Sanguine Tides - Book 3

Chapter 11

TW in the description
Art by MindieArts and Choo_arts!

Alberto POV

"Then take two days to prepare for your mission. The night after next, you will journey to the deep."

Those were the last words spoken to Alberto before the Elders concluded the meeting.

Brother and sister left the council room in silence. Only when they passed the village square, and into the seagrass fields did Eshe take Alberto by the shoulder, turning him.

"Do you realize what you just signed yourself up for?"

He nodded his head.

Alberto felt like he should be scared. The deep, who knew what kind of horrors waited there for him. The impending darkness that would swallow him for miles. The indigenous people attacking him and never seeing the light again.

It should be terrifying. But somehow... he didn't feel any of it. It was like a gentle numbing sensation blocked all that fear from in mind. Or was he blocking those feelings, so Luca didn't feel them too?

"You didn't tell them Luca was a Blesk," Eshe said. It wasn't a question but a statement.

"They cannot know. Otherwise, they might demand he come with me. I refuse to put him in danger like that." Alberto said determinedly.

"You don't intend to tell him?" Eshe asked.

Alberto shook his head. He couldn't tell Luca what he volunteered for. Otherwise, his mate would try to stop him. Or accompany him.

"I'll block him out. Like you taught me. I'll put up walls in the Bond so he won't know."

Eshe looked down at this.

"As long as you know what you're doing."

They made it back to their stone hut to find Luca and Ksenya preparing a meal for them. They told the others how the meeting with the Council went. But Alberto could hardly bring himself to say anything.

After dinner, Eshe and Ksenya went on a swim together, leaving Luca and Alberto to watch the home.

"What are you hiding from me?" Luca confronted Alberto immediately as the two Rusalka faded in the distance.

Alberto sighed. Was it that easy to tell? He had been slowly building a wall within himself, blocking away any information about the deep. Hiding his emotions.

"You can't hide things from me, Alberto; I can feel the pathways between us. What are you scared to show me?" Luca asked.

"I... can't. Not yet. Some things the Council wants me to keep a secret." Alberto lied, and he felt a twisting sensation in his stomach. Lying to his mate... made him feel sick.

He didn't know if Luca could feel the lie, but his mate nodded and didn't press further. Alberto didn't know if that made him feel better or worse.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The two females didn't return that night. Either they wanted privacy for themselves, or Eshe was giving Alberto time to be with his mate. Because two nights from now - he would be swimming with his head facing down, entering a world of eternal night.

The conversations between the two males were tense. Alberto could feel the worry rolling off Luca in waves. It left them with long moments of silence.

"I guess we have the night to ourselves." Luca mused as the water around them darkened and the bioluminescent corals came to life.

"Yeah." Alberto agreed.

"We should go exploring tomorrow night, see more of the reef," Luca suggested.