He hesitates, only for a moment.
"Come with me."
He turns, swimming toward the forbidden western ridge.
I follow him, my pulse racing with the thrill of breaking the rules. We weave through the shadows of the towering monuments, avoiding the guard patrols. Vaelis leads me to a hidden cave behind a curtain of thick, drooping kelp.
We slip inside.
The cave is small, but it holds foreign treasures.
The sand floor is covered in human goods. Rusted iron gears, shattered porcelain plates, and tarnished silver forks line the rock shelves. A massive, waterlogged wooden chest sits in the center, overflowing with strange glass bottles and water-damaged books.
"Where did you… find all of this?" I whisper, my eyes wide.
"The scavengers," Vaelis says, pride swelling his chest. "I trade them food from the royal kitchens. The surface is fascinating, Mira. The humans build machines that breathe smoke. They forge metal that cuts through stone."
Picking up a silver pocket watch, he traces the cracked glass face with his thumb. Obsessed.
"Do you plan to leave the Reef?" I ask, floating closer to the chest. "Do you want to go to the surface one day?"
Vaelis laughs, a harsh, realistic sound.
"That's a silly dream," he says, placing the watch back on the shelf. "We are mer. Our gills would dry out in the wind. We can only survive up there for a few hours. The surface is a death sentence."
The glass bottles in the chest spark a wild, dangerous idea in my mind.
"I want to mix potions one day," I confess, keeping my voice low. "I hate the infantry drills. I love alchemy. I read the old texts when the tutors turn away. Vaelis, I can figure out something to give you more time on the surface. A draught. A spell— Maybe I can go with you?"
Vaelis studies me, his golden eyes unreadable.
"I'll do anything for you," I say, the raw desperation spilling out of me. "Anything."
Recoiling, Vaelis drops his hands to his sides.
"Get a grip, Mira," he says. His voice is cold water. "You sound ridiculous."
The rejection lands like a physical blow, sinking me closer to the sand floor.
"Why do you not like me?" I ask, my throat tight. "Is it because my scales are the wrong color? Are my fins too small?"
Vaelis laughs, shaking his head.
"I don't care about any of that stuff," he says. "Color means nothing to me."
"Then who do you fancy?" I demand, desperate for an answer. I list the names of the prettiest girls in the noble houses. "Lady Elara? Cressida? Seraphina?"
Vaelis makes a face at every single name, looking nauseated by the suggestions.
"No one?" I ask in disbelief. "The court is throwing the spring celebration next cycle. Who will you ask to go with you?"
Vaelis sighs, turning his back to me to study his collection of human garbage.
"I'm not interested in courtship," he says.
"But you are a Red," I remind him. "The Council expects you to continue the breeding line. You are the future of the royal house."
"Breeding?" Vaelis scoffs, a bitter edge to his voice. "I am a fighter, Mira. I'm going to the Vanguard."
