Fins (Transformations: Book 2)
Chapter 21

Sapphira didn’t see Alizarin for a few weeks after that first incident with the twins. She began to worry about what her mother might have done to him, but he finally showed up outside her window one night, making her feel slightly better. However, there were bags under his eyes and he had a haunted look that just made her feel worse.

“Good evening,” he said in a tired voice.

“Alizarin!” She smiled as she swam close to the window. “Are you alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“No, I’m fine,” he replied. “Thank you for your concern, your highness.”

She stared at him for a moment. “Please, don’t lie to me. People are always telling me things that aren’t true. I want to be able to trust you, though.”

He paused before replying, “They just tied my wrists up for a few days and talked to me about respecting the royal family.” He looked at her. “I’m not even supposed to be talking to you. I’m much too low for that. I just wanted to thank you for helping me before.”

“Helping you?” She could hardly believe his words. “You got punished because of me!”

“You were being kind, though,” he argued. “Besides, you got me away from those twins. I didn’t like the way they were acting. It scared me.”

She frowned. “They shouldn’t have treated you like that. You didn’t do anything to them.”

He looked down at his tail. “I can’t complain about something like that when I’ve been given so much. I have a better life than most red-tails, I’m sure.”

“But you’re nice,” she said. “The twins aren’t nice. I don’t like them.”

He managed a weak smile and came closer to the window. “You’re nice, princess.”

She felt her cheeks flushing and looked away. However, her eyes fell on his wrists, where the rope had rubbed them raw. She reached through the window and took his hand. “They hurt you.”

He frowned at the marks. “They’re supposed to teach me a lesson about respect.” He pulled his hand away and looked down. “You shouldn’t touch me. I’m gross.”

“I don’t think you’re gross,” she told him with a smile. “You’re my best friend.”

At that, he smiled. It wasn’t as bright as it used to be, but Sapphira was glad of it, anyway. As long as he kept smiling for her, she knew she could be happy.

Christmas came and went without incident for Aria and Freya. They continued to search for the necklace without any luck and Aria became ever more distraught at their failures.

“There has to be a clue somewhere,” Freya tried to assure her. “We’ll replace it.”

Aria mumbled a half-hearted agreement, but didn’t look at her.

The nymph frowned as she stared at her friend. “Is there something else bothering you?”

Aria shrugged. “I’m just wondering how you’re supposed to tell you’re in love with someone.”

“You’re much too young to be having such thoughts,” Freya scolded. “You have handsome boys chasing you every way you look and it’s messed with your head. A young girl doesn’t need to be falling in love. You have too much life ahead of you to waste it on a boy already.”

Aria frowned at the response. “Even so, I’d like to know how I will tell when I do fall in love. I know what it’s like to feel my heart pounding when I look at a boy. I’ve felt butterflies in my stomach when a boy kisses me. I know how it feels to be excited enough that it’s like I’ll jump out of my skin when I see him and I practically see fireworks when he’s nearby. Isn’t any of that love?”

“Love?” Freya shook her head. “That’s infatuation, sure, but love is so much more.” She took a breath. “I must confess that I have never been in love, but I’ve seen it. I’ve seen couples with pounding hearts and butterfly-filled stomachs who were prepared to die for the objects of their affections. However, I’ve seen such couples betray each other or simply grow apart. Could you then truly call what they felt love?”

Aria considered that for a minute. “Isn’t it just optimistically romantic to think love will always last forever?”

“What’s wrong with optimism or romance?” Freya asked with a smile before she went on, “There’s nothing wrong with that excitement, but it rarely lasts as proper love. Real love doesn’t fade. Of course, it is rare to replace it these days. Everybody looks for love, as you have, recently, but what they replace is fireworks and butterflies. Humans would do well to remember that neither of those things lasts very long. No, that’s not love. Love is replaceing someone who makes you feel safe and comfortable. It is the person who feels like home to you. Butterflies and fireworks are beautiful, but they fade so quickly. Home will last you a lifetime if you care for it, properly.”

Aria listened in silence and took a few minutes to think over her words. She thought about Eric and she thought about Kai. Was either of them home to her? She sighed. “My head hurts.”

“Probably because you keep getting into stressful situations,” Freya told her, kindly. “You really do invite trouble, don’t you, my dear?”

Aria frowned. “It’s because I’m still such a child. I get involved in things I don’t understand and create issues I can’t possibly handle.”

“It takes a lot of courage to admit you’re a child,” Freya said before walking over and touching her head. “You may be a child, but you’re my child.”

Aria laughed at that. ’Can you be serious for two minutes?”

“I don’t know,” Freya admitted. “I’ve never tried.” She offered the girl a smile. “But I really do wish I could give you a simple answer to your problems.”

Aria managed a smile at that. “I think I just have complicated taste in men.”

“I will certainly not disagree with you, there.”

“Eric,” a familiar voice called out to him as he left work that night.

He turned to see Angela standing nearby, wearing a white poncho that effectively covered her arms. “I didn’t expect to see you for a few weeks.”

“I couldn’t wait,” she explained. “I got my friend, Astrid to get me this.” She looked down at the poncho. It’s lovely, isn’t it? This way, I can come to see you whenever I want without having to worry about giving myself away.”

He took a step closer. “Isn’t it restrictive, though? You can’t fly like that, right? You can see me, but we can’t fly, together.”

“I don’t mind walking for a while,” she told him. “I just had to see you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” She cocked her head. “Aren’t you happy I’m here?”

His hand seemed to have a mind of its own as he reached up and touched her pale cheek. “Of course, I’m happy.”

“Eric,” Adam called, having left a few minutes behind him. He walked over and smiled as he caught sight of Angela. “Well, hello, there.”

She returned the smile. “Hello to you.” Eric quickly dropped his hand, making her frown.

“So, this must be your mystery girl,” Adam commented. “I think you undersold how pretty she is.”

“You’re so sweet,” Angela said, before her voice shifted into a sing-song tone. “But don’t you think it’s time to get home?”

Adam paused, his gaze growing distant. “Right…home.” He walked away without another word.

Eric watched him go, then stared at Angela. “Did you do something to him?”

She smiled and shrugged. “I am a siren. We can control people through song.”

He frowned at that. “So, you could have been controlling me this whole time?”

Angela shook her head. “I haven’t sung to you once. I wouldn’t do that to gain affection because that kind of love wouldn’t count for much.”

“Love?” He stared at her, not sure what to say to that.

“I’m not implying that we’re in love,” she assured him. “I simply meant that I would want us to begin the relationship properly if we are ever to have a chance of being in love.”

Eric considered that for a moment before looking her in the eye, wanting to check for any sign of deception as he asked, “Why are you so interested in me, anyway? I’m not special enough to attract a siren, I’m sure.”

Angela stared at him. “You really believe that, don’t you?” She gently touched his cheek and he felt her feathers brushing against his hair. “It’s your innocence and passion that drew my eye. I could sense there was something special about you the first night we met.”

“I was drunk,” he pointed out.

She smiled. “Even so, I thought you were interesting. That’s why I sought you out, again. I will seek you out every time you leave.” She took his hand. “Of course, I would rather stay by your side, instead.”

“How would that work?” he asked, running his thumb over her feathers as he held her hand. “We can only be in the same form once a month. I doubt I would be comfortable living among your kind and you certainly would not replace happiness among humans.”

“There will come a day within this year when you will be able to choose to become a siren permanently,” she told him. “You could fly forever and never have to fear the magic ending.”

He was silent for a few seconds as he processed that. “But I would have to leave behind everything I know here.” As tempting as it was to fly away, Eric wasn’t sure he could just leave his current life behind.

She looked down at that, never releasing his hand. “If you can’t, I could make the decision to become human and stay with you.” She looked up at him. “You could ask me to do that.”

“I could never ask such a thing.”

She smiled at his words. “You are kind, Eric. It’s part of what I like about you.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “If you keep being so wonderful, I really will fall for you and then where will we be? I couldn’t possibly let you go, then, after all.”

He couldn’t help smiling at her. “Perhaps, it would be best to take things slowly. It’s months before we have to decide, right? We may get to know each other and realize we’re not compatible, at all.”

“Right,” she said. “I may come to realize you’re actually a total bore.”

“Most people do,” he admitted.

She kissed his cheek. “Most people are fools.”

He gave a brief chuckle at that. “You may come to realize I am one of them.”

“Perhaps,” she offered him another smile. “For now, let us walk together like a normal couple. There is no need to think of the future when the present is so lovely, after all.”

Sapphira’s present was not so lovely. She watched the twins return Alizarin and could tell how exhausted he was. However, she didn’t dare go near him as that would not be considered appropriate.

“Your highness,” a servant called. “You have a visitor.”

She looked to the foyer and saw a familiar guest waiting there, so she swam down to greet him. “Isn’t it a little late to come calling on me?”

He smiled and shrugged. “It’s just mid-evening. That’s not so late. Besides, I shouldn’t have such limitations on seeing my future wife.”

She resisted the urged to punch him. “What do you want?” She didn’t take a lot of hope from his expression. She figured he’d look more triumphant if they had news of the necklace.

“I was thinking it might be nice to talk for a while,” he replied, glancing meaningfully at the guards.

Sapphira considered them, then nodded, following him out of the palace and away from prying ears. “Have you heard something new?”

He frowned and shook his head. “She’s still looking, but…”

“Then why the need for a private chat?”

He paused for a moment. “I want to ask you something, but I feared it might be seen as inappropriate.”

“Am I going to regret coming with you?”

“How is Rin?”

She stopped short and stared at him. “That’s what you want to ask?”

He nodded and glanced around, furtively. “I’m worried about him, but openly expressing my concerns seems likely to cause more trouble.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “I haven’t seen him much. He’s working as a bodyguard for Alexander and Alyssa, for now. They take him out when they please. I can’t imagine they treat him kindly, but he hasn’t been injured, yet.”

Kai continued to frown as she spoke. “I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to help him…”

“If I can’t help, I don’t imagine you could.” She looked at him. “Why do you care so much, anyway? You even call him by that stupid nickname the land girl gave him.”

“He doesn’t think it’s stupid, does he?”

“Not the point.” She crossed her arms. “Tell me your reason or this conversation is over.”

Kai looked away and shrugged. “I misjudged him, it seems. I was unkind because of my prejudice. I’d like to make that right, if possible.”

“So, you want to ease your guilty conscience.”

“I want to help him.” He looked at her. “Do you really care so little about him that you can’t understand that much?”

“Don’t presume to know how I feel,” she warned. “I just realize it is pointless to try and help him until the necklace is found. If you really want to do something for my bodyguard, do that.”

Kai stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ll never understand how you Glemorans can be so cold. All Rin has ever done is follow your orders, but you really don’t care about him, at all.”

“Am I supposed to care about some red-tail that was forced upon my family?”

He couldn’t even respond to that. “I suppose this conversation is over, then.” He swam away, not even bothering to see her back to the palace.

Sapphira thought back to the first time she’d met the Valadoran prince. She was fourteen when her parents brought her to a meeting room, where the Valadoran royal family was already waiting. She didn’t realize it was them, at first, and she was mildly interested in the boy who seemed to be her age.

“Sapphira,” her mother said, “These are King Dylan and Queen Darya of Valador.” She gestured towards the adults.

“She’s adorable,” Dylan commented to his wife in what was probably meant to be a hushed tone.

Darya gave and amused smile and put a hand on her husband’s arm as she looked at the young princess. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sapphira.” She put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “This is our son, Kai.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sapphira told the group, politely, but she kept glancing at her parents as she waited for an explanation.

“Sapphira,” her father said, “there’s something we need to discuss with you.”

That was when she found out she no longer had control over her future. They explained the treaty and that she was to be Kai’s bride. Despite all the lessons she’d received on courtesy and the proper behavior of a young lady, Sapphira wound up rudely fleeing the room. Within a few minutes, she was safely locked away in her own room.

Nobody bothered her that night. She was given some space to process the news, but she spent most of the time planning how to run away from Glemora.

She was trying to figure out how she might live on her own when she heard a familiar voice outside her room. “Good evening, your highness.”

She almost smiled as she made her way to the window and spoke softly. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Alizarin replied.

Since the incident with the twins when he was ten, Alizarin had started receiving lessons, which made it more difficult for him to sneak out and see the princess. However, while she was taught politics, etiquette, and strategy, he was taught to bow his head to superiors (which was everyone to him) and always speak in a respectful tone. Although, he wasn’t permitted to speak unless asked.

To make matters worse, he was frequently brought out to be shown off to guests of the royal family. They enjoyed putting their tame red-tail on display. Sapphira had to learn not to argue, though, whatever happened. Because of these things, each time Sapphira met him, his smile faded a little more. By this time, it didn’t seem like he could smile, at all.

“It’s fine,” she told him when he apologized. “I’m happy to see you, now.” She frowned. “Did you hear the news?”

“You’re engaged,” he said by way of answer. “Congratulations.”

“I don’t want to be engaged to some idiot Valadoran!”

“Was he unintelligent?”

“I barely spoke to him, but they all are.”

“Just as all red-tails are violent and dangerous?”

She frowned at him. “It’s not the same.”

“If you say so.”

She drew closer to the window and looked at him. “We could run away together. You have no reason to stay here. They are nothing but cruel to you and we could be happy elsewhere.”

“You should not speak of your parents that way,” he told her. “They’ve given me a home when they could have cast me out. It’s only natural that they would replace a way to put me to use, whatever that may be.”

“You can’t really think something like that.”

“I have to,” he explained. “It makes things easier.” He looked at the princess. “You know you can’t run away from your duties, any more than I can. We must both do our part to serve the kingdom. The seers placed us here for a reason, after all.”

She swallowed, wishing she could argue. “I don’t want to marry him.”

“But running away isn’t the right choice and you know it,” he said. “Find another way. You don’t have to marry him immediately. You will have a few years to figure something out.”

She stared at him for a moment before asking, “Will you promise to stay by my side until then?”

“I will stay by your side for as long as you allow me, Sapphira.”