Ballad of Sea and Sky (The Whispering Sea Duet Book 1) by Madeleine Eliot

Author:Madeleine Eliot [Eliot, Madeleine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-12-30T00:00:00+00:00

I came to with the sun glinting weakly down on me through a haze of fog, my hair crusted with salt and sand as I lay still partially submerged in the water. Caspian was next to me, his wings waterlogged and chest rising in shallow, labored breaths. Seagulls and birds of prey cried above us, their squawks hopeful as they waited to see if we would become a meal to scavenge.

Seas below, how long had I been out?

With a groan, I heaved, dragging Caspian as far out of the water as I could, too exhausted to even transform my tail back into legs. My hands were still webbed and awkward out of the water, and I shuffled up the beach as I tried to pull him out of the surf.

“Caspian,” I croaked, my voice scratchy and barely recognizable as I shook his shoulder. His wings were bent at an odd angle beneath him, and I winced, worried I had done even more damage by dragging him. “Caspian. Cas!”

I leaned over him, watching carefully to make sure he was still taking in breaths. His lashes fluttered, and he groaned slightly, making my heart leap with hope.

“Cas,” I croaked, shaking him again. How long had it been since I’d had water? I was so thirsty. My lips felt dry and cracked, and Caspian looked just as parched. I shook him again, and he croaked out a groan.

I barely had time to register his hand coming up to cup my neck before, without a word or a cough or even a “where am I?” he pulled me toward him and kissed me.

He tasted like salt, his lips gritty with sand as they met mine in what must have been a kiss powered by sheer and utter relief. I was too startled to protest, and Caspian was unfathomably strong, despite his bedraggled state. He pulled me closer to him, his other hand sliding over my slick, seal skinned backside as his tongue pressed against the seam of my lips.

Belatedly I realized I was completely naked, my more intimate parts disguised only by my tail. I pulled away, wrenching out of his grasp as my stomach lurched in protest, though whether it was protesting the kiss or my breaking it, I couldn’t be sure.

His head fell back on the sand, his eyes closed and skin pale.

He had passed out again.

I rolled my eyes. So much for the big, bad Siren King.

I looked around, unable to make out any surrounding islands through the fog which still lay thick upon the sea. We couldn’t stay here in the surf. Cas would need to have his wings set, and we would need shelter until we figured out a way to get off the island.

The thought struck me that I could leave him. He had told me to leave him, after all. More than once.

But my lungs hurt and I was exhausted. It was safer to stay for now. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was worried about him, or that his people intrigued me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.