Page 55 of King of Tides

“What exactly happened last night? Who was that woman? She’s the one from my vision.”

“You mean Kai? She works for our mercaptain. He’s out of town and Candido tried to press her to find him. That is what you saw in your vision.”

“She’s a mermaid?” I ask as I see her in his thoughts.

“Yes, she is. As for the boys, water titans are born in pairs. Bardo, the being you saw with Candido at the restaurant, was their father’s twin.

“When a water titan’s heart turns cold, so do they. They become ice titans. They are vicious and care about nothing but themselves.”

“What happened to turn their uncle cold?”

“His mate killed herself. No one knows why, but he found her body. After that, he was broken and inconsolable. He disappeared sometime after that, and then the sirens lured Brodny and Marina to him.”

“And he killed them? Brodny and Marina are the boys’ parents, right?”

“Yes, they were. That’s when I found out Bardo had become an ice titan. He tried to take the boys, but I had already stepped in and taken them,” he says.

I nod my understanding. This is much bigger than I understood. My heart goes out to the boys.

“So what was that about last night?”

“I believe that Bardo is somehow controlling the boys, trying to turn them. When they lose control, they can’t see who they are harming. It’s not them.

“It’s whatever or whoever he has taking over their minds. I think he’s trying to break them because he knows I won’t accept an ice titan among the fold,” he says.

“Oh my God, that’s terrible. How do we stop him?”

He gives me a grin. I can feel the flood of warmth in his emotions. Suddenly, I have access to his thoughts.

“Of course I want to help them. I wish someone cared to help me when I was their age. Not having someone when you’re that small is enough to make you jaded.”

“When we find Bardo, we will find our answers. He’s been eluding me for this very reason. Sea guards are important toboth our worlds. Bardo has thrown the balance off and it will be years before Beck and Bourne can take their rightful places.

“I have substitutions in their place, but who knows how long I’ll be able to keep that up. However, if he breaks them … if he can manage to harden just one of their hearts, we face dire repercussions.”

“Is there something I can do while we try to find him?”

“Bardo didn’t just kill his brother to get him out of the way. He killed his sister-in-law because that’s the key to keeping young water titans safe and happy. Their mother. She guards their hearts. It’s the warmth of her love and care.

“The boys haven’t trusted many since losing their parents. I’m having a hard time finding the right female to care for them and nurture that good and peace within them.

“I do the best I can, but it’s not enough. Reilly has been helping as much as he can, but we can’t keep stripping their powers like that. We don’t know the lasting effects it will have.”

I gasp. “That’s what he did to them? He stripped their powers?”

“Enough to get them to return to their natural forms. I’m not even sure how they are taking on titan forms. They shouldn’t mature to that level until they’re about sixteen.

“They certainly shouldn’t be able to attack with such skill. It takes most titans years after maturity to be able to wield their powers.”

I look down as my thoughts race with this new information. I can’t help feeling like this is my task to take on. I need to help the boys, and I need to find their uncle to keep him from harming those sweet little ones.

Ardan grasps hold of my throat and tips my head up. I focus my gaze on him as he breathes me in. In the next motion, he lifts me onto his waist.

“Now I’ve made you two promises, and I’ve broken them both. I never break a promise. I’m always a man of my word, which means I need to make some shit up to you,” he says against my lips.

I wrinkle my brows. “What?”

“I didn’t make it back in time for your morning blessing and I didn’t take your mind off work. You’re thinking about finding Bardo and locking up Candido. I can’t let either of those things slide,” he rumbles, then crushes my lips.

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