Restless Waves

Chapter 55

"I know that now," he whispered.

Eventually, Rowan had to sit back down again, so he pulled away and almost sat on Kaerius. Mandy then remembered that Kaerius was there, though she looked at him like they had never met.

"Who's your friend?" she asked.

"This is Kaerius." Rowan smiled at his Thalassic Mortal. "He's my soulmate."

Mandy raised her brows. "Oh." She then tilted her head. "how did I miss that?" She smiled knowingly. "I see it now, your bond. It's not fully set yet. I'm guessing you've only known each other for about a month?"

"How did you know?" Rowan asked.

"I'm the princess of the sea. I know a lot, except for when I've been cursed apparently." Mandy frowned. "No, it's too soon to be making jokes."

Michael chuckled. His eyes didn't leave his soulmate; they couldn't.

Kaerius suddenly got off the couch and knelt in front of her. "Royalty," he mumbled. "I Kaerius, strong sea creature. Honoured, yes. Very honoured."

Rowan bit his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Please, don't kneel for me. I've been no princess. Please, Kaerius," Mandy said in the Thalassic Tongue. "You're my son's soulmate. You're Royalty now too. We don't kneel to each other."

Kaerius stood up, looking a little pink. "You're kind now. It's strange."

Mandy's face was swamped with guilt. "Was I horrible to you too?"

Kaerius nodded. "You impaled me with a spear and threw a big rock at my head."

Mandy gasped. "I did not, did I?" She asked in English and looked to Michael, who understood the Thalassic Tongue.

"Did what?" Rowan asked, not understanding. Kaerius's first language sounded breathier out of water.

"It's fine," Kaerius reassured her. "I tried to kill your son when we first met." Kaerius thought about when he had pulled Rowan off the boat and tried to drown him. The longer he held Rowan under the water; the more Kaerius struggled to breathe. That was when he knew something was happening between them.

Mandy almost laughed. "History repeating itself. Wait, was Rowan on a hunt?"

"You forced him on one," Michael said with a sigh. "But yes, they met how we met."

"Is it ignorant to ask if you can speak in English?" Rowan asked. "I can't understand."

"Not at all, Sorry." Mandy sat back down next to Michael, seeming a lot less confused and scared, though her eyes were sad. Rowan would feel more than sad if he missed 12 years of his life.

Kaerius plumped himself next to Rowan, liking the flutter if his heart when their skin touched. Just looking at Rowan gave his spine shivers. "Princess of sea. Wow," Kaerius said. He could somehow feel Mandy's authority. He would love to see her in the sea and how his world adapted around her.

Rowan wanted to make fun of how in awe Kaerius was, but a blow of dizziness dropped his head to Kaerius's shoulder.

"Rowan?" Kaerius shook him, and Rowan winced. "Eyes open."

"I really, really want to sleep." Rowan's head rested comfortably against Kaerius's shoulder, resting in the crook of his neck, feeling his warmth and his hand rubbing softly against his back. Rowan had noticed how Kaerius was more loving. He must have been anxious about Rowan, and Rowan knew what it felt like. When Kaerius had been captured, he was almost sick with stress. Rowan would have destroyed everything for Kaerius to be okay again. Soulmate bonds were proving to have unreachable strengths.

"If Rowan sleep, Rowan sleep forever."

"I'm not gonna die," Rowan breathed. "I'm just- my head hurts."

"Not good." Kaerius lifted Rowan's head from his shoulder and stared deep into his eyes. He hummed lowly. "No sleep."

"But I want to," Rowan mumbled.

Kaerius kissed his bruised cheek. "No." He kissed him again. "No." And again. "No. Rowan sleep when moon high."

Kaerius kissing his bruises had both hurt him and awoken his affection. He opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. He caught his dad watching them with a content smile. His mum watched him in disbelief. She still struggled to believe Rowan was eighteen. Rowan cleared his throat and mumbled, "I need coffee."

Michael was about to get up and make him some, but he remembered about Wez being Mandy's brother. Michael had never met any of Mandy's family, but he never thought Wez would be the one to curse her. "I need to know what happened," he said, taking Mandy's hand. "Why did Wez curse you?"

"Wez?" Rowan said, trying to sit forward again but Kaerius pushed him back against the cushions. "Wez as in Wez who gave us a lift just then?"

"Yeah, Mandy said he's called Wez-arian or something?"

"He's my brother. You didn't know he was my brother because he wasn't pleased that I bonded with a human and chose to live a large amount of my life on land. He thought it was wrong too, so it really split the family," Mandy explained.

"Why would he curse you?" Michael asked. "That surely can't be enough for him to ruin your life for so long. We thought it was the Goddess, your mother. I mean, who else was powerful enough to do that? We had no idea that fairies existed and could make curses. But why did Wez hate you enough to do that to you?"

Mandy was frowning and staring into the carpet like her mind was a million miles away. "Wez was never cruel, but Braiken was."

"Braiken?"

Mandy nodded. "I have two brothers."