The next morning, Aiden is completely healed. I look around the kitchen and see everyone enjoying their breakfast. Everyone... except for one important individual: River. Where is River? Did he eat breakfast already? No, that full plate must be his. “Does anyone know where River is?”
Adam nods. “Yeah, he went swimming. Said he had to ‘clear his head and escape this nightmare. Violet’s not gonna listen to my problems so why bother telling anyone about them?’” Swimming; oh, no. River can’t swim; he can hang off the side of a geyser, sure, but swimming? No.
I hear my uncle say “Good morning, Violet” before coming back to reality. “Oh, hi, Uncle; I-I have to go.” Adam takes this to heart, or so I think he does, and says “If you’re not hungry, I’ll eat your breakfast for you, Violet.
I walk over to Marie and mumble in her ear, indicating Adam as I speak. “Keep him away from my food, okay?” She nods.
Moments later, I am at Riptide Cove, the swimming pool of the Water Realm. “River?” No answer. Now I panic, until I reach one of the deeper pools. Mostly I see nothing wrong, except that there is an unconscious person in the bottom of the massive pond.
I recognize the shock of cerulean hair at once. Now I am terrified. “River!” I jump into the freezing waters and fish him out without delay. After bringing him back to the house, Adam and Ciro help me lay him out on his bed. “River? Can you hear me?”
Then I remember aloud an excerpt from an old tale Kura, one of the Old Ones from my Realm, told long ago. “One who drowns and cannot be revived naturally can be brought back to life by a mermaid’s kiss. That’s it, everyone! We need to find a mermaid for River! Follow me!”
