A Thousand Salt Kisses Later (Book 2 of Salt Kiss series)

Inside The Jewel.

Finally, we seemed to break through the crowds and into The Jeweled Kingdom, or 'The Jewel' as Nephys called it.

I viewed my surroundings from under the veil. It was as breathtakingly beautiful as I had imagined.

The buildings were very different from human houses. They all seemed to be huge rocks of crystal, with holes carved into them - almost like caves- although nothing like the one I had slept in the previous night. These were glorious colourful caves.

I eyed up a jade-coloured rock-building, as we trotted by. The cloudy green exterior was of a matte texture, but tiny crystals twinkled from within its gaping entrance, which wound out onto the sands.

The buildings were not just jade either; they were rose quartz, opal, topaz and many other less common gems that I did not know the names of. I could see mers bustling about inside some of the rock-buildings, but it appeared that most of the activity was outside.

Crowds of tattooed bodies swarmed through the big sandy streets, adjourned in gemstones and flowers.

I watched a whole family swim down the street hand in hand. The mother was a stunning dark-haired mermaid, with rose red lips and blue inked arms. Her children - darling miniature mers - all wore flowers in their hair and their little blue tails wagged as they moved along. I couldn't help but smile as the handsome long-haired father looked across his brood proudly.

"It's seething," complained Spirit, who now swam by our side.

"Well, what do you expect?" said Nephys. "It must be due to begin any minute."

I began to feel sick as I thought about Llyr and this mysterious ceremony. What am I heading towards? I thought, looking up at the huge amethyst building. We were now so close that I could see decorative engravings on the exterior - just like in the photo George had shown me all those years ago - whilst fine statues of mers protruded from the side.

I looked down at my gloopy top in embarrassment. I had never known anything like this place, and I felt desperately out of my league - a runtish, ridiculous weirdo.

"Okay, so we will go in the front entrance, and then head left and upwards into the west wing," said Nephys firmly. "Everybody else will be heading to the right."

I nodded quietly, my stomach in knots. Left, head left, I told myself.

"Don't worry Crystal; my chambers are lovely. You can relax there, have a nibble and read my books. I will return early, with a little tipple and we can have a proper chat."

I smiled at Nephys, feeling instantly better. I didn't know mers drank alcohol until that point in time, but it was a welcome revelation, and I wished I could have some that very second.

We were now at the palace gardens where many little sea-flowers were laced within the stretches of luminous green moss. There were fish too everywhere, little shoals darting about fearlessly, perfectly at home it seemed in The Jewel palace gardens.

I took a deep breath as we approached the entrance. There was a large queue to get inside. Nephys steered William through the crowds and as the mers looked up they parted for her.

"What's she doing out here?" I heard a mermaid mutter as we passed, clearly referring to Nephys.

"You'd have thought she'd be inside," said another.

"Your highness!" a tall merman on the door exclaimed as we reached the front.

"Good evening Coral," Nephys said briskly, dismounting William. "I had to collect my friend. She has traveled from far away seas, and we need to go to my chambers quickly, before the event."

I got down from William too, with the help of Spirit.

Coral, the merman, nodded slowly, looking at the three of us with thick raised eyebrows, as we swam before him.

"Yes, of course," he said, clearly puzzled. Spirit also seemed to be of close connection to Llyr, and it would certainly look odd that these two key figures would be late to such an important occasion. "It's going to start now," he finished, pointedly.

"That's fine, we'll be down shortly, please have William collected," said Nephys, taking my arm and guiding me forwards.

We passed through the arch into a gentle purple light. Spirit turned to us. "I'm going in," he said.

Nephys nodded. "Yes, yes, you'd better hurry," she replied.

Spirit nodded at me.

"Bye," I said quietly, and he was gone.

I looked at my surroundings. My eyes immediately fell on an enormous aquamarine statue of a merman carrying a trident and staring ahead with a look of ruthlessness.

"Is he a god?" I whispered as I gazed at it.

"Oh, Crystal please, we have no time," said Nephys, tugging me through the crowds to the left direction. I looked at her face, and I saw she wore an expression of severe stress.

"Sorry," I said, turning to follow her.

Suddenly there was an explosion of noise, and I froze stunned, trying to process what was going on.

Straight ahead, I could see several mermen had emerged in the waters above carrying huge blocks of wood and stone in their hands. Their heads were shaven, and thick black stripes were smudged across their faces, over their eyes. They surveyed the crowd with a look of ferocity and began to clash the slabs together again and again. The sound reverberated strongly through the sea, and the effect was like that of a drum.

Now they swam up towards the crowd, driving them backward as they beat the stones together. The noise was startling, and I covered my ears and watched them. It were as though they were trying to make way for something.

The crowds parted, and I felt myself get pushed in several directions.

"They're coming!" I heard a voice shout excitedly.

I looked around; I had become separated from Nephys.

Oh, shoot! Where is she?

I scoured around me, left right, up and down, but I could not see her. I considered swimming upwards but stopped myself. I still could not control my movements properly and could easily go floating off.

Suddenly I heard the sound of music and the crowds began to cheer. Masked mermaids came belly dancing into the entrance hall, some playing little string violin-like instruments, made from gigantic shells.

I watched on for a moment transfixed. These mer were not like the ones I had met before. Their tails were not blue, like those of The Jewel. They were a deep maroon shade, and they did not have the green-blue inkings either. Their skin bore black block-like symbols, tattooed in straight vertical stripes down their torsos. Whatever this procession was, a foreign party was leading it.

The dancers and musicians were making their way to the right and through a huge arch, cut through the amethyst.

This must be the entrance to the hall where the ceremony is taking place, I thought, my stomach lurching.

I felt myself being pulled towards the arch as the crowds surged into the hall. I knew that I should stay and look for Nephys but for some reason, I didn't resist the pull. I knew that part of me didn't want to; it needed to find out what was happening on the other side of that wall.