"And you will find joy in being Dylan's wife," Isabel said.

"To love!" Lynelle said brightly, raising her goblet.

"To love!" the women toasted, beaming at each other.

They drank in compatible silence, each lost in memories, until Lynelle's voice interrupted the stillness with another question.

"Does…" she hesitated and glanced quickly at the other women as if for support. Then she rushed on. "Does his touch please you?"

CC felt her cheeks growing warm from more than the wine. "His touch makes me feel like I'm on fire."

The four women sighed happily.

"Undine!" Lynelle's voice was filled with excitement. "Why don't you go to him tonight?"

"I have to wait until tomorrow. Then Sarpedon will be dealt with," CC said.

"Yes, to join him permanently you must wait until tomorrow," Lynelle said quickly. "But can you not visit him before then?"

CC felt a rush of exhilaration. "I-I think I can, but I would have to be very careful."

"We have taken care—neither the abbot nor the knight will be looking for you tonight," Isabel said.

"But the squires have been posted to watch for Vikings," Bronwyn reminded them.

'True," said Isabel. "But they will be looking out to sea for the invaders. They will not be watching for one fleet-footed girl who knows how to disappear into the waves."

"Will your merman be there tonight?" Gwenyth asked.

CC nodded. "All I have to do is call him."

Gwenyth's aged face crinkled with worry. "You must not call loudly."

CC laughed and stood up, spinning in a little improvised dance step of happiness. "I don't have to call him with my voice; I call him with my heart." An eternity, CC thought. He would answer for an eternity.

"Go to him," Lynelle said.

"Yes," Bronwyn and Gwenyth said together.

CC turned to Isabel.

With the gentle hands of a mother, the old woman brushed a blond curl from CC's face.

"We will be here. If the abbot or Sir Andras call for you, we will simply tell them that the drugged wine and the illness have left you senseless. Then we will waft more poultices under their noses. Go to your lover."

"Then help me pull that dresser under the window," CC said eagerly. "Could someone find my shoes?"

The room exploded into female motion. In one sweep the clutter was removed from the top of the dresser, the dresser was wrestled to its position under the window and CC's two doeskin slippers were located and placed quickly on her feet. She was already wearing only her chemise, so she didn't have to wait impatiently for Isabel to unlace her from the bondage of her ornate gown.

Before she climbed atop the dresser, she hugged each of the women.

"It is so romantic," Lynelle whispered into her ear.

"And wonderful," Bronwyn agreed.

"Exciting," Gwenyth added.

"Go with the blessing of the Holy Mother." Isabel's hug was strong.

CC kissed the old woman's cheek. "I'll be careful."

"You must return before dawn so that the lightening of the sky does not betray you to the knight's men."

"I will. Don't worry." She gave Isabel another quick hug and started to turn, then, changing her mind, she stopped. On a sudden impulse CC lifted the silver chain from around her neck. The amber teardrop swung lazily as she placed the pendant over the old woman's head.

"Keep it for me while I'm gone," she said to Isabel, whose eyes were filling with tears as her hand lovingly cupped the goddess's amber.

Unable to speak, the old woman nodded and watched as CC climbed nimbly up the dresser, using the partially opened drawers as stair steps.

Slowly, CC peered out the window. The night was dark; the richness of the late hour cloaked the monastery in a veil of black velvet. The moon was a thin, glowing scythe that cast just enough light to turn trees into shadows and paths into ribbons of pale light.

"Do you see any of the men?" Isabel's whisper carried in the still room.

CC shook her head.

"Then go quickly," Isabel urged.

Holding her breath, CC shifted her seat to the windowsill, then she turned, found her toehold and dropped silently to the soft ground. She heard a grunt from inside the room, followed by a glimpse of Isabel's face framed by the window. A flash of moonlight reflected off the silver chain.

"What are you doing?" CC hissed.

"Keeping watch for you." The old woman whispered. "Now go to your lover."

CC smiled and blew Isabel a kiss before scurrying across the little patch of ground that separated the monastery from the rocky cliff. With feet that felt light and swift, CC navigated the familiar path. Often she glanced up at the cliff's edge above her, worried that she would see the silhouetted shape of one of Andras's squires, but the cliff remained empty and soon her feet sank into the sand of the beach.

Dylan! Her heart called as she stepped out of her slippers and slid the chemise from her naked body. I'm here! Please come to me.

The cool fingers of the waves washing against her legs felt like a wonderful, erotic dream, and as she walked into the surf the almost uncontrollable desire to change into her mermaid form and disappear into its inviting depths tugged at her will. She forced the desire down, trembling with the effort it cost her.

Tomorrow, she promised herself. I only have to wait until tomorrow, then I will never have to be parted from my mermaid form.

Or from me. Dylan's voice sounded within her mind an instant before he surfaced a few feet in front of her.

"Have I dreamed you here, my love?" the merman asked.

"Well, let's see. If you touch me, and I can feel it, then it's not a dream," CC said.

Her feet ran out of firm ground, but before she could swim two full strokes, Dylan pulled her into the warmth of his arms. Greedily, their bodies met. CC felt a shiver of pleasure as she tasted his slick, hot mouth.

"Can you feel that?" Dylan's breath was warm against her parted lips.

"I can feel everything," CC said.

"Then I did not dream you here; I wished you here."

"I don't have long tonight." CC's breath caught as the merman's mouth explored the hollow of her neck. "Andras thinks I'm sick, so he's not looking for me, but his men are keeping watch for Vikings."

Dylan's laughter was muffled against her skin, and his teeth pulled playfully at her earlobe before he spoke.

"I did enjoy your performance on the beach."

"Well, I couldn't very well let him kiss me," CC said. She would not mention Sarpedon's possession of the knight to him. She would not spoil their short time together and cause him needless worry.

Dylan cupped her face in his hand. "No, you could not let him kiss you." And the merman pressed his lips to hers, effectively erasing the image of Andras's thwarted kiss from their minds.

"I'll have to leave before dawn this time," CC said, arching her body against his, loving the intensely erotic sensation of his exotic body pressed against hers.

"I want to feel myself within you." Dylan's voice was rough with passion.

"Yes!" CC said, pulling on his bottom lip with her teeth.

The merman moaned, and CC felt his hard shaft as it pulsed against the softness of her thigh. She shifted so that he could easily slide within her, but Dylan shook his head.

"Not here. Not like this. This is the last time you will make love as a human. It should not be something done in the haste of thoughtless passion. It should be savored."

CC nibbled on his neck. "I am savoring it."

Dylan's laughter mixed with a groan of desire. "Come with me, siren; I will teach you of savoring."

"Well, there's certainly no doubt that you're my favorite teacher," CC said as she settled against his chest, letting the powerful strokes of his tail propel them down the beach. CC closed her eyes, enjoying the mingled sensations of the water and her lover against her naked skin. When she felt sand against her body her eyes opened in surprise.