Silver Skeletons: Book 3 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Four: The Future Looks Dim...

"The Sovereign and his Parliament of the Kingdom of Noelle hereby hold that 'Property' is an object or living thing that a Person purchases or trades for ownership of as per the Trade Laws of Noelle. Once a Noelle citizen has purchased or traded for the possession of Property, that citizen owns the object or living thing and may do with it as he or she wishes. Thus, that citizen dictates what the object or living thing does and speaks for it. Furthermore, a Slave is, by definition, Property."

Rein exhaled slowly, the weight of revelation settling over her like dusk. The scattered pieces of the puzzle had finally begun to align, sketching a picture she couldn't ignore. At the very least, she now understood where loyalties lay, who stood with Nadia, and who did not. But knowing was one thing. Revealing the truth ... that was something else entirely. Depending on who she confided in, exposing the web that Ariana and Rallian were quietly weaving could be disastrous. And then, there was the Rose Tree.

Its transformation overnight coinciding with Nadia's first full day as a slave was not a coincidence Rein could overlook. The more she reviewed the observations in her mind, the more excited she became. A realization flickered to life. She understood what was happening, perhaps not every detail yet, but enough to feel the importance of it pulsing beneath the surface. Still, knowledge meant little without someone she could trust as an ally. And trust was in short supply.

If Rein wasn't wary of the king before, his dismissal of the Rose Tree had confirmed everything for her. For all his authority, he was too driven by emotion. Logic rarely won with men ruled by the heart. No, she needed to learn how Polaris's mind worked. She located his bedchamber as soon as he left it, which slightly frustrated her as she had just missed him. But then, a better idea struck. Perhaps now was the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper, and learn who Polaris truly was. She slipped inside the room like a breeze, her wings barely stirring the air. If what she'd recently overheard was true—that Polaris was pure human—then he'd likely spend most of his time where logic reigned. Her gaze landed on the desk. Of course.

Rein touched down lightly on Polaris's mahogany desk, her slippers silent the polished surface. The space was cluttered, but deliberately so. It was organized chaos that spoke to a mind in constant motion. A black feather quill rested in its inkwell beside a small decorative dagger, its hilt etched with Alarican sigils. A short stack of books leaned precariously near the edge, and sheets of parchment covered in dense handwriting lay beneath them like fallen leaves. A glass, half-filled with a foggy liquid, sat at the center.

Rein picked her way carefully through the clutter, climbing over the books to approach the glass. She leaned forward, peering through its side, then craned her neck to look into it from above. She instantly jerked back, wrinkling her nose. The acrid stench of vinegar hit her like a slap. Her wings twitched. What use was a glass full of vinegar?

Shaking off the question, she turned her attention to the open journal nearby. The page was filled with scribbled notes and underlined phrases documenting Polaris's early thoughts of the Rose Tree's bizarre symptoms. She skimmed his hypotheses: climate change, fairy magic, typical omen—omen of what? Why? A warning? A warning of what? Clearly Polaris was as lost as Wendell on this one.

Curiosity tugged her further. She flipped back a page, careful not to lose Polaris's place, and scanned the entry that preceded the Rose Tree. Her brow furrowed. The king and queen's dream. She read on, each line drawing her deeper into the threads Polaris had been quietly unraveling—threads that were beginning to confirm her own thoughts.

"So that's how they knew about Nadia beforehand," Rein said aloud. "Fascinating."

Rein flipped back another page. Then another. What began as idle curiosity quickly deepened into fascination. Polaris had filled his journal with studies on the Continent Islands—notes on terrain, climate, and the creatures that might dwell on Bellua. Further back still, he had compiled observations about the Monturian Islands and the nomadic tribes who inhabited them, such as letmonians: a creature that is quite literally a living skeleton. Rein slowed her pace, her eyes catching on a name scrawled in bold ink: Drake. Judging by the detailed sketches surrounding the name, Polaris had spent considerable time studying this specific letmonian. The drawings were sharp and strangely elegant, bones etched with careful shading, each line speaking of both fragility and power. In fact, there were many scribbles in this journal about letmonians. Rein couldn't help herself. She settled into a crouch, and began reading more closely.

They were, in every biological sense, alive despite appearances. Mortal, yet with painfully short lifespans. Rein read how they made their homes in tropical regions, and how their reproduction involved sacred rituals performed over a pile of bones. Offspring, it was said, inherited fragments of both body and soul from their parents. Even stranger was their means of survival. Letmonians consumed only liquids, such as milk, sap, water, juice, which was absorbed directly through their bones upon contact. No need for an esophagus or stomach, just touch. But their bodies were delicate vessels for nourishment, and even sustenance could be fatal. Too much moisture, too long in the rain, even an overly drawn bath, and they would die by over-consumption.

Once she'd absorbed all she could about letmonians, Rein flipped through more pages—and froze. Sketches spilled across the next set of pages, fluid, detailed, and astonishing. The contours of a mermaid's spine, the gradual shift from scale to skin where the tail gave way to a humanoid torso. Polaris had studied a mermaid! Rein's wings quivered with disbelief. How? She leaned closer, tracing the inked notes with her eyes. Side-by-side comparisons between fish and mermaid scales were scribbled in the margins, with precise labels and small diagrams that made it clear Polaris hadn't merely seen a mermaid, he had examined one thoroughly. Dissected the anatomy, measured, theorized. According to the notes, the subject's mother had been a full-blooded mermaid. Her father, a hybrid of human and fire elemental. Rein blinked. A lineage like that was rare beyond words! The subject had been thirty-three years old at the time of study, though Polaris only had a little over a week to examine her. He had failed to record why the studied period was so short, or the identity of the specimen. This frustrated Rein. She turned the page, hoping for a clue, but found none.

Still, the journal overflowed with discovery. Sketches of rare plants and diagrams of unfamiliar constellations; anatomical studies of strange, possibly undocumented creatures; fragments of myths scrawled between paragraphs of observation. It was a treasure trove of secrets, and Rein's curiosity only grew. She lingered for a moment longer, then carefully turned back to the page on the Rose Tree. The time would come to finish the journal. For now, there was more of the chamber to explore. And more pieces of Polaris to uncover.

If there was one place that could reveal the inner workings of Polaris's mind, it was his bookcase. Rein had learned not too long ago that books didn't just store knowledge, they whispered the priorities of their owners. It was how she had once uncovered the entire doctrine of the Sweet Suffering Creed, that deranged cult festering beneath Arcor's surface. That single book had kept her occupied for nearly a month.

But Polaris's collection was far less dramatic. She hovered before the tall, neatly arranged shelves, her hands resting lightly on the polished edge. Row upon row of practical tomes met her gaze, atlases marked with faded corners, volumes on biology and zoology, ancient bestiaries full of sketched creatures both real and imagined. Books on celestial navigation, oceanic currents, maps of old trade routes. Sturdy texts on the histories of distant kingdoms and the belief systems of their people. A few titles bore his own name, the gold lettering dull with age: his own works, scholarly and methodical. It was, in a word, academic. Predictable.

And yet, her attention snagged on something far more promising: his journals. Dozens of them, tucked into corners or stacked horizontally to fill the gaps between taller volumes, bearing no titles at all. Their spines were frayed, edges weathered, pages likely brimming with half-formed thoughts and observations not meant for any eyes but his. That, Rein thought with a glimmer of excitement, was where the real intrigue lay. These journals weren't curated for show. They were raw, personal, unguarded in a way that formal writing could never be. If she could get her hands on even a few of them, they might offer far more than the neat labels on the shelves ever could. She smirked, her wings giving an eager flutter. So, Polaris was meticulous. Curious. Devoted to detail, and addicted to documentation. Good. That meant he was exactly the type who would listen.

Rein drifted her gaze across the chamber, absorbing the deep mahogany walls and the furniture drowning in unnecessary gold trim. The space was orderly, austere even, but it didn't lack personality. She moved quietly, the soft whisper of her wings barely audible against the hush of the room. That's when she saw it. A single parchment, carefully pinned to the wall between the tall window and Polaris's desk, the very spot where he likely spent most of his waking hours. Not a map. Not a note. Not even a reminder. No, this had the deliberate placement of something sacred. Curious, Rein flew closer, hovering in front of it. Her eyes swept over the inked text, and she froze. The values of Iah-Ra. Her pulse quickened. That couldn't be right.

To most, Iah-Ra was legend; a nearly extinct martial discipline whispered about in underground circles, more myth than reality. It was said only one place in all of Xyntriav taught practice: the temple carved into the peak of the Crystalfire Mountain Range in the distant country of Roshire. Students didn't visit; it wasn't a retreat. It was a crucible. A ten-year devotion where rooks were stripped down and reforged into weapons capable of turning anything—anything—into a tool of survival. The idea that Polaris, the ever-composed royal advisor, had studied it seemed absurd. Yet there it was: Discipline of the self. Patience of the soul. Honor of the mind. Persistence of the body. Mercy of the heart. Each value was written in elegant, sharp lettering. These weren't just mantras. They were rules to live by. Rein narrowed her eyes at the parchment, then slowly turned her gaze back toward the desk. If Polaris had trained at the Iah-Ra Temple, that changed everything. She exhaled through her nose, folding her arms. So, he wasn't just smart, or even wise. He was dangerous. Very dangerous.

Rein had learned all she could from Polaris's chamber. With a silent beat of wings, she slipped back out the window and took to the skies once more, determined now to find the man himself. So far, he struck her as someone governed not by impulse, but by reason. He was deliberate, values-driven, and most importantly, he appeared unaware that Queen Ariana might have had a hand in Nadia's vanishing. That ignorance, paired with his dogged effort to locate the girl, made him a promising potential ally. Logic was something Rein could work with—argue with, even—when emotion and titles failed. And then the practice of Iah-Ra lingered at the forefront of her mind. It chilled her slightly, perhaps a lot if she were honest with herself. But danger in a man wasn't necessarily a bad thing—not when it belonged to someone intelligent and measured. In the right hands, that kind of power could be invaluable. It might even make him the ideal ally.

When she didn't find him at the Rose Tree, she circled the palace, peering through window after window until her flight brought her to a turret made entirely of iron-framed glass. Inside, the royal library stretched out in elegant symmetry, its pale blue walls bathed in multicolored light from the tall stained-glass windows. There he was, Polaris, seated in a lavender velvet wingback chair, hunched over a spread of books that spilled across a pale pink table. A second figure sat beside him, unmistakable in both form and posture. Drake. The letmonian. Rein recognized him from the sketches in Polaris's journal: his bony, satyr-like frame clad in a dark sari jama, and a raptor-shaped skull that looked carved by shadow and time.

The colored light painted their pages in radiant swirls of gold and amethyst, aquamarine and rose, nearly blinding in its brilliance. Rein wondered how either of them could read beneath such a kaleidoscope. Towering shelves loomed on every side, packed so tightly with books that the topmost tomes appeared poised to leap from their perches. She landed quietly on the windowsill of an open pane, the scent of aged paper and raw adhesive drifting up to meet her. It stirred something deep in her: an aching thirst to be among the parchment, the ink, the mystery of knowledge waiting to be unfolded. But not yet. Duty rooted her to the curtain's shadow. Drawing the fabric around her like a cloak, she settled in to listen.

"... would be in a book on trees," was the end of Drake's sentence.

"Of course not," Polaris replied. He dropped three books directly in front of Drake on the table. "Try one of these. I believe they discuss unusual happenstances in Atlika."

Drake took the books, and flipped one open to its table of contents. "Wouldn't rose trees mostly act natural on Atlika?"

"Wouldn't they act naturally altogether?" There was a pause where Polaris rubbed his face in frustration. "I don't understand it, Drake. I've never felt so confused. Two unexplainable occurrences happen in as many days; you'd think there would be a connection."

"I'm certain there is," said Drake. He took a seat beside one of the windows, figuring he should get comfortable if he was expected to read for a long period of time.

"But there are no similarities between the two events. Except, of course, if I create one."

"What similarity would you create?"

Polaris was hesitant. "Perhaps somehow the Rose Tree is responding to Nadia's presence? Or her kidnapping? Or both, even."

"What would cause it to react to Nadia specifically?"

Polaris paused again. "I'm not sure. Perhaps since the Rose Tree has a special connection to Gerardo of Liko, Nadia is a descendant of his?"

Drake processed the theory for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, it's somewhere to begin at least."

Polaris stood to access another stack of books on the other side of the table. "But what I'm suggesting, Drake, is a long shot." Polaris ran his fingers through his hair. "I can understand how it might make sense as Their Majesties never mentioned Nadia's origin, but it's only an assumption based off a legend. There is a complete void of evidence to support any of it."

"The Rose Tree began its transformation the day after Nadia was kidnapped."

"Which could simply be a coincidence."

"However, it's the only explanation we have, Polaris," said Drake. "There's literally nothing more to go on. Perhaps we should look further in to it while we pursue other options."

"But you've missed the greater issue at hand, Drake." Polaris leaned against the table. "We would have so much to prove, and it would distract us from pursuing other options. We would have to prove that Gerardo did indeed survive his plunge into the ocean. We would have to prove that Nadia is in fact his descendent. We would have to prove that she is initiating the changes in the Rose Tree. And then none of this explains how or why the Rose Tree is changing. And

if Nadia is a descendent of Gerardo who did go to live in the ocean, what is she doing here?"

Drake sighed. "Well then let's take it one step at a time and endeavor to prove each point until we come up with a more suitable theory. I'll jot down the points we must prove, and we can check them off the list as we go."

Drake got up from his seat to fetch a quill and parchment.

Polaris chuckled slightly. "Well here's yet another issue: I'm not so sure if I believe any of it myself. Which only makes it even more difficult for me to prove. I'm a man of logic, Drake, and this theory defies it all. I simply invented the notion in a desperate attempt to find an answer. I didn't actually believe you would take it as plausible."

Rein found herself steadily growing infuriated. Polaris had figured it out almost exactly, but he insisted on backing away from it.

"Polaris, you're human!" She tried to keep her voice down. "You're the wisest creature on Xyntriav, listen to the letmonian!"

She collapsed in frustration on the sill behind the curtain, and took a moment to think. How could she inform him that he was correct, and make him believe it?

"So, then what did you wish to do if not continue down the only path we've come across?" Drake asked.

Polaris stood straight, and thought for a moment.

"We'll handle both problems separately. We'll study the Rose Tree and its changes while also searching for Nadia. I'm certain that after about, say, three weeks, if we haven't already found Nadia, another piece of the puzzle will reveal itself, and hopefully it will at least point us in the proper direction. Obviously however, these books aren't offering any help."

Polaris slammed one of them shut and walked away.

"What are you hoping to find by studying the Rose Tree as a separate issue?" Drake asked.

"I don't know, but I think perhaps we're making this more complicated than it really is. The answer is probably something simple, like weather changes. After all, rose trees are rare and very different from most trees. They're native to Atlika, which has a completely different climate than our own. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise if the tree is responding to the unusual climate. I would even go so far as to say that it wouldn't be able to withstand this weather for an extended period of time." Polaris paused and his eyes widened. "That's it! The Rose Tree is probably dying."

"The tree was planted over three hundred years ago; suddenly it's reacting to a difference in climate?" Drake challenged. "Dying even?"

Polaris threw his hands up, almost as if to say he's yielded to the issue. Clearly, he was close.

"You're honestly trying to tell me that climate can explain why tree bark transforms into pearl," Drake went on. "Weren't you just explaining to me a moment ago that you're a man who runs on logic?"

"It's not as outlandish as you make it seem, Drake," Polaris said as he stacked his books. "Strange things occur often, and it still makes more sense than the half-brained theory I previously mentioned about Nadia being related to Gerardo of Liko."

"Very well. I'll let you have that one just for the time being, but I would argue that odd circumstances are often the result of odd causes. On the subject of Nadia, what do you plan to do about her disappearance and the Klaris issue?"

"We'll just have to allow the search parties to do their job," Polaris answered as he folded his arms. He paused a moment. "Speaking of which, the queen was much more active in this matter than usual. She spoke against almost everything I said, and deemed the search party 'a waste of time.'"

Drake looked up from his book. "It is important to avoid costly expenditures."

"True, but it's more important to avoid war, which she appeared to do the very opposite."

"Well Queen Ariana has always been forward with you, Polaris," said Drake. "Especially with your ... controversial history."

"I understand that. However, she seemed much more audacious than normal this time." Drake said nothing. "Forget it. Perhaps she was just in a mood. In the meantime, I suppose I'll ask His Majesty to describe the appearance of the man from his dream. Then perhaps I can find him and gather some answers, if not obtain Nadia herself. I feel certain that he will know who outbid him at the slave auction as I doubt it was at a cheap price."

"And say no one finds Nadia and a letter returns confirming the first one was from Klaris?"

Polaris sighed heavily. "Then God help us all, Drake."

※

On Sueño 11th, Market Day arrived with the buzz of footsteps and bright chatter, and by the late afternoon, Nadia and her friends had managed their stand with smooth coordination, and the steady hand of Miss Mirriot guiding them along. As the Southern sun dipped below the rooftops and the market closed, the trio burst into Nadia and Garnet's bedroom, laughter trailing behind them like confetti in the wind. They dragged the last of their trunks into a dusty corner, then collapsed in a heap across Garnet's crimson duvet, breathless and glowing with pride. Their voices overlapped in a joyful tangle as they relived every sale, wide-eyed over the coins in their pouches, and stunned by how much they'd earned in a single day.

"And there's still more left over for next Market Day!" Garnet exclaimed as she gestured to the trunks in the corner.

"That's right!" Mauro replied, tossing his short brown waves of hair out of his matching brown eyes. "And I bet we'll sell even more of it next time!"

"I wonder if Master found some other things he doesn't want anymore," Nadia added.

"You should ask him," Garnet suggested.

Just then, there came a knock on the door. Everyone stopped in the middle of their conversation, and turned to face the door as if on cue. Alik peer in, and his eyes landed on Nadia.

"Lila, your master wishes you in his study."

The brightness drained from every face in the room, and a heavy stillness settled in its place. Nadia let out a quiet sigh, then dropped her coin pouch onto her bed where it landed beside her gold-trimmed pillow with a muted thud. Saying nothing, she turned and followed Alik down the corridor. The quiet thrum of her footsteps led her into the study, where Count Rallian sat nestled in a tan wingback chair, his eyes scanning the pages of a book in the soft lamplight of the sitting area.

"You summoned me, Master?" said Nadia with a curtsy.

"Yes." Rallian marked his place in his book and closed it. He stood and maneuvered around the chair to approach Nadia. "I wish to show you something."

The count guided Nadia out of the study, his steps unhurried but deliberate, until they reached the threshold of the parlor. There, he paused. Lining the base of the walls were narrow crevices, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. He gestured silently toward them, his expression unreadable. Nadia hesitated, then glanced at the openings. She remembered noticing them on her first day at Aimonbay, but now her master clearly expected her to study them more closely. Her gaze lingered on the dark slits, uneasy thoughts creeping into her mind. She didn't ask why. The tightening in her stomach warned her that the answer was something she might rather not know. In silence, they moved on, passing the parlor like shadows drifting through a house full of secrets.

"I'm sure you've been wondering about all the construction taking place on my estate," Rallian began. "I thought I would answer any questions you may have concerning it."

As he spoke, Count Rallian continued to lead Nadia at a measured pace, his voice steady, almost rehearsed like a man conducting a private tour of his estate. They passed the narrow crevices, and descended a short staircase of about ten steps that opened into the grand hall. The moment her feet touched the polished blue marble, Nadia felt as though she were walking on still water. The floor gleamed beneath the chandeliers, its seamless reflection lending an almost otherworldly calm to the vast space.

She took in the layout, familiar yet strange. There had once been a wall separating the grand hall from the adjacent dining room, but it had been removed, leaving behind a recessed gap about five feet wide and three feet deep. A deliberate absence. Nadia remembered noticing it when she first arrived. Now she understood this void served a purpose: it granted guests an unobstructed view of the stage beyond, so they could dine in elegance while watching whatever performance the count had arranged for their amusement. The castle, she realized, was crafted as much for spectacle as it was for power.

"I am building a waterway which will course all throughout my castle and lead to a lagoon in the rear courtyard," the count explained. "Here, I plan to replace the wall with a massive tank. Spacious, of course, with a glimmering oceanic scene."

Count Rallian wandered across the grand hall at an unhurried pace, his tone calm and deliberate. Nadia followed at a measured distance, her steps hesitant, her eyes scanning for meaning in his every movement. He ascended the far steps and exited through the opposite archway, drawing her into yet another narrow corridor carved like a vein through the castle's heart. The passage twisted and branched, wrapping around chambers and snaking past arched thresholds, until at last they emerged into the open air of the rear courtyard.

The sudden light cast a warm glow on weathered stone and trailing ivy. It was nearly identical in scale to the courtyard within the front gates, yet something about it felt richer—quieter, but more alive. Rows of cultivated crops stretched beyond the courtyard's edge, giving the space both purpose and beauty. Despite its simpler design, the symmetry of the gardens, the soft rustle of leaves, and the scent of soil made it feel, perhaps, more enchanting than its grander counterpart.

"This is to be the lagoon," continued the count. "There will be a large waterfall right here with the pond and another one inside the gazebo."

Nadia's eyes skimmed the rows of rosebushes and tall, swaying trees, their blossoms nodding in the breeze. Marble and soapstone statues stood among the blooms with their limbs curved in fluid, almost breathless motion, as if captured mid-dance. The courtyard's beauty was undeniable, but her gaze was drawn to the half-finished landscape her master had brought her here to see. Her attention fixed on the skeleton of a lagoon, its basin carved clean into the ground, where shimmering water would one day curl around carefully placed stones. A narrow channel snaked outward, soon to be a river. Not far from that, a shallow trench yawned, soon to hold a pond. And farther still, a wide crater dominated the far end of the courtyard, encircled by towering beams and scaffolding. There, an enormous gazebo was being pieced together, one pillar at a time.

"This is my second favorite part of the construction," the count went on. The excitement increased in his voice. "My first favorite is the tank, of course. It will be the largest glass container in the world once it's completed. Can you imagine?"

A tight knot twisted in Nadia's stomach, tightening with every breath. Something about the construction clawed at the edges of her mind with a silent warning she couldn't shake. She pressed her lips together, willing the dark thoughts to be lies, but the unease deepened, whispering that the truth might be far worse.

"It is pretty grand, Master," Nadia managed.

"Do you wish to know why I'm bothering with all this?"

"I thought it was to make your castle look nicer, Master. Which I imagine it will."

"That isn't even the half of it. I told you already that I believe a lot of my slaves are seapeople." Nadia's heart shot to her throat. "However, I only desire to own one kind of seapeople. I want mermaids. Naiads are too difficult to see in water, as are water sprites, sirens are too dangerous, and selkies are simply not as beautiful. But mermaids—they're perfect. I'm going to place them in this masterpiece. I shall display them, and show them to the entire kingdom. They'll be decoration and side-entertainment for all my guests."

A wave of dizziness swept over Nadia, and she fought to keep her knees from buckling. She was already chained by slavery. How could she bear the thought of being confined further, this time as a mermaid slave? Panic surged beneath her calm façade, but she forced herself to mask the turmoil. Still, a subtle tremor shook her hands, and she was certain Rallian's sharp eyes caught every flicker of her fear.

"Griffins, it'll be wonderful," continued the count with a wide grin on his face. "Just splendid. Don't you agree, Lila?"

"Just splendid, Master," Nadia echoed, working a small smile.

"What do you truly think of this? Be honest with me."

"Oh, I don't know, Master." Nadia gave an awkward shrug. "I guess I'm indifferent about it. I don't really believe in mermaids, but I think it'll look pretty."

Rallian narrowed his eyes at Nadia. "You're a good liar, Child. I don't like that."

Nadia couldn't think of a response. Rallian watched her, heaving. It appeared he, too, could think of nothing more to say. He finally sighed, and looked away.

"Return to what you were doing, Lila."

Nadia dipped into a graceful curtsy, relief washing over her as she slipped back into the quiet sanctuary of her bedroom. Garnet and Mauro, caught mid-discussion about Market Day, fell silent the moment she entered. Their eyes fixed expectantly on her, but the words lodged somewhere deep inside, refusing to spill.

"What did Master want?" Garnet finally asked.

"To show me his construction," Nadia answered.

"Oh! Mauro helps with the construction!"

Nadia glared at Mauro. "He does?" Garnet nodded. "Do you know what Master plans to do with it?"

"Not really," Mauro answered with a shrug. "Nobody talks about it. We just figure he's building some sort of waterway."

"He's building a waterway to trap mermaids in," Nadia explained. "He believes that some of his slaves are mermaids."

Garnet giggled.

"So why was he telling you?" Mauro asked.

Nadia dropped down onto her bed. "He thinks I'm one of the many mermaids he owns."

Garnet snickered some more. "Does he really? What makes him think that?"

"I don't know, but I think that it has something to do with the birthmarks on my back. I told him they're from being part napaeae, but he doesn't seem to believe me."

"What's a napaeae?" Mauro asked.

"A valley-nymph," Nadia clarified.

"I'm half elf and half limoniad," Garnet said with a smile. "A meadow and flower nymph."

"You have the personality of one," Mauro teased.

"Master told me all about you two while he tried to get me to tell him I'm a mermaid." Nadia took back the coin purse which contained her profit from the market.

"He's just desperate; don't take it to heart," Garnet assured. "As long as you're not a mermaid, which obviously you're not, you'll be fine."

"But what if there are mermaids here?" asked Nadia. "I'm starting to believe they exist."

"Really?" Mauro scrunched his nose at Nadia. "Why?"

"He says he's seen one."

"Well even if some of us are mermaids, I don't know how Master would find them," said Mauro.

"He says he has already. I feel bad for them." Nadia looked back at Mauro. "And I don't like that you're helping out with the construction."

Mauro laughed. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe in mermaids." He laid down on Garnet's bed and wove his fingers through his hair. "I think Master's crazy, and wasting his time. I only help with the construction because I have to."

"He has to do what Master says," Garnet added in Mauro's defense. "It doesn't matter what any of us think."

"Fine," said Nadia. "Then I'm going to sabotage it."

"Sabotage?" Garnet asked, confused.

Nadia studied their puzzled expressions, and at first thought perhaps she had translated the word incorrectly from her native tongue of Thallassian. But she quickly realized it was the correct term; it just meant nothing to them. Of course. It hadn't occurred to her that Garnet and Mauro likely hadn't received the kind of formal education she'd had back at the Obsidian Palace.

"Destroy," she clarified.

"What?" Mauro exclaimed.

"Lila, don't be a fool!" Garnet added. "If you get caught, Master will beat the specks out of you!"

"And he'll definitely think you're a mermaid then!"

"Then I'll just make sure that I don't get caught," Nadia said. "And your silence will help with that."

"Lila, listen to me," Mauro approached Nadia to make sure they made eye contact. "Mermaids don't exist. It's as simple as that. Master doesn't own any, and all he's really building is a waterway that will have nothing but fish in it. All right?"

"Mauro's right, Lila," Garnet agreed. "This whole thing is silliness. You're acting like he's going to put you in there."

That's when Nadia let the matter go. It was obvious she wouldn't get any help from them unless she told the truth, which was something far too dangerous to risk. Pushing further might only convince them she was either hiding that she was a mermaid ... or that she was the most foolish girl alive. If she was going to sabotage the construction, she'd have to do it alone.