Page 121 of A Kingdom Restored

She linked her fingers through his, pulling him toward the clump of merpeople who were still straggling their way out of the water. Over a dozen had come on this first exploratory trip.

“Everyone, this is Heath,” she said brightly. “And this is Rekavidur. They found the memories here on the island, and convinced the other dragons to stop slaughtering us.”

Appreciative murmurs passed around the group, and Heath made a noise of protest in his throat. Merletta didn’t allow him the opportunity to disclaim, instead waving a hand vaguely over the assembled audience.

“Heath, this is everyone. I’ll introduce you properly later.”

Without waiting for him to respond, she turned away again, tugging him across the sand. Heath fell into step beside her, clearly recognizing their path. They walked in silence to the lagoon. Merletta could feel Heath’s eyes on her, but she kept hers trained ahead, feeling unaccountably nervous.

They picked their way through the mangroves, their hands still linked. When they reached the rocky bank of the lagoon, Heath let go of her hand and stepped forward.

“That’s where I first saw you,” he reflected, pointing into the water. He turned to face her, that same smile in his eyes. “You were glorious, and I was captivated the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Merletta swallowed, lost in his gaze. He’d said such things before, but something was different now. The tension was gone, the anxiety and uncertainty. He was at peace, seeming confident in himself and sure of his path. Her eyes passed over the lithe muscles of his arms, and the steady way he held himself.

She stepped forward silently, closing the distance between them and reaching up to run her fingers along the short beard still stretching darkly down his cheek. When had the earnest teenager who’d looked at her with such unexpected admiration become this confident, capable man?

He was utterly breathtaking.

“I was terrified by you,” she said, and Heath laughed at this unromantic reply. She grinned. “Not anything about you, of course. Just the overturning of my world that you represented.” She shook her head ruefully. “I had no idea. To think I was stunned to discover humans weren’t mythical after all. That’s nothing compared to learning that Iamhuman.”

Heath smiled again, his hand traveling up to trap hers where it still rested against his cheek. He turned his head suddenly, pressing his lips to her hand, and Merletta’s heart began to race.

“What’s been happening, Heath?” she asked, her voice a little breathless. “Did you arrive home to a world of trouble?”

“Not a world of it.” He shook his head slightly, his eyes drifting closed as he released her hand and instead pressed his forehead against hers. “Just a village worth.”

Merletta chuckled, but the sound was a little unsteady. She thought she’d grown used to his nearness by now, but it seemed twice as potent as usual, intoxicating her.

“We have plenty of mess to sort out underwater, as well,” she said. “Although you probably know that.”

He nodded, pulling back enough to look at her properly, although he still stood very close. “I’ve been keeping one eye on it all,” he acknowledged. His eyes searched hers. “It seems like you’ve got your hands full.”

She acknowledged it with a grimace, and a hint of sadness crept into his smile.

“You couldn’t be more different from the previous Record Master,” he observed. “But I have no doubt you will be infinitely better. Provided you have the right support.”

“What?” Merletta looked up at him, startled. “You obviously haven’t been paying as close attention as you thought. I’m not going to be the next Record Master.”

Heath stared at her. “You’re not?”

She shook her head, a laugh bubbling up at the thought. “Of course not. Can you imagine? I mean, it’s true that there’s a bit of a mob pushing for me to do it, but that’s only because I’m a sensation right now. I don’t have the patience for that role.” Her eyes met his, and she laid one hand against his chest. “And it’s not what I want.”

Again, his hand crept up to cover hers, entwining their fingers.

“No, one of the senior record holders is taking over the role for the time being. She doesn’t want to commit for more than three years, and during that time she’s going to train Emil to take over. Everyone agrees it might be best to have someone young, not as entrenched in the complex layers of deception the more experienced record holders have been indoctrinated with. I have no idea how it’s going to play out…but to be honest, I don’t seem to care nearly as much as I should.”

“But…why not? I mean…I thought passing the program was your life’s ambition,” Heath said. “Isn’t this the greatest success you could achieve?”

Heath was clearly struggling to understand her carefree mood. His forehead creased adorably in his confusion, and Merletta smiled as she ran a thumb over it to smooth it.

“I’m not interested in that kind of success,” she told him. “Maybe I was once. Whatever I told myself about being independent and not needing anyone’s approval, I can see now that when I got into the program I was desperate to achieve highly so I could be accepted. I wanted to earn a place in a world that had no room for me.” She shook her head, a smile still on her lips. “But I don’t need their approval to find success, or happiness. As strange as it sounds, the moment that really hit me was when I knew the dragons were coming, and I found myself desperate to get back in time to at least die alongside my kin, if I could do nothing more. The last time I’d been in the triple kingdoms, I’d been on the point of execution as a traitor. If I had the love and the loyalty inside me to actually be willing to die for the triple kingdoms even without their approval, surely I have what it takes to live a happy life without it.”

Her fingers splayed over Heath’s chest, taking in the warmth of him, feeling the grit of the sand that still clung to his clothes from when she’d bowled him over.

“And that’s what I intend to do,” she said simply. “Live a happy life. I don’t need the triple kingdoms’ acceptance to have a future.”

“So…so what will you do?” Heath asked, and it was his turn to sound a little breathless.

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