Freedom From Blood Longing and Lust

Chapter 22

I give him a half smile, "Oh yeah? Who have you met with more than one?"

"A Venefia guy is married to a siren and another Venefia. Now that is a strange relationship, but they are still deeply in love after a century and nearly twenty children."

"Twenty?" I gasp. "That is insane. What is a siren?"

He shrugs, then stands. "I'm going to bathe, do you want to join me? I'll tell you what a siren is as we walk." He gives a devilish grin.

"Hot and cold." I mutter. "Sure, do you think it will be busy?"

"I don't think so, who knows though. Come on." He takes me by the hand, pulling me to my feet then more gently leading me out the door.

"You just want to get me naked."

He actually chuckles, "That and you smell like sweat."

The afternoon breeze seems to guide me towards the main road, I shiver then make myself follow Ryen. He waits until we are away from the courtyard before explaining. "A siren is similar to a mere or were that can have either legs or a tail. I think mermaids are born. Weres, I don't know the term can be changed. Sirens are born through dark magic and will lull anyone into the water to feast." He grins down at me. "There are no sirens in this world, so no need to worry. You may see a mermaid however."

I gulp, "I'm not sure how I feel about that." My laugh is strained.

The Lux Falls are quiet, no one else is here. Which oddly makes me shy, solely having Ryen's eyes on me makes me blush red from head to toe. My breathing picks up, I'm not sure what I even want to happen. Ryen isn't looking at me though, I notice when I look up. He's undressing, scanning the surrounding woods. I slip out of my clothes too. I begin to move to the water when I feel a whoosh, then I'm in the middle of the pooling flaying to get to the surface and to air!

"Ryen!" I shriek. "I wish you would stop doing that!"

He laughs, until I give up waiting for an apology or explanation. I find one of the baskets of shampoos and bathe right there next to the edge of the pool. I don't look at him again, being laughed at while naked is not a nice feeling. Perhaps if I ignore him he'll finally feel bad for his behavior and not just throwing me in the pool. I don't have to wait long before hands encircle my waist.

"Jadis," he breathes in my ear, "I'm sorry."

I wiggle away from him. "For what exactly?" His eyes move down my body, I can almost feel the touch but his hands are now at his side.

"For being uncaring." His eyes finally meet mine. There is hurt there, and shockingly. Passion.

Feeling brave I speak my mind. "I want you and you obviously want me too. What's the problem?" I move closer to him, but still keep a few feet between us.

He looks away, "You are already promised to a lord, not just promised, blood tied since the day you were born."

"I don't care." I say all breathy. Though that explained, my dreams the lord, goodness another lord has been calling me.

He shakes his head, "Jadis that's not the case, and you know it if you really thought about it. Whether you like it or not you will be taken back to Amolderon, to him. It's more than fate that you'll be with him. Can't you feel him? Your blood calls to his."