Page 14 of The Nymph Prince

At first, I thought he’d ignore me. His answer had been vague, and I understood he was protecting himself and his family. How could I be upset when I did the same to him? There were things I didn’t feel comfortable sharing, either.

“Yes, most of us live there,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “There are some who choose to be on their own, and they have that right. But our home is a safe place, protected from humans and anyone else who’d wish us harm.”

I tried to imagine it—an underwater kingdom. Mermaids and mermen swimming together in a palace of gold, surrounded by sunken ships and sea creatures. Sharks guarded it, tearing apart any enemy that wandered by. That’d be interesting.

“Why did you leave then?” I asked. “You said you were on the run. Why not return home where you’ll be safe?”

“Perhaps it’s my home I’m running from.”

“Why?”

Lorcan’s lips twitched. “Do you always ask so many questions, mage?”

I laughed when I realized I sounded just like Fletcher. When he’d first boarded theCrimson, he’d been inquisitive about everything, and I’d said the same thing to him as Lorcan said to me.

“I don’t mean to pry.” I pulled my legs up and rested my arms on my knees. “There’s just so much I don’t know about your kind.”

“I don’t know much of your kind, either.” He cocked his head, and even though the dancing flames emphasized his nonhuman features in a somewhat unsettling way, he was still the most beautiful being I’d ever seen.

“There’s not much I can tell you,” I answered. “Most mages, from what I know, have teachers as they grow. They’re taught about magic and how to wield it, so when they come into their powers, they are better equipped. I never had such a teacher. My home was destroyed when I was just a boy, and I spent many years on my own.”

Lorcan frowned. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been rough.”

I shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. We were sharing details about our lives, but I still had my limits. That part of my past was painful to remember.

“Are you going to tell me why you ran away from home?” I warmed my hands over the fire, rubbing them together. More as a comfort than anything, as it wasn’t that chilly.

“Much is expected of me there,” he said in a quiet voice. “And I wanted freedom.”

A spark ignited another stick, and I watched the orange glow spread. It was quiet in the cave, the only sound being the crackling fire and the tide breaking against the shore. Soothing.

“What of your parents?”

Lorcan focused on me. “My mother died when I was a baby. And my father… well, he is strict and can act without mercy. He’s held in high regard by many. Mostly out of fear, I suppose.”

I noticed he didn’t includelovingorkindin the description of his father. The expectations Lorcan spoke of must’ve come from him. If his father was feared and held a high standing in the community, I could see how Lorcan would feel pressured to live up to that as well.

In the quiet that followed, I pondered what types of duties merfolk could have.

I knew it was a monarchy, like my world, with a ruler that presided over the people. Were there merchants, blacksmiths, and physicians, as well? If they lived in the water, I was certain a blacksmith would be pointless, for water and fire didn’t mix. But maybe I had it all wrong and the underwater kingdom was different.

“Speak of what troubles you,” Lorcan interjected. “Your brows are so furrowed you look as though you’re constipated.”

I offered him a smile. “I’m only trying to wrap my head around it all. Is your kingdom much different than my world?”

“In many ways it’s the same,” he answered, taking a small twig from the ground and toying with it between his long fingers. “We each have a role to play, an occupation to keep everything running smoothly. Some are healers or smiths. Others are warriors. There are servants and bakers.” Lorcan paused and chewed his bottom lip. “Yet, it’s much different. There’s no sun or green valleys. I often feel trapped.”

His words made me recall the story Fletcher had told me of the nymph who fell in love with the sun.

“She loved the warmth and magnificence of it and would sit near a coral reef and stare upward at the rays cutting through the water,”he’d said as we reclined on the main deck of the ship.“She dreamed that a man lived in the sun and shone the light down just for her.”

“The nymph soon realized she’d fallen in love with a thing she could not have,”Fletcher continued in a sadder tone.“She could see the sun’s light, and even feel its warmth on her skin when she dared to travel to the surface, but no matter how much she yearned for it to be hers, it would always be out of reach.”

I wondered if Lorcan felt that way. Not in love with the sun, but more so, craving something he felt he couldn’t have.

“You said that any merfolk who wanted to leave has that right,” I pointed out. “That they aren’t required to live there. So, why must you run away?”

He should’ve been able to leave if he wanted.