Book 2. Mina - The Drowned Palace 2

Book 2. Mina - The Drowned Palace 2
Mina’s determined and unwavering voice made Andromeda glare at her, while the merman on the left let out a low chuckle before saying, “I like her.”
“I don’t,” Andromeda gritted out. “If you want to learn how to use your magic, find your own way to the Drowned Palace.”
With that, she disappeared beneath the surface, the green-haired merman following her.
“She doesn’t seem to like me,” Mina told Talulah.
Not that she needed the mermaid to like her, but to defeat the Necromancer, she would need as many allies as she could get.
“Don’t take it too personally,” Talulah said softly. “Andromeda doesn’t trust humans easily.”
“Then why not ask someone else to teach me?” Mina wondered.
“Because of past events, most of the mermaids refuse to have anything to do with humans. Especially the ones that live in the Endless Sea.” Despite the sadness in her voice, Talulah smiled faintly as she glanced at the remaining merman. “Andromeda lives in this lake with her two brothers, Keel and Llyr, because she still believes things between your kind and hers can be mended. Unfortunately, she has witnessed enough to make her wary of humans and make her think twice before she helps one.”
“Not all humans are bad,” Mina pointed out.
Talulah’s cloudy gaze returned to Mina. “Then prove to her that you’re different. Show her that the reason you need her help is because you want to use your voice to protect those who need protection, to bring justice, and also to get revenge on those who have wronged you.”
Mina’s brows pulled together. “What other reason could there be?”
It was the merman who replied, “Magic can be used for good and for evil. Just because Talulah vouches for you doesn’t mean my siblings or I should trust you. After all, trust is earned, not given freely. Your true intentions have yet to be revealed.”
He turned his kelpie around. “We shouldn’t make my sister wait. Unfortunately, patience is something she struggles with. I am Llyr,” he introduced himself before disappearing beneath the water.
If the mermaids lived in a palace deep beneath the waters of the lake, it could only mean that the lake was incredibly deep.
“Even if mermaid blood runs through my veins, I’m not one,” Mina said to Talulah. “How am I supposed to follow Andromeda and her brothers to their home?”
“Leith will take you to the Drowned Palace,” Talulah replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Is Leith the white tiger?” Mina wondered.
“He and his two brothers are Morphlings,” Talulah replied.
“I’ve never heard of them before. What are they?”
Talulah’s gaze remained fixed on the line of trees on the other side of the lake. “No one really knows the true form of a Morphling, as they can take the shape and form of many animals. Some scholars believe they are shadows from another universe that have made their way here through cracks in the Void. But whatever the truth about their origins might be, it fails to explain how extraordinary and loyal Morphlings are to those they bond with.”
“Bond?” Mina asked.
“It’s hard to explain,” Talulah said. “You will have to experience it to fully understand it.”
“I doubt that will be the case, given that I don’t fully understand what they are or how common they are,” Mina said. “What kingdom are they originally from?” 
“They arrived on this continent many years ago, when they were still little cubs, stolen from their mother and sold to a cruel master who used them for terrible things. I saved them after a couple of years of captivity, and since then, they have been my loyal companions,” Talulah revealed as she petted the head of the creature beside her.
When her attention returned to Mina, she added, “Leith will remain with you until you have finally learned to use your magic.”
“How am I supposed to breathe underwater?”
“Oh, yes,” Talulah mumbled as she pulled a small metallic box from her pocket. She opened it and took out what looked like a thin piece of deep green parchment.
“Eat this,” Talulah told Mina. “It will grant you the ability to breathe underwater for as long as you remain in this lake. Once you leave, you can never return.”
Mina nodded as she took the strange parchment and, without giving it much thought, placed it in her mouth and quickly chewed it before swallowing. Its peculiar taste lingered on her tongue for several minutes.
The changes began almost immediately. A thin membrane appeared between her fingers, while gills formed behind her ears. Scales spread across parts of her legs, arms, and torso, covering her skin in shimmering patches.
Mina bent over and quickly removed her boots, then her dress, keeping only her undergarments on. She neatly folded the dress and placed it next to her boots on top of a rock.
“Keep an eye on Jayden while I’m gone,” Mina asked Talulah. “I fear what Rosalyn will do now that he’s in such a vulnerable state.”
“I’ll have Aqilus guard him,” Talulah reassured her, her hand sliding over the strong body of the tiger. “He will keep Jayden safe until you return.”
“Thank you,” Mina breathed before diving into the water and swimming toward Leith.
Once she climbed onto the kelpie’s back, Mina had only enough time to ask, “Are you a mermaid as well?”
If Talulah replied, Mina didn’t hear her, for Leith plunged into the dark waters of the lake, taking her deeper and deeper beneath the surface toward the place where the mermaids lived.
For a moment, Mina panicked, afraid she would drown, but then she remembered she now had gills, and the frantic beating of her heart slowly eased.
The lake was far deeper than Mina had imagined possible, and it took many long minutes for her and Leith to reach the Drowned Palace. It emerged from the darkness like something from a dream, a majestic structure made of luminescent stone, pearls, seashells, and countless crystals that glowed softly from its walls and towers. Some were clear as glass, while others shimmered in shades of blue, green, and violet, illuminating the water around the palace. 
And in front of the entrance stood a massive sea serpent, its enormous body coiled protectively to prevent anyone from entering. The moment its eyes landed on Mina, it lunged at her. 

I hope to have another chapter ready by Sunday, but a lot will happen in a short time, and I will need to juggle Mina, Aksel, and Liam around.