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Chapter Four
THE AQUARIUS CONSTELLATION HAS THREE METEOR SHOWERS
Maris
This seems like the start of a bad joke. My ex-best friend and ex-to-be are helping a human. They agreed to assist him so easily I doubt their motives are sincere. I feel protective of Kasper, and I can’t let them kill him.
“Maris, can I talk to you?” Pasha asks.
I flinch at the sound of my name. This is all going wrong, and now Kasper knows my name. It probably would’ve come out eventually, but I’m losing control of this situation fast.
“I’m not ready to forgive you.” I must be crazy for thinking I can get past the betrayal, but she’s one of my oldest friends. She told me I didn’t really know Ryn, and she was right, but maybe I don’t know her as well as I think, either. I only saw what I wanted to.
I didn’t realise she was following me when I entered the cave. As soon as her eyes caught sight of Kasper, she knew I’d saved him. Call it best friend intuition or whatever, but she knew. She didn’t shun me for my actions. Instead, she wanted to help me get out of this mess I’ve created. My anger towards her is already weakening.
“Is life really that dull? What’s the real reason you want to help a human?” I ask Ryn. Within a short space of time, I’ve realised I don’t know this merman at all, and I want to understand him. What does Pasha offer him that I didn’t, and why didn’t he tell my father he wasn’t interested in being set up with me? If I’d spent more time with him, would we have been compatible?
Pasha looks like she’s going to interrupt but thinks better of it.
“Atlantis needs livening up. It can be a real drag at times.” Ryn shrugs. “Besides, I want to make it up to you, Maris, and it seems like you want to help this human.”
“You can be a real asshole sometimes,” Pasha says to Ryn, crossing her arms. Her eyes fill up like she’s on the brink of tears, but she blinks them away. He seems to be good at hurting her feelings, and for some reason, she still likes him. It can’t just be his good looks she’s attracted to.
“So, it’s agreed. I get the jug, and you can have whatever treasure we find?” Kasper asks, interrupting our tense moment.
“You’ll keep our existence a secret?” I ask to make sure we’re crystal clear about what I want.
He nods. “I don’t mean you any harm. As I told you, my brother’s unwell and I need him to drink from the jug. That’s all.”
“Okay,” I say.
“Where did you find the symbol?” Kasper asks Ryn.
“Aren’t you forgetting something? You can’t breathe underwater. You should stay here and we’ll report back.” Ryn smiles like he’s pleased with this plan.
“Can’t Maris kiss me again and pass on her voodoo magic?” Kasper says.
My eyes widen. “I don’t have voodoo magic.”
“You kissed him!” Ryn barks, and Pasha laughs.
“Good for you,” Pasha says, looking a little more cheerful.
“He was freezing to death. I had no choice.” I throw my hands up in the air. I catch them together, and they’re the ones making a fuss over a kiss.
“You had multiple chances to let him die as nature intended, and you chose to save him. What’s wrong with you?” Ryn asks in outrage.
“I can see trust is going to be a problem here,” Kasper chips in. He’s right, though. Trust seems to be my weakness. I should be more careful.
“When you catch your best friend and your betrothed together, I’d say there’s definitely a trust issue here,” I say. Pasha’s mouth falls open as she loses the ability to speak. Ryn tries to give me another one of his hurtful answers, but I wave my hand to silence him. “I can make you a potion to breathe underwater and these two can find you some seaweed to cover up your legs while we’re close to the city.”
“I’ll make the potion. You stay with the human,” Pasha says and swims out of the cave. Ryn looks at us both but doesn’t say a word as he leaves.
“I think you need to find some better friends,” Kasper says.
“And look where that’s got me,” I say, pointing to him. Guilt immediately creeps in. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It seems you’re having a bad day.”
