Restless Waves

Chapter 74

Rowan stood on the island with the two hunters who made his mother horrible for twelve years. He had successfully frightened away their protection group and somehow accepted his future opportunities as the god of the sea.

Rowan felt powerful, but that didn't mean he could abuse it.

"I believe in second chances," he said, running a finger over his bracelet. "So, I'll ask you to agree to what we want. All of us who are a part of the supernatural world wants a chance to live happily. We want to live in peace. Please, agree, for your own sake because if you don't," Rowan leaned closer. "I won't give you another chance."

Michael's parents didn't move. They didn't look at each other or their son bobbing in the ocean. They only stared at Rowan.

"We will not agree," Michael's dad said.

Rowan glanced down to his parents. He didn't want to be the one to decide their fate. "Dad," he said quietly. "What should we do with them?" Rowan expected to see the anger in his dad's face, and Michael had every reason to leave his parents for dead.

"They killed Wez and robbed twelve years of my life that I will never get back. They deserve no chances and no sympathy," Mandy mumbled. "We should just leave them here and let them rot."

Rowan started backing off the island. The sea had calmed, and the sky lightened every minute. "They had this coming," Rowan said, joining his parents in the water. "They must have killed thousands of supernatural creatures over the years, and that's not including the ones they made mum hurt. They've denied every chance I've given them. They would rather die as hunters than give us peace."

As Michael thought about what to do, Rowan looked around for Kaerius. "Hey," he said, swimming over to his soulmate. "Is your head okay?"

Kaerius nodded. "That spear would have killed me if it weren't for you."

Rowan kissed his head, just above the small cut. "Then you would have killed me because my heart would have broken."

Kaerius tapped the water, rippling the surface. "Water protect Kaerius and Rowan. Good water. Strong water."

Rowan smiled. Kaerius's eyes looked deep red against the sky in the morning light. Seagulls flew around the island, staring curiously at the old hunters. "Dad," Rowan said with arms around his soulmate. Rowan turned to look at his parents and the words stalled at the tip of his tongue. His dad had been perched on the rocks, waiting for his tail to dry. Now, Michael stood on the island with a spear in each hand. The sharp ends touched against the throats of his parents.

"You ordered for my son to be killed. You cursed my family and me to live in misery for the past twelve years. You turned my soulmate into a monster who fought her own kind, just because you didn't like her." Michael's seething words hissed through his teeth. "If my son had died, I would have killed you days ago."

"What's stopping you?" his father asked, staring hard at Michael.

"I'm better than that. I'm better than you!" Michael twisted the spear, slamming the blunt end into his dad's chest. The older man stumbled and fell. "When I was a boy, and you took me hunting, I watched how you cornered Thalassic Mortals against land and water. You would force them onto the beach, then drive a spear through their hearts." Michael gripped the wooden end. "You deserve no second chances."

Michael lobbed the spears back into the sea as Thalassic Mortals returned. Heads popped up around the island and Michael sank to Mandy's side, and his silver tail splashed the surface. "I say we should leave them, and let fate take them," Michael muttered. "Leave it up to the Thalassic Mortals. I can see that they are desperate for revenge, even if we aren't."