Chapter 23

Adalee's POV

The next day is upon us, Victoria and I just relaxing. We are lying in the bed, cuddling close together. She turns to me, pecking my cheek. "I have a surprise for you."

I turn to her, so we are face to face. "Really?" I ask, getting kind of excited at the idea.

"Yes, really. Put on a bathing suit and let's go." With that, she gets out of bed, going to the bathroom. Getting up, I go to the closet to change.

Picking out a sun yellow bathing suit, I put it on. My hair is still in the braids she put them in, me loving every second of having them. It makes me feel like I truly belong here. I've never felt like I belonged anywhere until now.

Walking out of the closet, I see Victoria showered and ready for the surprise. We step out of her room, walking along the beach. We get to her secluded spot and head into the water. I'm waiting for Victoria to let me know where we are going, but she never tells me.

We go underwater, Victoria giving me a light kiss. Knowing she has already given me the power to breathe water, I take a deep breath as she pulls away.

I smile, loving this surprise already. Every moment with Victoria is amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

She shifts her legs into her golden tail, and we start swimming a direction we've never gone before. We take our time, enjoying the swim and occasionally mind linking each other about random topics.

Looking ahead, I see a cave that looks dark, no sea creatures around. It gives me an eerie feeling, a blue light shining in the depths of it. "We're going in there?" I ask as Victoria starts to swim towards it, her hand in mine.

She stops, looking back at me. "I swear it's not as scary inside."

Believing her, I swim until I'm beside her. She has no reason to lie, I trust her with my life.

We swim into the cave, the water brightening up as we get to the top. Breaking the surface, I adjust to breathing air again. It feels slightly different. It's hard to explain.

I look around the cave, seeing blue crystals all along the walls. They radiate a small amount of light, making the cave not as dark as it seemed. The water is warm, the perfect temperature. This spot is beautiful.

Feeling Victoria's eyes on me the whole time I'm looking around, I face her. Seeing her smiling at me, I immediately smile back. "This place is beautiful."

"I know, it's my favorite place to come when I want to be alone." She takes my hand, guiding me to the wall of the cave.

She touches the crystals with a light touch, almost trying not to harm them. "These crystals are important to my family. The first mermaid rulers gained power from these crystals to protect themselves, but now, these crystals are just preserved. We take care of them like they took care of us. They helped save the kingdom from the mermaid hunters."

I'm at a loss for words, feeling so powerless being near something so magnificent. "Wow," is all I can say, being in shock that she is sharing this with me. "Thank you for bringing me here. It means a lot to me."

She just smiles, turning around and swimming closer. "You mean a lot to me." She leans in, kissing me with a driving force. Holding me up, I kiss back with just as much vigor, loving every moment.

I love Victoria so much.