The First Merman.

{XIV.} Elixir.

When Vanessa woke up she remembered she wasn't at home but in the ice cave. She sat up and brought her injured ankle up. It didn't hurt anymore and when she unwrapped the gauze her ankle was healed. She touched her scarred leg and moved it around. It felt like a polar bear never grabbed her.

She turned to Raphael and thought about waking him up but he seemed so peaceful. She leaned down towards him and pushed his black away from his forehead. "Thanks for staying with me." she whispered before kissing his forehead.

She heard voices at the entrance of the ice cave leading to where Ninda jumped from yesterday. She crawled over to the ledge of the cave. She saw Nina and four other Mermaids talking to each other. She couldn't understand them, speaking in another language. She was trying to grab their attention by waving because now that her ankle was alright she needed to talk to Ninda some more and head home real soon.

She cleared her throat, "Uh, hello?" she said shyly. They all stopped talking and looked up at her. Her face heated up but she forced a smile, "Hi."

*

Vanessa swam next to Ninda, "James—the other boy. I don't love him." she told Ninda. "The guy up in the cave is who I love."

"You probably able to resist because of your abilities. You're soul is higher and stronger." she said. "You have a connection with him, do you?"

"I. . .like what kind? I want to help him deal with this. Like me, we have no choice but to become a Merfolk. Queen Severina wouldn't let me stay human and I'm sure she's doing the same for James. I'm so scared about everything and the last thing I need is some love triangle happening." Vanessa groaned. "I love Raphael and Raphael believes I will leave him for James. James is scared of this. I didn't even really know him when Queen Severina, he was just pulled into the situation."

"Queen Severina always done what she wants." Ninda said, sighing heavily.

"She's ruining people lives." she said. "I turned Raphael into a Merman. I didn't mean to do it, I didn't even know I could. Queen Severina was trying to drown him and while I was trying to save him it just happened. She thought about killing him but since I had done it she left him with me."

"Queen Severina has a plan, she just isn't doing it so quickly. She's sneaky like that. She can do something in a week or in ten years. She's clever like that. Get you when you least expect it." she said.

Vanessa breathed out heavily, "She only caused more to the trouble with James. I don't even understand why she did it. Is she planning to ruin my relationship with Raphael or wanting to use James for something else? I don't know."

"What kind of things do you see when your hands touch?" she asked.

Vanessa was quiet for a moment, "Mostly of us getting attacked. And him dying. He's a Merman fully in them but he says he feels like he's drowning. Last time I saw him drowning and well—I kissed him."

"Well I can only answer the drowning part. It rarely happens but sometime a Mermaid body rejects the change even after the full transformation." she said. "He is gonna dye."

Vanessa stopped and turned to face Ninda, "What?"

"Is he sick?" she asked. "If he was sick before Queen Severina gave him the gift then yes his body will reject the change and he will die. She must have learnt this somehow and why she choosed him."

Vanessa scoffed, "I don't know! I barley know the guy! Oh God this is bad!"

"You should really ask him." she said. "There is a way to save him but it's gonna be hard."

"How?" she asked quickly.

"Change him back." she said.

"That isn't very helpful when the only person who can do that won't do that." Vanessa said coldly. She didn't want to be rude but she couldn't help it. What if James is sick but never told her? And if he's sick, what is wrong with him? He looks perfectly healthly.