“Um, because you all have names beginning with K, like the Kardashians, and they’ve made a freaking fortune from reality television?” Okay, so it all started with a sex tape, but I decided not to mention that.Eww.
“I have no words.”
All four kitsunes looked at me and then at each other before shaking their heads.Brilliant. It seemed all kitsunes were as judgmental as Kenji.
Maverick reappeared with a coffee. He nodded at the kitsunes, who each nodded back. Good to know they respected my bear but not me.
I huffed in disappointment. “My cousins are commiserating with me,” Kenji shared while demolishing a pancake. “They are thankful for not being bonded to a mentally-challenged witch.”
I turned my back on him, silently wishing the goddess had gifted me Fig as my familiar, not Kenji. “Be grateful she didn’t,” Kenji scoffed. “With less than five brain cells between you, I can guarantee you’d both be dead by now.”
How rude. Fig was very intelligent for a pig!
“Don’t let him wind you up, little mate,” Maverick whispered, clearly having heard Kenji trash-talking me. “He’s only teasing.” Somehow, I doubted that, but I elected to take the high road and not bite back.
“Where is Fig?” I gasped at the realization I’d not seen him.
“He’s with your guardian, little mate. Perfectly safe.” Phew. Maybe once things settled down, I could go collect him. I missed my cute little pig.
When I finished my coffee, Maverick tugged me to my feet and escorted me from the dining hall.
“I need to see Kai,” I whined, feeling more down than ever after Kenji’s non-motivational chat. I didn’t think a reality TV show with kitsunes was such a terrible idea. It might help human-magical relations!
“I know,” Maverick replied, either oblivious or choosing to ignore my meltdown.
He wrapped his hand around mine and led me through a hallway and down a steep, winding staircase. The deeper we got, the warmer the air became. It reminded me of the cave system where we’d found Rasmus.
My legs ached by the time we arrived at the entrance to a cavern filled with mage lights and the faint smell of sulfur from the mineral content in the water.
We reached the water’s edge just as Kai swam to the surface.
“I’m going back upstairs to talk to Olaf. Look after our mate.” Kai nodded. Maverick dropped a gentle kiss on my mouth and left me alone with my merman.
I stared at the dark pool with trepidation.
“Please join me,” Kai said with a shy, hopeful smile.
Even though the water still scared me, I knew I needed to be brave. Kai’s swimming lessons had helped reassure me I wouldn’t drown if I relaxed. My body floated just fine when I wasn’t panicking.
Kai averted his gaze as I stripped off my borrowed pants and sweater. I had no underwear here. Zane had claimed there were no panties or bras to be found, which I didn’t quite believe, as I knew he was more than capable of teleporting to any town and picking some up for me. But it wasn’t a battle I felt like fighting. Not today.
The warm water licked my skin as I gingerly climbed down the steps into the water. Kai took my hand and then swam with me across the pool until we reached a ledge on the far side.
“You can sit here,” he said before shifting back and taking a seat next to me.
“Are you alright?” Unlike my other mates, he didn’t revel in the violence and bloodshed.
“I’m just pleased you’re safe,” he replied. “That’s all I care about.”
“For now.” Tiberius fucking Vane was still out there. Until the rest of the magical world found out how evil he was and held him accountable for his crimes, none of us could relax.
“The mages can’t reach you in this castle.”
“Not even Alaric?” I silently prayed to the goddess he’d come back to me. Maybe then the hole in my chest would heal.
“Alaric is welcome. But nobody with bad intentions can get through the wards.” Kai seemed certain about that, which reassured me.
My merman must have picked up on my sadness because he moved closer and pulled me into the curve of his shoulder.
