Page 112 of King of Tides

My stomach churns and my mouth waters. I’ve been getting nauseous since we teleported back. The trip back seemed a little harsher than the one there.

“Hey,” I turn to find Lee with her head poked into the front door.

“Hey.” I wave her in. I was just about to call Mack and let him know I’m back.

The boys tired themselves out exploring their room and having their run of the clubhouse. They are going to be a handful around here. We’ll be setting boundaries in the morning.

Lee comes in and takes a seat in the living area with me. She looks around, taking the room in and then looks back at me. I look her over. She looks good. There’s a glow about her.

“It’s funny to see their different tastes. This place is nice. How many floors has he made the place so far?”

I laugh. “As of today, we have four stories. Magic is something else.”

I shake my head and look around, still in awe that all of this is behind that same door a single room used to be behind. My life has changed so much since I first walked into this clubhouse.

“How are you feeling? I mean, I know you had the least attachment to Candido, but he was our father for all intents and purposes. Do you want to talk about it?”

“We can talk about anything but that man.”

“How about we talk about our cousin, or we can start with our uncle,” she says as she looks me in my eyes.

“Huh?”

“Those babies aren’t the only thing extra you came back carrying,” she says knowingly.

“You do know this is the reason I have such a hard time liking you. How do you always know so much of everyone else’s business? You’re like that noisy-ass auntie no one wants around,” I say and roll my eyes.

She laughs at me and shrugs her shoulders. I purse my lips and fold my arms over my chest. Quickly, I remind myself not to shut her out.

“Everything around us is a cycle of life, trying to fit the right pieces together from a time when they all fit together perfectly. We’re all moving toward a moment. A single moment of harmony when it all made sense and felt right,” she says while studying my face.

“Right. You know, you sound worse than Kenji,” I snort.

“So you have spent time with our cousin,” she says with this shit-eating grin.

“What? And before you start with that riddling shit, my stomach hurts, I’m getting a headache, and I’m tired. So be straight with me. What the hell are you talking about?”

She laughs and waves me off. I glare at her to let her know I’m not playing and I’m not in the mood. She bites her lip as if in thought.

“I guess it’s time.” She shrugs. “Our uncle from our original birth is living inside you. You know him as Intikam. His original name was Sevimli. He was our father’s twin brother.

“When our father Yakisikli was killed, Sevimli became vengeful. He became stuck in a single form. The form of a sea creature. He lured people to their deaths all in the name of vengeance. That’s where the name Intikam came from.

“The gods knew they should put him to death, but Su-Vaha couldn’t bring herself to do it. He was her creation and her lover. No other god could do it without starting the wars all over again.

“Tanri had already made the ultimate sacrifice for peace. He gave up his sons. Su-Vaha had to figure out something to stop her lovers tirade. It lasted for years before Su-Vaha gifted her grandson with special powers. Do you know what powers she gifted him?”

I sit as my mind races. The pieces all fall into place like a puzzle. The war, the magic, Intikam. I clench at my chest as I feel Intikam’s pain.

“Yakisikli,”Intikam roars in my head.

“Easy now, Intikam,” Lee coos as she looks into my eyes.

I turn away and catch my reflection in a mirror across the room. My eyes are glowing blue. I close them and try to reel in the emotions coursing through me.

“You’re in control, Billy. Intikam is here to help you, but you have all the power.”

“If I have all the power, why is there a water dragon living inside my head?”

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