Rowan felt Kaerius shuffle closer to him as his mum and dad hugged and cried on each other for the first time in twelve years. It was such a shocking sight, Rowan couldn't look away, even when Kaerius softly kissed him on his bruised cheek. As Rowan tried to think about them ever being affectionate, parts of his childhood started to form. His mother, when he was little, was smiley and happy. Rowan started to remember being happy before it all changed. The curse had formed fake memories in his head too.
"They love now," Kaerius whispered, not wanting to disturb the silence too much. His head was close enough to feel Rowan's hair tickling his forehead. Kaerius wanted to be close after what happened. The moment he ran to the sea, he regretted leaving Rowan. Kaerius wanted to learn how to fight. He had a feeling that hunters would always be an issue.
"Yeah, they've got their bond back." Rowan stared for as long as he could before his vision blurred. He wanted to cherish the memory. "I'm so happy for them." Kaerius then kissed his cheek again, and Rowan could tell that he wanted the attention. He turned to look into his captivating purple eyes. Rowan's heart ached to see them so mangled with worry. "Are you okay? The day has been quite stressful," he whispered.
Kaerius looked puzzled. "I fine. Rowan hurting, not Kaerius."
Rowan raised an arm and traced the back of his good hand down Kaerius's cheek. He noted how warm his skin felt. "I'm glad you got away."
Kaerius was about to hug Rowan, but Mandy said, "I can't believe this has happened." They turned their attention to the two people falling back in love. "My poor Mike. You've aged well. You've barely changed at all."
Rowan suspected that it was easy for his mum to know that they were telling the truth about the curse. He could tell when Kaerius was lying because of the bond. Mandy could tell when Michael was too.
"I've dreamt of this day. I don't care if it has been twelve years or thirty. You remember our bond, and that's all I care about." They hugged again, and Rowan saw his father's broad smile and eyes that gleamed brighter than the sun. Everything was slotting back into place. Seeing his parents together and in love was how it should have always been. Fate brought their souls together. The curse had poisoned their minds and wasted precious time with each other. Rowan was going to make sure nobody ever got cursed again. He couldn't allow anyone to go through such torture.
"I've seen myself. I look so much older than forty-one."
"You don't; you're just tired. You have been for years."
Mandy rubbed her eyes and scraped her hair back from her face. Then her dark blue eyes connected with Rowans, her son. "If it's been twelve years, that makes you... eighteen."
Rowan weakly smiled. The longer he sat down, the more sunken his body felt. Despite Rowan feeling like he had been hit by a bus, he sat forward on the couch when his mum stood up. "I'll be nineteen next month."
Mandy shook her head in disbelief. "I've missed you grow. Look at you; you're a man now." Her eyes sparkled as bright as his dads. Rowan tried to memorise the way she looked. His mother had never looked at him with so much pride.
When he rose to his feet, Mandy had to look up to meet his gaze. "You're so tall," she whispered and hurried to him. Rowan closed his eyes when she hugged him. He had been hugged by his mother many times, but now he felt different. This version of his mother gave warmer embraces.
"Yesterday I could just about carry you to bed when you fell asleep on the couch." Mandy looked back up and into his eyes that were just like looking at his father. "Twelve years is so much to miss." She took his good hand and held it tight. She stared at it like his hand was made of magic. "Michael, you said that I treated our son horribly because of the curse, is that true?" she asked, though looked to Rowan for the answer. When Rowan nodded, and his eyes turned sad, and his mouth struggled to smile from the memories, Mandy looked away in shame. "I would never-" Sorrow made her choke on her words. "If it was me, Oh Rowan, I love you so much. You would have known that every day if it was me, every single day." She hugged him again and Rowan, through all the pain, bent down to hug her back.
"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."