Page 28 of A Kingdom Restored

“No.” Merletta cut off the slightly pompous words. “This isn’t a business matter. It’s personal. It relates to his brother, Elric. The one who died outside the barrier. Please tell him I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

The merman frowned at her, clearly considering dismissing her out of hand.

“I really will wait as long as it takes,” she warned him grimly.

With an irritated twitch of his tail, he gave in, waving her through the doorway and into a small alcove just inside the entrance. Merletta sank onto a ledge under a narrow window, trying to calm her nerves.

“I’ll see if the master is at home,” the merman said sniffily.

Merletta rolled her eyes as he swam away. As if he didn’t know exactly where his master was.

She wasn’t left in suspense for long. Only a few minutes had passed when she saw the silver-haired Elfin swimming toward her down a broad and well-carved hallway.

“Good morning,” he said, his brows lifted slightly in surprise. “I didn’t expect to meet you again, uh…?”

“Merletta, sir,” Merletta supplied, rising into the water. “My name is Merletta.”

One eyebrow went up, and his eyes passed slowly over her. After a prolonged moment, he nodded. “Yes, you said you were descended from the Mer line. Through your mother, then, I take it?”

“I believe so,” she said carefully. “Although I can’t be sure. In fact, I was hoping you might be able to answer that.”

He frowned. “I thought you were here about my brother. I don’t know why you would think I could help you with your mother’s lineage. I told you, I kept no contact with my sister-in-law’s family after her death.”

“I am here about your brother,” Merletta assured him. “But also about my mother’s identity.” She took a steadying pull of water, sternly telling herself to pull it together and make a little more sense. “Sir, you said that your brother and his wife both died in the same accident, outside the barrier.”

“That’s right,” he said warily, as if expecting a trap.

“Did they have any children?” Merletta asked, gathering her courage.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he didn’t immediately answer. “You said your name is Merletta?” he pressed at last.

She nodded, her heart pounding.

He regarded her for another moment in silence, then gave his tail a convulsive flick. “Come with me,” he said, his voice curt, before turning and swimming back the way he’d come.

Merletta followed as Elfin led her down a series of corridors, past a staggering number of large, well-lit rooms. Finally, he preceded her into a study. Just like the one at Andre’s house, this one boasted a large stone slab, almost the size of the far wall.

“Your family record,” Merletta murmured.

He nodded. “You’ll find my brother’s name there.”

Following his pointing finger, Merletta swam up to the slab. Her eyes moved slowly, almost fearfully, over the inscribed names. She saw Elfin’s name, a line connecting him to the name of a mermaid, and three descendants appearing underneath. One of them even had, so far, one descendant of their own. The names above Elfin’s—his parents, presumably—were underlined.

And alongside, in the position of a sibling, was the nameElric. It also was underlined, as was the name to which it was connected by a thin line—Elminia of Mer. Merletta’s eyes moved even more slowly as she followed the markings down, to see one name, again underlined, below the couple.

Merleisha.

She stared at it, her whole frame slumping in disappointment. The nervous energy drained out of her, making her feel like a pufferfish suddenly deflated.

“What…” Her throat was so tight, it took her two attempts to form the words. “What does the underline mean?”

“That the person in question is deceased,” Elfin said. “If you look further up, the names are all underlined.”

Merletta glanced up to see that he was right, but her eyes flicked immediately back to the names she’d come for. So this Merleisha, whoever she’d been, was as dead as her parents.

“Who are you?” Elfin demanded. “You said your name is Merletta. But where do you come from?”

“I’m…” Merletta swallowed. “I’m an orphan. I grew up in a charity home in Tilssted. I never knew who my parents were. I was told that I was abandoned anonymously at the home. When I reached sixteen, I left Tilssted, and gained a place in the Center’s training program. It was my ambition to be a record holder.”

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