His twin's voice snapped him out of his musings. "Jaden?" Chrys said. "Are you okay?"
Jaden blinked, confused about Chrys's concerned expression. He realized he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't heard Chrys call out to him the first time. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I guess."
Chrys nodded, obviously guessing Jaden's fatigue wasn't physical. Chrys leaned against Jaden, placing his head on Jaden's shoulder in a casual gesture. "I wish things were different."
Jaden swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat. Taking a deep breath, he forced his suddenly racing heart to calm down. "Yeah," he replied. "Me too."
Chrys had no idea how much Jaden wanted that.
They rested a while behind the rock, and Chrys grabbed a piece of cheese as well. Jaden finished his own and spent the rest of their rest time watching his twin's lips, aching to feel them on his own and hating himself for it.
When the time to go finally came, Jaden pushed all the sinful thoughts out of his mind. They needed to focus on finding shelter. Their father and the king's guards would be looking for them.
"So where to?" he asked his twin.
"I have no idea… maybe we should try one of the villages farther west."
Jaden frowned. "That would take us close to Atlantis. Wouldn't it be risky?"
"It's not a perfect plan," Chrys mused, "but we don't have much choice. I'm pretty sure there are patrols all over the coast. We might manage to lose them if we go that way."
Jaden didn't know if that was the case, but Chrys did have a point. They couldn't just wait around, hoping to somehow find a miracle cure. "Okay," he told his twin. "Let's go."
As they started on their way once again, Jaden vowed to do whatever was in his power to keep his twin safe and happy.
Chapter Two
Chrys swam deeper and deeper, his muscles straining as he attempted to escape. Despair pushed him forward, making him move faster than he'd ever thought possible. His brother raced by his side, body taut and tense with effort. They swept through the waters like arrows, the panic growing with each second that passed.
Following Chrys's plan, they'd gotten too close to the capital, stupidly believing they wouldn't be spotted. They'd been half right. The patrols must've been too concerned with securing the trade routes to focus on two little mer. Bandit attacks quite often caused problems, as well as the occasional anomaly in the migrational patterns of dangerous sea creatures. Either way, the Atlantean guards completely missed Chrys and Jaden. That was the good news. The bad news nullified its value. While they hadn't run into any sharks, octopi, or jellyfish, they seemed to have stumbled on a greater danger.
The mer patrols were right to be apprehensive. Bandits watched from the shadows, always waiting to strike. Jaden and Chrys had been unlucky enough to draw their attention. Their bags now lay abandoned somewhere behind them, and the thieves were gaining on them, so close Chrys could almost feel their repugnant touch.
An arrow swished past, missing Chrys by inches. Chrys cursed and swam left. They moved in zigzags, but grew tired. They tried to lose their pursuers, but the bandits didn't let up.
Finally, the thieves' aim struck true. A sickening fleshy sound echoed in Chrys's ears. For a second, it didn't quite process, but then pain engulfed him, hot and sharp. Chrys cried out. He tried to push forward, but every time he moved his tail, bolts of agony shocked through him. Blood mixed with the water around them, and finally, his body refused to cooperate.
Jaden let out a curse and took hold of Chrys's arm, supporting him, wordlessly forbidding him from giving up. Chrys tried to obey, but it hurt too much. It would be pointless to continue and he'd just slow his twin down. The entire thing had been his idea, after all. He couldn't bear the thought Jaden would have to pay for his rashness.
"Go, Jaden. Leave me."
Jaden's eyes filled with tears and he shook his head. He pulled Chrys away from the clear path. They hid behind a large coral and Jaden checked on Chrys's wound.
The arrow had embedded itself between two large, azure-colored scales. Chrys covered his mouth to choke his whimper when Jaden pulled it out. The wound would seal itself as the scales healed, but for now, it hurt like a bitch. Of course, if the bandits caught them, Chrys wouldn't have the chance to heal up.
The loud chuckle that sounded above them didn't come as a surprise. Jaden tensed, but didn't try to flee either. It would be futile. They'd been caught.
A tall, red-headed merman grinned at them. "Look what we have here. Two cute youngsters, just for our enjoyment."
"Please, let us go," Jaden said. "We don't want any trouble."
Even as Jaden spoke, Chrys knew what the thief's reply would be. "I think not," the tall merman said. The red scales of his tail flashed threateningly. "Jasper, come on. They're here."
Another merman, one with dark orange hair, appeared from beyond the coral. He smiled at their captor. "Good job, Dialy."
The new arrival—Jasper—swept his gaze over them. Chrys shuddered under the appraisal. He could see a dark promise in the man's eerie eyes. Jasper leaned toward them and cupped Jaden's jaw. "What a pretty thing you are," he said.
Chrys snarled at Jasper, pushing the other merman's hand away from Jaden. "You keep your filthy fins to yourself."
"Oh… so you like to hog all the attention. No worries. I like you both."
Jasper lunged at Chrys, and his larger body hit Chrys hard. The thief's tail rubbed against Chrys's wound and he let out a cry of pain and disgust.
Jasper chuckled and swept his hands over Chrys's scales. Chrys tried to move away, but the thief immobilized him with ease. Sobs echoed in Chrys's ears and he realized his twin was crying. Or maybe they both were. The other mer—Dialy—had turned his attention to Jaden, and Chrys was aware of every unwanted touch on Jaden's body the same way he felt his own abuse.
Jasper's fingers prodded at the end of Chrys's tail and Chrys felt an unwilling bolt of pleasure sweep through him. He hated himself for responding to his abuser, but his body didn't want to obey his mind and heart. Nobody had ever touched him there. He'd tested it once or twice, curious, but the sensations had confused and scared him.
Such touches went beyond mere tail contact. As a curious young mer, Chrys had touched his twin's tail many times. He didn't count those innocent caresses as sexual, though, and neither had dared to go too far back then. And then there had been Aurus and their stolen moments in the coral garden of the palace. But Aurus hadn't touched him in his most intimate spot, the tiny opening between the large fins of Chrys's tail. It was something kept for each mer's first time. Chrys hated this thief might be the first one to do it.
Thankfully, Jasper didn't try to steal his way inside Chrys's body. Instead, he rubbed at the spot and whispered in Chrys's ear, "Come on, pretty thing. Shift for me."
Stimulation through pressure or slight penetration would have caused a sexually-experienced mer to turn into his legged form. The channel beyond the small hole hid particularly sensitive nerve endings. Chrys, however, did not shift.
He somehow found the energy to snort. "I can't," he told the bandit. "I don't know how."
Jasper laughed. "Are you kidding me? Someone who looks like you, and at your age? Don't be ridiculous."
"Jasper," Dialy piped up, "I think he's telling the truth."
Chrys took advantage of the moment and pushed the thief away. He rushed to his brother's side and wrapped his arms around Jaden.
"Are you okay, Jaden?" he said.
Jaden nodded. "Chrys," he murmured, "I don't want them to touch me."
Dialy gave Jaden a disgruntled look, but didn't comment. Jasper didn't show the same restraint. He swam to Chrys's side and gripped his arm, squeezing hard, before looking at both mer and realizing for the first time that they were twins. "Jaden. Chrys. You're the sons of Lord Malach, aren't you?" he growled.
Chrys tensed. He considered denying it, but the thieves weren't fools. They'd already found out the truth. What would Jasper do to them now?
"Of course," Dialy said. "No wonder they didn't attack us with their elements. They have no magic."
"Gods…" Jasper grumbled under his breath. "I almost cursed myself." He glanced toward Chrys and Jaden once more, shaking his head. "Such a waste."
More mer showed up from behind the corals. "Jasper?" one of them called out.
"They're the sons of Lord Malach," Jasper said.
Whispers of discontent swept over the gathering, clearly illustrating the mer thieves' opinion of Chrys and Jaden. "Let's just drop them in the pit," someone said. "The sharks will surely be interested in their blood."
Death loomed. Jaden trembled against Chrys and his own fear echoed his brother's. "Look, you don't have to kill us," he said and marveled his voice didn't shake. "Maybe we can be useful. We know our way around Atlantis and the palace."
Jasper seemed to consider Chrys's words. "So you want to live?"
Chrys nodded. Of course he did. What kind of question was that?
"Very well," Jasper said. "You can come with us. Maybe your talents will come in handy. But touch any of us and you'll die in a very slow and painful way."
Chrys couldn't suppress a shudder. As Dialy pulled them up and they were surrounded by hostile mer, he wondered if they'd ever get out of this one alive.
* * * *
The bandits tugged Chrys and Jaden along through dark current paths avoided by the patrols. Jaden knew that any wrong movement would get them both killed. At least the curse had been useful in one respect. The two mer had not managed to take advantage of them sexually. Even those few touches Dialy had forced upon Jaden's flesh made him want to hurl.
As if knowing what Jaden thought, Dialy turned toward them and gave Jaden a dark look. "Don't even think about escaping. I won't have any qualms about killing you."
Jaden didn't answer. He didn't doubt Dialy spoke the truth, but neither did he want to look more pathetic than he already did. He met Dialy's eyes, not giving the other mer the satisfaction of letting him know how much Jaden feared him.
"We get it," Chrys replied. "We're not stupid."
"You were stupid enough to come this way," Jasper laughed.
Jaden ignored him. "How's your tail?" he asked his twin in a whisper.
"Much better," Chrys answered. "The wound seems to have sealed already."
Jaden nodded, although he felt a bit put out the bandits hadn't even bothered to check. They should have ensured Chrys didn't have any bloody injuries, if not for Chrys's sake, then for the safety of them all. Even if these waters weren't infested with too many predators, an errant shark could always pop up, drawn by the scent. That would be the last thing they needed at the moment.
Thankfully, nothing like that happened. They reached the bandits' hideout without incident. Jaden noticed with a start that it was located in the proximity of the Forbidden Zone. Atlanteans usually avoided the area, purportedly haunted by a dangerous monster. Hundreds of years ago, the ruling monarch had mysteriously forbidden any access, warning the mer an intrusion would be punishable by death.
The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Isn't this too close to the Forbidden Zone?"
Jasper chuckled once again. "Don't tell me you actually believe that wives' tale. We've been here for years now without seeing anything."
"Even fish are rare," Jaden noticed.
Jasper missed the hidden meaning of Jaden's observation. Sea creatures avoided this area, and that spelled trouble for anyone who didn't.
"Well, if it comforts you, we don't actually go inside. We're close, yes, but not close enough for it to be a peril."
Jaden surmised that the bandit leader did indeed have at least a degree of apprehension regarding the mysterious monster that supposedly lurked in the murky depths. A spark of satisfaction briefly flitted through him and he almost smiled. He didn't say anything else, though, knowing he'd already pushed his luck. Besides, something told him it wouldn't be wise to dwell too much on the topic of the beast.
It soon became apparent the group of bandits was much larger than Jaden originally thought. Tens of mer emerged from the abode-like structure, greeting Jasper with loud shouts and imprecations. Men, women, and children jeered at Jaden and Chrys.
"You found yourself a boyfriend?" someone asked.
Jasper's voice sounded flat when he responded. "Hardly. Everyone, meet Jaden and Chrys, sons of Lord Malach."
The raucous chaos turned to deadly silence. Jaden felt the weight of the hostile gazes more acutely than ever.
"What did you bring upon us?" one of the mermen asked. "We have to get rid of them now."
"They can be useful," Jasper said calmly. "As long as you don't touch them, you'll be fine."
"Why should we receive them here in the first place?" another countered. "What if they do something to the children? Maybe they'll extend the curse to them."
"We'd never do anything so horrible," Jaden shot back. He wouldn't wish this fate on his worst enemy. They'd grown up with sneers and glares, powerless and rejected. The only ones who'd ever shown them kindness had been their father and Aurus.
Unfortunately, his outburst drew the crowd's attention. "Look, it speaks," a mermaid said. Her red hair seemed to be liquid flame and her eyes burned Jaden as she spoke.
"Settle down, Magma," Jasper warned. "We'll keep them around temporarily. If we have any trouble, they're dead."
The tone seemed to pacify the disgruntled bandits. And yet, as their guards forcibly pushed Jaden and Chrys inside the hideout, Jaden sensed something was not right. And it didn't have anything to do with the thieves. He had a feeling that in the dark waters beyond hid a mystery that could consume them all.
* * * *
Within the darkness, the beast slept the dreamless slumber of a creature lost in hibernation. There were no feelings, no regrets now, just instinct and the occasional desire to feed. Rarely did it wake, and once it took care of its survival urges, it went back to its lair and slept once again.