Dripping Wet

Dripping Wet 3

Chapter 3

From a golden palace I look down at Atlantis. The palace didn't shine so bright until the Goddess Amphitrite returns. It was nothing before but a dull series of towers but now it shines a neon blue. Crystals form all over the walls of the palace when she arrives. It is a magical palace watching over the city. The entire city seems to come alive when the Goddess returns. I look outside the window. People are reuniting with their families in Atlantis. Yara's father and mother recognize her and are hugging her. Her parents look just like her. They seem nerdy and overly alert at their surroundings.

I notice the other families as well. Reign is hugging someone that looks just like him. I wonder if it's an older brother or maybe a younger uncle. Marina seems to have a big family.

Then there is Blue. He's just standing there. He's the only one of all the orphans who doesn't have any family come over to him. I'm confused at first honestly. Where was his family? Where were his people? Looking over at him I can't help but stare. This is someone who hated me all my life and for some reason. I'm blown away by him. He saved my life earlier. We kissed. That had to count for something.

“Your majesty,” a voice says.

I turn around in the room.

“Who said that?”

“Down here your majesty.”

I'm shocked when I see this small little firefly. It flies around on dazzling wings. It is about the size of my fist. It is a tiny little man with red cheeks and sandy white hair. I have to squint to see the expression on his face.

“Who are you?” I ask, “What are you?”

“I'm Pep and I'm a water sprite,” the little thing says, “We are servants of your grandmother. She would like to see you.”

I look around. I'm still wearing nothing else but the wrap around skirt. I have no shirt on or anything like that. The room that they brought me in is high in a tower in the golden palace. It has a warm large bed and beautiful curtains. I go in the mirror open the drawer and find a brush. I brush my hair. I look at my reflection.

All my life I didn't think I was worth a damn. All my life I looked in the mirror and I didn't see anything worth looking back at. I was wrong. I was the grandson of a Goddess. That was a big deal.

“I'm ready,” I respond.

I walk through the hallways of the palace. There are water sprites all around us. They are remarkable little things. The lights that shine around them make the palace buzz with life and excitement. They are the ones that cause the neon blue color of the walls. There are others. Men and women are there. They are so brilliant looking. Some have bright pink hair and others have neon green. Some have blue hair. As I walk past each one of them they nod their heads showing me some sort of respect that honestly I don't understand.

I make my way to the throne room. It's a large room in the middle of the palace. I find the Goddess there. She is sitting on her throne. It's large seashell with a red cushion in the middle. Her handmaidens surround her. Some are playing music. Others take turns brushing her hair. A chorus of mermaids line up against the wall and they are singing the most beautiful songs I've ever heard in my life. These voices weren't human. These voices seem to carry this soothing sound that I'd expect maybe from thousands of dollars of studio equipment back in the regular world. They didn't need that here. The songs here felt alive.

As I walk in the room trumpets sound. I realize however that they aren't trumpets. They are twisted conch shells that sound like trumpets. There are mermen who stand up against the wall. They are shirtless. They have bodies that immediately turn me on. These men are soldiers. I can tell by their golden helmets and their muscular toned bodies. I haven't seen men this carved out in the real world. Hell, not even Blue had muscles like these men.

As the trumpets sound, I am surrounded by the water sprites.

“They are excited to see you,” Amphitrite says from her shell throne, “We all are.”

The sprites swirl around me so fast and I realize that water is appearing. The water encircles me. I reach out and touch the water wondering if it's real. Sure enough it's real. It's wet. I jump back shocked at it. A few of Amphitrite's nymphs laugh at me.

“What are they?”

“The sprites? They are water fairies capable of doing manipulating water to do amazing things. They were the first one to see that you are alive and well. They helped bring you back here,” Amphitrite says, “They sent some signs. I sent some signs. The nymphs sent some signs.”

They used magic to bring me here. I knew that's what Amphitrite meant when she said “signs”.

All eyes are on me. I'm nervous. I wished this would have been a more personal conversation but I guess when you are talking to a Goddess not much is really all that personal.

“I remember you...sort of,” I admit.

“You should. I helped raise you after all,” Amphitrite says, “You look just like your father. Beautiful golden hair. It's almost as long as mine.”

The goddess gets up off her throne. Her maidens help her. She is beautiful. She steps towards me and smiles a little bit. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of blue. Her long hair trails behind her. Her maidens pick up several strands making sure she doesn't trip over her long locks. She walks up to me and runs her hands through my hair. She has probably done it a million times and all the while it still feels good.

“Where is he?” I ask, “My father...”

The room gets quiet. The singers stop. The trumpets stop going. The water sprites stop creating water rings around me. A darkness fills the room that I don't really understand.

“Everyone give me a minute with my grandson,” she states.

The mention of my father seems to cause some real emotion in the room. The magic of this place for a moment seems to dull out. The soldiers escort everyone out of the room. I'm left with no one. The Goddess offers me her hand. I look at it for a moment but I put my hand in hers. Something deep inside is telling me that this woman cares deeply for me. There is peace behind her eyes. So as she walks me over to sit with her on a bench by the window I feel a sense of calm.

“What do you remember?” she asks me.

I look out the window at Atlantis, “Nothing. I remembered you slightly. Besides that nothing much.”

“You were very young when you had to leave. You father Triton was the protector of Atlantis. He was the son Poseidon...who is the water all around us. Poseidon isn't a figure. He isn't a person. He's the ocean all around us. He's in the water all around us. Your father was the son the ocean.”

“Was?” I ask.

The way she is saying it makes my stomach turn. I'd thought I'd come here to meet my parents. I thought I'd come here to understand who I was. That wasn't the case. The way my grandmother is looking at me makes me know that isn't the case.

Her skin is pale almost a coral color. Her skin sparkles slightly. She gives me a smile with brilliant white teeth looking at me as if I was the more beautiful one between us.

“Triton commanded the ocean for Poseidon. His city of Atlantis became the beacon of the world. He would blow through his magical shell and calm the waves or stir them up, all at the command of Poseidon. The other gods became jealous of the depths of the ocean and the deep blue sea. They became jealous of the beauty of Atlantis. They sunk Atlantis to the bottom of the ocean. The people of Atlantis became nymphs in the water. For thousands of years, your father ruled this place in peace. A truce was made. The merfolk would remain under the water far away from the humans and completely separated. That was until something happened. The worst thing happened.”

“What?”

“Love. Your father saw the reflection of three sisters who were out fishing for their father. I warned him never to go to the surface. He didn't listen. He was so interested in these humans. They were the most beautiful women in the world at the time but they were humans. Falling in love with human women were forbidden by the gods however. Only one of the sisters dared to jump in that water. She risked her life for love. You were the result.”

“My mother?” I ask.

She nods, “She name was Daphne. Daphne was the youngest of her sisters and always the most brave. She couldn't breathe under the water so Triton put a barrier up around Atlantis to keep the water out. This was the only place she was safe from the gods. When you were born you were half god and half man.”

I try to remember my mother. Daphne. I can't. No matter how hard I push myself I can't remember her face. It makes me sick.

“She is gone too isn't she?” I ask.

My grandmother nods, “Daphne's sisters were jealous of Triton's love for her. They begged the gods for the power of revenge. The gods granted it to them to punish Triton for leaving the water. The two sisters revenge was swift. The attack on Atlantis caused the entire ocean to shift."

"The storm?"

"Yeah. It would have caused a storm. Daphne was killed and Triton was missing.”

“But not dead?” I ask.

She shrugs, “Gods can't die...but you can. Which is why I had to send you away. In order to throw the sisters off your track, I sent 29 other children away with you to the dry land. I figured they would never look for you there.”

“This was all because of me.”

She nods, “I brought you back here because you've become a man. There will come a time when I need to join your grandfather Poseidon and become the water. And you'll be left alone to rule Atlantis.”

“They'll hate me,” I state.

“Why do you say that?” she asks.

She didn't hear how Marina spoke about me before. They already hated me. Blue could barely even look at me.

“If they find out that I was the reason they were separated from their parents for years. They'll hate me.”

The Goddess looks at me and nods, “I understand, but it's important that you are back. Maybe it's best you keep your distance from the other orphans.”

“You think they might try something?”

“I think someone may use them to get to you. There are those here who are angry at Triton for choosing a mortal wife. They have the same jealousy as the two sisters. You can't trust anyone. Some say the two sisters are even still out there waiting to kill Daphne's only child and get their revenge.”

Most fairytales ended with a happily ever after. I realize that this isn't a fairytale. This is a nightmare. I feel a cold shiver come up my spine.

“You said they were monsters.”

“Yes. The most devastating things.”

I pause.

“I think I saw one.”

My grandmother jumps up to her feet, “Where?”

“Before I saw you. It sucked up the waters. It was dragging me in and I swear I saw teeth in the water. It was monster.”

“She's back...”

“Who?”

Amphitrite gives me a weak smile. She presses her hand up against my cheek, “Don't worry about it. I'll protect you. Go to your room and get some rest. Tomorrow I'll send the nymphs to help you get ready for the event I'm throwing tonight. My grandson is back. We should be celebrating. Leave the worry to me.”

~

“How about this crown?”

It's the next day. The nymphs have been fussing over me for hours. They are the most beautiful women I've seen in my life. All of them had long beautiful hair with all types of unique colors. None of their hair was as long as my grandmother's though. They are delicate and sweet. They've given me a golden outfit to wear but now they were fitting me for a crown. I thought it wasn't really something that I wanted anything to do with really. Being the godson of Poseidon would have probably been amazing if a monster wasn't out there attempting to kill me.

“What's with the crown?” I ask, “I'm not a king.”

“You're the son of a god. What's a king to a god? You should have a million crowns,” another one of the nymphs tells me.

“The crown's fine,” I respond, “I'm worried about the dinner. I feel like it's a big deal.”

“It's not a big deal,” the nymph says, “In Atlantis everything is communal. Communal baths. Communal dinners. The entire city eats together everyday, three times a day. We hunt together too, which is why no one was in the city when you arrived.”

It makes sense. The sense of community and belonging together was strong here. I remember seeing all of those public baths. Everything was done together.

“Fine. Still, we're going to be late.”

One nymph puts a crown made of aquatic neon green sea stones. A few are brushing my hair making sure it is extra straight. I've always thought my hair was unreasonably long but after seeing my grandmother's I realize that maybe just 30 minutes of brushing it isn't so unreasonable. It probably takes her hours.

“Nonsense. The Goddess has stated that no one should touch their food until you arrive. You are the guest of honor.”

“I thought it was for all of the returnees,” I reply.

“You're the grandson of Poseidon,” a nymph tells me as though this is brand new to me, “The celebration is for YOU.”

“Put on a smile. Enjoy it,” another nymph states, “It's not everyday you find out that you're special.”

At first I feel uncomfortable but then it kind of makes sense. All my life I sought some meaning to my life. I used my body as a way to get it. Now I was starting to realize that I definitely wasn't some loser. I was something else. I had a meaning.

I walk out into the forum. There are tables set out. They are decked out far and wide. They are fucking beautiful to say the least. There are all types of seawater fish laid out on the table. There is also some vegetables from the fields of Atlantis. As I arrive I see that my grandmother is already out there. I'm the last person to arrive. Trumpets are blowing as I appear. The other merfolk are cheering. I see nymphs running up to me throwing flowers at my feet. I'm confused and mesmerized at the same time.

“People of Atlantis. Please join me in welcoming back the children of Atlantis. Let us thank them for their sacrifice. For years they left the city in hopes of hiding the true identity of my son. Now that they are older they have all returned to us. With them, I present to you the son of Triton. The future protector of Atlantis. Our future champion. In him all things will be made possible.”

The crowd erupts with cheers. I am getting more nervous. They've been waiting for me to show up to even start eating. I hear the music playing soon after. People are walking towards me now. They are introducing themselves to me. All these people who are telling stories about how it was when I was just a child and telling me memories of my father, the sea god. I force myself to put on a smile but honestly it's a little overwhelming.

I find a table. Reign is sitting there with Marina. Most of the orphans are at this table. I decide this is the best place to sit. As I sit I notice a few people seeming a little surprised that I'm sitting over there.

“Shouldn't you be sitting at the big boy's table?” Sebastian asks me.

“Why do you say that?”

He laughs, “I dunno. You're sort of a big deal. I just met my dad and mom. Their first question was if I was hungry and their second question was if I was friends with you. That reminds me I have to introduce you to them before they kill me."

A lot of the orphans that took the long swim with me down here are staring at me. I don't know them so I guess that makes sense. What really surprises me is that Yara and Reign are staring at me. They are smiling. I grew up with Reign. Hell, I knew Yara off and on since I was a kid. These people knew me. For some reason they were staring at me as though I was someone completely different.

It's Marina who gives me a bright smile at that moment, “I always knew you were special.”

The fake tone in her voice is real. She was the biggest bitch I knew and now she was smiling at me. For years this girl had literally made my life hell because of what I did with Reign back in the day. She hated me and now years after because she knew who my family was she was acting nice all of a sudden.

Sebastian gives her a hard stare, “You were just talking shit about him when he ran away. You called him a fa---”

Reign clears his throat clearly trying to protect his girlfriend, “Let's let bygones, be bygones. We are all friends here right?”

Reign is himself. Nothing has changed him. He is ridiculously optimistic in the sweetest way possible.

“Not all of us,” I state.

I turn at that moment and notice Blue. He's gotten up from the table since I've arrived. He's walking away. I'm the son of a God and he still didn't want to share the same breathing space as me.

Reign gives me a smile, “Just give him some time. He found out that his family was dead. The rest of us got ours. But Blue...well, he doesn't have anyone here.”

I shake my head.

It's sad. I could imagine how Blue feels. For years I felt alone. For years I felt like I didn't have anyone with me. Right now he has that look on his face. He's alone in this world. I shake my head not understanding how this is possible. All I know is that he looks like he's in pain.

“Has anyone gone to talk to him?” I ask.

Reign shakes his head, “He's not having it.”

“Forget him,” Marina states giving me a smile, “Let's talk about you. We used to be best friends remember? I told my mom how close we were. I'm shocked at how things happened between us. I think we should really try to fix our relationship, you know?”

Reign buries his face in his head. He looks embarrassed. We both know why. Marina and I were never best friends. I only had one best friend back then. His name was Blue. I turn over to the side and see him. It's killing me to see him walk off away from the festivities.

“Can you try any harder to kiss his ass?” Yara asks Marina.

Marina shakes her head and raises an eyeybrow at Yara, “And who are you again?”

“Yara. You know who I am. We grew up together...” Yara tells her.

“Nope. Don't ring a bell.”

“Wow,” Yara states shaking her head, “I should have known after I saw the water horses that that there were more half fish creatures out there. I guess I just found a half mermaid half bitch.”

We are all shocked by Yara. We all break out into laughter including Reign. I watch as Marina punches Reign in the arm for laughing at Yara's diss. Watching Marina squirm is amazing but truthfully I am feeling a little antsy.

I get up at that moment.

“Where you going?” Sebastian asks me.

I look over in the distance and see Blue.

“I'll be right back.”

Sebastian looks annoyed that I'm leaving but I don't think anything of it. I get up at that moment and make my way towards the other side of the forum. Blue is slowly walking away. He's looking up at the barrier over the city. The deep water is all around us. He seems so pressed on looking at it that he doesn't even notice me walking up behind him.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” I ask him.

That's not what I really want to say. I really want to say that Blue is the beautiful one. He's always been beautiful. Seeing him walk around shirtless is probably the gift that keeps on giving. He has a firm body with broad arms. Every part of me just wants to squeeze his muscles to see how hard they are.

“It's alright,” is Blue's response.

He runs his hands through his curly blonde hair. He turns away from me. His back is so broad and so powerful. He takes a few steps further way until he leans up against one of the ivory columns.

“Where are you staying?”

“What's it matter to you?” he asks me.

Blue seems defensive. This is probably the longest conversation we ever had since after his brother died. The fact that he is even talking to me at all is really seeming like we've come a long way. The history between us is deep. It's dark.

“I figured we could find a place maybe in the palace for you to stay,” I respond,

“I'm fine. They gave me my parent's old house. Everyone shares here anyway . I won't be staying long.”

“You're going back?” I ask him.

He nods and looks at me, “Unless you haven't noticed there is no real reason for me to stay here is there? You all have family. I don't.”

He seems cold. He seems distant. He seems angry.

“Your friends are here.”

“You mean the friends that left me to take you along with them?” he asks.

He is angry. I can see it in his eyes. Every word that comes out of Blue's mouth is anger. Blue was a loyal friend. He feels betrayed by Reign and Marina. Anyone else would have been turned off but I knew that anger. I had experienced that anger all my life. I had lashed out at everyone and anything. I allowed myself to become so distant from everyone that mattered in my life.

“I know what you're going through,” I state.

“Do you?”

“Yes I understand you.”

“How can the son of a god understand what I'm going through?” he asks me.

"You heard."

"Everyone's talking about it. All of us come back but only one of us really mattered," he responds.

“I heard about the fact that your parents aren't around,” I state, “Let's not forget we were all raised orphans OK? We are all the children of Atlantis. I lived my life thinking I was abandoned. My parents are dead too.”

“You still have your grandmother.”

“It's not the same.”

“Yes it is,” he states, “Reign told me a story that his dad told him. He told me why we were sent away in the first place. We were sent away so that it would make it harder for your enemies to find you. WE were pawns. Our entire lives...”

Blue seems shocked by this. He bites down on his lip. He's expecting me to argue with him but at this moment I can't. I can't look into that face of his. I can't stare back at him. I feel so guilty about all of it. It was all my fault.

“I'm sorry. I was going to talk to you. I was going to talk to Reign and all the other orphans even the ones I don't know.”

“Why? To apologize? Reign wasn't even mad. He said it wasn't your fault. You were just a kid. Reign never gets mad at you though. He's probably in love with you. You know that right?”

I'm shocked when Blue says that. It comes out of no where. I'd never really thought of Reign like that. After what happened between us things just went downhill. Sure, there was always a sexual attraction between Reign and I but the fact that Blue, one of his best friends, was now telling me that Reign was probably in love with me blew my mind.

“That's not the case,” I respond.

Blue rolls his eyes, “You can't relate to me.”

“I see you Blue. I understand the anger,” I try to argue with him.

“I see you too.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

Blue turns to me. He walks over to me. He grabs me. He pushes me up against the wall. He slams me up against the wall. There is so much intensity in his eyes as he looks at me. We are so close but this isn't the intimate way we were close when he saved my life. The intensity between Blue and I right now as something scary. It was something deep.

“You want to know how my parents died?” Blue asked, “You were being attacked. My parents left me in their crib to protect you. You were the son of a god. You came first. That's what people are telling me.”

Fuck.

“I...”

I don't know what to say.

“First my brother died because of you. Now I find out my parents died...because of you. Everything you touch is wrecked.”

I feel bad. I want to try to be a shoulder for Blue but the disgust he has towards me is real. I have no choice but to counter that somehow.

“I am fucking sorry you hate me so much! I'm sorry about Wade. I'm sorry about your parents. Ok. I agree with you. I'm a fuck up. What else do you want me to say?”

“You're worse then a fuckup,” he explains to me, “You know they used to say mermaids were sirens. They were these beautiful creatures. They would sing out to the men on their ships. The men were captivated by their beauty. All they wanted was to kiss those sirens."

Blue kisses me. It's different from the kiss he gave me before. This kiss is cold. It's harsh. He kisses me so hard that I pull away.

"I know what a siren is."

"The innocent men didn't know what a siren was. They'd go to them. Do you know what happened to those men?”

“I'm sure you'll tell me.”

“They shipwrecked on jagged rocks,” Blue tells me, “You are nothing more then a Siren. You put on this innocent beauty. You give them that stare that makes them want to go to you. So beautiful. So handsome. So safe. But all you do is lead good men to their deaths.”

I'm shocked by what Blue is saying to me. It sends shivers down my spine. At that moment I think I'm giving up. Nothing can make us be friends again. That ship has sailed. Matter of fact, that ship has gone crashing into jagged rocks.

~

“Hey! Hey Krill!”

I turn back and notice that Sebastian is standing there. He is waving me over. I think he has some alcohol or something in his hand.

I leave Blue and walk over to Krill. Blue doesn't seem to be upset that I'm leaving him.

“Hey...” I state.

“You OK?” Sebastian asks, “You got a long face. What was that about? Who is that guy?”

I'm reminded that Sebastian doesn't know who Blue is.

“Blue. He's just someone who hates me.”

“Makes sense. He gave you the worst look when you came out. But hey. It's all good. Ignore the haters and lets toast to them. Here. Taste this.”

“What is it?”

“Mermaid alcohol. And you know the best part about it? There is no drinking age.”

I don't know how I end up in the public bath with Sebastian later that night. Reign, Marina and Yara are with us as well. We are all beyond drunk. Normally drinking and water didn't exactly go hand in hand. The public path had deep beautiful blue waters. If I was a human I probably would have drowned. Sebastian and I aren't human though. Our gills breath in the water and the mermaid alcohol keeps us drunk the entire time. We are both beyond drunk.

Sebastian wraps his tail around mine. We swim to the top of the water. We are dripping wet. Our tails wrapped around each other.

“You're still upset aren't you?” Sebastian asks me, “How can you taste that amazing alcohol and still be upset about Blue?”

“You're mad about Blue? What happened?” Reign asks me.

He's eavesdropping. Sebastian rolls his eyes. It's clear Sebastian is trying to get some alone time with me ever since I first met him but we keep getting interrupted. This time Reign is doing it even though he should clearly be spending time with his girlfriend.

“Nothing,” I respond.

The last thing I want to do is cause any drama. Blue was gone somewhere. God knows where. He probably just didn't want to me around me. Everytime I thought about it, it killed me slowly inside. The last thing I wanted was Blue to hate me but at this point there was nothing I can do about it.

“Forget Blue,” Marina states.

I wish I could. I know I'm bringing down the energy. We should all be celebrating. We were back home. I watch as some nymphs walk over and they fill up our glasses. I'm shocked that I'm having fun with these people. I'm shocked that I actually am enjoying being around these people.

Could I be making friends?

Maybe I should make the most of this, “I'll try.”

“I can help you out with that,” Sebastian says.

“Oh really?”

Was Sebastian flirting with me? I am so drunk that I don't realize him getting close to me. He is so fucking sexy. Sebastian leans me up against the wall of the pool. He uses both hands to ceil me in His hair is wet and he squints past the droplets of water. Yara is giggling on the side of the pool. She is sitting on the edge and flaps her tail in the water so that it splashes against Sebastian and I. A few of the nymphs that are around the public bath are laughing and gossiping.

“I feel all warm," I state.

“I'm glad I have that reaction,” Sebastian replies licking his lips.

He starts making his move towards me. Sebastian is about to kiss me. It's clear he is about to kiss me. Maybe that why Yara is giggling so hard. The nymphs are watching hard. A few have even gotten in the water with us to get a closer look. I don't think they really were used to seeing gay people. They all want to see what Sebastian and I are doing to one another. The curosity of the merfolk was kind of funny.

"They are watching us," I state.

"Let's give them something to watch. If you're feeling warm....lets turn up the temperature a little bit."

Right when he is about to kiss me I realize that Reign has walked over to where we are swimming and outright interrupts us

“It's not you making him hot. It's because he's drunk. You both are. Come on, demi-god. It's time to go to sleep,” Reign says.

I don't expect Reign to walk over and pull me out of the pool. It takes a minute for my tail to disappear and my legs to appear. All the while it disappears he is carrying me in my arms. He doesn't mind how heavy my tail is. He cradles me away at that moment.

“Where you taking him?” Sebastian asks Reign.

“He's drunk. He'll thank me in the morning,” Reign says.

I find it kind of cute how Reign whisks me away from Sebastian to be honest. Sebastian is a flirt and I wanted to do the worst things with him. Maybe it was best I didn't start making a reputation for myself in Atlantis too. He's almost like some sort of valiant knight. I knew me. I knew that I would have ended up fucking Sebastian tonight if Reign wasn't taking me away.

He takes me in his arms and he walks towards the palace. He's so strong. The guards offer to carry me the rest of the way when we get into the palace but Reign shakes his head and tells them, “I got him.”

"You and Sebastian have something going on?" he asks me.

"Don't act like you are just now noticing. I saw you staring the whole night."

He gets embarrassed.

"Well you can do better."

"You don't even know him."

"But I know you. I think you're tired of guys just having these crushes on you. I think you deserve better."

I look up at him. I feel so...safe next to him.

“Where were you all those other times I needed saving from doing something I was going to regret,” I ask.

“Is that what you think?” he asks me.

He looks down at me. I look away. I know my breath probably smells like alcohol. I don't want Reign to smell it. He doesn't seem to mind though. We walk through the palace walls and the whole time he's seeming to keep me close. He keeps me so secure. I'm loving every moment of it.

“You were Blue's friend. Blue hated me. I figured you avoided me because of it.”

“ I wanted to be your friend after all the drama with Wade. You were the one who withdrew from me. Blue and Marina were mad at you. I was never mad at you. I could never be mad at you."

"I took advantage of you."

"I was drunk not passed out when we had sex that night. I don't think of myself as a rape victim. I remembered everything. Trust me....”

“Well your girlfriend didn't end up killing herself because of my mistake.”

I hate the idea of Wade dying. Thinking about it makes my head hurt.

“What we did was foul. But we both wanted it. And no...I didn't blame you. I saw you spiralling out of control afterwards. I tried to help. You must forget. I tried to stop you a million times. Nothing was stopping you though. You had a void in your heart and you were trying desperately to fill it.”

“What's changed? What makes you think you helping me now will work?”

“I think you've changed,” he responds, “I guess I hope you did at least. I don't think you having sex with any guy who looks your way was really a good look. But maybe now things can be different. You're worth more than that.”

“You speak in poetry Reign, I can see why Marina is so crazy over you.”

“I'm probably going to get chewed out for bringing you to your room.”

“My legs are back. I can walk the rest of the way.”

He looks down. Sure enough my legs are back. My legs aren't the only things that are back. Reign is cradling my ass underneath his hands. My dick is sitting off to the side. He looks down at my privates and all of a sudden I think he realizes that it's best that I do walk.

“I forgot to grab your clothes,” he states.

“My room isn't too far...” I reply, “I don't mind walking around naked.”

He laughs, “You can do what you want, little demi-god. Well...I should probably get back to Marina before she kills me for being gone this long.”

“Thank you Reign.”

He stares at me. He doesn't turn around to leave, “Of course. Is there anything else you need before I leave?”

Our eyes lock. Fuck.

The palace is empty. The people of Atlantis definitely were drinkers and a lot of them were knocked out in the forum from the party. Others had returned to their homes. The dark empty palace walls are beautiful. There are only sparks from torches up against the golden palace walls. There is tension here between Reign and I.

It's serious tension.

“For some reason my legs...still feel so weak. I don't understand why,” I state.

I'm telling the truth. I think Reign is making me weak on my feet. He stares at me. Reign has always had that perfect jawline. He was so tall that he domed over me. I don't know why my hands find the side of his legs. This is the same way it happened last time when something happened between us. I find myself tracing the side of his muscular legs again. He's always had those powerful legs of his. They've always been perfect.

“I can carry you the rest of the way,” he tells me and pauses, “If you want.”

“I'd like that.”

Reign picks me up again. This time he picks me up from underneath my ass. He holds onto my ass cheeks and wraps my naked body around his waist. Our mouths are inches apart. I know he is going to do it before he does it.

His tongue enters my mouth. This time I'm the drunk one. This time he's the sober one. Our tongues explore each others mouth with this strong desperation.

“You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that,” he responds.

I didn't know but as I kiss Reign again I wonder if Blue had some sort of idea. Blue blamed me for what happened with Reign. He blamed me for everything. All these years I thought it was some sort of accident. But truthfully I knew better.

This thing that was happening between Reign and I was on purpose.

Suddenly in the darkness I hear a footsteps. It's almost like someone is watching us in the darkness. I turn to the right. I see the person standing there.

“Whose there?” I ask, “Show yourself.”

The person doesn't move.

Reign drops me, “Stay here...”

He's trying to be that brave knight as usual. Reign walks forward. The shadow is moving. I'm scared for him. A part of me wonders if the monsters from my past have finally caught up to me. Did they find me? Were they going to finish what they started all those years ago and get their revenge on my mother?

The person comes out of the shadow and I'm shocked by who it is. Sure enough it is someone from my past but it isn't a monster.

The person looks lost and confused. The person is dripping wet as though he just came in from outside of the barrier.

“Krill?” he asks.

My mouth drops open. Reign and I look at each other. We are shocked by who it is.

“Wade...”

To read the next chapter in advance go to www.crushedcrown.com