“You should have tried harder, Vax. If I'd known I was your mate, I never would have left.”
“Are you sure?”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that I truly don't think you were ready to hear that you'd be bound to me forever. You denied my first offer because you wanted freedom. Then you denied me again for adventure. Those were the very things I treasured before I claimed you. The reasons I didn't want a mate.”
I sighed. “You shouldn't have let me walk away.”
“I did what I thought was best for you. I gave you the freedom I could no longer have.”
I went still, just staring at him as my hearts melted, all three of them. “I fucking love you, Vax. But don't you ever assume you know what's best for me.”
Vaxarion chuckled. “I love you too, my sea butterfly.”
“Yeah, that's really cute and all, but what the fuck is a sea butterfly?”
The Sea King burst out laughing again.
Chapter Thirty
When I strode out of the King's apartments holding his hand, his guards first gaped at us before fumbling to attention. He nodded at them as we passed by, then winked at me.
Vax wanted to show me around the palace, so we slowed to a stroll and paused to peer into every room. Whenever we happened upon something he enjoyed, he pointed it out and gave me its history. I was surprised to find that many of the things in the palace were his personal treasures, not just things bought to adorn the place. Vax had a huge collection that he'd hidden when he felt his magic dwindling.
“I didn't realize the Sea Dragons knew what was coming,” I said.
Vaxarion's expression tightened. “We heard about Karadas's imprisonment. Many of us tried to free him, but it was impossible. The magic of our goddess trapped him. But we didn't know that her magic would cut us off from his—that without the connection to our source, we would dwindle until we fell into hibernation. Then we started to weaken. Once that happened, it wasn't hard to guess what was coming.”
“So, you prepared for it.”
“Yes. The strongest of us built secret fortresses within caves. I made one for my entire dread, and we sealed ourselvesinside it with the last of our strength, casting a ward over the entrance.”
“You took care of your people,” I murmured.
“I always take care of what's mine.” He lifted my hand to kiss it, but then his attention caught on something behind me. “Ah! Look, Zix. You wanted to know what a sea butterfly is. Here they are.”
I turned to see the aquarium perched on a solid cabinet, its frame adorned with gold and jewels. Inside, among anemones and coral, swam delicate little creatures that appeared to have wings. They were fins, of course, and they rippled more than they fluttered, but they did resemble butterfly wings and the bodies they were attached to were slender and black, strengthening the illusion. They were beautiful things, and every last one of them was purple.
“So, it's because of the color of my hair?” I lifted a brow at the King.
“And the way it shimmers.” Vax motioned to the butterflies. “You see? Look at how the light catches on their fins.”
“Your hair does the same thing.”
“No, it doesn't. My hair is too dark for that. Yes, my darkness shines with many colors, but not like you, Zixin.” He lifted my hand and kissed it right over my scales. “You are light. You shine like nothing else.”
I gaped at him.
“Like their cousins on land, sea butterflies go through a transformation. They are born as lowly worms but then buildtubes to hibernate in. During that hibernation, they transform into these lovely little creatures. I keep aquariums full of them because just looking at them brings me such joy. That's what you do for me, Zix. You make me happy. And you've transformed me too. I am not the same man who came out of hibernation. You have carried me with you, born me upon your beautiful wings to fly my soul to heights it has never known.”
“Holy fuck,” I whispered. Then louder, “Stop saying shit like that! I can't compete. I don't know how to speak like that.” I waved at myself. “Pirate.”
Vax laughed boisterously. “This isn't a competition, Mate. I don't need pretty words from you. You've told me you love me and that's all I want to hear.”
“Thank the Gods,” I muttered. “Because . . . fuck. That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“So?” He lifted his brow at me.
