Page 45 of Luca

Even if I desperately wanted to know every detail.

Gary, on the other hand, was an open book. He showed his emotions freely and let whatever was in his head tumble out of his mouth with very little planning. I could relate. He also wasn’t even pretending to be on guard. Less than an hour, and he’d already caved to the flirtations of both a mermaid and merman—twins, it looked like. I really couldn’t fault him for it. In fact, I silently cheered him on.

Get it, Gary.

I huffed a laugh, and my gaze drifted over to Cair as he gracefully hoisted himself from the pool like a slow-motion clip for men’s perfume. His thick chest was speckled with water droplets, and his underwear clung like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. Luckily, being in a secluded corner of the lagoon, only I could see the view from the front. It was a nice view. Mouthwatering, really. Clearly sensing eyes on him, my mate’s lips curved with a wicked smirk as he began wiping himself down with the towel he’d left on the bank.

God, I love this guy.

It may not have been the right time to get mushy, but he honestly was my everything. Since the day we’d met, he’d shown me more care, kindness, and devotion than I ever thought I’d deserve. Being here was just one small sliver of proof of that attentiveness. Not only had he known I’d love it here, he’d sensed that I needed it, and that was an obvious theme throughout our whole relationship. He’d saved me from a sheltered past, coaxed me from my shell, and the thought of an existence without Cair in it was empty, meaningless, and hollow—like it was before him. He had breathed life into me, healed me in ways I never even knew I needed healing, and given me a place to feel safe, ahomewhen nowhere else stuck.

The Otherworld was where I belonged. There were opportunities here that I hadn’t been afforded in Edenglas, a whole new way of living that just made sense to me, feltright. It was an experience, a new beginning, a calling, all rolled into one, and I only wished I’d known it sooner.

Except now I had forever to enjoy it, so could I really be greedy about it?

A melty feeling settled within me as Cair slotted in behind me, his legs bracketing mine as he slid his feet into the water. “A ruby for your thoughts, sweetheart?”

I sagged against his chest, sighing happily as his hands smoothed over my thighs. “Just thinking about how much better my life is having met you, and how much I adore being here.My home.”

He kissed the side of my neck. “That pleases me to hear. What do you like about it? The Otherworld, I mean.”

That was a loaded question, but… “It’s not as modern as I expected it to be.”

“I must admit, when I first stepped through the Veil into the human realm, it was a bit of a shock.” I tilted my head to show I was listening, and he carried on. “It was the early nineteen hundreds, and though it was vastly different than it is now, it was still more reliant on machinery than I was used to. The progression your kind has made over the years is… impressive. The Fae realm has magic, which we use for power, transport, and plumbing, but we keep to as simple a life as possible. Natural is our way.”

I hummed.

It must have been strange for him: the skyscrapers, the cars, the lack of greenery, the polluted air. He’d told me that he’d been interested in the human realm since he was a kid. He’d studied the lands, the customs, and inventions in between learning how to be a prince, but words and pictures on paper were vastly different from actually seeing it with your own eyes.

A fact I’d been finding out for myself every day since crossing that border in Edenglas.

“I like that.” I shrugged. “Sure, I miss watching movies and being able to call Alex, but those losses seem insignificant compared to what I’ve gained in return. I might not be cut out for prince-ing—orking-ing—and I would be more suited to a less extravagant existence, but I’m grateful for what I have, whatyouhave granted me. The knowledge I was denied before, the freedom to be myself and explore my interests without judgment, a sense of belonging and a love I never thought I’d find.” I reached back to place my palm on the side of his face, suddenly feeling all sentimental. There was definitely something in the water. “Thank you for following that instinct in your soul all those years ago.”

“You have nothing to thank me for, sweet boy,” he said, nuzzling my hand. “We are destined. You would have found a way through the Veil had I not.” He drifted forward, his lips brushing softly against mine, his intention clear.

He didn’t get to bridge the final gap as, at that same moment, water sloshed beside us, snatching my attention. I squeaked, jerking out of his space and eyes widening at the sight of a mermaid with her arms laid on the bank, cheek resting on the fold, staring up at us. Her lower half was in the pool, but the fin of her fiery orange tail flitted in and out through the surface.

“Hello,” I said lamely.

Because what else am I supposed to say to a mermaid?

“Hello,” she said, amusement clear in her lilting tone. “I have ne’er seen one of your kind before. Human, yes?”

I swallowed thickly, nodding like a dumbstruck idiot meeting their favorite celebrity. “Uh, yeah. Half human.”

“Interesting,” she purred, elongating the word. Her opaque eyes switched to Cair. “And you are a prince.”

He dipped his head in agreement, saying nothing.

That didn’t deter her. She lifted her head, making a throaty, inhuman sound as the gills in her neck fluttered. She was… pleased?

“’Tis my lucky day,” she chirped, shifting to prop her hands—webbed, I noted—on the grass before rising further out of the water as if displaying herself. “’Twould be an honor to be taken by a human and his prince, should that please you.”

I blinked.

My jaw dropped.

“Um…” Not one coherent sentence was coming to me.What the fuck?“N-no, we don’t… We’re not?—”

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