The Caste - On Hold, major edits and title change.

Chapter Eleven

Corvus coughed and gasped as he went into the water. He flailed his arms until he hit the bottom of the Merfolk's pond. He could breathe. Nyrie's laughter rang out around him; she held out her hand to him and pulled him to his feet.

"You should learn to trust once in a while, Simon." Nyrie held tight to his hand, leading him beyond the aquarium grounds.

"Trust... funny thing about trust... it's never freely given."

"You sound like my Dad..."

The further the pair got from the aquarium pond, the water became clearer, and beams of light trickled through the water. The hulls of the icebreakers cast their shadows onto the riverbed.

"This way, Simon; it's just a little farther now," Nyrie assured him.

"My name is not Simon, it's Corvus."

"I know but daddy told me to call you Simon," Nyrie said tilting her head to the side.

"Your father knows of me?" Corvus' eyes widened raising his forehead at her revelation. He had only been to the aquarium once before this.

"My father knows you better than I think you know yourself. Through here, Simon." Nyrie pushed her hand through a hole in the massive reef, and the sound of a lever whirring to life echoed through the water. A cave door slid open, and Nyrie disappeared through it. "Watch your step, Simon, the stairs can be a little slippery."

Corvus walked through the door and beheld the sight before him. Down the steep stairway, he could see a city looming off in the distance in the middle of the Detroit River. The ivory towers glistened as the sunlight cascaded through the water, giving it an ethereal glow. Nyrie's clothing had disappeared, and she returned to her natural Mer form.

"Really, my name is Corvus." Corvus turned his head away. Nyrie's hair floated around her face like a halo, exposing her breasts.

Nyrie giggled at him, swimming closer to Corvus. She leaned in, resting her forehead on his. "Do I frighten you in my natural form, Simon? Just as well, my father may kill you. I know your name is Corvus. I don't want to make it a habit of calling you your real name in case we have to be on the surface together. A slip up could be deadly, for both of us. Come along."

Nyrie turned away from him, her blue tail flicked behind her sending a ripple spray of water at Corvus. She swam to the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Corvus to come down to the bed of the river.

"It would be much faster if you would at least try to swim, you know," Nyrie told him as he made it down the last step. "At this rate, we will be walking all day."

"I told you I don't know how to swim."

"It's easy, give me your hand, and let your body feel the water." Nyrie reached for Corvus' hand. "Push your feet off the ground."

Corvus held her hand in his and pushed his feet off the ground. He could feel his body begin to float up to meet her. Panic set in and Corvus sputtered, flailing his arms and legs with a fury.

"Calm down. I am not going to let you drown." Nyrie put her hand on Corvus' shoulder.

As Corvus calmed himself, Nyrie put an arm in front of Corvus' stomach, her other against his back. She pushed with her arm against his back, planking him onto her arm that rested against Corvus' stomach.

"Now, kick your feet, and move your hands in front of you."

Corvus kicked his feet and moved his hands as Nyrie had shown him before. He was swimming, safely between Nyrie's arms, but swimming nonetheless.