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I regretted not asking permission to draw more strength from the L’even pearls before traveling from the creek to my kingdom at the lake. I was sure I’d still be able to transform and reach my destination, but I would arrive in an extremely weakened state.
Such a result would not be good for me or my kingdom. I’d failed its members by not demanding to take the wrist cuff home with me.
But there was something about the human woman, Hazel’s mother, that prevented me from doing so. When she locked her eyes with mine and suggested the diadem did not belong to me, I felt duty-bound to return it. Why?
The best explanation I could arrive at was that something within her demanded the same respect and obedience as did my Perlnaut elders. Could I have resisted had I only tried harder?
The L’even pearls had also responded to her. They’d glowed—not for me, but for her—when she and Hazel approached the creek. What did that mean? What form of human was this? Was it possible that she was a descendant of the Lake Maiden? Was there some truth to the ancient fables, after all?
These questions loomed over me. I pondered them during my last night at the creek until, eventually, I fell asleep.