Page 27 of Sunken Empire

My brother’s words keep playing on repeat inside my head. Mate. Our mate. I think we’d all held out on the hope that we’d have one, true-fated bond mates are almost impossible to find. Even living as long as we do. Mother and Father had loved each other with an unmatchable passion, yet they weren’t even mates.

I didn’t see the golden cord Rubi seems to have seen, but I know exactly what she means. Since the moment her body landed in that water in the human realm, everything changed for me. Priorities shifted, and she became my number one.

Zanthus walked out with her moments ago, and I can’t find any sort of jealousy within myself. Besides the small amount of discomfort from the pain she was in when first arriving, it’s plain to see she’s happy. I’ll get my time with her, so I allow myself to enjoy the small amount of magic I have left in my talisman while my brother takes her to his room.

Getting to watch her face light up at seeing our fins seriously made the hard shift worth it. Normally, we have to wait a lot longer before we’re able to shift again, but the unlocking of Zanthus’s magic seems to have trickled down to us as well. Though, I wasn’t able to hold my form but for a few minutes after she left, considering I’d used so much of the talisman’s power showing off what she’s in store for.

Planting my ass in the sand waist high in the water, I look out to where Zale seems lost in thought. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about the mate thing earlier. If I’m honest with myself, I am a little upset with him for withholding the information from us. No matter if it was an educated guess or not. I know I wasn’t the only one caught off guard either.

“This is a dangerous game you play, brother,” I say softly, knowing it’ll still reach his ears.

For a moment, Zale’s eyes flick to me and within them I can see the strain he’s been under lately. All of the unknown finally wearing him down. Making a silent vow to myself, I promise to start being a little more responsible and unloading some of that weight off him for a bit. Not sure how long it’ll last, but having a mate now makes me feel like I should be pulling my fair share.

Zale slowly focuses while swimming my way, waiting until he’s close to admit, “I play no games, Zeph. It was hard enough keeping the knowledge to myself all the while knowing my hopes could be crushed as easily as the two of yours were I to inform you. We’ve been through too much already, and I didn’t want the news to devastate you if I wasn’t correct.”

In the loop now, it makes sense. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same if it were me. Doesn’t mean I can’t give him a hard time about it still.

“The powerful and wise Zale be wrong about something? I highly doubt that day will ever come, brother," I tease him. "We all felt the same thing when that small woman hit the water in the human realm. A place where our magic should be dampened even further past the point of the curse. Yet, I didn't feel weak as we crossed through the portal. Something was there guiding us to her."

"Or someone," he corrects, rubbing a hand down his face.

I let one corner of my lips pull up. "Yeah, a very sexy, fierce, little female of someone. There's no other explanation other than her. No one else was in the water around us that night. So, looks like we're just going to have to give in to fate's desire and accept we were all where we were meant to be. We've learned humility and earned the ties being severed on our cursed bonds."

He scoffs, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Zeph. Just because our brother has his magic back doesn't mean the entire curse is going to be broken. For if that were the case, the barrier would be lifted by now."

"Gods almighty, you sure are a pessimist these days," I concede, laying my torso back in the sand. The position is one I've laid in many times beneath our prison dome. With the ocean directly above my head and on either side of my peripheral, it'd be almost easy to forget we're trapped here. Water laps at my chest as I feel a brush of magic against my skin.

Back on two legs, Zale steps from the water over to his clothes and waits until he's got his pants pulled up his legs to speak.

"When the day comes that our people are free and thriving, I shall show you one of my optimism," he vows, adding, "I'll be in the study if you need me."

I close my eyes and snort. "It's not me you're hoping needs you."

He doesn't reply this time, and I'm not expecting him to. My words are true and he knows it. I'm not jealous Zanthus was the first of us to lay claim to our Rubi, but do I wish I could join them right now? Sure. Settling for my spot here in the sand, half in the water, I let my imagination run wild with the things I'm going to enjoy showing our mate once we're back in our kingdom. Things are so different than the human realm, and I fully intend to share every single new experience I can with her. Before I know it, my mind is being sucked down into darkness as I doze off.

How long I stay that way, I'm not sure. I dream a strange ripple in the barrier causes it to split in half, and I come awake ready to brush what feels like tiny bugs off my body. Only, my fingers swipe at nothing but loose pieces of sand clinging to my skin. Heart racing, I stand, turning my gaze out towards the dark abyss. Something doesn't feel the same as it did when we first stepped into our small cove. Searching in silence for a few long minutes, I decide it's nothing other than the dream that has me spooked.

Letting out a shaky laugh, I head out towards my room upstairs. I've just closed my fingers around my doorknob when I hear soft murmuring slipping through the cracks of Zanthus's door. A low feminine moan has my cock jumping freely since I didn't bother to put my pants back on. I turn to the sound before I think better of it. If I'm going to barge in, I'm going to at least wash off the sand first.

Taking the quickest shower of my life, I slip into a pair of pants, not wanting Rubi to think I'm assuming anything, before making the trek down to my brother's room. The sounds now resonating throughout the hall are enough to almost drive me to my knees.

I could knock and wait for them to invite me in, but I don't. Instead, as the door whips open, I'm greeted with a sight so beautiful I can't help but drag myself over to my brother's bed where he has our mate beneath him. Those indigo eyes take a stab at my heart when they glance my way, gliding slowly down my body. Cheeks flushed under that soft skin of hers, Rubi looks a sight for sore eyes. My lips turn up at the corners before I leap to the bed at their side.

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