I'm quite active on Twitter at the moment, and I talk a lot about Restless Waves. If anyone wants to have a look at some of the stuff I talk about, my username is: @SianaghG

Also, sorry about the lengthy wait! I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

- Sian

"I've been taught how to fight all my life. Did the Goddess change my memories too?" Rowan asked.

"Yes. Your mother was born a Thalassic Mortal and raised you to love them and their relationship with humans. Believing that you were raised to hate them like I was, was another dig at Mandy for having a son with a human."

Rowan nodded to his words, though his eyes stared as though his train of thought was on a different planet. Rowan only looked up when Kaerius climbed down from the fish tank once his legs had returned and slipped on a pair of Rowan's shorts.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Michael asked, not unkindly. The bruises all over Rowan's soulmate was an indication that something bad was happening.

"Mum..." Rowan cleared his throat. "Kaerius snuck into the house to wait for me to come back from University. Mum had hunter's round, and they caught him and took him to the base on the edge of town. They hurt him to get him to talk about why he was a Thalassic Mortal with legs. Kaerius didn't say anything. I got there on time, I guess. I was angry."

"I've seen you fight when you're angry. I bet you showed those hunters what it's like to mess with a Solar."

"He did," Kaerius said, amused at the thought. "Rowan scary with... with weapon." Kaerius shuffled closer to his soulmate. Rowan looked like he was recovering from seeing a ghost. He felt overwhelmed. "good- skill. Brave. Great. Strong. A lot- strong."

The excitement in Kaerius's purple eyes cheered Rowan up. "So basically, mum is hunting me now because I took Kaerius."

Michael detected a spark between the boys, but they were still at the start of their soulmate journey. "How did you escape?"

"Wez gave me his car keys."

Michael hummed a low note. Either Wez felt sorry for Rowan and wanted to help, or he could track his car and know precisely where Rowan had parked, which wasn't far from his father's house.

"If your mother comes here, we'll let her in and tell her about you and Kaerius. It's up to her to decide how she deals with the information." Michael sat forwards on his chair. "She would never hurt you, Rowan. You know that, right? She does love you, in her own twisted way."

"Kaerius isn't safe though," Rowan said, looking up and into his concerned purple eyes. "She'll go after him, and so will her hunters."

"I won't let that happen," Michael said sternly. "You and Kaerius are one now. If she hurts him, she's hurting you."

Rowan sighed heavily and climbed to his feet. His limbs ached, and all he wanted was to collapse into a bed. "We'll see," he said, but not a trace of hope was in his voice or his expression. Rowan had strongly disliked his mother's views and how she handled her life. He didn't know how to feel now that he knew she acted the way she did because of a curse. "The mum I know isn't my mum at all." Rowan looked at all the small shells scattered on the floor. Kaerius was moving one with is toe. "What if the curse doesn't let her see that Kaerius isn't a threat. What if she sends her hunters to get him? What if-"

"Rowan stop stressing yourself out with these what-if scenarios. You don't know how she'll react. Come on. I'll make you some breakfast and hope they haven't surrounded the house already." Michael's green eyes fell on Kaerius. "I suppose you eat human food when you have legs."

Kaerius nodded.

"I'll cook you some fish."

"For breakfast?" Rowan asked.

Michael yanked open the curtain, and normal light streamed in, diluting the blue. "The Thalassic Mortal can only really stomach fish, tail or no tail."

When Michael left, Rowan felt a hand on his shoulder. His skin tingled and pulsed down his arm. He turned, and Kaerius watched him like he was trying to read Rowan's mind. If only.

"I important Thalassic Mortal," Kaerius said out loud. "I thought I was the special one who had Royal blood in me to get a soulmate. Being bonded to a Royal is just as honourable. When I was young, I would have done anything to be a Royal because eternal love seemed so amazing. I grew up and stopped dreaming. Though it turns out, I didn't need to do anything at all. Despite what your parents are going through and all the secrecy, this is pretty exciting."

"You were kidnapped last night and beat up because you're different. You call that exciting?"

"Adventure, Rowan," Kaerius said out loud. "I heal." He then thought, "this won't be my life forever. You'll be in it regardless of what happens, but it won't always be this hard."

Rowan stepped closer, and Kaerius placed his other hand on Rowan's shoulder. "It's hard for me to be optimistic right now, but I think you're right," Rowan said quietly. He stared at Kaerius's mouth when his lips curled towards a smile. Kaerius didn't smile often; his face was always stern and hard like a stone. Rowan was getting better at seeing his emotions.

Kaerius looked at Rowan in a way that made him want to be comforted. "I'm so glad we're not trying to end the bond anymore," he whispered, and Kaerius agreed with a single nod. His hands moved from Rowan's shoulders and wrapped around his neck, pulling Rowan into him.

The boys hugged tightly, and with meaning, squeezing the affection into each other. Kaerius liked Rowan's warmth, and Rowan liked the way Kaerius placed a hand on his neck and a hand just under his shoulder blades.

"Do I have permission to punch your mother in the face?" Kaerius thought, and Rowan scoffed with his chin rested on his shoulder.

"If you're defending yourself, then I wouldn't object." Rowan pulled back and kept his arms on Kaerius's waist. "I'm sorry you're getting hurt because of my family."

Kaerius shrugged, staring at Rowan's mouth. "Teach Kaerius fight?"

Rowan nodded. His eyes moved around Kaerius's face. "I'll also teach you English when all of this blows over."

"I'm a fast learner," Kaerius thought, and when he pursed his lips to stop himself from pressing them against Rowan's mouth, Rowan moved closer until their noses touched. Their souls snuggled when their lips connected, and they kissed.

Their faces melted together, like two colours blending to make something new. They only shared one kiss, but it was enough affection to fuzz Rowan's head. Kaerius's eyes glossed over when they pulled away. He looked satisfied and content, despite the bruises puffing up one eye.

Michael noticed that Rowan looked a little less lost when he entered the kitchen with Kaerius on his heels. He missed the magic of a bond and the excitement it brought to every touch. "No hunters are here yet. If your mother doesn't come, she'll be waiting for you at home. I'll come with you."

Rowan was glad to have his father back and involved, though his head was spinning with the webs his dad created by revealing all his secrets. He calmed himself by sitting close to Kaerius.

When they had eaten, not a word was shared by anyone. Rowan was half listening to Kaerius's thoughts and losing himself in his own. Michael was tense, and with every creak, he checked the hallway and peeked through the spy hole on the front door to see if anyone was outside.

"We should ditch Wez's car out of town, then come back here. Do you want to stay here until your mother comes looking for you, or do you want me to go to your mother's house and pretend I haven't seen you, so I can find out what she's up to?"

"Where will we stay if you go to mums? What if they're watching this house?"

"Then you can wait in the ocean with Kaerius. I'll come and get you after."

"It won't be safe for me to wait on shroud island or anything. Hunters will be everywhere."

Michael frowned. "You can go under the water for as long as you want. Kaerius must be with you, but the ocean floor is probably the safest place for you right now," Michael said, and his eyes distanced with memories of his first time deep in the ocean with Mandy.

Rowan sat up with surprise. "I can?" he asked, almost doubtful.

"Of course. Kaerius can get legs. Why wouldn't you be able to get a tail? You are the sovereign of the sea, after all."

"A tail..." Rowan looked down to his legs. He suddenly clasped his hands together, and Kaerius jumped. "Let's do it."

Michael smiled, hoping his son would bounce back to his old self and not take the information about himself and Mandy too hard.

The trip to the sea was a nervous journey. Kaerius didn't like riding in the car, and by the time they were at the coast, a few beaches away from Rowan's mum's house, he had paled in his cheeks. Michael dropped them off as close as he could get to the small cliffs. The weather was gloomy and cold and threatening to rain. Nobody was around to see Rowan and Kaerius running away from the car and Michael speeding off back down the mud road.

When the boys reached the rocks and peered down into the water, the waves sloshed and slammed into the earth. "Are we jumping in?" Rowan yelled over a huge wave crashing onto the ledge and spraying them with water.

Kaerius nodded and peeled off his shorts. He motioned for Rowan to do the same. A bench wasn't too far from the edge, so Rowan shoved Kaerius's shorts under it before looking around. He couldn't take them off as casually as Kaerius. Rowan was a little more self-conscious and being naked in public didn't appeal to him.

"It's just a body," Kaerius thought, glancing around anxiously. He felt like eyes were on them, hunter's eyes. "If it helps, soulmates always find their partners attractive, always."

Rowan's eyes returned to Kaerius, who shrugged innocently. Kaerius wasn't going to judge him, so Rowan stripped his shorts and t-shirt off and shoved them under the bench. He felt Kaerius's gaze wander around his body; then he felt a kick of affection protruding from the Thalassic Mortal. Kaerius did find Rowan attractive, and Rowan's confidence went back to normal.

"We're quite high up," Rowan said, peering over the ledge. He wasn't the biggest fan of heights.

"We jump," Kaerius said and slipped his hand into Rowan's. The boys looked at each other and Kaerius was right, their life, right now, was one big adventure.

"I'll count down! Um... three- "

Kaerius didn't bother waiting and grabbed Rowan by the waist, clashed their chests together, flashed him a cheeky grin, and jumped off the cliff with Rowan in his arms, down into the restless waves below.