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“More like two,” I mutter.
“Thank you for saving my life and helping me.”
“Sure.” Deep down, I’m not sure why I’m doing these things. It goes against everything I’ve been told.
Kasper wades into the water, heading towards me. I didn’t get a chance to have a good look at him yesterday. His body is like a painting covered in drawings. He has a mermaid tattooed across his muscly chest and my fingers itch to touch it. He makes the first contact by running his thumb along my breast shell, and I inhale a sharp breath. I could tell him he’s overstepping the line, but I’m just as curious. Giving in to temptation, I allow myself the pleasure of exploring his skin. My hair has little starfish in it, and he touches each of them.
“You’re beautiful.” This isn’t the first time he’s complimented me, and he sounds sincere.
I glance up from his chest into his blue eyes. The fun and carefree attitude I see in Ryn isn’t behind Kasper’s eyes. His gaze is intense and full of stories. “Why were you out in the sea last night?”
“I’ve been searching for the jug.”
“Without any real leads?”
“I was looking for Atlantis.”
We continue to stare at each other.
“I’ve lived there my whole life and I haven’t found the jug, so what was your plan? You haven’t got diving equipment and your boat wasn’t up to the task.”
He’s taken aback by my words and moves back. “This is what a desperate man looks like.” He holds his arms out wide and slowly turns around.
He isn’t like anyone I’ve met before. The stars of Aquarius decorate his back, and I’m drawn to him. He makes my crush on Ryn seem unimportant, but he also makes me wary. I don’t want to get caught up in my head again, and I already know we don’t have a future together.
Ryn and Pasha return. They prepare Kasper for our journey, and even though there’s a strange vibe, we keep our conversation light-hearted. Once we’re ready, we set off for the location Ryn has in mind.
* * *
The place Ryn brought us to doesn’t look special. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t it. “It’s just a rock,” I say.
“No. It’s a rock with a drawing on it,” Ryn replies.
Kasper doesn’t seem to be as deflated as I am. He studies the drawing and touches the rock.
“What’s he doing?” Pasha asks.
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Human things.” I smile, and she smiles back. It’s hard to stay mad at her.
“Don’t you have a mermaid library or something?” Kasper asks.
“Sure we do. I’m not sure how big the zodiac section is, though,” Ryn says.
“How did you find this relic?” Kasper asks. His lips turn down like he can’t understand why Ryn’s not more curious about his surroundings.
“How do you know it’s not just a drawing some merkids did while messing around?” Pasha asks.
“I don’t know mermaids, but I’m pretty sure a kid wouldn’t draw a dude with a jug,” Kasper says.
“There are sexier gods,” Ryn chips in.
“Depending on the mythology reference, the water carrier might not have been a god.”
“You’re very knowledgeable on Aquarius,” I say.
“I have to be if I want to be a successful treasure hunter.”
“This isn’t just about getting a prize, though, is it?” I’ve seen the desperation in his eyes, but I need to confirm what’s in his heart.
“You know it’s not.” He looks deep into my eyes. It feels like we’re connecting on another level. I can feel his pain and determination.
We continue to stare at each other with intensity. A beam of bright light shines down from the surface and touches the stone. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Aquarius drawing shimmers like the water is flowing from the jug. We break our moment to look at what’s happening.
A whirl of sand begins to move down, and a hole in the ground opens up. My mouth falls open, and I can’t believe we’ve been close to this secret for so long, and now we have a chance to explore it.
