ELEMENTS: Acquiesce by Kathryn Andrews (snow like ashes series .TXT) 📕

Cordelia frowned. “I haven’t told half the town anything.” She could feel the blood simmering beneath her skin.

“So who did you tell?”

“Only Breck, I know I shouldn’t have. It’s complicated. You know, you seem to be ever so concerned with what Max thinks, what do you think?”

Rafe shrugged. “I met Breck, he was worried about you.”

“He’s a good person.”

“I know what he is. He showed us.”

“So that’s your insurance, we’ve a mutual trust with him.”

“He’s no good for you Cordelia; you’re water, he’s fire.”

It wasn’t the first time Cordelia had heard these words. She wondered if a relationship with Breck would ever be accepted, but she herself was born of love from different beings.

“And who do you suppose would be good for me?” she asked.

Rafe shrugged again, “I don’t know, perhaps someone of your own kind would be a good start.”

“Someone like you?”

“I haven’t really put much thought into it,” lied Rafe.

“So what have you been doing?”

“This and that. Convincing Morwen that I had nothing to do with her being turned to ice and stored in a cupboard.”

“She’s been found?!” Cordelia’s mind was wild, wondering if Morwen had any recollection of her unfortunate situation.

“Yeah, she walked into the briefing about the Kelly men.”

“What makes her think you had anything to do with it?”

“She doesn’t. She questioned every student in the school - apart from you.”

Cordelia’s stomach flipped. “Does she know who did it?”

“I don’t think so. Funny though.” Rafe held Cordelia’s gaze a little longer than necessary.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I’m thinking you’re a dark horse.”

“How so?”

“You kept that quiet, didn’t you?”

“Kept what quiet?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” said Rafe.

Cordelia wondered which of her secrets she’d been caught out on.

“Perhaps I should call you your highness,” teased Rafe.

Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief. “Mazu said she’d sworn you to secrecy.”

“That’s right, and I haven’t told a soul, but I never promised not to speak to you about it. Do you want to talk about it?”

Cordelia shrugged.

“May I?” asked Rafe, sitting on the edge of Cordelia’s bed.

“I didn’t know,” began Cordelia. “I told you, I was raised by Flynn.”

“Did you know Flynn wasn’t your real father?”

“Always. He never made a secret of it.”

“Did Flynn know who your real parents were?”

“I don’t think so. When I lived on the boat with Flynn he used to tell me the story of the day he found me. I used to imagine all sorts of things about my real parents. I imagined I was the daughter of a magnificent explorer, or the daughter of a famous pirate. Stupid really. Those were just fantasies of course.”

“Finding out you’re royalty must blow those fantasies out of the water, not to mention discovering you’re a real life mermaid.”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to feel excited when I know they didn’t want me.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing. Strange though, isn’t it?”

“Life is full of mystery.”

“So when are you going to the castle?” asked Rafe.

“I don’t know if I will.”

“Are you mad? Think of the life you’d have.”

“What if they reject me?”

“Then they’d be fools.” Rafe leaned over to kiss Cordelia.

“What are you doing?” she asked, avoiding the kiss.

“I can’t help it,” said Rafe, “you’re my weakness.”

“Liking me is a weakness of yours?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I think about you all the time. I thought I was going to lose you at the island and it made me realise how much I care for you.”

“I’m flattered, I really am and I’m so grateful to you for saving me. If you meant what you said about returning to the island I’d gladly accept your offer. As for anything else, I’m only interested in friendship.”

“You can’t blame me for trying,” said Rafe.

“You’d better leave before someone finds you here,” said Cordelia.

Rafe walked to the door. “Let me know when you’re going back to the island.”

Once Rafe had gone, Cordelia got out of bed, her ankles stiff after laying horizontal for so long. She dressed and went in search of Marilla. Standing outside the snow dome, Cordelia steadied her breathing before knocking twice on the door.

“Come in,” said Marilla.

Cordelia turned the handle and pushed the heavy, wooden door open. Marilla was reading at her desk as snow fell softly all around her. Marilla read to the end of the page and then peered over her glasses, immediately rising to her feet when she saw Cordelia standing before her.

“Forgive me Cordelia, I shouldn’t have kept you.”

“It’s no bother, really. Is it a good book?”

“It passes the time. How are you keeping? Are you fully recovered?” asked Marilla with genuine concern.

“I’m fine,” said Cordelia, watching the snow. “I wanted to thank you for keeping our secret about Morwen.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Marilla, “it’s I that should be thanking you. I’m the one who hid her in a cupboard.”

“And I’m the one who turned her to ice.”

“She already had a heart of ice so there’s no harm done there. I told you, you’ve nothing to worry about.” Marilla could see the cogs ticking in Cordelia’s mind. “What is it?”

“How do you suppose she defrosted?”

“Ah. Well there’s a very good reason for that,” said Marilla. “You were the one to freeze her and frozen she remained, until you hurt yourself. You were so badly injured that any mind work you had in place simply came undone. Was there anything else you had in place?”

Cordelia shook her head. “No.”

“How are you Cordelia? Really.”

“I’m okay. It’s a lot to take in.”

“If you need help with anything or someone to talk to, even someone to listen, you know where I am.”

Cordelia smiled mischievously, “I do have a favour to ask you.”

“Go on,” said Marilla, smiling.

“Rafe knows about me, where I’m from. I need him to forget, for now at least.”

“My dear, you could do that yourself if you wanted.”

“But that’s your speciality.”

“And you have blue blood in your veins, sangre azul. You inhibit all of the merfolk powers.”

“I doubt it,”