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Kaga hesitated before nodding, and I launched into my tirade.
I swung my tail over the side of my hammock, crossing my arms and staring Kaga down. “It’s horrible.”
Not waiting for him to ask why, I listed all my duties one by one. Then I told him about the countless service hours I spent healing sick merpeople, and how much pain it caused me as well. Not like my mother ever thanked me for it, or acknowledged how much it hurt me. She did the same as a princess, and so did her mother. It was a rite of passage, building up our pain tolerance.
Kaga’s eyes widened as I ranted, his mouth dropping when he found out about the pain I endured when I helped the injured. I plowed through, talking about the incredibly boring lessons I endured to learn how to use my magic that would be vital to the city. A part of me felt like such a merbaby for complaining, but who else would I tell? Nixie was my closest friend, and she endured as much pain as she was able working the sick ward. Mother wouldn’t listen. Father did every once in a while, but was usually too busy. It was nice, for once, to be able to bleed my feelings without worrying.
I ended my tirade, my shoulders slumping. “I don’t want the responsibility of being queen. It’s been forced on me my whole life. I want to live, not be chained by duties.”
Kaga nodded. “My parents are the same way. I’ve been in classes with water mages since my magic appeared. And countless lessons on what it means to be an ambassador. Both since I was ten. It’s exhausting.”
For the first time in a very long time, I felt understood. Not that I would ever tell him that. “It is.” I heaved a sigh. “Here, give me your hands.”
Confusion flashed across his face, but he obeyed anyway. I passed my hand over his, drawing out the pain. It was the least I could do, since it would have been my head otherwise. The redness disappeared, leaving only slight bumps on his hand. I motioned for him to turn around, and I ran my hands over his back, closing up the scratches. There was no way I noticed the way his muscles bunched under my hands. Not at all.
“All done.” I dropped my hands and got back into my hammock.
“Did it hurt you?” he asked, feeling the back of his hand.
“Yes. Sleep. Tomorrow we’ll find out how to get home.”
I turned to my side so my back was to him. A very soft whisper came from his side. “Thank you, Princess. Goodnight.”
Chapter 9
Iwoke up to darkness, unsure of what time it was. My body certainly still felt the aftermath of the storm. I rolled out of my hammock and swished my tail, heading to the cave entrance. A glimmer of daylight shone through the waves.
Kaga swam up next to me, quietly sliding through the water. A shiver traveled up my spine as he put a hand on my shoulder. “Is it morning?”
“Day, at least,” I said, moving back to my hammock to pick up Squiggles. Not avoiding his touch at all, definitely.
My little octopus wrapped around my arm, and I swam back to Kaga. Jokingly, I asked, “Does it look familiar to you?”
Kaga laughed. “Not in the least.”
I grinned up at him, staring into his beautiful eyes. Then mentally smacked myself. Nope. Not happening.
Flipping my tail, I swam forward a little. “Let’s see if we can find out where we are.”
He followed me without question, trusting my judgment. I grimaced, looking around. We swam around in a circle, trying to find any landmark that was familiar.
My back muscles tensed and my tail flipped back and forth as we floated. “I’m not sure where we are,” I said, finally admitting defeat. “This is farther than I’ve ever been.”
He glanced around. “I have an idea.”
Not waiting for me to respond, he brought his hands in front of him, moving them around the water, shaping it. I watched, fascinated despite myself. The water under his hands glided and formed until a small animal made of water floated in between us.
“What is that?” I asked.
“It’s a dog,” he said with a smile. “They’re pets on land.”
I tilted my nose up. “I’ve seen them before.”
It wasn’t a total lie. I’d seen dogs from far away on the beach, but never up close. The little water dog bounced around both of us. Squiggles reached out a tentacle, and the water dog licked it. Squiggles squeaked happily and patted the dog on the head.
Kaga called to it and blew in its face. It wrinkled its nose and opened its mouth. Then he shot off into the water, heading away from the cave.
“Follow him,” said Kaga. “He is going to lead us home.”
