SAGE (Tales of the Merman Book 1) Read online

  "I have made my decision, Sage. I will not tolerate this any longer. I have spoken to Balick and those who do put us at risk may have to be eliminated." His father took a seat behind his desk. "Now about you pulling this disappearing act —"

  "I didn't disappear. I told you I was taking a three-day vacation."

  "You can't just up and leave like that."

  "I can. I may be your son, and I may be the future king, but that does not mean I don't need to get out from time to time. You want me trapped in here as you are, and I can't do that. If you keep insisting that I be king, then I will go about it my way. I have not left the clan for more than a few hours in so many years I forget. I needed time away. I'm not a child, Father. I can and will come and go as I please."

  "Then you will have a guard when you go. I am not going to put your life at risk because you feel the urge to rebel."

  "I don't need a guard."

  "Need one or not, you will have one. Balick has picked his best man for the job. He is now your personal guard as Balick is mine. You will meet him in the morning. He will stay by your side anytime you are out of your chambers."

  Sage bit his tongue. There was no point in arguing this right now. He would deal with the guard later. This was his father's way of spying on him. If he really thought Sage was revolting then he would have the guard now to report whatever Sage did.

  He glared at his father, letting him know exactly how he felt about it. He would have to get rid of the guard fast if he hoped to see Gary. There was no way he could lead the guard to him and have his father find out he was seeing a human. He would protect Gary at any cost, even if that meant not seeing him for a while. The thought left a void in his stomach. A few days apart he could deal with, but if he didn't see Gary for weeks, that was another story all together.

  "So what was so pressing that you had to send my brothers to seek me out?" Sage made his way to his own desk off to the side and took a seat on the stone slab.

  "Is three missing clansman not reason enough?" His father glanced over at him.

  "That is nothing you and Balick couldn't handle. Heath was here if you needed assistance."

  "I was worried about your safety, Sage. While we may assume that the others are leaving and joining other clans, we don't know for sure. There could be sharks we have yet to see or even an unknown enemy that is seeking to destroy us. I want you here where I know you are safe."

  Sage groaned. This was pointless. His father's paranoia and need for control were growing stronger and Sage needed to come up with a plan to change things now, before his father was the one who destroyed the clan from the inside.

  "I need you to draw up a new decree. One that restates the rules and the laws of the species. Make sure that you include the penalties for disobeying the rules. Our people must know the penalties for breaking them and examples must be made of those who do." The King stood and moved to the entrance of the cavern.

  "Father, this is a mistake."

  "It's my decision and my mistake to make. Do as I ask, Sage." His father stepped out without looking back.

  Sage frowned. There was no way he would help his father bring down the clan. He needed to meet with his brothers tonight, before he had a guard following him around everywhere. They needed a plan.

  There had to be a law about removing the current King from his position. As much as he loved his father, it was becoming clear that his need for control and power were blinding him to the needs and desires of the clan. Sage wasn't sure that coming out to humans was the answer, but banning the people from seeing humans sure wasn't going to go over well.

  He thought of his own situation, of Gary and how much easier their relationship could be if he could tell Gary what he was. Did he trust Gary enough to share that with him? No, not yet, but in time maybe he would. But with a guard watching his every move, Sage doubted he would ever get the chance to know Gary that well and get to the point of trust that he could share his secret with him.

  Sage stood, going to the bookcase and looked through the history books. There had to be an ancient law that dealt with removal of a king. Sage glanced at the entry, making sure he was alone as he started searching the old books, searching for a way to remove his father from power.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Sage left the cave and swam toward the beach where he planned to meet his brothers. He detoured a bit, making sure his father hadn't sent a spy after him. It wasn't uncommon for him to swim with his brothers and hopefully no one would pay attention to the four of them.

  He swam harder, anger pushing him through the water as he wondered how things had become so bad, so fast. He understood his father was used to the way things used to be, but times had changed. They weren't as simple as they once were. The humans had access to things they didn't. Comforts and pleasures that his people didn't. The simple use of a cell phone, a television, or even a car were human conveniences. Ones that his people would probably never have in the caves and islands where they lived.

  It was no surprise that mermen spent more time on the mainland with the humans than at their own homes. Sage understood that they needed change. He just wished his father saw the same things he did.

  Rising up out of the water, he looked around to see if his brothers had arrived already. He saw Randy sitting alone on the beach. Sage pushed closer to the shore and willed the shift. As his feet hit sand, he stood and walked up the beach to where his brother sat.

  "Welcome back." Randy gave him a small smile.

  "Yeah." Sage sunk down into the sand beside him. "Such a wonderful homecoming. I should have stayed away and risked his wrath."

  "You would never do that. Not when it puts a human in danger." Randy sifted the sand through his fingers. It piled between his legs in a small mound.

  "True, but I sure didn't want to come home to this." Sage pulled his knees to his chest. "Father is planning on calling a meeting of all the clan leaders. He wants to demand they follow his laws or risk being banished or killed."

  Randy cursed. "Half the clans already ignore Father's laws. They allow their people to live inland with the humans. They still demand that the secret be kept, but we both know it is only time before humans find out about us. Technology grows and that makes hiding harder for us. If we don't come up with a way to slowly start adapting, we are going to make things worse."

  "They tell you to contact Barron?" Sage stared at the waves as they washed over the beach.

  "I sent a messenger out a couple hours ago. Last I heard, he was near Australia, but there is no way of knowing if he is still there. We should know in a few days." Randy dusted off his hands.

  They both looked up as Heath and Everest emerged from the water. They both shifted and slowly stepped onto the beach.

  Sage smiled as they sat down beside them. "I have no doubt that Father has someone watching us. We have to keep this as casual as we can and keep your voices lowered." He arched back, allowing the sun to warm his face. "He has demanded that I have a guard with me starting in the morning. Claims it's for my safety, but we all know he wants to track my actions. I'm afraid once this guard is in place I won't be able to help as much as I wish to."

  Heath shook his head. "He's convinced you're out to take over."

  "Which is stupid. You have made it very clear you don't want to be king." Everest twisted the water from his hair.

  "Well it might not have been true before, but after talking to him this morning, I think we have no choice but to demand he step down."

  "What?" Heath's eyes went wide. "You are going to step up to be king."

  "Not if I can help it. That will be your job." Sage grinned at Heath. "But I will if I have to. It's become clear that Father is losing control and becoming a detriment to our kind."

  "Why?" Everest asked.

  "He is talking about banishing and even killing those who don't bow to his law. We have never been one to kill our own. Once in a while we have someone who we put to death for his crimes, but never for som
ething as simple as living inland or falling in love with a human." Sage fisted his hands at his side. "The others will revolt if Father tries to enforce these laws. It's better we handle it privately before it becomes something that involves the other clans."

  "He expects us to back him on this?" Heath curled his toes into the sand.

  "He asked me to write up the documents for it. I didn't of course. Instead, I spent the day researching. There is an old law. One written back in the fourteen hundreds that states when a king becomes a threat to his people he can be voted out of power by the clan leaders." Sage bowed his head. He didn't like the fact of pushing his father from power, but he didn't see any other way.

  "And who takes over?" Randy asked.

  "That is also put to a vote." Sage looked up at his brothers. "We could end up with worse than what we have."

  "Then we should go to Father and ask him to step down. We need to try to keep this quiet and not bring in the other clans. We let Father know that we are going to call a vote of the clans if he doesn't step down and hand power over to one of you two." Everest nodded to Sage and Heath.

  Heath stood. "You know he will fight us. How loyal is Balick and his army? Do we need to worry that he will back Father and lock us up or worse, try to kill us for revolting?"

  "He is loyal to Father, but I think he is also seeing the dissension among the people and knows that the old ways are not working. Two of the missing are his own men." Sage shrugged. "This could go so many ways. It's a big risk."

  "But letting him continue with his ways is a bigger one," Everest pointed out.

  "Do you think Barron will be able to convince him?" Randy started sifting sand through his fingers again.

  "I'm not sure he will be here soon enough." Heath looked down at them.

  Sage nodded. "Father wants to call a meeting within the next few days. First with our clan and then others once he can get word to them to come. It will be a week or more before Barron gets here, and that's only if we can find him."

  "So what do we do?" Everest stood up beside Heath. "Can we do this on our own?"

  Randy tossed the sand in his hand aside. "We're going to have to."

  Sage closed his eyes, wishing it had never come to this. "We go to Father tomorrow. The four of us try to convince him to step down without causing a scene. If he refuses then we will have to call it to a vote."

  "And if he tries to arrest us to keep us from contacting the others?" Everest asked.

  "We leave word with someone we trust to contact them for us," Sage told them.

  They stared at each other in silence. Sage hated that he was putting his brothers in this position, but at the same time, he was pleased that he had them by his side and didn't have to do this alone. Clearing his throat, he glanced at his brothers, seeing the same strain on their face he probably had on his own. "We meet at the Royal Office at nine in the morning then. One way or another we put plans into action. Heath, you are close to Marshal. Do you trust him enough to contact the clans should father confine us?"

  Heath nodded. "He will do it for us."

  "Good. Then speak to him tonight and draw up a short message explaining the situation. Make sure he knows he is only to contact the other clans if all four of us are arrested or killed." Sage dropped his head. The fact that he was even worried that his own father might kill them showed just how bad things were. "Thank you for standing with me. Now get out there and swim so it looks like any other day we meet here." He was the first to run down the beach and shift as he dove into the water.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Sage woke to voices outside his chamber. He rolled over to his back and covered his eyes with his arm as he tried to make out the conversation.

  "You are not to let him from your sight if he leaves this chamber. You must be with him at all times. Report anything you find strange to me immediately." Balick's voice carried through the cave. "Jensen will relieve you at night so you may rest."

  "Yes, General."

  Sage sat up and moved to the entry to see Balick and a younger man standing there. "Morning."

  The two men turned, frowning at him.

  "Sage, this is Kevin. He will be your guard. If you have any issues with him, please let me know. He will be with you anytime you leave your chamber to protect you."

  Sage wasn't about to argue with Balick. This fight was with his father. "Nice to meet you, Kevin." He smiled politely at the young red-haired soldier. He wore the royal guard's robes and held a carved bone spear in his hand. "Give me a moment to dress and we will go." Sage ignored the stern glare Balick cast at him and turned back into his room.

  He listened to Balick give several more orders to Kevin and then silence. Sage grabbed his robe and dressed, taking a moment to brush out his long hair. He frowned as he thought about having a guard shadowing him all the time. His only hope was to friend the soldier and try and earn his trust and loyalty. A lot would depend on how the meeting went with his father in an hour. Once his brothers and he made their stand, everything could change.

  Sage tossed and turned most the night as he tried to think of the right words to convince his father that it was time for change. The best outcome was that their father would see things their way and move forward, forgetting about stronger laws and regulations on the people. What was more likely to happen was a small war would erupt and the two sides would battle for weeks to come, or at least until the other clan leaders could arrive for a vote.

  Finishing his morning ritual, he headed out to where Kevin stood waiting for him. "I'm afraid following me around all day is going to be pretty boring for you. I spend most my time in the office."

  Kevin glanced at him, but remained silent.

  "Listen, if you are going to be with me for a while, we might as well get to know each other."

  "It's my job to keep you safe." Kevin stared straight ahead, as they walked side by side toward the office.

  "That doesn't mean we can't be friends. We are going to spend hours in the office, why not be able to talk while we are there?" Sage paused at the entrance to the chamber. "We might as well get along. It will make things easier."

  Kevin shifted, lowering his eyes for a moment. "As you wish."

  It was the best Sage could do for now. He needed to get into the office and get a feel for his father's mood before his brothers arrived. His stomach knotted the more he thought about what they were about to do.

  "Good. Now would you like into come in the office or wait out here?"

  "My orders are to wait here. I am not to interfere in royal business." Kevin moved to the side, bracing his back against the cave wall.

  Sage nodded. It wasn't like anything said wouldn't be heard anyway. They didn't have doors on the cave chambers and so it was easy for anyone passing by to hear conversations. "If you change your mind you can come in and sit." Sage left him and entered the office.

  "Good morning." The King looked up and smiled. "I see you got your guard."

  "Morning, Father. Yes, Balick brought him to my chamber." Sage pulled a book from the shelf and sat down at his desk.

  "You're not going to fight me on this?"

  "Not on the guard, no. It makes sense that if I am going to be king that I should have a guard and form a trusting friendship with him now." Sage flipped the book open to the chapter on Royal Guards. He wanted to know exactly what Kevin's job was and what liberties he had when it came to Sage's privacy.

  "Good. I am glad to see you are finally seeing things my way." His father smiled.

  "On the guard, Father. I still don't agree with everything."

  "You will see I'm right. It's what is best for us."

  "I still do not see why he must be with me at all times. Even Balick only accompanies you when you leave the caves."

  "Once you are king you will be able to issue your own commands. For now he will stay with you at all times."

  There was no point in getting his father upset before his brothers arrived. He didn't want to face this
fight alone. There was power in numbers and hopefully once his father saw all his sons standing together it would help him change his mind.

  Sage struggled to read the words in front of him, his mind wandering from thought to thought. Only one of the thoughts brought him any solace. Gary. He smiled as he thought about the last night the two of them spent together, his body stirring to the point that he had to shift as his cock grew hard under his robes.

  He missed him. It might have only been a day since he'd last spoke to him, but it felt like forever. He closed his eyes, imagining him at the shop, helping customers and staring at the clock as he waited for the day to end. God, how Sage wanted to be there with him instead of facing all this.

  Voices sounded outside the chamber, pulling Sage from his thoughts. He sat up straighter as Everest, Randy, and Heath entered the office, all dressed in the robes of the Royal Family. He met their stare as they entered and saw the same nervousness he felt, reflected in their eyes.

  Smiling he stood and went to them, ready to stand together as one force.

  His father stood, glancing at the four of them. "It's not often my sons come to see me together." He brushed his hands down his robe. "Dressed in formal robes as well. I take it this is not a social visit?"

  Heath stepped forward. "We would like to speak to you about policy and laws."

  The King's eyes flashed toward Sage. "You told them of my plans?"

  "I did. I thought they had a right to know that you were speaking of such drastic changes." Sage met his stare.

  "There are no changes, just enforcement of rules and laws that are already in place." His father came around the front of the stone desk and stood before his sons.

  "You might not be changing the laws, but you wish to make the punishments for breaking them more severe. We have always been a peaceful people and we have only killed our own when they prove to be a real threat to us or the humans." Sage glanced at Heath. "We feel you are only making matters worse and pushing the clans farther away by demanding banishment or death of those who wish to live among the humans."