Fins (Transformations: Book 2)

4

"Any luck?" Freya asked as she reunited with Idun after searching the beach.

The dryad shook her head. "She wouldn't have gone home, would she?"

"Not without telling me." Freya was getting nervous that something might have happened to Aria.

Idun gave her a sympathetic look. "Let's head back to the party. Maybe, she went there while we were gone, so we didn't see her."

Freya nodded and led the way without a word, hoping Idun was right.

Aria and Alizarin sat in stony silence for several minutes before she finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Doesn't it bother you to go around kidnapping people just because your princess says so?"

"I follow her orders, whatever they may be," he replied, simply, "She wishes to have you out of the way for a few minutes, so we are here."

"And none of the bothers you?" she pushed, "You're fine just doing as your told?"

"I am a servant," he pointed out, "It's not my place to argue."

"Right." Aria sighed as she thought about what Freya told her about the boy. "It must be hard, having to be a servant to the people who were supposed to raise you."

"You been gathering information, I see," he commented without emotion.

Aria shrugged. "I was curious about you. Can you blame me?"

"You wanted to know about the person who attacked you, I suppose. That would make sense."

Aria shook her head. "It's not just that. I know I probably startled you that night. You've had to look out for yourself a lot, haven't you? It's only natural that you would be suspicious of people who approach you in the dark."

"That is not a justification," he pointed out.

"No, but you already apologized, so it's fine, either way," she assured him.

"I didn't apologize," he argued, "You still snuck up on me, so it's your own fault."

"Right." Aria smiled a little. "So do you really follow every order the princess gives?"

"Always," he answered.

Aria frowned as she thought about that. "So, if she told you to kill me..."

"She would not do that," he promised, "You think poorly of her, but she is not so mad as to have a girl killed off just for flirting with the prince."

"She did try to drown me, once," Aria pointed out.

"She wasn't trying to kill you," he assured her, "She just wanted to make a point and scare you a little. It's your own fault for pretending to be a mermaid."

"That was an accident," she argued, "Well, mostly and accident. It's complicated and that still doesn't give her the right to try and drown me."

"As I said, she just wanted to scare you," he replied, "It's true that she can be like a child, throwing a tantrum, at times, but she is no murderer."

Aria couldn't help smiling at him. "A child throwing a tantrum?"

"I shouldn't have said that." He looked away from her, quickly. "Please, forget it."

"But it is accurate," Aria pointed out, "Of course, I wouldn't tell anyone you said it. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with the princess." She considered him for a moment. "It's a shame you have to serve someone like her."

"You should not speak about things you don't understand," he warned.

"Sorry." She offered him another smile. "You know, if you became a human, permanently, you could get away from all of that."