Ellie and the Prince (Faraway Castle #1)(16)
His heart pounded so hard, he was afraid she would feel it through their lifejackets. “Because . . . because it was the only way I could be near you.”
Her lashes fell, hiding her eyes, and pink bloomed in her cheeks. She suddenly turned and leaned forward, opened a small compartment in the scooter’s dashboard, and drew out a familiar spray bottle. She propped it on her knee and waited.
Omar studied her in profile, her smooth forehead, her cute nose, her full lips and determined chin. What was she thinking? Would she ever speak to him again? Had he driven her away with his blunt honesty?
When the monster’s spiky, dripping head broke the surface, mouth agape to show all its ugly teeth, Ellie was ready. She sprayed it right in the mouth with her potion, replacing its fishy breath with fresh peppermint. “Monster dear, you must leave Prince Omar alone now. He has learned his lesson and is sorry for ever teasing you. He knows now that you are a magnificent creature to be feared and revered, never mocked.”
The monster closed its mouth, apparently to ponder the minty flavor. Its eyes still glittered, but it appeared open to suggestion. Ellie nudged Omar’s lifejacket with her elbow. “Apologize now,” she whispered.
“Ah, um, yes. O great monster of the lake,” he began, “I apologize for my rude and unkind behavior to you. I was an insolent and foolish boy with no respect for those older and wiser than myself. And handsomer,” he added. “Please forgive me.”
The monster’s rounded ears and fleshy beard twitched, and its uncanny eyes seemed to study Omar’s face in search of hypocrisy. Omar held his breath. Then its nostrils opened wide and blew out a misty breath very like a sigh. It blinked once at Ellie then swam off, making perfectly spaced loops of its body above the surface for some time before diving out of sight.
He watched tension drain from Ellie’s profile. “That was a lovely apology,” she observed. “I think you’re forgiven.”
“I think that monster likes you,” he responded. “It would never have forgiven me if you hadn’t told it to. And it was showing off for you there at the end.”
A smile crept over her face, and she gave him a twinkling glance over her shoulder. “It was, wasn’t it?” But then she stowed away her bottle and revved the scooter. “I must get you back to shore and send someone after your driver.”
“The sirens won’t hurt Tor, will they? He’s king of a strange agent; he spends his life studying or working. The guy knows everything there is to know about fish. But he’s a good friend.”
“No, the sirens won’t hurt him, but they don’t need encouragement. The last thing we need is for one of them to fall in love with him. Hang on.”
Omar wanted to ask what would happen if a siren fell in love with a man, but he held his tongue, resumed his grasp around Ellie’s life vest, and stared at the back of her neck with her ponytail whipping his face until they approached the dock.
Two other workers were there to meet them and tie up the scooter, including the supervisor, Bence, who gave Omar a hand but ignored Ellie. “What happened?” the man asked gruffly. “Why did the lake serpent attack you? Are you injured, Your Highness?”
“I’m not injured,” Omar said. “The serpent didn’t hurt me.” He turned back to give Ellie a hand, but she was already on the dock and walking away. He shoved his way through the frightened, curious, excited crowd to reach her side. She was talking with three other lifeguards, with her back to him. He wanted to touch her arm but didn’t dare. Instead he spoke firmly. “Ellie?”
She turned, and for an instant he saw her eyes brighten, but then her face went still and she spoke quickly. “Your Highness, I am thankful you’re unharmed. We’re making plans to rescue your friend now.” Then she turned back to her coworkers, who stared at him with eager curiosity.
Omar spent the next several hours repeating the story of his rescue. Again and again, to lifeguards, the resort director, and the staff psychologist, he told everything that had happened (except the details most important to him, of course) and emphasized Ellie’s heroic role.
Later, in private, he would recall every detail of Ellie’s face and voice, and the feel of her—and her lifejacket—in his arms.
Bence was having conniptions by the time Ellie finished her report. At first the supervisor intended to go to the island himself and “drag that bird-brained lord back to the castle,” but everyone on his staff, male and female, declared this a terrible idea.
“We’d then have two siren-crazed men on our hands,” said Kerry Jo, a bubbly blonde lifeguard with a deep tan. “Not a pretty picture.”
“Fine. Then you’ll go, and Ellie and Jeralee. But all of you remember: This guy is breaking rules right and left, interfering with magical creatures. I don’t care if he is a lord; use your magic on him if you have to.” He glared at each of them in turn. “Now I get to go inform Madame Genevieve that we allowed male guests to steal a ski boat and invade the island.”
As Bence stormed away, Jeralee muttered, “Good luck with that,” and flashed Ellie a grin. The magical mechanic was short and strong, with a mop of red-brown hair and a freckled nose, and she’d been Ellie’s best friend since their first summer as interns.
Out on the docks, the three girls prepared for their mission. “What if the sirens won’t give the guy back to us?” Kerry Jo asked. “How do we negotiate? Do we have any authority over them?”