Restless Waves

Chapter 34

"Dad?" Rowan said with his fingers through the letterbox, so he could see into the hallway. "Dad!" he yelled louder, pressing his mouth to the metal. "We can talk like this. You don't have to open the door!"

Rowan peered back into the hallway. He watched the entrance to the kitchen, wondering if his dad was in the garden and couldn't hear him. A face popped around the kitchen door, and his dad stared at his son with his fingers shoved through the letterbox.

"Dad!" Rowan yelled before he disappeared.

"Rowan, you can't be here!" Michael hissed stepping into view a little more. His jeans were already covered in mud from the garden.

"I have questions you need to answer. I'm not talking over the phone again."

"Alright," Michael agreed. "Is your... soulmate with you?"

"No," Rowan frowned. The word soulmate made him shiver. "He went to the sea until I'm back."

Michael tilted his head and crossed his arms. "Are you still working on removing the bond?" he asked and his son's eyes pointed away.

"No. We don't think there is a way now."

"Oh." Michael looked disappointed. As long as his son was bonded with a Thalassic Mortal, they couldn't be near each other. "So, you're accepting the bond?"

"Dad," Rowan sighed. "I don't know what we're doing. I'm here to ask questions."

Michael nodded and edged more into the hallway.

* * * * *

Kaerius was circling the shallow water. Rowan said he would be a few hours. Kaerius had watched the sun and judging by how much it moved, Rowan should be back soon.

Kaerius dipped under the water, swam to the bottom, then back again to check if he could see the human walking along the sand. The beach was bustling. Kaerius' eyes looked for a tanned and tall teenager with blond hair. Rowan usually walked along the beach with his t-shirt off and flip flops in his hands. Rowan was built big, but his muscles were not as defined as Kaerius. Rowan didn't spend his days swimming and only eating fish.

When Kaerius couldn't see him, his angry gaze turned to the kids playing on the rocks. Usually, the rocks where Rowan and Kaerius met were empty. Today a group of five kids jumped into the rough water when waves crashed against the rocks. A lot of them had skid burns from getting dragged across the rough surface, but it didn't stop them from doing it again.

"Stupid humans," Kaerius mumbled. He rippled the water with his tail before diving under a wave. If he didn't have Rowan to wait for, he would go hunting for a bigger surf.

Kaerius only had to wait ten more minutes before he saw Rowan sprinting across the sand. He knew it was him because he could feel him. It was like Rowan's soul was already inside of him, shaking and pulsing when he was near.

The Thalassic Mortal flicked his tail with excitement when Rowan approached the rocks. The waves crashed against them, so Rowan approached with care. When he opened his mouth to speak, Kaerius thought, "Don't. small humans will hear you."

Rowan climbed around the rocks to where he usually sat. A group of kids, maybe 10 years old, were jumping into the waves.

"Rowan!" a boy said excitedly.

"Hey," Rowan smiled, knowing most of the kids from the surfing club. "It's a bit rough out here to be on the rocks."

"Well, what are you doing here then?" the boy asked, holding onto Rowan when a big wave pushed their backs into the rocks.