Chapter 20
DRAYA
Aweek had passed since I last spoke with Cordelia, and it was time to make another visit to Hazel, although shifting into my human form was the last thing I wanted to do after the meeting I’d just endured with the other warriors.
The Queen and Commander Adri had placed the Talassian Capital on high alert due to a potential threat from Hazel’s father.
One of his steamships rolled through a nearby reef, leaving garbage and toxins that would permeate the habitat and harm the wildlife.
Apparently, some young Talassi had been playing nearby, and the incident left them critically injured.
This would have been unsurprising had the ship not dropped something peculiar in its wake.
A small piece of skin was tossed from the boat, reflecting light off its dark scales as it floated to the bottom of the reef.
It was undoubtedly part of a Talassi tail, and the Queen believed it belonged to Prince Inaki.
Granted, this wasn’t the first time an incident like this had occurred, and as much as we all hoped Prince Inaki was still alive, most of us weren’t convinced.
The Queen, however, was distraught. She thought it was a sign from the powers beneath that we needed to increase our efforts to fight against Emerson, and had called for multiple emergency meetings and protocols to be put into action.
In light of this, I needed to check on Hazel and get a better timeframe of her recovery from Cordelia.
My responsibility as her overseer had not yet been lifted, so I was still bound to the Capital and held back from any missions.
But I was growing restless. Both Hazel and Cordelia needed to speed up this process.
I entered the room without knocking, too frustrated to care if it was rude, only to find Hazel sitting with her legs dangling over the side of her bed.
She held one of her hands in front of her face as both she and Cordelia examined thin webbing stretching between her fingers.
The skin on her hands had changed to a pale, iridescent hue, and faint scales dotted her wrists and forearms.
My chest tightened as I approached, and I felt my cheeks heat as I took in the sight before me.
She really was part Talassi, and by the looks of it, she was an incredibly beautiful one at that.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of my discovery, knowing that I’d figured out her heritage before she or anyone else had.
Though I felt sad for her, in a way, as she’d lived most of her life unknowing of who she truly was.
I sat in the chair across the room, watching in reverence as Cordelia coaxed Hazel through the process of shifting back and forth.
Thoughts of what Hazel would look like as a fully-shifted Talassi permeated my mind, and I visualized her floating in the sea, the bluish streaks in her hair casting an alluring glow on her iridescent skin and scales.
Before I could dissect them too deeply, I pushed my wandering thoughts away. We weren’t even sure if she could fully shift, and if so, it meant nothing to me in the end. She was a thorn in my side, a responsibility I didn’t ask for, and I was eager to pass the burden to someone else.
“It’s rude to enter a lady’s room without knocking, Draya,” Cordelia’s voice cut through the room, and she didn’t even turn to look at me.
“It’s rude to keep my prisoner bedridden for weeks, Cordelia,” I retorted. “Though I’m pleased to see you’ve made some progress.”
“We have,” Cordelia said. “Now, what do you need?”
“I need to speak with Hazel,” I said. “Alone.”
Cordelia wasted no time in leaving, pushing off the stool she’d been perched on and kicking it in my direction. As soon as the door shut, my eyes fell back on Hazel, her gaunt face still concerning me, although I noticed some gold and green flecks in her eyes.
“How are you?” I asked, moving to perch on the stool.
“I’ve been better,” she mused, still staring at the webbing of her hands. Claws threatened to jut out of the tips of her fingers, and I almost wanted them to. I wanted to see what she was capable of when provoked.
“I see you’re familiarizing yourself with your Talassi form,” I said, wondering why everything coming out of my mouth was so awkward. I’d never had trouble talking to women before! Why was this half-human any different?
“Cordelia said I may never be able to fully shift,” she said, her voice steady. “But I’m hoping to at least be able to use my gills, soon.”
“Have you tried?” I asked. She nodded.
“I can form them, but I can’t seem to make them work correctly.
Cordelia has me try in the bathing pool, but most times, I end up just holding my breath for a painfully long time until I pass out and wake up choking.
” She shifted, pulling her legs up and curling them under the quilt atop her bed.
Her scales slowly disappeared as her skin returned to its normal pale hue, and her demeanor immediately changed.
She looked even more sickly in her human form, and the thought made my stomach tighten.
“Interesting,” I said. “You look unwell.”
“I am unwell,” she replied, closing her eyes, and I caught a faint wince as she sank further into her bedding.
I wanted to comfort her somehow, but I wasn’t sure what to do.
It also disgusted me to think of comforting an Emerson, but the misguided part of me that cared about her was clearly winning this battle.
I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly as she let out a pained sigh.
“How come your Queen is still searching for your Prince?” She asked.
“What?” My hand squeezed tighter, not on purpose, but I noticed her tense.
“She sends you to search for him, but he’s been missing for quite some time, correct?” I wondered how much Cordelia had told her, but nodded in reply. “Knowing my father, I don’t see why he’d keep the Prince alive for so long.”
“If I’m being honest, Hazel,” I said, lowering my voice.
“We don’t know that he’s alive. Your father captured Prince Inaki decades ago and sent us a message to leave him and his ships alone.
He told us that he’d kill the Prince if we retaliated, so we remained docile.
I don’t see how the Prince could still be alive, but every so often your father will leave us a clue, or drop some piece of him into one of our territories, and the Queen launches into a fury. ”
“That’s cruel,” she replied. “If he is alive, I can’t imagine he’s in good condition.”
“I know,” I said, “which is why the Queen is so adamant that we find him.”
“I still want to help,” she said, her voice growing hoarse as she stared at the ceiling above. “I used to study his trade routes as a child. They’re likely somewhat different today, but maybe I can figure something out that you may not have seen.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Hazel,” I replied, that ache in my chest growing stronger. I hated seeing her so unwell, and if she was offering to help, this was definitely not the time for me to push her away. “Let me take you to the surface for a bit.”
She turned her head to face me, frowning as her eyes roved over my body.
“You will feel better,” I said. “You’re still half-human, and being in fresh air and sunlight will do your body well.”
“All right,” she sighed, pushing herself up to a seated position. She was so weak and pitiful that before I could stop myself, I’d scooped her up into my arms. Thankfully she was clothed, but the warmth and feeling of her body against mine still sent a shiver down my spine.