Page 31 of Welcome to Seaman’s Cove: Part Two

“Forgive my tardiness,” she says magnanimously to the room. “There was something that required… my attention.” Her eyes fall on me, and I shiver under her cold gaze, but her focus quickly shifts back to the crowd. “I’m so pleased to see you all here to support the upcoming nuptials of my son and the dear Princess of Sirena.”

Nerocaitan frowns, eyes still on the new entrants though he speaks to me. “It’s unlike mother to be tardy to anything, much less something as important as this. I wonder what’s happened.” He places a hand on Farrasea’s forearm before bowing graciously. “Forgive me, princess, but I must check in with the queen.”

Farrasea watches him go before jolting, guilt washing over her features as she looks back at me. A rosy blush highlights her sharp, pale, cheekbones and she clears her throat, slipping into her powerful alpha persona quickly. “I do hope nothing is wrong.”

“Queen Namora has been… stressed recently.” I shouldn’t do this, but I need to know if Farrasea is as in the dark about humans as I was. “Of course, much of that may be my fault.”

Farrasea’s head tilts. “Oh? You seem so… obedient.” There’s a slight flicker of disgust on her face before it’s replaced by a teasing smile. “How could you possibly be the cause of her troubles?”

I huff a self-deprecating laugh, preparing to stretch the truth a little. I won’t risk my mate’s safety by outright telling Farrasea about humans or my bond, especially not here where we could be overheard, but perhaps I can pave the way.

“Ah, well, I’ve always found the stories my grandfather told me as a merling absolutely fascinating, and I’ve been pestering her about them of late. I found… a new text on the mythical city of Ocearus that contained very compelling evidence it was real.”

“Ocearus?” She laughs once and rolls her onyx eyes. “Next you’ll tell me it had proof land dwellers existed as well? That the fables we’re told of the lost city of Ocearus filled with magic, omegas, and mixed species packs are also real?”

Well, that answers the question of whether or not she knows about humans. I pop a shrimp in my mouth and chew slowly, hoping it doesn’t set off the nausea that’s been my constant companion today due to being separated so long from my mate. Finished, I meet her gaze. “What if it were real?”

Farrasea stares at me curiously, her eyes narrowed like she’s trying to discern if I’m serious or jesting. She doesn’t know me, I could play this off now as a bit of humor. Forget trying to make her an ally and figure out another way. But she speaks before I can convince myself of the right decision.

“Well,” she says slowly. “I’d say that it sounds fantastical and idealistic. But if it were real… it would change our entire society as we know it.”

I swallow hard and nod. It would. It will. The question is, will I be there with my mate to witness it?

She breaks eye contact, glancing toward where my brother and mother are talking in hushed tones. Does he know I’m mated? Are they discussing what to do with my starfish? Gods, I’m becoming as paranoid as my mother, and I don’t know who I can trust.

“Why don’t you show me this text?”

Farrasea’s statement pulls my focus back to her. “What?”

“This text you found recently, the one you’ve been pestering the queen about. I’d like to see it.” Her gaze is a challenge.

Fuck. That’s the last thing I expected her to say. I haven’t found anything new besides the necklace that was tossed into the sea that alerted me that humans still exist. But my mother took that as soon as I showed it to her. She denied the whole thing and told me I’d only imagined humans throwing the necklace into the water. That was when my frustration bubbled over enough to send me searching for myself.

I do have my grandfather’s tomes, and Farra doesn’t know they aren’t something I’ve just discovered. I can show her those. And maybe, if her skeptical stare is anything to go by, she may be open to the idea of the myths not being fiction at all. This is dangerous territory, but I’d do anything to save my mate. I just have to make sure my mother doesn’t find out what we’re discussing or see us leave.

“Of course, princess.” I hold out my arm for her. “Shall we?”

22

“Do you see anything yet?” My firebird’s voice is tinny as it comes through the radio in the submersible. He knows none of us have seen more than wide open ocean and some unusual fish. Normally, my marine biologist alpha would be going wild with excitement at seeing rare or even previously undiscovered aquatic species, but one hundred percent of his focus is on the city he and Hunter swear must be here.

I admit I was skeptical at first, who wouldn’t be? But I trust Phoenix, and after watching Hunter suffer from bonding sickness, plus finding the map to get here hidden in those ancient books, I know deep down this is real. And my ocean_omega being their Madison? That’s not luck, that’s fate. Even if I’m struggling to fully come to terms with what it might mean for me.

Hunter and Phoenix are ahead of me, our formation a sort of v-shape. I’m not sure how deep we’ll have to go, but these subs are rated for up to 2500 meters. Hopefully, that’ll be overkill and we won’t have to go nearly that far. Even the most experienced scuba divers can only handle about 100 meters. Human bodies just aren’t built for it. Not to mention the side effects of coming back up to the surface from that depth.

Watching the gauges, we’ve passed that point and are just about to leave the twilight zone at 1000 meters. The irony of that name when we’re searching for a merfolk city isn’t lost on me. We’re starting to lose natural light, the headlights on the submersibles illuminating our descent.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Hunter’s voice crackles through the speaker.

“Holy fuck.” That’s Phoenix.

It takes a moment for me to find what has them sounding awestruck, but when I do, I nearly stop breathing. A glow rises from below us, getting brighter as we get closer. It’s coming from what I can only describe as an underwater kingdom, complete with coral reef walls and a castle straight out of a fairy tale.

Before we can get close to it though, my side proximity sensors go off. Hunter and Seb are still in front of me, so it can’t be them. Suddenly, my body whips forward as an unseen force slams my craft into Phoenix’s.

“What the fuck was—” My firebird’s voice is cut off abruptly when Hunt’s sub crashes into both of ours. We’re now nearly fused together, and I have no idea what’s causing it. If we discover leviathans are real too, I think I’ll pass out. Shadows ripple overhead as something, or someone, swims above us.

The lights in the cockpit flicker, the console flashing warnings at me that I can’t do anything about right now.