20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
A Possessive Oshea
SADIE
Kyros practically plasters himself against my side, his gaze flickering around the plaza. If the red pollen affects him, he doesn’t let it show.
At least, he doesn’t let it show in a way I recognize.
I don’t know if mermen even have dicks. I suspect they don’t, so it only makes sense that their methods for showing arousal are different than what I’m used to.
The backs of his fingers graze against mine. It’s grounding.
“It’s only a small amount…” Kyros whispers, his voice hushed. “But it’ll have an effect. Stay close to me, Sadie.”
The red pollen spreads through the water, tinting it pink.
Across the plaza, a man stops mid-current.
Then another.
And another.
Kyros shifts fully in front of me, blocking me from view. Without thinking, I rest my fingertips against his back, finding comfort in the physical contact. I’ve heard enough about the red bloom to be wary of it, and Kyros is the only person here who seems to care about keeping me safe.
Even if it’s only to destroy the black siphon.
A man with a deep-emerald tail moves first. He doesn’t dart forward, as I feared, but instead moves slowly, his tail curling covertly beneath him. Emerald veins pulse along his ribs with every breath.
He looks like a predator.
And I’m the unfortunate prey.
A low sound builds in Kyros’s chest. His position in the pod has been enough to deter other men away, but I don’t suspect that’s going to be the case now. Not when the water is polluted with the red pollen.
The emerald-tailed man continues forward, two others joining him.
“Stay behind me,” Kyros orders.
He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I move closer, practically plastering myself to his back.
The first male lunges, and everything explodes.
Kyros moves faster than I’ve ever seen. Red markings blaze across his body, bright and violent as he shoots forward. His markings have never flared this intensely, and I can’t tear my eyes away as the red veining spreads up his ribcage, across his chest, and down his arms.
Kyros and the emerald-tailed man collide so hard they send a shockwave through the water. The fight doesn’t last long. Kyros coils his tail, striking it against the other Mer hard enough to send him spiraling back. He slams into a coral wall—thankfully one that doesn’t contain any red pollen.
Another male grabs for me, his fingers grazing against my shoulder. His blood-red tail twists beneath him, and a mildly embarrassing shriek slips from my throat as I recoil, putting distance between us.
I eye the fins beside his ear. If this man gets any closer, I won’t hesitate to shove my fingers into them. If that doesn’t work, I’ll aim for the eyes.
The man lunges.
“Kyros…” I gasp, kicking out my legs.
Crimson flashes before my eyes as Kyros catches the man by the throat, shoving him back with brutal force. The other male recoils but doesn’t retreat far.
None of them do.
We’ve drawn a crowd. Several females pull their younglings farther back.
I refuse to shrink under their heavy, judging gazes. I didn’t ask to be here. Plus…if anything, these people should be thanking me. I’ve agreed to destroy the black siphon—or at least try. I’m risking my life for them.
The red pollen finally begins to settle, sinking into the ocean floor.
Kyros shifts again, placing himself fully between me and the others. He’s stiff, coiled tight with barely contained violence. The markings along his ribs flare brighter, pulsing across his skin without rhythm.
He makes another low sound—a warning—before curling his tail around my waist and pulling me flush against him.
When he chirps, his words almost immediately form in my head.
Stand down. The surge will pass.
The men surrounding us pause.
Kyros takes advantage of that. He tightens his tail around me, securing me in place, before darting away. He sprints through the water with brutal, efficient strokes, not waiting to see if the others will follow.
The city blurs past in streaks of coral and light, currents slamming against us as he forces his way through them. I cling to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders and my torso pressed tightly against his.
Every movement of his tail sends a jolt through me, powerful and controlled and just a little too fast.
Kyros doesn’t slow until we’re deep in the tunnels. Even then, he moves at a pace I could never match.
I continue to cling to him as we emerge in the corridors of his home.
I recognize the expansive hallways and arched, open doorways.
We don’t pass by any Mer, and when we reach the curved wall that leads to Kyros’s bedroom, he doesn’t hesitate to shove against it and launch inside, dragging me with him.
Only then does he stop, the sudden stillness making my head spin.
Bubbles erupt from my nose and mouth.
Kyros doesn’t immediately release me. His tail remains wrapped around my waist, tight and unrelenting. I don’t try to move, either. I cling to his shoulders, holding them for dear life.
For a long moment, neither of us says anything.
Then, slowly, his tail loosens.
Distance. We need distance.
I release Kyros, my heart still pounding as I drift backward and sit on the stone slab of his bed. My head is swimming, and I’m trying very hard not to think of the way I was just clinging to him. Or the way he fought his own people. He looked like he wanted to kill those men.
This is exactly what the council feared would happen.
Kyros clears his throat. “Sadie…”
He looks pained.
I shoot him a look, and he quiets.
At least he’s not trying to hump my leg.
The red plume hasn’t turned him into a horny, brainless animal.
Small mercies. Did it affect him at all?
I let my eyes wander over his torso. His muscles flex with every inhale and red veining continues to flicker across his ribs, although it’s significantly less intense than before.
He looks upward, his throat bobbing as his hands curl into fists. His tail won’t stop moving, and when he inhales, his breathing is shaky.
He’s definitely affected.
That knowledge makes me feel better than it should. I made a fool of myself on the boat, constantly tripping over my feet and slamming into Kyros. He must’ve realized that I found him attractive.
Kyros shakes his head before looking at me again, his heavy gaze traveling slowly down the length of my body and back up.
How does he feel about my legs? Does he find them repulsive? I’d assume not. He admitted that mermen are biologically incentivized to breed with those who carry more human genes.
It’s better for their species.
It only makes sense that he’d be attracted to the human parts of me.
Voices drift in through the narrow opening leading into the hallway. Loud, angry chirps. I freeze, my fingers curling around the stone slab as fragments of the conversation appear in my mind.
…told you she… It’s Seraya.
Yes, but the… It’s a deeper voice. Daros? He continues. …currents…without…
Seraya cuts in. He will not.
…it’s a—
“Don’t move.”
Kyros hurries outside. The conversation abruptly stops.
I wait a second, my eyes narrowing at a hushed noise. The conversation hasn’t stopped. It’s moved away from the entrance, just out of earshot.
I slip off the slab and slide to the door, eavesdropping.
No. Kyros’s voice is firm.
I inch closer, keeping to the shadows of the coral wall. From here, I can just barely make out what’s happening in the corridor outside.
Kyros is facing the council. Daros hovers opposite him, his massive, scarred tail flicking angrily beneath him. Mavek floats a little further back, his orange tail moving in slow, controlled sweeps. Seraya is nearest to Kyros, and she’s visibly furious. She’s practically vibrating with it.
Kyros stares the council members down.
She brings chaos. Seraya clicks. You saw it yourself.
Kyros shakes his head. I pushed Agnor into the coral. I released the plume. That’s not her fault.
It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, Daros bites out. The result is the same.
Mavek skims a pointer finger down one of his orange fins, his lips pursed. When his gaze moves lazily in my direction, I flatten myself against the coral.
Daros continues. We should end this now. Kill her. We’ll find another way to destroy the siphon.
My blood runs cold.
The words shouldn’t surprise me. Not really. I’ve known from the moment Kyros brought me into this city that death was the most likely outcome. Hell, I knew it from the moment he pushed me overboard.
What feels like minutes pass before Kyros responds. There is no other way, he says. We need her, and she’s risking her life for Tideborn. You should be grateful.
The words catch me off guard. That just might be the kindest thing Kyros has ever said about me.
Seraya scoffs. You’re too close to her.
Kyros snaps his tail beneath him.
I bite my tongue and inch closer, continuing to eavesdrop.
Daros makes a low, irritated sound. That plume was nothing, and you saw how the pod reacted. What happens when the full bloom arrives?
Kyros works his jaw from side to side. It won’t. He seems to hesitate before continuing. I intend to bring her to the siphon tomorrow. We’ll leave at first light.
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry.
Tomorrow?
Not next week. Not after more training. Not after I figure out how to survive a pressure shift without flailing like an idiot.
Tomorrow.
My stomach drops. I can’t do this. I can barely navigate the practice trench, for fuck’s sake, and the stakes there are nonexistent. But the black siphon sits inside a death trap filled with unstable currents and ancient predators, and I’m being sent inside with my bare hands.
I’m going to die.
I shouldn’t have agreed to this.
Seraya shifts closer to Kyros. The coral shouldn’t have plumed from a mere bump, not this early. There may be more surges before you return…
Kyros frowns. I’ll deal with that if and when it happens.
Seraya’s mouth parts slightly, like she has more to say. A second passes before she clamps her jaw shut.
Daros speaks next. He jerks his head toward the coral entrance I’m hiding behind. And what will you do when the siphon is destroyed?
Kyros answers quickly. I’ll return her to the surface.
My breath catches, some of the heaviness in my chest lifting.
Kyros has already promised to return me to the surface, but he said it in private.
This is different. Public. I should feel grateful, but something holds me back.
The smarter choice is to kill me. It’s the safer choice, too. So why isn’t Kyros making it?
Mavek cocks his head to the side, orange scales flickering. I have a hard time getting a read on him. Seraya looks like she wants to claw somebody’s eyes out. Daros looks unconvinced.
But none of them argues.
Kyros says something else—too quick for me to fully catch—and the meeting breaks apart soon after.
Daros leaves first, his scarred, cerulean tail snapping hard. Seraya lingers, saying something low and furious to Kyros before finally turning away. Mavek gives Kyros a long, assessing look, then departs in silence.
Kyros remains still for several seconds after they’re gone.
He speaks without turning. “You’re not subtle.”
Damn. I push away from the wall and drift into view. “I wasn’t trying to be.”
That’s a lie.
Kyros glances at me over his shoulder, his eyebrow quirked. “How much did you understand?”
“All of it.”
His gaze lingers for half a second before he looks away.
“Good,” he decides. “Then you understand the urgency.”
That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. The early plume has accelerated our already tight timeline, but I need more practice. I’m not ready.
I chew on my bottom lip. Why am I even doing this?
These people murdered my father. I owe them nothing.
Is it too late to change my mind? I open my mouth, about to try, before quietly shutting it.
If I refuse, the pod will die. I’ve always had a savior complex, and I would never forgive myself. The children would haunt my dreams.
Kyros would haunt my dreams.
I’m going to be deepweaver chow.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Kyros gestures to his room. “We should rest. It’s a rough journey to the trench, even with the Great Current at full strength. It’ll take most of the day.”