teased him seductively, which usually happened in the privacy of his castle, so despite constant nudity, the warriors rarely saw each other aroused. But, apparently, arousal size held some importance to humans. It had become a topic of recent discussion.
“My bride became quite excited,” Zoan continued. “We talked for hours about large houses, metal cars, and engagement dresses. Perhaps Dannika has a problem with your size?”
The other warriors burst out laughing at his daring.
Ciran lifted a brow. “My size?”
“Of your mating gemstone.” Zoan’s face betrayed no hint of the comedy he’d set up. “Of course.”
Mm-hm. Sure.
Ciran let out a long, harassed sigh and shook his head.
His warriors almost fell down with hysteria. Even Lotar, who never smiled, rubbed his lips.
Ciran let them laugh. Zoan’s light-hearted question distracted from his very real problem.
And anyway, Zoan’s teasing illuminated the strength of Atlantis.
Their warriors came from so many cities that misunderstandings happened every day. King Kadir listened to the lowest-ranked warriors, accepted being wrong, and solicited their experience to change his rulings. His officers did the same. These moments of camaraderie formed the connections that bound the warriors together into a cohesive unit that Ciran was proud to lead.
When their laughter subsided, Ciran divided the warriors into patrols, automatically systematizing their work according to their preferences and talents. Some shucked their human clothing to sweep the reef. Others looked for hidden dangers threatening their small, isolated beach.
Zoan lingered nearby.
Ciran saluted him. “Congratulations on claiming your bride. May your castle overflow with young fry.”
Zoan saluted back. Then, he glanced around as if to check that no one was listening, and sidled closer to Ciran. “Is Dannika your bride? Truly? She is a bright female like Queen Aya. It can be difficult to sense which warrior makes her shine brightest.”
A hot shard embedded in Ciran’s chest. “It is me.”
“Then how can she reject you? It must pain her as much as it pains you.”
“She has a long-standing tolerance to her own suffering.”
“That cannot be healthy.”
Ciran tipped his head. Zoan’s easy acceptance made the shard fade to a throb. “But her responsibilities at MerMatch overpower her soul’s desire.” For now.
“Really?” Zoan gave a rare frown. “Is that what she says?”
“Yes.” Ciran changed the subject before Zoan got too close to his own conclusion. “I have a unit ready to escort your bride to Atlantis.”
“My bride wishes to remain on Bermuda and acclimate slowly to the mer life.”
“How slowly?”
“A month, a year. Perhaps five years.”
“You would leave Atlantis for five years?”
Zoan shrugged. “The time is up to my bride.”
He rotated to face Zoan head-on. “Atlantis is always under attack. The All-Council plots to destroy our city. Will you avoid your duty to your fellow warriors? To your king?”
“King Kadir does not mind.”
“You just found your bride. How can he know?”
“Dannika called the mid-Atlantic platform last night. They conveyed the message down their electrical wires into the city. It is so convenient, this human communication, is it not? Much faster than echo points and ocean currents.”
Then it was true, and Ciran had made an improper assumption. “I overstepped. Forgive me.”
Zoan choked. “Do my ears lie? Did a second lieutenant actually admit his mistake?”
“I can repeat myself.”
“No, no. We live in age of wonders.” Zoan sobered. “I must get used to trusting my ears. We rely on souls to convey feelings. If I have learned one thing from watching the queens at the Atlantis Life Tree, it is that they value their words more highly than warriors do.”
Hmm.
When Dannika talked, he only heard her disvaluing herself. Another bride would be better than her. Another bride would be more capable.
Had he missed something? What else did she reveal?
Gailen sloshed up to Zoan and threw an arm around the warrior’s shoulders. “Listen to this expert. He has had a bride for one day. Now, he knows everything about brides.”
Zoan lifted his nose. “I already knew everything. My bride simply affirms my expertise.”
“Expertise? How did you find such an innocent female?”
Zoan elbowed him. “Good luck finding one who dislikes thumbs.”
Gailen tripped Zoan over his knee and doused him in the shallows. Zoan splashed, thrashed, and then grappled Gailen. He toppled in after. The warriors wrestled good naturedly under the waves.
Lotar looked over at them, alert to break up the altercation, then saw Ciran and hesitated.
Nilun shouted and raced across the beach.
Ciran stepped in front of Nilun. “Control yourself.”
“Control myself?” The hot-headed warrior gestured at the shallow-water wrestlers. “Gailen attacked Zoan!”
“Use your eyes. Are those warriors angry?”
“They are fighting!”
“Are they?”
“Yes!”
“Nilun.” Ciran pushed him