Moonlight in your eyes- The prince's Selkie mate

Family affair

Greer

The party drags on, and I can’t keep the headache that sets on when I enter the big hall away much longer. No matter what I try, small flashes of my vision from earlier burn behind my eyes every few minutes. I rub my temples and try to distract myself, listening in on the conversation about a ‘hideous checkered suit’ Emma and Khai are having, and then let my gaze move over our small group seeing Luca do trick shots with a few shrimp.

That’s when the aura gets stronger again. I guess that’s what it feels like for someone who has epilepsy as well. The pressure and just this… weird inkling something is going to happen. A taste on my tongue and then a huge burst of color coating everything I see. Science suggests you can catch it on a CAT Scan if someone is about to have a seizure. I wonder if you could see the onset of a vision.

Well, regardless, this one starts now. The ugly tapestry over the stairs I just passed appears behind my eyes. Then close-ups of a dark room only lit by candles. There is a table, and I hear heavy footsteps approaching. A door is pushed open, and someone is dragged. I hear screams and another door being slammed shut. But all I can focus on is that I want to- No, I need to see who or what is under that table. I-

“Greer!”

A worried voice reaches my ears and when my vision clears a little, I see that it must have been Emma who called out to me. My older sister is holding onto my arm, her brown eyes scrutinizing my face. So much like Mom. Then there is a bolt of pain shooting through my temple.

“F**K.” Heat throbs behind my eyes, and I have to rub them once, twice… Why can’t I see clearly?

“Where is Jordan?” I press out, turning to Nasir. I genuinely haven't even noticed my brother-in-law closing in trying to help. But now the concern is evident on his face.

“Over there. What- what’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to Mom and Dad… can you get everyone? Luca can play with the food later. I… there is something ...” I let the rest of the sentence hand in the stuffy air between us.

Rubbing my hand down my face, I try to force my eyes to focus on the present, but it doesn't do much to improve this feeling of pressure just behind my eyelids

“That vision… The room. That’s here. Somewhere in this building. I’m sure.”

Emma stares at me open-mouthed, and Khai is quiet for the second time tonight. My gaze flits over to the nearest bystander making sure they aren't listening in on our conversation. With our parents being who they are, we attract attention whether it's wanted or not. The burden of being part of the royal family. But Mom and Dad aren't big on bodyguards following us around anymore. They did have those systems in place when we were younger, but now, they are sure we could take care of ourselves and are reasonably sensible, so we won't maneuver ourselves into too much of a mess. Well, I guess tonight might be the exception. Not the first one, but this isn't the time to get into that.

“Y-yeah. They’re over there. Let me get them.” She hurries off, and I have this metallic taste in my mouth, as I always do once the vision is over. I grab water off the table to my right and look at my siblings. Luca seems relatively relaxed, Jordan has a stern look on his face. Silas has been as obsessed with those stairs as I was all night, and Jade just looks at me wide-eyed, like a deer caught in the headlights, while Khai guzzles down the glass of liquor he’s holding.

When Emma comes back with my parents, we huddle in a corner, and I recount my vision and tell them how, in this one, I am sure I could see the railing closing off the stairs.

“There is something down there, I’m sure… I just have this gut feeling. I… Can we just check it out?”

Dad looks at me, deep in thought, and Mom puts a hand on my arm.

“OK.” Both of them nod after a minute, and I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders.

“But we need a diversion. We can’t just all disappear. And we need to be quiet about it. If we find nothing… we won’t go poking around.” Dad shoots the white-haired lady who just passed on our left a big open smile and nods at her curtly. Never seen a grandma blush that hard.

But my pounding head distracts me from that seen rather quickly. Blood is rushing in my ears so loud I can't even hear the plan my Dad is devising. I vaguely follow the suggestion to split up and that Mom, Jade, and Emma will stay here. Which has my sister pouting.

“I saw a second entrance just under the balcony. I’m sure I can open the lock.”, Silas says quietly. Brotherly pride and something like relief flood me. I can rely on him. Everyone can. And tonight, that just helps me breathe easier.

“OK. So Si, Luca, and Greer will take that one, and Jordan, Khai, and I will use the one inside. We can lure the guards away, but it would be weird if the King climbed over the balcony and trudged through the garden.” Most of us nod in agreement (See... still somehow following. OK, I do feel bad.), and I see Emma tighten her grip on Nasir’s arm.

“I see the women are conveniently kept away from the actual mission.”

Jade is pissed. Raised eyebrow and all. She’s trying to stare down Dad, but I don’t think this will work tonight. Khai, to her left, just scoffs.

“You’re just better at lying than the rest of us, piglet.”

Some obscene gestures are exchanged, and Dad clears his throat to get her attention.

“This is the more important job, Jade. We need someone to have our backs.”

He smiles at her, cupping her face. “Nothing interesting going on in that basement. And you will be able to hear everything through our mind link. The second we need more manpower, we will call you and your Mom.”

“OK.”

I don’t know if I agree with him on the ‘nothing going on part,’ but he’s right to keep her out of it. Protecting her is something we all have done for years, and it somehow never left the top 5 of our respective lists of priorities. If Jade called in the middle of the night and needed someone to pick her up, we would all be piling into the same car, falling over ourselves to go get her. If she would ask us to get a shovel and not ask any questions, we’d do it. We’d have opinions later on and voice them loudly, but we’d do it.

And I love that. All of us work well as a family. Luca, Silas, and I make our way over to the big bifold glass doors leading outside. Once we get to the balcony’s banister, I see Silas jump it and land in a patch of grass. Crouching to hide in the shadows thrown by the building and stalking forward like a literal predator.

“Show off,” I hear Luca mumble before he climbs the stone surrounding the balcony and carefully makes his way down. I follow closely behind him.

We reach Silas, and I see him holding a pat lock. Someone got here before us. The hair at the back of my neck stands up, and a coldness I haven’t felt before creeps up my spine.

Pushing past my brothers, I open the door and enter the dark corridor. Silas is right on my heels, the door closing behind Luca quietly. When I look up, I see that has been tampering with the surveillance cameras on the ceiling. This can’t be good. So I speed up.

With a crack, I enter a wider hall, and the second my food steps onto the concrete floor, a black hooded figure appears right in front of us. Who-

“What the—-

The guy whirls around and raises something. There is a silver sheen, and I feel Silas at my side stiffen.

‘Knife!” It sounds through the mind-link. The guy stares at us, and it’s hard to determine his facial features. It’s dark, and his hair is long and hangs deep in his face.

“Why are you MOFO’s just standing there?” A very familiar voice hisses. Khai.

“Aren’t you—-

But he cuts himself off, and I look up to see the three of them come down the stairs. The hooded man has also turned to them, and I see his shoulders stiffen now. But at least he drops his blade. He blows out an exasperated breath while he stuffs it into his belt.

“Killian..? I-is that you?” Khai is the first to speak again, and he squints his eyes, trying to make out the dude’s features. Wait… isn’t that..?

“Yup.”

His voice sounds so painfully gravely that it almost hurts my throat in sympathy. Like he hasn’t spoken to anyone in ages.

Killian. Huh. Definitely hasn’t spoken to Khai in a long time. They used to hang out 24/7, basically joined at the hip.

The amount of food that guy has put back at our house, the time he spent with all of us…. He’s basically family. So Khai’s reaction to him irks me. I know something happened. Of course I do. How couldn't I? The only time I ever saw Khai with a frown or a distant look on his face for longer than a few seconds.

I still can’t stand this unsettling tension. This ‘something happened, but we won’t talk about it because we are manly men.’ I hate it. Especially when I see Khai's curious but cautious look turn to stone.

“Killian… as in you friend Killian?” Jordan gives him a once over from his vantage point on the stairs, looking up to see if someone is following them. He took of his suit jacket before coming down here.

“That Artesian boy.” Even my Dad eyes him now, his gaze darting over his clothes, the ski mask he’s wearing (not really a good look), and the backpack that looks like you could carry a few tons of bricks in there… or a baby animal if needed.

“Yup.”

Not a talker, never was. But this whole interaction is taking too long. As much as I want them to work it out, I don’t think now is the best time. But everyone keeps ignoring my facial cues!

“What are you doing here?”

Khai has his arms crossed over his chest now, and while the rest of the conversation took place in a more calm tone, his voice picked up in speed and volume. By now, my eyes are throwing daggers at him.

‘Quiet!’ I hear Silas through the mind link, and Khai listens, looking up at his brother. He has always had the best hearing out of all of us. And sure enough, armed guards storm down the stairs a second later.

‘Just grant, thanks Khai.’

‘Not my fault, Si. Now quit moping and help.’

Silas just scoffs and throws himself at the one guardsman coming straight for me.

‘Thanks.’

He just nods and pushes his shifted claws into another one of the guys. That’s when we hear a loud noise, and I see Killian disappear through what must be a door. And a hidden one at that. I knock out the third guard while Dad and Luca each take one, Khai doing the commentary on how to better use certain moves, and Jordan getting fed up and gut-punching Khai before snapping the neck of the one Luca is holding.I see Silas take care of the one in Dad's firm grip and carefully step closer to the black opening that just appear with the panther shifter crashing backward into a wall.

‘Do you smell that?’ Silas has his nose in the air.

‘Yeah, smells terrible.’ Khai ratchets. Killian still hasn’t come out yet.

“What's in there?” Luca presses his hand over his mouth, and Dad takes a few steps toward the narrow entry now as well.

“Silas, I think… Where is he?”

We all look around but don’t see him anywhere.

“He’ll be back.” Khai shrugs. "What? If anyone can take care of himself, then it's Si. I'll stay here and listen for someone grunting and growling."

Dad rolls his eyes at his son's antics before he bridges the short distance and comes to a stop next to me over the still groaning guard on the floor. I suppress the urge to kick him, which is new to me. But right now, I’m just angry and don’t know why. I push it down.

It doesn’t stay down for long, though. The second I look into that room, my eyes start burning, and I feel a shift come on. Women. Several of them. In a dark room only lit by a few candles. All of them are in various states of undress and underweight.

“Jesus Christ….” Dad exhales as Luca and Khai step up next to us and look inside.

Joined by Jordan a second later. I rub my hand over my face. Think!

‘We need to keep them calm. Let me try….’