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Chapter 2

Author: Peachy
Morning.

Salty seawater flooded my throat, choking me awake.

I leaned over the bed and coughed up two mouthfuls of bloody water.

It left a dark stain on the wood floor.

My fingers went to my throat.

From my collarbone to my jaw, my skin was covered in a layer of rough, blue scales.

I tried to speak. My vocal cords were like a broken shell. Only a harsh, rasping hiss came out.

I grabbed a wide scarf and wrapped it tightly around my neck, hiding the change. Then I went downstairs.

My bones were still fusing.

Every step made my skin bleed against the fabric of my clothes.

The dining hall.

Evelina was sitting at the head of the long table.

That was my seat. For the last ten years.

She was toying with a teardrop-shaped magic pendant.

I saw it. I stopped.

It was a ward against the water. It held a single drop of the Sea God's holy water.

My grandmother's last gift. My last line of defense against the curse.

Without that drop of water, the mermaid would consume my human body completely.

Seeing me, Evelina stood up.

"Sister," she said sweetly, holding the pendant out to me. "I saw it in the display case in the living room. It was so pretty, I just wanted to look at it…"

Alaric stepped forward. He intercepted the amulet in mid-air.

He placed it back in Evelina's palm.

"She grew up in the Sanctum with nothing but holy texts. She's never seen fine magical jewelry." His tone was matter-of-fact. He turned to me. "It's just an old amulet. Let her have it for a few days. She's an orphan who's seen nothing of the world. You're a princess of the empire. Why fight her over a broken old trinket?"

I stared at the holy water in her hand. My throat was raw.

"Give. It. Back."

Caspian's brow furrowed. He set down his cup.

The porcelain made a sharp clink.

"Seraphina, you need to learn to control your temper," he said, his voice a stern command. "You own countless royal jewels. Can't you be generous to your sister for once? Will it kill you? You used to be the kindest person I knew. Why have you become so bitter?"

Lucian leaned back, tapping his plate with a silver fork.

"What's wrong with your voice? Did you go mute just to guard your toys?" He smirked, his eyes full of mockery. "I'll have the steward take you to the elven black market tomorrow. Pick out ten thousand gold coins worth of jewels. Stop being so petty. It's embarrassing for the royal family. Is all the love we've given you worth less than this one broken pendant?"

I forced my stiff legs to move. I walked toward the table.

"Grandmother left that for me."

Every word was like sandpaper on my throat, drawing blood.

Alaric sighed. Disappointment flashed in his eyes.

"You always use our dead grandmother to get your way." He shook his head, his patience gone. "Evelina is just borrowing it. We won't let her actually take your things. Why are you always so hostile toward her?"

Evelina's eyes filled with tears. Her shoulders trembled.

"Sister, please don't be angry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have touched your things."

She clutched the amulet and hurried toward me.

As she passed the fireplace, her ankle twisted... but she hadn't tripped on anything.

She let out a soft cry of surprise.

Her wrist flicked outward.

The amulet flew from her fingers.

It sailed in a perfect arc, landing directly in the magical, ghost-green flames of the hearth.

A tiny hiss.

The green flames flared up for a second.

The heat instantly vaporized the drop of holy water.

The crystal casing shattered, turning to ash on the hot coals.

I stood there, staring at the black dust in the fire.

I didn't move.

Alaric grabbed Evelina's wrist and pulled her away from the fireplace.

He carefully checked her hand, her fingers.

"Did any sparks hit you? Are you burned?"

He used to be so protective. If I even got near the fire, he would shield me, afraid a single spark might touch my hair. Now, his eyes only saw someone else.

Caspian pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped away the non-existent dust from her hand.

"Be more careful. Stay away from the ghost-fire."

Lucian stood. His gaze was like a blade of ice on me.

"Are you happy now?" he sneered. "You forced her to apologize, and now the thing is destroyed. Are you satisfied? Seraphina, you disappoint me more than I can say."

I didn't answer him.

I just watched them fuss over Evelina. My eyes ached, but no tears came. Mermaids can't cry.

A soft tearing sound came from my left wrist.

I looked down.

A translucent fin pushed through the skin, unfolding silently.

Dull, yellow scales spread like a disease up my veins, covering the back of my hand.

Without the holy water, the curse was taking over.

The changes from the deep sea could no longer be hidden.

I pulled my long sleeve down, covering the monstrous scales.

I looked up at Evelina, who was now surrounded by her three protectors.

My voice was strangely calm. When your heart is truly dead, you don't even have the strength to ask why.

"If she likes it so much, consider it a gift."
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