The First Mate

Chapter 23: Seelie Court

Dane

The grotto smelt of sea water and weeds.
I hate this place, it smells disgusting. Mathias huffed inside of me, agitated.
You just hate seawater. I corrected, sounding bored, but I couldn't disagree with him.
We waited at the crystal clear ocean portal in an audience room of the Seelie Court.
The Queen off somewhere dealing with a breach in her shields.
Theo sat on a boulder by the water, his elbows on his knees as his hands rubbed together anxiously while we waited for the King of the Merfolk.
We said nothing as another five minutes passed.
We just stared at the water.
"This is bullshit." Theo growled finally, getting to his feet and starting at the water. "They're fucking late! Again!" His voice broke to a hiss, his annoyance and anger on the surface as he turned and stalked to my side, his fists clenching.
"They don't own clocks." I scoffed, quoting one of the merfolk we'd spoken to previously.
Theo grunted, scratching his beard across the scar on his chin. "They better hurry up, Carter's tempting me to go fishing." He crossed his arms, setting his feet.
I smirked. "Fucker does love fish."
Theo grinned at me with malice. "Shame Xav isn't here. Could you imagine Ulric in that." He gestured with his finger to the small circle of water that dipped into a deep, thin cave system.
A Bear the size of Xavier's, would barely fit its head through the tunnel.
Wouldn't stop him trying though.
A small chuckle broke from me for a moment.
The water rippled and a dark formed moved under the water.
Theo and I tensed, our eyes fixed on the siren, shifting into Rose's as it broke the water.
"My loves," she cooed in Rose's sweet voice, the beautiful emeralds looking across as she pouted so sweetly. "Do you not miss me?"
My heart raced with anger and frustration.
Three days of negotiations with the merfolk and Fey, and all we'd gotten were tricks, half-truths and, most infuriatingly, seduction attempts.
I was sick of it.
Mathias snarled inside of me, breaking through as I echoed it, glaring at the siren.
She coward, her eyes widening and he drew her hands to her chest, cupping them before her breast, as if to shield her heart.
Just like my sweet Rosie did.
My snarl grew more vicious.
"Dane, calm down," Theo whispered, his hand on my arm.
But I shook him off. "No!" I snapped. "I've had enough. This is not Rose. This is a trick, a manipulation."
The siren-Rose smiled, its eyes gleaming with seduction magic. "Come, Dane. Don't you want to swim with me? I have missed you so much." She edged closer, her eyes soft and the freckles across her nose bloomed with pink of a blush.
She lowered her hands, exposing Rose's small but ample breast. "Don't you miss my touch?"
My fist clenched and my crotch ached.
My desire for Rose was strong, but my love for her was stronger.
Mathias' and my love for her was beyond her physical appearance.
It was a pure love of her soul, her very being.
The light that shined in our darkness.
I knew this was not her.
Her light wasn't as bright in our eyes.
She didn't call to our heart the same way.
I knew she was back at our home, safe with Xavier and Gabriel.
Sensing the edge of anger and panic for Rose, Xavier pushed a mind-link to Theo and I.
She's resting. He leaned walked across the room of the office and crouched to show us our mate, curled up in Theo's shirt, under my desk.
She was just small enough to be comfortable, seeming to be fast asleep with one of Theo's books open beside her.
Her firey orange hair was loose and covered part of her sweet face, her freckles bright against the flushed, pale skin.
She gripped a sweater I recognised as mine to her chest, burying her nose into it as she slept.
Why-
She misses you alot. Xavier answered Theo, a small sigh in his voice. I found her there this morning, she hasn't moved all day. Keeps asking for things that smell like you both.
My heart twisted, I felt Theo's almost shatter, as Xavier brushed her hair back from her cheek.
A small smile broke on her perfect lips at his touch, her eyes opening slightly to look up at him. He told her what he was doing, letting us check in.
She blew a kiss through Xavier's eyes.
"Come home soon, I miss you both." She mumbled in a small whine, pulling my sweater to her nose again, her hand finding the book. Xavier closed it, handing it to her and she curled back up, holding our scents close and drifting off to sleep.
Xavier stroked her cheek for a moment.
She calls for you both in her sleep. Xavier sighed, I felt his ache at being unable to soothe her worries.
We'll be home as soon as we're done. Tell her we love her. I sighed, my heart heavy.
She already knows. Xavier chuckled, ending the link.
The siren said something to Theo.
Neither of us paid attention, but I let out shared rage flare at the form she took.
"I'm sick of your games," I growled, my voice low and menacing. "We will not be fooled. We were promised meeting with the King of merfolk, not a trap!"
The siren-Rose opened her plump lips to speak again.
I roared. "You are rejected, siren! Leave or die!"
The siren's form wavered, and it let out a shrill cry before dissipating into nothingness.
I let out a breath, my anger slowly receding.
Theo clapped me on the back. "Nice, Dane." I growled at his sarcastic tone. He ignored me, crossing his arms. "Let's hope he'll still show. "
Mathias and I snarled as one. "He will."
We waited another hour.
Neither of us moving as we watched the pool of water.
I could feel Theo's anger rising, his patience wearing thin.
The water bubbled and light shined beneath the surface.
The King of the merfolk, a majestic figure with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes, rose from the bubbling sea water.
He gazed at us with a calculating stare, his voice firm.
"I will not be drawn into the conflicts of the surface world. My kingdom has no interest in your petty squabbles."
My anger, still simmering, boiled over. "You'll get involved, or the Goddess help you." I snarled, my voice torn between man and beast. "You'll help us find Jordon, or you'll face the consequences of the Earthen realm."
The King's expression turned cold, but I didn't care.
I was beyond reason.
I shouted. "Three mermaids and a siren have been dumped into our home! At our mates feet! Through your portals!" 
The Kings eyes flared, the water below him rippling with waves that crashed and cascaded water across the stone floor and our feet.
"You dare accuse me!" He raged, rising for the water.
I stepped towards him, Mathias rising to meet the King. "I accuse you of allowing abominations to roam free in your realm." My voice turned low and violent as the King and I stared each other down. "I accuse you," I spat in a snarl, "of allowing the continued terrorizing of the mate of the Triad and First, Guardian of the Earthen realm, Rose, by Jordon and the Dragon inside him, Veron! They may have brought this danger to our doorstep! But, you allowed it to step through!"
Theo placed a calming hand on my arm. "We can talk about this." He tried to sooth, but I ignored him.
"Enough of their negotiations and talks! We need action! I'm done playing games!"
The King's eyes narrowed, but I saw a flicker of concern.
He knew we were not to be underestimated.
He understood who roamed beneath the surface of Theo and I.
We were sons of the First.
Chosen by them not just because of our genetic lines, but we ourselves are reincarnation of them, gifted to Rose's as her human counterparts.
We were designed for her as she was for us.
And by the Goddess did we fucking love and cherish that small woman.
Theo straightened beside me, squaring his shoulders at the King, accepting my words. "So, King?" He rose a brow in waiting.
The King looked between us for a moment, considering.
If he denied.
The Earthen realm had all right to go to war with them.
One he would not win.
Even the King knew he didn't stand a chance, not now Silvena had awoken and Rose had started to bind with her, even if she still called her Annie.
Mathias knew his soul mate when he saw her.
Together, bonded and mated, we were more powerful than any other realm, alone.
And she had found all four of us.
"Very well," the King said finally. "I will grant you an audience with our wisest elder. But be warned, surface Kings, our help comes at a price." He set us with an even stare.
Mathias itched to claw it off him.
I calmed myself enough to reply. "We don't care about the price. We just want Jordon found and dead." I glanced at Theo, seeing his jaw set. "We'll do whatever it takes to make that happen." I promised.
The King bowed. "One hour, surface Kings." Then vanished in a tidal wave that soaked us from head to tow.
Theo snarled, shaking the water off his arms. "That cunt!"
I laughed, seeing Carter's heckles rose from getting wet. "Weren't you just saying you wanted to go fishing?"
Theo shoved me, going and sitting on his rock again. "Fuck off." He bit as he threw himself down and crossed his arms, his body squelching and he curled his lips.
He scoffed, rolling his eyes and shook his head. "An hour. Pfft."
I shrugged, crossing my arms. "Least we didn't have to explain to Rose where we got a ton of sashimi."
Theo cracked a small small, grunting a laugh. "You're a fucking idiot. She doesn't even like raw fish."
I shrugged again. "We both know that wouldn't stop her, she hates waste. Probably make Xav cook it all then make us eat it as some weird punishment or lesson."
Theo laughed fully then, nodding in agreeance.
I laughed with him, the thought of our mate and her quirks enough to lighten our moods and unclench the ache and worry in our hearts that settled there everytime we left her side.
Her current state left her too weak to more around, let alone move through portals and magic laced rooms and charmed foods.
Theo and I probably wouldn't have survived it if not for the Queen.
I rose my head when she entered the room, looking over Theo and I soaked.
She gave a small giggle, a noise like a seductive pur. "The King arrived finally?" She smiled at us.
In her Seelie Court, she didn't wear the wreath Rose had made her, letting her Queen features do the talking for her.
But, when she was around us, she pulled the wreath off a tangle of weed at her hip and slipped it on her head, sighing as her features became human.
She was beautiful woman, but seeing the wreath, smelling the faint scent of Rose.
It ached to look at her, knowing my mate was so far from reach.
Theo rolled his eyes, ignoring her.
I pushed down on the ache. Replacing it with my annoyance.
"Waiting for his elder." I sighed, looking back at the water.
She hummed, stepping into the room and waved a hand.
The water covering the floor and our clothes gathered, drying everything and then fell back into the pool, like a light rain that ran sideways.
"Thanks," Theo grunted.
Gen shrugged. "Least I can do." She rocked on her feet, tapping them slightly and pursed her lips, her black eyes widening.
After a moment, she let out a sigh and turned to the water. "My Goddess, it's not like he's actually busy!" She grumbled and waved her hand.
Theo stood up then, the pool illuminating with a bright spark of light.
The elder appeared in the water, blue skin shining as they looked around with large golden eyes of a fish, confusion and fear etched on their face.
"What...what is the meaning of this?" They stuttered, looking to Theo and I.
Gen removed her wreath, the elders eyes widening as they stared at her. 
"The meaning," Queen Genevieve said, her voice firm, "is that we have grown tired of waiting. A deal has been made, and now we require your expertise to fulfill it."
The elder's eyes darted again to us, then back to Gen, realization dawning. "But...but the King has not yet returned to grant permission—"
Gen shrugged, her expression bored. "Details, details. We require your knowledge of the sea portals. Which ones does Jordon use for his travels?"
The elder hesitated, clearly intimidated by the Queen's commanding presence.
Theo stepped forward, raising his hands for a moment.
"We mean no harm to you, elder. But we must find Jordon. He is using your portals to enter our realm, and we will stop at nothing to protect our own."
The elder nodded, understanding in their eyes. "Very well. I will reveal the locations of the portals. But, you must grant us a favor."
My brow rose, analysing the words, thankful Rose had spent some time lecturing us on how Fey enjoyed veiled speech.
"You want this favour first." I stated.
The elder gave a sharp toothed grin. "You're clever."
The Queen's expression turned guarded, her voice lowering. "What is it, elder?"
The elder's smile grew wider. "Oh, just a small task. You see, we've had a...treasure go missing. A precious pearl, passed down through our royal line. We believe it's been stolen by a group of rogue merfolk."
Theo's eyes narrowed. "And you want us to retrieve it."
The elder turned to look at him for a moment, then looked at me.
Mathias snarled beneath the surface.
"You'll find the rogue merfolk in the underwater city of Atlantia. But be warned, they're not to be trusted-"
Gen let out a hard laugh. "None of us are, elder. We're Fey."
The elder gave her a sneer for a moment before their eyes gleamed with a sinister depth as he looked better Theo and I.
"There's one more condition, surface Kings. You must bring your mate, Rose, with you to Atlantia."
Theo's face set in a firm refusal. "Absolutely not!" He snarled.
The elder looked at Theo. "You are worried of her delirium and pain? Her Heat?" They hissed the word.
Theo and I snarled at him.
The elder's expression remained unfazed. "I'm aware of her condition. But Rose's unique abilities make her the only one capable of locating the pearl. And I assure you, the pressure of Atlantia will...dull her discomfort, shall we say, until she returns the pearl to us."
I felt a surge of unease at the elder's words. They knew too much about Rose's Heat, and their suggestion felt more like a manipulation than a solution.
Theo's eyes narrowed. "If you're using her, elder." He warned in a snarl. "If you are endangering her for no reason, or if this is a trap. I will skin you alive on the surface and then come for your entire kingdom."
The elder shrugged, their voice devoid of empathy. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Theo. Bring Rose to Atlantia, or forfeit the deal. The choice is yours." He bowed to the Queen then left.
Gen pulled her wreath on her head, hissing violently. "I fucking hate merfolk!"
Theo and I snarled in agreement, turning to follow Gen out of the grotto.
"What now?" She sighed ahead of us, leading us to the throne room.
"We go home." I said, my jaw tight. "Rose will know what to do."
Theo nodded beside me. "She's smarter than us."
Gen giggled. "And better looking."
Theo and I growled in possession while the Seelie Queen winked at us, gesturing to one of the round water portals that circled the room, each guarded by serpent head guards with bodies of gold and black designs like a rattlesnake.
She giggled. "Come, Earthen Kings, lets see what your mate makes of their little quest." The portal changed to the hot springs on the mountain outside our house.
Rose had embedded small Witch stones along the floor of the lake, they shone two colours depending the direction you swam.
So we would know our way back to her.
Theo and I stepped through together without hesitation.