Chapter 39
Sterling
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” I drop my fists on the king’s desk, hard enough his tablet jumps and his cup of tea rattles. I lean over the desk. He’s dismissed his guards, but there’s no fear in the fool’s eyes.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Atlas stands.
He’s as tall as me, though his shoulders are more squared from years of long-range travel, while mine are rounded from battle and fighting.
I could take him in a fight but not a swim.
“Stop eyeing me up like you’re going to hit me.
We both know you have more common sense than that. ”
A low rumble comes from my gut. He has more faith in me than I do.
Because I’d like to pull his swim bladder out through his throat right now.
“The female is being chased by enough pods. And then there are the separatists who want nothing to do with humans or the possible dependents of the original orphaned mermaids who went to live with the humans.” I glare at Atlas.
I’m honestly much more worried about the separatists.
There have been some less than vague threats made.
“Zion is leaving today. There’s no time for anyone to organize a plan to attack,” the king says.
“You’re thinking like a militarist, not a terrorist. It doesn’t take an army of males to hurt one fragile human.
A malfunction in her transport would be enough.
How the hell do they think they’re going to keep her safe?
Zion? He runs a company. Delmar? An elementary school teacher isn’t going to help. ”
“There’s room for two more. I thought you would be going?”
“I’ll take one of the elite government solos and follow them. I can cloak the whole way.”
“No, that’s absurd. Zion and I already talked. You’re the best pilot in the Mason pod. You’ll have to have the helm.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. I still want to punch Atlas. But age has taught me a thing or two. I’m not going to get anywhere with hitting the king. Well, except for exiled to the chasm.
I inhale. It doesn’t matter. I should drop it because . . . “There’s no way the Portsmouth pod is going to allow Blair to go.”
Atlas shakes his head. “I received a message from Castor this morning, letting me know that while they aren’t thrilled about it, they are letting her go.
” Atlas smirks. “But since the Mason pod bought a Pelagic voyager, there was some subtext about possibly borrowing it sometime. After your two pods become related.”
I scowl. The thought of a Pelagic voyager being owned by the Mason pod is still so absurd. I don’t care if we haven’t spent gold on anything in years. It’s beyond extravagant, and why for a female we shouldn’t be pursuing? We’re only going to get her hurt—or worse, killed.
“It’s done. You should get home and pack. I gave them permission, but only if they left quickly. As in now! Unless you want to be walking about London wearing what you have on, you better hustle home and pack.”
“I don’t want to be walking around London wearing anything.”
“That’s a choice. I know they have less strict laws about nudity than America does, but I wouldn’t push your luck. This isn’t an official visit. And I won’t let my first contact with their government be about getting you out of their jail.”
Anger blurs my trip home. I don’t remember anything of the route home, and that’s never good. I’ve learned to overcome my anger. Anger has no place in my life. Anger only makes you make mistakes. Like my journey to the Stele Dome, it blinds you to the real dangers lurking around.
I’m through the airlock and around back in the residents’ docking area.
And fuck me. I’m not sure why it’s not called a Blue Whale voyager.
And I’m not sure how the hell it fits through the airlock.
I’m also pretty sure that more than half of the residents of the Stele Dome are gathered around it.
Hunter’s directing a few other guys around.
Which is only making it worse. Nothing like telling a bunch of Stele males that they can’t look at something to make them want to look at it more.
I dock and get out of the solo. Hunter raises his chin at me. And as much as I want to let the podlet do it on his own, I can’t. “Move.” My tone rings through the docking dome, and the crowd parts for me. I stride toward the spectacle.
“Did you really buy this?” is shouted at me from more than a few people I barely know.
I grit my molars together. I didn’t buy anything, but that’s not what a pod does. A united front is always the way to present yourself. That was drilled into me over and over again by my mother and fathers.
My sister Celeste and one of her mates who was born into the Stele Dome, even though he’s been a Seolfor ever since he mated my sister, stand next to the dock.
“Brother,” she says as I reach the side hatch.
“Celeste.” My shoulders droop.
“This is—”
“Indeed.” I’m not going to go on about this here, now. I’m not going to go on about it anywhere.
“Are you going to invite us in?” Her perfect eyebrows rise.
I glare at her, giving her the best can-you-cut-me-a-break look I can.
Which she counters with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips.
Which I’m taking as “no, and if you don’t, I’m telling Mother.
” Celeste isn’t normally a pain in my ass.
But she knows how to be, and she does it better than anyone on the planet.
And she’s got secrets I don’t want out there—and she knows it.
“Wait here.” I yank on the handle, but the damn door doesn’t budge. Fuck. I knock.
There’s a shadow at the tinted porthole, and the hatch opens. Zion’s eyes flick up and down me. He’s none too happy to see me. But then, we’ve been messaging one another all morning. Ever since I was informed about this foolish plan. “Zion.”
“Get in here.” He yanks my wrist, and I enter in with a jerk. It’s more massive on the inside than it appears on the outside.
Honestly, I was still hoping it wasn’t going to work out. That they wouldn’t be able to deliver this kraken-sized monstrosity. Though it does have nice woodworking on the panel across from me. With burnished brown leather seats.
“See, even Sterling is taken aback by the beauty of the ship.” Delmar laughs.
“Ship,” I scoff. “This is no ship. It’s a floating waste of gold.”
Zion scowls at me now. “I’ve worked hard for years.
Saved every kilogram of gold I could. I don’t gamble or smoke, and I’m not going out to eat when there’s good food at home.
I did the math. This outrageous purchase cost me less than one percent of the money I’ve earned.
And that’s just me. The way Delmar lives, he could have afforded one of these on his teacher’s salary.
” Zion points at Delmar, who turns away, disappearing into the back of the voyager.
My stomach flips. “And fuck you, Sterling.”
“I don’t care what you buy. I care that you’re being reckless.” I’m chest to chest with him. There’s no one else in the space with us.
“How, how is it reckless? The longer we stay docked here, perhaps.”
“How fast can this thing go? There are any number of ships that could catch her. And then what? What are you going to do with a human woman in the middle of the ocean if someone decides to put a hole in the side of this slow behemoth?”
“Keep your voice down. And for the love of Athena, don’t go putting worry in Blair’s head. Right now she’s excited.” Zion nods to the back of the voyager.
There’s a knock on the door.
“We’re not giving tours,” Zion yells.
“That’s my sister, and if I don’t let her in, she’s going to go to my mother—”
“Open the damn door then,” Zion says. He knows the deal with my mother. “I don’t want her showing up at our apartment any more then you do.”
“Celeste.” I open the door for her and her mate. “A quick tour.”
“Thank you, brother. And is Blair here?”
I look over to Zion. He motions to the back. “She’s in the bedroom setting up her clothes.”
“Oh, does it have a big pod bed?” Celeste takes off for the hallway that leads away from the front of the voyager.
And I step in front of her. “We have to be going soon.”
“We?” Zion asks, and I glare. “Yes, of course we.”
“Oh, you’re going too? How exciting! Have a good time in Greece.” Celeste hugs me. She’s fishing for more details, but I’m not giving them out, not even to my own sister.
“Yes.” I nod and lead her back to the door. She jumps like she’s learned a secret.
“It’s very nice. I’m sure you’ll have a great trip. I like the shell inlay on the doors.” Celeste runs her fingers over the trim near the handle. “It’s a nice touch. I want to meet her sometime.” Celeste knits her brows at me. “Your future––”
“Celeste!”
Celeste’s mate shakes our hands and holds the hatch door open for her. There are mumblings outside with people asking her questions about what the interior is like. “Very nice, classy without being too—” Celeste says, cut off by the closing door.
“Thanks.” I purse my lips at Zion.
“You’re welcome. We really do need to get going as soon as possible. We’re just waiting for—”
“You’re here!” Blair steps out into the lounge area where we are. “This is really nice. Not that the sub wasn’t nice, but this is—”
“I’ve been on a military sub, Blair. They smell like rotten shrimp shells had a podlet with moldy seaweed. There’s not enough space to change your mind in there, let alone your clothes.”
She covers her mouth. “You are really funny.”
My brow scrunches because I didn’t have any intention of being funny. “It’s the truth.”
“Yes, I know. You have a great way of describing things.”
I cock my head at her. There’s a pain in my temples. One that I seem to get when I deal with females.
“That’s a compliment.” She stands on her toes and places her hand on my shoulder. I turn my head and glare at her hand. But my fucking dick stirs in my pants.
“Thank you,” I growl and step out of her reach. “Who are we waiting for? Your daughter?” I say, hopefully, because that would take the pressure off. A nice buffer.
“That would be nice, but no. She’s . . . not able to come—” Zion puts his arm on her shoulder, and she blinks up at him.
“Don’t you think you should get some other clothes?” Zion asks me.
“I’ll borrow some—”
“No, you won’t,” Delmar says, coming into the lounge with an empty basket in his hand. He shoves it into my stomach. “Hurry back.”
I glance back at the door. “Fine.” I nod to Hunter on the dock and push through the crowd. I’m back twenty minutes later with a layer of clothes in the bottom of the basket. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on land.
Forrest is the last to arrive.
“You’re late,” Zion says.
“It takes a lot for me to hand things off. And . . .” Forrest starts.
Blair’s eyes are wide.
“I know that I have to work and I’m letting you down.
I’m going to have to meet you there,” Forrest says.
“I thought I could leave today, but there’s a big vote coming up, and I need to be here.
I’ll travel home with you, though. I’ve arranged for a solo.
I won’t be long behind you because they can go so much faster. ”
“Well, I’ll miss you.” Blair throws her arms around Forrest, and she gives him a hug. I’ve got to admit, I’m thrilled. One less preening pufferfish in this small space. I turn away from their embrace.