Nella lay staring up at the ceiling, her eyes tracing the curling alabaster patterns etched there, patterns that seemed to shift and dissolve unless she looked straight at them. The whole Tognir world was like that for her, a never ending hologram that protested against what she innately felt to be a cold, confining underwater cavern. It was a world she would never escape, a world without sunlight, without Millie, without her mother.

Millie had confirmed that she and their mother would be visiting family members out of town for the next few days. Nella hoped it would be enough time for Dom to just give up.

“I can’t let you die,” Millie had told her. “Mom is so worried about you.”

“I might not die,” Nella had said with some hope, “but you will if you come back.”

She didn’t really know if she could trust Eli. She didn’t know if he was telling the truth about helping her, but with her new ability to read what she could only describe as his inner presence, all she could see was sincerity, sparkling gold and white like sunlight on the surface of the river.

But how did she know that was real? For all she knew, these fish people could lie to each other just as well as humans could, mind-reading or not.

She rolled off the divan. Her partially-webbed feet bonded with the floor, and she stumbled to the doorway of her room. Eli was gone, as usual, either at training or to the Room of Records, where he claimed to be researching a way to make her human again.

For her part, she knew she had to keep practicing her walking. If she was going to escape, she’d need to be able to get through the Tognir kingdom outside, a kingdom she’d never seen and didn’t particularly care to see. And with her new, heavier frame, she knew she’d never be able to outpace the Tognir, despite her decent swimming ability.

She made several laps around the large house, going up and down the little ramps leading to each floor. It gave her something to focus on, something to dull the sharp panic in her that screamed at her to run for her life. It wouldn’t do any good. She recalled her first fight with Eli, and Dom’s terrifying attack, and shuddered. She was simply no match for these fish people, not in their own world, anyway.

Nella turned to step onto the balcony above the great room, but a prickling in her mind stopped her. She focused her attention on it, and an unfamiliar aura brightened in her mind.

“Eli? Are you home?”

Nella froze where she was. Eli’s girlfriend. She bent and tried to guard her mind.

“Eli, it’s me, Ana.” Ana stepped in further and lit the glowstone with a two-note melody. It flared to life, and now Nella could see her through the bars of the balcony.

She examined Ana with some curiosity. She was pretty in a strange sort of way— her dark scales glistened with a pleasing color in the blue light, and her hair, lighter than Eli’s, swirled around her face and complemented the deep brown gown she wore.

Ana peered around the great room. Her aura swept out through the house.

Nella held her breath, hoping her mental guards would be strong enough. To her relief, Ana heaved a sigh and dropped her arms to her side.

“He’s never here. Never. And this is the only time I have to see him. He’s not at the training grounds…where else could he be?”

If he wasn’t training, he was probably at the Room of Records. Nella’s heart thrilled with a bit of hope. And that meant he was looking for her antidote.

Ana gasped. “Who’s there?”

Nella’s heart jumped into her throat. Before she could re-establish her mental guards, Ana’s aura surged out and touched hers, then drew back in confusion.

“Who are you?”

“Nobody. I’m nobody.” Nella gulped and remained where she was.

Ana picked up her skirts and started up the ramp. “You don’t sound like nobody to me.”

Nella crept backwards on her hands, then leapt up and launched herself across the balcony.

“Hey, come back!”

Nella ran headlong down the opposite ramp, fell hard, and scrambled back up.

Ana caught up and grabbed her arm. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before. And why are you wearing men’s clothes?”

Nella glanced down at her plain pants and shirt and looked back at Ana, wide-eyed.

Ana’s golden-brown eyes bore into hers. “You’re a pretty little thing.” Her eyes widened and her grip tightened. “You’ve been here all along, haven’t you? What’s your name?”

“I, uh…”

“What’s your name?” Ana’s aura pulsed a nasty pea-green.

Realization struck Nella hard, and a fiery blush erupted under the scales on her face. “It’s not like that. I- I didn’t want to come here anyway.”

“Oh, really?” Ana began to pull her towards the doorway. “Alright, then. Let me show you the door.”

“No, you don’t understand-”

“Oh, I understand perfectly-”

“No!” Nella wriggled out of her grasp and backed away. “It’s not safe. I can’t go out there. I’ll be killed.”

Ana stared at her, eyes dubious and hard. “Whatever trick it is you’re trying to pull, it’s not going to work.” She pointed at the door. “Either leave on your own, or I’ll see to it that my guards have you removed.”

Nella stared back, desperate. She didn’t have a choice anymore. If she stayed, the guards would find her. Leaving was her only chance. Now or never.

“Fine. I’ll go.” Nella started toward the doorway, then looked back at Ana. “Just don’t tell anyone you saw me.”

Ana snorted. “Fine by me. I’m embarrassed enough as it is. To think I trusted him…”

Nella shook her head. “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about, believe me. He’s all yours.” She stepped into the doorway, glanced down the tunnel both ways, and ran for her life.