Page 53 of When Eden Falls

Standing slowly, I clutched the dagger in my hand. This meeting had been a revelation. Perhaps without Rooke here, it hadtaken any extra pressure away from both of us. But even though I understood more and felt a little less uneasy around the Akquarian leader, the main certitude I took from this interaction was Havav needed my alliance more than Rooke’s.

I felt baffled.

C h a p t e rF i f t e e n

Returning from the springs, Cora rushed in through the apartment door. “Eden, you’ll never guess what?”

I was standing across the room holding the radio. Fully aware Rooke wasn’t being monopolised by Havav’s time, I’d tried contacting him to tell him about my unexpected visitor, but the radio appeared to be faulty. I glanced at Cora, the dampness in her hair caused her curls to tighten. Her young face was fresh and full of excitement.

“Sorry?”

“I found…”

Zamya walked in through the door behind Yuska, and I caught her eye, “Zam, do you know if this has been charged?”

“Yeah, I checked it yesterday. Is it not working?”

“I don’t know.” Rechecking the battery, it was fully charged. The radio light was on, but no static hiss confirmed it was functioning. Cora sighed with irritation, and I looked over at her. “Sorry, Cora. What were you saying?”

“I found some Akquarian children. There was a pool full of them at the springs. I hadn’t heard or seen any since we arrived. I was starting to wonder if they existed.”

Zamya yawned next to me. “I assumed they would be like giant tadpoles.”

It wasn’t hard to miss the disgusted look Yuska threw Zamya. I smirked discretely; aware Cora hadn’t noticed. “They look like human children. Just paler.”

“So, no mermaid tails?” Zamya quipped.

Yuska unexpectedly snapped, “I’ll have you know; our children are the same as any human child! The only difference is they grow a lot faster.”

Zamya folded her arms across her chest. “And how do you know that?”

Yuska’s nostrils flared, and a hint of rose touched the skin around her cheekbones. “You already know we have libraries full of human books.”

“Books. But have you actually seen any human children?”

“Of course not.”

“Then, how can you be so certain?”

Yuska tutted and walked into the bedroom. Zamya shook her head. I caught her arm, aware of an underlying statement behind her question. “Zam, what is it?”

“I don’t trust these people. Everything seems…off.”

Havav held true to his word and granted us permission to see Oz, although restricted. We took it in turns to visit him. Zamya insisted she go first, pulling the doctor card, saying she wanted to give him a full medical examination. I graciously accepted. Then Cora jumped in on the chance and pleaded with me to allow her to go next. It wasn’t until the third day that I got to leave the apartment.

As usual, Yuska dressed me in flowing Akquarian attire and led me to the end of the corridor, where the guards were usually stationed. My breath caught when I realised Dybgo was waiting by the stairwell. I hadn’t spoken to him since that horrible, shameful day.

He inclined his head in greeting. An awkward smile painted my lips as a rush of heat rose to my cheeks. Nux, why did I feel so embarrassed around him?

Yuska swiftly took her leave, and Dybgo guided me down only two flights of spiral stairs completely in silence. He motioned for me to walk along another corridor, falling instep beside me.

“How are you feeling?” His voice bounced off the high ceiling, startling me. He continued to stare ahead as I glanced up at him.

“I’m feeling a lot better, thank you.”

“Good. It pleases me to hear that.”

I smiled. He was so polite. More gentlemanly than any man I’d met back at home. Perhaps this was how it once was for my people, when men and women evolved into the era between primal behaviour and modern equality. It shocked me to think I kinda liked it.