Page 19 of Spectacle

“Are his emotions driving the ocean? Is he unhappy?” I ask, and Link looks at me in shock.

“They can do that?” he asks me. I hear his heart rate increase with his anxiety.

“Yes. The more powerful ones can control the water, and it’s often driven by their mood.”

“Crap, I need to get across there. I’m worried he’s in pain or labor, but I can’t put the bridges out with the water like that,” he replies.

“Come here,” I order him, and without waiting for him to respond, I grab his arm and teleport us the short distance to the dwelling he had been eyeing.

When we reach our destination, he hurries away from me, tossing a, “Thank you,” over his shoulder. I move after him and descend a set of stairs into a cavern at the bottom of the dwelling. There’s a small pool of water, allowing for an easy transition in and out for the Aquilian. The water isn’t much calmer in that pool, splashing up the sides of the rock wall and drenching the small platform area. There’s no sign of any Aquilian, but I can just make out some gold and green at the bottom of the pool.

“Nik,” Link calls, seeing the same flash of color I do. “Nikos,” he calls louder, but I doubt the merman can hear him.

“Would you like me to bring him to the surface?” I offer, and he nods.

“Yes please. I want to make sure he isn’t in trouble.”

I hold out my hands and use my telekinesis, latching onto the Aquilian with a little difficulty. I struggle with all my powers that came so easily before, but I try not to let anyone know. That’s a surefire way to end up dead or as someone’s prisoner.

I draw him to the surface, and he starts to fight when he feels himself moving, but it’s a halfhearted effort, and I can see why when he gets to the surface. His belly is huge, but the two heartbeats inside are strong.

There are dark bags under his eyes, but he brightens once he sees Link. “Nik, are you okay?” The cyborg toes off his shoes and socks and drags off his shorts then steps onto the water filled platform. It’s up to his knees, but he doesn’t seem to care. I deposit the merman on the platform, and Link strokes his hand through the merman’s shiny gold hair. He leans into it and practically purrs, before his eyes alight on me, and they widen with interest.

“I am so tired. I can’t get comfortable without my anemone, and I’m so fat,” he wails, and I have to smother a smile. The cyborg is very good and doesn’t so much as change a face muscle, keeping his concern front and center.

“I know this must be difficult for you, but if you go back to the anemone and go into labor, I can’t help you with it. Only Cas and Lila will be able to reach you.” He keeps stroking the merman’s hair in a soothing way, and I watch with interest as his whole body relaxes, and the water around us calms.

“I’m lonely and so grumpy. I miss my sister, I miss Sweetpea, and I especially miss my mate.” Now I feel sorry for the poor man. I know Aquilians can’t shift during their pregnancy like some other creatures, and he would be surrounded by family and friends if he was back on his home planet.

“Can we get your sister to come stay with you until you give birth?” I ask, and they both frown.

“No. Unfortunately she is back on Aquilia and unable to be here at the moment,” Link explains, and I can tell by the tears that well in Nikos’s eyes that there’s more to the story, so I let it drop.

“Lila, Cas, Tirrian, and the children are going to visit you after the babies have their afternoon nap,” Link promises Nikos, which seems to have his mood brightening even more.

“They are? That will be lovely. I feel like I’m missing so much. Like who is that?” He points to me and looks me up and down, angling his body so he can see me better.

“Nikos, this is Zeydan. Zeydan, meet Nikos, Lila’s Aquilian mate.” Link does the introduction, and the Aquilian smiles at me, but when he does, his mouth is full of sharp teeth.

“Who are you and what do you want?” he demands fiercely, a trident appearing in his hand. Link stumbles backward but then rolls his eyes. He and I both know Nikos probably couldn’t hurt a fly at the moment. I can appreciate him being protective of his family and friends though.

“Zeydan is the god of earth and Lila’s new mate,” Link answers, and Nikos frowns.

“God of earth? Is that like our god of water, Tito? The old gods are fables, they don’t exist. They are just stories parents use to get their children to behave,” he argues, shaking his head. “There is a statute in the middle of the palace grounds, which my mother told me was Tito, but that he was just a legend because if he was real, surely he would still look after his people.”

“Oh, I can assure you that Tito is very real, but he’s a real asshole and cares for nothing but himself. It is the nature of gods,” I tell them offhandedly. “We are long lived and get bored easily. Back when we were creating life and planets and new races, it was a bit of a competition, and we really didn’t pay too much attention to them after we finished and moved on to the next one. It’s why the council was able to grab control. It started as a very small movement just before the Una’s and Aaz’axian war, but now it encompasses the whole galaxy.”

Both Link and Nikos frown as I get slightly off topic. “It’s nice to meet you. Would you like me to check on your babies?” I offer, hoping it will earn me some favor.

“You can do that?” Link asks, sounding surprised, and I feel slightly disgruntled.

“Yes, I am a god. My power may be diminished, but I can still do things most people can’t,” I reply, hiking my skirt up and securing it with the long sash before stepping into the water with them. I lean down and hold out my hands, examining the merman much like I did Lilessa. My hands glow green with my power, and I wait for the merman to give me a small nod before it sinks into his body. I close my eyes as it spreads out and can’t stop the smile from crossing my lips as it reaches their babies. Both of them are perfectly formed, and I can already touch their minds and feel their personalities. They are going to be a handful. I feel joy and laughter and endless energy, as well as a great potential for power and compassion. There’s also impatience. These babies are ready to meet the world. I can’t imagine it’s going to be long before we meet them in person.

“Are they okay?” Nikos asks in a small voice, and when I retract my power and open my eyes, there’s a wrinkle of concern between his eyebrows.

“Be at ease, my mate’s mate. They are perfect, but impatient to come out and meet their family. You really should get some rest. It won’t be long now, and from what I remember, labor can be intense.”

He and Link both sigh with relief, but the merman grumbles, “My back aches so much I can’t get comfortable. I need some kind of support, so I don’t sleep. The anemone was perfect because it molded around my body but gave me some support as well.”

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