Page 3 of Calling of the Crown

Taking a deep breath, I decided to do exactly that. I trusted the whispers, as well as the pull of my heart, and I stepped forward, leaving the shore behind. Only instead of sinking through the water to the sand below the surface, I stepped onto something solid. Looking down, I saw my reflection glittering in the water with my feet firmly placed above the waves. Excitement flurried in my chest as I took another step, just a bit further into the deeper shores, and once again, instead of sinking, I met solid footing. Beaming with awe, I held my head high and started my trek toward home, walking on water.

“Woah,” Ardley called from the platform, which floated near me.

My friends aboard watched me with the same kind of wonder that, no doubt, filled my own eyes.

“When did you learn to do that?” Ardley asked.

“Just now,” I said with a breathless laugh. “The water told me to trust it, so I did.”

Rune beamed at me with pride. “It’s because you’re a badass.”

“Just like her mom,” Dallas added with her own grin.

Some Water Fae had joined Rune and the others on the platform. Dallas and Rance propelled and steered the ice toward the island. Other Water Fae walked behind me, and I could see some swimming beneath the surface. All of it had me practically vibrating with excitement. I was ready to see more.

More of this world.

More of what everyone could do.

More of what I could do.

There were suddenly so many possibilities in front of me, and for the first time since deciding that I would lead Water Fae on this path of peace, I truly believed it. I could do this.

And it started with home.

Chapter Two

IF I HAD THOUGHT THE first ocean view breathtaking, I hadn’t seen anything yet. The view from when I’d first stepped out of the gateway into Ambrolia couldn’t hold a candle to the sight of this island. It looked like something straight out of an underwater fairytale.

Instead of grassy fields and lush trees, the island was made of sand. Seashells wove their way through the streets, acting as cobblestones. Houses and buildings were spaced throughout the vast land, and each one was assembled from either vibrant coral, shells, driftwood, stone, or a combination. Seaweed and coral decorated the white, granular ground with pops of teal, orange, purple, and green. It was as if someone had taken the coral reef from the ocean and raised it above sea level to create the colorful world that was Morardia.

At the very back of the island, towering high in the evening sky, stood the palace, and my breath hitched in my throat at the sight of it. The shiny, white, iridescent material that made up the inside of seashells created the entire structure. It caught the light of the monstrous moon, and it glittered with purple, green, and blue hues at every angle.

“I—” I paused, struggling to form words with my suddenly dry mouth. “I can’t believe this is real. This is our home.”

“Pretty great, huh?” Rance asked, nudging me with his elbow.

The group slowly moved from the water and ice raft to drift onto the island.

“Believe it or not,” Imani started and gestured at the scene before us. “This entire island used to be under water. It was back when all Water Fae lived beneath the water. When more and more of us needed to live above water, this was raised from the ocean floor. Sand Crab Fae, who can manipulate sand, rose the majority of our Kingdom out of the depths to create this island for everyone.”

“Sand Crab Fae?” I asked incredulously.

My mind sputtered in futile attempts to keep up with everything I was seeing and learning, all within the span of a mere ten minutes. There was far too much about this world that I didn’t know, and like the flip of a switch, the fear of inadequacy slipped back into the edges of my mind. How could I be the Princess that Water Fae deserved if I didn’t know anything about my own world?

“Hey.”

Rune’s gentle voice pulled me out of my darkening thoughts. He slipped his large clawed hand in mine and tugged me alongside him as we walked toward the palace, just a bit ahead of everyone else.

He squeezed my hand and asked, “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “A lot of things. It’s all just—I’m just—How do I—”

“Baby, you just got here. You just found out Ambrolia existed. Hell, you’re still new to the Fae thing in general. You’re allowed to feel overwhelmed and have questions. In fact, I think it would be more alarming if you were unfazed by everything.”

Laughing, I leaned in close to his warmth. “What about you? How are you feeling to be back in Ambrolia?”

He weighed my question for a moment, and as he did, I focused on the way the wind captured his long white hair and gently tossed it around his chiseled features. Finally, his eyes found mine, and he answered, “To be honest, it’s weird. I haven’t been here in twenty years, and even before that, I very rarely came. Only when Land Fae were summoned for something did I come back. You know how I’ve always preferred the human world. Life there was easier and felt separated from this one. I could be the young, rich guy who loved designing buildings, funding organizations, watching horror movies, and going out with friends. We can often forget what we are in the human world. We find new homes, new languages, new cultures. We become something new, and it feels normal for the most part. Here … Here, life has a whole new meaning. Here means war. Anger. Loss.”

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