Rowan was suspicious when they had another peaceful night. He still hadn't heard from Jack, and none of Mandy's brothers had turned up at the house. Rowan wanted to believe that nobody knew what Jack had done, but Rowan wasn't sure. The supernatural world was surprising, in the most bizarre ways. Nobody could know, or everyone could know, and Rowan wouldn't be surprised.

"How do you feel this morning?" Kaerius asked when Rowan came out of the bathroom.

"My head feels better. I think the bruises are going down too."

Kaerius agreed. "How is your wrist?"

"Sore still, but not as bad as yesterday. I think it'll be fine in a few days." Rowan was going to save up for a really good first aid kit. He could no longer go to the hospital for injuries unless they were a matter of life and death. He was bonded to a Thalassic Mortal and healed quicker than usual. He didn't want to give humans a reason to be suspicious.

Kaerius stood by the door, hovering from one foot to the other. "Can I go to Michaels fish tank?"

"You don't have to ask," Rowan chuckled, pulling on his socks. "You can spend all day in there if you wanted." The guilt swirled in his gut for not being able to take him to the ocean where he belonged.

Instead of leaving the room straight away, Kaerius moved to Rowan's side and quickly kissed his cheek. Then he turned with a small smile and left Rowan in a happy daze to stare after him. Kaerius only saw Michael on his way to the basement. When he reached the bottom of the basement stairs, he noticed how the curtains were pulled back and blue light streamed around the open space.

Mandy was calmly floating in the tank, examining her white tail with rainbow flecks. Kaerius wanted to gush about her being royalty and having the same tail as Rowan when in fact, Rowan had her tail. Mandy had always been a royal. Kaerius was annoyed at the Goddess for letting her daughter suffer for so long.

"I join?" he asked.

"Of course," Mandy beamed.

Kaerius stripped and climbed in. The saltwater on his skin felt as good as the sun on human skin. He dipped under the water and held onto the kelp plants until his tail returned. The tank was big enough for Mandy to be at one end and Kaerius at the other and still have a few metres between them.

Kaerius breathed in the icy saltwater. His gills were finally open and inhaling the water. He turned to look at Mandy and her beautiful tail. Her dark blonde hair floated all around her. She looked comfortable among the plants and the cold. Kaerius wished Rowan had come with him, so he could see how happy she was.

"Your tail is beautiful Kaerius," Mandy said in the Thalassic Tongue; her first language.

Kaerius's pride was as long as the distance from Michael's house to the beach. He touched his fins, admiring his turquoise scales. "Thank you. Yours is too." Kaerius wiggled his fingers. They felt oddly bare and skinny when they didn't have the extra webbing between them. He clenched his jaw a few times, getting used to his sharp teeth again. Even eating cooked fish with human teeth was a waste of his energy.

"Have you got anyone missing you at home?" Mandy asked.

"My uncle and my uncle's father. Laiken and Jaiker. We travelled with a group, but they went west a few weeks ago." Kaerius hadn't thought much about his sea creature group. He knew they wouldn't come back.

"Have Laiken and Jaiker been on land yet?"

Kaerius frowned and said, "They can't because they're just normal. I'm not from a Royal family."

"You are a part of one now, and so are they. What about your parents?"

Kaerius shook his head. "Can Laiken and Jaiker get legs too?" His purple eyes coated with hope.

"Yes, but only when your bond with Rowan is completed."

Kaerius's thoughts exploded with opportunities. He could show his family where Rowan lived, and how humans lived, and where Rowan went to university, and what Kaerius ate on land and-

"Kaerius, you're yelling at me," Rowan thought from the bedroom.

"Laiken and Jaiker can come on land!" Kaerius thought.

"Not until we, you know, complete the third stage though," Rowan replied, and Kaerius somehow knew he was blushing.

"Yeah but that'll probably happen soon..." Kaerius cleared his throat and focused on Mandy. "Um, so, why has the Goddess not helped you?" he asked. "Didn't she have the power to break the curse? Or did she think you deserved it?"

Mandy watched him thoughtfully. "Did sea creatures not talk about what happened to Royals? Were there no rumours?"

"We only knew that they fled or died. Nothing more." Kaerius wrapped his fingers around the plants, feeling their slimy leaves. "Why would the Goddess ignore you for twelve years?" he asked, wondering if Mandy would avoid that question too.

"Kaerius, gods and goddess' have children to continue the Royal line, not to be parents. I've known that my mother always loved me and watched over me until I connected a bond with Michael and chose to stay to mother Rowan. I won't be the Goddess of the sea, Braiken won't be the God of the sea because I'm told he bonded to a vampire, so if he did curse me because of Michael, that's very hypocritical. As for Wezarian, I'm not sure who he's bonded to and what he's doing on land. If all three of the descendants are unfit to rule, and Jack is part vampire or fairy or other, and Wezarian doesn't have children, only Rowan is fit to rule. The more I watch my son, the more I learn that a tiny amount of him is human. He might be enough Thalassic Mortal to one day be the God of the sea. Isn't that a marvellous thought?"

Kaerius was about to agree until he thought about what Rowan had said all along. Rowan wanted a normal life, but was that the curse making him crave a life among humans? Rowan had always been deeply inspired by the ocean and anything to do with it. That was no coincidence. "I don't know if Rowan would like that." Kaerius didn't yet know Rowan well enough, but he was confident enough to say that he was falling in love with Rowan. Bonds were very odd.

"I can imagine Rowan is very confused about his future. Many new changes and opportunities have opened in front of him. Walking through the right door might take a while." Mandy's face softened like her mind was suddenly miles away. "I can't believe he's eighteen."

"You should be proud. Rowan should have hated the supernatural. He should have been one of the best hunters in this country because of the way you raised him, but even when it made him sad, he followed what was right. He has a kind heart. I'm lucky to be bonded to him." Kaerius looked at his hands as he spoke. He didn't like being soppy, but he felt that Mandy should know how good her son turned out to be.

"I'm more than proud. I always knew my kid would be special." Mandy ran her fingers through the sand. "What about Michael? Was he nice to Rowan when I was cursed?"

Kaerius nodded. "From what I've seen, I think Michael has always been there for him." Kaerius thought of Laiken and Jaiker and how they raised him, despite Thalassic Mortals not being the type to connect like they have. He felt thankful that they were always there.

Mandy was practically glowing from their conversation. She got out of the fish tank soon after their talk to look for Michael. She wanted to praise him for being such a wonderful father even though every day was a struggle for him.

When Kaerius was alone, he spun and swum and wrapped himself up in plants. He ran his fingers along the cold glass, grazed his stomach on the floor. He pretended he was in the ocean, hunting the biggest fish he had ever seen. Kaerius imagined waves as big as Rowan's house were above him, and he could ride them without a single human knowing he was there.

Kaerius imagined himself deep on the ocean floor, miles away from land, miles away from danger, until he felt it. His eyes opened wide when he rocked in the water. The whole tank shook. Kaerius lifted his head, and when the air filled his ears, he heard the shouting.

"Rowan?" he thought. "Rowan, what's happening?"

"Mandy's brother's here. He basically knocked down the wall to get in."

"Which one?"

"Braiken."

That was all the information Kaerius needed to haul himself out of the tank and slip down the steps. He landed on the concrete floor with a thud. He pulled himself across to the towels and furiously dried himself.

"Stay in the basement," Rowan thought. "He doesn't know you're there."

"I'm not running this time. I fight by your side."

"Nobody's fighting yet. Mandy and Braiken are just yelling at each other."

Kaerius could hear them. Mandy yelled, "How dare you!" And a jumble of other words Kaerius couldn't make out because he wasn't close enough.

"Come on," Kaerius muttered, rubbing the towel faster across his scales. He almost yelled with relief when his tail transformed and split into two human legs with odd toes and joints. He yanked on the jeans and hurried to the stairs.

"Kaerius stop!" Rowan shouted in his mind. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Well, tough." Kaerius ran up the stairs and stormed into the kitchen. The shouting stopped immediately, and all eyes turned to Kaerius. He found Rowan instantly, and Rowan didn't look pleased. Kaerius didn't care and searched for Briaken who stood by the back door. Braiken looked like Mandy. They had the same dark blonde hair and sea blue eyes, and tight jaw and small lips.

"Who's that?" Braiken asked. His voice was loud and bold.

"I Kaerius," Kaerius replied, equally as bold. "Strong Thalassic Mortal." He walked through the room and to his frowning Rowan. Kaerius took his hand and stood tall. "Touch Rowan, you regret forever."

Braiken restrained his laughter. "Right." He looked back to his sister. "Mandrylika, if you would stop yelling at me for one second, so I can explain-"

"Twelve years!" Mandy shouted. "Look at him!" She pointed to Rowan. "My son, an adult, and I missed it!"

Briaken scratched the back of his neck. "Sister, shut up for a moment so I can explain!"

"You'll be wasting your time because I'll never forgive you!"

"Oh, Mandrylikah. My son has been spreading lies implanted into his head. My stupid, brilliant son. Don't you see? Jack saved us all!"