Free Protected by Emeralds (A Dance with Destiny Book 5) by JK Ensley, Jennifer Ensley Page A

bowed slightly. “I trust all is well in your lovely kingdom.”
    “Oh, yes, yes.” She smiled, revealing hundreds of needle-sharp teeth. “So peaceful, it’s very nearly boring.”
    Uriel smiled. “You should never become so at ease with peace that you become bored of it, Your Highness. The alternative is a terrifying thing.”
    “Of course, of course. It is as you say.” She took his proffered arm and smiled again. “To what do we owe such a rare pleasure, Angel? The heavens do not simply dump a treasure such as you in our laps, minus purpose.”
    “You are too kind, Your Majesty. There are scarce few creatures who actually look upon my face… and smile.”
    “Surely you jest, Angel. Your beauty is without equal, even among the heavens.”
    Uriel chuckled softly. “And you are a needed leaven to my ego, fair lady. Take heed, lest you make my head swell to bursting.”
    “I will not.” She tipped up her tiny nose. “It is true, every word of it. I will not take heed, nor will I rein in my deserved praise. Now, come, beautiful Angel. Let us share in private the secret of your cherished visit. What is it you desire of my kind, Milord?”
    “Ahh, yes. Well, Your Grace, I came to entrust with you the rarest of all heaven’s treasures. Entrust it to you until the appointed time in which it will be needed.”
    “Speak on, Angel. I am ever here to do your bidding.”
    “As you say, Milady.”
    Uriel withdrew a fist-sized stone from the folds of his tunic.
    “And what is this, my good man? A stone?” She chuckled softly. “If there is one thing we are blessed with here at the bottom of the sea, it is stones.”
    “Not a stone like this one, Your Highness.”
    He lightly ran his angelic finger across the ordinary looking stone and an ornate circle appeared, glowing with the light of heaven. The Queen’s bulbous eyes grew ever larger.
    “This is no mere stone, Milady. It holds a powerful secret. One which will not be revealed until the time is fulfilled.”
    “And what time might that be?” she whispered, amazed.
    Uriel smiled softly. “Many years from now, a maiden will stroll upon your shoreline.”
    “A maiden? Of which clan?”
    “Of no clan which calls this layer home. No, she will come from another place and at another time.”
    “But… how will I know her?”
    “She will be human, Your Majesty. Thus you will know her.”
    “That’s all you will tell me—that she is human? You must do better than that, Angel. What if I bestow it upon the wrong maiden, unawares?”
    Uriel chuckled. “Throughout the countless eons that you have ruled the sea, how many humans have passed by your pearls?”
    “Well… none. At least, not yet. But who knows what will come to pass over the centuries. Tell me something else about the maid. Is she fat or thin? Tall or short? Fair or dark? What color are her eyes, her hair? What does her voice sound like?”
    “Calm yourself, dear Queen.” He gently patted her hand. “I cannot answer your questions, for she is not yet born. As I said, it will be many years from now—hundreds even.”
    “But… what if something happens to me, Angel? What if my end finds me before the maiden does?”
    “Still thy nerves, Your Grace. The beings of Lyra are not restrained by the laws of time. This you know. Barring some horrible, unforeseeable accident, your lovely heart will go right on beating until the end of all things. Fret not. You will meet the maiden.”
    The Mermaid Queen began to nervously twiddle her fingers, a crease now furrowing her noble brow. Uriel placed his hands over hers, squeezing gently.
    “Be calm, little one. Let me ease your fears. I cannot tell you what her wrapper will look like, no, for I do not know myself. Yet she will carry a rare soul within her. You will sense her approach from afar. You will know her by her enormous heart. Trust me in this, Your Grace. Her uncommon capacity to love and hope and dream… it will be an unhideable thing for her. She