They did and knocked me to the floor, half insensible. I heard Kailar cry out, and then I heard no more.
I woke up on a cot inside the prison. The prison was small, reserved for only noblemen and protected by magic. I turned to Keion. The King had allowed our voices to return, I quickly realized and Keion was furious, pacing up and down in the small cell.
“Why? Why would he betray us this way? Did you do something to anger him? How could this have gone so wrong? I’ll never see Adan again! He’ll lose his life because of my arrogance and stupidity! And your mate’s!”
I hugged my brother tightly. “He didn’t exactly betray us, Keion. He was trying to protect us. I think his plan was to put us away so we couldn’t be injured by the Hag. He’s going to face Beathag alone in an idiotic idea to protect us…as if we’d want to live without either of them. We have to find a way out of this prison. Without our magic helping him, he doesn’t stand a chance.”
“We helped construct this prison, Alyx. We both know there’s no way out. The magic is too strong. We’re trapped.”
I had to hold it together, because it was easy to see that Keion was about to lose his shit. He’d patiently waited for Kailar to become strong enough to travel before demanding that I aid him in rescuing Adan. Now, well, Kailar may have, with a good heart, destroyed the chance of happiness for any of us. “You’re right, Keion. We helped construct this prison. We’d know of any weaknesses. We can do this.”
He growled at me. “You’re dreaming, brother. We aren’t getting out of here.”
“Not so fast. I have an idea. There’s one thing that might work. It will weaken us, take time we don’t have, and I’m not a hundred percent sure it will work…but we have to try. For the sake of our soulmates’ lives and our eternal happiness, we have to try!”
*****
Kailar
I quickly made my excuses to retire to my chambers while the two kings and the entirety of two courts were still in an uproar. They were arguing and shouting at each other. There was a chance I’d destroyed the longstanding treaty between our people. None of that mattered, though. I wasn’t going to risk the lives of my beloved Alyx and Keion. This was my battle. My family. My responsibility to bring the former Queen Beathag down. My father might not have had the heart to destroy the woman he once loved, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take her out—not when she was torturing Adan and holding him captive.
Fuck, both Alyx and Keion were going to be furious with me. Hopefully, in time, they would have fond memories when they recalled our short time together. I hoped in my heart that Alyx would realize my plan. He knew I was trying to protect him. When those guards had been so harsh with him, I’d almost confessed and put a stop to it. I hated to see him hurt and I vowed revenge on those guards. If I ever returned to Atlantis, that is.
Inside my newly prepared room, as with the rooms of all royal guests, the ocean waters surrounded it like an aquarium—like the world Alyx had built for me at his home except these waters led directly to the ocean…and to danger. The walls were protected by magic, but it was to keep creatures out of Atlantis, not prevent anyone from leaving. I quickly penned Alyx a note, telling him how sorry I was and how much I loved him. After that, I walked through the thick glass walls and my merman tail immediately formed. Since I hadn’t had the chance to do this very often, it took me several minutes to control my panic of being underwater, unable to breathe through my mouth. The gills thing—it was new and took some getting used to.
When I finally felt comfortable, I opened my mind and reached out to my twin. He was weaker. While he begged me not to come to Beathag’s kingdom, I assured him all would be well. Yeah, I lied about having an army to accompany me and then felt like shit when Adan immediately asked if Keion would be in the group. I lied and told him yes, and he roared in fury. Seeing we were just alike on trying to keep our mates safe, I confessed to what I’d done and assured him that Keion and Alyx were safely locked away in the Atlantis prison.
Swiftly, I soared through the waters, expecting attacks from sharks or other dark ocean creatures, but not one blocked my travels, though I saw them in the shadows, watching me. Yes, my mother knew I was coming…that I was coming for Adan. While I was terrified, I kept moving, gaining speed as I went. If I died, it would be by the side of my twin and with the knowledge that my beloved Alyx was safe.
Hours later, the cave containing Beathag’s lair came into sight. I stopped to survey what I was up against. I’d barely stopped when a huge mega shark swam up to me.
“The Queen welcomes you to her castle, young prince.” He spoke his thoughts in my mind in a voice as evil as the queen’s. “I’m surprised you were foolish enough to show up.” He bared his layers of teeth. “Thankful…but surprised. Once the Queen has sucked the power from you and your brother, I’ll devour that delicious body of yours. It’s a promise your mother made to me.”
I snorted. “Trust me; she’s made lots of promises over the years—like to love her children. I wouldn’t start setting your dining room table yet.”
Angered, he lunged for me, but I used my magic and strength to send his gigantic body toppling backward through the water. He crashed into one side of the stone, destroying a chunk of the cave wall. It made me smile.
In my head, Adan still pleaded for me to turn back. He sounded so weak. I pushed forward, even more desperate to get to him. I easily remembered the way to his cell but even if I hadn’t, my soul would have found him. It was difficult to understand how a connection this strong could have been inside me, yet it had been buried so deep I hadn’t even known it existed weeks ago. Now, I felt like I would die if I didn’t get to him soon.
I felt that same powerful devotion to Alyx.
I hated that I had been forced to betray him to keep him safe. It was the only way, though, or so I had believed. I couldn’t face my mother, the Queen of all things evil, while worrying about losing him. Was Alyx stronger than me? Probably. Well, no doubt. It still hadn’t been a chance I’d been willing to take. It was a lose-lose situation for me. My soul would die without Adan, as it would most certainly die without Alyx. Perhaps…hopefully, Alyx would be able to move on without me if Adan’s rescue mission was a failure.
“Kailar! I begged you not to come!” Adan spoke softly and weakly, showing just how much damage the iron had done to him. “She knows you’re here; it’s been a trap all along!”
I quickly swam toward him, and we embraced through the iron bars, the bitterness of the metal stinging my skin where it touched flesh. “I know, brother. A mega met me at the cave entrance. No worries. We’ve got this,” I lied.
“You know I can read your mind, right?” Adan said with a shaky chuckle. “The anxiety in your head is clanging an alarm loud and clear in mine.”
“Ahhhh…my beautiful boys!” Her chilling voice interrupted our exchange. “I’ve waited so long to have both of you in my kingdom.” I turned around to see her behind me. This time she was wearing a long green gown that swirled around her, floating up around her white legs in the water. She was in her Hag form then and her long hair, like single strands of seaweed swirled around her head in long swaths of dull green.
“Such a shame to make your mother wait.” She smiled, baring her teeth. She had huge incisors where human-like teeth used to reside. And her eyes were flat and dull, like a shark’s eyes.
“Your father kept your from me for so long. I’ll make sure he pay for that transgression when I finish with the two of you.”
“If you go anywhere near Atlantis, you’ll be destroyed!” I shouted at her, immediately worrying about my plans to keep Alyx and Keion safe. I worried about my father, as well, but my soulmate and his brother were on the top of my list. The rest of Atlantis could crumble into the sea for all I cared.
“Not after I’ve gathered the strength from you two lovelies. Nothing will be able to stop me once I’ve consumed the hearts and crushed the bones of my twins.” She swirled around again, like this was all a fun game to her. “You do know that your murders will happen so quickly that you’ll be alive long enough to see your still-beating heart pass my lips…see me chewing on it with gluttonous hunger.” Her hands clapped together. “For a moment anyway. It will most certainly be horrifying for the both of you, and your fear will be simply delicious.” Tapping her chin, she asked, “But who should go first? My eldest? Or my youngest. You were only three minutes apart, you know. Does it really matter?” She laughed. “I think it will be you, Kailar. You’re the strongest at the moment. Adan…well, he’s simply about to fall apart on me.”