Page 67 of Chasing Tail
Chapter 36
Iloved everything about Beck’s place, but I wasn’t sure about the palace. It was beautiful and had everything I could possibly want. The men I cared for were here. The servants took some getting used to. I was sure they had them in certain parts of the ocean, but not in my home.
An entire army of people showed up as soon as they could hear us moving around. They brought a feast in for breakfast. We didn’t even have to leave his chambers. His room had an entire area to eat in.
Callum was generous and thanked them. So did I because usually, if I wanted to eat something back home, it wasn’t happening unless I hunted it and prepared it myself. There were people here who cooked, and another team who served it like neither of us had legs and arms capable of doing that ourselves. I was a little uncomfortable they were doing everything for us, and they seemed uncomfortable we thanked them for it.
Forrest joined us for breakfast, but Taron and Beck were still missing. When I asked, they said that was normal, and Taron would be enjoying himself. Taron and Beck didn’t join us until we were done eating, and Taron just looked so happy.
“Did you have a good time?”
“It was amazing, and now I have all these ideas on how to pleasure you.”
“I love you, Taron.”
“Are you ready to take a tour of our kingdom?” Callum asked.
“Swimming after,” Taron said.
I knew exactly what he was feeling. I could smell the ocean from Callum’s room. Even though it really hurt, the sea was calling me too. That bathwater wasn’t even close to swimming. Taron had taken in everything on land very well and adapted like a pro. I knew he would be happy here, and so would I. Part of that had to do with the private beach and the fact that we hadn’t lost everything.
“Definitely. We want to see as much of your home as possible because it’s going to be our home. The sea is in our blood, and we’ll still want to visit often.”
“I get why we can’t swim with Taron, but can we see your tail, Kishi?” Forrest asked. “Only Beck got to see you in your natural state, and you didn’t belong in a bathtub.”
“I’m dying to see that too,” Callum said.
“If you’re on the beach when we come back, you’ll see everything. It’s pretty graphic getting legs.”
“So were your screams when you got wet,” Beck said. “I wish Adamo could tell us how long it takes for it to stop hurting.”
“I think it’s different for everyone. I think it hurts until you finally get the thought of going home out of your head. The call of the sea is powerful, and family is down there. As are people like you. It’s a test. You have to accept land as your new home and make a new family with land dwellers. I’ve mostly already done that. We did what we came here to do. I’m sure it’ll stop hurting, eventually. Where are the Sins, anyway?”
“Harland finally realized the only reason Cassandra is alive was because of the three of them. He came to that conclusion when he was staging a scene in my father’s chambers. All the shifters know now. They’ll be at my party, but they are throwing one of their own in the forest with the Sins as guests of honor.”
“I thought they only did that when the moon was full.”
The three princes started laughing.
“This is just a normal party. Someone has hunted a wild pig, probably. They’ve got it roasting over a spit, and everyone is bringing something delicious to eat. They’ve all broken out the homemade liquor, and their best musicians have formed a band. We’re all invited, even you and Taron. We were going to swing by after we showed you more of the city.”
“I liked the wolves. They are fierce warriors. Even their pups don’t hesitate. And no one here gets angry when they don’t wear these horrible clothes.”
“They have them stashed everywhere, Kishi. Materials are expensive, and if they don’t take them off before they shift, they get destroyed. Theywouldhave put clothes on instead of standing outside the palace naked, but a pup was in danger. So they aren’t roaming the street naked, and they’ll be wearing their finest at my party,” Callum said.
“You don’thaveto wear the dresses I bought you. You can have clothes made any way you like. You’ll probably start some new fashion trends.”
It wasn’t just us as we stepped out of the palace. They kept their distance, but a man and woman were following us and watching our surroundings closely. They weren’t dressed like the palace guards. They had clothes on like the people on the street, but I could tell they had weapons strapped to various parts of their bodies and hidden from sight. They also carried themselves like they were prepared to fight at any moment.
This city was something else. They had entire stores for the sole purpose of buying whatever you wanted. If there wasn’t a building for it, stalls were lining the street with people screaming about their wares. You could purchase anything here.
They led me to the fish stall. They had a wide assortment from the shallows and a few things from the deep that must have been caught with one of those evil nets. Taron and I didn’t attack the man at the fish stall. Everything he was selling was things we ate too and weren’t crucial to us.
Beck led me to a shop with cloth everywhere. A woman perked up as soon as she saw him.
“Nissa, I need your magic. Kishi will be staying with us at the palace. She’s a mermaid, and she’s not used to clothes. Corsets are uncomfortable even if you like them. Can you whip her up a wardrobe appropriate for the consort of a king and two princes that breaks all the rules for womenswear and makes her comfortable?”
Nissa stuck her bottom lip out and started sulking.
