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“Sushi,” Claira and I said in unison, and Barren gave a quick grunt of affirmation.
Claira turned to me, propping her head on an arm. “Remind me, how doyouknow about sushi?”
“Barren made it for me before. He came by after the curse first took hold.” I glanced over at him, surprised by the size of the knife he was suddenly holding. “Remember? That was a fucking day we had.”
He grunted again, and I nodded to Claira. “See? You’re not the only one who appreciates Barren’s cooking.”
“I appreciate it, too!” Kai chimed in. He was stealing pillows off Barren’s bed to hand off to his pet. One by one, she took them, nosing them into some sort of fort on the floor. “And so does Laverne.”
Despite our praises, Barren sat the board in front of Claira first. A look of awe formed over her face as she watched him artfully cut half of the rolls down into equal parts and plate an assortment with ease. He slid a colorful plate in front of her, and she murmured a soft thank you before digging in with her fingers.
“Cecaelia,” Barren began, cutting into another row, “are shadow creatures that spawn in the rifts. Their dark chasms share a border with my queen’s kingdom, yet most of our knowledge is mere superstition. When you go back down there—”
“Cecaelia?” Kai practically yelled, popping up from the middle of a cavern of pillows. “You can’t expect Claira to go down there if there are dark spawn—”
“Go back to your playing,” I growled back even louder. “I will make sure she is safe.”
“You?And what wouldyoudo?” he threw back, an unnatural scowl forming over his lips. “You couldn’t even keep yourself safe from one mermaid’s glamour.”
Claira’s eyes were wide as she turned to look between the two of us. Then she slowly stuffed another roll into her mouth.
“Mermaids are fuckingruthless,” I spat, my hands clenching into fists. “Though I suspect you don’t know anything about that, huh? Considering how far back in line you are for your kingdom’s throne.”
Pillows went flying as Kai kicked his way out of the fort. He came behind Claira, arms wide, and her spine went rigid as he wrapped himself around her shoulders.
“It’s my duty to keep her safe,” he proclaimed, not even a hint of humor showing on his face. “Because we’re—” He hesitated then, his expression softening as he looked down at the top of Claira’s head. A light pink rose over his cheeks and spread down his neck. “Because we’remates.”
… What?
“Whaaa?” Claira gasped, sputtering out pieces of sushi.
Lavaney popped out from underneath pillows to shriek her disapproval, and even Barren’s knife fell against the table.
30
Kai
My jaw trembled with excitement. Or was it nerves? I pulled back, eager to see Claira’s expression now that she knew Poseidon’s blessing had tied us together.
Bewilderment framed her wide eyes, and my heart leapt. Bits of rice were stuck to her lips and chin, but she didn’t seem to care. She looked surprised, yes, but not the least bit repulsed—what a relief. It was mostly fear of her disgust that had kept me awake through the night.
That wasn’t completely true. I’d been flipping through hysterical excitement to worry to absolute disbelief since the moment Claira left my side at the pool, wondering if what she’d said to me in the water had been true. Poseidon had never made a more perfect mermaid—well,ex-mermaid—than Claira, so to think thatI’dbe blessed with such a kind, courageous mate?
Considering how I had nothing of value to offer her, it was hard to believe Poseidon had judged me as worthy.
I wasn’t particularly fast or strong or wealthy or even skilled with a polearm. Nor did I have the advantage of a crown pending over my head like my oldest brother—a trinket most mermaids seemed to be drawn to, like snook to the lanterns posted outside the ruins back home.
But seeing Claira now… The idea that the Atlantic was trying to force her to go into the water again had me crazy. Especially knowing she’d be going down there alone.
Even without the threat of dark spawn, I was still against it. If we were tied together, we had to keep each other safe. I felt it even now, her energy drawing me toward her. If we weren’t mates, what else could explain this magical pull between us?
No, weweremates. And just as it was my father’s duty to support my mother, I would support Claira.
But this hadn’t been the right way to tell her—not here. Not in front of Laverne, Barren, and Leander. Claira deserved something special, somethingromantic. With sweet words, yummy food, and maybe a game or two of checkers I had strategized to let her win beforehand. She’d love that.
But as always, my mouth had moved before my brain, and I’d messed everything up. Now there was nothing left to do but smile and roll with it. At least I had the rest of my life to make it up to her.
The rest of my life.
