Page 2 of Calling of the Crown

Bassel glanced at me. “If you lived in a community made up of Fae and few or no humans, you were more likely to be a target.”

I immediately knew that was what happened to him based on the brief explanation Akira had once given me of Bassel’s life in the human world. Bassel had lived in a small town in Egypt with other Land Fae, and one day, Water Fae invaded, taking his home. His life had been uprooted, and ever since then, there had been a part of him that was left broken inside, craving the home he’d lost.

Feeling even more determined to achieve our goal, I held my head high. “Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Bassel’s lips lifted ever so slightly at the corners. “Let’s do it, Princess.”

The title was another reminder of who I was and the long, trying road ahead of me. If I had been asked months ago where I’d see myself come November, it definitely wouldn’t have been leading an entire kingdom full of magical, shape-shifting people on a journey toward reconciliation and healing as their Princess. Sometimes, I felt like this was all a dream, and any minute, I’d wake up to find myself snuggled up in my twin-sized bed back in my college dorm room.

“How about we get you to the palace now?” Dallas asked, shaking off the somber mood with a clap of her hands.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “Palace. Right.”

I turned to make my way into the forest, but Dallas quickly grabbed my arm to stop me. Chuckling, she said, “Where are you going?”

I paused and glanced over my shoulder at the trees. “I—I don’t know. I just assumed the palace was that way.”

“We’re Water Fae, Bria,” Imani, one of my newest friends and head of the Water Fae army, teased with a smirk. “So where do you think we live?”

My eyes went wide as I realized what she was implying. I pointed a disbelieving finger at the sea and gasped, “The water? We live in the water?”

“Yes!” Dallas squealed before falling reserved. “Well, not in the water. Not anymore anyway, but that’s a story for another day.” She grabbed my shoulders and gestured to the distant island once more. “That’s where we live. Morardia. We live on the water.”

The news shocked and thrilled me. Right there, across the glittering waves, was our island. I swallowed hard.

Home.

Since I was adopted, I’d always had a fascination with the idea of home and family and what those things looked like for me. My adoptive parents, Wendy and Greg Ashmoore, were extremely kind people who provided in all the necessary ways, but I’d still always had this void dwelling within the deepest parts of my heart. I had questions without answers and fantasies of unknown faces belonging to my real mom and dad. To now be separated from those answers by mere rippling waters left me eager and restless.

Scanning the shore and finding no dock, boat, or any other means of transportation, I asked, “How do we get there?”

“There are two ways to get to the island,” Dallas said. “I’ll let you choose. Above or below?”

My brow furrowed at the nonsensical question. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Dallas started, gesturing at the sea again. “We can get there by traveling beneath the water, or we can go on top of it. Those who can breathe underwater swim, and those who can’t walk along the sea floor in a bubble. If we go on top, we essentially ride on an ice boat.”

The air was free of any chill, and the water held no sign of ice. The ice boat didn’t seem to be feasible with the warm conditions, but I was too locked onto something else she’d said to point that out.

Dumbfounded, I looked from her to the water and back at her again. “We can breathe and swim through the water?”

“Some of us can,” Imani clarified.

“And some of us can’t,” Rance said. “It’s an ability that’s becoming rarer and rarer.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the Land Fae gathered beside me. I really wanted to go underwater, but as soon as I saw my friend’s ashen faces and wide eyes, I realized that was a big ask of them. Walking beneath the water in a bubble that could collapse and drown all of them? I’d probably be against it, too, if I wasn’t Water Fae. The only one who looked unfazed by the idea was Rune. His golden eyes merely held mine with a confidence that spoke volumes. He trusted me to decide. He was willing to follow me wherever I chose to go, even if that meant to the deepest depths of the sea.

Turning back to Dallas, I said, “I think it’s probably best to get there on top of the water. Less scary for the non-Water Fae.”

Dallas shrugged. “Fair enough.” She straightened, holding her shoulders back, and raised her hands out toward the water. The waves in our vicinity instantly froze to create a platform within the water. Dallas looked at Rune and his friends, waving a hand at the ice. “All aboard.”

Slowly, the group stepped onto the thick, solid platform. Even with the constant rocking of the waves, it somehow stayed level. I assumed that had to do with Dallas and her control of the water. It was that control that I envied and hoped to one day master. I craved that bond with the water, one so strong that it knew what I needed before I even had a chance to voice it.

I looked back at the crystal-clear water, and a warmth started to build inside my chest, spreading down my arms to my fingertips and over my legs, down to my toes. The water was reaching out to me, and if I wanted to learn and form that bond, I needed to start listening. So while everyone else boarded the makeshift raft, I closed my eyes and tuned in to the soft lullaby that whistled within the white caps.

Come.

Trust me.

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