I am certain of it. Once his ship arrives, we can get aboard and head home.”

“’T
will never work, Ebba. Besides it is too dangerous.”

“We
cannot just stay here and be slaves of pleasure to the man who killed my father – your husband if I must remind you. Even if it sounds dangerous, ’tis the only idea I have at the moment. We have to do it, Mother.” She took her mother’s hands in hers. “Please – for father’s sake – we have to try.”

“The sheik calls all the harem
to dance for him now,” said Kamil walking in to make the announcement. He looked at Ebba and rested his hand atop his whip as a warning to her that she had better behave.

“You don’t need to threaten me with that whip,” said Ebba bravely.

Kamil took a step forward, but Doria raised her hand to stop him.

“My daughter woul
d not give you any trouble, Kamil, it is all right.”

He nodded slightly and let them pass.

“Why is it that the man seems to fear you?” whispered Ebba as they made their way toward the sheik’s chamber.

“He has seen the power of the siren when I almost drowned him when I was first captured,” she told him. “After that, we somehow became fri
ends. It seems Kamil hates the sheik as much as I do, as it was the sheik that ordered him to become a eunuch. In other words, he is no longer a full-fledged man. At one time Kamil was quite a lover I understand. He even has a wife and several children that he hasn’t seen in many years.”

“Oh, how awful,” she said looking back over her shoulder. She didn’t really understand exactly what the sheik ha
d done to Kamil, but by her mother’s words she could more or less figure it out.

Two guards pulled open the heavy doors leading to an outdoor spa of sorts. A large pool of water with flowers floating atop the surface sat in the middle of the courtya
rd. Tall urns filled with colorful flowers atop spiky-leafed plants were interspersed around the yard. It smelled fragrant and a light breeze lifted her veils as she walked barefoot, following the procession of girls.

She wasn’t even aware they had tied little bells to
the edges of her top and around her ankles under she heard the tinkling and looked down to see the magical music was coming not just from them but also from her. As a fae, she liked this, but she did not like to be a part of the man’s harem.

Then she saw the sheik lying back, half naked, lounging on a pallet and many pillows just next to the pool.
His sword was next to him on the pallet. His held a goblet in his hand and she couldn’t help but notice the many jeweled rings on his fingers. His head was wrapped in a silk cloth of white that was piled high atop his head. Next to him sat another man who looked similar to him, but not as angry. This man was fully clothed and not nearly as decorated with rings and jewels as the sheik.

“Who is that?” Ebba whispered to her mother who was right behind her.

“That is the sheik’s brother, Malik ibn Tamman. He is not at all like the sheik, for he is much quieter and kind.”

“No talkin
g among the harem,” warned Kamil, snaking up beside them. Then he raised the hilt of his whip and the line of harem woman stopped. The sheik sat up higher, surveying the girls. Then he clapped his hands and all together they fell to their knees and stretched out their arms forward, their faces to the ground and they bowed before him. Her mother looked over her shoulder and motioned with her eyes for Ebba to join them. Reluctantly, she did so.

Then with one more series of cl
aps from the sheik’s hands, the women all sat up and spread their knees, arching their backs and throwing their heads backward and thrusting their breasts forward.

“Mother, how can you be doing this?” Ebba asked in shock.

“The harem is displaying their wares from which the sheik will choose what is to his liking,” said her mother. “Now arch backward and show your body as well.”

“I refuse
!” She jumped to her feet and ran to the pool of water. With one swipe of her hand a wave came from the pool and washed up onto the stonework that made up the sheik’s private dancing area. The girls screamed and ran around in all directions in a frenzy. Kamil hurried after them, pulling his whip and snapping it in the air in order to gain control.

“Mother, help me,” she shouted, once more flicking her hand and forming circles in the air with her fingers. The
water rose up into a funnel and headed over the stone floor, directly toward the sheik and his brother.

“Guards, grab her,” shouted the sheik,
getting to his feet and picking up his sword from his side. His brother jumped up as well, and if Ebba wasn’t mistaken he seemed more fascinated than angry as he watched the whirlwind of water coming right for them.

Ebba looked over to her mother for help, but the woman just stared at her blankly. The guards
appeared and grabbed Ebba and shoved her hands behind her back, dragging her across the floor to the sheik. With her concentration now broken, the funnel of water subsided and fell to the floor in a huge splash. The water hit the sheik right in the face and soaked his chest and clothing.

The sheik’s brother started laughing, amused by the whole situation.

“Do not laugh, Brother,” the sheik said with contempt. “The water witch will pay for what she’s done to humiliate me in front of everyone.” He raised his sword and started to step forward, but his brother stopped him with a hand to his wrist.

“Let us wait and see what other powers she has before you slay her. After all, we may be able to use her to our advantage.”

“Mayhap you are right.” The sheik lowered his sword. “But I would not have her so close to water again, as it only helps feed her power against me. Take her to my tent,” he instructed the guards. Then he looked over to Ebba’s mother. “Take her as well. I would follow as soon as I change into dry clothing. And then,” said the sheik walking up to Ebba and raising her chin to look in her eyes. “Then, my little desert lily you would dance and see to my pleasures after all. And afterwards you would tell me where to find the crystal dolphin of which I seek.”

“Never!” she
said and boldly staring right into his eyes.

He squeezed her chin so hard she thought her face would break. Then he pushed her backwards and she stumbled aga
inst the guards. He lifted his sword and reached out and scratched her mother on the cheek. Her mother did not cry out nor even flinch. She just stood there and let him do it. Ebba saw the blood trickling down the woman’s face.

“Nay!” Ebba fought
against the guards, trying to get loose. “Mother, do something to help yourself. Do not take this abuse, please.”

“Your mother has learned not to displease me
,” said the sheik. “And you would learn as well.”

“I’ll never please you, nor would
I ever tell you where to find the crystal dolphin.”

“Aye, you would
tell me,” he warned her. “Because if not, you would watch as I kill your mother right in front of you!”