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I blink a few times. “That’s crazy talk. You can go and retrieve your library card while I wait outside.”
“You’re becoming a bore, baby.”
“Don’t be an asshole.”
“Fine.” He crosses his arms.
We reach the square fountain, which is near the royal quarters, and I take a seat while Ryn goes to his room. Fish, mermaids, and mermen pass as they go about their day. I watch some of their interactions, wondering where I’ll fit. Once I start working at the factory, moments of freedom will be rare.
I’m lost in thought when someone comes to stand in front of me. “Have you seen Maris?” Adella asks. She’s one of the royals and has always looked down on me.
“No. Why? Is there a problem?” I’m guessing she hasn’t told anyone where she is and I’m not going to give away her secrets.
“The king is worried. She hasn’t been seen since last night.”
“I saw her passing through the square this morning,” I say, knowing I can’t be the only one.
“Did she say where she was going?”
I shake my head.
“If you see her, tell her to come home.”
I nod. My web of untruths is deeply woven. There’s no point trying to untangle them now.
She leaves to ask more merpeople about Maris, and I listen to the echoes of her disappearance. Maris is adventurous, and her father is overprotective, but she always comes back. Even if she wasn’t with a human, I would’ve kept her secret. I’ve made mistakes with Ryn, but I care about my friend.
“We need to get out of here,” Ryn says when he returns.
“I saw Adella. The king is looking for Maris.” I bite my nail.
“Yes. I’ve just been asked by a few members of my family.”
“What did you say?”
“What do you think?” His lips thin like he’s unimpressed I’m questioning his loyalty.
“I need to be sure you haven’t said anything.”
“And be caught as an accomplice to snuggling a human into our world? I don’t think so.”
I smile, satisfied the core of his answer is self-centred. It reassures me he isn’t lying.
“Come on.” I gesture towards the way we need to go.
We make it to the library after being asked another three times where Maris is. My stomach feels uneasy. She never goes out for long, and I’ll be glad when she’s home.
There’s a full shelf of books on astrology, and we sit looking through the books. “As long as it has a picture of Aquarius, does it matter which book we pick?” Ryn asks.
I shrug. We can’t take them all and I have no idea what else we might need to know. “I think we should take the zodiac atlas and the book all about Aquarius.”
“Okay.” He takes the books to the desk and checks them out. We swim back to Maris and Kasper’s location without any difficulties.
“Maris, we’re here,” I say as we enter the cave, but she’s nowhere to be seen.
She and the human are missing. Thoughts of her being kidnapped flash through my mind. I try to settle the sickly feeling in my stomach. They might be looking for more clues, or maybe they solved this one.
“Pass me the atlas,” I say, taking it from under his arm. I flick to the map of the sky I need and study the stars. Ryn stands over my shoulder, watching me match up the holes in the cave. “There,” I say, touching the wall.
