Page 72 of The Princess's Pet

“Sorry. I’m looking for Edward,” I apologised. She huffed loudly and pointed behind me before slamming the door shut.

I turned and knocked hurriedly on the door opposite. When there was no answer, I knocked again louder. The door opened as I lifted my hand to continue knocking.

“Percy? What are you doing here?” he asked me and stepped back ushering me in.

“What’s wrong?” he asked concerned as he shut the door.

“The Princess,” I croaked and held back tears. I couldn’t fall apart. There wasn’t time. “The Princess has been poisoned with Hades’ Delight. And I need your help,” I rushed out, regaining my composure.

“Hades’ Delight,” he repeated, his face losing all colour. “That’s, that’s deadly.”

“Get dressed Edward,” I demanded. He nodded and got dressed fast not seeming slightly embarrassed that he was up until then only in his underwear.

“We need to get Lady Sana the healer. If there is anything that can be done, she’ll know,” Edward said as he pulled a top over his head.

I grabbed his arms tightly.

“We will do no such thing!” I hissed. “She’s been growing Hades’ Delight in a secret part of the greenhouse. I don’t trust her and even if I did, she can’t help,” I told him seriously.

“You think Lady Sana could have something to do with it?” he asked. I nodded.

“Why else would she grow a plant deadly to pureblood vampires?”

“If a healer can’t help, how can you?” he asked, slipping on shoes.

“Because only a Flores witch can acquire the antidote,” I told him confidently. But I wasn’t confident. Not in the least. I was relying on a myth, a legend.

“There’s an antidote?” I nodded.

“I need to know where the nearest body of water is. A pond or lake,” I told him.

“There’s a pond on the other side of the castle,” he told me opening the door.

“Great, show me,” I said taking his hand in mine and pulling him towards the stairs.

He didn’t pull his hand away from mine instead once we were outside, he guided me speedily through the courtyards.

It took over 10 minutes to reach the pond. It was large, overgrown, and not cared for. It was perfect.

“Why are we here?” he asked when I released his hand.

I began searching the pond in the growing light.

“I’m looking for an aquatic plant, a weed, that I need the root of,” I explained and at the furthest reaches of the pond I saw small white flowers sitting just above the water. “There.” I pointed.

“How are you getting to that?” he asked worriedly. The pond was large and I imagined quite deep.

“Diving,” I answered simply while I plucked a few yellow leaves from a Sallberry bush. We used the common plant that grew near bodies of water to lower our heart rate and increase our dive times at home.

I chewed a few of the foul-tasting leaves and held the paste under my tongue, before wading into the pond and ignoring Edward’s worried calls.

Poseidon’s Wrath was my target. I needed the root of the plant and I needed it alive. The plant would ordinarily die quickly out of its aquatic home. But I could keep it alive. My magic could keep it alive long enough to get it back to the Princess.

Soon I was swimming closer and closer to Poseidon’s Wrath.

I was nervous. Poseidon’s Wrath was dangerous. What I was about to do was reckless. It was stupid. But it was all I had. My only chance. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose my soul match. I loved her already. There was no going back to a life without her. I refused to live in a world without her.

Taking a deep breath I dived into the murky water.

---