Choices Affect Everyone COMPLETE

Chapter 22

King Kalen sighs before turning to Percy. "Unless you have a reason for bringing this young woman here, Percy-"

"I'll wait until Muriel is here," he mutters before taking her hands and swimming out.

"Where are you going?" King Kalen asks.

"Minerva has something to do with this, I know it! I'm going to have a chat with her," Percy says.

King Kalen catches his arm. "There's a reason I forbid anyone from going there, especially you!"

Percy looks at him. "I know, but I need to find Muriel. Why don't you ask Kyla how she paid to get Muriel's tail back?" He looks at Kyla before turning and pulling the other mermaid out.

"What about Philip?!" the mermaid hisses.

"Not now, Caroline," he mumbles. "At least we know where he is, and he should stay there." He lets out a long breath.

Percy pulls Caroline as fast as he can to Minerva's cave. "Wait out here."

"Are you kidding me?" Caroline whispers. "I'm coming in."

He huffs. "Just let me do all the talking." He swims inside and right up to the bars. "Minerva!"

Nothing.

He frowns and rattles the door. "Minerva!" He jerks back when the door opens. He swallows and swims inside. He pales slightly. "She's gone."

"What?" Caroline says, struggling over to the door.

"She's gone," Percy says, turning back. "She's been planning this. We need to find Muriel." He grabs a bag that's lying around and begins to stuff books and the different ingredients into the bag.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asks.

"She can't do any more of this if she doesn't have it."

"So you're going to destroy it?"

Percy stops for a second before shaking his head. "No..."

Her eyebrow shoots up. "You're going to keep it? Are you going to be the next sea witch?"

Percy grabs her shoulders. "Look, Caroline. I'm only today fully and really trying to swallow that I am, in fact, half fairy and therefore, can do what she does. If I can help people with this, I will. But most importantly, I need to be able to turn Philip back into a human. And you."

"You just don't want to kiss me again?" Caroline says with a smirk.

Percy stops and hangs his head, his face turning red. "Caroline... the way that Minerva and I transfer magic to others for a simple spell is..." He takes a deep breath. "Is through our spit... and when focused."

Caroline blinks a few times. "Excuse me what?"

He nods. "When I first looked to protect you, I was thinking about keeping her underwater, to keep you safe. As you were breathing through me... you know, and you started to feel the slight effects of it. Minerva mixes it into things and can add different special ingredients to add side effects, and most of the time, I believe it is more than just our... spit... It's just probably one of the key ingredients. I'm not sure, so I want to study... Some other time, for now, I just need to grab this."

"All right then," Caroline whispers. "What now?"

Percy glances at the dry area. "Get on shore, you're going back."

Caroline draws back. "No way, you brought me for Muriel and now Philip. I can't just go back now. And unless you're going to force something down my throat, or a kiss, you're stuck with me."