Chapter Seventeen

RUNE AND I MADE OUR way to the beach, collecting Carlos and Bassel on our way. As we walked through the streets, Water Fae bowed and looked at me in awe. I made sure to smile, wave, and greet everyone we passed, though there was no missing the way many would watch Rune, Bassel, and Carlos with suspicion as the three walked down the streets in their Fae forms.

Dallas and Rance were already at the beach, spreading blankets out on the sand. It wasn't much longer after we arrived that the rest of the gang showed up, including Jesiah, who walked right beside Akira.

Smirking, I crossed my arms. "I see why you gave us a break. It was because you wanted your own."

Jesiah smiled unapologetically and wrapped his arm around Akira to pull him closer to his side. "So? Do you want me to give you work to do instead?"

"No thanks," Rune quickly answered for me.

Turning to Akira, I asked, "How are move-ins going?"

Akira's warm eyes brightened. "Honestly? It's going way better than I thought it would. Everyone's reaction is the same at first. They don't trust us or want us anywhere near them or their things, but I think as they watch us interact with each other, Mingxia, and the other Water Fae, they loosen up. Some even go out of their way to say hi and chit chat when they see us."

The news warmed my heart. More and more Water Fae had been arriving over the past few days, which had kept the move-in crew fairly busy. I hadn't received any reports of violence or alarming incidents, which had given me hope that things were going well, but to hear this first-hand from Akira was a relief. It made that better future we all envisioned really seem possible.

Everyone looked at ease as they got settled in the sand. The twins and Alvaro sat near the tide with Marlow, and they were already heavily focused on constructing what I assumed was a sandcastle. Imani, Avana, Carlos, Bassel, Dallas, and Rance sat around a blanket, unpacking the bag of snacks and drinks we'd brought, and I didn't miss how close Imani and Avana were. Jesiah, Akira, Mingxia, and Marcus stood with Rune and me, and I was glad to see Mingxia and Marcus could make it. Mingxia had been working endlessly with all the newly arriving Water Fae, and Marcus spent most of his time in the dungeon where he monitored Dax. Another guard was on duty today, so Marcus was able to join us.

It was as I scanned over our friend group that I noticed a missing face. "Where's Ardley?"

Avana smirked from her place on the blanket and said, "I believe he went to gather his new friends."

I arched a brow. "New friends?"

Carlos bit his lip to fight his amusement, and he pointed a finger behind me.

I turned, and I could've sworn my eyebrows rose to meet my hairline. Ardley was making his way toward us, but he was far from alone. Numerous Water Fae were in tow, the majority of whom I'd briefly met during the handful of arrivals I'd been able to attend.

Ardley smiled wide and waved as he drew closer. "Princess, I brought some friends to hang out with us. I hope that's okay."

The dozen or so Water Fae in tow went wide-eyed when they spotted me and immediately bowed deeply, calling, "Your Highness."

"Ardley, you didn't tell us that the Princess was going to be here," a gorgeous dark-skinned girl hissed, exposing her razor-sharp teeth. She elbowed him in the side and finished, "I would've worn something better if I knew she was here." She glanced nervously at her navy tank top and jean shorts and ran a hand over her shoulder length black hair, which nearly hid the slits of her gills on the sides of her neck.

"You look amazing, Jayanna," I reassured her with a smile, recalling the girl from one of the arrivals I'd gone to.

Her brown eyes doubled in size. "Y-You remember me?"

"Of course. I remember all of you." I passed my gaze over all the faces before me. "Except for those I haven't had the chance to meet yet."

We quickly went through introductions with those I hadn't met. Some seemed in utter shock to be talking to me, which I myself still found surreal. To have people look at me like I was some sort of idolized celebrity was mind-boggling. It was something I didn't foresee myself getting used to anytime soon.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to join you?" a Fae named Drake asked.

"Absolutely," I answered. I waved my arms at all the blankets we had spread out on the sand. "The more, the merrier. I may be your Princess, but I'm also a girl who likes to get out with her friends every once in a while. For today, think of me as Bria instead of Princess . Let's all just have fun, okay?"

There were so many of us now that there wasn't space for everyone on the blankets, but people didn't seem to mind. They were too busy staring at me and trying to ask me a million different questions. I had questions for them, too, like how they'd been, what it was like living in whatever country they'd called home all this time, and what kind of powers they each had.

"Shark Fae like me have a heightened sense of smell," Jayanna informed me. "We can use it to track people, even if they're hundreds of miles away."

"That's amazing!" I squealed, swallowing past the grape Rune had just given me. "I love learning about all the different types of Water Fae."

"Has it been hard trying to catch up on everything?" another girl—Khalani—asked. Her long, black hair was unique in that she had a small section of white hair that framed her tan face on both sides. Her fingertips were black, as though she'd dipped them in cans of paint, coating her skin in the color. The inky shade faded into caramel-colored skin just past her wrists. The features gave away her Orca Fae form, which I found fascinating.

Khalani sat between Ardley and Jayanna, though based on her insistence to sit closer to Jayanna than Ardley, I'd wager she was not there by choice. In fact, Jayanna and Ardley kept passing teasing glances when Ardley "accidentally" brushed against Khalani, who would go ramrod straight and glare at the Fox each and every time.

Meeting Khalani's dark, warm eyes, I answered, "Learning so much can be challenging, but I enjoy it. I honestly get excited every time I learn something new about Water Fae or this world in general. I genuinely want what's best for Water Fae and intend to lead to the best of my ability."

"Forgive me if this question is a bit forward, Your Highness," Khalani started slowly and glanced at Rune, "but how did you come to form an alliance with the Land Fae here?"

I shrugged. "We became friends a while back. It didn't matter what we were but who we were."

"Same reason we're friends now," Ardley said, nudging Khalani with his shoulder.

Her glare shot daggers at him, and Jayanna stifled a laugh next to her.

"I will admit," Khalani hesitated as she met my eyes again. "I was extremely skeptical when I got here and saw Land Fae. But actually, they've all been really nice. I think I was more shocked by that fact than anything."

"We are pretty great," Ardley stated with a prideful grin as he leaned back on his hands. His bare, chiseled torso flexed with the movement, and a handful of Fae sitting around us gawked over the handsome man.

Khalani gave me a tight-lipped smile and amended, "Well, almost all of them."

"I apologize for my cousin," Rune said. He looked just as annoyed with Ardley as Khalani did. "He's an imbecile but a harmless one."

The Fae had taken to forming a semi circle around me so they could talk to me and listen in on anything I said. Drake leaned forward from the group, and asked, "Since you're friends with Land Fae, does that mean you don't want war with them anymore?"

It was a fair question, and it was one I intended to give everyone an answer to. Just not today. I wanted to make that announcement and go into detail about it at length with Water Fae all at once. I planned on doing so at the welcome home gathering in a few days. Today wasn't the day for that kind of talk. Today was for having fun and growing closer.

"That's a conversation for another day," I started, getting to my feet. "Instead of talking, how about we go for a swim?"

"I'm game!" Jayanna cheered, leaping to her feet. She leaned in close to Khalani, who stood with her and tried but failed to whisper, "I can't believe we're getting to hang out with the Princess."

I fought my grin as Rune and I approached the shoreline, hand in hand. The crystal-clear water beckoned me to leap into its waves, and I practically bounced on my heels with anticipation to explore.

Newt and Greshim stopped their sand-sculpting when they saw us approach the water. The twins leapt from their knees and darted over.

"Are you two going swimming?" Greshim asked excitedly. The wind whipped his black hair around his face, and he fought to keep it back as he stared at his older brother.

Rune nodded. "We are."

"We want t-t-to join!" Newt cheered. He quickly took off his purple-rimmed glasses and ran them back to Alvaro, his fluffy fox tail dragging behind him.

Fighting a smile, Rune placed a thoughtful finger along his chin. "You want to join us, huh?"

The twins nodded with a light sparkling in their eyes that I was so happy to see more of these days.

Rune glanced at me, and I immediately recognized the teasing glint there. Biting back my own grin as I realized what Rune wanted, I dipped my head in a subtle nod.

Looking back at the boys, Rune said, "If you're sure …"

Rune darted his arms out to snatch Greshim, and I scooped up Newt just as quickly. The boys screamed with delight as we ran right up to the edge of the sea and tossed them into the water. They popped above the surface, and their heads were thrown back in laughter. They started splashing each other and darting about, already having a blast.

Rune turned to me and nodded at the ocean. "You ready to join them?"

Looking back at the glittering water, my own need to dive in resurfaced. "How long can you hold your breath for?" I eagerly asked him.

He smirked, exposing a sharp canine. "Certainly not as long as you."

I smacked his chest, because I knew exactly what he was referring to, and it was not a conversation to be had in public. "I should've looked for diving gear so that you could go under with me."

"Don't worry about me. Don't worry about anyone. You just be careful and swim your heart out."

Jayanna and Khalani came up next to me with more Water Fae in tow. Dallas and Rance were right behind me, and I smiled over my shoulder at my best friend. Her eyes ignited with excitement, and I knew it was not only for her sake, but for mine as well.

I'd been reading up on and practicing controlling water with Jesiah in between all of the other work I'd been doing. We were still primarily focused on the basics—mastering calling on the water, strengthening my control of it, correcting any sloppy movements—and while I was enjoying the groundwork of mastering my abilities, I also craved more. I wanted to learn and understand it and all its wonders. I wanted to deepen our connection, and I felt like this —wading through the ocean, exploring the seas here in Ambrolia—would do just that.

Turning to Jayanna, Khalani, and the rest of the Water Fae, I said, "I know breathing underwater is a skill not everyone has. Does anyone here have that ability?"

"I can, but only for ten or so minutes," a boy called.

A few others raised their hands and some shook their heads.

"Those of us in the Creature Class can, but only when in our animal form," Khalani explained. "If we're in our human or Fae form, a lot of us can't."

My chest ached for those who couldn't breathe underwater like we were meant to. I wasn't sure if not having the ability bothered them, but it left me feeling disappointed on their behalf.

"I can breathe underwater for half an hour, tops," Dallas stated for my ears only. "I'll dive with you for safety and security, but if you stay down longer than that, Imani will take over guarding you."

Imani nodded and met my eyes. "I'm one of the few who can still breathe underwater for an extended timeframe."

With a plan for my safety set in place, I looked at Rune. He watched me with warm eyes and nodded encouragingly toward the water where the twins still played heartily. Not needing any convincing, I inched closer to the water. All around me, Fae cheered and laughed as they splashed in the transparent water. Some transformed before my eyes, diving deep only to leap out of the water as a dolphin, fish, or some other sea creature.

"How about some surfing?" Dallas asked me, nudging my arm.

I scanned the fairly calm waters. "Gonna be hard to surf without any waves."

Jesiah chuckled, and his eyes shined with a look akin to pride. "Bria, we're Water Fae." He smacked his foot on the tide's surface, and the water beneath his foot immediately solidified to form a surfboard made of ice. "We make our own waves."

Jesiah threw his head back and let out a sound akin to a war cry. As if on cue, a rush of water farther out rose into a monster of a wave, and he shot out over the sea's surface, riding the board to meet the wave in a magnificent display.

"Damn, that looks fun," Ardley observed with a low whistle. He casually placed his arm over Khalani's shoulder and leaned there as he watched Jesiah surf in the distance.

Khalani's lip curled, and she shrugged her shoulder to drop Ardley. Without a word, she waded out into the water and disappeared below the surface.

Jayanna chuckled and nudged Ardley. "She's warming up to you."

"You call that warm?" Rune asked with a skeptical brow.

"For Khalani it is. You should've seen her when we first met," Ardley said. He came over and slapped Rune on the back. "How about we go out for a dip? I'll race you to the mainland and back."

Rune's chin tilted up a notch with the challenge. "You're on."

Rune peeled out of his shirt so that both Foxes were shirtless, gracing everyone close by with the mouth-watering sight of their perfectly chiseled bodies. They were all sharp edges and clean lines, and there was no denying that they were warriors. Whistles and catcalls came from everyone, and Ardley smiled and waved like a celebrity at a meet-and-greet.

Rune turned to me and quickly slanted his mouth over mine in a deep, toe-curling kiss. He pulled back and whispered against my lips, "For good luck."

I bit my lip as I watched the cousins wade out until the water reached their hips. They stopped near the twins, who now watched their family.

Akira followed them, counting down from three before yelling, "Go."

Rune and Ardley dove into the water, pumping their legs and arms as they fought to be the first one to swim across the expanse of water and back.

"I'm really glad you brought Land Fae here," Jayanna said with a warm smile. "Not everyone here feels that way. They're still clinging to the hurt and anger from long ago, but I think it's a great thing. They've all been so nice, and it's just got me thinking about how small-minded I've been all this time, lumping Land Fae together as collectively wrong and evil, you know? I never stopped to give them a chance to be anything other than the enemy. So if your goal is to unite Land Fae and Water Fae, I just wanted to say you have my support, Princess."

Placing my hand on her arm, I grinned. "Thank you, Jayanna."

"Enough chit-chat," Dallas shouted, clapping her hands. "Let's swim!"