ChapterThree
254 Words
Chapter Three:
The Sea Prince’s Warning
The morning mist blanketed the forest like a veil, cool and silent. Sparkle sat at the water’s edge, running her fingers through the tide pool, her tail hidden beneath a long cloak Jake had given her.
A ripple stirred the pool.
Suddenly, a shimmer appeared beneath the surface, followed by the rising figure of a mer man cloaked in seaweed armor, his trident glowing faintly blue.
“Calder.” Sparkle stood quickly. “What are you doing here?”
“I should ask you the same,” he said, eyes cold and regal. “You’ve broken the treaty, Sparkle. The ocean’s magic does not belong on land.”
Jake appeared behind her, tense. “Who is he?”
“My brother,” Sparkle said. “Prince Calder of the Deepwater Court.”
Calder looked Jake up and down. “You stink of wolves.”
“And you stink of salt,” Jake shot back.
Sparkle stepped between them. “Enough! Calder, I’m not going back. I’ve found something here. Something that feels… right.”
Calder’s expression softened only slightly. “There are whispers in the deep. An ancient curse stirs. Our bloodline… yours, Sparkle, is the key to something dark. Be careful. Falling in love may awaken what should remain buried.”
He vanished beneath the waves, leaving behind silence.
Jake pulled her into his arms. “What curse?”
Sparkle leaned into his chest. “I don’t know. But I fear we’re about to find out.”
- Writer
