The Invasion

32 | Trepidation

"Get out of the water, Delia. Now."

She thinks Zarius is dangerous. I hold up both of my hands. "Wait, listen to me. He's on our side."

Wariness reflects in her eyes. "Who is he—no—what is he?"

I exchange a look with Zarius, who has gone all quiet and thoughtful. After everything that my cousin has seen, there's no point in us hiding from her anymore.

I sigh. "How keen are you on hearing a fairy tale?"

Her brows knit together to form a frown. "We don't have all day, but I'm listening."

A sigh leaves my lips. And so, I recount everything from the beginning — Mom's secret lover, my secret, and Zarius's appearance after the mutated creatures have gone to the surface. This may be a bolt out of the blue, but Maddie seems to accept our explanation.

When I'm finished, she sinks down to the floor, leaning her back against the wall. Still staring at us in disbelief. "Merfolks," she repeats. "With the tail and all?"

I nod.

"This doesn't seem real," she admits quietly. "You were bleeding out on the floor earlier. When Zarius found us, I thought it was strange that the monsters were all dead, and he didn't have a single scratch on him. When he picked you up and insisted on finding water, I thought he had gone crazy."

I can understand where she's coming from. If I were in her shoes, I would have gotten shocked too. "Sorry."

She reaches a hand forward, and I let her pull me out of the pool. Water drips down my hair and clothes, but she pulls me into a tight hug. "You should be sorry for scaring me back there," she says with a weak smile. "But thank you for protecting me, Delia. I'm pretty much useless, am I?"

I wince. I would rather be the one who gets hurt and heals naturally instead of watching Maddie get pounced on those creatures and die from her wounds. "Don't say things like that, Maddie."

"And you too? A half-merfolk? Are you sure?" she asks doubtfully. "I've watched you grow up, Delia. I noticed nothing. Maybe Waterboy here is the one who healed your wounds instead?"

This time, Zarius cuts in on our conversation. "It is because her abilities are sleeping. And her fear of water," he explains. "No one was there to teach her, but I will."

"And how exactly are you going to do that? Do your people have superpowers?"

Zarius raises a brow. He swims over to the edge of the pool and lifts himself out. As he holds his hand out, the water from our hair and clothes gets sucked into the center of his palm, leaving us completely warm and dry.

My jaw hangs in sheer amazement. "Whoa! You gotta teach me that trick."

He gives me a small smile. "Of course. Put out your hand like this. Imagine yourself calling for the water that is soaked in your human clothes. Pick a focal point. Coalesce it."

He lets the sphere of water in his palm hit the ground and form a puddle. Remembering the words from his lesson, I try to replicate his action and focus on the center of my palm.

But nothing happens.

After a couple more times of failed attempts, Zarius places a hand on my shoulder. "Do not overwhelm yourself. Constant practice is the key."

I nod in agreement, just as Maddie continues to watch us in pure disbelief. I can tell his magical trick is enough to convince her once more about the existence of merfolk and pique her interest.

"Zarius, can I see your tail?"

His tone comes out flat. "No."

"Hm, but..." Dissatisfied, Maddie scans his legs; from his feet to his calf muscles to his spine. This stirs up a possessiveness within me, which I never knew before, and I stand in between them to block her view.