Love in Dangerous Waters

Chapter 37 - Not a Secret Anymore

"Where is Nicole? Did she go back to Tanyela?" The King questioned himself, pacing the foyer. "But she still would've notified us somehow. How has she not brought Aqua back?"

"Maybe they got caught doing something." One guard threw in, but he shook his head.

"No, no- not Nicole. She'd get it done. She wouldn't stop until it's done." He argued, dipping his head lowly. "Just like her mother…"

"Maybe it's Aqua's problem." Another guard suggested, followed by a glare. "Well, a problem could've ran across with her."

"Yeah, but what problem can Nicole not fix?" He shot back, and let's face it, she could fix anything. "So there's no reason why she's not back yet!"

"Okay, calm down, your Highness." They soothed, but he threw his triton across the room, landing in the wall and sticking to it.

"You can't calm me down! Only Melody can calm me down!" He sobbed, bursting into tears for the umpteenth time since she died. Even without finding her, even with no proof besides the necklace, he knew she was gone. But he didn't think Aqua knew that yet.

So why weren't they back yet?

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"I'm telling you, I really think we should go back." Nicole told her, avoiding the people at the front desk and walking up to Aqua's room. "Things haven't been going too well."

"Yeah, with Lucille trying to kill me and everything." I stated, changing into my flannel pajamas. "Did you come to take me back?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I actually did. You at least have to come to Tanyela with me, you'll be safe there."

"I'm not safe anywhere." I stated, and she didn't argue with me. "What difference does it make where I go?"

"Well, I know Lucille can find you pretty much anywhere." Nicole stated, and I nodded in agreement. "So at least go somewhere with guards and swords and Magic. Even Aaron could keep you safe."

"What, your husband? Ha!" I laughed, throwing my clothes on the floor. "Yeah, um, he wants to kill me."

"He couldn't kill you if he wanted to." She shot back, but I shrugged. "Do you really have to stay one more day?"

"Yes." I told her, looking at the left wall, the wall dividing Danny's room and my room. "I need another day with him."

"But I thought you liked… you know…" She started, looking towards the right wall. "Dillon."

"I do." I answered automatically, feeling my heart soar. "I like him a lot, actually. And he's admitted to liking me."

"Ooh, that's cute." She smiled, sitting on the bed and resting her head in her hands, and her elbows on her legs. "Do tell."

"You were there!" I exclaimed, picking up a pillow and whacking her with it. She squealed and picked up the other one, hitting me, and we hit each other over and over, laughing and smiling until we were tired, or when she gave up.

"Okay, stop, I'm done." She pleaded, falling over and sprawling out on the bed. "Okay, I think I'm just going to take this side." She told me, making sure she took up the entire bed.

"Um, yeah I don't think so." I stated, pushing her over to one side as I sat down and crawled under the covers, turning the light out as I did.

"You know, Dad told me to get you back as soon as possible." She whispered, and I breathed slowly, thinking of what he could feel right now. "I don't know, things happened and we just need to kill Lucille. Hunting her down is no longer an option. If we see her, we kill her."

My eyes widened, but all I saw was the black room. "Why? What happened?"

I heard her breathe slowly before she turned to her side, facing away from me. "Well, she tried to kill you, didn't she?"

"Um…" I started, thinking back to the attempted drowning. "Yeah."

"Then that's our reason." She stated, yawning. "I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning. But we'll probably leave in the morning in two days, maybe tomorrow night. I'm hoping tomorrow night."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." I yawned, flipping over to my side, staring at the door, sort of hoping Danny would step in and see me before I had to leave him and this life behind. "Goodnight, see you in the morning." I told her before allowing myself to drift away…

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Nicole allowed herself to slip away from Aqua as she hurried out of the room and down the hall to Dillon's room. She wasn't sure about herself, but she couldn't sit back and watch her sister fall in love with him. Not in the situation they were in.

She opened the door slowly, and it creaked open, and she froze in place as she saw the faint glimmer of his eyes open. "You awake?"

"I've been awake." He replied, and she shut the door, tip-toeing and sitting down on the bed next to him. "What do you want?"

"I know you're Lucille's son." She told him, shooting a glare. "I'm not stupid."

He stayed silent, breathing slowly, but he turned away from her. "Yeah, so? People can't judge me off of my mother."

"Don't you see? Aqua's falling in love with you and she has no clue who you really are." Nicole stated, and he sat up slowly, but stayed silent. "Do you want a relationship with her based on lies?"

"She's not going to find out." He countered, sounding sure of himself. "I've kept that secret for seventeen years, and I'm sure as hell I'm not spilling it anytime soon."

"If you won't, I will." She threatened, and he shot his hand over her mouth, making her shriek, but he shushed her.

"Nicole, you can't." He pleaded, whispering in her ear. "You can't tell her or anyone, I'll be what my mother is. An outsider, isolated and ignored from the rest of the world."

She flung his hand off of her, scooting away. "Well, maybe that's what you deserve."

"Because of my blood?" He growled, running a finger over his wrist, giving himself a slight cut. He pricked the blood spot on his finger, showing it to her. "Blood is only a red liquid that runs through me. Her evil wasn't passed on."

"You don't know that." She shot back, grabbing his wrist for him to see. "None of us know that, and that's why we're all paranoid."

"Well, you all can stop being paranoid. I'd never do something like that!" He replied honestly, and she debated on whether to believe him or not.

"Look, I'm taking Aqua back tomorrow. I don't think it would be the best idea if you came with us." Nicole stated, and he automatically shook his head.

"No, I can't just leave her like that. I know my mother better than anybody, so I would know if she was going to pull something stupid." He added, making his claim. "So I think you need me."

"Need you?" She laughed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Well, you can't exactly stop me." He stated, pointing at the door. "Get out."

"Don't order the Queen of Tanyela to do anything." She growled, but picked herself up, heading to the door. "Tomorrow night."

"Good, I'll come with." He smirked, and she scoffed and left, shutting the door. He laid his head against the pillows, thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong.