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You’d think I’d told her I will keep Castor from mating Annabelle, saving his chance of becoming king, from the way she jumps up from the table to hug me. She smells of jasmine and roses. It’s what I remember my mother, her late best friend, smelling like, too.
Ophelia hugs Annabelle next. All the mates stood when Ophelia did.
“Thank you for the meal,” Annabelle says. “If this was a light dinner, I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat a regular one.”
Ophelia laughs, and her mates do too. “Now guide Nico back to your room.”
Like I don’t know where Kai’s bedroom is. Castor, Holter, and some other friends used to put sea slugs in her toilet. I can still hear her screaming. It was always Elazar’s idea, and now he’s one of her mates.
“It’s this way,” Annabelle says and turns the wrong direction. I let her guide me down the corridor to the children’s wing.
Castor catches up to us. “What in the hell is wrong with you?” He smacks my shoulder. No one has hit me in a long time.
I glance at the spot where he touched me and back to him. “I’m not going to mess up the face of the future king.”
“Shut it with the king talk. I’m not king. Not yet.”
“No, not yet.” I nod.
Castor scrubs his face. “But Soren? You can’t stand him.”
“I think you’ve gotten me confused with you.”
Castor shakes his head and puts his hands on his hips. “Soren?”
Annabelle’s eyes are bouncing between the two of us. “Soren is your brother?”
Castor nods. “And the guy whom coral brain is trying to set you up with.”
Annabelle turns to me. “Set me up with? Like bring into the pod?”
“Yes.” I thin my lips. I’m not going to mince words with her. I might not have much time left.
“But you don’t like him.”
“No, Castor said that. And Castor does like him. He just doesn’t like the idea of you being in a pod with him. Or more importantly, Castor not being in your pod.”
“Oh, but if you join our pod, you won’t be king.”
“Yes, no. You can’t say that. It will take more work to get the votes, but it doesn’t mean I won’t be in a pod with you.” Castor takes Annabelle’s hand. “Please don’t mate Soren. Nico’s right. I don’t hate my brother, and there’s nothing wrong with him. I couldn’t be in a pod with him, though.”
“It’s not allowed because you’re brothers?” Annabelle asks.
“No, it’s not allowed because... while I don’t hate him, I sure as hell don’t want to see him every day. And I also don’t want to see his naked ass anymore, either. I had enough of that growing up.”
I laugh. “Back when Soren was fifteen, he used Castor’s towel. Castor strung Soren’s clothes together and hung them outside the apartment’s bubbler. So they were flapping in front of the mermaid Soren had a crush on. Then—”
“She gets the idea, Nico. It wouldn’t be a good life for any mermaid to have us both in her pod.”
“I see.” She pauses, clearly picking up on him wanting to be in her pod. “And you don’t want me to have Soren in my pod because why?”
“Because...” Castor cocks his head.
She’s got him there. I laugh. “Castor’s not going to be in our pod.”
Annabelle’s lips thin.
Castor squints at me. “Because I think you should keep your options open.”
