A Thousand Salt Kisses Later (Book 2 of Salt Kiss series)

Rage

I picked up Nephys's bags; they were made of nets with little shells and flowers woven into the strings. They were pretty little things, and you may actually catch a beach-goer with something similar on land

"Ready?" I asked.

Nephys nodded and looked around her. There were still many of her belongings here; statues, furniture, and gemstones but she had filled her bags with the essentials - namely tops and jewellery.

Nephys looked pained, her red lips were literally pointing downwards, and her big doe eyes were still leaking little tears. "I will ask my friends to collect the rest," she said.

"Can I help you in some way?" came a voice behind us.

We turned, and I jumped.

It was Llyr.

"We're fine," said Nephys quickly.

I looked at her, and then glanced over at Llyr. He watched me too.

His eyes appeared as calm and focused as ever, but it was like there was something missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it; maybe it was just the lack of love.

"Lots of space here now with all your friends cleared out," continued Nephys. "You could probably keep all your new slaves here."

"You can take William, you know," he said to us both, ignoring Nephys's jibe.

"No, we don't need you or your unicorn," said Nephys.

I looked at her unsurely. Were we really going to swim all the way to another kingdom with these bags?

"Crystal, do you want to take William?" he asked, ignoring Nephys. "It's quite a long way."

I shrugged, I wasn't going to override Nephys.

Suddenly there was the sound of swishes and I looked away. Kara had entered the chambers.

There was a strained silence, and I gritted my teeth and willed myself to stay strong.

"Kara, this is Crystal," said Llyr.

"Greetings," she said, her tone cold but polite.

I forced myself to glance her way. She was now by Llyr's side, her head resting territorially on his shoulder. My eyes darted briefly over her high cheekbones and long dark wavy hair, and I realized that she truly was pretty. My eyes trailed reluctantly down to her golden tail, shimmering beneath her toned stomach. What a spectacle she was, I thought. Even if that tail was fake.

Suddenly it hit me that I really needed to say something, and I looked up at her face again.

"Hi," I replied, forcing the words out of my mouth. I looked back down at the floor again. I wished I could be thick-skinned enough to have a polite conversation, but if I spoke again, there was a strong possibility I would cry.

"Well, I just came to look at my new chambers; and it seems they will be adequate," I heard Kara say, clearly undaunted by the tension in the room. Her voice was deep, and I realized she had an accent of some sort, by the way, she rolled her 'R'. Yet, however, much of a babe she sounded, her insensitivity was not so endearing. "Thank you, Nephys," she finished briskly.

Nephys was silent, and I imagined she was seething. Could Kara not have waited until we were gone?

"So, how's your swimming coming along?" Kara asked now. Although my eyes remained on the floor, I presumed this was directed at me. Who else?

My cheeks flushed, but I did not move my head to look at her. I focused all my thoughts, instead, on a little rock on the floor and not on the confrontation before me.

"Fine," I managed to reply coolly.

There was silence.

"I must leave you all, I'm afraid" she eventually announced, to my relief. "I need to meet with my dancers. May the currents move in your direction today."

I raised an eyebrow. I didn't quite know what she was wishing us with that last line.

I looked up now, watching as she pursed her lips and glided upwards to kiss Llyr on the cheek. Then without a further word, she turned and swam out of the room, tail flashing behind her.

"Are you okay?" Llyr asked me when she was gone. I frowned; not sure to what he was referring; his fiancé's unexpected appearance or my banishing from the kingdom.

I gave a small smile as my response and looked away.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't make the decision..." We were all silent. You may have well have, I thought. It didn't make a difference to me. It was that he was prepared to go along with it that hurt. "But I thought maybe it would be easier for you..." he finished quietly, before trailing off.

Suddenly something inside of me changed, and I looked back at him with narrow eyes. After everything the man had put me through, he might at least spare me such humiliating dialect.

All these years I had obsessed over his wonderful, caring personality, but ever since I had seen him again, he had been stupid and unkind, playing along with Ri's little game. An unfamiliar feeling spread through me; something I had never experienced with Llyr before. It was rage. Mad, thunderous rage.

My blood bubbled, and I floated there glaring at him.

He frowned and held up a hand, but fortunately Nephys cut in.

"Oh please!" she spat, scooping up her bags and swimming over to me. "Just shut up, Llyr. You don't deserve Crystal anymore, anyway," she snapped. "We are off - far away from you and your palace of horrors - to find her a gorgeous, delightful mate, far more delightful than you, and what you have become. Oh, and do you know what that is?" she asked, her eyes flashing. "Your father."

With that, she grabbed my arm and yanked me over the balcony. It was with such force that it was impossible to resist. And before I had time even to react, we had swan-dived over the edge and into the kingdom below, Nephys's luggage hurtling behind us.

I felt the adrenaline rush through my body; we moved with such speed. When we eventually levelled just above the gardens below, we both broke into fits of giggles. I don't know if it was the endorphins or Nephys's dramatic exit, but somehow, against all odds, I was laughing.