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“Let’s table this discussion for now. My twin is being held captive in iron bars right now, and I nearly died when my foster father was killed and my other guardian didn’t know enough to ensure I stayed in the ocean the proper amount of time.” I paused to let that bomb drop.
He stepped forward to hug me. “Anything I can do to make it up to you, son. You have only to ask and it shall be granted.”
“In due time,” I answered, then stepped back and finally gave him the smallest of bows. The crowd around us erupted with pleasure. Gods, them and their protocol. I’d forgotten just how annoying it was.
My father beamed. “Tonight, we celebrate the return of one of my sons! We’ve been invited to return with you to Atlantis through the outpost’s portal.” He turned to the group of courtiers huddled closest to him. “Make sure a feast will be prepared.” They nodded. “Tomorrow, we go to the king’s war room and prepare for battle. Beathag will be coming for Kailar soon, and we will not allow him to be taken.” The king swept away, then, expecting us to follow, I supposed.
But I stood there in shocked silence. I knew my father loved me and loved Adan, as well. What I didn’t know was how he could prepare a feast and only try to protect me. Why hadn’t he mentioned a plan to go immediately to save Adan? Didn’t he want to participate in a rescue mission to bring my brother back to us? Nothing made sense about what was happening around me. Absolutely nothing.
“He doesn’t think it is possible to save Adan,” Alyx whispered in my ear. “Your mother is powerful because of her dark magic. Your sister, as well. He’s also just realized what has happened over the past years. Give him time to wrap his mind around it.” Alyx slipped his arm around my waist. “It’s difficult for a man to accept that he might not be strong enough to defeat the woman who gave birth to his children.” He took a deep breath. “I also think he has a difficult time accepting the fact that she needs to die, both her and your sister. He loved her, Kailar. I think a part of him still does—still hopes that she will turn away from the darkness and come back to him, bringing his other two children with her.”
“Then he’s delusional,” I huffed in fury. “How can he know that Adan is in the clutches of Beathag after all these months, and still talk about preparing a fucking feast to welcome me home? My brother is still in her lair and in grave danger with every passing moment.” Shaking my head, I sighed. “I don’t know if I can deal with this, Alyx—especially tonight. I can’t celebrate while my brother grows weaker and weaker locked in his iron prison.”
“I understand. Let them have their celebration tonight. Tomorrow morning, you and I and Keion will bring your brother home.” He reached up and grabbed both sides of my face in a loving gesture. “Once that is done, Kailar, you won’t ever be able to return here if we can’t destroy the Hag. We’ve tried before and nothing has worked so far. It won’t be safe for you here in the ocean, or for Adan either. I’m nervous about you staying this one night, in fact, because Beathag is locked onto you. She’ll know you’re here. I can only hope she won’t be able to get her army together fast enough to attack before we’ve left to rescue Adan.” Water surrounded the bubble of protection that even this outpost of Atlantis held—saltwater everywhere but the only water that meant anything to me was the lone tear that slid down Alyx’s cheek.
“You…you don’t think we can do it, do you? Save Adan? You think she’s too strong?”
“I don’t know what I think, Kailar. All I know is that Keion and I will be by your side, live or die. We hate ourselves for the years we’ve lost because of our careless, selfish decisions when we were too young to know what we should have done. Beathag will have to kill me before she can get to you—and the same goes for Keion. Our magic is strong. We’ll put up a valiant effort and the gods may be on our side.” He took my hand and pull me close. “All I know is that I want to spend every possible moment with you in my arms. Come, let’s go to our quarters. Please, Kailar. I need you.” He smiled enticingly at me in an attempt to not make what he’d just said so terrifying. “Plus, it makes us stronger. My essence inside of you, and yours inside me. Our strength will grow.”
“How’s that?”
“The proof of our love—the love of a soulmate—makes our magic stronger.”
I tried to make a scoffing noise, but I knew he could tell it would be fake. I was moved by what he was saying, though I didn’t want to be. “Is that a line you use to get men in your bed?”
“I don’t know. Is it working?” His grin was rakish. “It is true, though.”
“Then make love to me all night long,” I whispered, knowing I’d made the right decision, even though I was risking his hatred when he learned of what I was planning. I only hoped he would one day understand.
Chapter Nine
Alyx
I collapsed on the bed. Somehow, I’d forgotten the slight age difference between the two of us. Kailar had been insatiable. Of course, I had been doing most of the work and loving every damn minute of it. The rest of the afternoon leading up to that night’s feast had been spent with me making love to him, not the other way around. Not even once. He said that my turn to become strong from sex with a mate would be after the damn celebration. I was so worried Kailar wouldn’t be able to control his anger during tonight’s feast. Who could blame him? It was Kailar who’d talked to his twin, saw the pain he was in, first hand. And then there was the special twin connection to add to the horror of seeing Adan literally withering away.
When Kailar became angry, I did too. I could sense my own brother, Keion, down the hall, pacing the length of his quarters. Back and forth. Back and forth. He was as furious and as frantic to save Adan as Kailar. It was beyond his understanding how they could mention feasting and Adan in the same conversation. If Keion had his way, he’d already be traveling to the Sea Hag’s lair. No doubt, I would have my hands full tonight.
I glanced over at Kailar’s perfectly shaped ass. That ass of his was…well, there weren’t words in the dictionary to describe how gorgeous and delectable it was. The only thing more perfect than his ass was me being able to watch my cock sliding in and out of it. Gods, he was tight. Envisioning the sight caused me to give him a gentle slap on the rounded cheeks.
“What the fuck was that for? I’ve been waiting on you to climb aboard, sailor,” he teased with a twinkle in his colorful eyes. I’d noticed that, like his hair and his merman’s tail, they changed colors according to his mood.
Laughing, I said, “That was to wake you up. We have to shower, get dressed, and take the portal to the Atlantis court in less than an hour. Shake your tail, my beauty,” I ordered playfully. His eyes were a murky green—a color I hadn’t seen on him before. I wondered if that signaled his mood and if so, what mood did that color match?
He hopped out of the bed. “Shower with me. Please,” he asked softly, holding out a hand to me, as if I could ever say no to anything he asked. I had a lot of years to make up for my behavior. I could only pray the gods would give me the opportunity to have my eternity with him. If not, I would at least be able to keep him safe. I’d decided that Keion and I would cast a spell to send Kailar to the portal immediately if things looked to be going in the direction of a victory for Beathag. I realize it didn’t sound fair, but I would eagerly forfeit my life to keep his treacherous mother from having the opportunity to get her hands on him.
He pressed his sweet body to me once I stepped in the shower, and I was lost in him at once. I soaped up his lovely skin, paying special attention to certain areas. Before the water cooled too much, I had him pressed against the wall of the shower, buried deep inside him. When his orgasm rocked through him, I wasn’t far behind.
We made it to the portal, along with Keion with no time to spare and we stepped through and into his father’s celebration only minutes before things were scheduled to begin. Keion, walking next to me, growled with every step he took. “I’m sorry, Kailar. I’m not holding you responsible for what’s happening tonight, but I’m ready to put your father on a hook and dangle him over an aquarium of sharks. How dare he throw a party while Adan is suffering?”
“My thoughts exactly, Keion.” Kailar countered. “If I didn’t need my father and his army so badly right now, I wouldn’t put up with this. As it is, we have to play his game if we have any hopes of saving Adan.” He looked both me and Keion up and down. “And I do intend to rescue my brother. His soul is in anguish. He’s been begging me not to follow him through our connection…He doesn’t want you to come either because he fears for your safety. But this is one time I’m not going to bend to his will. Iwillgo after him. He needs me.”
“Us,” I correctly quickly.
Kailar shrugged. “Of course, I meant us. I can’t do this without your magic.”
A sudden chill ran down my spine, but I brushed it off. This was no time to imagine premonitions of doom. We were in this together and I wasn’t letting him out of my sight. I had nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing…until we met Beathag on the watery battlefield, of course. “I hope you don’t think I’ve implied that you’re weak, Kailar. It’s just that the more of us available to fight your mother, the better our chances.”
“Don’t call her that,” he growled. His eyes turned from the murky green to shining gold. Ah, he was angry. I knew that color. I’d seen it thrown in my direction enough times—well earned, I supposed.
