The Queen of Elysium

Chapter 72 - New beginnings

"Elissa!" The panic-tinged voice causes Elissa to jolt awake.

A reassuring, warm presence at her feet and lack of growling, eases her rapidly beating heart. Her sluggish brain starts firing and she blinks. Zane's face swims into focus. His normally sun-kissed skin has a greenish tinge and his hair is ruffled.

"What's the matter?" Her voice comes out a little croaky.

"Ianthe ... she is ..." He waves an arm about. "She is having my baby and she is asking for you."

She rubs her face. It feels too damned early to get up, but she can feel the anxiety rippling out from him. "Give me a moment."

Not bothering to get dressed, she simply wraps a dressing gown around herself and slips her feet into court shoes.

Outside, there is a full moon, bathing the garden in its soft light and illuminating the way over to the river gate. Zane sets a fierce pace, and she only just manages to keep up without resorting to magic. Cavall bounds by her feet, enjoying a midnight walk.

Zane pauses at the cluster of dragons and stoops to scoop up the unhatched dragon egg, cradling it against his chest. Amethyst and Roth join the parade, while Fuego remains behind to babysit the dragonlets.

At the riverbank, a servant is waiting with a boat. Zane places the egg on the jetty, directing Cavall to guard it, before clambering into the vessel. He holds out a hand to Elissa to help her in and they are rowed over to his home in the middle of the river.

The spacious entrance hall has a curved stairway leading to the upper rooms and sunken steps going down into the water. It is an interesting property, however, tonight is not the time to marvel at the architecture.

A half-submerged nymph holds up a basket with a starfish in it. Elissa swallows, for she doesn't particularly like them but recognises they are a necessity, given that an inability to breath under water is a limitation of her powers. Slipping off her shoes, she sits on a marble step and waits while it is affixed before diving down into a water-filled hallway below.

She follows Zane into a large room spanning the entire length of the building. Columns of glowing crystal illuminate the vaulted stone ceiling and highlight the intricate mosaics on floor and walls. The two walls facing up and down stream have arched apertures.

Ianthe is in her mermaid form and surrounded by a group of female nymphs. The river flows right through the archways, causing her purple hair to billow like silk in the currents.

Zane rushes over. "How are you holding up, my love? I have brought Elissa, just as you asked."

Bubbles of laughter effervesce around the Atlantean. "She is for you, to calm your nerves. I am at one with the river, she supports me and carries away my pain. Everything is as it should be."

"But something could go wrong."

She pulls him down for a fierce kiss and then pushes him away. "Trust me. And should anything go awry, then our queen is here."

Getting the message, he comes to stand by Elissa who she takes his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Her hand is almost crushed when things suddenly kick off, literally as Ianthe's tail starts thrashing.

It is difficult to see what is going on, their view being obscured by the bodies of the nymphs and blood, spinning and dancing like streamers of red in the water.

Finally, the movement stops and the water clears. There, suspended in front of Ianthe is a small mer-baby. His skin has a blueish-silver tinge and wisps of purple and black hair form a messy halo around his head. Instead of legs, he has a tail with teal, turquoise and purple scales.