“So tell us everything,” I demand as I take my own seat at the head of the table, Brannock on one side and Saxon on the other. Both of them are on high alert for any misdeeds from our guests. It’s good to be queen—I mean ringmaster.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Nikos
The ship moves slightly, and the young girls whom I recognize as being more grown-up versions of Hurri’s sisters gasp. The preteens they were when Nixie and I left Aquilia are gone, and now they are pretty teenagers who I am sure do their best to drive my friend crazy. Storm and Tempest were such adorable little children and worshiped the ground their much older brother walked on, but they were also cheeky little girls who liked to get up to mischief.
“It’s just your ship blowing up,” Tirrian assures them, placing himself midway down the table between Lila and our guests. Zeydan also takes a seat on that end, much like Xavier. They are all strategically placed in case those claiming to be friends are actually enemies instead. I approve, but I hope like hell they are not trying to play us false in any way. I’m still shocked at Zeydan’s announcement. How can the man I know and grew up with be his godly brother? Before I can say anything, though, Nixie starts her story.
“After you left, Mother was kind to my face for a few days, but it soon became apparent she was no better than our father. We established a council, people handpicked by me who I knew would be a good counter measure to any decisions she might make—mers who would benefit our people and not just themselves.” My sister is most definitely more suitable for ruling than I am, since she is infinitely less selfish. “But as we started making decisions and suggestions on changes to Father’s rule, Mother was not happy. Some of the mers who had been loyal to my father decided it was better to follow her and get rewarded than try to do right for the better of the mer people. In the end, she imprisoned us all and became a dictator.”
“How did you get away?” Brannock asks suspiciously.
“She promised breeding rights of me to one of the crusty old men. When I was being transported to his estate close to where Hurricane was stationed, he created a diversion and managed to free me.”
We turn our attention to my friend, who takes over his part of the story. “I have been a part of a resistance for a while now.”
“Hang on, before we get to that, how did you and Nikos grow up together if you are also Zeydan’s long-lost brother?” Lila interjects, needing some back story before we go on, and I want to know this information as well.
“Of course, sister, my apologies.” Hurricane nods to her, and she gapes at him.
“Sister?” Lila mouths to Zeydan, and he shrugs. I mean, I guess he is her brother-in-law now, if what he says is true, and she seems to accept that.
“When we were damaged after Vivax’s plan was foiled, we were scattered amongst the galaxy. A good chunk of our power was gone, or at least the power to create new worlds and races was. Our general powers were still greater than those of our creations, but it made us vulnerable and easy to kill, and wemade a decision to go our separate ways and live quiet lives amongst our creations. I chose the Aquilians.” His version lines up with Liliana’s and Zeydan’s stories.
“This is similar to what Aarin told me,” Zeydan tells Hurricane, mentioning the Celestian we now know is Zeydan’s other brother, the elemental god of air. We were all shocked to learn that. How have they all ended up in the same place together? Ghosie speculated it must be fate playing a hand in all of this. Maybe whoever originally created them is trying to right the wrongs of the universe.
“I lived a quiet life for many years, faking my death and later reappearing on the other side of the planet in a different community, but eventually, some of the mers got suspicious. Nikos’s ancestors, who have held the throne for a very long time, were a wily and suspicious lot, and I wasn’t able to outsmart them. I was ambushed and killed.”
Nixie and the two girls gasp, and their eyes shine with tears. My own heart aches at the thought of my friend being subjected to any pain from my family.
“Go on,” I encourage.
“I knew it wouldn’t be permanent, but I didn’t reincarnate for a good many years, and it was to a family that was part of the inner circle at the palace. Nikos and I were childhood friends. Eventually, my memories returned. I was about seventeen or eighteen by then, but instead of telling anyone, I decided it was better to live as Hurricane. My life was good, and my parents were lovely people. My best friend and his twin sister spent more time in our residence than their own.”
He isn’t wrong. Nixie and I did everything we could to escape our parents, who were in a toxic marriage and fought constantly when Dad paraded his harem of mistresses in front of my mother. She grew more bitter as we got older, and by the time we were teenagers, she couldn’t stand to look at us and vice versa.
“His parents were kind, loving, good people and made us feel like we were wanted. They knew life for the crown prince and princess of Aquilia was not all it was cracked up to be,” I explain.
“Nikos was being groomed to take over from Marlin, and Nixie was going to be married off in an alliance that would benefit Marlin. Their parents did not like my influence on their children. Nikos was using his airheaded facade almost permanently by then to fool his father into thinking he was a moldable idiot. Marlin didn’t like me around him and ordered me to attend military school.”
“Which was exactly our plan,” I interject. “I wanted Hurricane as my right-hand man when I took the throne, because there wasn’t anyone I trusted more, but then the Aquilians were ordered by the council to send someone to perform in the circus. Dad got it in his head that he could make good political alliances if he sent us. He knew the crown prince of the warlocks and General Saxon were already performing in it, and had been informed that Caspian and Link, although not royalty, had influential families, and we were instructed to make friends.”
“That didn’t go so well,” Lila remarks, and I shake my head ruefully.
“I did not want them dragged into my parents’ drama, so I continued my airhead charade and remained aloof. Nixie and I were certain that the pod we were performing with were spies for my parents, so she made friends with the cast and crew.”
“You used Magenta and the two Vilaxians?” Lila accuses my sister, unable to hide the hostility in her voice.
My sister vehemently shakes her head. “God, no,” she cries and clasps her hands together. “One of us had to look like we were making an effort. If I wanted to stay on my parents’ good side, I would have seduced one of the men they wanted me to. No, Mags, Hale, and Velorina was me being selfish and wantingsomething for myself. I knew it could never be serious though. I was always going to marry someone my parents picked out, and Mags was not on that list. The Vilaxians were eventually going to need a clan as well. It’s hardwired into them.”
We all look at Saxon for confirmation. “Yes, she is mostly right. A Vilaxian does feel longing for a clan when they are not a part of one.” Lila frowns, and he must see her worry, so he picks up her hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “The exception being when we find our blood rose. I do not ache for a clan, and even if I did, all of your mates would satisfy that need. It’s not just a need for blood, but for emotional ties, and I have that with our family.”
Her face clears, and I can practically feel her relief. She turns her attention back to my sister. “Then what?”
Hurricane takes over again. “While in military school, I was invited to join the resistance—one that opposed Marlin’s rule and wished for a different leadership. I convinced them that Nikos was not his father and that he should rule instead. We had to be careful, because Marlin had spies everywhere. We were in the process of planning an assassination when the warlocks took care of the problem for us.” Hurricane nods his thanks to Xavier, who waves his hand nonchalantly, but before he can reply, the ship makes the leap into warp speed. It shudders for a moment or two, my chest aching as a great force presses down on it. Holy shit, that hurts. Usually I am below the surface of our pool when we do that, and it doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much since the water buffers us. It finally stabilizes, and we are all released from the harnesses.
“You’re welcome,” Xavier says, and Lila rolls her eyes at him taking the credit. I remember he was knocked out during the whole thing.
