I felt hands lift me out of the water and I fought them biting and scratching as I tried to get away from them. They would not take me; they would not steal my Grace. 

  We struggled for several minutes before I recognized their smell; Ryaa and Brother Roberts.  I stilled and allowed them to lift me above the water.  They collapsed gasping in the sand shaking their heads.  “Well… we know… that she’s… not dead,” Brother Roberts said wiping sand on his face.  He spit a bit of blood and kelp onto the sand then pushed himself into a sitting position. “Tell me… what happened to you five nights ago?”

  It took me moment to realize he was talking to me.  I looked around my cell and noticed the fresh cracks in the stone.  Bits of tainted power had collected in them and my stomach rolled from the energy leaking through. Holding my head in my hands I sat half submerged in the water trying to remember.  Had it really been five days since I fought Rose; it seemed only a moment ago that I had closed my eyes.

  A quick sweep of the room told me that Rose was gone, spirited away to whatever cell Lemuete kept her.  “There’s another Waterfolk here.”  Brother Roberts raised his eyebrows then met Ryaa’s gaze.

  “I do not know of any other Waterfolk here.  You are the only one I know about,” the old man said still wiping more sand on his face. I looked to Ryaa and he shook his head.

  “No, Sol’s the only one I’ve brought here.”

  “She was here last night- five days ago.  She struck me here,” I said touching my jaw, it was still tender and I wondered if I had bruised.  I lifted my tail out of the water to show my healing tail. “She tore my skin and bit into my wound. She claims to be my sister but I am an only child!” I didn’t realize I was yelling until Ryaa hugged me.   My mouth sealed up and tears flowed from my eyes.  I struggled to think through my pain.  Was it true that my parents had lied to me?  Rose looked so much like my father, could she be kin?

  “What’s her name? Maybe I have seen her.”

  “Rose, just Rose.”

  Their eyes widened and they shared a look.  “Rose as in Shepherd Stone’s wife?” Brother Roberts said.

  “That quiet woman who hardly eats?” Ryaa asked.

  “She’s Waterfolk, at least she claimed to be,” I said.  I was now feeling even more doubtful of the woman.  Yes she possessed our strength and eyesight, but she lacked the special sheen that distinctly marked Waterfolk hair.

  “Rose had a bruise on her face the last time I saw her.  I will have to inquire about her health next I see her, but enough about that.  How are you child?  We were worried about you,” Brother Roberts said.

  “Don’t call her a child, she’s older than me,” Ryaa said grumpily.  I wondered how much my age bothered him. 

  Brother Roberts smiled and touched my head. “Well?”  I looked away.  How was I supposed to answer him? Complaining about my situation would not help me.  Maybe I could break through the walls?  Though that would take time and make too much noise.  Chances were that I would be restrained long before I made a hole big enough for my fist.

  “I’m fine.”  I could not meet his eyes as I spoke.  I felt guilty for lying, but there was nothing I could say to them.  Here I was the stranger, the demon, an enemy, not them. “Ow!”  I rubbed my arm where Brother Roberts had pinched me.

  “Thou shall not lie; unless it’s to get a cookie,” he said chuckling.  I could not hide my own smile.

  “Listen Sol, we have a surprise for you.”  Ryaa patted the sand beside him but I stayed in the water.  For some reason I knew that if I moved from the water the pain in my tail would increase.  Already it was healing at a faster rate than normal.  Was I being blessed by the Gentle God?  The boy pouted at me.  “Does your tail hurt that much?”  I felt my face heat over his concern; he was truly being sincere. Why was I embarrassed?

  I shook my head. “No, the water is helping it heal.  Tell me, what’s going on outside?”  I missed the waves and the filtered sunlight, seeing all the fish swim through my village contentedly, unafraid of harm.  I remembered watching them with my father during his breaks from the field work.  It was our favorite game to count how many red fish we could see before he had to return to work.

  “Are you hungry? We brought you food.”  My stomach rumbled making me grit my teeth.  Ryaa reached behind him and placed a basket on top of the water.  It floated there while he reached in and pulled out a bowl of berries.  I snatched a handful and devoured it in seconds before reaching for more.  Reluctantly Ryaa handed me the bowl. Within a minute I felt my belly protest against the flood of food so I set the empty bowl into the basket.  “Well now that you’re done feeding your face I‘ll tell you about what’s going on.  There’s to be a wedding tomorrow.  One of the local girls is marrying the baker. Very romantic as Claire puts it.”  Ryaa rolled his eyes and I laughed.  “Shepherd Stone is marrying them.  He looks so tired after recovering from that strange illness so we have a bet going on whether or not he’ll faint during the ceremony.”

  “Illness?” If the demon was still sick my escape would be easier.  I could go through the door and take out the guard.  Maybe if I pitched my voice I could get him to leave the door.

  “Yeah, it started the day your cell changed.”  Ryaa waved his arm around to encompass the room.  I remembered how the demon had appeared to me five days ago.  He had wrapped himself up so nothing was exposed; even his hands had been gloved.  The room must have a protective aura placed upon it.  The holy power of the Gentle God. “Well, that’s old news; I have something here besides food for you.”

  Ryaa reached back into the basket and pulled out a flower made of clay.  I marveled at the detail painted on each petal and leaf. “That’s beautiful.  What is it?”

  “Belladonna.  I had a friend make this for you.”

  I saw Brother Roberts hide a smile as Ryaa handed me the flower.  Did giving flowers have some special meaning to Landwalkers?

  I turned the flower over in my hands marveling at its delicate craftsmanship.  The stem was half the length of my forearm while the fluted head was as long as my palm was wide.  A glaze made the colors gleam in my hands and I wondered how long it had taken for it to be made. “This is for me?” I met Ryaa’s eyes as I asked him.  I watched him blush then look away. “Ryaa… do you like me?” The boy’s blush deepened.

  “I have a girlfriend.  Don’t misunderstand; I do think you’re pretty.”

  “The other day you called me beautiful.”  Ryaa turned so red I wondered if he could breathe.  He coughed once and the color faded.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Brother Roberts laughed then stood up with a grunt.

  “Well children, I must return to my duties. We elders have something known as responsibility.”

  “Like I don’t work!” Ryaa said grumpily.

  “If you call waiting on your sweetheart hand and foot work, then I guess you must be very responsible,” Brother Roberts said chuckling.

  Ryaa blushed and muttered a sullen good bye as the old man left. After the door closed he turned back to me and took my hand gently. “Tomorrow I will come for you during the reception. There will be a large crowd of people so it will be easy to hide you.  The only problem is your hair though.”  I bit my lip. I knew my hair had a sheen that was not natural for Landwalkers.

  Suddenly I remembered the first dinner that I had spent with Vael.  When I had looked in the mirror I had not recognized myself and I suddenly knew why.  It was not just the make-up and clothes, but my hair; my hair no longer had the distinctive sheen that marked Waterfolk.  Could it be that removing my Grace had such a profound effect on Waterfolk besides confining us to land? Did this mean that Rose was Waterfolk as she and the demon both claimed?

  “Don’t worry about my hair. I think I know of a way to hide it.” I smiled to soothe his worry and watched as he blushed more. “What is it?”

  Ryaa grabbed his hair and groaned. “That lord of yours is so lucky.  Anyway I have to go before Claire gets upset again. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  Before I could react he kissed me swiftly on the cheek then darted for the door.  He waved goodbye before my guard closed and locked the door behind him.

  I touched my cheek.  If Ryaa was starting to like me it would develop into a problem later. Would I have to do something drastic to deter him?

  Waiting for the wedding reception to begin seemed to be the hardest.  All day I heard sounds of the villagers making preparations in the courtyard below.  I listened to the musicians practicing a familiar song upon their harps. I wondered for a moment what other similarities our two worlds might still share before pushing it out of my mind.

  By the time night fell I was swimming laps around my pool, my mind racing with worry.  What if Ryaa was caught? What if Rose came back, or worse the demon?

  My thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a rain of pebbles and I realized how dark it had become.  I swam to the surface and smiled when I saw Ryaa and Claire standing at the edge of the pool.

  Claire threw a towel over my head and immediately began scrubbing my hair dry before the rest of my body cleared the water. “Wait, wait,” I said as I swung my tail on to the sand.  “Let me breathe a moment.”

  “There’s no time. The reception is starting soon and we need the confusion,” Claire told me as she finished my hair.  I snatched the towel from her and began drying the rest of myself. “Where are your robes?”

  I pointed to the mound under the window and Ryaa quickly dug it up and handed it to Claire.  She pressed the bundle against my belly and proceeded to tie it in place with a sash. “What is this? What are you doing?” without answering me she picked up a dress from a pile of cloth at her feet and forced it into my hands.  I slipped the woolen cloth over my head and my arms through the sleeves.  I smoothed the dress over the lump it formed over my belly and marveled at my minor transformation. “Am I to be pregnant?”

  Ryaa snickered. “Claire thought of it.  You’re going to pretend to be sick so we can rush you quickly through the crowd.”

  “Ryaa, you need to leave the room,” I said.

  I watched the confusion form in his eyes. “What? Why?”

  “Because I need to take off my Grace; I’m sorry Claire, I should have told you before you strapped my robes to my belly.”

  Claire waved her hand. “Doesn’t matter. Ryaa, leave us for a moment,” Claire said pointing to the door. Sighing he left.

  As soon as the door closed I untied the robes then pulled off my Grace.  Claire reddened as I tied my Grace and robes to my belly again before slipping into the woolen dress once more.

  Claire began putting make-up on my face and I held still as the brushes she used tickled my cheeks.  “You’re going to be my cousin visiting from out of town.  We chose the name Doris for you. When we go through the crowd you will need to lean on my arm heavily and pretend to be in pain.” Claire stood back for moment then reached forward to adjust my dress. “Your hair is different. What happened to that shine?”

  I smiled knowingly. “No time.”

  Without argument she led me to my cell door. She opened it carefully then waved my through. I noticed that my guard was no longer posted at the door. I opened my mouth to ask why and Ryaa shook his head. Leaving it at that, I took Claire’s right arm and began to lean on her. She stiffened for a moment then began to lead me down the long silent hall past other cell doors.  We quickly descended a flight of stairs.

  Suddenly the music hit my ears like the low roar of the ocean.  I knew Ryaa and Claire could not hear it yet due to their less sensitive ears.  As we approached the celebration the noise was all but deafening. Voices and music clashed like stones and a small ache began to build in my head.  I no longer needed to pretend to be in pain as we drew closer and closer to the celebrators.  No one gave a second glance as we entered the crowd. Bodies crushed, separated and crushed again in a strange wave. I was not used to such closeness and felt my heart begin to race, not from fear of discovery, but of touching so many strangers.

  I watched as the men’s eyes swept over me, looked down at my belly then slide away. The women would look, then begin to whisper and chuckle, but no one approached us. We had one moment of panic as we reached the outer door the temple. The crowd of villagers waiting to get through the doors was staggering.  Two guards were left to direct the flow of traffic. One took me by my arm and dragged me against the wall. I cried out in surprise. He had been looking at the line of villagers when my cry caught his attention. He  looked toward me, saw the fear in my eyes, the roundness of my belly and released me. “I apologize. Are you alright miss?”

  “Y-yes, I stammered.” Suddenly Ryaa was right beside me taking the guard’s hand from my arm. Claire wrapped her fingers in mine and leaned her head close to me in comfort.

  “What are you doing? Can’t you see she is not well?” Ryaa said confronting the guard.  The other man turned his attention to him, forgetting me. “Do not be so rough.”

  Claire pushed me gently down the temple steps. People parted as they watched me descend carefully with one hand on my belly. As we reached the bottom of the stairs Claire pulled me to a cart parked by the outer wall of the courtyard.  She helped me climb into the back before climbing in herself. Ryaa checked the horse over before grabbing its reigns and leading us out the nearest gate.

  The streets were not as crowded as the courtyard of the temple. No one looked at us twice as we passed beneath the lit torches marking each street and turn off. I held by breath when we passed through the gate leading out of the town. Neither guard looked twice and waved us through. I felt tears on my face and quickly wiped them away once we were far enough away from the gate that the guards could no longer see us.

  “Is something wrong?” Claire whispered to me when Ryaa climbed up to the driver’s bench on the cart.

  “I have been away from home for so long, it is a relief to be away from your town.”

  Claire snorted. “I’m sure it will be a relief once we get you into the sea. I don’t believe in locking people up just because their different, though it doesn’t mean I trust you water dwellers.”

  “Thank you all the same,” I replied.

  “Don’t thank me until we get you to the sea.”

  “What are you two whispering about back there?” Ryaa asked without turning.

  “Female things,” Claire said. Ryaa shook his head.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A few hours away from town I spotted two horses ahead in the darkness. Their reigns were being held stiffly by a boy.  As we drew closer I recognized him as the youth who had traveled with Ryaa and Sun-hair when I was being brought to the Landwalker town.  I had never learned his name. As Ryaa drew close the youth uncovered the lantern flashing its pale glow in a pattern.  Ryaa lit his own lantern and returned the pattern. He pulled the cart to the side of the road and allowed the youth to draw closer. “It’s freezin’ out here. Were you followed?” the youth asked as Ryaa dismounted.  I followed Claire out of the back of the cart.  Seeing me, the youth danced back a step while holding his lantern stiffly in front of him.  The horses shied at his nervousness. 

  Ryaa reached out a hand to calm them. “She won’t bite. Did you tell anyone of our plans?” Ryaa asked. The youth shook his head then handed Ryaa the reins to one of the horses. “I expect you to take good care of Claire while I’m gone. Do you understand?”

  The youth nodded vigorously, his lips tight. Claire hugged me briefly then stood back. “I hope we never have to meet again and I mean that in a kind way,” she said.

  “Same to you,” I replied.

  She and Ryaa shared a kiss and whispered words to each other that I could hear.

  “Be safe, I love you.”

  “I love you too. Don’t worry about us.”

  Ryaa turned and placed his hands on my hips. “I’m going to lift you up. Place your left foot in the stirrup, that leather loop against the belly, then swing your right leg over.” He lifted me effortlessly and I did as he directed. He pulled himself up under his own power behind me the reached around me for the reins. Claire climbed into the driver’s seat of the cart and the youth mounted his horse.

  Claire gave a wave as she turned the cart around and headed back to the town. The youth made a motion and his horse began to follow her.  Ryaa watched them for a few moments then turned the horse’s head.

  We galloped for many hours and the morning sun caught our heels as we traveled through the forest outside of the farming land. We had long passed the bridge and chasm meeting no one. Ryaa had slowed our horse and allowed it walk down the dusty road. I fondled its soft ears, softly thanking it.

  “They’ll know we’re gone by now,” Ryaa said breaking the silence between us. I shrugged my shoulders and he wrapped his arms around me, pinning my own against my body and rested his head on my shoulder. “You’ve been so quiet. What are you thinking about?”

  I felt his warm breath tickle my chilled skin and I couldn’t stop my shiver.  What had I been thinking about for the past few hours? My thoughts had been a blur of colors and sound and one name; Vael. My heart began to race as I thought of him. Would he take me back after I had run away and disappeared? Did he think I was dead?

  I took a deep breath and let it out. I would worry once I reached the sea.

  “Sol?”

  “Ryaa, why are you helping me?” He was silent for a few moments and I thought he had fallen asleep. I felt him shake his head before he answered.

  “I feel as if I should be dead…” he sighed.  “That day on the cliff I almost killed you and my punishment was to drown, but instead you saved my life. When your lord was about to kill me in that cave, you saved me, and when I was being abused and thought I would starve to death, you saved me once more.”

  “Ryaa-“

  “No, just listen to me,” he said tightening his arms around me. His lips touched the nape of my neck and rested there. I held still while his lips moved against my skin. “This is my chance to save you.  I do not know if either of us will wake up tomorrow, but at least my heart will rest easy knowing that I tried.”

  I touched his hands gently. “Ryaa, it’s my fault that we are here. If I had never crossed the Forbidden line you never would have fallen off that cliff. If anyone deserves punishment, it is me. I’m sorry.”

  I could not stop the sob from escaping my lips as fear rose in my chest. Ryaa immediately led the horse to the side of the road before helping me to the ground. I sat in the grass curled around myself shaking from lack of sleep and regret. I heard Ryaa rummaging in the saddlebags then felt the warmth of a blanket around my shoulders. He then sat behind me and just held me while I cried.

  I did not know when I had fallen asleep. The sun was nearing noon and Ryaa was lying beside me on the ground. He continued to snore softly as I wiped my face clear of lingering moisture. I shook Ryaa awake and he smiled at me brightly. “Feeling better now?”

  “Yes, should we get going?”

  We were soon on the road again after eating a quick snack. I had learned the rhythm of the horse hours ago, but my legs were sore and raw from saddle and sparking with pain with each movement of the horse. Ryaa tried to be attentive, but we could not afford to take many breaks knowing that someone might be coming after us and two hours later I heard them.

  The sound of the hounds was barely at the edge of my hearing. I stiffened and Ryaa stopped the horse. “What’s wrong, do you need a break?”

  “No, I can hear them; the hounds.”  Ryaa flicked the reins and the horse sprang forward into a gallop. I slammed back into Ryaa’s chest from the force then quickly regained my balance.

  “We’re only an hour from the town. How far away are they?”

  “A few miles, I can hear the hounds baying.” Ryaa led the horse off the road and into the trees. I clung to the horse’s neck frightened as it leaped over roots and logs. “Where are we going?” I yelled.

  “I’m taking a short cut. Instead of heading towards the beach, we’ll go to the cliff where you can jump off.

  Within twenty minutes I could see the blue emptiness that marked the border between land and sea.  The sound of the hounds and grown closer sending chills down my spine. I could feel the same oily power that cloaked Shepherd Stone. I did not have a knife to protect me this time.

  The first shot came without warning and suddenly we were falling toward the ground. Ryaa grabbed me around the waist then twisted clear of the horse as it fell on its side and slid through the underbrush. We hit the ground hard and rolled into a bush. The branches left stinging scratches as we untangled ourselves. “How did they find us so quickly?” Ryaa muttered as he helped me to my feet. Another shot ricocheted off a tree and we both ducked. “They must have a sniper with them, keep low.”

  He took my hand in his and led me quickly to where the light shone brightest among the trees.  I could already hear the roar of the sea as it crashed against the waves. A few feet more and we stopped at the edge of the cliff where a few ragged trees clung desperately, their branches shorn of leave and the wood warped by salt, wind, sun and water. “Go ahead and jump,” Ryaa said as I hesitated. I watched the waves crest, break, withdraw and crest again then looked at him.

  “What about you?” I asked. He smiled at me, but it only increased my hesitation.

  “I’m a Landwalker, remember? They won’t do much to me.”

  I heard the boom first then Ryaa was falling against me. He cried out first in surprise and then in pain as the bullet took him in the side. I held my hand over the wound as I took all of his weight into my arms. “G-go,” he choked through the pain. “J-just leave me.”

  With one hand I tore my Grace from my belly and draped it over Ryaa’s shoulders. I lifted him into my arms and leapt off the cliff just as another bullet caught me in the leg.  I screamed and almost lost my hold on Ryaa as we fell towards the waves.  The hounds crowded the edge of the cliff above us; one lost its footing and fell with us. The three of us hit the water at the same time then bobbed to the surface. My body ached from the impact.

  My Grace was still wrapped around Ryaa; I had not transformed. Instinctively I treaded water and let the current carry us further out to sea. Ryaa was limp in my arms and the water was swiftly turning pink around us as his wound quickly bled out. “Please!” I shouted to the air.  I didn’t know what I was asking for. Vael, my father, the Gentle God? “Please!”

  A wave crested over us and I struggled to keep Ryaa’s head above the water. Suddenly a bright white light blinded me and filled me with warmth. I felt the change come over me and gasped as my tail formed. Ryaa’s weight changed in my arms as I no longer felt my Grace cloaking him.  With a start I realized his features had changed. His hair had taken on the sheen that marked Waterfolk hair and where his legs had been a tail had formed. Blood still flowed from the wound in his side though it had slowed. I knew he would need the attention of a healer soon.

  “Thank you,” I whispered as more tears formed in my eyes.

  “Sol!”

  I turned at the sound of my name and was surprised to see Vael swimming towards me. He crushed us both in his arms and his lips found mine hot and eager. “Sol, I missed you.”

  “Vael.” I kissed him again. “Vael, we need to get him to a healer or else he’ll die.”

  My lord looked at Ryaa in my arms and without a word took him from me and dived below the waves. I spared a glance at the top of the cliff and could see Shepherd Stone standing there shaking in fury as his men shouted amongst themselves. I dived after Vael and together we swam for the comfort of his hold surrounded by his warriors armed with spears.

  Bran greeted us as we broke the surface in the entrance hall. “Get me Holly!” Vael yelled as he ascended the steps with Ryaa. Two of his servants sprinted from the hall as Bran drew closer to Vael.

  “Sir, isn’t that our lady’s prisoner? What has happened to him?”

  “The trackers shot him,” I said weakly as I collapsed on one knee. My leg was now burning from my own wound. Spots swam before my eyes as I concentrated on breathing. Vael handed Ryaa off to one of his guards and was immediately at my side. I smiled weakly at him as he placed my leg on his lap and began to apply pressure to my wound. The guards were doing the same for Ryaa when Holly raced into the room followed by his assistants. They broke into two groups with one going to Ryaa, the other to me.

  Ryaa was pale and limp as they laid him flat on the floor. Holly tore through his shirt exposing the wound. I gagged as I say the raw ragged edges of flesh where the bullet had torn through his side and out his back. Vael hid my face in his shoulder, but not before I noticed that Ryaa had a Grace of his own.

  “Sol, don’t look. Holly will take care of him,” he murmured to me. I hissed in pain as one of Holly’s assistants prodded the skin around my wound. “How is her leg? Will she be okay?” Vael demanded.

  “My lord, the Landwalker bullet is still in her leg, we will need to remove it before continuing treatment.”

  “And what of the prisoner?”

  “Sir, I do not know.”

  “My lord,” Holly interjected. “We will need to move them both from this room, it is much too cold and unsanitary for the work we need to perform.”

  Bran immediately began directing the guards to assist Holly in moving Ryaa. Vael lifted me in his arms and stood up. The room spun around me as I gritted my teeth to keep the nausea down. I whimpered when Vael shifted my legs and he kissed my forehead. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “Sir, Milady?” Bran asked.

  “Bran, prepare Sol’s room.”

  “Shall I send for her father as well?”

  “Yes.” Vael turned on his heel and carried me away from the entrance hall. Outside of the water I had begun to sweat and shiver. My mouth felt dry, but nausea still churned my stomach. I focused on breathing and Vael’s heartbeat as he carried me through the hold.

  I cried out in pain when he lowered me onto the bed. Spots swirled through my vision and I threw up over myself, him, and the comforter. Someone wiped my chin before making me drink from a small earthenware vial. The foul thick and bitter fluid made me choke and burned my throat.  I felt my body relax to the point where I felt I was floating just above it, the pain in my leg an anchor to it. Distantly I heard Vael talking to several people. I turned my head toward him and my vision swam. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was unsure if anyone heard me as they continued to talk around me as if I was not there.

  “Vael…” I tried say, but it came out as a whisper so low that I only knew I had made a noise because my throat vibrated with the sound. I was pushed about by unknown hands, the movement causing the pain to flare up like strikes of lightning that burned through my numbness before fading. “Vael…”

  I heard his voice in my ear just before the pain in my leg flared up and took me away when it faded.

  When I awoke my breath caught in my throat as pain flooded my senses. I struggled to breathe through it, my breath coming out in pants. I must have made a louder noise because I felt the bed shift and something warm snuggle into my side. I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw a small face staring up at me intently. Tiny hands gripped my arm and I groaned in pain closing my eyes again. The bed shifted again and I felt the abandoned warm spot where Lord Aur’s body had been.

  “See, she’s awake,” I heard the boy whisper. A hand brushed my forehead and I opened my eyes to see Vael standing over me, his face hard to read.

  “Do you hate me?” I mumbled to him. His expression softened as he smiled.

  “More questions; do you ever stop? No, I do not hate you.” To prove himself he kissed me.

  “I’m sorry I ran away,” I said as he pulled away. “I just couldn’t bear to see Ryaa abused after I had saved him.” Vael looked distant as he sat beside me on the bed. I struggled to lift my arm, but could only manage to pull weakly at his sleeve. His eyes returned to me then went to Lord Aur who was standing at the far corner of the bed that I lay in.

  “Aur, go find your nursemaid.”

  Without hesitation the boy darted forward, jumped on the bed and kissed his father’s cheek before scampering out of the room. As soon as the door closed Vael laid down beside me and wept. I was so surprised that I held my breath. Only the burn in my chest reminded me to breathe. After a few minutes he sat up and wiped the tears from his face. “Just tell me why you ran away instead of talking to me.”

  “I was scared,” I said as my own tears flowed. “I had saved that man, but to see everyone treat him as if he was worthless, as if my honor was worthless, it hurt.”

  “When you were with the Landwalkers, did he… did they…?”

  “No, no one. I’m yours.” I struggled to sit up and bit back a scream as I moved my injured leg. My leg burned as if it was on fire and I crumpled whimpering. I felt his hand on my back rubbing in small circles while he pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.

  “You still have a fever. I’ll make sure Cia brings you a tonic.”

  “What about Ryaa?”

  Vael’s hand stopped moving and I felt the fingers curl against my back. “He’s not doing well. Holly has him in a tub to bring his temperature down.”

  “I want to see him.”

  “Sol, you need rest. You were wounded by the Landwalkers and have a fever, if we are not careful your leg could get infected.”

  “Tempest and waves, I know the risks Vael, my mother was a warrior! I trained alongside my cousins before my father made me promise to put down my shield and spear after she died. This is nothing new to me,” I ended in a whisper.

  “Do you love him?” Vael demanded. I grabbed his left hand and pulled it toward my cheek.

  “No!”

  For a moment we were silent, watching each other.  I could see the questions forming on his lips, the fear in the way he held is body and the anger in the shine of his eyes. Eventually the anger faded and I could see the pain in them. “No, Vael, I do not love him. His life became mine the moment I saved him. I changed him for the better or the worse, I don’t know. You saw him just as well as I did; he became Waterfolk. The Gentle God has blessed him.”

  “How do you know that this isn’t some Landwalker ploy to gain our trust then attack us as soon as our backs are turned? Sol, I am in an uneasy position here. I need to protect our people and you. I acknowledge that the Landwalker has changed physically, but it does not mean his mind has.”

  Memories of my time imprisoned in the Landwalker temple flashed through my mind’s eye. Ryaa and Brother Roberts had been a rock of kindness in a flood of cruelty and fear. I knew the demon Lemuete was not finished with me, the fact that he had left the safety of the town to follow me to the sea was proof of that. Waterfolk and Landwalkers would not be safe as long as he continued his hunt.

  “Ryaa’s different, even before this change he-“

  “He came to me,” Vael said quickly. “While you were still imprisoned by the Landwalker priests, he swam out into the sea, something Landwalkers don’t do, and waited. My warriors notified me and I came to confront him myself. I thought that he had come to gloat about killing you; I wanted to see him bleed. Instead of gloating he told me what had happened and together we formed a plan.”

  Realization came to me as I lay on the bed. I had not chanced to wonder why Vael and his warriors were so close to the cliff where Ryaa and I had fallen. How had they been close enough to rescue us? I now knew.

  I could only imagine the conversation between Vael and Ryaa, but somehow they had come to an understanding. Why else would he help me take Ryaa back to the hold and allow his best healer to attend the Landwalker?

  “He’s in love with you. He never said it allowed, but his words and actions betrayed him. I wonder if it was because of his love that the Gentle God blessed him, but it made me wonder if you loved him as well.” Vael stood up and pulled back the covers from my body then leaned over and picked me up. I bit my lip as pain flared in my leg from the movement.

  Bran and Cia were waiting outside the door when Vael passed the threshold. They both looked displeased when they saw me clinging to him. “My lord, your fiancée is wounded; do you want to place her in further danger?” Bran asked.

  “Bran, I understand your concern, but it is not needed,” Vael said turning on his heel. Bran and Cia followed close behind us as Vael weaved his way through the halls. Instead of taking me to the prisoner cells, he took me into the guest wing of the hold.

   I knew the room that we would enter by the warrior standing guard outside the door. He saluted Vael and opened the door for us. Holly was inside the guest room sitting beside a tub full of water. His fingers were wrapped around Ryaa’s left wrist feeling the pulse. Ryaa’s arm looked pale and almost bloodless in the healer’s hand. I could not stop shivering as Vael brought me closer to them.

  Holly immediately stood up and bowed to us before turning back to Ryaa.

  “What is his condition?” Vael asked as he knelt beside the tub.

  “My lord, you should have let your lady rest in bed. I can see from here her own fever has not broken. She needs to rest, seven hours is not enough,” Holly said with irritation. “As for this one,” he said moving his hand to address all of Ryaa. “His condition is even worse. The water has done nothing to bring down his temperature and he hasn’t been awake long enough to try and get more medicine into his system.”

  The healer sighed and shook his head.

  I turned my attention from the healer to Ryaa. He was completely submerged in the tub, his body still that of Waterfolk. I watched as he shivered beneath the water causing it to ripple.  His chest lifted and fell rapidly as if he was struggling to breathe. I swallowed back tears as I reached into the water to touch his brown hair. The heat coming from his head was staggering and I pulled back in fear.

  “Is there nothing we can do?” I asked Holly. The healer shook his head once more then took chunks of ice from a bucket at his feet and dropped it into the tub.

  “We have changed the water every hour and placed new ice in it. His fever continues to persist. My lady… he will not make it.”

  A chill went down my spine. As if in response to Holly’s words, Ryaa opened his eyes and looked at me. I reached back into the tub and touched his burning face. He lifted his hand and held mine there. He smiled at me, its radiance like a strand of sunlight piercing the darkness and just as quickly as it was there, it was gone.

  His hand went limp releasing mine.

  “Sol…”

  I had not realized I had started moaning until Vael said my name.  He hugged me close to his chest, but I could not tear my eyes away from Ryaa. Whatever sign that distinguished the living from the dead had faded from his body and my heart ached to see its absence. I did not love Ryaa, not like I loved Vael, but I did care.

   I wished I didn’t.

  Why had the Gentle God blessed Ryaa to become Waterfolk only to let him die from a Landwalker bullet? What kind of being could be called gentle when they allowed this to happen; what message was being sent to me?

  “Take her back to bed quickly. I will not have two deaths this night,” Holly said.

  I did not protest as Vael stood and brought me back to my room. He gave Bran and Cia orders then curled up beside me in the bed. I barely noticed when Lord Aur climbed in with us and curled up next to me. He sighed and I held on tightly to him like an anchor in a rising storm. He turned to face me and touched my cheek. “I heard your friend died,” he whispered to me. “I’m sure he’s with the Gently God now eating cakes.”

  I could not stop my smile. I kissed his forehead. “I’m sure he is.” I could not stop my voice from cracking, the tears from falling or my body from aching, but I could smile for the little boy beside me.