Rowan didn't go back home to sleep. He went home to change his clothes, so he could start his journey to his dad's house. Rowan's dad hadn't given him a verbal reason for kicking him out, and Rowan wanted to hear him say it, even when he knew what he was going to say.

Rowan knew his dad kicked him out because he was bonded to a sea mortal. Or maybe, it was because that sea mortal was another man. Either way, one of them fuelled his father's anger enough to kick his own flesh and blood into the wind and watch with no emotion as it carried him away to the darkest corners of his mind. Rowan was a mess when he left. His father did nothing to make sure he was okay.

When Rowan reached his dad's house, it was only 6:15 in the morning. He checked under the pottery turtle, but the spare key wasn't there. Rowan tried not to feel too upset about it. He sat on the steps outside the front door, knowing his dad would leave the house at some point. Then he would have to face him like an adult.

Rowan spent the time rubbing his chest and adjusting his position on the step. He was in pain. His headache pounded, as did his heart from the nerves. His nose started to block up, and his throat felt like he had swallowed a cheese grater. The symptoms of being away from Kaerius was developing a sickness. Rowan hated it, and he hadn't even thought about university. The guilt from his lack of attendance was added stress he didn't need.

It was almost 8am when the front door opened, and Rowan almost tripped on the step when he shot to his feet. "Dad!" he shouted, and Michael froze. "Please let me talk to you!"

Michael, like he was jumping away from a poisonous snake, flew back into the house and tried to slam the door, but Rowan wedged his foot in the way. It hurt, though Rowan was desperate.

"Please! Dad, you haven't-"

"Rowan, you can't be here," Michael said quickly. When Rowan didn't move, and his face changed as if Michael had slapped him, he tried to shut the door again. "If you go now, text me when you get home, and I'll phone you. Okay?"

"No," Rowan frowned. "I'm right here! Let's just talk now."

"I can't Rowan-"

"Why not?" Rowan pushed the door, and his father stumbled back.

"Rowan, just-"

"No!" Rowan yelled. "I want an explanation! Just tell me why-"

"You'll kill me!" Michael roared, and the anger on Rowan's face turned to shock exceptionally fast.

"What?" Rowan whispered.

"If I'm near a Thalassic Mortal, I'll die Rowan. You're bonded to one. I can't take any chances," Michael said, adopting a calmer tone because his words hadn't been spoken aloud for years.

Rowan was so astonished, he stepped back. "I- I don't understand."

"I'll help you to understand, but over the phone. You need to leave now, son."

"But-"

"Rowan, I love you. I'm not abandoning you because I would never do that. I'm sorry that I kicked you out yesterday; I didn't expect you to say what you did," Michael said, also distancing himself like Rowan was the fire, and he was an aerosol can. "Please go, and phone me when we get home. We'll talk then."

Rowan edged away until his shoulder hit the doorframe. "Okay," he breathed. "Okay." Rowan then turned and ran away from his dad's house for the second time in two days. Only now, he wasn't so heartbroken, but he was thoroughly confused.

* * * * *

Kaerius swam close to the ocean floor, getting moodier and moodier the further away from the land he travelled. Kaerius used to love getting so deep that humans couldn't even get to them. Now, all he really wanted was to surface and see Rowan smiling at him from the rocks.

Kaerius angrily slapped his tail in the sand, wafting clouds of the sand and frightening the fish.

Soon, the underwater caves and kelp beds came into view. Kaerius weaved through the kelp beds and stopped abruptly at the entrance to one of the more extensive caves. A frightful realisation chewed on his heart.

He was alone.

Not a single Thalassic Mortal was around to greet Kaerius. He peered in the cave, and all of the stored fish and plants had gone. Kaerius travelled to the smaller caves, and the food had gone from there too. He spun around and around the area, and there was no evidence that sea creatures had been there at all.

Kaerius started to panic. Had they moved west without him? He gripped at his hair and swam back through the kelp beds. At the other side of the plants, not a single Thalassic Mortal was seen, and Kaerius could see very far.

Kaerius swam back to the caves to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Maybe they had left a carving on the rocks to indicate that they had gone hunting together. Kaerius found nothing and nobody. He really was all on his own, and in an ocean so big, he felt like a spec of sand.

"Oh goddess," Kaerius breathed. "Why are you punishing me?"

* * * * *

When Rowan got home, his mother wasn't around to yell at him, so he reached his room without interruptions and paused to catch his breath once the door was closed. The window was open, and he heard the calming sounds of the waves. Something so powerful wasn't often associated with tranquillity.

Rowan's eyes loitered on his unmade bed. He had slept next to a Thalassic Mortal all night and was still alive to tell the tale. Rowan was trusting Kaerius more and more. If Kaerius wanted Rowan dead, he would have done it already. The fact that Kaerius could grow legs was further proof to Rowan that their bond was real.

Rowan dragged himself to his desk and collapsed onto the chair. He sat his phone on the wood in front of him, observing his father's number. His finger lingered, wanting to press it. I'm not abandoning you. His father's words rang loud and clear in his mind, and Rowan pressed the number.

The phone rang twice before it picked up, and a very familiar voice said, "Rowan?"

Rowan freaked out. He hadn't calmed down enough to really think about what his father had said to him when he was at the house. "Is this because I'm gay?" Rowan blurted. As soon as the words finished spewing from his mouth, Rowan pinched his lips together with his fingers to stop the trickling of words becoming a flood.

There was silence for longer than what Rowan would have liked.

"You're gay?" Michael asked.

Rowan wished he could see his father's reaction. He imaged him to look disappointed, but that wasn't how Michael's voice sounded. "I- uh, yes, yes I am gay. If that's the reason you kicked me out, then I'm going to hang up the phone and never call you again because I love myself and I don't need your disapproval dragging me-"

"Rowan," Michael's voice interrupted his nervous rant. "I don't care that you're gay."

Rowan sank in his chair with relief. "You don't? Are you sure? You're not just saying that because I'm freaking out, are you?"

"Rowan, you're my son, and I love you. That will never change."

For a few seconds, Rowan felt even his soul unwind and stop tensing. For a few seconds, Rowan felt as though he had nothing to worry about, and his life was perfectly aligned. For a few seconds, Rowan smiled, and the warm fuzz of joy streamed through his body.

"I love you too, dad," he said quietly until he remembered why he was talking over the phone. "Anyway," he cleared his throat and leaned closer to the phone. "What the hell is happening?"

* * * * *

Kaerius kept swimming aimlessly around. He didn't know if he should go back to the rocks and wait for Rowan or if he should wait by the underwater caves in case anyone returned. Fish swam all around him, bit Kaerius had never felt so alone, and so terrified of being alone. The ocean was a vast place, existing for creatures like him. When he finally removes the bond from Rowan, it would take months to find his group. Even if he did find them, Kaerius doubted they would want him back. If they had left him behind, it was for a reason.

After a while of twisting through plants and picking at his scales, Kaerius heard the speed of a Thalassic Mortal shooting through the water.

Laiken was suddenly in front of Kaerius before he could even move the hair from his eyes.

"Thank Goddess!" Laiken said and cupped Kaerius's face. "When I heard that the group had suddenly gone west, I thought they killed you!"

Kaerius didn't shove his hands away. He was so relieved to see his uncle. "I thought you had gone with them."

"I would never abandon you, Kaerius!" Laiken said, looking a little insulted. "Family sticks together."

Kaerius hadn't felt this grateful that Laiken stayed to look after him. They argued often and got on each other's nerves. There was no denying that they loved each other and would struggle to continue a happy life if they ever went their separate ways.

"Is Jaiker still here?" Kaerius asked. Laiken saw the gratitude in his eyes.

"Yes. Jaiker is hunting for more food. These caves are ours now, but they're empty. We need to stock up. Who knows how long we'll be here?"

"If you're implying that the bond won't be broken, stop. I know I can get rid of it."

"What if you can't, and you have to live by a human's side for the rest of your life? Hm? Have you thought of that Kaerius? You need to think logically. Your time is running out. Nobody knows how to remove a bonding of the souls. If you don't find a way to get rid of it within, say, a week, it'll probably be strong enough that you have no other choice but to touch the souls. Once that happens, you'll probably never want to go back. Yes, this seems like a curse, a very evil curse, but you've also found the love of your life. I thought about what I would do if I were in your situation. You must plan for a future with him, just in case you have no other choice."