The Swimming Swan
A Cob Brothers Story
By Amber Kell and Stephani Hecht
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
The Swimming Swan
Copyright © 2012 Amber Kell and Stephani Hecht
Edited by Delaney Sullivan and Caitlyn Green
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-459-8
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted
work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain,
is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of
$250,000.
Electronic Release: January 2012
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s
imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely
coincidental.
The Dedication
For everyone who grew up reading fairy tales.
Chapter One
Fisher Cob sat on a log of driftwood and looked out over the sea. The waves crashed
against the boulders, sending up bright sprays of water into the sky. Oceans called to him, they
always had. Something about the movement of the waves, the smell of salty wetness and the
feeling of utter peace the ocean gave him banished his homesickness.
As much as he loved the kingdom of Aria, he was going to miss Earth when he went
home. Last time they’d talked, his brother Landon had said they were heading back to Aria soon.
Although he would return when his brother, the future king, demanded, Fisher had mixed
feelings about going home. The man he’d been dating on and off for the past three months
wasn’t permanent mate material, Fisher knew that. Nonetheless, Jimmy had been entertaining.
Fisher would miss the freedom to date whoever he wanted without the entire court watching. At
least on Earth, he knew men dated him because they liked him, not due to his royal status.
Fisher wasn’t looking for something permanent, unlike Landon, who had the entire
kingdom on his shoulders. Fisher just wanted to have a good time. Luckily, his relationship with
Jimmy was winding down. He could tell by the fidgety way their dates had gone lately that his
semi-boyfriend was looking for greener pastures. Since Jimmy’s disappointment in their
relationship aligned neatly with Fisher going back to Aria, he didn’t really have any motivation
to try and fix it. A bit selfish of him, he knew, but Fisher didn’t like confrontation. Another
reason he enjoyed being second in line for the throne instead of first. He didn’t have the skills
necessary to run an entire kingdom. No, he was content with being second and following his
brother’s lead in life.
A shiver pimpled his skin, making him realize that, with the sun going down, he
should’ve brought a jacket. Shaking his head at his lack of preparation, Fisher stood up and
skipped a stone across the water. His eyes followed the stone until he heard a loud, “Ouch.”
“What the hell?” Squinting his eyes, Fisher tried to make out anything among the waves.
Was someone swimming out there? He couldn’t see a soul, and the sunlight from the setting sun
reflected brilliantly across the water and prevented any good visibility. “Hello,” he shouted.
No response.
Huh.
If he hadn’t imagined the voice, the person must be all right. After all, if he’d knocked
them unconscious with that little rock, they wouldn’t have been able to yell.
“Hey, Fisher.” Jimmy’s voice reached him over the sound of the waves.
He spun around in surprise. “Jimmy, what are you doing here?”
Jimmy gave him a bashful smile. “I wanted to have dinner together. I knew this is your
favorite spot when you have time to yourself. I thought I’d take a chance and swing by.”
Fisher’s stomach growled. Looking up into Jimmy’s friendly green eyes, he smiled.
“Sure, that would be great.”
He knew Jimmy didn’t harbor any deep feelings for him. There was too much laid-back
surfer boy in Jimmy to obsess about anyone. They might not have a hot romance, but there was
nothing wrong with friends with benefits as Earth people called it. He went to the tips of his toes
and let Jimmy tug him closer.
“Mmm,” he moaned against Jimmy’s mouth.
Jimmy wrapped his hands around Fisher’s hips and pulled him tight in an unexpected
show of passion. Fisher tried to ease back. They were out in public, and Earth people didn’t show
affection between men as openly as they did in Aria.
“What the hell!” Jimmy let Fisher go as a wave washed over the men, breaking them
apart. “But it’s low tide,” Jimmy exclaimed as the water swirled around his calves.
Fisher laughed as their pants became soaked to the skin.
Ominous dark clouds rolled across the water. Fisher frowned. “Let’s get out of this weird
weather.”
Arms looped through each other’s, they made their way across the sand and out of the
tumultuous sea.
Jimmy laughed. “That was freaky.”
Fisher nodded, but he couldn’t help looking back. If they were in Aria, he would’ve
suspected magic, but everyone knew that just didn’t happen on Earth.
Reef watched the pair of men walk away together. He gripped his trident tighter until his
knuckles turned white and his palm ached. Damn it, the slim blond should be his! The quiet man
had watched the waves for the better part of the afternoon, and Reef had watched him in return.
Reef had been closing in to introduce himself when that stupid pebble had smacked him in the
forehead.
He didn’t think the human was aiming at him since the surprise in the blond’s voice told
Reef the other man didn’t know someone was out there. Still, the skin on his forehead burned.
There would be a mark in the morning.
“Psst…Reef.”
Rolling his eyes, Reef turned to see his sister, Starflower, floating in the water behind
him.
“What?”
“Are you done mooning over your human?”
He pouted. “I’m not mooning.”
Starflower giggled. “Of course not. I mean, why would you stare for hours at a human?
He must have had some kelp stuck in his teeth, and you were trying to think of a polite way to
tell him.”
Reef gritted his teeth. He’d obviously been caught, but he’d die before he’d admit it and
give Starflower any more fodder for teasing. “Did you want something?”
“Father’s back and asking for you.” The tension in her voice told Reef their father’s
return brought nothing but an ill tide. Pontus coming home early meant his meeting with the
other gods must not have gone well.
“I’m coming.” How he wished he was going elsewhere, like with that sexy human with
eyes as gray as the sea. Reef could happily drown in those eyes—well, if he could drown.
Relaxing his tail, he let the undertow pull him beneath the water.
“Why were you watching the human?” Starflower asked, switching to telepathic
communication. She was the youngest of his sisters and the most curious, almost as inquisitive as
Reef, making her his favorite sister.
“He’s obsessed with the sea. I like that.”
Starflower drifted beside him as they descended to their underwater home. “You need to
stay away from humans. If they see you transform, they’ll put you in one of their aquariums.”
Starflower shuddered. “Horrible places.”
“I know.” Reef might know better than to let a human capture him, but he was more than
willing to let this particular human borrow him for a while. It wasn’t the first time the blond had
come to visit the water, and now Reef had a name to go with the man.
Fisher.
What a perfect name for a merman’s lover. All he had to do now was get rid of the
bastard touching his man. The sea boiled around Reef when he thought of the men kissing. How
dare that interloper touch his pretty ocean watcher! Jimmy, what kind of name was that? If the
pretty Fisher had been farther away from Jimmy, Reef would’ve used more of the sea’s wrath
instead of just increasing the tide. A good tsunami would take care of the Fisher-grabbing idiot.
Watching the two men embrace had made his heart ache. Even as he swam deeper to
bottom of the sea, his mind remained with the pretty sea watcher.
The palace bustled with people swimming here and there, a sure sign of his father’s
temper. Bracing himself for a show of anger, Reef swam into the sea god’s throne room.
“There you are!” His father’s voice echoed through his head, a strong, booming presence
that all but knocked out every other thought.
Coming to a stop before him, Reef floated before the throne. “Greetings, Father.”
“Where were you?” His father’s expression didn’t encourage sharing the truth.
“Swimming.” He wasn’t really trying to hide his whereabouts. After all, there was only
so much you could keep from a god.
Pontus sat upon his throne, his gray beard floating with the waves as he eyed his only son
with his dark gray eyes. “The sea hags told me you are going to shore.”
“What?”
The sea hags were ancient prophetesses who foresaw the future of all the people of the
sea. In general, they foresaw major events and dangers in the sea people’s lives, but they rarely
paid attention to an individual, especially to one so unimportant in the scope of things as Reef.
Although he was his father’s only son, Reef was the king’s fiftieth child and held no special
place in court. His father was a god and would never give up his throne, so Reef didn’t worry
about royal duties. His sisters took care of that. Until this moment, Reef had been left to go his
own way.
“They say your fate lies with another. One who lives on the other side of the portal to
Aria.”
Although he’d heard of the Arian portal dwellers, Reef had never actually met one. The
Arians were magical, but they had no gods living in flesh and found Pontus a frightening
creature. On a good day, his father was difficult. On a bad day, the ocean fled.
“I need to go to Aria?”
Pontus shook his head. “Not yet. Your man is on this side of the world. Find him. He is
the reason you will need to travel to the other side of the portal.”
Nerves jittered through Reef. “How will I find him?”
“He’ll find you. Be prepared for your journey at all times and let fate guide you.”
Good advice. Reef hoped he could follow it because no matter who his fated man ended
up being, he still longed for the pretty ocean watcher in his heart. A light sparkled in his mind.
Fisher.
An image of the man sitting in a seaside restaurant watching the water filled his mind.
“Go after him.”
Reef didn’t recognize the female voice whispering in his head. None of his sisters
sounded that perky when they spoke. Shaking his head, he knew what he had to do.
Looking at his father, he made his choice. “I know what to do.”
After a long examination of his son, the sea god tossed something at Reef. It flashed in
the water as it floated toward him.
Reaching out, Reef caught the object in his hand. A thick, gold ring with a trident pressed
on the front lay on his palm.
“Keep it with you always. It will protect you and help you be human. Once you are
mated, you will finish your conversion.”
The pain in Reef’s chest caught him by surprise. “Will I then lose my connection with the
sea?” The thought of always living on land filled him with a loss so great he could feel it
crushing him as if he’d gone down too deep into the ocean depths.
Pontus stared at his son for a long moment. “To tell the truth, I’m uncertain what will
happen. None of my children have ever gone fully onto land. I only know the prophetesses said
you need to join him. The fate of the sea people depends on your success.”
Great, no pressure there. “I will do my best.”
“I expect no less. You are my only son. Make me proud. I will be watching.”
One of the servants swam up to Reef and handed him a small sack. Opening it, he saw it
was filled with gold coins topped by three sand dollars.
“What are these for?” he asked his father.
“You can exchange the coins for money on land.”
“And the sand dollars?”
“If you get into a situation where you need help, toss one of them into any body of water
and I will come to you.”
Reef’s heart ached. Even as his father kicked Reef out of the ocean, the sea god looked
after his children in his own way.
“Thanks, Father.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go get your man.” The god cleared his throat and for the first
time Reef could remember, he saw his father look uncomfortable. “Once you’ve claimed him,
make sure you take a moment to introduce him to the family.”
Reef smiled. “Even if I spend the rest of my days on land, I won’t forget my family,” he
promised.
With his mind firmly thinking about Fisher, he accepted the swarming hugs from his
sisters before floating back to the surface to find his man.
Chapter Two
Reef swam to the edge of the shore and paused, waiting for something to happen. How he
was going to end up being able to pass for a land dweller was still a mystery to him. He had no
clue what would occur next, or how his fin would become legs.
When nothing special transpired, he wondered if maybe it was because he was still too
far out in the ocean. So, he wiggled closer to the beach until his entire upper half was out of the
water and the cool night air brushed against his bare skin. Yet, the minutes continued to click by
without anything happening. Despite being alone with nobody to witness his embarrassment, a
heat came over his cheeks. It’d gotten to the point where he’d begun to sympathize with a
beached whale. His green tail flopped around in the shallow water, making loud, yet ineffective,
splashes.
“Well, this is just anticlimactic,” Reef muttered as he glanced down at his body.
Luckily, the late time made chances of him running into a human low. The last thing he
wanted to do was end up captive and in a tank next to Shamu. While that kind of setup might
make for a cute kid’s movie, it wouldn’t help his people out at all.
Just as he was about to give up and swim back into the ocean, a sharp pain slammed into
his fin. Intense and gut wrenching, it brought tears to his eyes. He clawed at his bottom half as he
struggled to cry out in pain, but all that came out was a weird squawking noise.
He didn’t think it could get worse, but it did…a lot, lot worse. Soon a burning sensation
went up the center of his body and spread through all his limbs. It felt as if somebody was
cleaving him in half with a sword of fire.
Reef let out a garbled sound of agony as he fell to his side, water and sand kicking up into
his mouth. As he took a swallow, his gut rolled in protest as, for the first time ever, he tasted the
salt from the ocean. He attempted to spit it out and only succeeded in inhaling more.
Then he didn’t care about the flavor of the ocean as the pain grew to a whole new level of
bad. Once again, he clawed at his lower half, only this time, his nails encountered skin instead of
scales.
“I know it hurts, Reefie-kins. Just think about Fisher and it’ll make it better,” soothed
that same strange feminine voice from before.
“I’m trying, but it’s bad,” Reef groaned, barely noticing that he was having a
conversation with an unknown speaker.
“Well, what did you expect? It’s not easy to grow new body parts. One time my friend
Lyvia decided to give herself a pair of new knockers, and it didn’t turn out so well. Not only did
it hurt like a mother scratcher, but she also looked like a winged-up Pamela Anderson.”
Reef had a vague idea of who Pamela Anderson was, not that he really cared at that point.
As the pain ebbed a bit, he dragged himself farther up on the shore, so the water didn’t lap across
his face as he gathered his breath.
“Who are you?” he asked the mysterious speaker.
A soft giggle preceded the answer. “Petra. I’m Fisher’s fairy godmother, but I would
really appreciate it if you didn’t share that little tidbit with him just yet.”
“Why not?” He sat up, relief flooding him as the pain subsided even more.
“It’s a really long, super complicated story. I would come and tell you myself, but I’m a
little tied up with Fisher’s older brother right now. Don’t worry, though, I won’t leave you alone
and naked on the beach. My friend should be showing up any second.”
Reef scanned the shoreline, not surprised to find it empty. While he’d only just met Petra,
he had a sneaking suspicion she was equal parts kelp flake and air bubble. He could only guess
what her friend was going to be like.
Dismissing the crazy voice and its promises, Reef glanced down at the bottom part of his
body. When a pair of plain, pale legs greeted him instead of his beautiful green fin, his heart
broke. While he knew the sacrifice was necessary in order to get Fisher, Reef couldn’t help but
wonder if he’d ever be able to go back to his old body and life.
Still, if it meant winning Fisher’s heart then it would all be worth it. He gave his toes an
experimental wiggle, a small laugh escaping his lips as the wet sand tickled him. How he could
find any humor in the situation, given all the pain he’d just experienced, added a new layer of
weirdness to the whole situation.
“Well, as much as I love being around naked men, this really isn’t the time or the place
for it,” a soft voice drawled.
Shocked that there was actually somebody speaking aloud to him, Reef let out a gasp as
he jerked his head in the direction of the source. A thin, blond male sat on a nearby rock.
Looking completely out of place on the beach, he wore white jeans and a matching button-up
shirt. Dark glasses covered his eyes and he styled his hair in fashionable spikes. All in all, he
reminded Reef of an actor out of one of those human entertainment magazines. He couldn’t even
count the number of times his sisters had bribed sea gulls to steal them from tourists. On one
particularly wintry day, the humans had even caught one bird stealing from a convenience store.
Reef’s middle sister, Seafire, had told him the humans had uploaded it on YouTube and it had
gotten thirty million hits. He still didn’t know what that meant. Seafire always knew the latest
lingo and Reef hadn’t wanted to look like an idiot for asking.
Reef curled his legs to one side in a feeble attempt at modesty. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Xanthi. Petra sent me to look out for you until she could come and not help
directly, but guide you a bit.” Xanthi made air quotes with his fingers during the last bit of his
statement, indicating that he was repeating the exact words tossed at him.
They were so confusing that Reef didn’t even bother trying to make sense of them.
Instead, he tilted his head to the side as he studied Xanthi. “Not to be rude, but what exactly are
you? I can tell you’re not human, but you don’t smell like anything else that I’ve ever come
across either.”
Xanthi let out a snort as he slid from the boulder. Wiping some specks of sand from his
otherwise pristine outfit, he responded, “That’s not surprising. It’s not every day you come
across a fairy who’s been stripped of their powers.”
“You mean you can’t work magic anymore?”
“Nope. I have nada in the way of abracadabra.”
Reef gawped. From what he’d heard, it wasn’t very often the fairy council actually took
away magic from one of their own. With their numbers dropping so drastically in the past few
centuries, the fairies didn’t like any of their own to be powerless and vulnerable. Whatever
Xanthi had done to warrant such a punishment must have been very, very bad.
As if reading Reef’s mind, Xanthi let out a dramatic sigh. “Okay, you know that Iceland
volcano that erupted in 2010? The one that interrupted travel for the humans and made their lives
hell?”
“You caused that?”
“No, worse. I was the one who named it.” Xanthi gave a slightly mischievous grin.
“But, why would you do that? If I recall correctly, hardly anybody could pronounce it.”
Now there was no missing the wicked glint in Xanthi’s expression. “Which made it so
much damn fun. It was such a kick listening to all the newscasters fumbling around with all those
vowels.”
Reef laughed. “That doesn’t sound too bad. So, why did it make the council so mad?”
The fairy paused for a moment. “Okay, so maybe I did have something to do with it
erupting, too.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I was trying to impress a satyr. I told him I could make the mountain go boom. He said I
didn’t have enough juice in me.” Xanthi gave a wide smile as he spread his hands out
dramatically. “Guess who won?”
“But then why did you tell me earlier that you didn’t cause it?”
Xanthi gave a fuck-it shrug. “What can I say? I’m a habitual liar.”
“Does Petra know this?”
And if so, then why in the hell did she trust you to help me?
“Yeah, but she’s one of the very few who actually thinks I have a good side, so she’s
always pestering me to help her save the world.”
“Do you two play hero very often?”
“Fins, you have no idea,” Xanthi deadpanned.
He grabbed a duffle bag from the boulder then tossed it at Reef. After he caught it, Reef
opened it, relieved to find that it contained clothes. He pulled them out and began to put them on.
“It’s not the most stylish, but it’s all I had time to steal. Petra didn’t exactly give me
much of a warning that I’d be going out to help some lost merman.”
Reef paused halfway through putting on his jeans as he wondered if Xanthi had indeed
lifted the duds. “You took these without paying for them?”
“Relax, Fins. I was just pulling your tail.”
“Will you stop calling me that?” Reef pulled on a red T-shirt in quick, jerking motions.
“What? Would you prefer Seaweed or Kelp?”
“I don’t want to be called anything like that. I’m supposed to be living a totally ocean
free life here.”
Reef sat back down and began to fumble with his shoes. Since he’d never worn them
before, he had no clue how to do them up. Xanthi let out a long, suffering sigh before he knelt
down and began to tie the laces.
“You could live on land for the next century and you wouldn’t be totally ocean free, kid,”
Xanthi declared.
“Why would you say that? I’m up-to-date on human current events and trends.”
Reef was, too. While he didn’t possess the magic his father did, he was able to use what
little he had to tap into the human media. Most nights, he fell asleep while watching either reality
TV or some movie. It was amazing how much you could see if you had an enchanted mirror
designed to pick up satellite television.
“You can only learn so much from the boob tube. Besides, you have this innocent, naïve
vibe that no human your age would ever have.”
Ouch, that kind of hurt. “Are you trying to tell me that I act like some stumbling idiot or
something? Because, if you are, that’s not fair. We just met.”
Xanthi finished tying Reef’s shoes, but made no move to stand. Instead, he met Reef’s
gaze. “No, I’m not saying that. I’m merely pointing out that you’re nowhere near as jaded as the
rest of the world. If the situation were any different, I’d be tempted to call the trait cute. Now, it
worries me a bit.”
“Why?” Reef demanded, even as his father’s dire prediction rang in his ears.
“Because if you don’t get Fisher to fall in love with you, not only could it mean the end
of Aria, but the rest of the worlds.”
Reef shook his head. “I’m sorry. No disrespect to Aria, but how can one kingdom affect
so many other places?”
The fairy’s eyes grew dark with worry, or perhaps fear. “You’ll find out soon enough.
Let’s get you back to my place first.”
They stood and Reef grabbed the bag his father had given him before he followed Xanthi
back to a car. The fairy gave a sheepish grin as he nodded to the vehicle. “I can only transport
small distances now, so I have to use this to get around.”
“I thought you didn’t have any magic left.”
Xanthi’s face clouded over. “They left me just enough to do little things like feed and
clothe myself and travel short distances. Any more than that and I get a backlash whammy that
knocks me out for days.”
A thrill of excitement went through Reef as he ran a hand over the cool, red metal
surface. “That’s okay, I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these.”
“Yeah, just wait until you take a trip with Petra. That woman is a menace when she gets
behind the wheel.”
“If she’s so bad then why are you friends with her?”
Xanthi laughed. “Because she doesn’t give a damn about what others think about her, and
she’s more fun than a barrel of garden gnomes.”
Reef smiled as he opened the passenger door and slid inside. Once there, he reached out
to touch the leather interior. Even after all he’d gone through in the past hour, it still felt so
surreal to be experiencing everything on land. After being so curious about humans and their
culture, it was almost like a dream come true.
Xanthi got in behind the wheel and turned on the car. “Buckle up. It won’t do any of us
good if I get into an accident and you die before you even speak to Fisher.”
Reef stared at Xanthi, trying to understand what he was talking about. Xanthi gave a Reef
an “are you kidding me” look. Reaching over, he pulled the seatbelt across Reef and clicked it
into place.
“Taking care of you is going to be a full-time job, isn’t it?” Xanthi asked.
“My sisters always told me as much,” Reef admitted.
“Petra so owes me for this. I was supposed to be going to the club tonight. Instead, I’m
babysitting a merman who has no clue about Earth or what his new life is going to be like. The
last thing I want to be doing with my weekend is playing Tom to your Daryl.”
Reef perked up. “Oh, I loved Splash. That was such a good movie.”
Xanthi studied him for a few moments, before shaking his head. “Yeah, now I’m positive
it’s going to be a full-time gig. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you before.”
Since Reef didn’t know if he’d been insulted or not, he kept his mouth shut. As they
drove away from the beach, he busied himself by drinking in the passing scenery.
While the colors in the ocean held their own beauty, land had a special appeal, too.
Everything seemed so stark and bright, plus there were all the buildings and cars. While Reef
knew the humans probably didn’t notice, since they saw them every day, he couldn’t help but
think that each skyscraper seemed like a work of art.
Soon Xanthi pulled into a parking garage adjacent to a tall building. After they’d parked,
he led the way inside to an elevator. As the doors slid closed, Reef experienced a bout of
claustrophobia. A soft whimper slipped past his lips as he nervously shuffled his feet. Xanthi
shot him a questioning look.
Reef shrugged. “Sorry, I just feel like I’m trapped in a huge metal box.”
Xanthi cocked a brow. “That’s because you are in a huge metal box.”
A bit peeved over the fairy’s continuous sarcastic comments, Reef opened his mouth to
fire off a comeback, but the door opened and interrupted him. Without sparing him a backward
glance, Xanthi walked out. Left with no other option, Reef followed.
As they made their way down the long, richly carpeted hallway, Reef marveled at how
strange it was to actually be walking. It felt so stiff and cumbersome compared to the smoothness
of swimming. He hoped that he could get used to it. The last thing he wanted was to trip and fall
or something equally embarrassing. Somehow, he didn’t think that would be the best way to
represent his kingdom.
Xanthi finally opened the door and led Reef into a lavishly furnished apartment. A large
window took up the entire back wall and Reef was drawn to it. Kicking off his shoes, he padded
across the room to look out at the skyline. Since it was night, the entire city was lit up—
everything sparkled.
“It’s so beautiful,” he breathed as he reached out and touched the cool glass.
Xanthi chuckled. “Yeah, wait until you have to deal with heavy traffic and rude people.
You’ll be begging to go home.”
Somehow Reef doubted that. Now that he was on land, there was so much he wanted to
see, to touch, to taste. He didn’t think he’d get tired of it any time soon. Sure, he was going to
miss his sisters and father, but he wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass by, either.
“Why don’t you take a shower while I scrounge up some more clothes for you?” Xanthi
offered.
Reef nodded. “When will we start looking for Fisher?”
“I already know where he is. The only challenge will be making sure you two meet.”
“When I saw him, he was with another man,” Reef said, finally putting voice to his
biggest fear.
“Trust me, doll. Once he gets a good gander at you, there’s no way any other guy will be
able to compete.”
A heat came over Reef’s cheeks as he stumbled around for a correct reply.
Xanthi smirked. “Don’t worry, I’m not coming on to you or anything. I’m just pointing
out a fact. No offense, but I prefer my guys to be a bit bigger and bossy. If they aren’t strong
enough to hold me down for a good spanking, then I don’t want anything to do with them.”
Those uncensored words only caused the heat to spread farther over Reef’s face. Growing
up in the strict confines of his father’s court, Reef hadn’t so much as kissed another man, let
alone played with kink.
“Yeah, Fisher is really going to love you. You look so cute when you’re shocked. A lot of
guys really go for the whole sweet, innocent thing,” Xanthi declared.
Reef hoped he was right because failure wasn’t an option. Not only was the future of the
kingdom on the line, but also his heart. Even though they’d yet to speak a word to each other,
Reef already knew that Fisher was the only guy who would ever make him happy.
Chapter Three
Reef looked around the restaurant and wondered why they were there. Tugging at the
shirt covering his chest, he followed Xanthi as they walked behind the hostess leading them to
their seats.
“Ooh, I want to sit there,” Reef exclaimed. On one side of the room, a huge aquarium
covered the entire wall.
The hostess gave him a wide smile. “You like fish?”
“Yes.” Some of his best friends were fish. Somehow, he didn’t think she needed that
information.
Xanthi shook his head but didn’t object to their table assignment.
Grinning, Reef sat next to the glass, watching as the fish floated by.
“Fisher has reservations here in ten minutes.” The fairy looked down at his phone.
“Will that stupid human be with him?” The idea of Fisher dating someone else made
Reef’s stomach turn. He wanted to keep the man to himself. This Jimmy didn’t deserve to
breathe the same air as Reef’s man.
“Relax, hon. One look at you and Jimmy will be history.”
Xanthi sounded so confident, Reef relaxed. Destiny was on his side, but there was the
added pressure of the fate of both worlds dependent on him getting Fisher to want him.
Reef played with his ring as he looked at the menu. Xanthi had given him a chain to put it
on since it kept sliding off his finger. Nerves made the list of food indecipherable.
Xanthi plucked the menu from his hand. “Why don’t I order for us?”
“Okay.” He didn’t know what half the stuff on the page was anyway.
“Do you have any food allergies?”
“What’s a food allergy?”
“Any food make you sick?”
“Shrimp.”
Xanthi set down the menu. “Shrimp makes you sick?”
Reef nodded. “I love shrimp, they have such fun personalities. Most people don’t realize
what good jokers they are. Just the thought of eating them makes me queasy.”
“Oh, okay.” The fairy looked as if he wanted to ask questions but something to the left of
Reef’s shoulder caught his attention. “Here he comes.”
Reef started to turn only to have Xanthi kick him.
“Ow!”
“Don’t look. You don’t want him to know you’re scoping him out. We just need to bring
you to his attention. Let’s order while I figure out a game plan.”
Reef ached to get another look at the man of his dreams, but he reluctantly realized the
fairy was right. He wanted to entice Fisher, not scare the crap out of the sexy man.
The waiter returned and Reef listened as Xanthi ordered something called pasta with
chicken.
“Head to the bathroom. You’ll pass right by his table,” Xanthi advised. “I want him to
see you.”
Reef’s hands shook as he set his napkin on the table. Everything rode on him catching the
prince’s attention. Standing, he headed toward the restroom.
Fisher looked over the menu as Jimmy nattered away about people they both knew and
what he’d done during the week. Jimmy worked as a consultant for the aquarium, advising them
about different habitats for sea creatures.
Deciding to get the salmon, Fisher set his menu to the side and looked up. Breath rushed
out of his lungs as a stunningly beautiful man approached. When sea-blue eyes flashed over to
him, Fisher felt a jolt of electricity that singed him to his toes. Turning his head, he watched the
man walk by, admiring the man’s ass as he passed.
A sharp kick to his shin jerked his attention back to Jimmy.
“Ouch.” Fisher stopped short at the stormy expression on Jimmy’s face. “Why did you
kick me?”
“I didn’t want you to embarrass yourself by leaving a puddle of drool for the waiter to
slip in.” Jimmy’s hard tone took Fisher aback.
“What? He’s gorgeous.”
“And what am I, chopped liver? I didn’t think you liked redheads.”
“I do if they look like that.” Fisher patted Jimmy’s hand. “You’re very attractive, dear.”
Jimmy smiled, but the dark look in his eyes didn’t lift. Luckily, the waiter came by and
they placed their orders.
Fisher almost pushed the redhead out of his thoughts when the man passed by again.
Watching the man’s ass, Fisher was startled when the redhead looked over his shoulder and gave
Fisher a come hither look.
It took all his restraint not to jump up and chase the other man.
“Down boy,” Jimmy said.
Fisher saw Jimmy’s mouth tighten at the corners, and his expression didn’t hold his usual
laid-back attitude.
Fisher shrugged. “There’s something about him.”
“I know we’re not soul mates, but could you stop staring at him like he’s a gazelle and
you’re a hungry lion?”
Fisher burst out laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called a lion before.”
“Well, you’re a lion in the bedroom.” Jimmy leered at him.
Fisher held back a sigh. He knew he and Jimmy were over, he’d realized it at the beach.
He’d thought Jimmy knew it, too.
“Jimmy…”
The waiter brought their drinks, interrupting him.
As soon as their server left, he tried again. “Jimmy.”
“Don’t, Fisher,” Jimmy implored. “I know things haven’t been good with us lately. I
know you were looking for a way to dump me.” Jimmy reached across the table and gripped
Fisher’s hand. “But I want to give us another try. We’re good friends, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
Jimmy might not be the love of Fisher’s life, but he was a friend.
“Then why can’t we continue to see each other? No strings, no pressure.”
Fisher’s eyes traveled to the table where the redhead sat with a slim, stylish blond.
Jealousy ate away at him as he wondered if the pair was a couple.
Jimmy sighed. “Let me guess. He’s sitting right behind me.”
“Yeah.” Fisher could hear the dreamy tone of his voice and shook his head. “Sorry.” He
might not be in love with Jimmy, but the man deserved his attention. Forcing himself to resist
peeking at the redhead, Fisher turned back to Jimmy and started discussing the new exhibit at the
aquarium.
“He’s with that guy from the beach,” Reef told Xanthi. He didn’t like this Jimmy who
watched Fisher as if he belonged to him.
Xanthi gave Reef a wide grin. “That guy’s not competition. He’s convenient. You didn’t
see Fisher’s face when you walked by. I thought he was going to jump up, tackle you to the
ground and give the entire restaurant a free show.”
Reef could feel the blush on his face. He didn’t have a lot of experience with other men.
Being the only boy child of a sea god tended to scare off potential mates, since they either didn’t
want to deal with Reef’s sisters or his dad. As soon as they found out who Reef was, he never
saw their fins again.
To say Reef needed to have sex was like saying a fish needed water, desperately.
“He better not get in my way.” Reef might not be the most powerful merman in the sea,
but he wasn’t a wimp, either. If he needed to, he would fight for his man. The fate of two worlds
depended on him getting into Fisher’s extremely well-tailored pants and nothing was going to
stop him from his goal.
“Take it easy.” Xanthi’s hand came over to pat his on the table. “I don’t think you need to
take out the competition quite yet. From what I can tell, they’re going to break up on their own. I
don’t think Fisher is into the guy he’s with.”
“He damn well better not be into him.”
The idea of Fisher letting the other man touch him sent a wave of fury through Reef.
The fish tank started to bubble beside him. It took several minutes before he was able to
calm himself down and eat the delicious looking food before him.
He ruthlessly stabbed a piece of the pasta the waiter had delivered while he was in the
restroom and took a bite.
“Mmm, this is good.”
Xanthi gave him a wide grin. “I thought you’d like it. Now we need to figure out your
next step.”
Reef took another bite and swallowed. “Well, I can’t keep running into him. That would
look too suspicious. I don’t want him to think I’m a stalker.”
“You are a stalker,” Xanthi said.
“It doesn’t mean I want him to know.”
They spent the rest of the meal running through impossible scenarios where Reef would
run into Fisher. In the end, none of their plans were needed.
At the entrance to the restaurant, Reef stopped to look at the clown fish in the tank.
“I’ll go get the car while you enjoy the fish. Besides, you’re still getting used to your
legs. I don’t want to tire you out too much.”
Reef heard the amusement in the fairy’s voice, but he didn’t look away from the tank as
he nodded.
“How are you doing, little guy?” he asked the small orange fish that swam before him.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear the fish talk through the glass. He put his ear to it to see if he
could hear better.
“I don’t think they actually talk back,” a familiar voice spoke behind him.
Jumping at the sound of someone so close, Reef spun around to see Fisher watching him
with amused gray eyes.
“Um, are you sure? I could’ve sworn the little orange fish said there was a gorgeous man
behind me.” To Reef’s utter delight, Fisher blushed.
“Are you sure it wasn’t talking about you?” Fisher gave him a sweet smile. “You are
stunning, and I was hoping you would be interested in going out with me sometime.”
“Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, I’d love to go out with you.” Reef smiled at Fisher and accepted
the card handed over to him.
“Here’s my number. Call me.” Fisher leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Reef’s
cheek, squeezing his shoulder before walking away.
Reef followed the man’s path out the door as he slid the card into his pocket. He
wondered if it was too soon to borrow Xanthi’s phone and call.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Reef turned to see Jimmy glaring at him with a hateful expression on his face.
“Don’t think about what?” Reef flashed Jimmy an innocent look just to see if that
throbbing vein in the other man’s forehead would pop.
“Calling Fisher. I don’t care if he’s infatuated with you or not, he’s mine.”
Reef let a satisfied smile cross his lips. “I don’t think he sees it that way.”
Turning his back on Jimmy he walked over to the car as Xanthi pulled up.
Reef’s arm was grabbed in a tight hold.
“Don’t make me break your pretty face.”
Focusing his energy, Reef sent a jolt of electricity across his skin.
“Fuck!” Jimmy jerked, letting go of Reef’s arm. “What the hell was that?”
“That was my warning.” Reef dropped his innocent look. “Don’t stand in the way. Fisher
will be mine.”
With those parting words, Reef walked away. This time, Jimmy didn’t grab him. He
never thought that trick the eels had taught him would come in so handy.
Smiling, he slid into the car beside Xanthi.
“Fisher gave me his card, and Jimmy warned me away.”
Xanthi laughed. “Not bad for your first day as a human.”
Reef smiled. No, it wasn’t a bad day at all. Memories of Fisher’s gorgeous gray eyes
followed him back to Xanthi’s place.
Chapter Four
The sound of Britney Spears invaded Fisher’s sleep. Annoyed, he almost yelled at the
blonde pop goddess to shut the hell up until he realized it was his cell phone going off.
Now who in the hell would be calling him this early? All of his brothers and co-workers
knew he was not a morning person. In fact, it was a well-documented fact that he couldn’t
function until he had at least two cups of coffee under his belt. So, they sure as hell shouldn’t be
ringing him up at…oh, god…six in the morning, at least not on his day off.
Blindly grabbing for the phone, he snagged it off his nightstand and squinted at the screen
to see who it was. He blinked in surprise as he read and re-read the name above the incoming
number, Xanthi the Fan-fucking-tabulous.
Seriously, this had to be one of Dack’s practical jokes. There could be no other
explanation. He was the only person that Fisher knew who possessed such a fucked up sense of
humor. His only question was how his brother was able to phone him from Aria.
“The castle better be on fire,” he grunted by way of greeting.
A long, heavy pause followed his words. Now angry instead of just annoyed, Fisher
rolled his eyes. “I swear to god, Dack, I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t stop pulling this
kind of crap.”
“Who’s Dack? He’s not another one of your admirers, is he?”
Fisher frowned. The voice sounded maddeningly familiar, yet try as he might, he couldn’t
figure it out. “Who is this?”
“It’s Reef. We met last night at the restaurant.”
Fisher bolted upright in the bed, his heart surging with excitement. “I’m so sorry. I
thought you were my little brother. He loves to play practical jokes.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t mean to wake you up or anything.” The small, timid edge to
Reef’s voice tugged at Fisher’s heart.
Fisher thought back to those beautiful eyes and tight ass and instantly became awake.
While Fisher had hoped the cute guy would call him, he’d never imagined that it would be so
soon or so early for that matter. Not that Fisher gave a damn. He’d get up at four if it meant he’d
get a chance to talk to the handsome man.
“No, you’re fine. I’m glad you called,” Fisher assured him.
“Really? Xanthi said I should wait at least a day, otherwise I’d come across as
desperate.”
“Who’s Xanthi?”
“My…er, friend. He was with me at the restaurant.”
The hesitant way Reef put that sent a burst of jealousy through Fisher.
“So, you’re sure you’re just friends and there’s nothing more going on between you?”
Reef laughed, the sound so soft and musical it made goose bumps rise on Fisher’s arms.
“No, we’re not any closer than that. Xanthi may be nice and all, but he’s not really my
type. I like my guys to be a bit saner.”
“So, I don’t need to worry about him stealing you away?”
“No. How about you? That guy you were with seemed pretty possessive.”
“You mean Jimmy?”
“If he’s the blond with the ugly shoes and nasty looking shirt.”
Fisher smiled, warmed to hear that he wasn’t the only one feeling the jealous bug. “It’s
not serious between us. It never has been.”
Reef made a soft scoffing noise. “I don’t know. It looked like he was pretty serious about
you.”
“Maybe, but that still doesn’t mean I feel the same way about him.” Especially, given the
strong pull Fisher felt toward Reef.
He knew then that there would be no way he could ever see Jimmy again, even just as
friends. It wouldn’t be right for Fisher to continue to pretend they could have a casual
relationship anymore, because he realized his heart just wasn’t in it. Not only that, but he also
felt as if it would be cheating on Reef, which was crazy because they’d just met.
“So, since you’re calling, does that mean you’ll agree to go out with me?” Fisher
ventured.
“Sure, I’d like that.”
Fisher smiled to himself, feeling as if he’d just been given the best gift ever. “How about
I pick you up around three today? We can go enjoy the boardwalk and have dinner.”
“Okay. Just no seafood. It’ll make me homesick.”
“Did you live by the beach?”
If that was the case then Fisher wondered how an entrée could make Reef miss home,
whereas living in a city by the ocean didn’t. The man was odd, but for some reason that only
made him all the more endearing. As if he were some cute, little package that needed to be
unwrapped so he could be studied better.
“Something like that,” Reef replied vaguely.
“Then I’ll take you to a steak house. Would that be better?”
“Much. I’m not friends with any cows, so I won’t have any problems eating them.”
Fisher shook his head in confusion. Yeah, Reef was definitely one of a kind.
“Make sure you don’t get friendly with strawberries or whipped cream either, because
those are on the menu tonight, too.”
“Kinky!” Reef exclaimed.
Now it was Fisher who laughed. “While that idea has some merit, I was talking about
taking you to this little ice cream parlor my buddy owns.”
What Fisher didn’t add was said friend happened to be an old friend from Aria. Somehow
he didn’t think the first date would be the best time to lay out the whole Hey, I’m a prince from a
different land story.
“I’ve always wanted to try ice cream.”
“You’ve never had ice cream?”
Had Reef grown up in some kind of secular cult or something? That would explain some
of his off-the-wall comments. Fisher almost asked him, but held back. If he was going to hide his
history, then how could he begrudge Reef the same thing?
“No, there’s a lot of things I haven’t done,” Reef hedged, once again showing a slightly
shy side of himself. “Hopefully, you can show them all to me.”
That suggestion went straight to Fisher’s cock as he imagined all the things he’d love to
teach the blue-eyed hottie, most of them involving between-the-sheet activity.
Fisher swallowed a few times as he struggled to get his wits back. “I can’t wait to get
started.”
“Me, either.”
They talked for a few more minutes, so Reef could give Fisher his address. After they
hung up, Fisher held the phone a bit longer as he replayed the exchange in his head. While it’d
taken a few bizarre turns, he had to admit that it’d been one of the best conversations he’d had in
a while.
With so many others, Jimmy included, Fisher had felt as if they’d just been putting a
front on to impress him. When he’d lived at Aria, it’d been because he was royalty. Now that he
was on Earth, it still continued. Only this time, it was because he was so well respected in his
job.
It hadn’t felt that way with Reef. Fisher had a feeling that, were he rich or poor, it
wouldn’t make a bit of difference to Reef. Fisher smiled. He didn’t think Reef would ever prove
to be boring, either. A visual came to Fisher of the other man pressing his face against the tank as
he talked to the fish. It’d somehow managed to look cute, but sexy as hell, too. If anybody could
manage to pull off aw-shucks sweetness and come-hither sensuality, it was that guy.
Fisher tossed the phone on the bed and relaxed back down. Normally, he’d go right back
to sleep. Now, he knew he couldn’t. All he could do was think about Reef and their date. Three
couldn’t get there soon enough.
* * * *
Reef tiptoed into the large master bedroom and made his way to the bed—actually, huge
monstrosity would be a better word. Round, covered in several pounds of red fabric and larger
than some of the islands in his father’s kingdom, it all seemed a bit of overkill in Reef’s opinion.
To add insult to his already overloaded eyes, there were what had to be one hundred throw
pillows of different sizes and dark colors scattered all over the place. Even worse, the whole
thing was surrounded by red brocade curtains that had deep yellow tassels on them. Still, if
Xanthi liked it, who was he to judge?
Reef peered down at the small lump in the middle of the mattress. A lock of blond hair
poked from the top, but otherwise it didn’t look as if there was a person under all that brocade,
satin and silk.
Reef still gave it a timid nudge. “Xanthi.”
The bump rolled, let out a grumbling sound then fell silent. Reef gave a sigh. How come
nothing could ever be easy?
He tried again, “Xanthi.”
The fairy finally flipped back the covers but just enough to expose the top of his face.
One lid cracked open to shoot a murderous glare at Reef. “Is the house on fire?”
Confused, Reef sniffed, testing the air for the telltale scent of smoke. “No.”
“Is there a serial killer chasing you around with a dull blade?”
Reef looked behind him, almost expecting to see some menacing murderer wielding a
butter knife. “It’s just you and me here.”
“Are you bleeding to death?”
“Of course not.”
“Choking on your bran flakes?”
“That could never happen. I don’t like that cereal. Or, at least, I don’t think I do. I’ve
never technically tried it, but in the commercials it always looks so bland. It kind of reminds me
of the dried kelp my grandmother used to chomp on all the time. Then, when she lost all her
teeth—”
Xanthi cut him off with a snarl. Sitting up, the fairy turned all his fury on Reef. “Fins,
you have a real problem keeping on topic.”
“Funny, I was just about to say the same to you. I came in here to tell you something, and
you started talking about fire, murder and mayhem.”
“Gods, Petra so owes me for this one.” Xanthi ran a hand through his already tousled
hair.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Reef deadpanned.
Xanthi froze as he stared for a few moments. Just when Reef felt certain he’d insulted the
fairy, Xanthi’s lips curled into a smile.
“Look at you with the sarcasm. My little Fins is getting some spunk. I love it.”
“So, does that mean we can talk about something? I didn’t come in here to yap about
your personal likes and dislikes.”
“Fine.” Xanthi patted the bed. “Sit down and tell me everything.”
Reef clambered on the bed and found a comfortable position. “I called Fisher.”
Xanthi’s eyes grew wide as he glanced at the Betty Boop alarm clock on his nightstand.
“You phoned the guy at six in the morning?”
Reef nodded.
“Are you crazy?”
Reef pretended to think that one over. “I don’t think so. Although my sister Morningstar
used to say that I belonged in a sponge-walled room.”
“Why in the hell would you call him at six?”
“Because I thought four would make me look too desperate.”
“I’m beginning to think that maybe your sister had a point.”
“Aren’t you even going to ask how it went with Fisher?” Reef demanded.
“Fine. How did it go with Fisher?”
Reef bounced excitedly on the bed. “We’re going out at three today.”
“So, where is he taking you?”
“To the boardwalk and then out to dinner.”
Xanthi threw his hands up in exasperation. “Wow, and here I thought a prince would
think of something…well…better.”
Reef frowned, not liking that Xanthi was insulting Fisher. “We’re getting ice cream, too.”
“Oooooooh…that’s so romantic. Audrey Hepburn would have been beside herself.”
“Are you always this mean?”
“No, usually I’m a downright terror. I’m only going to get worse today, too, because now
I can’t go back to bed.”
“Why not?”
“We only have a few hours to get you ready.”
“For what?”
Xanthi rolled his eyes. “Your date.”
“But that’s not until three. I have plenty of time.”
“Trust me, you’re going to need all the help you can get. You’re nowhere near prepared
for this.”
Reef looked down at himself. Sure, his red tee and jeans may be on the plain side, but
Xanthi had been the one who’d bought them in the first place. “What’s wrong with the way I
look now?”
Xanthi gave him a pointed up and down look. “First, we need to do something with your
hair. I wanted to get it cut last night, but there was no time. There is no way I’m letting you meet
him twice while sporting that outdated style.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” Reef brought a hand up to his head. “My sister just cut it.”
“That’s exactly my point. You need a major update.”
Reef wasn’t so sure of that. After all, Fisher had seemed interested enough last night
when Reef was just his old self. Still, maybe he should listen to Xanthi. While odd, the fairy did
seem to know what he was talking about.
“Okay, I guess we can go get my hair cut,” he conceded.
Xanthi got out of the bed and began moving around, opening and closing drawers. “We
need to pick you up a new outfit, too.”
“But you already bought me a ton of clothes.”
“Yeah, but none of them are good for a date on the boardwalk. Come on. Let’s get
moving. We only have so much time, and there’s so much to do.”
After giving that parting order, Xanthi went into the bathroom and slammed the door
closed. Reef sat there for a while, wondering just how his day was going to go. If it went
anything like his morning had, then it was going to be one that he’d never forget.
Chapter Five
Reef looked in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize himself. His hair was cut in tidy
layers, shorter than he’d ever had before and, brushing a hand down his stomach, he enjoyed the
sensation of the soft, woven shirt Xanthi had picked out. The dark blue brought out the sea blue
of his eyes and the expensive denim pants hugged his ass. He turned to check out his butt.
“You don’t think I’m too obvious?”
Xanthi smacked Reef’s behind. “We like obvious. You need him to want a piece of you if
you’re going to bond. The two of you are fated mates but sometimes fate needs a little push.”
Reef examined his reflection again. “If this isn’t enough of a push then I’m not his type.”
“Honey, in that outfit, you’re everyone’s type.”
The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Porpoises cavorted in Reef’s stomach
as nerves took over. He watched Xanthi head out of the room. Giving his hair and clothes one
last look, he slowly followed the fairy, not wanting to look too eager.
When Xanthi opened the door and Reef caught sight of Fisher, Reef’s heart did a triple
flip.
Damn, the man made him hard.
Fisher looked over Xanthi’s shoulder, and a wide smile crossed his handsome face.
The fairy turned and winked at Reef. Stepping back, he let Reef pass.
Fisher’s gray eyes raked him up and down. “You look amazing.”
Reef could feel a blush staining his cheeks. “You look great, too.”
Fisher was dressed in clothes similar to Reef who let out a sigh of relief. He gave Xanthi
a quick sideways hug as he passed. “You did good,” he whispered in the fairy’s ear.
“All part of the service.” Xanthi kissed Reef on the cheek before turning and leaving
them alone.
“Ready?”
Reef nodded. “Yeah.”
To Reef’s surprise, Fisher held out his hand for him to take. Smiling, Reef took his date’s
hand and entwined their fingers. A flush of excitement spiked through him at the bare touch of
skin against skin. Reef bit his lip to hold back his moan. He’d never held hands with someone
before. It was sexier than he’d expected.
Fisher led him to a cute silver car with no top.
He stared at it in confusion. “Where’s the rest of it?”
Fisher laughed. “It’s a convertible.” He pointed to a black pile of canvas on the back.
“The roof folds down.”
“Huh.” Reef looked at the car with interest. “And it’s safe?”
Fisher placed a soft kiss on Reef’s cheek. “I wouldn’t let you ride in anything unsafe.”
A weight rolled off of Reef’s chest at Fisher’s words. It sounded as if the prince was
already fond of him. “Thanks.”
Fisher opened the door for Reef and made sure he was settled before shutting it behind
him. Reef knew he smiled like an idiot, but Fisher made him feel wanted.
The drive to the boardwalk was short and didn’t leave much time for conversation. What
could he talk about anyway? That he used to be a merman? That Fisher needed to accept him as
his fated mate? That if they didn’t bond, the fate of two worlds could be impacted? No, he
needed a better plan of action. Damn, he should’ve talked to Xanthi about those types of issues
instead of what size jeans he wore.
Fisher tucked the car neatly into a parking space. Before Reef could move, the prince had
shut off the engine and came around to open his door.
“Thanks.”
Fisher gave him a quick kiss before taking his arm and escorting him to the steps leading
to a restaurant with a neon sign announcing steaks.
“I thought we’d go casual tonight,” Fisher said with a charming smile.
“That sounds wonderful.” He didn’t really care what they ate as long as it brought that
smile to Fisher’s face.
In a matter of minutes, they were seated by the hostess and looking over their menus.
Reef selected a small steak. He was too nervous to eat much. Just being this close to Fisher made
him feel bubbly inside.
Fisher watched Reef instead of glancing at his menu. The other man had looked gorgeous
the other day but with his new haircut and clothes, he looked even hotter. Fisher doubted he’d be
able to eat much, not with his stomach in knots. Although they’d just met, Fisher desperately
wanted to coax the lovely creature into his bed.
They ordered their food and waited until the waiter left before speaking.
“Where did you grow up?” Fisher asked. He wanted to know everything about the
adorable man sitting across from him.
Despite the innocence of the question, Reef jolted as if Fisher had asked something
invasive.
Reef fiddled with the straw in his water. “Umm, on a small island.”
“Really?” How fascinating! The man before him was full of surprises. Unfortunately that
appeared to be all Reef wanted to share with him. “Okay, how did you end up with Xanthi?” As
much as he wanted to believe the two men weren’t involved, it struck him as strange that they
lived together. They might be roommates but they looked pretty close. Of course, if they were
romantically inclined, Xanthi was really open-minded about his lover dating someone else.
“I met him one day when I was on the beach. He heard I needed a place to stay and
offered a room at his place.”
“Wow! That was very generous.”
Reef pushed at some ice with his straw. “Yes, it was, wasn’t it?”
Fisher found himself the receiver of a piercing stare.
“And what about you? Where did you grow up?”
Fisher shrugged. “My family is very wealthy. I grew up on an estate.”
“And now you just live off your family’s money or do you have a real job?”
Fisher scowled at his dining companion. “I’m a marine biologist. I pay my own way.”
He got a blinding smile. “I’m glad. I don’t like people who don’t try to do anything for
themselves and just live off of their parents.”
“What do you do?”
Reef smiled. “I’m one of those people living off their parents. I’m currently trying to
decide on a career.”
Fisher looked Reef over. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
Fisher relaxed. For a moment, he’d worried his date was younger than he looked. Reef
was young but not so young he was jailbait.
“What are you interested in?”
“The ocean. The life there, the inhabitants.”
Fisher smiled. “Then we have a lot of things in common.”
“I guess we do.”
The men exchanged smiles.
Fisher was still smiling when the waiter brought out their food. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the waiter said, his gaze focused on Reef.
Fisher’s smile faded when the waiter gave Reef an inappropriate leer.
“Is there anything else I can get you gentlemen?” The waiter looked at Reef. “Anything
at all?”
“Your absence,” Fisher growled.
The waiter gave a nod before giving a wistful look at Reef and walking away.
“Sorry.” Reef gave him an apologetic smile.
Fisher patted his hand on the table. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you encouraged
him.”
As he ate, he watched Reef staring at him as if studying how he held his knife and fork.
Deciding he was imaging it, he chattered away about his work and the sea life he encountered as
they ate their meal. Their conversation proved Reef was surprisingly knowledgeable about the
creatures of the ocean.
“If you want to pursue a degree in oceanography, you would be a great candidate,” Fisher
said.
Reef gave him a sunny smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They declined dessert. Reef patted his flat stomach drawing Fisher’s eyes to his sexy,
lean form.
“I’m so full,” Reef said. “It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.”
“You’re very welcome.” Fisher would feed the man every day if it got him that sweet
smile. It should be his job to take care of Reef, not Xanthi’s. He shook his head at his oddly
protective behavior. Reef wasn’t a puppy that had followed him home. He was a full-grown man
looking to stand on his own feet.
Still, he couldn’t resist. “Come home with me?”
Reef nodded. “I’d love to.”
Fisher got the feeling Reef really meant those words. Fisher smiled so wide his cheeks
hurt. He quickly signed the payment slip and rushed to help Reef to his feet.
He couldn’t wait to take the man to his home.
It took them twenty minutes to get to Fisher’s house. It wasn’t extravagant, but a solid,
older home that was within a few blocks of the water. The one requirement he couldn’t do
without. Fisher opened the door, holding his breath for Reef’s reaction. Jimmy had always hated
it.
“Wow, now that’s a fish tank.” Reef’s excited tone made him smile.
Fisher closed and locked the door before tossing his keys on the entryway table. There
was no way he was going anywhere before tomorrow. “You don’t have any place to go
tomorrow, do you?”
Reef looked over his shoulder from where he stood beside the wall-sized tank. “No, I
have no plans.”
“Excellent, then you won’t mind spending the night.”
Reef’s eyes glowed with a blue fire. “Can I borrow your phone to call Xanthi? I don’t
want to have him worry.”
“Of course.” He pulled the phone out of his pocket and handed it over. “I have his
number memorized under number three.”
Reef gave him a playful look. “Who are one and two?”
“My brothers.”
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Five brothers and one sister. What about you?”
Reef frowned. “Sometimes it feels like there’s dozens.”
Fisher openly watched Reef as he dialed the phone and talked to Xanthi. Reef gave him a
wide smile as he spoke.
“I’m going to be over at Fisher’s. Don’t wait up,” he said into the phone.
He didn’t know what Xanthi said on the line but Reef blushed a bright red. “We’ll see. I
just didn’t want you to worry.”
There was silence as Reef listened to whatever the other man said while turning the color
of a fire engine.
“Um, okay. Bye.”
Reef disconnected and handed the phone back. “He said hi.”
Fisher laughed. He was willing to bet Xanthi said a lot more than that.
Fisher would’ve asked Reef more about his family, but the sexy man pulled off his shirt
and tossed it to the floor, distracting Fisher.
Oh yum!
Clothing didn’t do justice to the six-pack lurking beneath the surface. “You look even
better without your clothes.” A ring dangled from a silver chain around his neck.
Reef gave him an alluring look from beneath his lashes. “I hope I’m not the only one
getting naked.”
Fisher could ask about the ring later. Right now, he had more important issues to
concentrate on. “Oh, no, definitely not.”
Keeping his eyes locked on Reef, Fisher unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall off his arms.
Reef’s eyes heated up as he came closer. With a soft touch, he brushed his fingers across
Fisher’s chest. Fisher pressed Reef’s hand tighter against his body. “I won’t break, love, you can
touch harder.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.” Reef wiggled his fingers for freedom.
“You won’t.” At least not with his fingers. Fisher hoped Reef wouldn’t trample his heart.
There was something about the other man that made him want to wrap Reef in his arms and
never let go. That wasn’t unreasonable, was it?
As he was thinking of deeper connections, Reef sank to his knees and speedily
unbuttoned and unzipped Fisher’s pants.
“Sneaky.”
“Yep.”
Pulling down Fisher’s pants and underwear in one combined yank, he smiled as Fisher’s
cock bounced out to greet him.
“Very nice,” Reef commented before closing his mouth on the head.
“Oh, yes.” Unable to resist, Fisher plunged his fingers into Reef’s hair, careful to caress
and not yank. He forced himself to resist the impulse to shove his cock deeper into that amazing
mouth. Reef didn’t have the sucking skill of a man with a lot of experience, but Fisher couldn’t
say he didn’t give it his best.
“Right there, honey.” Fisher made reassuring noises. “Oh, wait, wait.” He slowly pulled
the man away.
Confused blue eyes fogged with lust looked up at him. “What?”
“If you want me to fuck you, you have to stop now.”
“Oh.” Reef gave him a wide smile. “Okay.”
“Take off your pants.”
Fisher smiled at the speed with which Reef complied. Soon, he was stark naked and
standing before Fisher with an uncertain expression on his face.
Looking at the man before him, Fisher knew he must’ve been a very good boy in a
previous life because Reef was a divine gift. Lean with a swimmer’s build and an impressive six
pack, Fisher wanted to lick the other man from head to toe.
“Very nice.” He smiled as he wrapped his hand around Reef’s wrist. “Come to bed with
me.”
Reef didn’t raise any objections as Fisher dragged him down the hall and into his large
bedroom.
Climbing onto the huge king bed, he pulled Reef after him until the young man lay on
top. Taking a deep breath, Fisher jerked back in surprise. Reef smelled salty like the sea.
“Something wrong?” Reef frowned down at him with concern in his eyes.
“No. Everything is right. You smell like the sea. It’s my favorite scent.”
Reef gave him a wide smile. “It must be my new cologne.”
Before Fisher could ask what cologne Reef wore, he leaned down and kissed Fisher on
the lips.
“Mmm.” Fisher slid his fingers into Reef’s hair to keep him still. Reef tasted slightly of
pre-cum but mostly just of Reef’s delightful flavor.
Reef pulled away just enough that his lips left Fisher who gave a soft sound of protest.
“Make love to me.”
How could he deny this beautiful man anything?
He flipped them over until Reef was below him. Fisher rubbed their bodies together for a
brief moment before reaching toward his side table. Pulling out the top drawer, he removed a
condom and lube before slamming it shut.
Looking down, he saw anxiety in Reef’s eyes. “Have you ever done this before?”
Reef shook his head.
A wave of possessiveness swept through him. Even though they’d just met, he felt a
sense of ownership toward the other man. Leaning back on his heels, he gave Reef a wicked
smile.
“Turn over.”
Reef quickly flipped onto his hands and knees. Looking over his shoulder, he wiggled his
butt at Fisher.
Fisher slapped him on the ass. “Behave.”
“Ooh, do that again.”
Laughing, Fisher smacked Reef again.
“You’re a nut,” he said when Reef moaned and shook his behind at Fisher.
“But I’m your nut,” Reef said. His voice was joking but the eyes looking over one
muscled shoulder were dead serious.
“Yes, you are,” Fisher agreed. The people of Aria weren’t known for long courtships.
Often, the timeframe from meeting their permanent partner to marriage generally lasted between
two days and two months. Fisher had a feeling Reef was the one fated to be his.
With a loud snap, he opened the small plastic bottle of lube. Tipping the container, he
covered his first two fingers with the clear liquid.
“Just relax, we’re going to take this very slow.”
“Not too slow. I’m ready now.”
“You’re ready when I say you are.” He wasn’t going to rush this and ruin Reef’s first
time. With gentle care, he circled Reef’s tight bud of a hole. “Relax,” he whispered.
“I’m trying.”
A fine trembling shook Reef’s
frame.
Fisher stroked Reef’s back with one hand while he pushed in a finger with the other.
“Ouch.”
“Breathe, honey.”
The air filled with the sounds of Reef’s deep breathing. Fisher continued to touch Reef,
calming the man with his hands and mouth.
“I’m not going to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. Are you sure you want to do
this?”
“Yes!” Reef’s answer was fierce. As if to prove his point, he pushed into Fisher’s finger,
impaling himself as he moved back and forth.
“Easy.” Fisher slowly pressed in another finger. He poured more lube across his hand,
not caring if it got on the sheets. He’d wash them later. Nothing was more important than Reef’s
comfort.
When he’d finally loosened Reef up enough that the other man easily moved on his
fingers, he spread them slightly and crooked them.
“Oh, fuck. What was that?”
Fisher smiled. He’d found it.
“Your magic button,” he teased. He slid out his fingers to Reef’s cry of disappointment.
“Don’t worry, I have something better.”
Sliding on the condom, he coated it with even more lube before lining himself up to
Reef’s hole and slowly pushing inside.
“Oh,” Reef said.
Fisher rubbed his lover’s back to soothe him. After a few minutes of staying still, Reef
relaxed. Fisher moved his hands to grip Reef’s hips and continued inside with care.
Once entirely seated, he paused, waiting for Reef to adjust.
“Move!”
Laughing, Fisher pulled out only to push back in.
“Yes. Fuck me.”
Although he wanted nothing more than to slam into his lover, he didn’t want Reef to be
too sore tomorrow. With controlled power, Fisher pumped in and out. The soft sounds of the
younger man were like music to his ears.
Leaning forward, he was pleased to feel Reef was hard. Wrapping his fingers around
Reef’s length, Fisher fucked him harder.
“Yes, give it to me!” Reef shouted.
Fisher pumped Reef’s cock, wanting his lover to come before him.
With a cry, he felt Reef pulse and splatter against the sheets. Reef’s ass clenched around
him, yanking him into orgasm.
Sighing, he collapsed on Reef’s sweaty back. Sliding out, he quickly tied off the condom
and dumped it in the nearby trashcan.
Reef stretched like a satisfied cat, draping himself over Fisher. “You were wonderful.
Thank you.”
Amused, Fisher pulled him into a soft kiss. “You're welcome, any time.”
He was surprised to realize he meant that. Any time at all. With a happy smile, he
snuggled his new lover and fell asleep.
Pain radiating through Fisher’s body woke him. He must’ve caught something. His
stomach hurt, his legs and arms ached. Looking down at the sleeping man, Fisher carefully
extricated himself from his lover’s arms.
For some reason, the balcony called to him, the sky pulling at him making him want to
fly.
Fly?
When had he wanted to fly?
Still entranced with the sky, he opened the patio doors. Pain knifed through him. With a
shout, he fell to the cement, collapsing on the hard surface.
Looking down, he gasped at the glowing light covering his legs. As he wondered what
had caused it, the world grew larger around him. The balcony walls got taller, the doors became
bigger and his feet caused him to stumble.
He gave a cry that came out as a weird sound he didn’t recognize. He couldn’t speak.
Jumping to the ledge, he hopped to the top of the railing. Water, he needed water.
He would go find some. With a spread of wings, Fisher jumped off the ledge and flew.
Chapter Six
Reef woke up, smiling as he gave a lazy stretch. Then as the sleep haze slowly lifted from
his brain, he realized that he no longer felt the warmth of Fisher’s hard body pressing against his
back.
Now frowning, Reef rolled over, his hand immediately going to the space that had, not so
long ago, been occupied by his lover. The sheets felt cold under Reef’s touch. What’s more, the
house seemed eerily quiet.
Reef still called out, “Fisher!”
When no answer came, the all-to-familiar sense of unease hit Reef. Could it be possible
he’d been a disappointment to Fisher? Maybe since he was older and more experienced, Fisher
didn’t want to waste his time on some sappy virgin. This could be his way of ditching Reef,
without so much as a “goodbye”.
Just as quickly as that thought came to him, Reef dismissed it. While he may not be that
hip to human culture, he did know that when somebody ran out on somebody, they didn’t do the
running from their own house. If Fisher really didn’t like Reef, then there is no way he would
have been left alone in the house, especially since they’d just met. Reef could be a vandal, thief,
or worse, he could be a fish killer and do in all the inhabitants in Fisher’s aquarium. Not that
Reef would ever do any of those things, but Fisher didn’t know that.
Reef got out of bed then pulled on his jeans, leaving the rest of his clothing on the floor.
He crept out to the hallway, his confusion growing when he found no sign of the other man.
“Fisher? Are you here?”
He walked into the living room and paused in front of the aquarium. Nibbling on his
bottom lip, he debated what he should do. Damn, why did everything have to be so complicated?
He almost longed for the old, carefree times back home.
“But then I wouldn’t have Fisher. Not only is my father counting on me to bond with the
prince, but I really do like Fisher. If I went home, I’d never see him again.”
Reef realized he was speaking aloud to himself and rolled his eyes. Great, things just kept
getting better. Now he was losing his mind. If he kept this up, they’d throw him in a sponge-
walled room along with his crazy aunt, Naggie.
He glanced at the tank, slightly amused to find a large portion of the fish had swum to the
corner he was closest to. Their little fish faces were all turned in his direction, and they seemed
to be listening to what he was saying.
He arched a brow at them. “I don’t suppose you happen to know where Fisher is?”
Reef could have sworn a few of them shrugged their shoulders at him. While he would
have loved to have really asked them that would require him to be in the water. Plus, he doubted
that now he was human, he still had the ability. One of the things he recalled the most from his
painful transformation had been the detached feeling he had from the ocean. It was almost as if a
piece of himself were now missing, and he didn’t know for sure if he’d ever get it back.
Wandering back to the bedroom, he noticed the patio doors were wide open. In his worry
over Fisher, Reef had completely overlooked that fact earlier. He wondered if maybe Fisher had
stepped out for some fresh air or something.
As soon as Reef walked through the doors, his stomach curdled. The thick, acrid stench
of black magic hung like a veil in the air. Oh boy, things just kept getting worse and worse. Reef
took a few more steps, his heart pounding with fear as a cold sweat broke out over his body.
While he may have lost his fins and the ability to speak with marine life, it looked as if he still
had the ability to detect magic. That gift was telling him to run the hell away, too.
While Reef wanted nothing more than to give in to that urge, he knew he had to find
Fisher. So, he forced himself to walk all the way onto the patio. The rough cement scraped his
bare feet, but he hardly felt it, too scared to worry about something as silly as pain.
“Fisher?” This time the word came out a near whisper, the “r” warbling just a bit.
This was not good at all. Reef knew it wasn’t just a coincidence that the scent of black
magic was connected with a member of the Aria Royal Family. Somebody knew who Fisher
was, and they’d attacked him somehow.
Now Reef had to figure out what they’d done and where Fisher had gone. That should be
easy, peasy. No sweat. A piece of cake. Yeah, right and maybe then Reef would grow a dorsal
fin and become a shark because there was a better chance of the latter happening before Reef
managed to figure this mystery out.
He spotted a single white feather on the ground by his feet. Picking it up, he twirled it
slightly in his fingers as he carefully studied it. Bringing it to his nose, his chest grew tight when
he detected not only the scent of the dark magic, but also that of Fisher.
Okay, this was just getting worse by the moment. Reef knew for certain he couldn’t
handle it without some help. Mind made up, he raced inside. Once he was back in the bedroom,
his gaze landed on the nightstand. Fisher’s cell phone sat right where he’d left it the night before.
Reef snatched it up and called Xanthi.
After the third ring, the fairy answered, “What in the hell do you want now?”
Xanthi didn’t sound happy about being woken up so early. Well, too damn bad. This
situation was way more important than Xanthi getting his beauty rest.
“Fisher is missing,” Reef replied, curtly.
“What do you mean, missing?”
“I mean, I woke up and he’s gone. I looked everywhere around his house and can’t find
him.”
“So what? He probably just went out to grab you guys some breakfast or something. Any
minute now he’ll come back through the door with some Dunkins and coffee,” Xanthi groused in
a put-upon voice.
Reef bristled at the fairy’s blasé attitude. Xanthi just didn’t seem to understand how dire
the situation was. Reef realized he’d have to take charge. That would be a new one for him, since
he’d always just swam in the background and followed his father and sisters’ lead. But this was
his mate who was in danger, and Reef would do anything to get him back—even if that meant
strangling a certain fairy with his own damn wings.
Gripping the phone tight, Reef growled, “He didn’t just step out. Something bad has
happened to him. I’ve detected the presence of dark magic. It’s fresh, too. I’d say it’s an hour
old, tops. Since Fisher is a prince of Aria, it only makes sense that he’d be a target. Now I need
you to get over here, so you can help me.”
There was a pause on the other end and Reef wondered if he was in for a fin chewing. In
the end, he got a soft chuckle.
“I knew you had some fire in you,” Xanthi said. “Fine, I’ll be there in five.”
Once he’d hung up, Reef finished getting dressed and paced as he waited for Xanthi.
After exactly four minutes, there was a knock on the door. Reef answered it, rolling his eyes
when he saw that Xanthi still wore a pair of red silk pajamas.
Xanthi shrugged. “Hey, you wanted me here quick, so this is what you get. If I’d actually
taken the time to decide what to wear out, I’d have been at least a half hour longer.”
Reef actually believed the fairy. He’d never seen somebody fuss so much over his
appearance as Xanthi did. He grabbed Xanthi’s hand and practically dragged him into the
bedroom.
“The last time some guy dragged me to the boudoir, we ended up not leaving for a
week,” Xanthi joked.
Reef glared at him.
Xanthi shrugged. “Well, what do you expect? He was an elf and you know what they say
about them.”
“No, I don’t, and I really don’t care, either,” Reef growled.
Xanthi still answered, “That they can go all night long, and the next ten days, too. That
elf left me so drained I had to drink a case of Gatorade just to recuperate.”
All of Xanthi’s good humor left as soon as they walked into the room. In fact, he looked
downright alarmed and—if Reef wasn’t mistaken—a bit afraid. The fairy lifted his chin slightly
and inhaled deeply, his face growing pale as he began to nervously toy with the hem of his
pajama top.
“So you smell it, too?” Reef pressed, his anxiety raising a notch because of Xanthi’s
reaction.
“Yeah, it reeks of something bad in here, and I’m not just talking about the old gym
socks and running shoes.”
Xanthi slowly walked around the room, his frown getting deeper as he approached the
bed. “This is where it started.”
“That’s where we slept last night.”
“Really? And here I thought you water types always slept in the bathtub,” Xanthi
murmured as he ran his hand over the sheets, much like Reef had earlier.
The fact that the fairy was back to being snarky did little to ease Reef’s worry. As each
moment ticked by, his fear for his lover increased. Xanthi nibbled on his bottom lip as he leaned
against the wall.
Reef decided to finally voice his biggest fear. “Do you think he’s dead?”
When Xanthi shook his head, Reef let out a long sigh of relief.
He still pressed, “How can you be so sure?”
“All fairies have this freaky connection to the royal family. If Fisher were dead, I’d feel
it.”
“You can still do that even though they stripped your powers?”
“Yeah, because fate is a vindictive bitch. While I don’t have most of my magic, a tiny bit
still lingers.”
“What’s so vindictive about that? I would think you’d be happy to have at least some of it
left.”
“You would think, but in truth, it’s the worst kind of torture. It just serves as a reminder
of what I lost. Kind of like a cosmic dick tease with no hope of a happy ending.” Xanthi gave a
dark look that was so unlike him it made Reef wonder just how well he really knew the fairy.
Reef reached over and grabbed the feather from on top of the dresser. “I found this
outside on the patio. The doors leading outside were open, and the smell of dark magic is even
stronger there.”
Xanthi studied the feather. “I wonder what kind of bird this came from?”
“A swan,” Reef answered with unwavering certainty.
Xanthi shot him a quizzical glance.
Reef shrugged. “I’m very good at identifying all water creatures, whether they’re from
the ocean, sea, or freshwater.”
Xanthi grabbed the feather, his eyes narrowing. “Oh, sweet Oprah. This has all the
potential to be several kinds of bad.”
Panic flooded Reef, making him lose his final thread of control. “What are you talking
about? Has something bad happened to Fisher? Oh god, I don’t know if I could handle that.”
“If you don’t calm down, I’m going to have to slap you until you snap out of it. While
that may sound like fun, it really loses its appeal after the first or second pass,” Xanthi drawled.
Reef froze, mouth hanging open as he stared at Xanthi. “You wouldn’t dare?”
“Why? Because of who your father is? Sorry to break it to you, Fins, but I already pissed
dear old daddy off a long time ago, so I have nothing to lose. In fact, I hate the bastard.”
“Then why are you helping me?”
“Because, I do happen to like you. Plus, I promised Petra.” A soon as he said the name,
Xanthi’s eyes lit up. “That’s it! Maybe she knows what’s going on. Give me a second to
communicate with her.”
Xanthi settled on the floor and closed his eyes.
After a while, he must have connected telepathically with Petra because he started talking
as if he were on the phone. “Hey, Petra. How’s tricks?”
There was another pause before Xanthi replied, “Oh, you know. Same old, same old. I
did see Peony the other day. You would not have believed what she was wearing, either. Or
should I say, not wearing. I know, she’s looser than a drunk sorority sister in a toga, but would it
kill her to wear underwear? Not that I’m against free-balling it, but not when wearing a pair of
almost-sheer white pants. It was so bad that I could tell she hadn’t done any landscaping in at
least—”
Reef stomped his foot, cutting Xanthi off. “While this is all really fascinating, it’s not
helping us find Fisher.”
Xanthi rolled his eyes, smirking at something Petra said. “Yeah, he can be a bit of a
buzzkill, but once you get to know him, he’s not too bad. He’s kind of cute in a small, naïve, lost
lamb kind of way. But, he does have a point. We have a missing prince on our hands and not
even a banished fairy like me wants that on his record.”
Xanthi listened for a few more moments before he nodded. “Ah, that would explain the
feather. So you say you think all of them may have been affected? Wow, whatever sorcerer is
behind this is either really brave or suicidal. Yeah, I’ll make sure to keep Reef close. While his
father may be an ass, I still wouldn’t want anything to happen to the little guy.”
By the time Xanthi opened his eyes and focused on him, Reef felt ready to explode. He
fisted his hands into tight balls while he waited for Xanthi to tell him what in the hell was going
on.
After letting out a low whistle, Xanthi said, “It looks like Fisher went and got himself
cursed.”
Reef’s chest grew tight. “By who?”
“His sister, Taylora. Seems like she wants control of the kingdom, so she decided to get
rid of all six of her brothers. She had a sorcerer buddy of hers place a death curse on her own
siblings.”
A sound of distress slipped past Reef’s lips. “Death curse!”
“Don’t worry…well, okay worry, but it’s not quite that bad. Petra was able to somewhat
deflect the curse. So, they didn’t die.”
“Oh, thank god,” Reef breathed, relief flooding him.
“Don’t get too happy. The spell still managed to get them. From what Petra has been able
to gather, all the brothers have been turned into swans.”
Reef gripped the edge of the dresser as his knees grew weak. “So, are you saying they’ve
all been transformed into birds? How does she even know this?”
“She’s with Landon, the oldest brother, right now. Plus, she rescued the youngest one
from the castle. She said both of them have been turned into swans, but they eventually change
back. I asked her for more details, but she says right now, they’re as much in the dark as we are.”
“Fisher is a swan? How is that even possible? It sounds so crazy.”
Xanthi gave him a pointed look. “Says the guy who used to be sporting a tail.”
“Okay, maybe you have a point. The question is how are we going to find Fisher? Bird or
not, I’m not going to give up on him. We need to rescue him and bring him back here until we
find a way to break this curse.”
“Petra suggests we find the nearest body of fresh water and start our search there.”
“Okay, then what are we waiting for? Let’s get going before he decides to fly south for
the winter or something.”
They rushed out to Xanthi’s car and raced to a small pond a half-mile away from Fisher’s
home. As they got out of the car and made their way through the weeds surrounding the small
body of water, Reef’s stomach sank.
There had to be at least a half-dozen swans, and each one of them appeared to be
identical. Reef studied them all closely, looking for a sign—anything that would let him know
which one was Fisher. But darned if all the damned birds didn’t look alike.
“What are we going to do?” Reef wailed as he waved an arm at the birds.
Xanthi cocked a brow. “We could put them in a cold room with a single light bulb, and
interrogate their feathered asses until one of them breaks and tells us the truth.”
Reef glared at him. “How can you even joke about this? One of these swans is the man I
care about, and I won’t leave until I save him.”
“So, what do you suggest we do?”
After thinking the situation over, Reef could only see one solution. “We’re just going to
have to find a way to capture all of them and bring them back home.”
Xanthi gapped at him. “All of them. You do realize how muddy it is in that pond?”
Reef nodded. “Yeah, so?”
“This is real silk.” Xanthi gestured to his pajamas.
“It sucks to be you. Now do you have enough magic in you to stun the birds?”
“Not stun, but I can make it so they’re temporarily unable to fly. That still doesn’t mean
that the suckers won’t run and bite,” Xanthi groused.
“Tough, we’ll just have to get bitten because I’m not leaving without Fisher.”
Xanthi stared at the birds. “I just hope that once we get him home, we can figure out a
way to help him.”
Reef looked at the swans. “I’m hoping one of them is Fisher.”
Chapter Seven
Reef stared at the swans milling around Fisher’s house. He hadn’t wanted to go back to
Xanthi’s apartment for fear Fisher might be disoriented when he turned back to a man or if they
didn’t have the right birds and Fisher returned on his own. Reef didn’t want his lover to think he
had abandoned him. Feathers and swan poop were everywhere and the damn noise made his
head ache. “What is that horrible racket?”
“They’re trumpeter swans. They trumpet,” Xanthi said, but Reef could tell the fairy
wasn’t happy, either.
“How do we change him back if we find him, anyway?”
Xanthi shrugged. “Maybe if you kiss him?”
Reef straightened from where he leaned over a swan trying to look into its eyes. “I’m not
kissing swans.”
“Fine, if you don’t want to save your boyfriend.”
Reef opened his mouth and closed it again. He desperately needed to figure out which
one was Fisher. “Fine, but you keep track which swans I kiss. I don’t want to be kissing the same
bastard twice.”
Xanthi laughed. “Fair enough.”
Reef approached the first bird, which stared at him. The animal fluttered to stand on the
coffee table. He didn’t know if the swan was trying to escape or get to a better height for a kiss.
Reef reached out to grab the thing’s head and the creature bit his finger before taking off.
“Ouch!” he shouted at the retreating white butt. “I’m kissing you last.”
The bird gave one of those trumpeting sounds.
“I hope Fisher’s neighbors live far enough away that they don’t hear all this racket,”
Xanthi smirked. “I’d hate for him to get in trouble with the locals due to swan swarm.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Reef examined the rest of the swans but after six kisses, five swan bites and one
particularly mean swan pooping on his foot, he was done. “I don’t think any of them are Fisher,”
he declared, throwing himself on one of the few clean chairs.
“We’ll have to return them tomorrow,” Xanthi said. “I don’t have any more magic in me
today.”
“Fine!”
Despite the Fisher hunt, capture and kissing, it was still early. “Maybe you should contact
your friend and see if she has any tips. She might know what we should be looking for in a
swan.”
“That’s a good idea,” Xanthi said with so much surprise, Reef wanted to deck him.
The fairy settled on the floor and closed his eyes while Reef turned on the television. If
he tried to listen in to Xanthi talking to Petra, he’d end up strangling the other man.
His nerves were shot, his body hurt from multiple swan bites and his heart was breaking.
Not his best day.
The perky entertainment host distracted Reef from his troubles for a bit until he heard
Xanthi cursing.
“Problem?”
“Petra said she just learned if we wait until nighttime, Fisher will turn back into a human.
She didn’t know what the trigger was before.”
Reef jumped to his feet. “That’s it? The curse is broken then?”
Xanthi shook his head. “No, but then at least we’ll be able to figure out which swan he is.
Tomorrow morning, if the curse isn’t broken, he’ll turn into a swan again.”
“What does it take to break the curse?” Because, although he was pleased Fisher would
temporarily turn back into a man, disappointment swamped him that the curse wouldn’t
magically disappear and give him back the sexy prince.
“He has to bond with his one true love.” Xanthi glowered at him.
“What do you mean bond? We already had sex. What more do we need?”
“Are you in love with him?”
“Um, no. I mean, it’s only been like a day. I really like him, and I’m willing to go with
him to Aria, but I can’t say for sure I love him.”
“That’s the problem.” Xanthi scooted a swan to the side and sat on the couch. “We need
you to fall in love with him.”
“Y-you mean he’s going to remain a swan until I fall in love with him?”
Xanthi nodded. “Apparently.”
“Damn. What do we do about that?”
Xanthi shrugged. “Is it too hard for you to imagine falling in love with Fisher?”
“No! No, I’m sure I’ll fall for him. It’s just still early. We’ve barely met.”
“You knew each other well enough for sex.”
Reef tilted his head and examined Xanthi’s expression. “And you fell in love with every
guy you had sex with?”
“Um, no.” A flush went across Xanthi’s cheeks.
Reef knew he’d made his point but he didn’t feel any better. “I’m fond of Fisher, but I
need some more time to be in love.”
The doorbell rang.
“Oh, shit.” Reef exchanged a panicked look with Xanthi. “What do we do now?”
“Don’t answer,” Xanthi insisted.
They both stared at the door, not even daring to breathe.
Unfortunately, the swans didn’t stay quiet. A couple of them decided to make their
trumpeting sound, which of course echoed throughout the room.
“Shh.”
Whoever had rung the doorbell before now started knocking. “Fisher, I know you’re in
there!” They could hear Jimmy’s voice through the wood.
“Damn, what does he want?” Reef asked.
“I’ll take care of him.” Xanthi marched over and yanked the door open. “What do you
want?” he demanded.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Xanthi. Fisher isn’t here right now so you’ll have to go elsewhere.”
Before he could stop Jimmy, the bigger man shoved Xanthi aside and marched into the
room. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene of swans before he settled his attention on Reef.
“You! What are you doing here and what’s the fuck up with the birds?”
Reef scowled at Jimmy. “What do you care? Fisher isn’t here right now. I’ll let him know
you dropped by.”
“And what? He left you two here alone with a bunch of birds to ruin his house? He’s
going to be pissed when he gets back.” Jimmy’s expression changed to give him a wide smile.
Reef glared and crossed his arms.
Jimmy walked over and sat on one of the bar stools by the breakfast bar.
“What are you doing?” Xanthi asked.
“You think I’m gonna miss this? I can’t wait until Fisher sees what you’ve done.”
“Get out.” Reef felt his anger rise at Jimmy’s smug expression.
He got to his feet and glared at the man as Jimmy slid off his stool and approached him.
“How are you going to make me?”
Reef wished he were near a source of water. Then he could make the man sorry. Before
he could think of something fitting to do to the bad man, Xanthi came forward. Over Jimmy’s
shoulder, Reef saw Xanthi wave his hand. A loud popping sound filled the air. Jimmy
disappeared. In his place stood a small duck.
“Quack, quack!” The bird waddled around the room.
“Xanthi? What did you do to Jimmy?” Not that he hadn’t wanted to get rid of the man,
but, damn, he was a duck.
The fairy waved his hands helplessly. “I told you I don’t have much magic. I was trying
to get him to go away. Were you thinking about water?”
Reef rolled his eyes. “I’m always thinking about water.”
It was his obsession, the biggest part of his world until now.
Xanthi nodded. “I bet you interfered. You’ve got some natural magic, which is why I’ve
been able to do a little bit more than I should be able to."
The Jimmy duck quacked loudly.
“What should we do with him?” Reef asked.
“Let’s put him in the bathtub. He’ll want water.”
Reef filled the tub and Xanthi slid the loud bird into the bath.
Jimmy paddled around the tub making happy duck noises.
“That’ll keep him settled for a while,” Xanthi said with satisfaction.
“How are we going to change him back?” Reef asked.
Xanthi shrugged. “We’ll worry about him later. Maybe we can get Petra to help us out.”
Looking out the window, Reef saw the sun was setting. “Fisher!”
Running out of the bathroom, Reef came to a screeching halt in the living room. Six
swans still rampaged across the coffee table, couch and any flat surface they could find.
Six Swans!
Xanthi came to a stop beside him. “No Fisher. Why won’t he shift back?”
“I don’t think it’s that he won’t change. I think he’s still out there. Grab a bag and throw
some clothes in it. We’re going prince hunting.”
* * * *
Fisher let out a garbled noise and spit out the water plants in his mouth.
His body trembled with fear and confusion. The water was slimy and his entire body
seized with the cold. His teeth rattled in his mouth as he tried to figure out where the hell he was.
What the hell happened?
“Where am I?” Looking down, he realized there was more than one reason he was
freezing. He wore absolutely nothing. “Shit.”
A quick scan of his surroundings proved he had no clue where he was and, without
clothes, he knew he had no phone. Tall grass jutted out of the water from all sides and
mysterious submerged objects stabbed at his feet.
His last memories were of snuggling up to Reef and thinking he’d found paradise. What
had happened between fabulous sex and freezing water?
“Fisher!” Two voices were calling his name, only one did he recognize.
He slowly moved toward the sound, not wanting to draw attention to his nakedness in
case others were nearby. He sliced his hand on a particularly sharp branch jutting out of the
water.
“Ouch.”
“Fisher!”
Reef’s voice sounded louder. Fisher continued his travels toward his lover.
“He’s got to be around here somewhere. This locator says he’s here,” the unfamiliar
voice said
“I can’t believe Petra didn’t tell you before she had a locator to track the princes,” Reef
said.
Wait. How did Reef know he was a prince?
Fisher stopped his movement forward. He’d never told Reef who he really was, and it
wasn’t something Reef could just guess.
“Fisher!”
Hell. Whether he was suspicious of Reef’s motives or not, he needed the other man’s
help in order to get the hell out of there.
“Over here!” He took the chance that Reef wouldn’t call to him if he wasn’t alone or with
people he trusted.
“We’re on the shore. This way!”
Fisher followed Reef’s voice until he found a break in the sea of grass and spotted the
beautiful man on the shore. The look of relief on Reef’s face couldn’t be faked.
“Oh thank the seas, you’re all right!” Reef ran to the edge of the bank and leaned over to
help Fisher out of the water. “Are you okay, honey? Oh, you’re bleeding!”
“It’s a small cut. I’ll be all right.” The concerned look in Reef’s eyes settled his
suspicions. Reef might know more than he should, but there was no doubting the man sincerely
appeared to care about Fisher.
Reef fussed and dried Fisher’s shivering skin with a towel.
“Shh, it’ll be all right. I brought you some clothes.”
Fisher quickly dressed in the T-shirt and sweats Reef provided. “Thanks!”
Reef gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Maybe one of you could tell me what’s going on?”
Reef gave him a weak smile. “The short answer is you and your brothers are cursed to be
swans until you find your true loves.”
“And you are?”
“The merman changed to human come to save you.”
He looked at Xanthi, but the other man just nodded his agreement.
Fisher took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “I can see this discussion will need
copious amounts of alcohol.” Looking from one man to the other, he shook his head. “Let’s get
home. I want a shower and to clean out my mouth. Water plants are nasty.”
Xanthi took in Fisher’s wet hair and rumpled appearance. “We might want to get a few
drinks before we get you home.”
Reef nodded his head. “Definitely.”
Chapter Eight
Reef worried his bottom lip as he looked across the backseat to where Fisher sat. They
were almost back to his house, but the other man had refused to talk about their current situation.
He didn’t even take Xanthi up on his offer to stop by the bar for a few, “You’re not going to
believe this unless you’re ass-over-head drunk,” drinks.
It was pretty obvious Fisher was ticked at Reef for not telling him the truth from the
beginning. The angry, hurt, bewildered looks he kept shooting at Reef were proof enough of that.
Well, if Fisher was angry now, he was going to be pissed to the tenth degree once he saw
the mess in his apartment. So Reef felt he owed it to the guy to at least give him a warning.
“Fisher, there’s something you should know.”
Fisher gave him a droll look. “You mean besides the fact that you’re a merman and
you’ve known all along who I am? How can there possibly be anything bigger than that?”
Reef twisted his hands together. “I wanted to tell you, I swear. I was just waiting for the
right time.”
“Sure,” Fisher replied sarcastically. “Look, you’re not the first guy who’s tried to trick
me into marriage. They look at me and see a crown and a ton of money and then nothing else
matters to them.”
Reef jerked back as if he’d been bitch slapped. “That’s not it at all. Besides, I have my
own title and money. I’m the only son of Pontus.”
Instead of soothing Fisher’s anger that only seemed to further upset him. He pinched the
bridge of his nose and let out a bitter laugh. “This just keeps getting better and better.”
“Why? Now you know I’m not after you for your money.” Reef frowned.
“No, but now I know for sure why you came onto me. Your father has been trying to set
up a union between our kingdoms for ages. Since he knows that there’s no way my brothers or I
could be interested in your sisters, he sent you instead.”
That made Reef pause. Could Fisher be right? If so, then that would mean that Reef’s
father had lied when he’d sent Reef from the ocean. Could Pontus be capable of deceiving one of
his own children in such a manner? The answer to that one came quickly—hell, yes. His father
had always put the kingdom before his family. So, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment before
using Reef as his own personal bargaining chip.
Reef didn’t know whether to beg for forgiveness or give in to his impulse to cry. Since he
didn’t want to come off as an overemotional drama king, Reef said, “Please, believe me. I was
going to tell you the truth.”
Fisher turned on him. “When? After you’d tricked me into marrying you?”
“No, I was going to do it sooner.”
“Why should I believe you?” Fisher snapped.
“The dolphin from three weeks ago,” Reef said, dropping his gaze to his fingers.
“What are you talking about?”
“You were trying to tag a dolphin for some research project, but you couldn’t catch it
long enough.”
“I remember that. That guy was a slippery one. No matter what we did, he kept getting
away,” Fisher replied, some of the anger seeming to fade away.
“But you did finally manage to tag him, didn’t you?” Reef asked.
“Yeah. So what does that have to do with us?”
“I told the dolphin to cooperate. It wasn’t easy, either. They can be darn stubborn at
times.” Reef paused to think it over. “Maybe it’s because they’re mammals.”
Fisher blinked a few times, as if trying to mull the situation over. Or perhaps he was just
wondering to himself about why dolphins were so difficult.
Either way, Reef decided to press on. “Then I saw you two weeks ago, when you were
out on your boat for another research project. I remember that day particularly well because you
were wearing this red shirt with a cartoon, yellow fish on it.”
“Is the fish a friend of yours or something?” Fisher grunted.
Reef laughed. “No, I liked the shirt, though, because it looked really good on you. But,
then again, you look great in almost everything you wear.”
“I still don’t understand what that has to do with our current situation.”
“I’m trying to let you know that I liked you long before my father told me that he wanted
us together. What’s more, I wanted you even when I didn’t know that you were a prince. I’ve
been watching you for almost a year.” Reef hesitated, nibbling on his bottom lip before he
continued. “Oh sweet Neptune, that makes me sound like a stalker, doesn’t it?”
Surprisingly, Fisher laughed. He held up his forefinger and thumb an inch apart. “Maybe
just a tiny bit.”
“Oh.” Reef felt as if his entire world was crumbling down around him.
Just when he’d thought he’d finally netted the man of his dreams, Reef had lost him. Reef
slouched against the window of the car as his heart broke.
Fisher reached over and tugged on Reef’s arm. “Lucky for both of us, stalking is a bit of a
turn on to me.”
Reef looked over, not sure he’d heard correctly. “Huh?”
That earned him an indulgent smile from Fisher. “Come here and give me a kiss.”
Joy soared through Reef as he grinned in return. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
Growing bold, Reef undid his seatbelt and climbed onto Fisher’s lap. Reef leaned in until
their lips were inches apart. “So, does this mean you forgive me?”
Reaching around with both hands, Fisher firmly grasped Reef’s ass. “It means you’re
well on your way to being there.”
“Is there anything else I can do to convince you I’m sorry?” Reef asked coyly as he
wrapped his arms around Fisher’s neck.
“I can think of one or two things,” Fisher replied in a husky voice.
Reef looked over his shoulder at Xanthi, who was behind the wheel. The fairy was either
oblivious to the situation or politely ignoring them.
Turning back, Reef feathered a kiss over Fisher’s lips. “How about this?”
“That’s a good start, but I was thinking of something more like this.”
Fisher cupped the back of Reef’s head and brought him in for a hard, deep kiss. The
breath left Reef’s lungs as desire slammed into him. All the worries from the day melted away as
he gave in to the wonderful sensation of once again being in Fisher’s arms.
“I’m so sorry. I promise to never keep anything from you again,” Reef whispered before
going in for another kiss.
“Besides, I wasn’t completely honest with you, either,” Fisher replied.
Reef pulled back and gave Fisher his best really look. “I think your situation is a bit more
understandable. You just assumed I was another everyday, Earth-dwelling human. It’s not like
you could confess who you really are to one of them. That would probably have earned you a
first-class ticket to a padded room.”
Fisher laughed. “How is it you know so much about Earth terms and stuff?”
Licking a path up the side of Fisher’s neck, Reef whispered, “I watch lot of TV shows,
both the new ones and the classics. Plus, I read every magazine I can get my hands on. My
favorite thing, though, is dirty movies. I watch them all the time, and I’ve learned all kinds of
interesting things. If you want, I can show you some of them.”
Damn, Reef was so hard it was a wonder his cock didn’t burst through the zipper of his
pants. Desperate to get some relief, he rocked his hips forward, grinding their erections together.
Pleasure shot up his spine, and Reef groaned, not giving a damn that Xanthi probably heard
everything.
“Is my baby hurting?” Fisher asked between kisses.
“Yes. Oh god, yes.”
“Do you want me to do something about that?”
“Hell, yeah. Just hurry, I don’t how much longer I can stand it.”
Reaching between them, Fisher first undid his own fly before moving on to Reef’s.
Pulling out their cocks, Fisher wrapped his fingers around both their shafts and began to stroke
them off at the same time.
Reef groaned, his hands dropping to rest on Fisher’s shoulders. “Oh, that’s it. Don’t stop,
please.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, babe.”
Fisher continued to stroke them at the same time, raining kisses down Reef’s neck. At
some point, Fisher began to suck at the flesh, no doubt leaving behind a pretty impressive
hickey, but damned if Reef cared. If anything, it sent a thrill through him to know he’d be
wearing Fisher’s mark.
Their kisses grew more frantic, and Reef found himself thrusting into Fisher’s hand. Reef
knew he was acting slutty, but he couldn’t make himself stop. He even began to let out mewling
little whimpers. While he managed to muffle some of them by burying his face into Fisher’s
neck, more managed to ring out loudly in the close confines of the car. There was no doubt in
Reef’s mind that Xanthi knew just exactly what was going on in his backseat.
“Gonna—”
That was all Reef managed to get out before he shot hot, sticky ropes of semen all over
Fisher’s hand. His release pushed Fisher over the edge. He came a few strokes later shouting
Reef’s name.
Reef let his head fall to Fisher’s shoulder as they both panted. Looking down at the mess
between them, Reef laughed. “Oops.”
Fisher wiped up some of the mess with his fingers before lifting them to Reef’s mouth,
offering up the treat. After a brief hesitation, Reef flicked out his tongue, moaning at the
combined taste of both of them.
“That’s nice, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to lick up all of it,” Reef mused.
No sooner had those words left his mouth, than a towel came from the front seat and hit
Fisher in the face.
Grabbing it, Reef repressed a laugh. “Thanks Xanthi.”
As he was cleaning them up, Reef noticed they were parked in front of Fisher’s house.
“How long have we been here?”
“A couple of minutes,” Xanthi replied.
Heat covered Reef’s face. “Did it ever occur to you to tell us, or maybe even get out of
the car so we could have some privacy?”
Xanthi turned to give him a droll stare. “Sweetie, I never, ever, ever turn down free
porn.”
Outraged, Reef gaped at him a few moments. Before Reef could formulate a snappy
comeback, Xanthi got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.
Glancing back at Fisher, Reef gave a sheepish shrug. “Sorry, he can be a bit of a handful
at times.”
“How do you even know him?”
“Would you believe me if I said he’s a friend of your fairy godmother and that she sent
him to help us?”
Fisher gave him a crooked smile. “Babe, I just spent an entire day as a swan. Plus, I
found out my boyfriend is a fish. So right now, I don’t think anything will shock me.”
Reef gave him a playful swat on the arm. “Hey, I’m a merman. I’m not just some fish.”
Pulling Reef in for a deep kiss, Fisher chuckled. “Damn, you’re cute when you get mad.
Now let’s get inside, and into the privacy of my bedroom. Otherwise, I’ll be tempted to screw
you against my living room wall and then we’ll give Xanthi another show.”
Despite the fact he’d just come, arousal shot through Reef and centered right at his cock.
“We can’t have that, now can we? Petra would be pissed if we further corrupted her friend.”
“Who’s Petra?”
“Your fairy godmother. You really need to keep up here,” Reef teased.
“I’m trying, but it’s not easy with all that’s being thrown at me. Maybe I need to start
using an Excel spreadsheet to make sure I have everything straight.”
They straightened up their clothes and rushed to the door. When a series of loud honking
noises came from inside, Reef cringed. “There’s something you should know. We kind of filled
your living room with swans.”
Fisher blinked a few times before giving a slight shake of his head. “Come again?”
“When we found out that you were turned into a swan, Xanthi and I went searching for
you. Since we didn’t know which one was you, we ended up taking all of them home. The only
problem was when we got them here, we still didn’t know which one was you. Plus, when I
started kissing them, they got really pissed.”
“You kissed the swans?”
Reef tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I
can see how silly it really was. You don’t think I’ll get the Bird Flu, do you?”
The corners of Fisher’s mouth twitched. “I’m pretty sure you’ll be okay.”
Fisher opened the door and they were greeted by a sea of white feathers, a roomful of
ticked off birds and one harried fairy. Xanthi’s hair stood on end and his shirt had several tears in
it.
“These birds are Satan’s spawn,” Xanthi declared.
He tried to kick a bird, only to end up stubbing his toe on the coffee table when the swan
moved at the last moment. Hopping on one foot, Xanthi let out a string of curse words that made
Reef blush. Fisher laughed and ushered Reef toward the bedroom.
“So, you’re just going to go in there and have fun, while leaving the fairy to clean up the
mess? How typical,” Xanthi yelled.
His exclamation was followed by another series of curse words with the swans honking
in return. Reef rushed into the bedroom, grateful when Fisher shut the door, muffling the noise.
“We really should go help him,” Reef said.
Fisher walked toward him, forcing Reef to backpedal until his spine was pressed against
the wall. Placing a hand on either side of Reef’s head, Fisher leaned in until their faces were
inches apart. “We’ll help him in a minute.”
Stupid with desire, Reef dumbly nodded.
Trailing a finger down the center of Reef’s chest, Fisher asked, “So, since you’re a
merman and I’m from Aria that means we don’t carry human diseases.”
Reef finally found his voice enough to blurt, “Yeah, so?”
A sly smile spread over Fisher’s face. “That means I get to fuck you without a condom.
Would you like that?”
A shudder of arousal traveled over Reef’s body. “Yes, I’d like that—a lot.”
Fisher abruptly pushed away and ordered, “Strip.”
As simple as that command was, it still didn’t register with Reef. “What?”
“Take. Off. Your. Clothes. Now,” Fisher replied, carefully enunciating each word.
That got through. Moving fast, Reef quickly lost his clothes. He watched in anticipation
as Fisher did the same, before grabbing the bottle of lube he’d left on the nightstand. As he
walked back over, he snapped open the cap and poured some of the fluid over his fingers. The
entire time, his gaze seemed to burn as he looked Reef up and down.
“Damn, you’re so beautiful,” Fisher breathed.
Reef gave a self-conscious shrug. “I’ve always been told that I’m pretty normal.”
Using his unlubed hand, Fisher grabbed Reef and spun him around so his chest was
pressed to the wall. “They were wrong. You’re sheer perfection.”
Reef let out a moan, partly because of Fisher’s word but also because the prince had
started to rain kisses down his neck. Each touch sent a fresh wave of desire down Reef’s spine
and soon he was arching back, so he could feel the press of Fisher’s erection.
“Are you trying to tell me that you want something?” Fisher goaded.
Moaning again, Reef nodded. “I need you to fuck me.”
“Not until you’re ready. I don’t want to hurt you.”
A cool, slicked finger slid inside Reef’s ass, making him gasp even as he rocked back in a
silent plea for more. Meanwhile, Fisher began sucking on Reef’s neck again, further adding to
the pleasure.
“You’re giving me another hickey, aren’t you?” Reef asked as he curled his fingers
against the wall.
“Yes, I want everybody to know who you belong to.” Fisher thrust in another digit,
scissoring them out.
“Wouldn’t a tramp stamp just be easier?”
“Don’t tease. I may just take you up on that suggestion.” Fisher added a third finger.
Reef yelped as Fisher pegged his sweet spot. “Oh damn, if you don’t fuck me now, I’m
going to come too soon.”
“Do your sisters know what a potty mouth you have?” Fisher chastised.
“Can we not talk about my sisters while we’re having sex?”
Fisher laughed as he pulled his fingers free. Reef only had a moment to mourn their loss
before he felt the hard press of Fisher’s cock. Arching his back, Reef let out a hiss of pleasure.
“Mine!” Fisher growled as he thrust all the way in.
Reef gave cry of ecstasy as Fisher filled him, almost to the point of pain. Not that Reef
minded. He was quickly finding he liked the bite of pain that always came with the pleasure. So
when Fisher only paused a moment to let Reef adjust before he started to pound into him, Reef
couldn’t hold back from shouting his approval.
“That’s it, give it to me hard.”
He realized that Xanthi was probably once again getting an earful, but Reef couldn’t find
it in him to care. At that moment all that mattered was Fisher and the passion they were sharing.
A whole sea of swans could have come storming in and Reef wouldn’t have minded.
Reef’s cock ached to be touched, but he didn’t dare let go of the wall for fear of falling on
his face. Frustrated, he let out a little whimper that turned into a gasp when Fisher reached
around and did the job instead.
Wrapping his fingers around Reef’s cock, Fisher stroked up and down a few times before
saying, “Come for me.”
That finally threw Reef over the edge. Screaming Fisher’s name, he shot off, painting the
wall in front of him. Fisher soon followed, a low groan rumbling through his chest.
Panting, Reef rested his forehead against the wall as the last bit of pleasure tingled over
his body.
Fisher pulled out and gave Reef’s neck one last kiss. “Wait right here. I’ll be back.”
Reef could only nod, still too winded to do more than breathe. Fisher disappeared into the
bathroom.
There was a long silence before Fisher called, “Hey, Reef. Do you want to tell me why
there’s a duck in the tub?”
Reef’s head shot up as panic seized him. Oh crap, he’d completely forgotten about Jimmy
Duck. Oops! Looked like he had some ‘splaining to do.
Chapter Nine
Reef joined Fisher in the bathroom and gave him a guilty look. “Umm…Jimmy came to
visit.”
He could see the moment Fisher figured it out. “This is Jimmy? My Jimmy?”
“Well, he better not be your Jimmy anymore,” Reef said, irritated. “I mean, I’m sorry
he’s a duck, but damn it, I thought I was yours now.” Pain stabbed through him. He’d invested
everything into Fisher, and the man still thought of Jimmy as his.
Fisher cupped Reef’s head. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that.” His voice gentled as he
placed a tender kiss on Reef’s forehead, then another on his lips. “You are mine.”
The tight knot in Reef’s chest loosened slightly even as he still wondered what he meant
to the handsome prince. Did Fisher consider him a plaything to keep him company while he
lived on Earth, like Jimmy, or would he take Reef with him when he left?
Fisher slowly released Reef after another soft kiss. “Don’t think so hard. Now why did
you change Jimmy into a duck?”
Reef swallowed the lump in his throat. “He wouldn’t go away, and he threatened to stay
until you returned, and we didn’t know what else to do. We had enough to deal with, with all the
swans flapping about.”
“And turning a person into a duck is exactly the thing to do when someone annoys you?”
“It was an accident,” Reef said defensively. He wasn’t going to apologize. In his opinion,
Jimmy deserved what he got.
With a loud quack, the duck flapped out of the tub and shook its wet tail feathers at Reef.
“Damn it, Jimmy.”
Fisher laughed. “You did turn him into a duck.”
“Xanthi did that.”
Fisher shook his head. “I doubt you tried too hard to stop him.”
“I don’t have to admit anything.” Reef frowned. “Besides, he was asking for it.”
The duck quacked louder.
“You did, too!” Reef shouted.
“Hey, hey.” Fisher lifted Reef off the floor as the duck snapped its bill at Reef’s exposed
ankles. “Let’s get along. I’m sure we can change you back,” he told the duck, before returning
his attention to Reef. “Let’s get dressed, and we’ll talk to Xanthi.”
“Okay.”
Since duck feathers floated around the tub, they wiped themselves down with wet
washcloths by the sink before scrambling into their clothes.
Reef dressed quickly, not wanting to leave any skin exposed to the angry ducky.
They headed to the living room where they found Xanthi standing on a chair tossing
pieces of white bread to the swans. So much for Xanthi getting rid of them on his own. Reef
wondered how such incredibly loud noises came from such pretty birds.
“Is that what I look like when I’m changed?”
Reef shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, we found you as a human.”
“But how long am I going to stay human?”
Xanthi spoke up. “Petra said until morning.”
“Shit! I need to call my brothers!”
Reef watched with interest as Fisher grabbed his cell phone off the counter and tried
number after number, his pallor growing with each dial. After several attempts, he threw his
phone across the room, hitting a swan that hissed at him in disapproval.
“Sorry,” Fisher muttered to the bird.
“No one is answering?” Reef asked.
Fisher shook his head.
“Well, they are all turning into swans,” Xanthi offered in a disturbingly perky voice.
“Maybe they’re stuck someplace where they don’t have a phone.”
Fisher snapped at Xanthi. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
The fairy held up his hands in a defensive motion. “Sorry. I just thought maybe there’s
nothing wrong, and they just aren’t close to a phone.”
Sighing, Fisher threw himself down on the chair. “Maybe. I don’t know what to think
anymore.”
Xanthi’s eyes rolled back in his head for a moment. Reef hopped over a swan to catch
him, but the fairy collected himself in time before he fell on the birds.
Jimmy duck quacked annoyingly, nipping at the swans’ legs to get them to move.
“Are you okay?” Fisher asked Xanthi.
The fairy shook his head. “It’s weird. I lost my connection.”
“What connection?” Reef asked.
“My connection with Petra. She was telling me Landon is cured, but then she vanished.
Like someone snapped our link.”
Fisher stomped over to Xanthi, startling the swans. “What do we do now?”
Xanthi let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know. I didn’t get where she wanted us to meet,
either. I can sort of sense her presence, though, even if I can’t talk mind-to-mind with her right
now. We could always start heading east and see if we can find her.”
Reef groaned in frustration. They were back to where they’d started with only a slim
chance of finding the other fairy and getting to the heart of the matter. “At least we know your
brothers are all right.”
“Two of them are fine,” said Xanthi. “Petra said Landon and Dack are safe. We just don’t
know about the other three.”
Fisher frowned as he looked down at the swans. “Let’s get the birds back to their natural
habitat and then we can go look for Kedrik since he’s the only other one left on Earth. We know
Landon is fine so we don’t need to worry about him for now, but Kedrik doesn’t have a fairy
with him. At least, I don’t think so.”
Xanthi shook his head. “There aren’t a lot of us to spare, and Petra isn’t supposed to
interfere. I’m only helping because I have nothing to lose. We should go find him. Then we can
decide what to do about your curse.”
Together, they started herding the swans. As Fisher reached for the knob, the door
slammed open, knocking him to the ground.
“Fisher!” Reef shouted. He tried to get to the prince’s side but the swans blocked the
way, flapping their wings and making a cacophony of honks.
Four men marched into the house. They were dressed all in black with strips of black
fabric covering their faces, leaving only their cold eyes exposed. All four of them had enormous
swords and other assorted knives strapped to their bodies. Fear chilled Reef’s heart, sending
goose bumps across his skin. It was never good news when pseudo-ninjas broke into your house.
“Who are you? What do you want?” he asked.
“Step aside, boy, we only want the prince,” one of the invaders said in a gruff voice.
Reef ran over to the breakfast bar, picked up a bar stool and threw it at the man. The
wannabe ninja shouted and knocked it aside. Another intruder grabbed at Reef instead of
stabbing him with the sword. Reef focused his energy and zapped the man as the eels had taught
him.
“Fuck!” the man screamed. He fell to the ground, his body convulsing with shock.
Reef saw Fisher punch another intruder, slamming him against the wall but not
completely knocking him out. The swans made a racket and flapped around the living room,
adding to the confusion while Xanthi kicked the man Reef had toppled in the face, rendering him
unconscious.
Three men still remained. The one Fisher punched, the one Reef threw the stool at and
another one cautiously approaching through the birds. They all held swords at the ready, but
were watching their feet more than anything else.
To Reef’s surprise, Jimmy duck jumped up and bit one of them in the crotch. The man
screamed as the duck clamped down on his privates. Xanthi smashed a bottle of wine against the
back of the assaulted man’s head and sent him tumbling down beside the other man on the floor.
The only one who hadn’t been assaulted broke toward the door. He stopped in the
doorway and shouted, “We will kill you all and end your reign. Queen Taylora will rule the
kingdom.”
The man had the sound of a true believer. Fisher grabbed the sword from the fallen man
and headed toward him, but the man laughed and ran out the door.
The remaining ninja swiped his sword toward Fisher. “You might be a prince, but while
you trained to lead, I trained to kill.”
Reef watched in amazement at the flurry of swords. The intruder sliced through Fisher’s
shirt causing Reef to gasp. He wanted to jump in there and save his lover, but he didn’t want to
distract him and cause further injury.
Why hadn’t he told his prince he loved him? What in the Bermuda Triangle had he been
waiting for? If Fisher died, Reef would never forgive himself. Too bad this fight hadn’t
happened near water. If they were closer to the ocean, he could’ve drowned all the bastards.
The intruder made a miscalculation and Fisher took advantage. With a lunge he stabbed
the man through the heart. With a cry the attacker fell to the ground.
Fisher dropped the sword.
“Why don’t you take it with you?” Xanthi asked.
“Because this is Earth. The authorities don’t approve of men walking around with giant
weapons. It makes the police nervous.”
Xanthi shrugged. “They are strange here.”
Reef threw himself into Fisher’s arms. “I. Love. You,” he whispered between peppering
kisses on Fisher’s face.
The prince stopped Reef by grabbing his face. “I love you, too.”
A strange buzzing filled the air.
“You three are insane!”
They turned to see Jimmy standing in the middle of the living room glaring at them. “I
don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m never coming back. Damn it, now I want to go swim
in a pond. I hate swimming!” Still griping, he stomped out of the open door.
“On the plus side, he changed back wearing clothes,” Xanthi said as Jimmy got in his car
and pealed out.
“Where do you think the last guy went?” Reef had a bad feeling about the one who’d
escaped.
“Probably to get reinforcements. Go pack a bag. We’re going to my place while I see if I
can get a better lock on Petra. Hopefully, she’ll come find us,” Xanthi said, taking charge. “We’ll
drop off the swans on the way.”
Fisher quickly gathered some clothes in a bag and the stash of gold he’d kept from Aria.
Nothing else was important enough to keep. The only other thing precious to him stood
nervously in the living room waiting for his return.
Walking into the room, he found he was right. Reef stood there trying to keep the swans
from wandering outside before they were ready. Xanthi waved his hand. Sparkly light shot out of
his hands and briefly surrounded the birds. With a soft whistling sound, the creatures lined up
and waddled out the door in an orderly manner.
Fisher scooted his bag farther up his shoulder. “Why didn’t you do that earlier?”
“I’ve got to ration my magic,” Xanthi said, a grim expression on his pretty face.
Deciding to save his questions for later, Fisher just nodded and followed the fairy, the
merman and the line of swans to his car. Damn, it sounded like a bad joke in his head.
They dropped off the birds at the pond. Fisher shivered as he thought of joining them
again. He needed to find out what the hell was going on.
“We’ve got to find Petra,” Xanthi declared. “She can tell us how to find the rest of your
brothers.”
“Good,” Fisher muttered. “I don’t want to be a damned swan.” His heart ached for his
brothers. He’d get even with Taylora for this if it was the last thing he did. Poor Dack, he loved
their bitchy sister so much. This must be killing him.
The swans, still under Xanthi’s power, docilely waddled from the car to their pond.
Fisher let out a sigh of relief. The swans were back home. He didn’t really care about his house
since he doubted he’d ever return there again. He’d enjoyed his time on Earth, but he was ready
to return home.
Worry for his brothers gnawed at him. Kedrik in particular didn’t do well taking care of
himself. His younger brother liked to help out, but wasn’t the best at making decisions on his
own. Without the ability to contact him, Fisher worried about Kedrik making bad choices,
especially if he needed to find his mate on Earth.
“It’ll be fine.” Reef patted Fisher’s hand in a show of support.
Warmth flowed through Fisher. If he got nothing else out of this entire experience, he’d
found a man he could love. “Are you going to be okay going back to Aria?”
Reef’s smile blinded him with its brightness. “As long as I’m with you.”
It should’ve sounded corny, but Fisher’s heart melted. His sweet merman made him
happy. “What about your separation from the water? Our kingdom is close to the sea, but will
you be all right spending the rest of your days on land?” He didn’t know why he kept pushing,
but the flash of pain in Reef’s eyes told him his lover found the idea more difficult than he let on.
“I’ll have to be, won’t I?”
Fisher patted Reef on the knee. “I’m sorry, love. I wish I could make this easier.”
Silently, he vowed to do everything he could to keep Reef happy. His mate had given up
his entire existence for Fisher. The least he could do was make sure he didn’t regret his decision.
“Can you ever go back?” The hitch in his chest told him how much the idea already
pained him even after such a short time together.
Reef shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Wrapping his arm around the merman, a pang of guilt went through Fisher. He might feel
bad about Reef losing his mer-side, but he didn’t feel bad enough to give up his man.
Maybe after all this was over, he could find a way for his beloved to visit with his family.
He’d consult with Xanthi away from the merman. He didn’t want to raise any false hopes.
“We’re here,” Xanthi announced, pulling into an underground parking garage.
Once Xanthi stopped, Fisher helped Reef out of the car, grabbed his bag and followed
Xanthi to the elevator.
“Sorry, it won’t be as homey as your house, but it has its own charm,” Xanthi said.
Fisher shrugged. “My real home is in Aria. Don’t get me wrong. This was fun, but I’m
ready to go back and live with my brothers. I miss them. Seeing them for burgers over the
weekend isn’t the same as being with them day-to-day.”
He hadn’t realized how hard it would be to live on his own. At first, he’d embraced the
chance to be an individual and pursue his dreams of studying the ocean—a skill he would put to
good use when he returned to Aria. Over time, however, he’d started missing his brothers. He
hadn’t missed Taylora at all, but then he’d never bonded with his sister as he had his brothers.
Maybe that should’ve told him something was wrong a long time ago.
Xanthi’s apartment had all the luxurious furnishings Fisher expected of the fairy. The
expensive carpets and plush furniture rivaled the castle for luxury.
The fairy shrugged at Fisher’s amazed expression. “I like nice stuff.”
“Huh.”
Fisher set his bag by the door and settled onto the couch next to Reef.
“I’ll see if I have anything to eat. You’ve got to be starved,” Xanthi said, heading toward
the kitchen.
As if waiting for the prompt, Fisher’s stomach growled loudly.
Reef giggled. “I think it’s trying to escape and eat me.”
Fisher gave Reef a hard kiss. “I want to eat something all right.”
He plunged his fingers into Reef’s silky hair and kissed the merman until Reef’s mouth
was swollen from passion.
“Mmm…” Reef’s lust-filled gaze looked back at him.
“Maybe you should sit on the other side of the couch, unless you want to give Xanthi a
show.” Of course, he palmed Reef’s erection while talking, so it took the merman a moment to
realize what he’d said.
“Um, yeah.” Reef bit his lip and slid his body over to the other side of the couch.
“Oh don’t stop for me,” Xanthi said from the kitchen. “I’d be happy to watch or, you
know, participate!”
Fisher growled. “If you want to keep all your body parts, I’d suggest you keep your hands
off Reef.”
He looked over in time to see the fairy pout. “Spoilsport.”
Xanthi turned back to whatever he was cooking on the stove.
“That smells good.” Fisher thought he should throw a compliment toward the fairy since
he really was helping Fisher when he didn’t have to.
“An omelet is one of the few things I can make.” The fairy hummed as he cooked away
at the stove.
Fisher turned on the television to curb his thoughts of jumping Reef and giving Xanthi a
really good show. The first thing that came on was the local news.
“Isn’t that your house?” Reef asked, staring at the screen.
Fisher swallowed the bile rising in his throat as the news announcer commented on how
the place had burned to the ground in minutes. The firemen could do little to put out the blaze.
He might not have planned to return to the place, but that didn’t mean he’d wanted it torched.
“The Hunters probably did it to flush you out.” Xanthi patted Fisher on the shoulder.
“I’m glad we got you out of there in time.”
Fisher didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if he’d been stuck in the
burning building as a swan. “Yeah, me too.”
Reef scooted closer, tucking himself beneath Fisher’s arm as the three men watched his
house finish burning.
“We have to find Kedrik before they get to him.”
Now it was even more imperative to find his younger brother. If Kedrik died because
Fisher couldn’t save him, he’d never forgive himself.
Chapter Ten
Reef let out a sound of distress as a horrible thought occurred to him. “Oh, no. Your poor
fish.”
A heavy silence filled the room as the ramifications of Reef’s statement seemed to slowly
sink in with the other men. Finally, Fisher stood up with a loud curse. “Those fuckers killed my
damn fish. They are so going to pay for that.”
Xanthi cocked a brow. “Well, maybe it’s for the best since we had to take off. They
would have been left with nobody to take care of them.”
“I was planning on having a lady from my work come over and take them home with her.
I would have never left my babies unattended.” Fisher turned to Reef. “You believe me, right?”
Heart breaking, Reef nodded. Tears built up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. He
ducked his head down, not wanting anyone to see his moment of weakness. Fisher still must
have noticed because he paused in his ranting and knelt down on the carpet in front of Reef.
Tucking two fingers under Reef’s chin, Fisher forced him to lock gazes.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be sappy,” Reef rushed. “I naturally have a close connection
to any kind of marine life, so it kind of hit me hard.”
Fisher fanned the pad of his thumb over Reef’s cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for,
babe. I’m just as upset as you are.”
But Reef couldn’t help but feel like a failure for letting his emotions show. His father had
always beat it into his head that real mermen didn’t weep, so it was hard for Reef to think
otherwise.
“I wish I could be strong like you,” Reef blurted out.
Heat covered his cheeks as he realized just how lame he sounded. He half expected
Fisher to turn away from him in disgust. So when Fisher leaned in and lightly feathered their lips
together, Reef couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise.
Relief soared through him as he realized Fisher didn’t care that Reef had gotten weepy. If
anything, the prince seemed to be touched by Reef’s concern. What’s more, this all came at a
time when Fisher should be the one being consoled. Instead, he was rushing to make sure Reef’s
needs were taken care of.
“I should be the one comforting you,” Reef said once they broke apart.
Fisher pressed their foreheads together. The moment seemed so intimate despite the fact
Xanthi was standing only a few feet away. Reef increased the contact, curling his fingers into the
front of Fisher’s shirt and holding on tight, a large part of him never wanting to let go.
“Why is that?” Fisher asked.
“Because, you just lost everything. Your home has been destroyed, you’re being hunted
down by a posse of wannabe ninjas and your own sister put a curse on you.”
“Maybe, but I haven’t lost the thing that’s most important to me,” Fisher murmured.
Fisher’s gaze was so intense…so probing…so loving that it took Reef’s breath away.
“What’s that?” Reef still asked. While he already had an inkling what the answer would
be, he still needed to be certain.
“You. You silly, merman,” Fisher answered with a crooked smile.
Xanthi let out an annoyed huff. “As interesting as this Hallmark moment is, one of us
should actually do some research about curses. More specifically, this curse and what other neat
side effects it could have.”
“I thought Petra already told you everything?” Reef said, pulling back.
“Correction. Petra already told me everything she thinks she knows. I love that girl
something wicked, but research and curses have never been her best subjects.”
Fisher laughed. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are her best subjects?”
Xanthi gave them a droll stare. “The art of beer bongs and wet T-shirt contests.”
“I really have to meet your fairy godmother,” Reef said to Fisher. When that earned him
an arched brow in response, Reef rushed to add, “Not because I want to see her in a wet shirt or
anything. Sure, I like boobs. They’re big, fluffy and fun, but I’m not turned on by them or
anything. She just sounds like she’d be neat to hang around with.”
“Goddess, sometimes I think your inner monologue switch is forever stuck in the on
position,” Xanthi said, although the corners of his lips were twitching.
With that final comment, the fairy left the room.
Once they were alone, Reef asked, “Are you sure you’re doing okay?”
Fisher shrugged. “I’m not going to lie and say that it’s easy. My own sister is trying to
have me killed because she wants to rule the kingdom. It seems so pointless.”
Putting his arms around Fisher’s shoulders, Reef allowed their foreheads to drop together
again. “If I could, I would send a great, big tidal wave her way.”
“Yeah, but then that would make the whole castle soggy.”
“I guess you have a point. How about just a little one that’s directed only toward her?”
“It would ruin her hair and makeup. That would be sure to piss her off.” Fisher smiled.
It gave Reef a great sense of satisfaction to know that he was able to make his prince feel
better; even if it was for only a little bit. Nuzzling their noses together, Reef said, “Consider it
done then.”
“Good luck trying to get into the castle. Not only will she have her sorcerer friend setting
protective spells around the place, but no doubt she has Hunters stationed everywhere.”
Reef let out a sigh. “You probably have a point there. So what are we going to do?”
“We?” Fisher echoed.
“Yes, we. You don’t think I’d let you face this alone, do you?”
Fisher shook his head. “I can’t put you in danger. If something were to happen to you, I
couldn’t live through the hurt.”
“Since I feel the same way about you, I guess we’ll just have to stick together. That way
we can protect each other.”
For a moment, Reef feared that Fisher would argue with him. Then the prince let out a
low groan before saying, “I’m so afraid of losing you. I know we just met, but…”
When Fisher trailed off, Reef picked up, “But, you can’t help but be madly in love with
me.”
Fisher laughed. “You sure can be cheeky at times.”
Reef smiled. “So, I’ve been told. More than once, my sisters have threatened to gag me. I
get on their nerves.”
“Well, I wouldn’t change a thing about you. In fact, I think I fell in love with you from
the moment I saw you at the restaurant. The way you had your face pressed up to the tank and
were talking to the fish was so cute.”
“And here I worried you thought it was dorky.”
A warm feeling pooled in Reef’s stomach and suddenly, it didn’t matter that he’d given
up so much to be with Fisher. He knew he’d do it a thousand times over just to have the prince
look at him the way he was at that moment.
“There’s nothing dorky about you,” Fisher said, his thumb once again fanning over
Reef’s cheek.
Reef couldn’t resist turning his face into the caress. Fisher’s warm and loving touch was
addictive and, damn, if Reef wanted to kick that habit anytime soon. Tilting his head up, he
offered his lips for a kiss. Fisher groaned before he pressed their mouths together. They kissed
lazily for several moments. Reef savored each caress, lick and nibble.
“That’s it! I knew I’d seen this somewhere!” Xanthi declared as he came back into the
room.
He held a heavy looking, brown, leather bound book in his hands. He set it down on the
table and excitedly pointed to a page. “I may have found a way for you to be reunited with your
brothers. Or rather, the ones who’ve already broken the swan part of their curse.”
Reef let out a gasp of shock.
Fisher sprang to his feet and went to Xanthi. Looking over the fairy’s shoulder, Fisher
said, “How? And why didn’t Petra know about it?”
“Unlike your godmother, I did crack the books from time to time.”
“Really?” Reef got up and joined them. “You don’t strike me as the studious type.”
For some reason that comment appeared to make Xanthi very uncomfortable. His finger
tapped out a nervous beat on the book before he huffed and admitted, “Okay, I was a bit of a
nerd when I was in school.”
Fisher and Reef exchanged surprised looks.
Xanthi let out an aggravated sound then asked, “Are we going to make a big deal out of
this?”
“Oh, we’re going to make a very big deal,” a female exclaimed as she popped into the
middle of the living room.
Reef let out a yelp of surprise, his heart racing. He braced himself and prepared for
another attack, but one look at the woman told him she wasn’t a Hunter. Thin, with at least fifty
pounds of red, curly hair, she wore all black. Unlike the earlier attackers, hers was more
outlandish and almost gothic. She had paired a short lace skirt, with a ragged hem resembling
cobwebs, with a satin corset style top. On her legs were sheer stockings with diamonds running
up the back seams and what could only be described as hooker boots.
“Petra,” Xanthi said, his face a mask of relief. “I’ve been so worried about you. Ever
since we lost contact, I kept thinking the worst.”
She put one hand on her hip and struck a pose. “Like any Hunter could get this fine piece
of badness. I was delayed helping Landon and his little courier escape.”
“So Landon is okay?” Fisher asked.
Petra turned, acting as if she’d only just noticed them. The act didn’t fool Reef for a
moment. He had a sneaking suspicion that, airhead act aside, she was always aware of her
surroundings.
“Yes, Landon is fine and he found his one true love. I can see that he wasn’t the only one,
either.” She clapped her hands together as she danced around on the balls of her feet.
“So, does that mean that Fisher broke his curse?” Reef ventured.
He held his breath as he waited for her answer. After everything they’d been through the
past few hours, they were due for some good news.
Petra flashed a blinding smile. “Yes, it does.”
“Thank the seas,” Reef breathed.
“Just the swan part, though, his life force is still bound to his brothers,” she hastened to
add. “So, I still don’t think it’ll be safe for you and Landon to be around each other. For all we
know, you guys being in the same room could amplify the curse and make things worse.”
“Actually, we do know what will happen if Landon and Fisher are around each other,”
Xanthi cut in.
“We do?” Petra tilted her head to the side, a look of confusion creasing her perfectly
sculpted brows.
“Yes, or maybe I should say I do.”
“How?”
“Because, unlike you, I didn’t skip most of our classes.”
“It’s not my fault you never knew how to have fun.” Petra glanced over at Reef and
Fisher. “Did you know that Xanthi studied every night? Even over the holidays. He never went
out for fun.”
Xanthi curled his fingers around the edges of the book. “Sometimes there are more
important things than fun.”
“Really? Do you remember how I had to go to Woodstock by myself? And by that I
mean the original Woodstock. While Xanthi stayed home and studied, I got to get naked and
muddy with the humans. There was this one guy there named Moon Beam. He had the biggest
co—”
“Petra!” Xanthi cut in sharply. “Can you focus here for one second?”
She pursed her lips together, looking slightly wounded. “I’m just trying to prove a point
here.”
“Yes, that I need to let loose once in a while. In the meantime, you seemed to have
forgotten that the one time I followed that advice, I ended up having my magic stripped from
me.”
Her eyes grew misty with tears as she brought her hand up to her lips. “Damn, Xanthi. I
forgot. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a bitch.”
She rushed over and gave Xanthi a hug. At first, Xanthi stiffened, but after a second, he
relaxed and brought his arms up to return the embrace. Reef realized there were many more
layers to the fairy than he’d ever suspected. While Xanthi might come off as materialistic and
vain, it was all a wall he’d erected to hide his hurt.
“Why don’t you tell me what you found?” she asked.
Xanthi nodded then turned back to the book. “I found this passage about death curses.
While it’s mostly written in Elvish, I was able to translate it. According to this, so long as the
first part of the curse is broken, then the brothers can be together. In fact, it may even make them
stronger. While it doesn’t exactly spell out why, I think it may have something to do with their
energy feeding off each other.”
Fisher reached out and gripped Reef’s hand. “Are you sure about this?”
“If Xanthi says it’s true, then it is. He’s never made a mistake before when it comes to
books and magic. He was always top of our class,” Petra boasted.
A blush came over Xanthi’s cheeks. “So, why don’t you bring Landon here? That way he
and Fisher can decide what move they want to make next.”
Petra nodded before she poofed out of the room. She returned moments later with three
men. One was tall and muscular. Even though he didn’t look much like Fisher, Reef instantly
knew they were brothers. Along with him was a smaller guy that had blond hair with green
streaks running through it. Going by the way he was clutching Landon’s hand, they were
obviously a couple. The third man had a more dangerous vibe going on, with dark hair and a scar
running down one side of his face. He was still very handsome in a rugged sort of way.
“Landon,” Fisher breathed.
The brothers met halfway, embracing each other in a tight hug. Once they pulled apart,
Landon reached out for the blond. “This is Brian.”
When Fisher reached for him, Reef couldn’t hold back his goofy smile of happiness.
Linking their fingers together, Fisher said, “This is Reef. He’s the son of Pontus.”
Landon’s eyes grew wide. “So, in other words, you snagged yourself a merman. I guess
that makes sense. You always did love the ocean.”
Brian gasped. “As in a real live merman? With fins and a tail?”
“Well, not so much anymore. I gave that up to be with Fisher,” Reef said.
“That is so cool.” Brian smiled.
Landon tilted his head to the third man. “This is Hagan. He used to be a Hunter, but now
he’s on our side.”
“So, you trust him?” Fisher asked.
It may have been a bit rude to ask that with the guy standing right there, but Reef
couldn’t blame Fisher. They had to be certain they were safe.
Landon nodded. “I trust him with my life.”
Hagan growled. “Now that that’s all clear, we need to get moving. It’s not going to take
the Hunters long to figure out Xanthi is allied with you guys. Once that happens, they’re going to
be all over this place.”
They all nodded before Reef remembered something. “Wait. Let me grab my bag first.”
“What bag is that?” Fisher asked.
“The one my dad insisted on me bringing here when I left the ocean.” Reef ran and
quickly grabbed it before rejoining the others.
Petra frowned, her gaze honing in on the bag. “What exactly is in it?”
Reef shrugged. “Some gold.”
“Is that all he gave you?”
He started to nod his head before he remembered the ring. Reef pulled the chain over his
head and showed it to everyone. “He gave me this, too.”
Xanthi and Petra moved closer. A heavy silence fell over the room as they studied it for
the longest time. Reef began to feel a bit self-conscious as he resisted to the urge to shuffle his
feet.
“What is it?” Landon asked.
“It has the same writing on it as Brian’s brooch,” Petra finally said, her voice laced with
awe.
Reef glanced down but didn’t see anything special. It just looked like a dull piece of gold
to him. It wasn’t even perfectly rounded but instead had rough edges as if it had been hammered
into shape.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Xanthi declared grimly. “Damn it. Why didn’t I notice
the connection before? I bet each of the princes mates have some connection to Aria. We will
have to see if they fit together somehow. I should have spotted it the instant I saw him, since he
was naked.”
A blush burned over Reef’s face.
Fisher reached out, reclaimed Reef’s hand and pulled him back. “You saw him nude?”
“I’d just made the transformation to my human form and was on the shore. It’s not like he
did it on purpose.” Reef ran a finger down Fisher’s chest to soothe him.
Landon laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fisher get this possessive over anybody
before. Wait until Kedrik gets a load of this.”
The room instantly grew grim at the mention of their brother’s name.
“We’ll find all your brothers. I feel it in my heart,” Reef said.
“At least we know Dack is safe,” Petra added. “He’s at my place, and I have a cloaking
spell in place. So there is no way anybody other than me can find it.”
“So, what’s our first move?” Reef asked.
“We look for Kedrik. He, Fisher and I are the only brothers on Earth, whereas our other
brothers are on Aria. Once we have him safe, then we can figure out a way to go back to our
homeland and find the other two before taking on Taylora,” Landon said, his jaw set in a stern
line.
“Where do we start looking for Kedrik?” Brian wondered.
“Last I heard, he was living in San Francisco. So, we’ll start there,” Fisher said, before
directing his gaze back to Reef. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll understand if you think
it’s too dangerous.”
Reef narrowed his eyes at Fisher. “You’re my mate, and I belong by your side. Nothing
can tear us apart.”
Fisher gave him a crooked smile. “I know. I just needed to hear you say that again. I love
you, my little merman.”
“And I love you, prince. Now let’s go get our happily ever after ending.”
Petra laughed. “You boys wait here, and I’ll go get Dack and zip right back. That way we
have at least half of you.”
“Good idea,” Landon said. “We’ll get Xanthi all packed up and ready.”
“Hey!” Xanthi said, “I won’t take that long."
Petra laughed. “Sure, honey.”
With a wave goodbye, she vanished.
* * * *
“Dack. Dack!” Petra called as she headed through the house.
The eerie emptiness sent a chill through her.
What if the Hunters had arrived while she was gone? Her protection spells weren’t as
strong as they should be. Xanthi was right when he said she had too good a time in school.
Listening carefully, she walked down the hall searching for signs that someone had been
there before her.
“Dack?” she whispered.
No response.
Pushing open the door to the guest bedroom revealed an empty room.
“Uh Oh. Dack?” Scanning the room, she saw the window by the bed was open. On the
covers lay a long, white feather. “Oh, that can’t be good.” Peeking out the window, Petra saw no
signs of anyone.
Just to make sure, she searched the rest of her place but found no sign of the prince.
“I’m in so much trouble.”
She’d lost Prince Dack. Not only was he the youngest, but his brothers were also
fanatically protective of him.
With a shaky hand, Petra sent herself back to the princes. Maybe she’d take the long way,
like through Maui.
About the Author
Amber is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in Dallas with
her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog.
Amber loves to talk to her readers and can be found at amberkell.wordpress.com.
Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all
things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings!
You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine
at her favorite coffee shop.
Stephani loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.stephanihecht.com.
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