Gabe jolted like he'd been shocked and stared at the mer. "Mary?" he whispered, staring at her pearl. He now realized why it looked so familiar, but could barely bring himself to hope. "Your mate's name is Mary?"
Dalia nodded, looking confused by Gabe's growing excitement. "Yes, that's what she told me. We used to meet up at the lagoon, and my mate used to tell me all about herself, even when I couldn't respond. She liked to talk." Dalia smiled fondly at the memory. "She told me her name was Mary."
Gabe glanced up at Paxton, but noticed his mate looked as confused as his sister.
"One of my friends—who I brought with me—her name is Mary," Gabe explained. He reached out and snagged the box out of Paxton's hand. Opening it, he dug around. He could feel Dalia moving closer, but ignored her as he continued to search. Finally he found exactly what he was looking for.
Pulling it out, he held his hand flat so both mer could see the light purple pearl resting in the palm of his hand. "This is the pearl Father Willis stole from her." Holding it up in the light, there could be no doubt that it was the perfect match to the pearl Dalia wore.
Dalia gasped in shock, reaching out with one shaking hand. The tip of her finger brushed against the pearl and she jerked back as if burned. "How—where did you get this?" she demanded, eyes flashing with anger. She looked like she wanted to attack Gabe right where he stood.
Apparently Paxton thought the same thing, because he put a protective arm around Gabe's waist and pulled him back to his side.
"Calm down, Dalia," he ordered. Glancing down at the pearl Gabe still held, the big mer sighed. "Come with us and I will explain everything on the way." He looked down at Gabe, gray eyes sad. "Come, my own, let us go see your friends."
Gabe carefully put the pearl back in the box, waiting for Paxton to close it before taking his mate's other hand. His mind was swirling with all the new revelations, and he hardly paid attention as Paxton began to speak softly with his sister.
"For many years now, there has been a man named Father Willis, who controls Bimini Island with an iron fist…"
Chapter 11
Gabe held Paxton's hand the whole way through the palace, unwilling to let go. Mer of all shapes and sizes bowed and waved as they passed, but other than nodding his head to them, Paxton didn't stop. He and Dalia continued to speak quietly, but Gabe didn't pay attention since he had heard the story of the island and it's horrors before.
Hell, I lived the story
;
I don't need to hear it again
!
After what seemed like forever, with so many twists and turns in the hallways of the palace Gabe was sure he'd never find his way back to the bedroom, they reached a large wooden door. Gabe stared at it, anxiety and apprehension of what he'd find behind it filling him.
"This is the medical wing," Paxton explained to him softly. "Your companions were taken here for their own health and safety."
Gabe forced himself to take a deep breath and nod, letting Paxton know he was as ready as he was ever going to get. Dalia was quiet at their side. Gabe could feel her practically vibrating in place, likely in anticipation for the possible reunion that was coming.
Paxton squeezed Gabe's hand reassuringly then reached out and pushed open the door.
Dalia's cry of pain and denial was the first thing that truly registered to Gabe in those first stunning moments.
He stayed silent, unable to look away from the strange sight in front on him. He barely registered Dalia pushing past him and rushing into the room; he couldn't even focus past the fact both Aaron and Mary appeared to be… floating in a…?
What in the world
?
"Are… are they in a bubble?" Gabe finally asked.
Both humans were floating in the middle of two small bubbles, each wearing simple white shifts, seemingly asleep. Mary's bright red hair floated about her, and Aaron's stomach was bandaged. It was such an unusual sight, especially since he could clearly see beds and other seating areas inside the medical wing.
Gabe didn't know what to think.
Paxton let go of Gabe's hand and wrapped his arm around the smaller man's shoulders, carefully using his hold to usher him into the room.
"It's to protect the humans from the ocean, since the Merfolk reside at such a deep depth. It's also to protect them from the magic of the city, which doesn't allow anyone inside who isn't either a mer or bonded to one. The bubble also reassures that their wounds stay clean and sanitized, while promoting healing," a small, bouncy mer explained, as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bounded over to Gabe's side before Paxton even had a chance to speak.
His hair was the shade of sunshine, and his pearl was a pretty lime-green color. He was small and lithe, looking more like an adolescent than the adult he appeared to be. The only thing that made him seem even remotely like an adult was the pale gray robe he wore over his green breeches and white shirt, leaving only the green and yellow scales on his hands, feet and neck visible.
"Your Highness, it's an honor to have you visit us today," the small mer said with a bow, as he stepped before the King. His odd yellow eyes landed on Gabe and his smile widened even further. "Oh my, is this your mate?" The strange mer bowed again before either man had a chance to respond. "It's a pleasure and honor to meet you as well, your Majesty. I wanted to examine you earlier, but the King demanded you have a chance to make yourself comfortable in your new home before I was allowed to bother you. If you'd like to take a seat right over here, we can get the examination out of the way and—"
The strange mer grabbed Gabe's hand and began to drag him over to a bed on the opposite side of the room from the bubbles holding his friends. Before Gabe had a chance to panic however, he was plucked from the talkative mer's grasp.
Paxton easily moved Gabe behind him. His smile was tinged with warning as he looked down at the other mer.
"Healer Sanjel, may I introduce my mate, Gabriel Overton. My own, this is our head healer here at the Palace, Sanjel." Paxton shook his head at the other mer, causing his green hair to slide over his shoulders. "Sanjel, now is not the time to indulge in your obsession with humans. You may examine my mate later, if he'll let you; but keep in mind it will be his choice. For now we'd like a progress report on his friends."
The healer's eyes widened and he immediately nodded. "Of course, of course! My apologies, Highness. I let my excitement get away with me. Come, come and I'll tell you everything I've found with the humans."
"Their names are Aaron and Mary, not
the humans
." Gabe glared over at the mer. He didn't care if this was the doctor or not; the man needed to acknowledge they were people too, not objects to be examined and talked about like they were nothing.
Sanjel's eyes widened, but he nodded anyway. "Yes, Mary and Aaron, of course. Come, come." He led the way back over to the bubbles, where Dalia was staring at Mary's still form, silent tears coursing down her face.
"Is she—" Paxton started to ask, only to be cut off by Dalia's broken sob.
The Princess of the Merfolk nodded slightly and reached up to lightly press her hand against the side of the bubble. Longing filled her tear-filled gray eyes as she stared at the small woman floating inside.
"Will she be all right?" Dalia asked softly. Both Paxton and Gabe looked over at the healer, who nodded.
"Oh yes, both humans—uh, I mean Aaron and Mary—will make a full recovery physically. The wound to the male's stomach lacerated his liver and perforated his bowels. It would have been fatal if it weren't for him being brought here. The female is the one I'm worried about the most." The healer sighed and shook his head. "She has extensive scarring all over her body, from what I can only assume was some form of torture. I hate to say it, but she shows signs of having bones broken and vaginal trauma… basically, she has been raped—not only once, but repeatedly, and violently at that. It's her mental welfare I am the most concerned about." The healer looked hesitant for a moment before speaking again; this time his voice was much more somber and subdued. "It appears as though she at one time wore a mating pearl, but the scarring on her forehead makes me think it's been forcibly removed." Sanjel shuddered, as if the very thought of something so horrific disturbed him greatly.
If only he knew the whole extent on the horrors Mary and everyone else experienced at the hands of a madman
…
"Can the pearl be replaced?" Paxton asked. The healer looked confused and Gabe wanted to roll his eyes.
"He means, if we had the pearl, the pearl that was originally taken from her, can you put it back on her forehead?" Gabe explained.
Sanjel slowly nodded. "I suppose it's possible, but not by me. The pearl would have to be put back by the one who gave it to her in the first place."
Both Paxton and Gabe turned to look at Dalia. The mer stood up straight and wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded.
"Of course I'll give it back to her. It wasn't her fault the pearl was taken from her in the first place. I should have sought her out and tried to discover why she never came to me and the sea; maybe then, none of this would have happened." Dalia sniffled, but nodded determinedly and looked over at the healer. "What do I do?" she asked.
Sanjel's eyes widened. "Oh, she's your…? Never mind. Congratulations on finding your mate, Princess. You just need to re-establish the bond at the same time you give her the pearl. Just like the first time you bonded."
Dalia nodded and held her hand out expectantly to Paxton. He immediately pulled out the wooden box and reaching inside, pulled out her pearl. Dalia accepted it carefully then turned to look at Sanjel.
"I'd like somewhere private to be with my mate," she said.
Sanjel was nodding before she'd even finished and with a wave of his hand, Mary's bubble began to move. Gabe watched in awe as the healer led the bubble into the back of the medical wing, behind a curtained off area for privacy.
Paxton moved away from Gabe's side and over to his sister's, wrapping her into a big hug before letting go.
"Good luck," he whispered. "May the sea guide you and bless your mating."
Dalia gave him a nod and watery smile, before quickly following Sanjel to where he had taken her mate.
Gabe watched her go, sighing softly when strong arms wrapped around his waist. "What will we do about Aaron?" he asked, looking over his shoulder and up at his mate.
Paxton sighed. "I'm not sure, my own. He didn't come here with a mate waiting. I'm just not sure."
Gabe bit his lip and looked over at Aaron's bubble, sadness filling him.
"He's actually a really good guy, Pax. He didn't have to help me at all when Father Willis's goons came for me, but he did. His friend, Douglas, was one of the people Father Willis killed. The worst part is Aaron and Douglas were lovers before the mer who chose Douglas was even in the picture. Aaron let Douglas go though, hoping his friend would find happiness with his mer. He didn't know his lover had been killed instead. I wish Aaron could find a mer who would love and bond with him because they wanted to, not because they felt obligated to."
Gabe shook his head and turned his sad eyes toward his mate.
"I will bond with him."
Both men jumped at the deep voice coming from behind them.
Paxton turned them around and Gabe's eyes widened at the sight of the powerful mer standing in the doorway.
The mer was huge, at least six-three, with rugged masculine features and piercing jade green eyes. Hair, the exact same shade of orange as the sky at sunset, cascaded over broad shoulders that were covered in shiny metal armor. The breastplate hugged a strong chest, and thick thighs were wrapped in sturdy black breaches, looking ready to burst at the seams from trying to contain all those muscles.
But the most impressive part, at least to Gabe, were the beautiful red and black scales running along his body and the pale green pearl on his forehead.
"Ah, Leando, I am glad you made it. Gabriel, my own, may I introduce my cousin Leando, Captain of the Guard here at the palace and one of my most trusted advisors. Captain Leando, may I introduce my chosen mate and the now the most important person in my life, Gabriel." Paxton waved a hand between the two men, and Leando nodded at Gabe respectfully.
Gabe was surprised that the two mer were related, but now that he looked closely, Gabe thought he could see a bit of the same features between the two cousins. Leando's face wasn't nearly as refined as Paxton's, but he was still handsome.
Not as hot as Pax, but a close second
. Gabe turned his attention back to the imposing mer in the doorway.
Suddenly it dawned on him what the mer had said.
"You want to bond with Aaron?" Gabe asked, frowning slightly. "Why?"
"Is that not what you wanted? Someone with the potential to love and care for the human? I admit, I do not know the reason he is here or what is going on; I received word from my King to meet him in the Medical wing. But regardless of the reasons, I already share a connection with this man, one not many would understand." Leando finally stepped fully into the room and crossed over to where Aaron lay in his protective bubble. His eyes filled with sadness for only a spit second as he stared down at the unconscious man, before his stony expression slid back into place.