It was clear that the faerie had burned the serpent down. But how?

How was he able to burn the serpent in open water? In this Kingdom, even cooking was done in hydrothermal vents or the hollows of seamounts. Maybe he had come from the Kingdom of Fire and possessed more power than the others—but I did not think so—no one from the Kingdom of Fire could ignite flames in water, not even the King. And the flames rising in front of me seemed different, not quite like the fire I was used to seeing—not orange or red or even the usual yellow, but a different kind of yellow—almost white and very, very bright; like sunlight.

“It’s too sad I cannot hear your thoughts,” a deep voice spoke into my ear.

I looked at the faerie who stood uncomfortably close to me and expressed his desire to hear my thoughts. Cutting a sharp glance at him, I moved away creating a safe distance between us. “Who are you?”

The faerie observed me for sometime. “Drystan Starr,” he replied.

I hmphed. “What are you doing here?”

“That question is more appropriate when directed at you,” he said. “What is a human doing in Odalis?”

“My whereabouts shouldn’t interest you,” I said in a firm tone.

“Neither mine you,” Drystan smiled. I noticed he had handsome features— yellow eyes, dark brown skin and pitch-black hair, but something did not seem right about him—maybe the fact that he emerged out of nowhere in the kelp forest and burned the serpent down, or the fact that he was not behaving like most faeries behaved on seeing me. 

I removed my gaze from his face and narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you burn that down?” I gestured at the area where the serpent had been lying a few moments ago, and that was now occupied by its floating ashes.

“I thought you would thank me for saving you from that monster,” Drystan said instead.

I snorted. “Saving me after I already immobilized it? Yes, thank you so much for that. Now answer my question.”

Drystan’s eyes widened. He crossed his arms in front of him. “You are quite snarky for a human.”

“Are you from the Kingdom of Fire?”

Drystan chuckled, shaking his head. “Miss, may I ask why are you so eager in knowing about me?”

I rolled my eyes. “I have no intention of exchanging greetings with you,” I snapped.

Drystan laughed, crossing his arms in front of him. “You are spoiled too.”

Spoiled? Right. And he was crazy.

“Answer my question,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Also hot-tempered,” Drystan noted.

“Maybe you did not understand what I asked. I asked,” I said slowly, “about you. Tell me clearly who you are, what are you doing here. I already know what I am.”

Drystan took an extremely long breath. Then drawled, “I am not obliged to tell you any of those things.”

I closed my eyes, then opened them, looking at the eyes of the faerie. “Well then, I see no point in me being here.”

Drystan shrugged and motioned me to go ahead. Then, “Your dolphin is waiting for you. Poor creature. Waiting even after you abandoned it.”

My head snapped towards him at that. “I did no wrong. It was better to abandon her,” I said. “Dragging her along with me here would not have been safe for Kia. And how did you know about my dolphin?” I raised my brows.

But as soon as I asked that, I remembered something else. The shadow that had previously gained the attention of the serpent—it was him. Drystan Starr. He was there, watching us, watching me trying to survive, to escape a traumatizing death by a serpent—probably enjoying the action—while he could very easily have burned the serpent down.

Drystan observed as realization hit me, and a sly smirk appeared on his face. I turned around and swam away from there.

***

“What in the seas happened to you, Venus?” Myra screamed as soon as I entered through the front door.

I grimaced.

After leaving the kelp forest, it was a nuisance finding my way out of the dark waters—if I had not heard Kia’s whistle, I would have been lost forever.
But, it was late, very late, and I needed to provide Myra some explanations, especially when she had been waiting in the hall for me.

But I was tired. Exhausted. And my leg was bleeding. After I found Kia, she had looked at my leg and made some clicks; that was when I realized that the warm sensation over my leg was due to the blood oozing out from there, and that was when I had torn a piece of cloth from my dress and wrapped it around the wound—the material had soon become covered with blood.

“What are you doing standing there?” Myra floated to me and took me by my arm to a chair nearby. “You open this scrap of a cloth,” she gestured at my leg. “I am bringing some freshwater to clean the wound.”

I nodded my head and complied with what she said.

After a few moments, Myra was back with a wineskin containing freshwater, some clothes, gauge and the Heal. She started cleaning the wound and throwing towards me all sorts of questions. Why was I so late? Where was Ryan? Why was I in such condition? Did the cut hurt a lot? She did not even give me a chance to answer—it was good for me, since I did not want to tell her that I deliberately went to The City to inform everyone of my presence so that I could get out of the Kingdom of Water.

The cloth touched my cut making me hiss in pain. Myra looked up at me with apologetic eyes even though nothing was her fault. I smiled at her. “Let me apply the Heal,” I said.

“No need. I’m doing it.”

Sighing, I slumped on the chair and rested my head against its back.

“You truly need to be more careful, Venus.” Myra was serious as she said, “Please try to stay out of danger.”

A humourless laugh escaped my lips. Who knew Venus Hill would have to be warned to stay out of danger? The humourless laugh turned into an affectionate smile as I thought how proud Lindsey would have been if she knew that I was told to stay out of danger.

My eyes travelled to Myra who was looking at me with furrowed brows and concerned eyes—what would happen if she knew about the serpent?

What would have happened if Ryan knew?

If Ryan knew—I rolled my eyes at the thought—it was due to him I decided to go to The City, had to face the serpent but was ultimately unsuccessful in what I had actually planned. However, I realized, if that Drystan Starr told others in The City about our brief encounter, then my plan could be successful. Words spread, and the word of a human girl daring to go to the city in the Kingdom of Water would spread too, and Aeron would be prompted to take action against me. A smile found its way on my face.

“You are acting unusual,” Myra said observing my changing expressions. “You are tired, so go to your room. I am bringing you food.”

My stomach growled hearing about food—it was hours ago I had eaten something. Nodding, I shakily stood up from the chair and was about to swim to my room when I remembered something important.

“Do you know what date is today?” I asked Myra. I knew that it was sometime around the first week of November but the date…I was not aware of. However, I did not fail to notice that I was headaches and light cramps, which meant my time of the month was approaching.

“Third of November, why?”

3rd November!

“Uh…do your kind menstruate?” Myra’s eyes widened as she realized what I was talking about, and much to my horror, she shook her head sideways. A hand involuntarily rose to my forehead—What was I to do now?

“But the faeries do!” Myra quickly said. I huffed a sigh of relief.

“What do they use? Can you please bring me whatever they use? I really need it within tomorrow,” I said in one breath.

“Yes Venus,” Myra assured me. “I’ll bring you some of those cotton things they use.”

“Thank you.”

***

“Venus, wake up,” Myra said, shaking me. There was an urgency in her voice. Still, I was too tired to get up.

I yawned. “What?”

Myra shook me again. She was, most probably, trying to shake me till every ounce of sleep left my body. I was too exhausted and Myra shaking me vigorously was becoming unbearable, so I sat up and looked at her through my half-open lids.

“Aeron is searching for you everywhere, not long—”

“Oh I already know that,” my voice came out a bit slurry.

“What?”

That woke me up. What had I said? “What did I say?” I asked Myra, rubbing my eyes.

“That you know—VENUS! Wake up and stop the incoherent sleep talks,” Myra threatened, “Wake up or I’ll pour salt water in your eyes.”

“What? No. I am awake. What did you say? Aeron is looking for me?” I muttered quickly.

Myra nodded. “It will not be long till his sentries come searching every house in the Mer Colony. Word is that they have already completed searching the Fae Colony.”

I sighed. So Drystan had indeed told the others of my earlier presence in the City. I had suspected this would happen once Aeron realized that I was not afraid to go the City. I knew Aeron had not bothered to come after me all these days since to him I was only a helpless, foolish human, not worth of his precious time—maybe I was indeed helpless but I tried not to be foolish.

“I need to go someplace far if I want not to be found,” I suggested to Myra. I needed to go to the Village of Magic—I had awakened the sleeping monster that was Aeron, so that in the pretence of escaping him, I could escape the Kingdom of Water. But I could not suggest going to that island of witches directly to Myra. “Or, I could stay at the Fae Colony.”

“Who would let a human stay at their house?” Myra frowned. “They will probably tell Aeron if you go there.”

“Then, maybe, I can go to the Village of Magic.”

Myra’s brows scrunched up. “Village of Magic?”

“Ryan has shown me how to get there.”

“Ryan is there? What was he thinking when he decided to leave you here?” Shaking her head, Myra said, “Forget him and go there at once. I am asking Fiona to accompany you.”

“Why Fiona?” I said interrupting Myra.

“I’ll have to stay here whenever the sentries come. Fiona has others in her house. She will not eat you up, Venus,” Myra chuckled. “And I have kept those cotton things you wanted, on the stool. Take a satchel with you.” Myra could be strict when she wanted.

“As you say, Myra.” Myra had already left my room.

I got up from the couch and went towards the wardrobe shoving the necessary things into a satchel. It would be wrong to say that I was not afraid—of course I was—I could get caught by the sentries; but since coming to Odalis, I had to learn to be less frightened. The unfamiliarity of my surroundings had somehow strengthened me, forced me to learn survival, and I wanted to use this newfound strength to my advantage.

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