Coral squeezed my hand reassuringly and led me to an upper level of the palace than the room I’d been staying in We approached a bubble which guards were stationed at. They saluted us as we entered.

Once I’d passed through the bubble, I found that Carol and I had entered into a luxurious hallway inlaid with a deep, red carpet. We followed it a ways, until we heard the faint sound of voices coming from around a corner just up ahead.

“We must not let the Shadow Prince or Wind Prince get to her! If they do, it could go any which way! The results could be catastrophic!” a masculine voice floated over to us.

“My lord, I have watched over her for some time, and she is stubborn. She may not accept or even come to terms with this as readily as you may like.”

I froze. The last one who’d spoken-that voice!

“Kame!” I cried launching myself through the water and around the corner. I crashed straight into someone and fell onto the marble tile. I glanced up at the person I had rammed into. That face! I didn’t have time to dwell on it now. I glanced around wildly until I spotted Kame. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and that would’ve definitely caught my attention, except for the fact that he too had a brilliant emerald tail. Dark green-almost black, glistening strong, powerful…dangerous.

“K-Kame?” my voice faltered as I assessed the man who had been my best friend. He didn’t come to me; didn't reassure me, didn't even smile at me with his eyes crinkling at the corners like he used to. He just floated there quietly; respectfully keeping his distance from...from what? Was he keeping his distance from me of all people...or...

A strong pair of arms hoisted me up from behind, standing me upright.

“I’m glad to see you are well, my lady,” Kame bowed, his green tail flashing like jewels as he moved.

“My lady? What’s with that?” I asked; disbelief coloring my tone, “Kame, it’s me! You’d never talk to me like that! Don’t mess around! Do you know how worried sick I was about you? And you’ve been holding out on me about being a flipping mer--water demon the whole time!?”

A cleared throat from the guy behind me…holdin