Page 28 of Claimed By the Depths

“Such a request is not possible,” Parran piped in, their pooling cornflower gaze settling my wavering emotions. “My link with Alastair remains all I can offer. Leilani’s ability to receive my messages is only plausible because of their intimacy⁠—”

“Unnecessary,” Kael stated as he lifted a hand. “I am not interested in learning about how they express their love for one another.”

The query came from me playfully. “What is it that you are interested in then, prince?”

He was in front of me before I could process how, two fingers drilling into the center of my chest. “First, we came to discuss Caspian’s journals, as well as some connections I’ve made. Second”—he closed the last inch between us, the refreshing scent of lime and mint encapsulating my senses—“it is king to you.”

Newfound darkness billowed from him, addictive in a way that felt otherworldly. The transformation in his demeanor was notable as we crossed paths, the streets of Serevalen imploding into chaos around us. It was as if the emergence of creatures from the Other Realm had stirred up his ability to call upon magic, something I never expected from the prince who once trailed Percival. But it wasn’t just the mysticism; it was the abrupt alteration of his personality, and he was right.

The man before me was no longer a mere prince, but a king capable of dismantling malevolence.

Heat settled in my lower abdomen as I held his seafoam stare, my articulation seeming to form of its own accord. “I’ll call you whatever you damn well want me to, Kaelivan.”

“Good.” While his expression remained unreadable, the corners of his mouth tugged upward so subtly that I would have missed it if I had blinked. Palm flattening on my sternum, he cocked his head to the side. “While I am far from King Marellan’s son, I will not lie and claim obedience does not entice me. Now, do me a favor,” he shoved me with enough force that the backs of my thighs greeted the chair, “and sit.”

Obliging his request, I craned my chin to look up at him. “You mentioned connections. What have you come up with?”

“I can’t take all the credit,” Kael insisted, glancing toward Parran. “They are from the land Marellan stole me from, the one just beyond Wraelira.”

Mirrors.

My attention snapped to the individual he referenced. “Can you provide us with the name of your continent?”

Parran shook their head. “I cannot, as it is tied to the prophecy. For I am bound just as your captain is.”

“Which means they cannot directly share information, for it risks their well-being.” Kael took a step away from me, settling against the lip of Caspian’s desk. “But… There was somewhat of a workaround.”

“Wait.” Pushing myself upright, I trained my gaze on Parran once more. “It risks your well-being in what capacity?”

Their lilac tongue darted between their matching lips as if contemplating whether the question was one they could answer. “Lacerations by an unseen force. Why?”

“Caspian…” I shook my head and exhaled. “When he tried to speak to me about… something, I’m presuming prophetic to a degree, he was clawing at his throat as if he couldn’t breathe.”

Parran nodded. “All those bound by Sorva react differently to her Silencing.”

“I am not here to write off the struggles that have come from her reign, but the longer we sit in this lull, the more control she gains.” Looking between us, Kael sighed. “Essentially, since Parran is a divine being, though what degree remains unknown, a god has confided in them to protect a Child of the Damned. Parran informed me their Children can be referred to as Divari, and, as we’ve been aware, Rohen and Caspian fall under that umbrella.

“As a child of royalty, I was required to learn about the Damned. The king, best known as my ‘false father,’ asked me to do so so I would know what to ‘stay away from,’ but I was wary long before then. In that lore, which Parran confirmed to be truthful, the Goddess of the Sea and the God of Death were inseparable after the death of Ellira’s lover. After spending time together, and Elaros becoming the one she relied on, they formed a relationship of their own. By the weaving of fate, that means Rohen and Caspian belong together. Not just because of that bond, but because it is prophetic, pre-determined by the gods.”

My brows furrowed, a cloaked curiosity escaping me. “So their hatred for one another?”

“Is falsified,” Kael confirmed. “Sorva is essentially the roadblock, and her bind is what is making Caspian act irrationally. The instant the two of them figure her out and join sides, her eradication becomes imminent, and two out of the five gods are freed.”

“And once they obtain that freedom?”

“The handpicked Children of the Damned, Rohen and Caspian, will become their vessels, and the same with the remaining three, as their parents are freed.” He ran his hand through his disheveled locks. “Essentially, what I’m understanding is that the world beyond Wraelira is a mirror of these lands, which means there are five selected counterparts with similar roles in the prophecy. They have become the godborne, the Divari, the entities and beings the people will worship.”

Glancing at Parran, I found their cornflower stare trained on Kael, pride swelling within it. With a flick of my eyes, I found the newly acclaimed king. “Holy shit.”

Kael chuckled, nodding. “That’s exactly what I said.”

I flattened my palms against the armrests and pushed myself to stand, pointing at the journal awaiting my attention. “We can scour every bound parchment Caspian has, but you may find interest in the passage I’ve been studying.” Kael moved, but I lifted my hand to stop him. “But first, the three remaining Children? Where do we find them?”

Seafoam stare gleaming with satisfaction, he simply said, “They're already among us, Kao, and if I am no longer a possibility due to my ties to a world beyond this one, that leaves three in our coerced, close-knit group.”

It was only a matter of time until we figured out who.

CHAPTER 15