“Caleb’s feeling the weight of it all, isn’t he?” Ben shot back with a smirk.
“Pretty much. We’re all feeling it, I think. You don’t realize Mom and Dad’s responsibilities until they’re away. Sure, we’ve got it easy, with no ongoing conflicts, but still, it’s a lot to take in on a daily basis,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. The daily reports alone are basically half of my day.” Ben laughed.
“We’ll definitely need a trip to Strava ourselves,” I replied. “You and River, too. I think Hazel and Tejus, Grace and Lawrence, and even Victoria and Bastien will be hightailing it out of here as soon as the parents come back.”
Ben smiled, then nodded and put his arm around my shoulders. This was the side of him that I loved the most. Even when he had troubles of his own, no matter how big or small, he always looked after me. He always worried more about me than himself. River was still one of the luckiest ladies in all the universes, as far as I was concerned.
“You know, I love River. More than anything. More than before,” he said slowly. “As the years go by, we’re only getting closer to one another. And she has yet to get bored with me, which I hope speaks to my character,” he added with a grin, then sighed. “After everything we’ve been through, I’m confident that our marriage can overcome pretty much anything. We just need a break.”
“Of course,” I replied. “This is just a tiny hurdle. It’s bound to happen. I’m sure Caleb and I will have our own little issues soon enough. We’ve had some in the past but, like you said, nothing serious. Nothing we couldn’t just talk about and fix together.”
“Yeah, I guess this is what comes after the ‘happily ever after’ part, huh?”
“Nobody is designed for permanent happiness, I think,” I said. “Not even us, the immortals. Actually, especially us. Humans have short lifespans, and still, they get mad, they fight, they break up, then they go their separate ways or get back together. We’ve got endless lifetimes ahead. I’m sure we’ve got our own share of hurdles, both big and small, just around the corner.”
“True. But we’ve got each other, too. Some of us have even died once.” He chuckled. “We’ll be okay, Rose. Whatever’s ahead, we’ll be okay.”
I knew he was right. Deep down, I knew that was our undeniable truth. We were all going to have our ups and downs. At times, it was going to be harder. But, like Ben said, we were all together. A family like ours was truly unique. Ever growing, always moving onward and upward, constantly seeking to improve ourselves and the lives of those we loved.
We’d made it farther than most already, and through some incredibly difficult circumstances. As I stared at the telescope feed of Strava and the black dots of our parents, uncles, and friends, a tiny knot formed in my stomach. It wasn’t enough to just say that we were going to be okay.
I intended to make sure of it. No matter what.
Vesta
I’d initially wanted to continue living on Neraka. I loved that planet… But mom and dad were haunted by nightmares, strained by post-traumatic stress, so I suggested we move to Calliope for a while, hoping the change would help. It did, and, although I missed Neraka, I was quickly becoming attached to Calliope, too, and its people.
I did organize the occasional trip to Neraka, to catch up with my Imen tribe, but I spent a lot of my spare time with my parents. Now that we were together again, every moment we had together was priceless. However, my duty to GASP soon began to come first. The best part? I got to travel some more.
This was my first time venturing to the Tritones’ lagoon, and I wasn’t all that comfortable with seeing Zeriel again. To be honest, it wasn’t that I didn’t like seeing him. I did, maybe more than I should have. But his presence made me so nervous!
Field had assigned me to this mission, to assist the Tritones in strengthening their territory. My ability to manipulate water and earth was key in his decision to appoint me for this. I’d been working on my earthly powers over the past few months, and it had gotten to the point where I could modify relatively large swaths of terrain with barely a sweat. I was getting stronger, and GASP was noticing.
The Tritones had a beautiful territory—a vast azure lagoon, surrounded by a wide beach, with the eastern side guarded by a tall stone peak. According to the Tritones, that towering rock wasn’t enough to protect them from an invasion. Draven had tried to convince them that Calliope was finally at peace, but the creatures insisted on enlisting the help of a fae to “redesign” their eastern border. “Just so we’re at peace,” they’d said.
As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed by four young Tritones, led by Zeriel. As expected, my heart was already racing, and, as soon as he smiled at me, it nearly stopped. It took plenty of self-control for me to keep my cool, but I did it.
“Your Grace,” I said, my tone flat as I offered a curt bow. I’d been taught to be respectful of royalty, regardless of their species. Apparently, the Eritopians took great pride in their titles. “I’m here on behalf of GASP.”
Zeriel grinned, crossing his arms as he stood on the edge of the lagoon, flanked by his young guards. His blue eyes were fixed on me, and I couldn’t help but get somewhat irritated by the glimmer of amusement in them.
“Out of all the fae on Calliope, they sent you?” Zeriel replied.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and temporarily forgetting how freaking gorgeous he was. My blood was boiling. The one thing I hated most was being underestimated, especially by creatures who had never seen my abilities manifest.
“Well, you’re quite young,” Zeriel said. “You’re what, eighteen? Barely out of childhood.”
“Yeah, and?” I shot back, anger coursing through me like a mindless blaze.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school? What are you doing working for GASP?”
I scoffed, then looked at his guards. Their expressions were firm. I couldn’t tell if they agreed with him or not. They carried blades on their leather belts. I should’ve been intimidated by their presence, but, frankly, after all the daemons and Maras I’d fought back on Neraka, I knew that I could take all four of them down within seconds.
Zeriel, on the other hand, exuded a certain danger, despite his seemingly carefree façade. He was tall and athletic—not massive, but his frame was imposing, especially when he towered over me. His broad shoulders and long arms told me that he was pretty good in close combat. Given that their legs instantly fused into fish tails underwater, I was convinced that he’d be quite the handful in an aquatic fight. His self-confidence basically oozed out of him. For a potential hostile, it definitely worked as a deterrent. It had a different effect on me, however, though I wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was so damn confusing…
He struck me as the kind of guy who needed to be put in his place and proven wrong. So I took a deep breath and summoned my inner strength. I put my right arm out, pointing it at the “guardian peak.” I spread my fingers and ejected my intentions in the form of a powerful pulse that rippled through the air and cut through the stone, from top to bottom. Within seconds, their precious peak had been split in three. The stone curled outward, making it look like a sculpture of sorts.
The ground rumbled beneath it.
Zeriel and his guards were stunned, their eyes nearly popping out of their orbits and their mouths gaping as they stared at what I’d done.
“I’ve been asked to come help you rearrange your lagoon territory, Your Grace,” I hissed. “My education is none of your concern. Now, do you want my help or not?”
Zeriel stared at me for a while, the corner of his mouth twitching. I was trying so hard to come across as a serious professional, but he made me feel nervous, naked, and small, somehow. I hated the effect he had on me but had no choice but to finish the job and get out of there as fast as I could. My instincts were flaring—though I wasn’t sure why. Was my subconscious warning me to stay away from him?
“Absolutely,” Zeriel replied, beaming at me. “I’ve clearl
y underestimated you.”
“You can say that again,” one of the Tritones muttered behind him, but Zeriel quickly shushed him.
“I’ll have you spend the night in the ocean,” Zeriel told him, then looked at me. “All right, then. Let’s see what you’ve got!”
I sighed, my shoulders dropping. “Well, do you have specific plans in mind for your new fortress?”
He grinned again, but this time, something was different. His gaze darkened, drilling right through me to the point where heat exploded in my throat and spread through my cheeks. He bit his lower lip, then exhaled sharply and motioned at the beach.
“We need a sturdier border against the continent and a deeper seabed,” he finally said. Something told me it wasn’t what he’d originally intended as a reply, but I brushed the thought away, thankful to stay on topic instead. “Our numbers are growing,” he added. “The western border is an entire ocean, and we’ve got a rich coral reef underneath to protect us from any aquatic predators. But the land border is flimsy. Oh, and we need more space on the beach for the kids, so they can practice their legs-to-tail shifts.”
I nodded, then took my boots off and walked over to the eastern shore. The water lapped at the wet sand, tickling my feet. I ignored Zeriel and his guards for the next couple of hours, as I summoned the earth and manipulated the terrain to meet the Tritones’ requirements. I could feel him staring at me, but I lacked the courage to even glance at him. Instead, I focused on the terrain.
Putting my arms out and measuring my breaths, I managed to raise the stone walls higher from the ground. The grassy edges that had once lined this side of the beach were now sixty feet up in the air. It took about an hour to raise it all in an arched border, both ends reaching the western edges. Trees and shrubs in shades of green, red, and purple were sprinkled at the top, but I felt as though they weren’t enough.
I made my way to the newly risen wall and placed my hands on the cold stone. I inhaled deeply and released my earthly energy into it. I could feel it spreading and headed for the top. Moments later, I took several steps back and watched as thick, bright green moss came down and covered the stone like a natural glaze. The entire wall was covered in it, while its top practically exploded in a plethora of greenery. I exhaled and smiled, pleased with what I’d managed to do. Their western border was definitely more secure, not only with a risen, arched wall, but also with a thick jungle at the top, making it difficult for anyone to get through.
I spent the second hour half-submerged in the water, my feet deep in the sand. My entire body hummed as I lowered the entire seabed beneath the lagoon by another twenty feet. I stood on the edge, so I wouldn’t go down with it, but I could see the blue water gradually darken.
My finishing touch came in the form of a strengthened coral reef. I moved to the western edge of the lagoon, just by the opening that connected it to the endless, trembling ocean. I gripped the nearest coral arm underwater from where I knelt and focused on growing the entire natural barrier.
In the meantime, more Tritones had popped to the surface, watching in awe as their home changed. I heard them gasp when new corals bloomed underwater in bright shades of orange, pink, red, and yellow.
“You now have a better filter for the ocean, too,” I said to Zeriel at the end, wiping the sweat off my brow. This whole gig had taken its toll on me. It wasn’t only physical energy I was exerting. It kind of drained my brain, too, to the point where I inadvertently lowered my defenses in front of Zeriel, who simply gazed at me—smiling and genuinely impressed.
His guards were astonished, gazing around as if rediscovering their home and seeing it in a different light. Technically speaking, it was a new home, even though it was in the same place.
“Consider me impressed,” Zeriel replied with a smirk. “You’re a capable kid, Vesta.”
My hands balled into fists. A sudden surge of energy burst through me. I raised my hand to point a finger at him and to scold him for calling me a kid, but I accidentally released a gust of air that smacked him away. The ensuing splash made my blood freeze. Whatever anger I’d felt was swiftly replaced by dread, as I’d literally hurled the Tritone king into the lagoon without even touching him.
His guards stood there, staring at him. One by one, they shifted their focus back to me, their brows furrowed. I slowly put my hands up in a defensive gesture, breaking into a cold sweat.
“I swear I didn’t mean it,” I mumbled. “It was an accident.”
I then rushed to the shore, looking for Zeriel. I’d managed to throw him about twenty feet away. Ever since I’d come back to Calliope, my fae powers had grown significantly—as evidenced by my progress. But sometimes these abilities got out of control, though never as bad as what I’d just done to Zeriel. A thousand worst-case scenarios rushed through my head, as I worried about potential repercussions for tossing the Tritone king in the water. I’d only wanted to point a finger at him…
“Your Grace!” I shouted. “Are you okay?”
One of the guards scoffed behind me. “He’s fine,” he grumbled. “It’s not like he’s going to drown.”
The others chuckled, making me glance over my shoulder and realize that they weren’t angry at all. They were, in fact, amused by what had just happened. That just confused me even more, because it made their relationship with their king murky. Did they respect Zeriel? Did they fear him? Or were they standing behind him simply because it was their duty, and not because they held him in high regard?
“What kind of king are you?” I muttered under my breath as I looked around. I couldn’t see him anywhere. The water came up to my knees. I contemplated going deeper to search for him. I couldn’t rest until I saw Zeriel with my own eyes again, feeling terrible for my slip-up.
A shadow darted toward me. It came at me fast.
Instinctively, I raised a hand to stop it with a water barrier, so it wouldn’t hit me.
I was too late.
My legs were swept out from under me, and I got dragged deeper into the water. I yelped, but only air bubbles came out as I was pulled toward the center of the lagoon. I kicked and flailed my legs, struggling to free myself. Panic added extra spunk to my hits.
A pair of blue eyes, accompanied by a playful smile, appeared in front of me.
I was free, albeit submerged in the blue lagoon. Zeriel floated in front of me, wearing a devilish grin as he looked at me. His legs had turned into a majestic fish tail, about seven feet long and in vibrant shades of orange and white. A translucent fin lined his spine, its edges gently undulating in the water. His sand-blond hair was loose, and I couldn’t help but stare at his bare chest and chiseled abs for a few seconds. The colored organza layers of his belted loincloth covered his waist, creating a soft contrast of reds against his orange-and-white tail.
He was absolutely stunning.
And I was gawking like an idiot.
I moved my arms around and tried to make my way to the surface, but Zeriel swam around me, fast and agile, playfully poking me as I ascended. I waved him away. My fae ability was still flaring, it seemed, as Zeriel tumbled backward several times.
He didn’t give up, though.
My head pierced the water’s surface, and I took a deep breath, filling my lungs, then exhaling loudly. Zeriel popped out right in front of me, his face just inches from mine, still wearing that smug, yet playful smile.
“I was going to say sorry for tossing you out like that, but I changed my mind,” I spat.
He chuckled softly. “I take it you don’t like being called a kid?”
“I’m not a kid. I’m eighteen, going on nineteen! I’ve fought against daemons and Exiled Maras for five years! I’ve survived in hostile environments and participated in numerous hunting missions. I even took down pit wolves and Death Claws, all by myself! I’m not a kid,” I shot back.
Zeriel blinked several times, his smile fading slowly and his gaze darkening to a point where it made my temperature spike. Something had shifted between us??
?so fast and unexpectedly that I didn’t know what to make of it. All I knew was that my cheeks were flaring.
“You don’t like being called a kid,” he said, his voice lower than usual. His tone made my entire ribcage vibrate. It sent shivers down my spine.
I shook my head. “I haven’t been a kid since my parents lost me, and I wound up protecting my adoptive family and village from hordes of bloodthirsty fiends.”
“I guess there’s more to you than meets the eye,” he replied, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“You can say that again,” I muttered.
“Good. Because there’s nothing I like more than to be surprised,” he shot back, then inched closer. His hot breath brushed over my face.
I cleared my throat, then flicked my wrists, beckoning the water to gently carry me back to shore. Zeriel didn’t follow this time, but he kept his eyes on me. Something had definitely changed about him, and I wasn’t sure what it was. I only knew that it made my heart skip multiple beats. I didn’t like the way I couldn’t control myself in his presence. It made me feel weak.
As soon as I got back to the shore, I turned my back on him and walked away in an awkward rush. I gave his guards a brief nod, then darted across the beach and ran up the narrow set of stairs I’d naturally carved into the stone wall. Once I reached the top, I looked over my shoulder.
The lagoon sprawled toward the ocean like a giant sapphire. It was absolutely breathtaking. Below, Zeriel came out of the water, his tail shifting back to his long, muscular legs, his waist covered by his leather belt and red organza loincloth. He looked up at me and smirked.
“Thank you for your service, little fae,” he shouted.
I groaned, wishing I could smack him for still teasing me like that. He clearly hadn’t learned his lesson, but I didn’t want to test his limits, either. That was the downside of dealing with royalty. I didn’t know at which point they’d snap. I just didn’t want to be near them when that happened. The last thing I wanted to hear was, “Off with her head!”