Page 20 of Spectacle

“Anemones have a movable foot, don’t they?” I ask, stepping out of the water and frowning down at my wet legs. Water is really not my favorite element.

“Yes. I’ve tried to coax it up here, but it is really happy at the bottom of the pool.” Nikos pouts with his annoyance, and Link climbs out of the pool and grabs towels from a nearby shelf, handing one to me before drying himself off and putting his shorts and shoes back on.

I rub over my legs and release my skirt before placing the towel to the side. “I can bring it here for you,” I offer. “But I don’t want to upset it. Would you be opposed to me encouraging another one to grow up here?” I offer. “I can take a piece of the other one and place it in the bottom of this pool, and then use my growing powers to accelerate its growth.”

Link looks thoughtful. “Your idea of diminished powers and mine must vary greatly.”

“That would be wonderful. It won’t hurt the other one, will it?” Nikos asks, his frown turning into a small look of hope.

“No, not at all.” I close my eyes and let go of my powers, feeling my god form take shape once more. I have more control in this form, and this is going to require a little more finesse. I shake out my body and hear an intake of surprised breath from the merman. Link has already seen this form when he quizzed me about my intentions for Lila. Although I would have been annoyed at anyone else for questioning me like that, I accepted that as Lila’s mate, he and any of the others that wish to may ask questions, as is their right. I approve of him looking out for her.

When I open my eyes, Nikos is looking at me with wide-eyed amazement, and I can’t help but give him a playful wink. He startles, almost falling off the small platform he is settled on. I chuckle as he recovers and scowls at me before allowing my power freedom to sink below the surface in search of the anemone growing deep in the pool. My power is attracted to live plants and animals, and I’m surprised to see an abundance of both below. I was expecting an empty pool, but I can sense a large coral reef with thousands of living organisms, both the coral and sea life. I don’t slow my search to explore, instead searching for the anemone which should contain a resonance of Nikos’s life force if he spent much time there. That’s how I am able to zero in on it and direct my power to slice a small section off.

Happy with what I’ve done, I allow my power to return back to me, drawing the small section of the anemone with it until it’s at the bottom of this cavern. I place it into a small crevice and then pump my growth power into it. My heart rate increases, and I feel my breath start to labor and curse my diminished powers. Something that should be a breeze is taking a huge amount of effort. Finally, it reaches a size capable of holding the large merman, and I release the power, drawing it back to me. A feeling of lightheadedness plagues me, and I stumble slightly to one side. Link is quick to grab my arm and steady me.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and I nod, feeling sweat pearl on my brow.

“Yes,” I grumble. “This is what I mean about diminished power. That should have been as easy as blinking, yet I’m exhausted afterwards.”

“How can you recharge?” Link’s concern makes me feel something that I haven’t felt in a long time—cared for.

“The bio level should help if there are plants up there,” I tell him, regaining my balance, but he keeps his hand on me a moment more to be sure. I pat it in gratitude.

“I’m fine now, you can let go, but thank you.” I turn my attention to the merman. “It is done. I hope you sleep well, and it was lovely meeting you and your babies,” I say politely.

His eyes light up, and he beams at me, the mouthful of sharp teeth replaced by blinding white teeth. “Thank you so much. Welcome to the family. I look forward to getting to know you better when we can leave this pool.” He doesn’t wait around. He gives us both a wave and awkwardly slides into the water and disappears.

Link chuckles. “You made yourself a lifetime friend, I think.” He slaps me on the shoulder. “Thank you. Now let’s get you recharged. I’m sure the bio level will have you back to normal in no time.”

He leads the way up the stairs, and I follow behind him slowly, cursing myself the whole way. When I get up there, he is out on the deck and pressing a button, which has a bridge sliding out across the now calm water.

“I didn’t want you to tire yourself even more by teleporting us,” he explains, and we both walk back to the entrance and the elevator door.

It closes behind us, and he presses a button on the wall. I make note of which one it is, because being able to spend time in nature despite being on a ship in the middle of space may be a game changer. The small ship I used to travel had a little conservatory, but it wasn’t as affective as being on a planet.

“Everyone should be up there by the time we get there. This is going to be fun. We need to blow off some steam, and what better way than a family picnic? I’ll be honest, I’ve never been on one either. My family is definitely not the picnicking type, more the five-star restaurant where you need to be dressed in fancy clothes. I’m looking forward to there being no pressure to perform or impress anyone,” Link explains.

There is so much I need to learn about the family I will be mating into. “What does your family do that requires that kind of dining?”

He grimaces. “We are the owners of Pleasure Bot Industries.”

Huh, well that was not what I was expecting. I don’t socialize very much anymore, but I do keep abreast of everything that goes on through the galaxy, and I know the company he is speaking of. “And you’re a doctor? With your family’s fortune, you don’t need to work.”

He sighs. “No, but I never wanted to be a part of the business. My mother is an unpleasant woman, and I never wanted to become like her. My father is much more understanding and pushed for me to do whatever I wanted. Luckily for me, it’s his company, and she is only chairman of the board. He can replace her at any time, and it’s how he keeps her in line.”

“Being a doctor suits you. I think you made the right choice. I’ve never met your parents, but rumors of your mother’s beauty expand the galaxy, as do the rumors of how her beauty cannot outshine her devious and cunning nature.”

His face stays blank, but I see the corner of his eye twitch. “The rumors are not unfounded. Count yourself lucky. She would have tried to seduce you into her pocket. Having a god at her beck and call would suit her needs.”

“She would have overestimated her appeal. While I admire deviousness and cunning, I cannot abide cruelty,” I reply just as the doors of the elevator open, and we step out. I look around and breathe deeply. The sight before me is one I had not expected. Looking up, I notice clouds floating across a blue sky with a sun that is so realistic, I can feel the warmth soaking into my skin, a slight breeze making it so it’s pleasant instead of stifling.

My skin prickles with the presence of all the plants, and I feel a smile creep across my lips as I take notice of a large clearing beyond rows and rows of crops. The family is gathered there, and I itch to join them. The sounds of shouts and laughter and joy make my ears prickle and my tails shiver with the desire to be released. I allow them to take form, and they scamper down the rows of crops and join the family, circling the children who laugh with delight and pounce on them to give them cuddles. I soak in the love they lavish on my creatures, and the exhaustion starts to drain away.

“Come on.” Link slaps my shoulder again. “Let’s join the chaos.” He starts down a path, and I follow behind, taking in the massive area. It is going to be one of my favorite places on the ship.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lila

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