“But today is also the day we have become true mates and declared our love for each other. That makes it very good indeed.”
“Oh, no! We're going to miss our celebration.”
“No, we won't. They will wait for us.”
“Yeah, I guess they have to.”
Vax sent a chuckle into my mind before saying,“This will only take a moment, and then we'll go home.”
“Home. I like the sound of that.”
“And I like that you like it.”He squeezed my hand.“Ah, here we are.”
Vax came to a wall. It was seamless, with no door or even a line of demarcation. Then he placed his palm on the stone. The stone shimmered and vanished, revealing another passage. He drew me into it, but his guards remained behind, taking posts to either side of the archway and down the corridor.
“Nice trick,”I said.
“Thank you. It's a ward connected to me. Only I can open it.”
We entered a huge space. A few shelves stood along the rock walls, but nothing else. It was utterly empty. Probably because all of Vaxarion's treasures now resided in his palace. Wait. There was one thing on a shelf. A tiny black box.
I went to it and held it up.“Did you know this was here?”
Vax smiled as he took it from me.“Yes. It's the only thing I wanted to protect more than I wanted to enjoy.”
He opened the box and angled it toward me. On the glossy black coral surface inside sat a necklace. Its thick, gold chain was coiled neatly, and a pendant rested atop. My gills widened, sucking in more water as I leaned closer. The jewel was round and faceted, gleaming even in the low light. But then, diamonds always shine brighter in the shadows.
“Holy shit,”I said.“That's the biggest diamond I've ever seen.”
Vax lifted it from the box and held it before me to dangle on its chain. It swayed gently in the water, making rainbows on our skin.“It belonged to my mother. This is all I have left of my parents.”
“Oh.”I looked up at him.“Fuck. I'm sorry, Vax. I never thought to ask about your parents.”
“Don't be sorry. I had many years with them while you had only a part of your childhood. I was lucky. And so were they. They lived long lives before an accident took them. AndI'm glad they died together instead of one having to mourn the other.”
“I barely remember my parents now.”
“Your time with them was too short.”
“I thought all the Sea Dragons were made by Karadas? I didn't know there was a second generation.”
“We lived here for over a thousand years before Karadas was imprisoned. Although we didn't reproduce often. I believe there are only three generations, but there could be four. I'm from the third.”
“Then you're younger than I thought.”
He grinned at me.“Yes. I'm considered young by my people.”
“That explains your personality.”
“Oh?”
“How playful you are.”
“So, you thought I was an old man who acted like a child?”
“Stop twisting my words.”I shoved at his chest.
His grin widened. Then he lifted the necklace and slid it over my head.
