AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-Seven
FOUR IS A LUCKY NUMBER FOR AQUARIUS
Maris
My world is crumbling around me, and all I can do to help is keep looking for the last piece of the jug. It doesn’t feel like enough. I want to kick Neptune out of my dad’s chair and put the rightful king back on his throne, but I feel helpless. I don’t know which merfolk are on my side and who are traitors. Is this why my dad always tried to keep me around the royals? I understand why he didn’t like Pasha now.
I’ve never been in a situation where I’m the one making the big decisions, and I’m going to need as many allies as I can find. First, I must stay true to my word and help find the jug. Kasper and I have come so far, and we can’t delay our mission. Owen’s counting on us, and he can’t wait for me to save my city. Everything is a mess.
“Are you okay?” Kasper asks once we’re alone. He must have noticed I’d zoned out.
“How am I going to save Atlantis?” I ask, biting my lip.
“One of the things I’ve learnt from this experience is that we should look at each piece of a situation individually. It was a mammoth task to get this far, but we got through it by keeping our focus. We’ve been to Brazil, Dominican Republic, and back to Haiti. We literally crossed lands and oceans to bring the jug together. I couldn’t have done this without you.” He kisses me softly.
I cover my face when memories of the last time we were intimate flash through my mind. “I can’t believe I got caught naked with you.” My face is burning with embarrassment.
“I can’t believe we got interrupted. We have some making up to do.” He slips his arm around my butt. The piece of jug is still in his hand.
“I’m being serious. My innocent reputation is ruined.”
Kasper has a way of lightening the situation, and I find myself laughing at my indiscretion. Before I met him, I wouldn’t have considered doing something that shines a bad light on me. Now, I feel like a vixen, but it’s all for him. Kasper makes me feel like nobody ever has.
“With a human too. It’s scandalous.” He laughs playfully, and I can’t help but smile.
“Hopefully, Pasha and Ryn won’t tell my dad.”
“Are you ashamed of me?” he asks with a frown.
I shake my head. “No. It’s just my dad and the merfolk might not be accepting of you.”
“If I help you save Atlantis, maybe they’ll see it differently.” He rubs my arm, and I circle his wrist with my thumb.
I like his optimism.
“I hope you’re right.” It would be nice if my dad became more accepting of change. I’ve seen how Pasha has struggled with not having the right connections, and I thought being her friend was enough. Now I can see she’s not the only one who would like a fairer chance in Atlantis, but I’m getting ahead of myself. “Have you had a chance to study our latest clue?”
He holds the jug up to the light so he can read the inscription. “The moon shines brightest when love is in the air.”
“It doesn’t give us much to go on. Other than having to wait until it gets dark,” I say, thinking out loud.
“And don’t forget, we have to bring the romance.” Kasper winks at me.
“I hope we’ll be able to avoid an audience this time.”
He nods. “That would be great. I’d like to get rid of my blue balls.”
I playfully swat his arm, but I feel a little flushed. He’s messing with me, but I’ve felt his arousal when we’ve been kissing. “You’re wicked.”
He laughs. “If you’re lucky, I’ll show you how naughty I can be later.”
I fan my face. “I look forward to it.”
Our attraction is more than being thrown together for the stars. I really care about him and want to get closer to him.
“Come on. Let’s get a move on before we get caught doing something else we shouldn’t be. Let’s go on land so we can check on Owen and gather the rest of the pieces.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.” I’m disappointed he doesn’t want to kiss some more, but he’s right. It’s the middle of the day, and we’re a mermaid and a human in the middle of the ocean. If a boat found us, we’d have some explaining to do, even if I transformed my tail.
