Page 24 of Buoy
“Soren,
If you have this letter, my parents did what I asked. I, however, have no intention of following their wishes. This is my last year at the academy and what I do afterwards is my business, not theirs. Once I’m granted Grand Mage status, I’ll find you. If I have to buy your freedom from Captain Vex, I will. But you’ll be free. If you don’t want to stay with me afterwards, that’s fine, but…”
The hesitation lasted so long Soren wondered if the magic had run out. He held his breath.
“Soren, I love you. More than magic. More than anything.”
Hope fluttered in his chest. He touched the last line, hoping it’d repeat the words out loud.
“Soren, I love you. More than magic. More than anything. Soren, I love you. More than magic. More than anything. Soren, I love you. More than magic. More than anything.”
When he finally stopped making the letter talk, he had a pile of his pearl tears in his lap.
Soren was… unloveable. His own parents didn’t want him. Rhys’ parents didn’t want him around. Vex was getting impatient and irritable with him about his mer magic not manifesting yet. Bellani hated him. Kane. The crew was indifferent from what he could tell, other than Ash.
But Rhys. Rhys loved him.
Carefully, Soren folded the letter and pressed it to his heart. He could wait. And in the meantime, he’d learn to read and write. Then send Rhys letters. He could do it, he knew he could.
RHYS (AGE 16)
The time without Soren’s smile was entirely too long. But the letters that started pouring in filled his heart with so much happiness Rhys thought he’d burst. He could just imagine Soren’s happy little trills as he wrote out the letters. And his furrowed brow when he scratched out what he didn’t like.
The first letter was short. A rebellion against Vex, and Rhys was happy for it. They had found a place Rhys could send letters and Soren could receive them and Vex would not know. A tavern Vex didn’t go to, and the lady that ran it was happy to help Soren in his venture to read and write and send secret letters through her mage box.
The next message explained Soren had known the alphabet, but nothing ever made sense to him. It explained why each letter in a word was strangely so far from the ones next to it. The space made it easier for Soren to read. Rhys didn’t care. They were Soren’s words from his own hand. Rhys didn’t care that some of Soren’s messages were pages and pages of mundane things Soren had seen, and it took Rhys a long time to read because he had to decipher the spelling. He loved the short half pages as much as the long ones about how he saw the sun glitter over the waves and it made him so happy. Or that his shell collection was growing.
Rhys made an effort to make his responses readable for Soren, making the words neat, but far enough apart, like Soren’s own writing. But he also spelled them to speak, so Soren could read along to his voice if he wanted.
Rhys’ own messages spoke of what he learned in class. How much he missed seeing Soren. And what they’d do when he returned. He’d take him flying. That was the first adventure on the list. Then whatever Soren wanted to do. Anything. For however long he wanted to. Rhys didn’t exactly pour out his heart. He wanted to do that in person. Preferably while kissing him. Over and over. Only if Soren wanted to, though.
The letters only came from Rhys’ hometown. So while Soren was there, it was near daily letters. Rhys continued to send mail throughout the year, knowing Soren would get them eventually. Oh, how he longed to see the face Soren made upon seeing the piles.
Rhys had the Grand Mage ceremony, then he’d be home at long last. He didn’t care what his parents wanted. Soren was his priority.
Chapter 10
SOREN(AGE15)
Shouts thundered all around, and Soren ran out to the main deck to see what all the commotion was about. The vision took his breath away.
Rhys.
Soren would know his dragon anywhere. Even though he’d only seen it once, it was blazed into his memory forever. Red fading to orange outlined in blue. Beautiful.
Rhys was much smaller as a dragon than Soren had imagined, but he discovered dragons grew with age. Rhys would probably be small for decades until he got much older. Maybe centuries. It only made Soren wonder how old Rhys’ mother was to be so giant.
“Who’s the kid?” someone yelled, pointing to the sky. Soren didn’t catch who had spoken, but Captain Vex was the one that answered.
“Leave him be. He’s no threat.” Vex tipped his head as if listening to something. He nodded. “He’s following us to port.”
Soren’s heart pounded in his chest. Had he been good enough to be rewarded dock privileges? He’d done his best. All he could think about was going to Rhys and running away. Over the year, he’d saved a few choice pieces of jewels he’d stolen. And hidden a few of his pearls. So he could fund a life outside the pirate ship.
Rhys’ belly was a bronzey color with patches of deep red throughout. He cast a shadow over the ship and Soren couldn’t help looking up to watch his wings. They barely moved, but they helped the sails along.
Before he could get into trouble, Soren scrambled back to his original task, scrubbing the floor of Vex’s cabin.
It dawned on Soren he could finally tell Rhys what he was. Once they were away from Vex and Lane, he’d show his mer. What would Rhys think? Would he still like Soren? Of course he would. Why wouldn’t he? Rhys hadn’t cared when he thought Soren was human or half-fae. Rhys liked, no, loved Soren. Despite all his lies and secrets.
