Sunken Empire

by Brandy Slaven

  Zeph groans as we separate, and he crashes down to my side on the bed where I instantly curl up against him. Those tanned arms go around me as he kisses the top of my head.

  After a few moments of nothing but our breathing breaking the silence, he finally says, "I can see it now."

  "See what?" I ask, drawing lazy circles on his stomach.

  "Why we went to war. The sacrifices of so many lives. All of it," he admits.

  I raise up on an elbow to gaze at him as he tries to explain. "Not the befores when all of the Kings were trying to best the others, but after when the other clans went rogue and stole the females from our Kingdom. The least I'd do is go to war for you. And if someone took you, it'd be the last thing they ever did."

  A repeat performance of history spikes my gut with worry and fear at the thought, but what woman would be able to resist a man who says something like that? Probably makes me a pretty sick individual considering wars are a nasty business with blood, betrayal, and heartbreak. Regardless, it doesn't change my feelings.

  "You know what, Zephy?" I jest with a ridiculous nickname.

  His chest inflates like he's getting ready to laugh as he replies, "What's that, little siren?"

  I give him a second to let the amusement float around us before I repeat his words, "I think I'm in love with you."

  Time comes to a stop around us. His hands still against my back as the air freezes in his lungs. Then his lips drop to mine, and everything comes rushing back in full force. I would totally be up for going another round or two with him, but his energy seems to be waning. I'm not sure how I know, but I just do. It mentally pulls me down like an anchor.

  Giving him one last peck, I force him to lie back again so I can drape myself on top of him. Within a minute or so without another word, his breathing evens out, and I know he's asleep. It doesn't stop his hold from tightening on me, though; if anything it gets worse. Luckily, I'm content to lie within the comfort of his embrace. His may have been at a low, but my energy feels like it's spilling over the edges. It's so bad that I lie awake for hours lost in my thoughts, while examining his room. I'd have imagined it being messy with things lying around, but it's the exact opposite. As a matter of fact, it's so clean that it makes Zanthus' immaculate space look grubby. The walls are sky blue but patchy in places, resembling damn near translucent small clouds. It works with the plush, light-brown colored carpet. Overall, it reminds me of a warm day on the beach, relaxing without a care in the world and a seriously sexy man at my side.

  At some point, we shift. Zeph doesn't let me go, but I do get a better view of his barrier window. When I reach out with the magic he gifted me with, I concentrate on one thing to see how far I can stretch this new power. There's nothing for a few moments, but then the water is crowded with gliding gray bodies. Their fins flap at their sides like birds, but also like they're trying to talk to each other.

  "In a pack like that, they're called a fever," Zeph's sleepy voice tells me with a wide yawn.

  I rub my face against his chest, loving the vibration when he speaks.

  "Did you get any sleep?" he asks, clearly not having gotten enough himself.

  Shaking my head, I admit, "None. I couldn't get my brain to shut down."

  "Could have something to do with you coming into your magic," he says. Sitting up, he adds, "I shouldn't have been so selfish and fallen asleep. Coming into one type of power is exhausting. I didn't stop to think about the repercussions of two mixing."

  Not ready to let him go just yet, I wrap an arm around his stomach and bury my face into his back as I tease, "Careful. You're starting to sound like Zale."

  His body stiffens slightly, but I can tell there's a smile on his face when he answers, "My brother isn't the only smart one around here. Maybe I choose to appear ignorant so as to escape responsibilities. But, no longer, little siren, because there's now something more to protect than my freedom."

  My heart skips happily, and I move in to kiss his lower back, only to get stuck in the motion. For the first time, I notice black lines peeking out from his left hip. One of those tattoos he tempted me with on one of my first days here. Choosing this spot to shower my attention instead, I ask, "What does this say?"

  "It's Luanerick," he replies without answering. "You should be able to read it. Can you not?"

  I don't bother to mention that even if I were able to read the language, I still wouldn't know what it said, because half of it is hidden by the angle of his thigh. I shake my head, and he glances thoughtfully at me as he mumbles, "Strange. I wonder if taking on my magic chased his away since you aren't mated yet. Something you should fix soon."

  "Ready to get rid of me already, huh?" I tease, knowing it's not true as much as I know he isn't truly pressuring me into mating with Zale.

  His response is better than I could have hoped. Twisting in the sheets, he throws it over his head, hovering over my body so that it traps us underneath in a deflating tent. Our positions make it easy to get a visual on the rest of the tattoo, clinging greedily to the crease in his leg and working its way up to his back. More cover the top of his thigh, but he doesn't give me room to inspect them as his weight settles on top of me.

  Pressing a soft kiss against my mouth, he mutters, "I'd keep you right here beneath me forever if I could."

  "Zanthus would come looking for me eventually," I warn, sinking my fingers into his sandy brown locks.

  He huffs, "I'm surprised he isn't here by now, actually. It's going to be even worse when we get back to the kingdom. You're never going to be allowed out of our sight."

  Out of all three of them, he should know better than any how skittish a person can be about their freedom when the reins are being tightened. Rather than feeling the choking sensation of being held down too tightly, a warmth settles deep in my gut. All things considered, I know I'll be safe, and that means more than my freedom. Especially since there's no doubt it's going to be unspeakably rocky trying to get the people and the kingdom back on their feet. That kind of stress might make things unpredictable.

  Zephyr lands a kiss between my eyebrows where I can feel my forehead creasing as he says, "You're thinking too hard, little siren. One battle at a time, yeah?"

  At my nod, he kisses my worries to the back of my mind. If it wasn't for other responsibilities, I would entice him to make good on his promise of lying here all day. Alas, when he stands, I let him pull me to my feet. After being on the moving bed all night, stepping foot on solid ground makes me tilt sideways and grab ahold of Zeph's arm to keep myself steady. He smirks and gives me a great view of tanned ass cheeks as he strolls over to grab some clothes from the closet. If I had to choose between those stocky long muscled legs and his gorgeous golden tail, I don't think I could to save my life. Naturally, that's excluding the large third appendage in his human form because that would be a no brainer right there.

  "Like what you see?" he asks, standing boldly a few feet away with clothing in each hand.

  Recognizing that I’m in fact staring at the object of my thoughts, I brazenly lift my eyes to his. No heat fills my face like it normally would because this is my mate, and I'll look at any part of him how I damn well please. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, molten gold flares to life in his eyes in warning. As much as I'd love to drag him back to the sheets, our time-sensitive problems weigh heavy on my shoulders.

  Closing the little bit of distance between us, I raise up on my toes and he bends down to allow me to place a short kiss against his lips. He hands over the plum-colored sundress, and I slip it on as he pulls a pair of light blue jeans on. We both glance down at the same time to see if his are as tight as Zanthus' were after we mated. I can't be sure if Zephyr's relieved or not when a laugh springs from him. The material seems to be as skin tight as they ever were, but now they've got ripped holes around the knees and fraying seams. He looks like a surfer hippie straight off the beach.

  I shrug at him because even though I didn't ask for the closet to chan
ge his clothes, it's exactly how I see him in my head. "I'm not going to apologize," I tell him, hiding my smile.

  He mimics my shoulder movement and confesses, "You can put me in a dress for all I care if it'll make you happy. I'm pretty fond of these already."

  "You're going to spoil your reputation if you keep talking like that," I tease, taking the lead towards the bathroom door. I try to make him wait outside, but that does no good. He just strolls inside like he owns the place, which he kind of does, and plops his ass up on the sink while I pee, attempting to ignore him. Finishing, I move to his side to wash my hands and catch my reflection in the mirror. Holy mother of the sea. My dark hair is scrunched and tangled in sections. Other places it sticks out at awkward angles. There's no chance I'm getting a hairbrush through this mess without washing it first.

  Zephyr gives me an amused appreciative study as I whip the dress back over my head. I set it on the counter before making my way over to the shower.

  "Would you rather have a bath?" a deep voice whispers in my ear.

  My reply is swift. "You're damn right I do if you're going to be joining me."

  His low chuckle vibrates through my back where our bare skin is connected. Keeping us that way, he guides us over to double doors in the corner. They open like an old closet I remember. The floor drops down a step, making my toes brush the top lip of a massive tub.

  "I thought you said the shower doubled as a bath," I accuse suspiciously, watching his muscles flex as he bends down to flick the water on.

  He huffs humorously, "Zale's does. I didn't trick you, little siren. Just because we are brothers doesn't mean our preferences are exactly the same past our beautiful mate. Now, step in. I'll be back in a moment."

  The scent of the ocean fills up the room with steam, and I waste no time doing as I'm told. My body sinks to the bottom almost sucking my entire head underneath the surface before I start floating and bringing the water to neck level. Feeling all of the tension in my muscles slowly fading, it's easy to rest my head back against the side of the gigantic tub. It's a wide enough oval to fit the three Zs in here comfortably. I'd have to sit on someone's lap were we all in here together, which truthfully sounds like a fun time. My fingers drift across the deep blue color that reminds me of looking out past the barrier into open water.

  "Haven't fallen asleep in here yet, have you?" Zeph asks, slipping down into the water at my side.

  I snort. "Not likely when I'm thinking about having all three of my mates in here with me."

  A soft rumble starts in his chest, and his voice drops an octave as he asks, "Want me to call them in here?"

  Leaning my face toward him, I want to get a read off his expression because I can't tell if that was anger in his tone. If the swirling gold wasn't enough of an answer, when he lifts me to sit between his legs, the large aroused cock against my back would be. It makes my reply an easy one. "No. Let's save that idea for later, though."

  There's a puff of warm air against my shoulder that's above the surface. Then a brush makes an appearance in his hands seemingly out of nowhere. Every coherent thought evaporates as he pulls it lightly through the tangled mess. I think to warn him to be careful with the braid that's home to Zanthus's gift, but it's unnecessary. He drapes it down my chest as he continues his work on the rest. I become nothing more than putty trapped between his thick thighs with each stroke of the brush. What's even better is that I can feel the brine cleaning every pore on my body as I'm sure it's doing to my hair as well seeing that Zeph is dipping the brush in the water at regular intervals. I used to buy all that expensive stuff like brand name soaps and perfume and even had quite a stash with me on the ship. Since being in this realm, I've grown so accustomed to the salty ocean water scent that it would be a difficult habit to go back to. Not like I ever am, but still.

  Zephyr sets the brush down and his fingers work deftly around the crown of my head. It only takes a few moments before my eyes are closing.

  They're flying back open promptly after as Zeph proudly announces, "Done."

  "Remind me to have you play with my hair the next time I can't sleep," I advise, drawing a slight chuckle from him. The sound attracts the attention of my lady parts. Before we can get caught up in another whirlwind, I jump up, splashing water everywhere.

  "Your turn," I say, spinning around.

  His beam is breathtaking, but he scoots forward, giving me enough space to squeeze in behind him. Neither of us speak as I start separating his beaded strands, leaving them to hang freely over his shoulder like he did mine. I'm about two brush strokes in when he finally confesses, "I used to sit with my mother and watch her handmaids do her hair. One named Nette took notice and taught me a few things. Then when I started getting older and the younger ones were too distracted by me to do my mother's hair properly, I wasn't allowed to be in there anymore."

  "That hardly seems fair," I sympathize while his silky locks filter through my fingers.

  Shoulders shaking with his short laugh, he replies, "No, it was totally fair. I was an incorrigible flirt back then. I'd flirt with anything. Ask my brothers. It used to drive them crazy. Besides, one of the maids accidentally stabbed my mother with a hair pin and drew blood all because I was teasing her. If it hadn't been for me and my mother both, my father would've killed that girl. No one hurt his queen, let alone drew her blood. As it stands, Zale and Zanthus helped me sneak her into the Eastern Kingdom just to be on the safe side. So, my punishment was acceptable."

  "I can't imagine you being trouble at all," I observe sarcastically.

  One shoulder lifts defiantly. "Mother had enough serious stiffs around her. I loved making her smile, and she loved allowing me the freedom I'd always wanted. I'd never known devastation as I did the day Father told us she'd been taken. Those were dark days, and I stood by my family as we went to war. I used to think that if I could go back and alter anything, I'd try to talk my father and brothers down, but as does everything in life that changes, I'm glad I was never given that opportunity to do so. If I had, we likely wouldn't have you."

  Hugging my arms around his shoulders, I let the action speak louder than my words would at the moment. My impish mer mate is simply full of surprises and feelings that he likes to hide. When I return to my task, we sit in companionable silence until I finish.

  "Done," I announce, repeating his words.

  Zeph spins in my lap and slants his lips over mine. As our tongues brush, it's easy to taste the softness from his story. We aren't always the face that we put on for the world. Behind every frisky, brutish, or studious façade, there are emotions and pasts that will never stop being at an internal war.

  I'm on the verge of getting myself another taste of the mer in front of me when he retreats, kissing my chin and standing to step from the tub. Spinning so that my breasts are pressed against the side, I fold my arms over and rest my head on them. It gives me a great view of Zeph's ass, but also his face in the mirror when he gets his first glimpse of his hairstyle. I'd told him I wanted to see his hoops more, and I wasn't kidding. A soft but tight French braid pulls the majority of the left side of his hair back, ending tucked between his beaded braids. Without any hair ties, I did the best I could to get it to stay in place. But, nothing else matters as Zeph's palm traces the braid's edges and a grin lights his face.

  "Thanks, little siren," he says, winking at me in the mirror.

  Wanting to inspect my own, I stand, letting the water trickle down my skin. He watches through the mirror for a moment before turning to face me as if he can't stand that small barrier between us. It's a powerful feeling to be caught in his gaze while he drinks his fill of my nakedness. Remembering how it felt being between him and his brother, I can't help but wonder what it'll be like with all three of them in the room. And yes, that's a when not if, because I will have them.

  Stepping up to the mirror, my mouth falls slightly agape. There is an intricate design of a waterfall braid that's positioned around my head like a purplish black cro
wn. It pulls all the hair away from my face, showcasing Zephyr's golden hoops in my ears.

  My gaze flicks to him as he steps up behind me. "You're not the only one who wanted to see those in some sexy ears. Know what else? I cannot wait to reclaim our kingdom so I can place a real crown atop your head, my queen."

  Well, there go my figurative panties into a puddle on the floor. Twisting my head, I capture his lips over my shoulder. He doesn't hesitate to push his way inside to claim me. If I could just bend over slightly, he could seriously stake his claim. Rubbing my ass against him has me swallowing his groan.

  His breath is heaving when he pulls away this time. "Gods have mercy. You have earned your nickname. I'm all torn up and can think of nothing else around you, my little siren."

  "Doesn't sound like such a bad thing." I smirk.

  "Yeah," he huffs, pulling his jeans back on. I get distracted by him tucking his aroused cock inside, and he has to snap in my line of sight before my eyes flick back up to his, and he adds, "Unless you have brothers that will chop your human dick off and feed it to the fish for stealing you away for so long."

  "Oh, yeah," I agree. "We can't have that at all. I like that thing too much."

  Tipping his head back, his bark of laughter echoes around the room as water drips down his chest from his hair. I want to lick the droplets, but my magic flairs to life beneath my skin, begging me to try something else. Focusing on the moisture on both our bodies, I can feel when it responds to my touch. As quick as a snap of fingers, it evaporates, leaving every inch of us both bone dry.

  Zephyr's chin drops and he looks between us. "Did you just do that?"

  My only response is a pleased smile before slipping my dress back on and facing the sink. I'm making a habit of borrowing toothbrushes, but I haven't seen my room in days, so they can't complain. Zephyr props a hip against the sink while I brush and rinse. "You do realize I've never even seen Zanthus do something like that?"