Sea Queen

Chapter Thirteen

I woke up in the same bed as before, in a tree. Seb was sleeping in a chair beside me, slumped with a blanket over him. I sat up.

I felt weird. My vision seemed much clearer than before, and I felt much lighter, and had a weird feeling in my stomach.

"Jade! You're awake!" Seb said, standing up so that his blue blanket fell to the floor. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Weird. Not quite right somehow." I replied.

"That's to be expected." Seb looked down.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Aria stabbed you. We had to use some serious healing potions which may have weird side effects."

"Like what?"

"Sharpened eyesight. Dizziness sometimes. Just be careful."

Over the next few days, I spent most hours of the day in the forest, sometimes with Seb, and sometimes without him, when I needed to be alone. We talked, and sometimes practiced using some of my powers. I found out that I had the potion-making skills of the naiads, and how to use my wings. Mostly though, we just talked. Sometimes I would feel overwhelmed and confused, and he would just hold me in his arms. His warm arms, and press me against him. He always smelt of salt, freshness and raspberry.

It was nice, being away from everything. No one to ask you how you are doing, and all the time in the world just to think things through and talk to someone who listened.

Seb was there, all the time, just there to listen.

We wandered down to the stream one day, and put our feet in the water, dipping just our toes in the cold tresses of water.

"Don't you miss home?" I asked.

"Sometimes, but it feels good to get out of there. Dad's great, but being cooped up isn't. We're not usually allowed out, because of the humans. I've only come out twice, and most never do."

"That must be horrible!"

"You get used to it." Seb shrugged.

There was a moment of silence, and I looked down into my lap. When I looked up, he was staring at me, suddenly seeming closer.

"You're beautiful you know." He reached out and tucked a lock of brown curly hair behind my ears.

I turned away, and my hair fell over my face.

"No I'm not." I muttered.

"Yes you are. Don't you think for one minute that you're not."

He placed his hand on my cheek, pushing my head up gently and stroking it with his thumb. I blushed furiously, and he smiled, and then began to lean in.

"Jade!" Ivy called, not seeing us at first. We jumped apart and both blushed again, trying to find something to do. I picked at the grass anxiously.

"Here you are. Dad sent me to ask you, if you would like to learn the skills of the Naiads? Potion making, I mean. He says while you're here, you might as well learn something about us." Ivy said. "I don't know much but I'll do my best to teach you."

"Sure." I said, a little flustered, and got up. I brushed myself down and followed Ivy back to her cottage, trying very hard to not look back at Seb.

Hey readers :) finally updated- sorry for taking so long! Hope you like it, a little more of Jeb :D