Forgive me. Not,I’m sorry.
“He’s really dead?”
“Yes.”
Missing. Vanished. Gone.
“I knew it,” Austin said. “I knew he wasn’t dead. Ifeltit.”
Tristan made a sound of agreement. “Your instincts are sharp.”
Dead.
“I need to see his face.” Austin cupped Tristan’s cheeks, lifting his head from his throat-bared position. He smiled, innocent, as Tristan stared into eyes that refused to ever soften. “And you can think about how to earn my forgiveness.”
Unable to help himself, he kissed Tristan. His heart sang,I’m free.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tristan
Tristan followed the pull toward Austin, growing excited as their connection thrummed through his body. The north had been necessary and painful, and it had stretched their bond like a tether pulled taut to breaking. It hadn’t broken, mercifully, and Tristan took that as a sign that neither Hal nor any other merman had managed to win over his siren in the meantime.
He’d fantasised many times about what he’d do to any who dared even look at Austin while he was away, and Inx had kept the Troop far from him when those dark moods descended on him. All the darkness fled now. Austin was close.
Sand gave way to rock and aquatic growth. Many creatures had already made their homes in the new landscape, flora and fauna alike. Cutting through all the growth was another new scar. Tristan stopped in surprise, examining the tear in the earth. It was deep, gouging through the rock face so that as Tristan advanced, where the water should have grown shallow, it remained deep. There was enough space for him to easily fit, and he hummed in delight to see it led directly to their nest.
Austin’s presence pulled him onwards, though he resisted it long enough to swoop down and check that the rocks werestable. He’d set them all carefully before leaving, so there was no risk of one rolling onto Austin again.
A pulse hooked into his ribs.Impatience, Tristan guessed with a smile.
He followed a trail of glow stones to something even more astounding: at the same level as the nest, far below the waterline, was a perfect square carved into solid rock. Neat brickwork lined the edge. Tristan peered into the well-lit tunnel. It was like the tunnels that led from the ocean to Hal’s palace, except this one was huge. Wide enough for Tristan to easily fit.
Tristan advanced into the tunnel, following its straight path. It went forward, then up.
Feet crossed at the ankles waited in the pool as Tristan emerged, purring in delight as he set eyes on Austin. That purr faltered as he actuallylookedat him.
He noticed first his thigh, adorned in that pretty piece of jewellery that suited him so well. Austin also wore the glittering body chain Tristan had been tormented with glimpses of through sheer clothing. But this was no mere glimpse. Silver links and blue gems clung to skin, all on open display. Austin wore nothing else.
Tristan drifted closer, studying the silver gauntlets climbing up Austin’s beautiful, delicate wrists, and he followed his arm to his shoulder, up the column of his neck, across the fine line of his jaw. Finally, he reached his eyes, indecently aroused.
“Austin.”
Austin turned his pointy chin aside, looking away.
Tristan moved there. Austin looked the other way, ignoring him.
“Austin,” Tristan said again. He boldly cupped his siren’s ankles, running his hands up his calves, feeling the shiverof Austin’s response. “Has Eli been massaging you well? Has anyone given you difficulty?”
Tristan had received two letters from Austin while in the north, to his utmost delight. In one, Austin went into great detail about the polar bears he was saving, and in another, he mentioned that he had invited the stableman with the ugly horses to operate out of their estate, from which Tristan surmised that the flattened stables had been rebuilt.
“The tunnel is large enough for me,” Tristan said.
“I’d hardly build a tunnel you can’t fit in.” Austin finally spoke, and it gave him away. Tristan’s skin prickled in delight.
His grip tightened on Austin’s legs.He is very pleased to see me, Tristan thought with no small happiness. He pushed aside his reservations and carefully kissed the top of each knee, warm and blissful. He traced the jewellery on Austin’s thigh, his gaze drawn once more to his body adorned in finery. Inevitably, his gaze was drawn where he was trying not to look.
He stiffened.
