Hidden Depths

by L. M. Brown

  * * * *

  In July, the day for the aquarium anniversary party arrived and Jake felt quite nervous as he got ready to go out in public with his two partners. Although they had been out together many times before, he knew most of those who saw them together had no idea of the nature of their relationship. Today would be different. Everyone Kyle worked with knew he was bringing two men with him to the large yacht where the party was being held. They also knew the three men slept with each other. Jake hoped there wouldn’t be any unpleasantness—if not for his own sake, then for Kyle’s and Finn’s.

  Finn paced the floor, his face pale.

  “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Kyle said.

  Finn came to a halt. “I want to come to the party. I guess I’m nervous. I’ll be fine once we get there.”

  Jake sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned Finn over. “Are you sure?”

  Finn sighed. “No,” he muttered as he sat on Jake’s lap. “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t know why, but I can’t shake it.”

  “Well, you’re not an Oracle, so at least your bad feelings are just paranoia,” Kyle said.

  “That doesn’t help,” Finn muttered.

  “Is there anything that would?” Jake asked.

  “The boat sinking before we get there?” Finn suggested with a grimace.

  Jake laughed. “I doubt that’ll happen. Come on. We need to get going unless we plan on showing up late and having everyone staring at us.”

  Finn jumped up quickly, obviously wanting to be the center of attention about as much as Jake did. Jake gave Finn a swift, hard smack on the arse, more to encourage him to hurry than anything else.

  “That didn’t help,” Finn muttered as he gestured to his groin. The outline of his rising erection was clearly visible.

  “We’ve no time for that,” Kyle said. “Go take care of it in the bathroom and we’ll meet you in the car.”

  Finn huffed as he did as Kyle suggested.

  Jake hoped his own nerves would settle as the evening wore on. Soon they were on their way.

  When they arrived at the party, everyone from the aquarium was in high spirits. Profits were up from the previous year and much of the credit was going to Kyle for his merman role.

  Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about the praise and attention Kyle was getting. Doug seemed determined to try to make Kyle and his partners as uncomfortable as possible. His intentions were obvious from every sneer and snide comment he made.

  Despite the fact they were on the largest yacht Jake had ever seen, Doug was a presence they simply couldn’t shake.

  “So, which one of you is the girl?” Doug asked Finn, who had stuck close to Jake’s side for most of the evening. “Is it you, Finn? With all that lovely long hair you have, you could probably pass for a woman if you put on a dress.”

  Jake had tried to stay on his best behavior, polite and friendly to everyone. He didn’t want to make a spectacle of himself in front of Kyle’s co-workers, but enough was enough.

  “Why don’t you go fuck yourself?” Jake asked.

  “Oh, have I hit a nerve?” Doug goaded them with every word. “Where has Kyle disappeared to, anyway? Looking for another man perhaps? If one man can’t keep him satisfied, it’s doubtful two will be enough, either.”

  Jake’s temperature rose and his face heated. He couldn’t remember the last time he had met someone as rude and unpleasant as Doug.

  Beside him, Finn clung to his hand, which was the only reason Jake hadn’t taken a swing at Doug.

  “Kyle is putting on his fins,” Natalie interrupted with a glare of her own for Doug. “Jake, he’s asking if you could go give him a hand. I offered, but he refused because he’s not wearing underwear.”

  “That’s probably because he didn’t plan on playing a merman this evening,” Jake said.

  Bill had thought Kyle swimming around the marina would be a great idea. Jake wasn’t so sure, but Kyle felt confident in his swimming now, and it was his decision whether to do it or not.

  “Come on, Finn,” Jake said. “Let’s go help Kyle.”

  “Actually, I wanted a word with Finn,” Natalie said. “You go ahead, and I’ll take care of him for you.”

  “I don’t need taking care of,” Finn told her.

  Natalie flushed. “I didn’t mean any offense.”

  Jake leaned down to kiss Finn. “Are you going to be okay, baby?”

  “Just hurry back,” Finn whispered.

  Jake promised he would and went in search of Kyle.

  He hadn’t even reached the changing room when he heard a splash and a scream. Finn!

  Turning back the way he had come, Jake sprinted across the deck.

  “What happened?” he shouted. “Where’s Finn?”

  Natalie pointed at the water.

  Jake leaned over the railing and saw Finn and Doug treading water below. Fuck!

  “Doug said something to Finn—I didn’t hear what—and Finn hit him. When they started fighting, it was a matter of moments before they tumbled overboard.”

  Kyle appeared at the side of Jake, fully dressed and without his fake fins. “Jake,” he whispered, “what if he sees?”

  Jake froze with panic. Even now people were calling for the two men to swim around to the dock and climb out of the water. Doug would have no trouble, but Finn would be exposed for what he was as soon as he rose above the waterline.

  Even worse, Doug seemed to want to carry on the fight where they were and swam at Finn rather than back to the dock.

  Finn darted out of Doug’s way, making a real effort to keep from diving.

  Jake was still wondering what to do when Kyle suddenly leaped over the rails, the flash of a silver blade in his hand, and dove into the water, as well.

  Great, now there are two mermen in danger of being exposed instead of one.

  Kyle rose directly behind Doug and put what appeared to be a knife from the cake stand to his throat. “Keep your hands off him or I’ll slit your throat.”

  Jake had always known Kyle was a warrior, but this was the first time he truly appreciated his partner’s deadly nature.

  He hoped Kyle knew what he was doing.

  Kyle held the blade steady in his hand.

  “He’s a fucking merman,” Doug said.

  Kyle was thankful the wretched man was too much in shock to shout it out loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Did you hear me?” Doug asked. “You’re fucking boyfriend is a fish.”

  Kyle moved the knife closer. “He isn’t the one you need to worry about right now. You need to close your mouth or I swear I will slit your throat and leave you for the sharks.”

  “There aren’t any sharks around here,” Doug replied.

  “You’re really missing the point. And what makes you so sure there aren’t, anyway? After all, ten minutes ago you didn’t believe in mermen, either. Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to forget what you’ve seen, swim back to the dock and go home, maybe chalk it up to too much alcohol. But remember this… If you tell anyone, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

  “But he’s a merman!”

  Kyle sighed. Doug wasn’t the brightest of men and right now he was trying Kyle’s patience. “I know.”

  He gave Doug a nudge with his own tail and in a quick, if rather awkward move, he pulled Doug under the water and spun him around.

  Then, when he was sure he had his undivided attention, he whacked him good and hard with his tail.

  Doug rose to the surface, spluttering and shaking his head.

  “They’re fucking mermen!” he screamed.

  Kyle saw those who hadn’t already been drawn to the commotion crowd around the railings. From under the water, he could see Jake and the panicked expression on his face.

  Finn swam underwater to Kyle and grabbed him in a tight embrace. “I think we should swim home underwater. We’ll follow the coast to my dad’s beach and leave them to it.”
>
  “We shouldn’t leave Jake on his own.”

  “We can’t exactly climb out of the water like this,” Finn pointed out.

  “I know. Damn. I’m so fired after this.”

  Jake had no idea what to do as everyone craned to see what Doug was shouting about.

  “Mermen?” Bill asked. “Is Kyle in the water already? Good lad.”

  Jake doubted he would be so delighted when he discovered Kyle’s custom-made tail was still in the changing room.

  Natalie grabbed Jake’s arm and pulled him away from the crowd. “Is it true?”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “Doug’s just playing along for the show.”

  Natalie snorted. “Doug barely pulls his weight at work. I doubt he’d do anything of the sort. Now, tell me the truth.”

  Jake gave a small nod.

  “I knew Kyle was holding his breath too long for a human when he swam in the tank. He almost beat the world record and he didn’t seem to be struggling at that.”

  “Can you help them?” Jake asked.

  “By doing what?” Natalie replied. “This is a great opportunity for us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, until now, we’ve had Kyle playing the part of a merman, complete with his fake fins. Now we can show the world real mermen. Imagine how many visitors we’ll have when word gets out.”

  Jake glared at the woman he had foolishly trusted with his lovers’ secret. He put it down to his panic and hoped he could repair the damage. “Kyle and Finn are not exhibits in your aquarium.”

  “I don’t think you’re seeing the possibilities.”

  Jake pushed her aside and ran to the far end of the boat. Thankfully, she didn’t follow. “Medina!” he screamed, hoping she heard him at such a vital moment.

  The goddess appeared before him and smiled. “What has you so frantic?”

  “Kyle and Finn are exposed.” Jake pointed at the crowd behind him. “You have to do something. Please, can you wipe everyone’s memories or something?”

  Medina frowned. “I don’t have that sort of power, not anymore, anyway.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Before the Atlanteans were banished, I could have done what you ask. I had priests, devoted to me and me alone, and their loyalty fed my powers. Now I am but a shadow of the goddess I used to be.”

  “Isn’t there anything you can do?”

  Medina shook her head and Jake’s heart fell.

  “Wait… There might be one way,” Medina said. “You could become my priest.”

  “But Kyle and Finn… I can’t leave them. They need me.”

  “Of course they do. Becoming my priest isn’t like your modern kind. You can stay with your lovers and carry on as before. You’ll just be something more than you are now.”

  “More?”

  “Those powers you struggle to deal with would be amplified,” Medina explained. “And you’ll have to make an offering at one of my temples—a proper offering, not perfume and flowers.”

  “What sort of offering?”

  “You’ll need to prove you know what love is.”

  “That’s all?”

  Medina smiled. “It might sound easy, but I think you’ll find it harder than you think. So, Jake, do you accept my offer?”

  “And if I do, you’ll be able to undo what’s happened?”

  “Faster than you can blink.”

  “Then I accept.”

  Medina placed her hand on Jake’s shoulder and his knees buckled.

  Lightning flashed across the sky and the wind rose, whipping Jake’s hair around his face.

  He could hear sounds of voices in his head, unclear at first, but becoming louder with every second.

  “It’ll take some getting used to,” Medina said. “What you are hearing is everyone who is praying for love at this exact moment.”

  “So many voices.” Jake’s head pounded as the volume rose.

  “So many lost souls, searching for their other halves,” Medina replied. “Now, let’s see about saving your two mermen from stardom.”

  As Jake struggled to tune out the voices, the crowd at the end of the boat dispersed, no one seeming to have any idea of why they had all congregated in the one place.

  “Where are Kyle and Finn?” Jake asked.

  “In the car, fully dressed, no fins and ready to go home. They, like you, will remember what has happened. No one else will have a clue. Now, I suggest you go take them home. They’ve had a bit of a shock.”

  Jake didn’t pause as he hurried off the boat to the nearby car park.

  He found Kyle and Finn right where Medina had told him they would be.

  “What happened?” Finn asked. “I was in the water and now I’m here.”

  “Medina,” Jake said. “I’ll explain on the way home. In the meantime, let’s just say we owe the Goddess of Love even more than we already did.”

  “But what about everyone on the boat?” Kyle asked. “They saw us.”

  “They won’t remember,” Jake assured him. “Now let’s get out of here. I think I’ve had enough socializing for one night.”

  “Me too,” Finn said. “That Doug guy made my skin crawl.”

  “Yeah,” Jake agreed. “And Natalie wasn’t much better.”

  “Natalie?” Kyle gaped at him in surprise. “She’s always been so nice to me.”

  “I’m sure she has, but let me tell you, never ever let her discover what you are. If you do, you’ll never get out of that tank.”

  “She’d capture us for exhibits?”

  “Yes.” Jake felt his pulse slow as they put some distance between themselves and the marina. “I think you should give some serious consideration to finding a new job. An accident with your fake fin tearing and you’re completely screwed.”

  It was a testament to how much the incident had shaken Kyle that he didn’t argue about giving up the job he loved and merely nodded at Jake’s suggestion.

  Finn remained quiet.

  “Are you two okay back there?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. I was just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “That there isn’t anywhere the mer can be safe. Revealing ourselves to the world isn’t an option, is it?”

  Jake had never truly thought it could be, which left them right back at square one with their original problem. With humans nearing Atlantis every day, there was nowhere left for the mer to hide, and living on land would increase the risk of exposure, until none of the mer were safe.

  Chapter Nine

  They weren’t even halfway home when Jake saw his two lovers were getting a little friskier than usual in the back of the car. It wasn’t unusual for Kyle and Finn to pass the time on long car journeys by making out. They claimed it helped to distract them from the travel sickness they both suffered with. They didn’t normally get quite this X-rated, though.

  “Hey, guys,” Jake said. “You want to keep it in your pants while we’re on the main road?”

  The two of them looked at him as though they had forgotten where they were. He grinned at them. “I don’t want you getting arrested.”

  They settled down, with Finn resting his head on Kyle’s shoulder.

  They were another half mile along when Jake noticed they were at it again. Finn had his hand firmly inside Kyle’s trousers and Kyle had undone at least half the buttons on Finn’s shirt.

  “Hey!” Jake didn’t mind a joke, but this was not funny. “Seriously, guys, you can’t do that back there.”

  Again they blinked at him as though they hadn’t realized what they were doing.

  One more mile down the road and Jake was starting to lose patience. When Finn ducked his head to take Kyle’s cock into his mouth, Jake swore and pulled the car off the road. He didn’t want to lose his temper, especially not while driving, but enough was enough.

  “What the hell is wrong with you two?” he shouted. “Have you lost your minds? I know you’re not drunk because I didn’t see you touch a
drop at the party, so why can’t you keep your hands off each other until we get home?”

  Kyle frowned. “I think there might be something wrong with us. I don’t know about Finn, but I feel like I am not in control of my own actions.”

  Beside him, Finn nodded. “It’s like when you first got those powers from Medina and tested them on us to see how effective they were. I feel like that, except you haven’t told me to do anything.”

  “Oh, shit.” Jake had a horrible feeling this might be a side effect of his recent change in status. Medina could have warned me. “Okay, one of you get in the front passenger seat and the other had better keep his seat belt buckled back there, or I swear I’ll give the both of you such a spanking you’ll think your arses are on fire. And I promise neither of you will be coming, either. Got it?”

  They both hurried to obey. Kyle took the seat in the front and Jake continued the drive home, this time without any further incident.

  Jake pulled into the long driveway of their home not a moment too soon. The instant Kyle stepped out of the car, Finn was on him, wrapping his legs around Kyle’s waist and kissing him thoroughly. Jake had a feeling they would be having sex right there on the doorstep if given half the chance.

  Shaking his head, Jake left them to it and hurried into the house. If this was something to do with Medina, the best person for him to speak to would be the goddess herself, but since she hadn’t come when he’d called her from the roadside, he would have to try to summon her from her new temple.

  “Medina!” he yelled as soon as he entered the room. Unfortunately, there was no reply from the absent goddess.

  Jake swore. Perhaps Fabian would know what to do. As a former demigod and the nephew of the Goddess of Love, surely he would have some idea what was happening.

  He found Fabian in the kitchen, the telephone in one hand and a frown on his face.

  “Calling someone?” Jake asked.

  “Trying to figure out how it works,” Fabian muttered. “Modern technology is not something I have much knowledge of.”

  “That seems to be a problem with Caspian’s knowledge implants,” Jake said. “As a god, he probably doesn’t need to use most of the stuff we take for granted.”