Page 9 of The Nixie and the Frost Elf

"It does suck," I agree.

She turns so she doesn't run into a large rock sticking out of the side of the moat, and I follow her, not wanting to hurt myself either. "Do you want to be in a relationship?"

"Yes." If we were on land, it would be a whisper, but there's no real concealing any of my words while we're underwater.

Her dark blue tail flicks, catching another fish that's swimming by, minding its own business. I'm sure I do that myself sometimes, it's one of the hazards of being underwater.

"If you want it, then you're going to have to risk getting hurt," she says. "He might not really understand, but he also might get it. The only way you're going to find out is if you talk to him about it."

More bubbles escape from me as I sigh. "I suppose so."

"I know it's probably terrifying..."

"No probably about it." And it's even worse because of the reality of the word mate that's been bouncing around my mind. This isn't just any relationship we're talking about, it's one that could last. I suppose to some extent, Edur is right. If we weren't compatible, then the mate bond wouldn't be reacting when we're close to one another. It's not the only thing that's needed for a good relationship, but it should be a good indication that there could be one.

Marnie turns around in the water, circling her hands to keep herself in one position. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I might have only known you for a couple of months, but the look on your face says it all."

"I get a mate reaction to Edur. The same as I did before."

"Before?" she prompts.

I sigh and manoeuvre myself to a rock pointing out of the moatbed. I perch on it, folding my quasi-tail under me like I would my knees. Though technically, my knees are still there, they're just fused together into some kind of tail-leg hybrid. "We met when I was eleven. I didn't get a mate response to him until we were eighteen, but I did get one. I...ran away. I didn't want to deal with it or ruin our friendship, so I persuaded my parents to let me move schools for the rest of the year."

Marnie raises an eyebrow as she comes over to join me on the rock. "You wanted to protect your friendship by abandoning it for three years?"

I groan and close my eyes. "I know, I made a mistake."

"I would say so," she agrees. "And he's still willing to date you?"

I nod.

"Then I think you owe it to yourself to go, and to have fun. If you can feel a mate bond, and he's saying that he understands what it means that you're ace, then it could be good. And if it's not, I can lure him to the depths with my voice."

I laugh. "You know I can do that myself, right?"

"You'll be sad, so I'm offering to do it for you," she responds.

"I appreciate that." I smile, feeling a little better than I did before.

"Good, because that's what friends are for. I'm sure you'll help me when I find myself in a romantic pickle."

I laugh. "But you have it all together."

"But knowing my luck, I'm going to find out someone's my mate, and then discover that they don't want that. Or worse, that their favourite snack was pickled herring. Can you imagine kissing someone when they've just been eating it?"

"I don't think I'd care, I like pickled herring."

"Then I feel sorry for Edur. If kissing is something you want to do with him."

"I think so. I like kissing. And I enjoy other parts of intimacy. I think."

"Well then, I doubt he's going to have any problems," she responds. "And if he does, then you know my plan."

No matter what happens tomorrow, I don't think I have any plans to let Marnie sing Edur to the depths of the moat, but at least I know it's an offer if things do go badly. Not that I really think that they will. While there's a part of me that's worried about what's going to happen when we start talking about sex, there's another part of me that knows Edur wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I just have to trust that part and not let the scared part of me ruin things all over again.