Page 24 of Little Shake of Salt

“Perhaps,” Shel said. “Who knows what the future holds.”

“It holds destruction,” Adonis said darkly. “We’ve received word from other cities. It’s not just our region where the sea is restless. I’m uneasy all the time. I can feel it in my scales.”

“It does not concern us,” Shel said absently.

I scoffed, glaring at him. “Itdoesconcern us. What happens on the surface affects all of us, Shel. You might be young, but I know you’re smarter and more empathetic than that.”

“It sounds like the Barista’s battle, which I was alive for the last time. It worked out.”

“This does feel different,” Adonis agreed. “I do think Marina makes a point, but it would be better to talk to more people. Perhaps the Kings and Queen?”

We never called them mother or fathers, at least not in conversation. They were our parents, yes, but we’d been alive for so long—most of the time they really just felt like our bosses. I had a very strange relationship with them. I loved them, but it was a very distant sort of love. It wasn’t like the love I had for my friends or even what was starting to grow for Demi as well.

How long had I known her now? Just a couple days really, and I was about to rebuild our centuries-old city for her.

“Look at our sister,” Shel teased. “She has that look about her, like she’s about to go to war or something.”

“Shut up,” I hissed. “Once you find your mate, you will understand. It’s as if my entire world has changed in a blink. You don’t understand, but you will if you end up with a human or any land-dwelling creature.”

He sighed, back in his own world. Shel was a dreamer, and he created wonderful designs, but he was always up in his own head. Sometimes it drove me a little mad.

“You will find a solution, I’m sure,” Adonis said. “But . . . I don’t suppose you have time to help me?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, praying for patience.

This was the problem with having such a large family and being the competent one of the bunch. Even though I wasn't very close to many of them, they always came to me for help. Why was it always me? I wasn't even the oldest sibling. I wasn't even the highest-ranking one in our family. And yet everyone treated me as if I were the problem solver, when in reality,Adonisshould've been the one doing all of this.

Did I want to know what he needed help with? Did I even have the time? I was already running on fumes trying to imagine how the hell I was going to find a solution for all of us with human mates. All I wanted was to be able to come home from a long day of work and see my mate without swimming all the way to the surface. Although, I happily would if it meant I got to see her.

But I knew that it would also complicate things for Demi as well. She had her hobbies, and her job . . .

Her job on a boat.

Speaking of . . .

“I will help you,” I said slowly. “But only if you agree to assign guards to my mate when she is working on a boat.”

His brow shot up. “You want to assign guards to a human? Are you sure you want to use our resources that way?”

“Yes,” I said. “If I am not there, I require someone to keep an eye on her in case something goes wrong. Especially with how angry the sea has been.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What does she do on the boat?”

“I don't know exactly,” I said. “I don't believe it's anything evil, if that's what you're getting at.”

We had a stare down, but ultimately—as always—I won.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll request that for you.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Now, what do you want?”

“Will you explain mating rituals to our youngest siblings? The Kings and Queen asked me to do it, but?—”

“Yes,” I said immediately.

The last time Adonis was in charge of sex education, we had an entire class of younglings who thought penises were calledswords, because he hadn’t used scientific language.

“I will take care of it.”