by L. M. Brown
“Did the cameras pick up his fins when he entered the water?”
“No, thank goodness, but it’s not going to be safe for him to come back here. I’ve already had one of his work colleagues phone to ask to speak to him. She’d obviously seen the news and was trying to figure out whether it was Kyle or not.”
“You think it’ll be safer for Kyle to stay in the ocean, don’t you?”
Jake struggled to speak. “Yes. The thought of losing him kills me, but I’d rather him be safe in the water than in some government laboratory.”
“You watch too much television,” Malcolm teased, “but I can’t blame you for being cautious.”
“I won’t risk Kyle’s life, even if it means losing him.”
“But you wouldn’t just be losing Kyle, would you?” Malcolm said. “You’re here because you believe Finn will stay with him, don’t you?”
Jake hadn’t even wanted to say the words, but Malcolm was absolutely right. “Finn can still return here, but he won’t leave Kyle alone.”
“Are you sure about that?” Malcolm asked. “He might choose to come back to you instead.”
“Finn’s a merman. He belongs in the sea and we both know it. He and Kyle might have made a life for themselves on land, but they’ve never truly become part of this world.”
“They’ve stayed here for you,” Malcolm said quietly.
“And you and the rest of the family,” Jake added.
“But mainly for you,” Malcolm insisted. “Finn adores you and so does Kyle. I have no doubt they are on their way back to you, even as we speak.”
“That’s what worries me,” Jake replied.
“There isn’t much you can do to stop them,” Malcolm pointed out.
“I could ask one of the immortals to warn them not to return,” Jake said. “I’m sure Medina would pass on my message if I asked her to. But I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do, and it isn’t only me who would miss them. You and Coral would be losing a son, and Alex would lose his brother.”
Malcolm took hold of Jake’s hand and squeezed it tight. “I never thought I’d be reunited with Finn at all. To have had him for even this short amount of time has been more than I ever hoped for. Yes, I’d miss him, but it’s not as though he’d be dead. He could return to visit, as could Kyle, when things have died down.”
Jake hung his head. “But I don’t want them for just a visit. I know I’m being selfish, but I want to keep them in my life.”
“You’re not being selfish,” Malcolm assured him. “You love them, so of course you want them to stay here.”
“There’s something else, too.”
“What’s that?”
“Recently I agreed to become one of Medina’s priests, so she could generate enough power to wipe the memories of some of Kyle’s work colleagues who had seen him and Finn in their merman forms.”
“They were exposed?”
“Yes. It was an accident. Medina fixed everything, but I found out the price of her help later.”
“And what is that price?”
“I have to prove I know the meaning of love or I lose the ability to love forever.”
Malcolm chuckled. “I’m fairly sure no one could ever doubt you know what love is.”
Jake grimaced. “Medina told me I have to prove my love by making the right choice now.”
“I know you’ll make the correct one.”
“That’s what she said, but what is the right choice? If I selfishly keep them here, it could be dangerous for Kyle, and I might lose the ability to love them at all.”
Malcolm shook his head firmly. “No one can stop you loving your men, but if you give them up, you’ll end up with a broken heart, from which you may never recover. Have you thought that maybe that is what Medina meant?”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Jake admitted. “So you think I shouldn’t give them up?”
“I think you’ll find a way to be with them, even if it means leaving us again. After all, you are Atlantean, which means you can survive underwater, just as safely as your mermen can.”
“I’m not sure I’m a good enough swimmer to live at the bottom of the ocean. I get tired doing laps in the pool.”
“You’d manage, and Kyle and Finn would help you. It’s at least an option to consider.”
“Yes, it is,” Jake replied quietly. He hadn’t even thought of the possibility of living in the ocean with his lovers. Atlantis might be off limits to him, but since that city was equally unsuitable for the merpeople now, maybe he could live underwater.
With a whole new dilemma to mull over, Jake thanked Malcolm for his advice and returned home.
* * * *
Kyle woke early, having spent a restless night in the cavern. He hadn’t realized how spoiled he had been during his time in England. He missed having a comfortable bed and the warm body of his human lover beside him.
Finn had been equally fidgety all night, his fins flipping this way and that as he tossed and turned.
The sounds of movements outside their nook woke Finn, and the two of them emerged, wondering what the new day would bring.
King Nereus had declared they should allow some time for any mer who had been caught in the tidal wave to swim to the caverns. Unfortunately, they couldn’t wait forever, because the humans were far too close for the safety of the mer.
Kyle swam to the back of the gathering crowd with Finn at his side.
King Nereus hovered in the center of the group. Justin and Lucas were at his side. A few of the nearby mer stared at Finn, clearly wondering why he didn’t take his place by the king’s side, too.
Kyle wrapped his arm around Finn’s waist and kissed him on the cheek. “You can go stand at your father’s side if you want.”
“I don’t,” Finn replied sharply. “I never wanted to be a prince and it’s bad enough with everyone calling me Your Highness again. The sooner we’re on our way back to Jake, the better.”
Kyle smiled. “We’ll be home before you know it.”
“I hope so. I don’t know what I miss more, Jake or our bed.”
Kyle chuckled. “After last night, I’d say definitely the bed.”
“I’ll tell him you said that,” Finn teased.
King Nereus stared straight at them and Kyle remembered the ruler of Atlantis could read the thoughts of every mer person who had sworn allegiance to him and Atlantis. The king was the one man in the cavern who could tell they weren’t listening to what he had to say.
“Atlantis is no longer a suitable home for us,” King Nereus said. “The guards have reported that the island is completely surrounded and there are divers searching the waters on every side. We don’t know if they are searching for us or studying the island itself. Either way, these caves are too close to the humans, so we must leave immediately, before we are discovered.”
“Where are we to go to?” someone asked.
“As you know, the most vulnerable of our community are safe in the land of humans. This includes the Oracles, who are, as you know, blind when they are in their mer forms. While in England, they were most aware of how important their visions are and stayed in their mer forms as much as possible. Before I returned here, Ula was gifted with a vision of our future home. It is located on the other side of the world, in the largest body of water on this planet. We will swim south, then west, until we find the place Ula saw.”
“How will we know when we arrive, if the Oracles aren’t here to tell us?”
A bright glow of white light appeared beside the king. A moment later, Cari appeared.
“I will guide you on your journey,” the Goddess of Prophecy said. “I, too, have seen your new home and will help ensure you reach it safely.”
“We leave today,” King Nereus announced.
Kyle glanced at Finn. The plan for their people was to go in the opposite direction to where they needed to head, if they intended to return to Jake. It seemed they must part company with the rest of the m
erpeople sooner than expected.
As the rest of the crowd dispersed to gather their belongings, Finn and Kyle swam over to the king.
“Father, I think you know what I’m going to say.”
King Nereus sighed. “Yes, Finn. You and Kyle intend to swim back to your home in England, don’t you?”
Finn nodded. “Our place is there now.”
Cari raised her hand to interrupt Kyle’s own words. “Kyle, before you make your decision, there’s something you must know.”
“What is it?” Kyle asked.
“When you ran for the water, you were caught on the human cameras. Your face has been shown throughout the world.”
It was exactly what Kyle had feared.
“I would suggest you travel with the rest of your people to your new home.”
“What about Jake?” Finn asked. “He’ll be worried about us.”
“Jake is well aware of the danger posed to Kyle, and to you, by association, if Kyle were to return to England too soon. It will take quite some time for you to reach the caves in the southern waters of the Pacific. Perhaps, by then, it might be safer for the two of you to travel back to England.”
Kyle nodded. “It seems we have no choice. Can you tell Jake what we’re planning on doing?”
“Of course.” Cari vanished, leaving Kyle and Finn to begin what would surely be a long journey to an ocean where even Kyle, who had lived a nomadic life until traveling to Atlantis, had never swum.
* * * *
Caspian tapped his foot impatiently as Jake rounded up all the merpeople who had taken up residence in his home. The god apparently had an announcement to make and was eager to get on with it.
When everyone had been assembled in the pool room, Caspian shouted for silence.
“I bring you news of the rest of your people,” the god said. “They have now begun their journey to what will be the new home of the merpeople of Atlantis. Jake, I know you’re concerned about Kyle and Finn, and I assure you they are safe and traveling with the rest of their people.”
Jake inclined his head to acknowledge he had heard. He’d suspected that might be the case, but it still hurt to hear that his lovers had chosen not to return to him. He didn’t blame them at all and knew they had made the right decision, but his life was lonely without them.
“The journey will take four-to-five months,” Caspian continued. “They travel through dangerous waters and have no wish for you, the most vulnerable of the community, to share those dangers. It is therefore decided that you will all remain here until the rest of your people have reached your new home. The gods who are allies will then transport those of you who wish to return the ocean. Anyone who wishes to stay on land will be given the opportunity to do so, but I suspect most of you are eager to return to the waters.”
All around him the mer nodded and voiced their agreement.
“Can I ask a question?” Jake asked.
“What is it?”
“Why not have Medina or one of the other gods build a new temple in the colony? The mer could travel that way and any who find their families split between the land and the ocean could visit back and forth with ease.”
“Like your own.”
“Well, yes, and any others,” Jake said. “In light of Kyle’s exposure to humans, it would be too dangerous for him to come back here permanently, but I’m sure he and Finn would welcome the opportunity to visit.”
Caspian gave a grim smile. “No doubt they would. However, each time a crystal portal is activated, it acts as a beacon to every other immortal. While this one here on land isn’t likely to draw in Mariana and her sea dragons, any on the floor of the ocean are. The fact that the dragons set out to destroy the mer harvests during the evacuation tells us that it isn’t just about Atlantis for that particular goddess. While the new colony is a great distance away from the location of the formerly sunken city, sea dragons can cover the distance in a fraction of the time to the merpeople. Keeping the new colony secure is our first priority, and the fewer who know the exact location, the better.”
“How do you know the sea dragons aren’t already on their way to the colony?” a mermaid with a youngster at her hip asked.
“We’re monitoring them closely,” Caspian assured her. “They remain in the Atlantic and relatively close to Atlantis. They are currently tormenting the human explorers for their own amusement.”
“I haven’t seen any reports of that on the news,” Jake commented.
“That’s because they at least have the sense to remain invisible while they’re doing so.”
Jake nodded and tried to quell his disappointment in not having an easy way to maintain his relationship with Kyle and Finn, while staying here in England. He knew they would be equally frustrated, Finn especially, since the rest of his family was here in England, too.
“I’ll return when we’re ready to move you back to the waters,” Caspian said. “If you need anything in the meantime, speak to Jake.”
Jake raised his hand, in case there was anyone present who didn’t yet know who he was.
Most of the mer appeared quite relieved to hear that they wouldn’t have to stay on land forever.
Caspian waved Jake to one side as the mer returned to whatever they had been doing before the god’s arrival. “I sense you have something you wish to ask me?”
“Yes. I want to know whether I can truly survive under the ocean at great depths.”
“I see no reason why you can’t,” Caspian replied. “The gift bestowed on all the Atlanteans was hereditary, and no matter the number of generations between you and those who first swam the oceans, the magic should work exactly the same way.”
“Then I could live in the ocean with Kyle and Finn?”
“If you wished, but I don’t think you’d be happy there.”
“I’d be happy as long as I had Kyle and Finn at my side.”
Caspian rolled his eyes. “Spare me from the sappiness.”
Jake flushed and Caspian vanished from the room. He supposed at least he had the answer to his question.
He had no idea what the hell he would do on the bottom of the ocean, but no doubt Kyle and Finn would be happy to show him the ropes, just as he had introduced them to the world of humans.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake should have known Natalie wouldn’t give up her quest to track down Kyle. Two days after the raising of Atlantis, she arrived on his doorstep.
“I want to speak to Kyle,” she stated as soon as Jake opened the front door, cautiously, in case a naked mermaid passed by at precisely the wrong moment.
“He’s not here. I told you he’d been called out of town on a family emergency.” Jake considered shutting the door in her face, but she seemed to anticipate his move and put her foot in the way.
“I’ve been calling his mobile for two days. He’s not answering.”
“That’s because he left it here,” Jake said. “I’ll have him call you as soon as he’s back home.”
“That’s not good enough,” Natalie argued. “I need to speak to him on a matter of vital importance. You must have a contact number for him.”
Jake sighed, stepped out onto the stoop and closed the front door behind him. “What could possibly be so urgent you need to bother him at such a time?”
“I’m afraid that’s confidential.”
“Confidential and urgent?” Jake snorted and rolled his eyes. “You work at an aquarium and Kyle’s current job description is pretending to be a merman. I’m sure you can manage without him for a few more days.”
Natalie brightened considerably. “Then he’ll be back before the end of the week?”
Jake cursed his bad choice of words. “I doubt it.”
“But you said a few more days,” Natalie pointed out. “That would imply that he’ll be back very soon.”
“I don’t know when he’ll be back, but he said he’d call before the weekend and let me have a number to contact him on.” Jake crossed his fingers beh
ind his back as he lied through his teeth. Maybe he could get one of the immortals to help out by getting Kyle to a phone somewhere. “I’ll ask him to contact you as soon as I speak to him.”
“We need him back at work,” Natalie insisted. “No one else can wear the fish tail. It was custom made for Kyle.”
“Well, Kyle’s not here,” Jake snapped. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m very busy right now.”
Without giving her chance to argue further, Jake went back inside the house. He hoped they could find some method of getting Kyle to a phone soon, because he could tell Natalie wasn’t going to give up her mission to track him down.
“She is most persistent,” Fabian commented when Jake had closed the door behind him. “Is Kyle going to get in trouble at work?”
Jake shrugged as he took Maurissa from Fabian and headed to the kitchen. “I don’t think the aquarium is real high in Kyle’s priorities at the moment.”
Fabian smiled. “I don’t imagine it is. I’ll ask my aunt if she can put some sort of repellent on the house here. It should keep any unwanted visitors away.”
“Can she do that?”
“Yes. She used to use it to keep people away from her temples during private ceremonies. Back when the Atlanteans were a thriving race of people, many would visit the temples in the hope of seeing the gods in person. The immortals were the world’s first celebrities.”
“And she’d do that for us?”
“I don’t see why not. The more people coming here, the more likely it is that the mer will be discovered. It’s in everyone’s interests to keep them hidden.”
Jake hoped Medina could assist with keeping snoops like Natalie away. If she could, it would be one less headache for him, and he could concentrate on more important things, like looking after Kyle’s niece and the rest of the refugees.
* * * *
Although he tried to remain a part of the crowd, there was no escaping the fact that everyone from the sunken city still viewed Finn as a prince.