Page 60 of Coral Prince Conundrum
Seero smiles at me and squeezes my hand. “I am most pleased to hear that.”
Dad adjusts his tie and takes a bag from the waiter. “Alright, you two. I’m going to take my to-go dinner and get out of here.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“An old-timer like me is just a third wheel. I’m going to hang out with people my own age. I wanted to give you this graduation gift, son. Now you get to hang out with your royal boyfriend for a private dinner. A very exclusive affair.” He points around, and I notice the occasional Corali guard standing ever vigilant. Honestly, at this point, I’ve gotten used to them, too.
“Thank you, Dad.”
He steps forward and hugs me. “Congrats again on your degree. I’m so proud of you, Daryl,” he murmurs.
My eyes prickle as I pat him on the back. A moment later, he’s strolling away, and I’m left with my boyfriend, an entire restaurant, and a beautiful sunset.
Dinner is magical, like all my dates with Seero. He tells me about the latest United Regions meeting, and I catch him up on this morning’s graduation ceremony. After the meal, we decide to retire to his hotel room. The night is still young, and I’m down to have a sex marathon with my man.
After we shower, I walk out of the bathroom, eager to grab the packets of lube from my jeans. We go bare nowadays, since we both got tested and aren’t having sex with anyone else, and I always carry lube just in case. Justice made fun of me when I told him, but I can never tell when my boyfriend will show up. Case in point, tonight.
Before I can get freaky, I notice Seero getting dressed. “Huh?”
He sheepishly shrugs. “So…there is another surprise I have for you.”
I grin and grab him by the belt loops. “Well, I’d love to get to that, but your trousers are in the way,” I purr.
He kisses me, takes my hands off him, and giggles. “No. I meant I wanted to go out.”
“Out where?” I look out the window. “It’s already dark. Are we going to a club? I’d much rather we do it on this bed, then sleep, then do it again when we wake up.”
Seero laughs, then kisses my hand. “No, there is another place I want to take you. Somewhere…only I know.”
A few minutes later, we’re both dressed and walking to the small boating dock not far from the hotel. Seero does that whistling thing, and a dragon with red streaks surfaces. I beam at him—I never get tired of seeing his superpowers in action.
“What’s this beauty’s name?” I ask as Seero helps me onto its back.
“This is Misty. She’s a noble steed who got me here in record time.”
I sit down on the dragon, and Seero sits behind me, grabbing the reins. Despite all the adventures of last year, I still enjoy being on a sea dragon. But only with Seero, never alone again.
Misty pulls away from the dock and into the dark ocean, already knowing our destination. “How is Drakey?” I ask.
“He is well. They all miss you.” Seero informed me that apparently Drakey, Pelly, and even Jojo are all living the retired animal life. His sister didn’t manage to kill any of them, and they’re venerated royal heroes of the sea creature variety. “Pelly wanted to come, but I insisted she stay put.”
We share a chuckle as the sea dragon rides the waves. I cuddle up to the man behind me, my man. I trust Seero with all my heart, and I’ll happily go wherever he wants to take me.
Minutes later, we’re at what appears to be a small, unoccupied island. There isn’t a boat in miles, and the stars shine like fireflies in the sky. After hopping off of Misty, we quietly approach the inner forest. Trees and foliage surround the perimeter, but past that, in the center area, the forest is significantly less dense. All around us there are surfaces of sand and smooth rock. It’s like a private oasis, complete with a small estuary leading outward. The whole scene is so romantic that I need to squeeze Seero’s hand.
“Seero,” I whisper, gazing at the water. It twinkles with a reflection of the heavens.
“Watch this, Daryl,” he says. With that, he waves his arms, and I know he’s using water magic. The small basin of the estuary rises up and floats above me. I’m breathless as I watch the bubble of water float toward me. Inside, several jellyfish glow, and I lean my face so close I can smell the saltwater.
“Beautiful,” I say, breathlessly. Seero moves his hands, and the bubble changes form. The water flows around me, like a ring with twinkling bioluminescent creatures. After a beat, the ring bursts into several bubbles. It’s like I’m the center of theuniverse. I stare in awe at the galaxy of ocean water surrounding me.
“Daryl,” Seero says. His arms are outstretched, holding up the heavenly bubbles filled with glowing creatures. “I am so proud of you. You have made your dreams come true, and I am honored to have the privilege of calling you mine.”
“Seero,” I say wistfully. I step toward him, carefully dodging floating droplets.
“But our time apart is…not easy for me.”
I look around at the jellyfish, then back at my boyfriend. I think I know what he’s trying to say. My cheeks warm, and I grin. “Seero, put the water down and ask me to move in with you appropriately.”
