Page 45 of Cruel Tides

“Oh really? It’s that simple, is it?” I scoffed, my fear turning into frustration. “Like I’d really abandon my boat in the middle of the Atlantic. I don’t expect a prince to understand, butLady Ochreis Dad and Gram’s livelihood, and I’m not giving her up just so the Indian Ocean can get their trident back faster. Barren and Kai flew here. If Barren’s queen wants me there so badly, she can book us a flight.”

My words hung heavy in the air, and the silence that followed felt like it would last forever until Leander finally gave a nod. “You’re right.”

All I could do was blink. “Excuse me?”

“You’re right. Barren and I should have talked the plan over with you before deciding,” he continued, his quick acceptance of my feelings an unexpected shock. I’d expected him to try to convince me. To use more smooth words, more charms, but he seemed to understand. “We didn’t want Queen Javalynn to know of your arrival until Barren discovered her intentions for you, but we shouldn’t have assumed you’d be comfortable going back into the water after that fucking hell we went through.”

I was still working through his words when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Take all the time you need to visit your family. Your face lights up when you talk about this place and the humans here. I owe them a great debt for keeping you safe on land.” His arms tightened over my shoulders before falling away. “I won’t let anyone take you away until you’re ready.”

A warm sensation spread through my chest. Leander might not have been able to keep the Indian Ocean from taking me away, but it was a comfort to know he wanted me to stay as long as I needed.

“Thanks, Lee. For understanding.” I gave him a smile that he returned with a grin, his hands sliding over my waist to draw me closer.

“See, I do have manners,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re such a gentleman,” I deadpanned. I could feel an eye roll coming on, but my skin tingled where his strong hands held my hips. “I want to spend time with Dad before we leave. Maybe I can tag along next time he takes the boat?—”

A thought struck me, and I turned the idea around in my head a few times before voicing it out loud. “I suppose Dad could sail us out by the portal if he knew the way. He knows about…Us.”

Leander’s eyes turned smoldering as his chin dipped, golden hair spilling over his forehead as he leaned closer. “Oh, really? You told him about us?”

His arms caged possessively around me. I tried to wiggle out of them, but he wouldn’t give me up. “Notus, us. When would I have even done that, Lee?” My voice rose with exasperation even as a smile tugged at my lips. “I haven’t even seen him since we—” My jaw snapped shut in a way that caused his smirk to grow, his lips practically taunting me to complete that thought as their curve widened. Sighing, I dropped my voice to a sharp whisper. “Us as in whatwe are!”

“Even better,” he threw back smoothly. “If he knows, then I bet he’ll be willing to help us.”

“Fine, I’ll find time away from Gram to ask him.”

The sound of the front door opening reverberated through the walls, sending my heartbeat into overdrive. I wriggled out of Leander’s grasp like an eel, dodging his fingers as I dashed for the bedroom door. My feet carried me through the hall and back into the living room before the sight in front of me registered, and I nearly stumbled over my feet.

Kai and Barren were both seated at the kitchen table. Their forks scraped against the delicate serving plates sitting in front of them as they dug into slices of pie. Gram sat in her usual rocker, her eyes glinting in the light while she kept an eagle-eyed watch on the table. As they ate, she rocked back and forth in her chair, casually buffing the pirate pistol on her lap with the end of her shawl.

“Can never be too careful,” she said in a low, eerie voice just as Dad’s shoulder edged through the front door.

“Jeanette, I don’t believe it! You’ll never guess what’s sitting out here, right on our front steps.” He threw a look back over his shoulder, stomping his boots out on the welcome mat, completely oblivious to my presence. “I’ve never seen a creature more beautiful,” he continued, gushing. “I caught sight of it first while I was docking the boat, and can you believe it? It followed me all the way back up to the porch! Sitting right there, the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen.”

“And you’ll never guess who else has turned up,” Gram said, her voice carrying over the creaking of her rocker. “And the friends she’s brought with her,” she added, throwing me a mischievous glance.

Dad’s head snapped forward, and his boots nearly took out the doorframe as he pushed inside to reach me. “Claira!”

He’d hardly gotten his arms around me before I heard Gram’s voice, exasperated and sharp. “Now, now, don’t start blubbering, John. Not in front of our company.”

Dad clenched his eyes shut like he was attempting to stop himself, but then his head shook, and the tears still spilled over, wetting his cheeks. “You’re all right? They didn’t hurt you or nothing, did they?” I shook my head no, and he held me tighter. “Jeanette, she—oh, she missed you so much.” The tears were really streaming now, and Gram sighed as she lifted off her rocker.

Her arms waved in defeat as she mumbled, “I’ll get the tissues.”

“Thanks, Gram.” My lungs were tight from being squeezed half to death, but I couldn’t help but laugh, feeling that we’d already fallen right back to our crazy sort of normal.

Between the two of them, Dad always seemed to feel things more deeply. Or, at the very least, he wasn’t afraid to show his emotions. Even when I was a kid, whenever I’d been hurt, he was always the first to get teary. He taught me it was all right to express my emotions. That even if merfolk couldn’t cry underwater, it was okay to cry on land.

Gram broke up our embrace by handing Dad a tissue, and after he blew his nose a few times, his damp eyes settled on something over my shoulder.

A voice called out, “Sir,” from behind me, and when I looked, Leander was folded forward, bowing low and straight. It wasn’t the same as when Kai had done it. Leander had so much confidence and authority that it rendered me speechless.

Then it hit me—I’d never seen Leander bow to anyone.

Well, okay, he’d bowed to a card table turned phone charger shrine once. But that bow wasn’t like this. This was as if he was showing respect to a king.

Dad glanced from Leander to Gram before noticing the two others seated at the kitchen table. He took a second, his eyes sliding over their unique features, before he turned down to me. The unspoken word,merfolk, passed between us as understanding settled over his eyes.

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