Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

getting rid of her would prove what, exactly?” the king asked, his voice grave.
         “It would put Lathmor back to the way it used to be.” Voon was defiant. “She’s a mutant, and doesn’t deserve our protection. She should go, I don’t care where, but she had better get away from us.” His words echoed in the large chamber and when Kryssa opened her mouth for a retort, King Oberon held up his hand. She closed her jaw firmly and gritted her teeth.
         “Does anyone else feel this way?” The king asked his eyes roving over the tired soldiers. There were mumbled agreements and soft nods by almost all the heads. Tunder and Elik looked disgusted, as did the king. His green eyes met mine and for the first time there was sympathy in his gaze. Before, whenever the king had looked at me, he had seen me as another problem, nothing more. Now his eyes showed a deep concern, one that I didn’t understand.
         “I had something else to add,” Tunder snapped, visibly irritated with his soldiers.
         “That is not a matter to be settled right now,” King Oberon spoke with authority. “If our merfolk feel that it’s better to live without Lissie, then live without her we will. And if that is the case, she will not be privy to the ins and outs of this meeting.”
         The words were final and I found myself wondering what was going to happen. Where was I going to go? I knew that the Lathmorians wouldn’t kill me, they weren’t vicious. But where would I go. I didn’t want to go back to the island, I hadn’t been back since before Nixie’s wedding and now I would never go back. I couldn’t bear the thought of being in the one place that spoke Patrick’s name everywhere I looked.
         “But what I have to tell is about her,” Tunder’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I could see that he now had the curiosity of everyone in the throne room. “If you will permit me, I will speak of it in her presence.”
         Tunder raised his eyebrows in question and the king nodded. “When my men and I scaled the sides of the castle we knocked out all the guards without causing any disruption. We then split up to take out anyone who might be patrolling the hallways.” I thought back to how it had been so easy to get in and out of the castle. I realized now that it was because of the skillful mermen that stood in this room.
         “When I was on my own I took down two mermen and a mermaid. Then I came across something unusual.” Tunder’s voice got very serious. “There was a girl in the hallway headed in my direction. I hid in the shadows and she never saw me, but her shirt was short enough that I was able to see a cut on her right hip.” It grew quiet in the throne room.
         “What does that have to do with anything?” I recognized the voice of one of the Lathmorian soldiers. I thought his name was Folock.
         “Because it’s been years,” he looked at me and said, “many merfolk years, since we have seen the Hyven transform a human. Aside from Lissie, this girl is the first in over eleven years.” According to what Kryssa had told me about merfolk years, that meant over five hundred in human standards. I staggered at the sum.
         “So what?” Voon pushed his way into the argument, once more.
         “I think Morven has given up on using Lissie.” Tunder’s simple statement was met with silence and I wondered where he could have gotten the idea.
         “How so?” King Oberon asked.
         “This girl was singing softly to herself as she walked by. And I couldn’t help but notice that she looked very similar to Lissie. Her hair was the same color and length. She was slightly taller but not by much and had the same body build. Don’t you think it’s possible that after Lissie escaped Morven moved onto a different plan? I never dreamed that he would have Patrick killed, but this might be the reason.” Tunder spoke with