King of Tides (The Immortal Iron Brothers #3)

Chapter 14

Daily Blessings

I groan and as I’m woken out of my sleep by an annoying sound. Reaching out toward the sound, I slap my hand toward it. Lifting my head, I find my phone on a clear glass, floating shelf. Something like an end table.

“That wasn’t there last night,” I mutter as I sit up.

Looking down at my phone, I huff. It’s after noon already. I didn’t mean to sleep in that long. As images of last night fill my head, I rub my thighs together and remember why my body needed the rest.

“Hello,” I say as I answer my phone that’s begun to ring again.

“Billy Ann Salvado?” the caller asks.

“This is she.”

“I am Sergeant Beckett Turner with IAB. I’ve been trying to reach you all morning,” he says.

“I’m sorry. My phone was on do not disturb for my day off. I must have forgotten to turn it off. How can I help you?”

“I have a few more questions for you. I was wondering if you could … come down,” he begins to say distractedly. “Um … do you mind holding on?”

“Yes, of course,” I say, hoping I manage to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

Reaching for the sheet, I pull it up over my chest as if Detective Turner can see me through the phone. I chew on my lip as I look around the room. It takes my breath away just as it did last night.

I knit my brows as I wonder where Ardan took off to. I was expecting him to be here when I woke. I’m guessing the clubhouse is a safe place in his mind.

“Sorry about that, Detective Salvado. Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here. Do you need me to come in?”

“Actually, no. So sorry to have wasted your time. That will be all. I’m closing this investigation and clearing you and Detective Ramirez,” he says and clears his throat.

I blow out a breath. Carson changed his last name back to his family name when he entered the academy. Mack didn’t let on that he had been hurt by that, but I saw he was.

“Thank you for your time,” Detective Turner says and ends the call.

I drop the phone in my lap and stare down at it. What the fuck was that? Last night begins to come back to me. I had been half-asleep when Ardan said he would make this go away for me and Carson.

“Did he do this?” I gasp to myself. “No fucking way.”

I jump up out of bed and carefully make my way across the little landing over the pool and then down the stairs. With my hands on my hips, I look from left to right trying to figure out which way he pointed to for the bathroom.

Okay, magic. If I have you, please help me not pee on myself. Show me the bathroom, please.

A pulsing starts in my belly. I grab hold of the feeling and repeat my chant, hoping to God I don’t piss myself. I fist-pump when the door pops open and the light comes on in the room to my right. I rush for the door and step into a bathroom that’s just as jaw-dropping as the bedroom. Ardan has good taste.

I pull a face and bob my head as I look around. When I note the water closet, I rush in and sit on the toilet. My eyes cross as I relieve myself.

I palm my forehead as the events of the last month run through my mind. Maybe I should talk to Ardan about those visions. I can’t help but wonder if they have something to do with my magic.

“My magic. Ain’t that some shit?” I snort.

I finish my business and go to wash my hands and see if he has any toothpaste. A smile comes to my lips when I find a little care package waiting for me with a note.

Good morning, baby girl,

I wanted you to sleep as long as you wanted. I thought of some things a human mate might need. I’m not sure if you know much about using your magic for these things. Something I want to help you with when you’re ready. For now, here’s everything I could think of. I’ll be in my office or in the main hall. Come find me when you’re ready. Remember you can call for me if you need help. Although I know you won’t.

Your Mate,

Ardan

I smile and shake my head. I think to call for him just to prove him wrong. Instead, I begin to dig through the basket. I pull out a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.

I lift a brow when I find my brand of deodorant and bodywash. A laugh bursts from my lips when I find my signature long T-shirt and jeans at the bottom of the basket.

“Okay, Ardan, I see you,” I murmur and nod as I get to work cleaning myself up and getting dressed.

I love this bathroom. The shower is a godsend as the warm spray rains down on me, loosening my muscles. I find myself singing in the shower and shaking my hips.

“I could get used to this.”

I jump and turn to find Ardan standing in the doorway of the shower. He’s staring at me with a heated gaze. I love the way he stands with his legs wide and his arms folded across his chest.

Talk about things to get used to; I could get used to this view. I bite my lip and cover my breasts and my lower parts. He laughs and shakes his head, pushing off the glass he’s leaning on to walk into the shower.

I lift a brow at him when his clothes vanish. This time, I get to take him in naked from head to toe. Man, his body is amazing.

“What happened to me coming to find you?” I ask as he stalks toward me.

“You were taking too long. I’ve missed you.”

“I was taking a shower before I came to look for you. I have some questions for you.”

He stops before me and grasps my face, then crushes my lips with a heated kiss. I moan into his mouth and lift on my toes to get closer to him. He smiles into the kiss before he pulls away.

“What do you need to know, my pretty mate?”

“What did you mean when you said you would make things go away for me and Carson? What did you do?”

“The Immortal Iron Brothers have a long reach. You’d be surprised to know who is among our ranks. If that weren’t an option, I would have used magic to fix it.

“Don’t worry. This won’t come back to either of you.”

“Thank you again. I’ll be done in a minute. I know you want to introduce me before I head out to work.”

“Before we head out.”

I roll my eyes. “We. I know you’re coming with me.”

“I thought some rest would cause you to see things my way,” he says with humor in his voice.

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

He turns me back toward the spray and begins to rinse me off. I bite my lip and squeeze my thighs together as he lathers more soap onto my breasts, then runs his soapy hand down my front to cup my sex.

“I can’t have you starting your day without a proper send-off,” he says next to my ear.

“What?”

“Call it your daily blessing.”

“Ah,” I cry out as he shoves his fingers into me.

I lift onto my toes and reach behind me to grasp his neck. He drops kisses across my shoulder as he continues to thrust in and out of me. I can feel his length poking into me as he bands his free arm around me to keep me from tipping over.

“Ardan,” I whimper.

“That’s my name, baby. What can I do for you?”

“ Fuck ,” I cry.

I begin to convulse from the husky sound of his voice in my ear. I fall forward and throw my arms out to catch myself against the wall. As I cry out for more, he pulls his hand from my pussy and shoves his fingers into my mouth.

I’m hoping he’s going to replace his fingers with that long, thick thing between his legs, but I’m left pulsing for him as he kisses his way down my back. I look over my shoulder as he takes a bite of my ass.

He looks up into my eyes as he inhales deeply. The next thing I know, he buries his face in my pussy and begins to eat me like it’s a profession.

When he adds his fingers to the mix, I roll my eyes into the back of my head. This is insane, but I’m not about to stop him from devouring me like this.

Instead, I lift onto my toes and stick my hips out to give him more access. He takes the offering and pushes his fingers in deeper. I cry out and start to rock against his face greedily.

“Ardan, yes. Oh yes,” I whimper.

In no time, he has me on my toes. I’m trying and failing to get away as my legs begin to shake. His hands on my waist are keeping my ass in his face as he hums in pleasure. That deep rumble vibrates through me and settles in my belly.

When he rubs my clit then presses down on it, I’m done for. I cry out so loud I’m surprised when the walls don’t shake.

“Ardan,” I scream louder and shake my head in disbelief. “Wow.”

I come so hard my legs buckle. Ardan catches me and stands, tossing me in the air a little before catching me to settle into his hold. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face there.

“Was it that good?” he chuckles.

“Yes,” I pant as my cheeks heat.

He kisses the side of my face. A smile plays on his lips as they meet my skin. I melt inside from the gesture as my skin tingles.

He walks us out of the bathroom into the bedroom. I hold my breath as he climbs the stairs and carries me to the bed. For a split second, I’m expecting him to slip and fall into the pool. Then it hits me that this isn’t an ordinary man—he’s not human but a demigod.

He places me on the bed and pecks my lips. I look up into his eyes and my breath hitches. I tear my eyes away quickly, not wanting to read too much into what I see there.

“Next time, I’ll take my time blessing you. Right now, the community is waiting to meet my new queen,” he says, with a handsome smile on his face.

His mustache is still glistening, wet from my juices. I reach to brush it clean. He takes my hand in his and pulls my fingers into his mouth, then kisses my palm.

“Delicious. I’m proud to wear your essence and will spend the day trying to inhale it as often and as much as I can,” he croons with a smile.

In this moment, I hate my job, and I don’t want to meet anyone. I want to lie back on this bed and allow him to bless me over and over again. Frowning at my thoughts, I take the clothes that appear in his hand and set them aside as he begins to dry me off with the towel that appears in the other.

I clear my throat and ask the first thing that comes to mind. “So let me get this straight. I will be considered a queen here, but you guys don’t have one queen or king?

“No, there is not one. Our mother’s people were all considered kings and queens.”

“So now you and all three of your brothers are considered kings?”

“Yes, our community holds us in that regard,” he replies.

“Okay, I’m starting to grasp it all. I think. Ray and Taylor are considered queens as well, right?”

“Yes, as Reilly’s mate will be when she arrives.”

“Does that mean we actually rule over anyone, or is it in name only?”

“Here, we divide our people by element.”

“Element?”

“Yes, we each wield an element. Kendrick, however, can pull from and wield all our elements. Well, he’s never tapped into Reilly’s power.”

“Why not?”

“Reilly’s power is complicated. It can’t be locked down completely by blessed iron. I think Kendrick has always feared killing his own power by pulling Reilly’s.”

“Well, what kind of power does he have?”

“Reilly has the power to give life or death. He can strip the power of other beings or hand it back.”

“I get why Kendrick wouldn’t want to pull from that. That’s some deep shit. Okay, okay. This is all so fascinating. I’ll stop interrupting. Back to the people and your element.”

“You are fine. It’s a lot to take in. The fire folk all follow Bradan’s rule. Water folk are our people. Because of Reilly’s connection to life and death, he rules the earth folk. Kendrick rules over us all.”

“Water folk?”

“Merpeople, nymphs, water fairies, sea fairies, sirens?—”

“Wait, wait, wait. I thought mermaids, sirens and nymphs were all one and the same.”

He gives me a smile. “They are not. However, we decided a long time ago to make it seem as such. There are differences. Some species are more harmful than others.

“Oh, okay. Go on. I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head. “Good question. I will help you learn of them all. We also rule over the water dragons and several others we don’t speak of aloud.”

At the mention of water dragons, my heart begins to race. I feel the blood drain from my face. Ardan tilts his head and studies me closely.

“What just happened?” he asks with concern in his voice.

“It’s nothing. I was just going to ask you about something. I … um.”

“Shit, can you hold that thought. We’ve been summoned to the main hall. The community has gathered. They are waiting.”

I look to the clothes still sitting beside me. I guess my crazy thoughts and visions can wait. Ardan follows my gaze.

“Let me help you with that,” he says and then I’m fully dressed.

“You have to show me that one,” I say and laugh nervously.

I had been using my questions to avoid this for as long as I could. I still want to know what’s expected of me. What will these water folk need from me?

I guess I’m about to find out.

Ardan

This is going well. I want Billy to feel welcome by all. I can sense this isn’t easy for her. Although I can’t hear or see her thoughts, I can sense her emotions.

They are all over the place, but the most consistent is her nervousness and desire to fit in. I’m not surprised by that after being in her thoughts last night. While Billy has forced herself to be independent, I came across memories of her wanting to be a part of things only to be left out.

My little mate is strong, but my love will make her stronger. Billy will know she belongs with me, and I will always be here for her. Water beings can be emotional and intuitive, so she will always know how our people feel about her. Their vibes will be easy to catch.

“Who are they?” Billy asks as she points to my little friends peeking around Rock.

They are waving up at the dais, hoping to get my attention. I give them a wave and they begin to bounce in place happily. With a grin, I give the signal for them to skip the line and come forward. The two come running and jump right into my lap, causing me to laugh.

“King Ardan. We were so excited to hear we could come see you.”

“Can you make us a water slide?”

“Will you play with us?”

“Boys, I want you to meet someone special. This is Queen Billy, my mate,” I chuckle.

“Hi,” Beck says and waves.

Bourne blushes and waves but remains silent. Billy gives them both a bright smile. “Hello there. It’s so nice to meet you,” she coos.

Bourne gasps and looks up at me. “She sounds like a siren. Is she safe?”

Sirens were partially responsible for the deaths of the boys’ parents. They led them to the monster who took their lives. I put the sirens responsible to death, but the boys have been wary of sirens ever since. It took a long time to get them to trust anyone.

I noticed the enchantment of Billy’s voice last night. It has always been alluring to me, but it took on a new pull last night. It is a lot like a siren’s call.

“Not every siren is bad. I’ve told you this before. And yes, she’s safe. Billy would never do anything to hurt you,” I reply.

“You’re pretty,” Beck says. “Will you play with us? We always have so much fun with King Ardan.”

“I would love to play with you guys, but I have to leave soon. But if it’s okay with your mom, I’d like to play with you some other time.”

“Oh,” Beck says and climbs off my lap with a long face.

“What just happened? What did I do wrong?” Billy says in a panic through our link.

“Their parents were led to slaughter. They don’t have a mother, and they don’t live here. Coming to headquarters was a treat for them today.”

“I’m so sorry. I … I”

“You didn’t know. It will be fine.”

Billy gets up from her throne chair and squats in front of Beck. He looks at her then looks at me as if asking if it’s okay for him to engage her. I give him a nod.

“What’s your name?” Billy asks softly.

“I’m Beck and that’s my brother Bourne. We are water titans. Our dad was a sea guard. One day, we’ll be big and strong, and we’ll take his place.”

“Quiet, Beck. No one is to know that,” Bourne chides his brother and scowls.

“Your secret is safe with me. I’ll protect it with my life,” Billy says and winks at Bourne.

She then reaches to run her hand over Beck’s curly blond hair. Beck’s entire face lights up. He’s always the first to warm up to people. He’s also the most lethal of the two boys.

“Bourne is right, I shouldn’t have told you that.” He looks at me. “I’m sorry. I will do better.”

“You are fine. Your queen is here to keep you safe. You shouldn’t tell anyone else, but this once you are forgiven.”

“How old are you guys?” Billy asks.

“We’re five,” Bourne replies.

“Oh, you’re tall boys. Maybe we can play another time. I should be free this weekend or the one after that. Ardan can bring me to you. You don’t have to come here,” Billy says.

“Really?” Beck says with hope in his eyes.

“I will bring you to a meeting place. We will play together then,” I reply.

“Oh, no. I made another mistake, didn’t I?”

“No worries, pretty one. I will tell you all you need to know about them and anything else you need to catch up on. We can’t go to where they live because it’s guarded heavily for their sake and everyone else’s.

“There are others who would love to take them and have control of their powers. They may be children, but they are both very powerful and will be forces when they grow up. For now, I keep them safe somewhere known to few and accessible to fewer, ” I explain.

“Is King Bradan here? Can he play with us before we have to return?” Bourne asks as he looks up at me with his big bright-blue eyes.

“He is not, but I will let him know you asked for him,” I say.

Bourne slides down off my lap and goes to wrap his arms around Billy’s neck. She embraces him and holds him tight. When he releases her, he looks into her eyes.

“You don’t mean us harm, but you can cause us pain. Don’t get close to us if you don’t want us. I won’t allow my brother to lose another,” Bourne says then walks off the dais without a look back.

Billy watches after him with her brows drawn. Beck throws himself into her arms and kisses her cheek. I’m too stunned to reply.

I’ve never seen Bourne like this. Although he does tend to be protective of his younger twin as Bradan is with me. I narrow my eyes as he finds a corner and sits in it with his arms across his chest.

“What just happened?” Billy says after Beck runs off after his brother.

“I’m not sure. Water folk can have the gift of sight. Bourne may have seen something to make him react that way.” I shrug, still not sure what that was about.

I’ll have a talk with him next time. I allowed the brothers to come to this meeting because I haven’t seen them this month and I thought they would like to meet Billy. Maybe it’s time I spend some real time with them and see what’s been going on with them.

Water titans can become dangerous. I would hate for it to come to that with either boy. They can never learn what truly happened to their parents; otherwise, I’m afraid they will be lost to us.

Once a water titan’s heart runs cold, a different being is created. That I can’t allow to happen. It’s my duty to prevent that and I will.

“You have a lot on your shoulders with your people. Are you sure you have time to follow me around? I don’t know how you do all you do as it is,” Billy says with concern.

“I will always have time for you. They have been excited today. Many didn’t really need me. They just wanted to talk,” I reply.

I don’t tell her I’ve mastered splitting myself in two. It’s not something I’ve shared with many. Not even Bradan knows.

“Oh, okay. I would love to help.”

“We can talk about that later. Let’s finish up so you can eat, and we can head out for your shift.”