The Seelie Curse

Chapter 63

Cáel gathers the small pile up and walks towards the back of the glen, where the shadows are deepest. Kyma frowns.

"Where are we going now?"

"I need access to water for the next bit, there is a pool back here."

"What do you need water for?"

"You need access to running water to find the river stone. Without a river stone, you'll be unable to open the passage."

"A river stone like a rock that's been smoothed by the movement of the water, or something else?"

Cáel laughs. "Do you remember the blue bead on Ro's bracelet?" Kyma nods. "That is a river stone. They're hard to find, unless you're a kelpie."

Kyma shrugs. "Okay, I believe you." She pauses. "I think."

With a laugh and a grateful smile, Cáel ducks into the shadows at the back of the glen. Kyma follows, letting out a cry of pain when she walks into a stone wall. There is a muffled laugh from somewhere beside her and she feels a tug on her arm. Kyma scowls in the direction of the pull. If she could see, she would be glaring at Cáel right now. He couldn't warn her that she was going to walk into a stone wall? Was it that hard?

She can still hear the laughter in his voice. "Almost there."

She can tell. The air is just a smidge warmer and the sound of burbling water echoes around them. There is a splash and Cáel makes a sound of irritation from in front of her.

"I should have brought a light."

Kyma stifles a laugh and steps forward, into the water. It's warmer than she thought it would be, there must be a hot spring here. It doesn't smell of sulfur though, the water is just delightfully warm. She wades into it and shifts, activating her light scales. Cáel stares at her with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open. She giggles, reaching forward to tap his chin. His jaw shuts with an audible snap and he frowns at her.

"Have you always been able to do that?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you use those on the way in?"

"I can only use them in this form. Shall we get to the task at hand?"

Kyma inclines her head and Cáel ducks his chin, frowning down at the water. He reaches into it, waiting. Kyma flicks her fins at the sudden current, shivering. Cáel frowns at her, glancing up for a moment but still keeping one eye on the water.

"You okay?"

She nods. "I just wasn't expecting there to be a current here, that's all."

She leans back against the stone slope leading into the pool as Cáel continues watching the water. It's up to his wrists, swirling around his skin. Kyma tilts her head back, looking up at the stone ceiling. She can't quite make it out, but it's soothing to see the barest hints of light from her scales reaching the stone.

"Do you have to find the river stone here specifically?"

"No, I just need to be near running water. This pool was the closest source. It's where our river begins."

"I didn't see the water on our way here."

"You wouldn't. It dips back beneath the ground again outside this pool, staying there for a while before it reemerges."

Kyma looks down at the water when she hears a small splash. Cáel has dumped all the golden stones they had collected into the water.

"Why'd you do that?"

"To smoothen their edges. Don't worry, they won't disappear."

He's not wrong, the pebbles somehow stay in place, even though the current in the pool is strong enough to shift Kyma's tail. He pulls them out after a moment, keeping his other hand in the water. While they wait, Kyma peers at the rocks. Their edges are smoothed just enough that they aren't jagged, that they won't be too rough on the skin, but they still have the bulk of their form.

The tiny chips look like shards of golden sea glass, the kind that used to wash up on the beaches near her island and gleam in the sunlight. Of course, they were never on Eileen Mhara itself, the merrows were too careful with their home to let the debris easily pass beneath their watchful eyes. That was the one true thing she missed from before, the joy of finding something discarded by people and turned into a gem by the sea. Cáel smiles at Kyma, his eyes gleaming even in the light from her scales.

"Pretty, aren't they?"

"They remind me of sea glass."

Cáel's smile grows into a grin and he nods, turning his attention back to the water just in time to catch the blue stone that drifts into view, carried by the current. He swipes at it, but it dances out of reach. He gives Kyma a sheepish smile and tries again, but misses. With a laugh, she pulls it out of the water using her powers and lets the bubble of water hover just in front of him.

He extracts the stone from inside the watery ball and she lowers it back into the pool. Cáel helps Kyma out of the pool and she follows him out of the hidden cave, silently wishing she could have stayed in the warm water for a few moments longer. It doesn't take long for him to fashion together a piece of jewelry from the stones.

The longest portion of the process comes from him shifting into his horse form long enough for Kyma to pull a few hairs from his mane and then for him to braid those hairs together into a cord. He pauses halfway through the process, frowning at Kyma.

"What is it?"

"Would you be against an anklet? You already have a lot of bracelets."

Kyma shrugs. "I don't see why not, although I'm not sure how well it might work if I'm in my merrow form. Things don't quite transfer the same way."

Cáel looks puzzled. "Your bracelets and necklace did."

"Those were on my torso. It's different for things on my lower half. That's what saved my life before. The injury didn't transfer."

Cáel nods. "Than I'll make sure this can be worn as an anklet or a bracelet, just in case it does network as an anklet."

He extends the anklet to her and she takes it with a smile, sitting on the ground for a moment to tighten it around her ankle. It fits snugly, with enough room for the cord to lengthen if needed. She smiles up at him.

"Now what?"

He shrugs. "Do you think your cousin would be against us going back now?"

Kyma laughs. "Shall we go and see?"
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What do you think of this chapter? What is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.