If they learn she’s here, you’re all in danger.”
“Dad has the royal guard out looking–”
“What were their stories?” I interrupted.
They both looked to me, and while Zeke seemed cautious, Jirral’s eyes just narrowed.
“The doomsday stories,” I pressed.
“Old myths,” the man said. “Stories of beings called landwalkers, people that looked human but were actually the opposite to us in every way. In these stories, landwalkers and dehaians had once been the same. We travelled deep inland without getting sick, and they swam in the ocean just as we do. But some ancient event split us apart, creating these distinct sides.” He paused. “The Sylphaen believe in all that, except to them, the landwalkers are impure – worse even than humans – and thieves who stole our ability to stay above land. They want to take that back from the landwalkers. They think that if they don’t, the landwalkers will try to take our abilities instead, and somehow, the result will recreate the disaster and bring our world to an end.”
Zeke made an annoyed sound. “So in short, their beliefs are psychotic and so are they. Which we already knew. Thanks for the information.”
“Insane or not, the Sylphaen believe it, and that’s more than enough to make them dangerous.”
Grimacing, Zeke looked away.
I shivered.
“Do you know anything about this?” Jirral asked me.
Awkwardly, I glanced to Zeke. “N-no, not really. I was just curious.”
I could read the doubt in the man’s eyes.
“We should go,” Zeke said.
“You need to tell Torvias,” Jirral insisted. “Make him post extra guards around the palace.”
Zeke glanced to Ina. “Maybe.”
He turned, pushing aside the leaves blocking the door.
“It was good to see you again,” his grandfather said.
Zeke hesitated, and then swam from the room.
“It was good to see you too,” Ina replied quietly.
I followed her as she pushed the plants aside and left.
“Whatever it is,” the old man called.
In the doorway, I looked back.
“I can tell you know,” he continued. “At least something of what they’re after, you know. And if you let it hurt my grandchildren…”
A chill ran through me at the threat in his eyes.
“I don’t,” I managed.
And I fled out the door.
~~~~~
Zeke was a hundred yards ahead of us by the time I made it outside, though the guards hadn’t moved. They fell in around me the moment I swam past the doorway and boxed me in on four sides.
Still shivering from the look in the old man’s eyes, I tried to ignore them. Zeke had to be right; the Sylphaen couldn’t get here. With the guards I’d seen everywhere, they’d have to bring an army just to get past the front door. And that was assuming Ren didn’t find something to change his mind out there, and maybe convince him I wasn’t a spy after all.
There were plenty of reasons not to worry, no matter what Jirral said.
Clinging to the thought, I continued on. Ina kept pace with me, still glancing back to her grandfather’s door with unhappiness lingering in her eyes.
The veil on the palace wall parted when we reached it, letting us back into the courtyard. At the door, Zeke paused, waiting for us to catch up.
“I’m going to ask Dad to put more guards around the palace,” he said, grimacing. “Ina, could you…”
“Hang out?” she offered, humor coming back into her tone.
“I’ll be fine,” I told them both, hating the feeling that I was some child they had to keep an eye on. “The guards can–”
“Oh, please,” Ina replied, her amusement strengthening. “It’ll be fun.”
She hooked her arm through mine and started toward the palace door, pulling me with her. As we swam by Zeke, she looked past me to meet his eyes, and I could see a hint of something less lighthearted tinge her gaze.
And then we were inside and the expression was gone.
“So,” Ina said. Dehaians paused around us, bowing and watching as we passed by. She ignored
“Dad has the royal guard out looking–”
“What were their stories?” I interrupted.
They both looked to me, and while Zeke seemed cautious, Jirral’s eyes just narrowed.
“The doomsday stories,” I pressed.
“Old myths,” the man said. “Stories of beings called landwalkers, people that looked human but were actually the opposite to us in every way. In these stories, landwalkers and dehaians had once been the same. We travelled deep inland without getting sick, and they swam in the ocean just as we do. But some ancient event split us apart, creating these distinct sides.” He paused. “The Sylphaen believe in all that, except to them, the landwalkers are impure – worse even than humans – and thieves who stole our ability to stay above land. They want to take that back from the landwalkers. They think that if they don’t, the landwalkers will try to take our abilities instead, and somehow, the result will recreate the disaster and bring our world to an end.”
Zeke made an annoyed sound. “So in short, their beliefs are psychotic and so are they. Which we already knew. Thanks for the information.”
“Insane or not, the Sylphaen believe it, and that’s more than enough to make them dangerous.”
Grimacing, Zeke looked away.
I shivered.
“Do you know anything about this?” Jirral asked me.
Awkwardly, I glanced to Zeke. “N-no, not really. I was just curious.”
I could read the doubt in the man’s eyes.
“We should go,” Zeke said.
“You need to tell Torvias,” Jirral insisted. “Make him post extra guards around the palace.”
Zeke glanced to Ina. “Maybe.”
He turned, pushing aside the leaves blocking the door.
“It was good to see you again,” his grandfather said.
Zeke hesitated, and then swam from the room.
“It was good to see you too,” Ina replied quietly.
I followed her as she pushed the plants aside and left.
“Whatever it is,” the old man called.
In the doorway, I looked back.
“I can tell you know,” he continued. “At least something of what they’re after, you know. And if you let it hurt my grandchildren…”
A chill ran through me at the threat in his eyes.
“I don’t,” I managed.
And I fled out the door.
~~~~~
Zeke was a hundred yards ahead of us by the time I made it outside, though the guards hadn’t moved. They fell in around me the moment I swam past the doorway and boxed me in on four sides.
Still shivering from the look in the old man’s eyes, I tried to ignore them. Zeke had to be right; the Sylphaen couldn’t get here. With the guards I’d seen everywhere, they’d have to bring an army just to get past the front door. And that was assuming Ren didn’t find something to change his mind out there, and maybe convince him I wasn’t a spy after all.
There were plenty of reasons not to worry, no matter what Jirral said.
Clinging to the thought, I continued on. Ina kept pace with me, still glancing back to her grandfather’s door with unhappiness lingering in her eyes.
The veil on the palace wall parted when we reached it, letting us back into the courtyard. At the door, Zeke paused, waiting for us to catch up.
“I’m going to ask Dad to put more guards around the palace,” he said, grimacing. “Ina, could you…”
“Hang out?” she offered, humor coming back into her tone.
“I’ll be fine,” I told them both, hating the feeling that I was some child they had to keep an eye on. “The guards can–”
“Oh, please,” Ina replied, her amusement strengthening. “It’ll be fun.”
She hooked her arm through mine and started toward the palace door, pulling me with her. As we swam by Zeke, she looked past me to meet his eyes, and I could see a hint of something less lighthearted tinge her gaze.
And then we were inside and the expression was gone.
“So,” Ina said. Dehaians paused around us, bowing and watching as we passed by. She ignored
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