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The creek was warmer than I’d expected, with areas that were inconveniently shallow. In its deepest pocket, I had to stoop for my head to remain below the water’s surface. No matter which way I positioned myself, the brightness of the sun reached all the way down to my tail fins.
Still, it was cozy and peaceful here. I lay back, positioning myself horizontally to rest. Little schools of minnows swam by, lulling me into a deep, much-needed sleep. The journey itself hadn’t drained me, but the transformations between my liquid and solid forms had been exhausting.
I woke with a violent cramping in my stomach. My hand found the pouch, grateful for Lorcan’s foresight. I made quick work of emptying the shells, enjoying the flavors of fish, pickerel weed, and cattail jelly—the comforts of home. Soon I would need to find my own food.
I poked my head above the water. Unlike the lake, the creek was surrounded, some areas even flanked, by trees. There were no humans as far as I could see. I frowned. Not even Hazel. I waited, wishing I had the ability to call out to her. Perhaps she was close, somewhere behind the trees.
My hopes drained as the sun began to fade. Furred land animals skittered across the ground and jumped from tree to tree. Leaves rustled. I squinted, searching for what larger creatures may be lurking in the darkness.
As a presence drew nearer, its shadow trailing behind it, the L’even pearls of my wrist cuff began to glow.
“Kai! Are you here?”
My heartbeat quickened. The human had kept her word, once again.
I grinned as she stepped into view, remembering our encounters at the lake. Hazel was the only familiarity I had with this region of land. In that unguarded moment, I wondered whether she, too, had already become one of the comforts of home.
I waved my left hand, hoping she’d be drawn to the blue light.
“Oh, there you are!” she said, skipping toward me.
She held an object, but I felt no energy or power from it. I concluded this to mean she hadn’t brought any more of the L’even pearl pieces with her. No matter. Perhaps she could provide information, instead.
“I’m so glad you made it.” Her cheeks were flushed, and there was a sparkle to her eyes. The combined effect made her more attractive than I’d remembered.
I pointed to the water, hoping she’d listen to what I had to say. I had questions.
She shook her head. “I can’t stay long, and my mom will freak if I come home at night with my hair all wet for no good reason. She, um, doesn’t know about you yet. I’ll be back tomorrow.” She tapped the object in her hand. “I brought something to show you in the meantime. There are things I need tell you.”
I’d made it this far; I could wait until the next day to ask my questions and share my thoughts. I nodded for her to speak.
Hazel passed her finger along the object, and then poked at it with her fingertip. I squinted at the resulting brightness it emitted.
“I brought proof, like I mentioned in the note I left you,” she said. Her lips twisted into a smirk. “Grandma didn’t take the pearl jewelry from the lake—she purchased all of it from someone else.”
My brows lifted.
“Look!” She thrust the blindingly bright object in my face. Reflexively, I crossed my hands in front of me.
“Receipts for all the pieces,” she said triumphantly. “Grandma paid for them. That means she owned them.”
I blinked spots from my eyes, and then shrugged. Her proof meant nothing to me. I understood purchase referred to obtaining items through trade, usually for some form of currency. But own them? How could the L’even pearls be owned by humans who had no right to possess them in the first place?
I leaned forward to press my elbow along the edge of the creek, and then rested my head in my palm. We certainly had a lot to discuss.
Hazel lowered herself into a sitting position next to me, her hair fanning into into a veil between us. I frowned as she swiped her hands along the object and described the various pieces and their prices. I couldn’t understand any of the figures illuminated on the object’s surface. Even so, my eyes widened as I counted, adding together all the items she listed. There were so many pieces to be returned to my kingdom—a wealth of L’even pearls.
We were saved. If I could convince Hazel to return the pieces to us.