Chapter 17
“W ell, you can’t expect her to attend the Queendom’s council in her Fae form. She’d burn through her clothes!” Dad had said to me of Queen Sessi when we’d returned to Atlantis that day. Being held to a different standard than the other queens was a hill I aimed to die on, but I let the issue rest for now.
There were more important things at hand.
I strode behind Draevyn, the strong muscles of his bare back flexing with every step of his long, muscular, scaled legs as we approached the guard house of the Fotuto outpost. He was every bit the formidable warrior everyone treated him like. Every Guardian we’d passed on the walk from the Shingu saluted the Commander with an arm reverently crossed over their chest. And when their gazes carried to where I walked behind him, their eyes went wide before they bowed.
Draevyn had requested I travel with him for the day to Fotuto, one of three outposts in Atlantis. Fotuto was founded on the southern border, Calichi to the north, and Jimagua—a twin to the Calichi outpost—to the west. “It’ll be good for you to meet your guard,” he’d suggested when we returned from the Queendoms Council. “They need to see you.”
And so, stepping well out of my comfort zone, I’d agree to go with him in two days’ time when he left to visit his regiment. Unlike Calichi and Jimagua, Fotuto was an underwater outpost located outside the dome at a higher elevation than the rest of the Atlantis—the natural light from the Above World visible above. At least, that’s what Draevyn informed me as we swam through the Shingu that morning. My heart raced with excitement to see it.
A grey stone arch protruded from the dome wall at the end of the matching stone walkway—the dome wall rippling within as Guardians entered and exited the outpost. A Guardian stepped out of the guard house, greeting Draevyn with a hand across his chest and a smile. “Commander Eliron. Welcome back.”
“Officer Celiryn. Good to see you again.” Draevyn motioned to me with his trident. “Princess Asherah is accompanying me today.”
Officer Celiryn’s gaze flicked my way, and his eyes widened. “Princess Asherah.” He bowed at the waist. “It’s an honor.”
My cheeks flamed. I’d never get used to the formality. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”
Officer Celiryn returned his attention to Draevyn. “The Guardians are at the training ground with Major Yaralyn.”
“Ah, that’s perfect. We’ll head there first, then.”
Draevyn’s trident disappeared in a flash as he placed his hand on the small of my back, sending a flourish of butterflies in my stomach. Based on the smirk he gave me, it was clear he noticed. “This way, Princess.”
When we stepped through the wall of water, I had a brief moment of panic, as I always had, but I pushed beyond my fear.
But I wasn’t prepared for what lay beyond the wall. I gasped on an intake of water. It looked like something straight out of a fairytale.
Brightly colored yellow and blue fish formed schools, gracefully swimming through the large arched openings of the circular underwater structure. Deep green algae blanketed the faded grey stone, extending nearly four stories above us. Bunches of mustard brown kelps decorated each level of the outpost, columns with ancient etchings lay in perfect rows with red sea whips dotting the multiple levels high and low. Hundreds of Water Fae swam through the various openings passing through the atrium, all throwing curious glances our way. Light from the Above World filtered in from its center, casting its watery rays on a spire that pieced the ocean above it, a large shell affixed at the very top. Draevyn pointed to it. “ That there is called the Fotuto, after which the fort is named. If we’re ever invaded, that shell is magicked to send a signal throughout Atlantis. Many historians argue that this very well may be the founding site of Atlantis, something the scholars at Cibao passionately debate. But no one truly knows. ”
I took in the light that filtered in through the top. “ We’re so close to the Above World. How have the humans not discovered this? ”
Draevyn smiled like an excited child with a secret to tell. “ Lots and lots of deterrent spells cast by the most gifted priestesses in Atlantis. ” He laced his fingers through mine, an act that was becoming so natural, yet it still sent heat to my core. “ Let’s go see Mayana in action. She’s on faeling duty today. ”
“ Faeling duty? ”
“ You’ll see. ”
Draevyn pulled me through an archway to the left of the outpost, a low hum of voices filtering through my mind as we approached a clearing surrounded by brightly colored coral, forming a large arena—giant stone steps hugging the entire area. Dozens of young Fae males and females—no more than thirteen years old by the looks of them—faced Mayana in a perfect row at its center. We slowly swam outside the arena, careful not to disturb them.
“ Again, ” Mayana instructed.
In unison, their tridents suddenly materialized in their hands, and they pitched it forward in the sand before them, tiny grains bursting up from the sea floor from the disturbance.
Mayana swam above the wall of sand, her face beaming. “ Nice work! Let’s try a few more times. Focus on distance this time. ” Her attention flicked our way, and the corners of her mouth curled upwards into a wide grin. “ Princess Asherah. Commander Draevyn. ”
The group of faelings turned toward us, some swimming in front of others to get a view of us, some in webbed feet, others in full, long, scaled tails. I flicked my webbed feet a little closer to Draevyn as he said, “ Don’t mind us, Major. I’m showing Princess Asherah around the outpost today. We don’t want to disturb .”
Mayana gave us a flourish of the hand. “ It’s no worry at all, is it, cadets? ”
The resounding no from the group filtering through in teenage voices brought a smile to my face. They were so young, which prompted a million and one more questions I had for Draevyn.
“ Okay, cadets. Let’s go again. ”
The group reluctantly swam in formation—some of them casting final glances over their shoulder, not at me, I realized, but at Draevyn—before readying themselves for another throw. Draevyn and I watched in silence for the better part of an hour as I absorbed the scene before me. So young, and so many. And already showing such skill. I admired how they effortlessly cast their tridents with a form I was envious of. I studied one male faeling in particular and the way his face contorted in outrage as he impaled his trident in the sand like he was envisioning something. Or someone. I searched the hundreds of them, all called to serve our realm. At their age, I was in the Above World, trying to figure out how to stand on my surfboard. Yet, these faelings were training to be warriors. Why?
“ What questions do you have in that pretty little mind of yours? ”
I raised an eyebrow. “ How could you tell I had questions? ”
The corner of his sensuous lips lifted in a smirk. “ I’d be surprised if you didn’t. ”
“ Well, since you asked, ” I began, as I motioned to the faelings, “ there must be hundreds of them. Are there normally so many? ”
I watched through the dark strands of hair drifting around his face as his smile slowly dropped. “ No, Princess. This amount of faelings training for the Guard is very unusual. It’s… ”
Something tugged at my heart. I didn’t like the way he’d gone silent. I reached for his hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. “ It’s what? ”
Draevyn shook his head. “ It’s just that there are so many. When I received my mark, there were maybe ten of us that year. All these faelings you see here? They’ve just received their marks. It’s very troubling. ”
I shifted my attention to the group, scanning over all the young Fae called for the Guard. “ And what do you make of it? ”
“ I don’t know, ” he said softly in my mind. “ It’s as if the goddess is preparing for something. Something big. And it sends a sense of dread into my gut if I’m being entirely honest. ” Bubbles flew from his mouth on a sigh as he flicked his head toward the outpost. “ Come. There’s lots more to see. ”
I followed behind him as we swam to the second floor, where we entered a hallway—blue faelights flaring to life as we passed. Draevyn ushered me into a room with a large window cut out, providing just enough light to make the area visible. There wasn’t much in the room. In fact, there wasn’t a single piece of furniture in sight.
Draevyn faced me as he reached the far side of the room. “ You’ll find no books or scrolls in this outpost for obvious reasons. This is solely for training and guarding the realm’s southern end. This room is our only meeting room. ”
My brow furrowed. “ Is there nowhere dry in this outpost? ”
“ No, Princess. This outpost is to train our baser water element. The cadets are each assigned a room in the outpost. Save for a solid few hours of sleep, they train, and they feed. ”
“ And…how do they sleep? ”
Draevyn smiled. “ They float. ”
“ Float? ”
“ Yes, in the water. In their rooms, of course. ”
“ And what do they eat if there are no kitchens to prepare food or a place to have a dry meal? ”
Draevyn bit his lips to suppress a laugh. “ They feed. On fish. ”
“ It’s so… ”
“ Strange? ”
“ Really strange, but amazing as well. ”
Bubbles flew from his mouth as he let loose a laugh. He paused briefly as we hovered in the water before each other in the empty room. When his eyes scanned over me slowly, warmth spread across my chest.
And lower.
Draevyn seemed to catch himself and motioned behind him. “ This is our main meeting room. It’s not much to look at, but it serves as the only meeting room. ”
It was my turn to hold a laugh. “ You said that already. ”
“ Did I? ”
“ You did. ”
“ Oh. ”
I bit my lip, an action that didn’t go unnoticed. Draevyn shook his head before he continued, “ In Fotuto, they learn how to fashion their scales for war, where they learn the art of the trident, where they learn what it means to be a true Guardian of Atlantis. It separates the weak from the strong and lets us know who to keep an eye on for higher rankings. ” He raked his fingers through his hair. “ Maybe we can…practice with your scales. Perhaps try fashioning them in a tail. If you’d like. ”
My head dipped in a nod. “ I’d like that very much. ”
Draevyn slid his hand in mine but paused before me for a minute, his tropical green eyes causing my heart to thump frantically in my chest. “ I love the way you look at Atlantis. ”
“ And how is that? ”
“ Like someone who’s discovered a hidden treasure. It’s entirely refreshing. ”
I squeezed his hand. “ Well, I’m glad to entertain you. ”
“ Oh, you provide endless entertainment, my Queen. In so many ways.” He swam toward the door with my hand in his. “This way. ”
And we left the outpost behind.
Three football fields remained between where we swam and the outpost, well into the open water—a few fish brushing against our scales in greeting as we hovered before each other. Draevyn’s tail glistened in shades of blue and green with deeper shades of purple on the feather-light tips. My gaze roamed over every scale, committing it to memory.
“ Just as you’ve fashioned your scales to rise to your collarbone or prefer to expose your arms on other days, you’ll fashion your tail in whatever shape you desire. ” He flipped his tail forward in the space between us. “ I prefer adding as many scales as possible to the fin so that I may cut through the water with ease.” With a flick of his tail, he began circling me, a giddy grin spreading across my face. It was a dream come true.
Instant mermaid, just add water, indeed.
Once he swam in a full circle, he motioned to me with a smile. “ Go on. Give it a try. ”
I gave him a determined nod as I glanced down at my webbed feet and then to my scales just above my ankles—the bluish-green tint winking at me in return. Narrowing my gaze, the scales drifted over my ankles and under my heel, spreading over my toes. I thought about Draevyn’s tail, the very shape of it—the power of it. I watched in open fascination as the ends of my tail spread nearly four feet wide.
The pure joy of Draevyn’s smile reached deep into my soul. “ Well done, Asherah. ”
A pod of dolphins emerged from the deep blue shadows, their tiny clicks reaching my ears and their long tails flicking powerfully in their wake. They circled us, and I couldn’t help but gape at them. We spun around, my body brushing up against Draevyn’s. He glanced at me with a smirk. “ Friends of yours? ”
One of the dolphins paused a foot away. “ Care for a swim, Your Highness? ”
The dolphin was talking.
To me.
“ Let me guess. It’s talking to you, ” Draevyn said dryly.
I nodded at him vigorously. “ They want to go for a swim. ”
Draevyn tried to play it off with a carefree shrug, but his twitching smile betrayed his excitement. “ Then, let’s. ”
I shifted my attention to my new dolphin friend. “ Um…sure. ”
And the pod took off.
Embarrassment coursed through me as I tried to flick my tail to keep up. My abdomen screamed with each effort. My brow dipped in concentration, my lower back muscles protesting as Draevyn and the pod swam nearly fifty yards away. I remained determined to figure it out. I observed his movements, the way his tail gracefully rose and fell, how his large fin gracefully flipped with perfect precision.
And I mirrored it.
My speed picked up until only a yard remained between us—Draevyn’s long, flowy hair drifting behind him like long tendrils caressing the sea. With all my might, I pushed harder until I finally reached his side.
Draevyn gave me a wink. “ I knew you’d figure it out. ”
Nearly two dozen dolphins easily cut through the water—some playfully swirling around each other. We followed in their wake, and pure elation cut through me. This brought new meaning to swimming with the dolphins—the movement of my tail becoming second nature as we traveled further into deep ocean blue waters, their light clicks sounding all around us.
I’d never felt so at home in my life. The scales felt more like a part of me, more like something I’d been missing my entire life in the Above World; like every time I’d entered the ocean, they wanted to spring forth and welcome me home.
I am a Water Fae, and the sea is my tribe.
And so, we swam with the dolphins, playing like children, our faces full of glee at simply being part of their little pod.
Draevyn slowed, and I came to a pause. “ There’s something I want to show you. ”
I gave him a nod as I wheeled around to my dolphin friend, who swam a few feet away. “ This is where we leave you. Thank you for the swim. ”
“ It was a delight, my Queen. ”
With a few playful twirls, they disappeared into the ocean depths.
I trailed behind Draevyn as a towering ridge emerged—a colossal, jagged rock slicing through the ocean like a knife. Passing through a lofty, narrow opening, Draevyn conjured a faelight, its glow swallowed by the surrounding darkness. The light danced against the water's surface as we ascended to meet it. When my head slowly breached the water, I cast a faelight into the darkness and smiled in bewilderment. “Commander Eliron, do you have your own personal hideaway?”
Draevyn climbed the rocky shore with ease and a complete sense of familiarity. He glanced over his shoulder, a mischievous smile spreading on his face. “I have lots of personal hideaways, my Queen. But not everyone gets to see them.” He reached his hand out to me.
My scales separated into legs as I placed my hand in his. “Well, I’m honored you’ve deemed me worthy of your hidden…is this a cavern?” I asked, my gaze roaming over the hundreds of stalactites dropping from the ceiling like midnight black monsters baring their sharp teeth.
“That it is,” he confirmed, resting his hands on his hips. Draevyn’s gaze swept around the room as if checking to make sure everything was where he had left it.
My feet gained purchase on the rocky ground that bit into my soles. The shore was nothing more than a fifteen by fifteen-foot space in front of a large pool of water. A tiny wooden crate sat in a corner with a stack of books on top. A few bottles of wine occupied the space within. Neatly folded woolen blankets and a rather beat-down pillow lay against its side. Draevyn motioned to it. “Would you like a drink?”
My lips lifted in a smirk. “Sure.”
As he reached for a bottle to uncork it, my gaze traveled around the charming little cavern. “So, what is this place?”
“This is where I come when I need to escape the outpost,” he informed me as the sound of the wine pouring from the bottle reached my ears.
“Ah, so you snuck away when you were a cadet?”
“Never as a cadet. But as a Commander? With that many faelings and Guardians running around? Certainly.” He placed two cups on the ground and grabbed the blanket. “I’ve already paid my dues. I deserve some quiet time.”
I busied myself perusing the titles of his books, scanning the first one. “The Count of Monte Cristo,” I murmured as I flipped to the first page. My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped open. “Um…Draevyn. I’m pretty sure the Monroe County Library wants its book back since it’s been checked out for over a century.” I provided him with my best scolding glare over my shoulder. “And you should always return your library books.”
He spread the navy-blue woolen blanket across the floor and sat upon it—the groves of his muscles tightening as he leaned back on his arms. He patted the space next to him. “It must have slipped my mind.”
“Frequented Key West in the past?”
A shrug.
I tucked that tidbit away for later. I dropped beside him with the book, carefully thumbing through the weathered pages. “This is amazing.”
“Well, then, I’m glad I forgot to return it. It’s yours if you want it.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “If I can figure out how to get it out of your hideaway without ruining it.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head. “Just how did you get it here anyway?”
Draevyn brushed my hair over my shoulder, eliciting a tingling sensation that shot down my spine. A gasp stuck in my throat as his eyes roamed over my bare shoulders and back and even lower to my bare hips. I may or may not have intentionally donned my scales on my breasts, stomach, and legs only.
I’ll never tell.
“That is your next lesson. Shielding.”
“And how do we do that?”
He pointed at the book.
I threw him an incredulous look. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“Do you know how much this is worth? It’s a first edition. I may ruin it.”
He lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Well then, you better shield it properly.”
I blew out a breath. “Okay, how do I do that?”
Draevyn held out a hand for the book, and I reluctantly gave it to him. He rose from the floor to crouch in front of the pool of water before us. “When you shield, you’re essentially pushing the water away from the object you desire to protect. Think of it as your own personal dome magic.” I gasped as he dipped the book into the water and then pulled it out. My gaze roamed over the aging pages. Not a single inch of it got wet. He flicked his head toward the pool. “Now, you try it.”
I glanced around the room, trying to find anything else that might not be so valuable, but came up empty. Draevyn gave me a look that bordered on an eye roll. “It will give you incentive. Come on.” I bit my lip and joined him in a crouch beside the water.
“First, you’ll want to practice with your hand. Dip it in the water,” he instructed. The cool water enveloped my hand as I pushed it below its surface. “Now, you’ll want to connect with your water magic. Let it call to you and will the water away.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“There’s nothing to it. I have complete faith in you.”
I honestly wished I had that same faith in myself all the time. I would need it now. My gaze narrowed on my hand just beneath the water’s surface. I felt the water, connected with it, and I could have sworn it brushed up against me like it was greeting me beneath my fingertips. My lips lifted in an excited smile as I answered its call and pushed it away. A thick layer of air materialized between the water and my skin.
“Nicely done, Asherah.”
I pulled my hand back, examining it. Not a single drop trickled from my skin. It remained completely dry.
He handed the book over. “Before you push the book beneath the surface, connect with your water magic again. Then, dip it in.”
I gave him a determined nod and shifted my attention to the pool before me. I called to my water magic, willing it to do my bidding. I swore I heard it whisper in return. On a deep inhale, I began lowering the book into the water. I watched in wonder as it pushed back on a tiny wave before enveloping it with a pocket of air. I couldn’t hold back the laugh that escaped me if I tried.
Before I could lose my concentration, I pulled the book above the surface and beamed at Draevyn. His face was alight with something akin to pride. “You’re a natural, my Queen.”
My cheeks burned under his gaze. I cleared my throat, handing the book back to him. “Thanks.”
He patted the area beside him. “Sit. Let me read to you for a bit before we head back.”
For some reason, the idea of the Commander reading to me in his deep, baritone voice was both thrilling…and arousing. I dropped on the blanket beside him, my extended leg brushing against his as he began to read, “On the twenty-fourth of February eighteen fifteen, the lookout at Notre-Dame de la Garder signaled the arrival of the three-master Pharaon coming from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples.”
Draevyn’s deep voice echoed across the walls, amplifying the tale. When he was deep into chapter two, a flicker of faelight illuminated the other side of the cavern. Draevyn paused his reading, likely to see what had captured my attention. “Ah…you’ve discovered the goddess.”
“Is that who that is?” I asked as I cast a few more faelights to get a better look at the etchings on the wall. Long, flowing lines of hair were carved down the back of a female, a flower resting behind her tipped ear. Her lower half donned the very scales that blanketed the Water Fae. The mighty trident gripped in her hand almost shimmered in the faelight. With a shell held to her mouth, she blew a wind cyclone, a feather floating on the top. A snake rested at the base of her tail, and I had to suppress a laugh. It almost looked like a pet lovingly sleeping at her side. “It’s stunning.”
Draevyn smiled at the ancient carving like seeing an old friend. “Yes, that she is. The goddess is a great companion to have in my little hideaway. These kinds of carvings are not unusual. You’ll find them throughout various caverns surrounding Atlantis. Whoever put them there, however, remains a mystery.”
“Fascinating.”
Draevyn hummed in agreement.
As the day slowly drifted by, Draevyn continued reading from his favorite book with only the goddess on the wall and the faint resounding drip from the stalactites looming over our quiet sanctuary to keep us company. It was the perfect end to my Drae day. As his soothing voice echoed across the cavern’s walls, I dared to let my feelings for him venture beyond the friendship I felt.
And something within me flared a little brighter to life.