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“Of course you don’t needpermission.” Keon audibly bristled.
They took up residence outside the bathroom to continue their argument, with Keon slightly inside the doorway to block Auryn.
Auryn asked, “What’s got you so rattled?”
Keon’s tone reminded me of thumbtacks. “Something happened, and something’s different, and you’re both acting like cats that got the canary.”
“You don’t trust us?” Auryn’s tone took on bite.
“Knock it off, you two.” I hastily soaped between my grimy toes. Keon was in a mood.
Keon obliged, and by the time Auryn and I had both washed and dressed again, Akoni had arrived home, and he was even saltier than Keon, and it had nothing to do with the fact he’d had to go out into the ocean for some external maintenance that shift.
Auryn took my hand and ran his thumb over my palm. “Our tethers became final.”
I blushed a mortified scarlet for some dumb reason. This is why I hadneverwanted a wedding. A bunch of people fawning over me goingawwwmade me squirm.
Akoni shoved his hands on his hips. “The hell they did. That’s not what we felt.”
Auryn added the key detail. “I tried to resist.”
“You didwhat?” Akoni jammed his finger into the gouge on Auryn’s chest. “Afterallthis, after everything you did, and you tried tofightit? It’s a miracle your tethers matured at all after what you did!”
Auryn tried to brush Akoni’s hand away with his palm on Akoni’s wrist. Akoni didn’t budge. Auryn pushed, but Akoni pushed back. “One final insult? Onefinalhesitation? Just so she’d know you were choosing her and she should be grateful?”
These guysreallytested my “not getting in the middle unless it’s sex” promise.
Auryn’s calm evaporated and fury seethed under his expression. “I didn’t want the tethers to mature until they healed completely.”
“So how excruciating was it trying to force the cosmos to break its own rules for you, like you’re one of the Nine Dead Gods come back to life?” Akoni snarled back.
Auryn leaned in very close and his smile was wild and searing. “The cosmos isn’t as heavy as you’d think.”
“Heavy enough. I will behappywhen it’s our time. I do not wait for much, but I am waiting for that. Andyoufought it!”
“The same reason you fought,hypocrite,” Auryn stepped a hair closer. Akoni didn’t give an inch.
Keon shoved himself between them.
“Of courseyouwould defend him,” Akoni told Keon.
“I’m defendingher. Maybe their tethers will heal now. Maybe not. But I don’t blame Auryn for trying. I don’t even blameyoufor trying to protect her from a water pup.I’mthe selfish one. I’m the one who hurt her because I didn’t want to share, I didn’t want to deal withyou, I was pissed the cosmos robbed me of theone thing I wanted, and I couldn’t face that abandoning humanity was the only way to save it. I’m the selfish asshole who hurt Helena for his own gain, so if you want to be mad, I’m a big, slow, not-magical target.”
Keon held out his arms and gestured for where Akoni could direct his rage. “I’m still salty and bitter about it. I try not to be, but I am. But I’m still happy for them. Ifthey’rehappy.”
I wasn’t happy about the three of them playing crabs-in-a-bucket. “I’m happy. I’m also overwhelmed and scared. Everything said this should take years, and I’m afraid the cosmos is applying pressure.”
Auryn ducked around Keon and gently embraced me. “It can take years, but not always. I suspect Hekon and A’ka will be finalizing things soon as well.”
Keon snorted and Akoni said, “Thatdidtake years.”
Auryn kissed me gently, slowly, and the cool, stinging breeze washed over us, but there was a sweetness to it.
I pulled back before it started to sting. No point in pushing things.
Keon half-smiled. “Then I guess my timing is good. I have a gift.”
“Presents?” Akoni asked doubtfully. He nudged Keon out of the way and embraced me before giving me his own gentle kiss.
