by Dee J. Stone
“Kiander.”
“—there are many issues that will need to be dealt with. The humans, for example. I believe we should enlist many more Sentinels and have them patrol the sea, as close to the shore as possible. And then there is the issue with their wastes, and their nets. And the turtle issue has still not yet been resolved—”
I stand, throwing the fish bones on the table. “It is a shame you were not born the eldest. You would make a far better king than I would.” I storm toward my room.
Swimming from one end of my room to the other, my thoughts are in complete disorder. In all my travels to the surface and land, I have not seen any humans deep in the sea. They do not enter often, but the Sentinels inform the royal family whenever they do. When I left the colony the first time to swim to the surface, I worried I would have been spotted. But that did not happen, and as more time passed, so did my fear. But I know they are a constant threat. Still, I cannot remain here. I wish to be with Cassie. Is what I feel in my heart worth the risk of my family and race?
“Damarian?” Doria floats in the entryway to my room. “May I enter?”
I nod.
She does so and stops before me. “He is only concerned. You should not grow upset with him.”
I shake my head. “Kiander is correct. He is always correct.”
She hesitates before saying, “Where were your true whereabouts? Kiander and I left the colony in search for you. We sensed you far away. Very far.”
“You should not have left the colony.”
“We were concerned for you.”
“Please do not be. I appreciate how much you all care for me, but you cannot live your lives constantly worried about my welfare.”
She folds her arms across her chest. “How would you behave if I were to spend my time way from the colony?”
“That is not the same.”
“And why not?”
“Because you are my sister and I am your oldest brother. It is my duty to protect you.”
“It is my duty to protect you as well.”
I run my hand through my hair. “Doria, listen to me. I am telling you this—you only. I will leave the colony again. Sometime in the immediate future. I will travel far again. It will be your responsibility to ascertain the family does not fret over me. I cannot ask this of Kiander, for he is not as strong as you.”
She sighs. “Damarian—”
“Nothing you say will change my mind.”
“But where do you go? And why? I do not understand.”
I turn away from her. I do not enjoy lying to her, either. “A cave far from home. I need to go there to think.”
She moves, and a few seconds later, she floats before me. “I see. I forgot that you must carry many burdens on your shoulders.”
“Indeed.”
Her tail touches mine. “All right. I only ask that you be vigilant.”
I do not meet her gaze. She and the others look up to me for guidance and support. How will they react when they learn I have been lying to them? But I cannot tell Doria the truth. She will not understand.
“Where is Father?” I ask.
“At the palace.”
“He is upset.”
She does not answer. I am certain he will hurry home as soon as he learns I have returned. I am not certain what I will say to him, but I do not wish to think about it.
“I shall seek Neren,” I tell her, making my way toward the entryway.
“He is not home. He and his mate left the colony yesterday to celebrate their mating.”
“He asked for me?”
She nods. “He wished to say goodbye.”
Only a few days ago, I yearned to have what my dear friend has—someone to love and who loves me in return. Deep love, one that cannot be touched or explained but what can only be shared between two people. I have tasted it with Cassie, and if I explore it further, I may experience one of the most wonderful things in the world. I cannot allow this to slip away.
Chapter Seventeen
As I play with Zarya and the twins in Zarya’s room, I hear Father’s voice. It is not long before he appears in the entryway.
“Father!” Zarya and the twins bolt toward him and begin informing him of the events that transpired today. Father smiles and pats their heads, but his eyes are on me.
“I am glad you had an enjoyable day,” Father tells them. “But I must speak with Damarian.”
“Have you seen the delectable treat Dammy brought home?” Zarya asks. She frowns. “No, Syd has eaten them all.”
“Me? It was you! You did not share!”
“You snatched them without asking my permission. Dammy presented them to me.”
“It was a gift for us all!” Syndin says. “Mother always tells us to share.”
“Zarya,” Father says. “Syd, Syndin.”
They close their mouths but continue their argument with their eyes.
Father looks at me. “Damarian.”
Drawing in water through my gills and releasing it, I follow him out of Zarya’s room and into one in the back.
He floats before me, his intense eyes boring into mine. It only causes my agitation to increase.
“I have been visiting with the king and queen since your departure,” he says at last. “Do you know why?”
Yes, to ascertain that they will still choose me as the princess’s mate.
I am ready for him to scold me, but his eyes soften. He moves close to me, laying a hand on my shoulder. “I understand how nervous you are. How much fear you carry in your heart. Mating with someone is frightening. Taking the crown and becoming ruler of the entire sea is frightening.”
I merely blink at him. The shield I always place around me when I talk to him crumbles away. He understands how I feel. After all these years, after all his pushing and reprimanding, he understands.
“Yes, Father,” I say, a little too earnestly. “Which is why…I think I have found my mate.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
A large smile spreads across his face. “That is indeed wonderful news. Princess Flora will not only make a fine queen, but a fine mate as well. And you must see her as a female you will mate with, not a queen you will rule the sea with.”
Princess Flora? “No, Father—”
“She was not certain about you any longer, but I have spent the last two days convincing her of your attributes. She has agreed to take you as her mate and king. Once I received word of your arrival, I made plans with the king and queen. You and the princess shall be mated tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.” He claps me on the back. “You need not fret about anything. All is well.”
I force my body away from his. “No. All is not well!”
“Damarian!”
Tell him, my mind and heart begs. Tell him you do not love Princess Flora but another. Tell him that you wish to spend eternity with her. That you know it is a little premature to have such intense feelings for such a being, but it is the way you feel and it brings you such joy. Tell him that you can finally experience the passionate love he shares with Mother.
“I do not love the princess, Father.”
“Love,” he mutters.
“You love Mother.”
“I am not the true king.”
“I have not asked to carry the throne! Why is it that I cannot achieve happiness because I have been born this way? What would you do if you were in my place?”
“What would I do?” he nearly shouts. “If my father only carried out what I have carried out for you! Since you were born, I planned everything carefully. I grew close to the king and queen and earned their trust. I raised you the way a prince should be raised. All so that the crown can return to where it rightfully belongs. To our family.”
“If you would have taken the throne, you would not have met Mother.”
His mouth shuts and he stares at me.
“You would have not experienced the love the two of you share. I woul
d not be here. Kiander, Doria, Syd, Syndin, and Zarya would not be here.”
He continues to stare at me. Then he moves closer. “Damarian, I have followed a different path, but this is the path you must follow.”
“Why me? It is unfair.”
“You will love the princess.”
“I will not.” For my heart belongs to someone else. And even if I did not meet Cassie, I am certain I would never feel such sensations with Princess Flora. For she and I are not suited for one another.
“Damarian,” Father says, his tone no longer stern. “You are not a fry. You understand how important this is. Not just so that our family can have the throne, but so that the clans can be united. With the true king on the throne, no harm will befall the sea. It will be an era like we had in the past, before the crown was taken from the rightful king.”
I slowly move away from him. “I cannot.”
He moves closer. “You can, Damarian. And I will be at your side. You do not have anything to fear. I will return to Eteria to make final plans. I advise you to rest.”
I turn around and surge into my room. I wish my home was built like Cassie’s and had a door to act as a barrier. I fall on the floor and curl my tail around my body, comforting myself because there is no one else here to comfort me.
I am to be mated with Princess Flora tonight. Father has made all the plans. He, the royal family, and every single child of the sea expect me to take the throne and become their king tonight. They expect me to take the princesses as my mate. When a human on land, so far away, has taken hold of my heart.
I raise myself and swim to Zarya’s room. She and the twins are playing on the floor. My heart hurts as I watch them. My little sister and brothers. I love them dearly. Oh, how much I love them.
Tears. I am certain I have tears. I cannot see them, for they mix with the water, but I know they are there. I do not know how long it will be when I see my family again. If I will ever see them again.
Tearing my gaze from them, I hurry to the exit of the cave. My movements are so fast and quiet that Mother does not see or hear me leave. As I bolt toward the exit of the colony, my only thoughts are of my family. Of how I am abandoning them. I see Zarya’s face before mine, the way they light up when she is happy. I see Syd and Syndin, how they will grow to be fine children of the sea. They constantly talk about mating with twins and have even searched through the Sapphire colony for twin females. And I see Doria, my sister who can be abrasive but has a very soft heart. And Kiander who wishes to make the world a better place for every creature.
I stop and look back toward my cave. No, I cannot leave them. Cassie Price is a human and lives on land. I cannot risk and lose everything I have and love all for the sake of happiness.
But what I have experienced with her...the passion and heat I felt when our lips touched, when her body was pressed so close to mine. How I did not have any troubles in my mind but only focused on the lovely feelings she evoked in me. I know deep in my heart that I will never experience that with any other being, even if I were to meet every single female—human or child of the sea—in the entire world. What she and I shared is special and unique, something I will only experience once in my life.
I turn toward the exit of the colony. For a moment, my vision grows unfocused, and my heart begins to beat in fear. My vision has never grown unfocused before. Then I realize what is the cause of it—my tears. They are so profound that I am able to see them in the sea.
“I am truly sorry, Mother, Father,” I whisper. “I am sorry, Kiander, Doria, Syd, Syndin, and Zarya. Please forgive me, but I must explore whatever I am feeling with Cassie. If I do not, I am not certain I will ever be able to live on.”
I look back toward my home. There is no movement there, save for Vinx who guards the cave. The little ones will not know what has happened to me. Perhaps if I never return, they will not remember me. The thought causes my chest and stomach to tighten, so strongly it hurts.
I twist around and swim out of the colony.
Chapter Eighteen
Fiske remains by my side until I am a short distance from the shore. I rub the top of his head. Watch over my family. Especially Zarya. She will miss me terribly.
You will return, Damarian.
I shake my head. When I gaze out toward the distance, I see a small form standing on the rocks on the beach. It is Cassie. Every part of me fills with warmth at the sight of her.
She waits for you, Fiske says.
I did not think it was possible for me to feel both elated and dejected at the same time. I am overjoyed that I will once again be with Cassie, but I am terribly sad that I have abandoned my family.
You did not abandon them. You must do what makes you happy. In time they will grow to accept this.
How I wish Fiske’s words were true. I do not understand how my family could accept this. That is, if Father learns to forgive me for not taking the throne.
I do not know when I will return, I tell Fiske.
He inclines his head. I understand. I will be ready to come to your side whenever you do.
I kiss the top of his head. Thank you. For everything.
It is no problem.
Turning back toward the beach, I study Cassie. How the wind lifts her hair off her shoulders and carries it away. It is so beautiful. She clutches some items in her hands—it appears to be towels and clothing. Seeing her like that, prepared for my arrival, it causes something to shift in me. Love. Yes, I love her. I am aware that it is early for me to have such intense feelings, but I know I love her very much.
She lowers herself on the rocks. Even from this distance, I sense that she is worried. I look back at Fiske, who inclines his head again. I dive into the sea, swimming toward Cassie. My movements must alert her to my presence, for she hurries to her knees and stares down at the waves. Once my head breaks the surface, I wave, perhaps a little too frantically. Then I dive back into the water and swim toward the shore. Placing my elbows on the sand, I drag my body further onto land. Once I have pulled myself completely, I catch sight of Cassie running toward me.
I hold out my arms, and she leaps into them, squeezing me close against her body. At once, her lovely scent engulfs me, and the softness of her body, the warmth. “Oh, how I have missed you, Cassie.”
She squeezes me even closer to her body. “How I’ve missed you.”
We lie in this manner, clutched in each other’s arms. As I hold her close, I know for certain that I did not risk everything for nothing. This human, this beautiful female human, causes me to feel a happiness I did not think I could ever feel. When I am with her, I feel like I can conquer every obstacle in my path. She makes me feel that anything is possible.
After a few minutes, she releases herself from me. “We better get you dried off.”
She produces a towel a lighter shade of emerald and wraps it around my tail. She hands me a smaller one to wipe my face and torso. As she dries my tail, she stares at it, a look of wonder in her eyes. She raises them to me. “You’re beautiful.”
I place my hands on her middle and draw her close to me, until her chest is pressed against mine. “You are beautiful, Cassie.”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she whispers into my chest. “I don’t know if I could have survived another day.”
“Your feelings match mine,” I tell her.
Once again, we remain tangled in each other’s arms. It is not until I feel the pain of the shift arriving where I am forced to remove my hands from around her. Cassie moves aside and watches as my body begins to quake. I close my eyes and wait for it to pass. It is all worth it. The pain, the anguish. I would do anything just to share a moment with her.
When it is over, I lie still, my eyes shut tight. After a second or two, I feel Cassie’s gentle hand caressing my face. My eyes open and I smile at her, so glad she is here at my side.
“I hate watching that,” she says.
“It eases me when you are here.”
She carefully
lowers herself on my body and closes her arms around me. “We can rest here for a bit. Swimming and shifting must have tired you out.”
“Yes,” I say, though I am not certain I have the energy to talk in more than a whisper. “Indeed…I am exhausted. But…no regrets…no regrets at all.”
Right before my body drags me into slumber, I hear her say, “I’m so glad you’re back.”
***
A soft voice whispers into my ear. My eyes slowly open and I look into the face of Cassie. My entire body fills with glee. “It was not a dream. I am here with you.”
“It’s too good, I feel like it is a dream.”
I raise myself so that I sit on the sand, and survey my surroundings. We are in the beach, a little too close to the shore. Many humans are here. Cassie tells me I do not need to worry about my safety, but she is concerned that too much time has passed and I may need seawater.
My eyes drift toward the waves, to where my family is. The ache in my heart has not subsided. I am not certain it ever will.
Cassie takes my hand in hers and leads me to a changing room where I am to dress into the garments. “You are cheerful,” I say.
“I’m so happy you’re here.”
Her words cause every fiber in my being to warm up. “As am I.”
This changing room resembles Cassie’s bathroom. I dress into the garments with no problems, then step out. Her eyes travel to my clothed chest, then to the khakis on my legs. From the look on her face, I believe she is satisfied.
“Come.” She slides her arm through mine. “Let’s get you in the pool, and then I want to take you out for breakfast.”
As we leave the beach, she turns her head back. I follow her gaze and notice the human male Kyle standing there with other human males. He is looking at us with a smirk on his lips. Cassie tightens her hold on me and leads me out of the beach.
I look backward, searching for Kyle to ascertain that he has not followed us. I do not see him. Will he try to pursue Cassie? I am not certain of the mating habits of humans. Do they have multiple mates?
“Okay,” she says. “You need to try pancakes and toast. And eggs made by someone other than me.” She glances at me, and her face lights up with a smile. “I think you’re going to love everything. But first we’ll have to dip you into my pool.”
