Page 44 of Sapphire Seas

Yes, I will.

Our new mission was ensuring that nothing happened to the precious cargo we carried. Protecting the future was how we would keep Mattias safe. We weren’t to emerge until he came for us and he would come for us because he knew we would stay right here where he’d put us.

Inhale.

Exhale.

“We’ll explore the horde,” Caspian declared, stepping back and taking my hand.

I could see in his eyes and feel from his dragon that they’d been having the same internal debate.

“Yes, and feel the cool sand between our toes,” I said, wiggling mine around.

We took one more breath together, and followed the curve of the shelves, marveling at all the shells and then the fossilized coral that followed, neatly labeled and organized.

“It spirals,” Caspian said as we reached the next curve, where there were no more shelves, just highly detailed, vividly colored drawings.

“This is a memorial,” I said as I slowly took in the images, “all of these animals are extinct.”

“Do you think Mattias drew all of these?” Caspian asked.

Nodding, I slowly moved along the wall, noting that each new drawing showed an increased level of skill and techniques. “I do and he’s a hell of an artist.”

“These are magnificent.”

“Ohhh, look over here it’s a Caribbean Monk Seal.”

“Humans have done so much damage to the world,” I said as I took in the sheer number of pieces on the wall, which curved again, the end of the sea creatures marking the beginning of the shipwrecks, each depicting the way they looked on the bottom of the sea, as if he’d drawn them just after the incidents had taken place.

Round and round we went, shipwrecks became decaying reefs, slowly vanishing until they were gone. The history of the ocean papered the wall in framed sketches. Oil spills and oil rig disasters, pollution, the violent collision of machines against machines as humans unleashed war upon one another and added the wreckage of metal warships to the debris resting on the ocean floor.

“It’s like being inside of a shell,” I said as the wall curved again.

“That’s exactly what he did,” Caspian said, skipping in the sand.

I couldn’t imagine how much time it had taken him to bring this much sand in here, but our beach followed our winding path, all the way to the center, where we discovered Mattias’ surprise. Gasping, I pressed my fingers to my lips, eye stinging with tears as I stood frozen, taking in the sight.

The shimmer of blue, like the ocean’s surface, illuminated the ceiling of the cave, each small stalactite causing the light to ripple like a wave. A projector sat on a stand in the corner, casting the light we saw, helped along by strands of twinkling blue and white fairly lights, interspaced with fish and starfish ones, to truly make it look like we were beneath the sea. This was the heart of the spiral. The sand here had been covered by a massive mound of cushions and blankets that formed the perfect nest.

Ours!

My dragon. Caspian’s dragon. Pleased, loud, insistently pushing, wanting to be let out. I stripped, because I loved the soft, well-worn Dayseeker Pale Moonlight t-shirt and didn’t want to lose it to his impatience. In the end, the only thing I lost was the boxers I’d put on after my shower. He’d spared my new, bat covered sleep pants at least.

Caspian’s Seadragon joined my ice dragon on the comfy spot our mate had created for us, the shimmers on the ceiling extending down the walls, then back up again as the projector rotated. Our safe space. There were provisions, in a space he’d carved into the wall. Bottled water I’d easily be able to chill for us when we needed it. Snacks. Mattias had thought of everything.

My dragon rested his head over Caspian’s back, cuddling as we enjoyed the beautiful images on the wall. Seadragons swam past. Clownfish popped in and out of sea anemone.

This is amazing. Our mate is the sweetest, most romantically creative dragon in the world. It’s our own little haven. Our dragonets will always be safe if we have to bring them here.

Caspian’s thoughts rumbled through my mind, echoing everything I felt.

They won’t be afraid, either. I replied. Look at the stand, beside the holographic projector. It’s the one he played our movies on.

This is the most perfect place in the entire world.

I never wanted to leave. Soothing. Tranquil.

The first notes were so low, that at first I thought I’d imagined them, but as they grew, I realized it was whale song. Humpbacks swam along the cave walls as the song grew louder, continuing as the images rotated around the cave. Dolphin chatter followed as they leapt in and out of the stalactites on the ceiling. Barking seals followed, claws clacked together like castanets as two crabs battled one another. We were inside the fishbowl, and it was the coolest place in the world.