Page 55 of Storm and Sea

Nephi nodded. “Yes, I do, actually. But I can’t go until I get my dumb half-brother home. And to answer your questions, I don’t care. I don’t give a rat’s ass about your parents’ wishes either.”

“So why then?”

Nephi hesitated for the briefest moment. “Don’t like to leave a job unfinished.”

Nyel scoffed. “Sure. Whatever, Nephi.”

“So you gonna come home or stay until a human sticks a gaff through you?”

“None of the humans know what I am. I’m careful. I have a job, a place to live, and…and I’ve made friends,” Nyel said, listing his accomplishments like a petulant child. He hated the way he sounded.

Nephi laughed. “Oh yeah? And how well do you know these friends? How well do you know that bastard that you follow around like a puppy?”

“Don’t call him that. Atreus is a good person.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? It takes one to know one. And I know a bastard-born when I see it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Nephi smiled, his white teeth too perfect for his mean expression. “Haven’t seen it, have you?”

“Seen what? Spit it out already, Nephi. I don’t have time for this.” Nyel snapped, but with every breath, his stomach sank lower.

“His Mer form. You haven’t seen it.”

It wasn’t a question this time. But a statement. A true one.

“So what?”

Nephi nodded like his mind was made up. “You’ll change your tune once you’ve seen it. Mark my words.”

Nyel opened his mouth to argue when the sound of nearby voices made him jump. He hissed, ducking further into the boulder’s shadow. “We can’t be doing this here.”

“When you’ve learned the truth, I’ll be here to take you home.”

“I’m not going home, Nephi; you can’t force me.”

Nephi raised a brow. “Wanna test that theory?”

Nyel took a step back. “Okay, maybe you can, but I’ll just run away again.”

“Trust me, you’ll never walk these shores again after you see it.”

In the blink of an eye, Nephi’s body moved with inhuman speed and dove into the waves. Nyel waited, but he didn’t surface again.

At first, keeping tabs on his brat brother was somewhat enjoyable. Sneaking around, remaining out of sight, gathering information. That’s what Nephi was good at. It didn’t hurt that Nyel spent a lot of time on the docks, where a particular human frequented. A human Nephi saved. He’d discarded the bandages around his head, showing off a full head of curls. Nephi hated the way the golden locks were identical to the ones he’d run his hands through so many times. Right down to the rogue curls that poked out behind his ears.

It’s not him. It’s not him.

Nephi knew that. So why did he abandon the watch on Nyel to stalk this look-alike?

But the fun was over when his father, Donato, approached him while he rested under the house with the sandwinder.

“I need you to bring your brother home. What he’s doing isn’t safe.”

“Get him yourself,” Nephi snapped without bothering to roll over.

“Bianca and I aren’t comfortable with Marvassa.”