Dancing On Ice

Into The Depths

Kazimir hit the water hard, kicking through the frigid chill; a breath of freedom filling him from head to toe as his toes began to shift, merging back into one, his tail reforming, his skin shimmering, his hair bleaching back to its glistening white as the blue of his eyes finally shifted and slid through dozens of colours once again.

His clothes lay abandoned on the beach, tucked in a quiet corner in the rocks, unseen, to be drawn away in the high tide. In his fist, he held a bundle of cloth. In the cloth was the necklace he'd stolen from the queen, he couldn't bear to let his skin touch the monstrous thing again.

The sun was a long way from rising and the sea was dark but it felt so, so good to be submerged in the water again.

It would be a while yet before anyone realised he was gone. Hell if he was lucky, he could get back, get Aeralie out and they could both be gone before the palace was really awake and aware that anything was amiss.

He was rushing things. He knew that, he could have waited, could have befriended Dalton properly. Could have charmed that ice-hearted queen. He could have worked to seduce the necklace right off her neck and make it so she didn't miss it but... Aeralie was stressed.

She wasn't speaking to him.

She hadn't since the day he'd told her he wouldn't help her reconfigure the emotions of whoever Dalton liked. She didn't understand his thinking. She couldn't see why it was wrong. He wasn't even sure why it was wrong. Why should he care?

But he did.

Some part of him told him not to touch the mystery girl if she ever turned up. And not let Aeralie touch her. But Aeralie wasn't like him. She was like other merfolk.

She wouldn't think much of removing a human.

So he'd rushed.

Going to that tavern had been his own mistake. He knew he'd find someone who could be of use to him there – the gossips of the royal guards told him that much but he should have planned it out better. He shouldn't have gone in there when he knew Cole and Perry were there.

Perry didn't matter so much, he knew the situation.

But Cole... Cole had no idea what was going on. Whenever it was discovered that the necklace was gone and Kazimir had vanished, he would put two and two together and figure out he had used that thief to get the necklace. If he found the thief, who knew how long it would take him to break passed the fuzz of the man's enchanted mind and drag the truth out of him?

What would he think? Well, who was he to judge? His entire was career was built on being a criminal but how would he react? What would happen to Aeralie if he spoke up?

Kazimir was putting a lot of faith in Perry to look out for her and keep those around her safe from her while he was away.

He shouldn't have antagonised Cole. He'd reacted automatically, to get him out of the way, he'd been busy and distracted and didn't have time for Cole's attentions but he should have behaved and not wound him up.

Cole had been weirdly angry as he'd walked out.

The Rip Tide Palace loomed out of the darkness and his heart soared with relief at the sight of it.

Diving down through the water, he veered sharply and raced through the entrance into the glittering halls.

"Mother!" he shouted, his voice echoing around him, probably shaking the sleeping sea creatures from their dreams.

Silence greeted him but only for a moment.

Light flared from one of the corridors and Icadora appeared at the end, staring down the hall at him like she couldn't believe her eyes.