I ran my fingers over the stuffed beast’s scales. I wasn’t sure how a toy dragon was supposed to help me access my power. But the gesture was sweet. I couldn’t deny that.
“Lukas and I were just discussing the origins of his Gift.” My aunt lied, not helping at all with the guilt growing in my chest.
“Oh can I tell the story, Mother?” Leena piped up. “Please?”
“Of course, dear.” She gave her daughter a warm smile before the young girl leapt into the tale, reciting it as if she’d heard it countless times before.
“Many, many years ago, before kingdoms, humans, and even wicked faery princes, the sun fell in love with the ocean’s vast, shimmering waters.”
“The sun fell in love with the ocean?” I raised anunconvinced eyebrow.
Olesha scoffed. “Why else would he dip into her waves each night?”
“Filling the sky with a thousand dreamy colours,” Leena sighed wistfully.
“Right… Sorry.”
With a soft smile, Leena continued, “One night, when the sun dipped below the ocean’s gentle waves, they bore a daughter. She had the upper body of a human, so she may feel her father’s sun rays against her skin, but the lower body of a fish, so she may swim through her mother’s waters with ease.”
“A mermaid.” Olesha winked at me.
“But their daughter grew cold during winter, with too little sun to warm the seas. And while the ocean was vast, with many wondrous places for her to explore, she grew afraid of them, for too many dangers lurked in the deepsea forests. So her mother blessed her with a gift.”
“Adivinegift, if you will.” My aunt tossed me a smirk.
“She now had the power to control the skies, to summon storms, and warm the cold seas during winter. Along with the power to heal herself and others, and a fierce dragon who answered only to her, to protect her from the dangerous beasts in the seas and on the land.” Leena blew out a longing sigh. “I wishIhad the Gift.”
“It truly is a blessing.” My aunt wrapped an arm around Leena’s shoulders, rubbing her arms comfortingly. “And it’s also arareblessing considering the ocean decided to give it to your dear cousin. I haven’t heard of a boy receiving the Gift in centuries.”
“The ocean must’ve seen something special in you!”Leena grinned at me.
I shifted nervously while her mother’s gaze met mine. The corners of her eyes crinkled into a smile that felt too comforting.
“I cannot wait to hear how glorious your dragon looks when you finally let her tear through that faery prince’s palace,” she said, her voice strong. “Together, you’ll be unstoppable.”
A warm feeling stirred in my chest. For once, I didn’t swallow it down.
“We also came to tell you we’ve been keeping an eye on Naria for you.” Olesha grinned.
My brows shot up. “You have?”
“We’ve been taking shifts in front of the pearl!” Leena beamed. “We make sure someone is watching her at all times.”
My jaw tensed. My aunt had shown me this ‘pearl’ a few nights ago, and while I really didn’t like the idea of the merfolk being able to use that shrub-sized orb to watch anyone, anywhere, at any time, I’ll admit it’d been a relief to see Naria’s face again. A relief enough for me to shave the excess hair from my jaw and change into a fresh set of merfolk clothing each morning – even if the men’s shirts here were uncomfortably translucent.
“No one has harmed her.” Olesha patted my shoulder as I let out a relieved breath. “And we’ll keep watching her for as long as you need us to.”
“We’ll make sure to let you know if that awful prince tries anything,” Leena huffed.
“Thank you,” I told them. And I meant it. “I just wish that I could speak with her somehow.” I scrubbed a hand over my face, recalling the concerning way she’d looked when I’dseen her last through the pearl. “There’s something not right about her. She doesn’t seem like herself.”
“That faery has her under a spell, I bet,” Leena sneered. “No one could stand to be around someone so evil.” Scowling, she folded her arms.
My aunt’s yellow eyes twinkled as she glanced at me. “The sooner you can control your Gift, the sooner you can claim her back from him.”
“But what if he’s planning something?” I snarled. “We should just leave now. Or maybe there’s a way to contact her through the pearl? I just want to talk to her—”
“You may talk to her when we storm the faery palace and rescue her from that wicked prince.”
