Choices Affect Everyone COMPLETE

Chapter 16

The next day, early, Caleb heads out onto the beach for a breath of fresh air.

Philip is still asleep, and Caleb made sure other guards are around if he wakes before he gets back.

He slips his bare feet into the cold water and exhales a long breath.

"Hey."

Caleb looks up to see Percy peeking out from behind the rocks.

He nods Caleb over.

Caleb swallows and hops over the rock to Percy. "Is something wrong?"

Percy stares at him for a moment.

Caleb sits, so he's closer to Percy's eye level. "Is this about sending Caroline?"

"No... She said you're still suspicious of Muriel. I want to know why."

Caleb closes her eyes and tries not to groan. "It's my job to be suspicious."

"Caleb. Why, specifically?" Percy asks, giving Caleb a look.

He sighs. "Her manner as a mermaid. The first time she was caught, she cut a lock of his hair and kept it. I know she saved my prince because she placed him into my arms. I never heard what happened as my prince doesn't remember, but it means she was with him for a few hours. Then the second time she was caught, she leaned over my prince until he was almost lying down and then pulled him into the water with her and hit her head against his. If I could have, I would have ripped her away from my prince when she started leaning closer, her hands on either side of him. And might I add that the second time she was insistent that only my prince free her from the net and deal with her wounds. I can't know if she is trying to seduce him."

Percy blinks a few times. "Before she was captured the second time, she was staring at him through one of those drain holes."

Caleb looks away. "Yeah, that too. I saw that, but she held a finger to her lips. I don't care if it was just a crush; none of that was fully appropriate. I honestly was worried that Muriel had marked him, and my prince could die." He swallows. There, he said it and how he had to wait to see how Percy would react.

Percy looks away, his jaw clenched. "I... I don't approve of any of that either. Except when Philip rescued Muriel. She had been grazed by lightning and woke up to find Philip shivering nearby, her wounds already wrapped."

"You can't know how long she waited until she decided to return him."

Percy's upper lip curls up. "Muriel isn't like that! She wouldn't!"

Caleb takes a deep breath. "You can't expect me to trust your word as I barely know you. Even at the palace, it looked like she was looking to kiss him at one point, and she fully started to try to walk when my prince was around. And with her leaning in like on the ship, that was too close."

Percy facepalms.

Caleb swallows, unsure what is going through Percy's head.

"I need to have a long word with her."

His shoulders relax a little. He gives a nod. "Do I need to speak with Caroline about anything?"

Percy is quiet for a moment. "I'm still figuring that out. Muriel is really the only one I hang around, but she's like a sister. So I'm trying to figure out what is fine for a sister and not for other women."

Caleb nods. "Perhaps that's why Muriel did it."

"Did what?" Percy asks.

"After she pulled Philip into the water and hit her head against his, she shook her head and dove under. Perhaps as she is mostly around you, she forgot she needs to act a certain way around other men. She seems a lot more aware now that you're not around."