Chapter 45

  The night was spent together, Nereida soothing her beloved until they both fell asleep, cuddled and safe. The boys joined them in the bed near dawn, Egaz climbing between Ael and Nereida, while Alejo stayed on the far side where he cuddled only his mother. Egaz curled into the crook of Ael’s arm.

  “Your hair is pretty,” he whispered, a little smile on his face. “I bet it took five-ever to grow that long.” She chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

  “I can’t remember ever having short hair. But it takes five-ever to brush too.” She winked at Nereida, who smiled back warmly.

  “Can we stay here all day?” Egaz whispered. “Like a family?”

  “We are still family if we get out of bed,” Nereida replied with a little ugh. She reached over the little boy to take Ael’s hand, her other arm wrapping around Alejo. The older boy sniffed, as if upset by something, and he rolled out of the bed. The tiny seven year old stomped to his cot, each stomp louder than the st. Ael met Nereida’s eyes, and tilted her head, trying to understand what had upset the little one.

  “Can you take Egaz to the deck? I think Alejo and I need to chat.”

  “Of course love. Come on, little monster. Do you want to peer out my spygss? See what you can spy?” He squealed in delight and grabbed her hand, jumping up and down.

  “Can I?”

  “Only if you listen very well. It is an expensive piece of equipment.” He nodded solemnly, though the smile soon over-took his expression once again. The small boy wrapped his hand around one of her fingers, pulling her toward the door to the deck.

  “Come on, Step-Mama,” he excimed. “I wanna see everything!” She felt her breath catch, and she had to resist the urge to squeeze him into a hug. She wasn’t even sure the little boy had meant to call her that. Ael wiped at the tear that was trying to escape. If Evander was on deck and saw her blubbering, he’d never let her live it down.

  They climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck, the little boy asking questions about each piece of the ship, what each thing did, why some masts were higher than others.

  “Do you think I can be a helm-person when I get big?” he asked, standing on his tiptoes. “I’m too small now, but I can learn all the stars before I get big so I can make sure the ship is safe.” She knelt by his side and smiled.

  “I can teach you some navigation the next time we have a nice, cloudless night, if your mother says it is alright,” she suggested. “You and your brother.”

  “Alejo won’t want to,” Egaz sulked. He looked at his feet, a pout pying on his face. “I don’t understand why he doesn't like you. He likes Sissy.”

  “Sissy?”

  “‘Pelda.” He lifted his hand up and began to chew on his sleeve nervously. Gently, as she had seen Nereida do, she pulled his sleeve from his mouth and shook her head. He flushed and began to shuffle his feet.

  “I can’t make him like me, Egaz. Not everyone likes the same people. And that is alright.” She gave him a gentle tap on his nose and made a face at him. He giggled at her antics. “But I still like him even if he doesn’t like me, and I will protect you both.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise, little man. And I don’t break my promises.” She held out her hand. “A few more stairs, small one, and then we can look into the spygss. Have you ever pyed the Spying game?”

  “No, but I like games. Teach me!”

  She taught him the game, where she would describe something by colour or shape, and he would have to find it. If it was on deck, he had to use just his eyes, but if it was off the ship, she would let him peer into the spygss while she held it. Every time he got it right, she made the next thing harder, more obscure. Once in a while, she would throw in the absurd. He giggled when she said she spied something blue.

  “The ocean!”

  “No, the sky,” she replied and the little boy dissolved into a giddy pile of giggles and unruly limbs.

  After a few minutes, Nereida came up the stairs alone.

  “Where’s my brother?” Egaz asked, sounding worried. The speed at which the children ran through emotions was exhausting.

  “In the cabin, little love. Getting dressed so that we can work on something special.”

  “Can I do a special too?” He began to bounce on his toes excitedly. Nereida leaned in and kissed his head. “Of course darling. Go get light, loose clothing on. No boots, no stockings.” The little boy nodded vigorously, and started to charge down the stairs, but he changed his mind st minute and smmed into Ael, hugging her leg tightly. She had to grab a railing to steady herself.

  “Thanks for my special activity,” the boy said graciously. “Love you, Step-Mama!” and he bounded down the stairs with the energetic gracelessness that only a child could summon. Ael stared after the boy for a moment, her eyes prickling with tears. Nereida slid in beside her, slipping her arm around Ael’s waist.

  “How long has that been a thing?” she asked softly. Ael smiled, trying to banish the tears. She was not soft, she would not let this little boy melt her like butter.

  “This morning.” She took a deep breath in through her nose, smelling the sea, finding her bearings. “He loves fiercely, your little Egaz.”

  “Ours,” Nereida corrected. “I’m fairly certain the little one y cim to you as a parent today.” Ael swallowed but did not answer. Ours. She couldn’t wait for the full moon. Six more days.

  Alejo came stomping up the stairs, a little ball of rage and frustration, his little brother trailing after him with confusion on his face. Nereida’s expression went hard, and Ael started to pull away, not sure she was welcome in this family drama. But the siren held her firmly.

  “Alejo,” he gred up at his mother’s stern tone, defiance on his little face. “Is there something you wish to say?”

  “I’m sorry, Admiral.” He bit out her title, his eyes too hard for a child, his anger palpable. She could feel his magic stirring in his rage, without even touching him. “I didn’t mean to ruin family time.” Oh, he was his mother’s son. Ael met his storm with calmness.

  “You are entitled to your feelings on me, Alejo,” she replied, her tone even but detached. “I will not demand affection from you. But one day, I will be your step-mother.” He gred at her at those words, but didn’t speak. “And if you will let me, I would like to get to know you. I want to hear your story. But only when you want to tell me.” She knelt down at his level, meeting his eyes, but he cast them down, unable to look at her. That was fine. “You can call me Admiral until you are ready to call me something else.” She held out a hand. “Can we come to a peaceful accord?” He eyed her hand like it was a snake about to strike. Around them, the people of her crew had moved away, pretending they weren’t watching the child and the Admiral spar with words. She would let them pretend. This moment was too important.

  “You aren’t my mother,” he said sullenly. Ah, so that was it.

  “No, I’m not, and I will never be. But, I would still like to be family, when you are ready.” She did not smile, but kept her tone soft and gentle like a spring rain. His stormy expression faltered, and, slowly, he reached for her hand. His power was like his mother’s, cool and almost refreshing. It did not feel as strong, but then he was a child. The fact his magic had appeared before puberty was already a lot. Unless the sirens were different… after all, some were born breathing water, and Nereida had mentioned a toddler learning to breathe air. It was something she would have to ask her beloved about.

  The young boy shook her hand tentatively, his expression tight.

  “Friends?” she suggested. He shrugged and dropped her hand.

  “I guess.” He shuffled his feet and then looked up at his mother, seeking her approval. The siren woman smiled at him, her expression thawing. He ran to her and hugged her leg. She gave his shoulder a squeeze. The noise on the ship began to grow, as people began to talk again, their voices cheerful. Ael stood, straightening her back and tossing a small smile toward her beloved.

  “You mentioned an activity. What do you pn to do with the boys?” Nereida grinned at her, showing her sharp teeth in a way that made Ael suddenly nervous. She looked like a feral cat.

  “Oh, not just me. I’ve already made all the arrangements with our hosts and with Evander.” Ael narrowed her eyes, wondering why her first mate was suddenly answering to her beloved. She gnced around for him but he was suspiciously absent from the deck. What trouble had the two of them pnned? “It’s time to learn to swim.”

  Dragons saggy tits.

  Despite any protest that the Admiral could come up with, she found herself rowing their small family to the shore of the small isnd. Nereida was in trousers and a simple shirt, and had left her boots behind. Once she realized that her beloved would not be denied, Ael had given up and left her boots in the cabin. No use in ruining good boots with salt water.

  “Once you learn,” Nereida was saying, “once I know you are strong enough, I will make sure you can swim long enough to kick boots off.”

  “Kick …boots… off?” She grunted in between each word as she rowed toward the shore. Almost there. Her arms burned, but it was a good feeling. She anticipated that she would feel far less good on the way home. The boys were watching her row, imitating her with empty hands. She would teach these little nobles how to row. By the time they got home in five months, they’d be proper little pirates. The thought made her grin.

  “They hold water. If I am going to get to you in time to rescue you, I need you to keep your head above water.”

  They jumped out once they hit the shallows, the boys shrieking in delight and spshing each other immediately. The water was pleasant, a little cool. The waves were deceptively gentle. Don’t trust ocean waves. The ocean is not tame, the ocean cannot be tamed. She remembered her father telling her, years ago, when she had been no older than Alejo. She had been jealous of the peasant children who swam in the waves, kicking the water and running about. Now, she understood, but then it had seemed unfair. However, as much as she wanted to pass on her parents’ wisdom, as little of it as she had, it seemed unlikely that her new little family needed the same warning.

  “Mama! Look at the crab!”

  Nereida let the boys py and explore the shallows, keeping close to them, until they had expended some of their overabundance of energy. Once they were calm, she began her lessons, starting with just putting their faces under. Ael scoffed. She did not need the slow start. But her beloved fixed her stormy eyes on Ael.

  “Family lesson means you too, love.” Her tone was pyful, but there was a fierceness in her eyes. “No hierarchy in the family.” Ael sighed, and stripped off her coat so she was only in a simple shirt and trousers. It was going to be a long day.