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Castor’s Da is frowns at me, but his eyes flash quickly to Nico. I haven’t told Nico about Alder yet. Lunch wasn’t the right time. I’m not sure there will ever be a right time.
Castor offers his hand, and I take it.
Galen nods to the pod bedroom, and the three of us limp silently in, leaving a trail of blood drops behind. I’ve got a gash on my cheek, and I’ll have a black eye until my Dorian healing kicks in. Castor has a slice on his ear, and he’s holding his side oddly. Nico’s got a bloody nose and knuckles. Nico and I look worse than after the battle of Hestertåtten. Which wasn’t a good day.
We all step into the Kai’s podroom. Castor closes the door behind us. “No Soren.”
Nico shrugs. Pulling off his clothes, he hobbles into the bathroom. Castor and I follow suit, dropping clothes as we go. The shower is massive with six heads, more like something you’d find on theCentauri.
Silently, we tend to our wounds and get cleaned up. When we come out, there are new tunics and pants lying out for us like we’re podlets who need to get ready for school.
“Nico,” I say.
He looks up from where he’s sitting pensively, a tunic in his hand and elbows on his knees.
“Alder.”
“I know. Pertusio told me in the elevator on the way up.”
“Okay. I’ll go check on him.” I buckle the belt on my borrowed trousers.
“No, Pertusio says he’s sedated. They’re not letting anyone in. Not until tomorrow.”
I fill my lungs. Because of course Nico has gotten the insider information. Pertusio is one of the finest doctors we have. I glance back at Nico.
“Pertusio wants to meet Annabelle. I told him no. He assumed it was because I thought he’d make a play to be in her pod. We can’t let them know she doesn’t have a fluke form. At least, that she doesn’t have one yet.”
“That’s going to come out.”
Nico cocks an eyebrow at me. “Sure, it is. I trust Pertusio. Plus, he’s better than having someone from another dome spread it around.”
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Fine. You’ll have to contact him. They’ve turned my block off.” Nico nods to the dead device.
“Right.” The fact he’s on house arrest hasn’t slipped my mind.
Castor stands and, from his pile of clothes on the floor, retrieves his block and tosses it to Nico.
Nico raises his chin in thanks and dives in. There’s nothing wrong with Pertusio either. But he’s not good enough for Belle. That much I know. She’s not going to like him. Well, maybe she will. He’s a scientist, she’s a scientist. He’s off-kilter, she’s awkward. But no, I don’t see them as a match. Not even remotely.
“I’m going to go—” Castor stands.
“Sit down. There’s no way in hell Annabelle didn’t hear our fight. We have to talk to her. Together.” I want to swing at him again.
Castor smiles.
“Fuck off. You’re not going to be in her pod. You keep acting like you want her, but then you back down. Either you want to be king or you want Belle.”
“You’re right, he needs to be here when we talk to her.” Nico finishes typing and tosses the block on the bed. He lies back, his feet on the ground.
Castor looks at me and I at him. Unless Kai is into bondage, I doubt this bed has ties to hold Nico down.
There’s a soft knock on the door, and the three of us scramble to get there first. Castor is closest, but I jump faster, yanking it open.
Ophelia’s got her hands on her hips. She’s changed her clothes to a simple golden tunic with sparkling diamond buttons. Her eyes scan from one of us to the next. But her pointed finger stops at her son. “You’re staying here tonight. You can’t let anyone see that shiner. Not coming out of my apartment. If I had wanted people to talk about our family being physical, I wouldn’t have controlled myself so well during your fishing teenage years. Now work on healing those blasted injuries, and leave that poor mermaid alone.” She points to each one of us for effect.
I’ve never had a mother, or rather, I never met my mother. Richeal was assigned to be my mother, but she died before I was born. Alder and Muster had a painting of her on the wall over the dining room table growing up. It was oddly religious. A halo of light around her head. When I was young, I’d make sure to set the table and be the first one there so I could sit with my back to it. But over the years, Ophelia has tried to be kind to both me and Nico.
