“Later,” she said firmly, taking his hand again. “Come dance with me first. No one believed me when I told them you can salsa. I want to see the looks on their faces.”
He responded by pulling her into the dance hold. Laughing, she let him spin her around, her eyes shining in the firelight.
Hand in hand, they danced the rest of the way across the clearing, to where their family waited to welcome them.
“May I cut in?”
Panting with exertion, Martha looked up—and lost her breath entirely.
The Pearl Empress, ruler of all the shifters of the sea, smiled down at her. Her towering, indigo-haired mate stood behind the sea dragon queen, face solemn but eyes gleaming.
From the startled look on Finn’s face, he hadn’t been expecting them either. He started to go down to one knee, but the Empress stopped him with a gesture.
“We’re not here on official business. Just to dance at your mating celebration.” The Empress raised her eyebrows at Martha. “If you’ll let me borrow your mate for a few minutes?”
Martha relinquished Finn to her. He still had a slightly stunned look on his face as he took his Empress’s hands. They whirled away, the Empress falling easily into step with the music.
“I am afraid I am not one for dancing,” the Empress’s mate said to her, bowing a little. “But perhaps you will walk with me?”
Martha took his offered arm. She racked her brain for how he’d introduced himself back in Atlantis, but all that she could remember was that it had been long. “Uh, I’m afraid I forgot your title.”
“Royal Consort of the Pearl Empress, Imperial Champion for the Pearl Throne, Knight-Poet of the First Water, and Firefighter for the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.” He smiled down at her. He was even taller than Finn. “But you can call me John.”
“Firefighter?” she couldn’t help asking, as they headed away from the dancers and toward the peace of the lake shore. “Really?”
He inclined his head in confirmation. “It is a long story. But if you are ever in England, I would very much like to introduce you to my comrades on Alpha Team. One of them is…somewhat akin to your Master Shark. Born to a position of power, and isolated by his unique nature. But you, I think, would not be intimidated by him.”
“I’d love to. Um, though don’t hold your breath. I’ve already had one exotic vacation this year, and England’s kind of a long way away.”
He shot her a somewhat mysterious glance, one corner of his mouth twitching up. “Perhaps it may be closer than you think.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “How did you get here tonight, John? Sea dragons don’t fly, as far as I’m aware.”
“No more than sharks do.” He glanced back at the dancers, his expression sobering. “If I may ask…is he happy here?”
“Think so.” A sudden fear seized her heart. “That’s not why the two of you are here, is it? To ask him to go back?”
John shook his head, the gold charms braided into his hair catching the firelight. “On my honor, we are not. And we would not. His days of service are done. She came to give him some gifts, that is all.”
Martha let out her breath, slowly. “Good. Just be warned, if I ever get the feeling you all are nagging at him, I’ll put a flea in your ear. And any of my kids will tell you that you don’t want that.”
“I will consider myself warned.” He chuckled. “Though we may need to ask you to berate the Sea Council. They are begging the Empress to bring back the Master Shark.”
“What?” Martha’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought the other sea lords hated him?”
“Oh yes. But at least there was only one of him.” John’s white teeth gleamed against his dark skin, his smile rather predatory for all that it wasn’t as sharp-edged as Finn’s. “Now there are five. The Empress reinstated the Council of Teeth, giving them all official positions as part of the Sea Council.”
Martha smirked. “Five Shark Lords instead of one Master Shark. Sounds like a fair trade to me. Though I’d have liked to have seen the sea lords’ faces when she announced it.”
“I am surprised you did not hear the screams from here.” He gazed out at the reflection of the moon in the lake. “My Empress wished to speak with your mate…but I came to speak with you. I would ask you for a favor, if you would permit it.”
Martha blinked at him. She couldn’t imagine this strapping young man needing anything from her. “What kind of favor?”
“I am the Imperial Champion, and my greatest and foremost duty is to protect my mate.” His voice softened, his pride and love clear. “She is strong—stronger than even she knows—but even the strongest leader sometimes needs guidance from those older and richer in experience. She would never disturb the peace that he has earned…but I would ask you to visit Atlantis, from time to time. For her sake.”
“That we’ll do, and gladly.” Martha smiled up at him. “It’ll take us a little while to find the balance that works, how we’re going to live our lives from now on. I’ve still got my hands too tight on the reins here to let go easy. But if a Master Shark can learn to step back and let others have their turn driving, I guess an old coyote can do the same. You’ll be seeing us in Atlantis, never fear.”
He bowed to her, like a knight from a fairytale. “We will be honored.”