Restless Waves

Chapter 72

The comment section has been a little quiet lately. I hope everyone is okay! :) 

- Sian

"So... how do we do this?" Rowan asked, seawater filling his mouth and filtering through his gills. He and Kaerius stared up at the bottom of the boats.

"Should we put a hole in them or something?"

"Or stuff the engine with plants?"

"Or fish guts."

Rowan arched his brow, staring calmly at Kaerius's evil grin. "I wouldn't mind watching the boats sink," he thought. "but how do we do it without making it obvious?"

"We need a lot of force, and we all need to do it at the same time, so no hunters have the chance to throw spears while we're close to the surface and escape. Our tails are pretty powerful, though I don't know if they could put a hole in a boat." Kaerius's arms rested securely around Rowan's waist. They had barely let go of each other since they reconnected.

"Well, we need to think of something and fast."

Kaerius narrowed his eyes, studying Rowan while he thought about what to say. The trouble of sharing thoughts meant that Rowan could hear what he was thinking, and already knew what Kaerius wanted to say.

Rowan stared back, and it was his turn to narrow his eyes. "How would I even manipulate the water? I have no idea how to do that. Would it even work? I'd just look like an idiot."

"Ask the water to drown the boats. I'm sure it'll work."

"Water," Rowan said out loud with a blank face, "sink the boats." They watched the surface, and nothing happened. "See?" Rowan looked down to the sand and tried not to pout. "I don't know what I'm doing. Mum made commanding the sea sound easy."

"I think you need to want the boats to sink more than you've ever wanted anything else."

"It's not possible to want anything more than you."

Kaerius pursed his lips, trying desperately not to smile. Rowan had an absurd effect on him that made Kaerius find happiness even in the bleakest of situations. He wanted to say some snarky remark, but Kaerius's heart was too touched by his words to coat it with humour.

"Then try," he thought, moving close enough for their noses to touch. He gripped Rowan's shoulders and stared deeply into his light green eyes. "You can't give up unless you've tried with everything you've got. You have the power to end this; I know you do."

"What am I supposed to do?" Rowan thought, and his voice sounded like a whisper in Kaerius's head. "Am I supposed to drown them if they don't give us peace? Am I supposed to hurt them until they give us peace? Am I supposed to get Jack to curse them for revenge? Am I supposed to match their hate because I'm weak if I don't get angry?"

Kaerius felt warm specks of water near his eyes. Rowan's tears were carried away as soon as they left him, though Kaerius felt them just before they did, and he was glad that Rowan found the situation so emotional.

Rowan didn't need to turn into a monster to get revenge. "Show them how powerful you are. Show them that they have no right to make you feel this way. You are Rowan Solar, and whether they like it or not, you share their blood and the blood of Thalassic Mortal Royalty. They don't believe you'll come for them which is why they dared to park up on the island. Show them, Rowan." Kaerius's lips grazed Rowan's mouth. "Show them who you are."