Restless Waves

Chapter 60

Over the next few days, Rowan's world returned to normal. Normal to him was going to university while his sea creature boyfriend spent the day in the ocean, then Rowan would meet Kaerius either on the sand or in the water. Then, they would go back to Rowan's mother's house where his father filled the hallway with his belongings. It's not just her house anymore, Rowan thought, which made him smile at his laptop.

"What're you grinning at?" Michael asked. He sat opposite Rowan at the table.

"It's just nice that you're here and mum's not threatening to beat you up."

Michael smiled. "I keep thinking it's too good to be true." They could hear Mandy humming to herself in the living room. She started throwing away her hunter gear, clothes, pictures, files. Everything related to her hunting career was gone in less than an hour. Now she was painting, painting everything.

"Is mum okay?"

"No, and I don't think she will be for a while. But that's okay because she has us."

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, and her brothers now."

"It's going to be tough for her to accept that she's lost 12 years of her life. Thank goodness I took pictures of you growing up. I tried to get your mum to look at the photo albums, but she's not ready to cry again."

Rowan thought that his father no longer looked so tired, so worn out, so beaten. Rowan hadn't noticed how much his fathers struggled until his weary eyes brightened with hope. "What if we never find out who did this to our family?"

"Pray that they don't find out that the curse is broken. They were evil enough to make such a soul-destroying curse. They'll be evil enough to come for us."

Rowan suddenly felt very cold. He shivered and pulled his sleeves over his hands. A dark cloud started to move through his mind. Rowan would have spiralled into a very anxious state if he didn't hear the front door open and feel Kaerius getting closer. He looked up to greet his soulmate with a smile, but his mouth hung open instead.

Kaerius stood with sandy feet, he was dripping wet, out of breath, and naked.

Rowan cleared his throat and failed to divert his eyes. "I've told you a million times; you can't walk around with no clothes on!"

"Not million," Kaerius scowled and crossed his arms. "Where clothes?"

"By the front door."

Kaerius groaned and stomped back down the corridor. When he returned, he had a pair of Rowan's shorts on, nothing else.

"Also, you need to start wiping your feet before you come in," Michael said, staring blankly at the trail of sandy footprints Kaerius had dragged around the floor.

"Land mortal have stupid rules," Kaerius muttered and flopped onto the chair next to Rowan. He shut Rowan's laptop.

"Kaerius, I was doing work for-"

"Silence," the Thalassic Mortal said in his deep voice. "Kaerius make Rowan Thalassic treasure." Kaerius lifted something circular for Rowan to see. "You have a lot of nervous habits, Rowan. You'll rub your wrist raw if you don't have something to fidget with."

Rowan's eyes gleamed as Kaerius slid the bracelet over his hand. He had used something green and elastic to hold all the tiny shells in place. There were flat shells and spiral shells and little stones with shimmers of reds and purples. Rowan traced it like it was made of diamonds, though it was made of something much more precious; love.

"Rowan like wristlet?"

"I love it! Did you make this today?"

Kaerius nodded. His cheeks were turning pink. "Jaiker help."