As we opened our mouths to answer, somebody burst through the door.

'Hey! Are you guys o...oh, sorry!'
A familiar bob of black hair hid behind pale hands. Fabian and I snapped apart, looking away from one another and retrieving our hands once more. Scarlett, peering through her fingers, said, 'Is it safe to look?'

I scoffed. Fabian held up his hands in defeat.

'Thank goodness!' my birth sister cried. She closed the door gently before crossing the room to where we sat. 'I didn't realise I'd be disturbing. So, are you two...?'

Blushing, I looked down at my knees where my hands had balled into fists.

'Kind of,' I said, stomach performing loops.

'No!' Fabian said simultaneously.

Our gazes leaped back to one another; his face looked horrified and mine...well, I was certain I was glaring at him, at the very least.

'No?' I demanded, nostrils flaring in anger.

'Kind of!' Fabian said, again, simultaneously.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. 'So yes, you two are still the slowest, stupidest couple I've ever met.'

My scowl, if possible, became even sulkier, but now it was aimed at my sister. Before I could pester her, she swiftly moved on.

'The Queen says that she's retiring for the night, but she shall receive you both tomorrow to continue her audience, and for you to make your apologies,' Scarlett said in one breath, her voice deadpan. 'And of course, it was her Majesty's idea that Fabian get some rest.'

Everything dripped with sarcasm and distaste. Scarlett's disdain for the Mer Queen was becoming evident.

'Of course,' Fabian repeated, giving us both a knowing look. 'At least I have until tomorrow to think of reasons not to kill my mother.'

I cocked my head, mockingly pausing to think. 'How about her sense of humour?'

Fabian shuddered.

'Her...heart-warming personality?'

This time, I was given a flat out stare.

'Her wonderful son,' Scarlett suggested quickly, stepping between the two of us. 'Now can you stop fighting so we can come up with a plan?'

We both blinked at her, at each other, and nodded.

'What do you have in mind?' Fabian asked, and I leaned forward, listening in with concentration.

Scarlett folded her arms. 'Well, aside from Fabian's father, there's a lot in there that involves you, Lumina.'

'We managed to learn a little,' I agreed, musingly. I ran a hand through my hair. It was tangled up already. My fingers fumbled through knots as I spoke.

'Sirena mentioned that I have to pick up the sceptre, but equally, Freya can too. As long as one of us does, the Island is safe. Safe from who, though...'

Fabian shook his head, as confused as I was. 'But we want Lumina to pick up the sceptre, right? Where is it?'

Scarlett paced. 'It's described as being in the centre of Angelica. Where do you suppose that is?'

'Geographically the centre?' Fabian scratched his head. 'If only we had access to my library. I bet there's information there on the Candidate Ceremony.'

'Can we not go back to Sapphire?' I said. 'After all, the old King is dead, curfews are over, the people are free from the prison, and Freya...'

A lump rose in my throat. How did I know what Freya would do? She was little more than a stranger to me; a lying, scheming one. But she was smart. She was tactical. Surely it made sense to free Sapphire from the old lockdown, and give her people reason to believe her heroism?

'No way,' Scarlett said, 'I'm not putting my trust in that girl! Don't make that mistake again, Mina.'

At the nickname, I twitched. Reia, my Reia, had called me that. Not Freya.

Golden blonde curls shifted between my hands as I pinned up Freya's hair. In the mirror, I could see the girl's expression of delight; had she never worn a pretty dress before? Truly, she looked wonderful. Her golden dress complimented her wings and hair perfectly. I marvelled at her amazement, so innocent and fresh, and smiled.
'There,' I said, 'What do you think?'
My reflection joined Freya's next to her face. We both grinned at each other.
'If only I could always be this beautiful,' Freya said, 'I bet every Lord in the kingdom would fall for me.'
I shook my head. 'Beauty isn't in your curls or your face, Freya. That's being aesthetic. Beauty is the strong hearted, honest and kind person. Aesthetics will change from one person to another, but beauty is admired by all.'
Freya looked back at her reflection, eyes glazing at the curves of her face and accented cheekbones. She looked from side to side, sending her curls bobbing.
'But people only ever see the aesthetics.'

I snapped from the memory to hear Fabian and Scarlett debating on whether Sapphire was a viable option. Fabian was keen to get away from the underwater city, but Scarlett insisted it was an allegiance we needed.

'Besides,' she was saying, 'the only way for us to get to that sceptre is by using the underwater channels. They all merge. We'll be able to get to the centre without being caught.'

For once, Fabian looked ousted. Grudgingly, he looked to me for help, but I was too busy staring out at the water.

There was an eerie stillness to this place. My clothes rustled as I passed across the room to gaze out at the dark. The sea was a deep green, and seaweed flickered in an unseen current. I could only make out a few metres of water and sand before it clouded into blackness.

When I was a thief, I hadn't been able to swim. I had instinctively hated the water, and if I hadn't, perhaps I wouldn't have been pulled out by guards in Sapphire and landed on Fabian's ground.

But now, that fear is hidden away-- a long forgotten memory. Lady Lumina had learned to swim from before she could walk, and her town had been on the riverbanks.

But seeing the darkness outside, I felt that irrational fear return.

Freya had said that people only see aesthetics. And it was true. Nobody would ever see my internal struggle of being underwater. If I suffered, only I would experience the pain. What if ruling Angelica wasn't about how strong my heart was, but about the illusion of a strong heart?

How can I, the shadow, fight against a queen who can create illusions that make people adore her?

'I'm more interested in the part about saving Angelica,' I said quietly. 'If Freya reaches the sceptre first, I don't mind. But if I can stop that portal from opening...if I can find the demons that are trying to get through...it won't matter.'

Scarlett's mouth fell open. 'You don't want to become Queen?'

Fabian looked less surprised. In fact, he was nodding in agreement, giving me a look that seemed proud. 'No, Lumina's right. This man-- my father-- must be stopped at all costs. That is what a true Queen would aim to do.'

Imperceptibly, I flinched. There Fabian went again, giving me more credit than I deserved. I'd only been too afraid to want to fight against Freya, and yet he took my cowardice for bravery.

'But where are we going to find information about these demons?' Scarlett looked baffled. 'Surely there's records somewhere. I mean, I'd never thought about it but it makes sense that we aren't from here. Everyone seems to have forgotten, though.'

'I have another question,' I said, 'How did we get here? And I'm not talking about the island. How did we get underwater? What is this place?'

Fabian smirked. 'I'd forgotten you were slacking off that day. Sirena has a close group of shamans that transported the air breathers down here; Steppers, they say.'

I rolled my eyes. Slacking isn't how I'd put my involvement that day. The last thing I remembered was burning up. That fire-- that guardian-- was powerful. It had nearly cost my life, but it had saved me. I could only hope that it would be enough to keep whatever was on the other side of the portal at bay.

'So to get back up again, we have to run it by her,' I said darkly, chewing my lip. Scarlett also ground her teeth in frustration.

'She's still my mother!' Fabian protested, seeing our faces. 'She's...not perfect, but she wouldn't harm me.'

'Leaving you to a demon father wasn't harmful?' I countered, my voice low and flat. Fabian looked hurt, and my chest tightened with guilt.

'How about we spin a white lie,' Scarlett interrupted. 'We make up some reason that we need to go back to Sapphire to protect this Sceptre.'

Pausing in our bickering, the two of us were silent, considering our options. Certainly, disclosing some of the truth would be the easiest way to gain Sirena's allegiance. But what story would convince her to take us back to the surface? We all went back to silent, thinking hard.

'How about needing more allies?' Fabian asked.

'Wouldn't send us,' I murmured, 'Needs to be something secret enough that it has to be us, nobody else.'

'A secret weapon...' Scarlett said under her breath, 'something of Lumina's? Or Fabian's...'

I turned my head. 'How about something left to you by your father? Something powerful enough to not entrust to anyone else?'

'My father didn't leave anything to me...' Fabian started. 'I guess...he did leave me the Sapphire.'

Scarlett and I whipped our heads around to face him. 'You have it?' I cried.

'That's it!' She cried, punching her fist into the air. 'I was thinking to make it up, but that's perfect!'

Fabian looked confused. 'But why would we need the Sapphire for anything? It doesn't do special things like Lumina's Opal does.'

'We pretend,' I suggested. 'If the Sapphire is powerful, Sirena might believe it can save her city.'

'Which is her ultimate goal,' Scarlett added.

Is it though? I thought. Something about Sirena's story had struck me odd, but it was a gut feeling that only a thief with trust issues understood. There was no tangible reason, except maybe a past history of betraying her son. But the Queen's love for her people, her desire to save them from attack, seemed real.

'It could work,' Fabian agreed, bowing his head. His silver hair shifted in the movement, and I watched the delicate strands move. He rubbed his temple as if a headache were there.

'It has to,' Scarlett said, 'Can you think of another reason?'

Both of us shook our heads. Scarlett took over the role of tactical leader easily, standing in front of us and beginning her plan.

'Exactly. Now, what is the story and who can we take with us?'

---

After some time had passed-- it could have been hours before we noticed  how long we had been discussing this for-- Scarlett stretched and opened the door. Outside, a familiar guard stood posted and ready to defend us, lounging on Fabian's bed.

'Sakura!' I cried, scrambling to my feet. 'Have you been outside this entire time? Why didn't you come in?'

I searched the girl's face for any signs that she was upset, but she flashed me a stern look.

'I couldn't come inside! I was guarding you!'

My mouth choked on air, open and useless. Scarlett stared at Sakura, shaking her head with a surprising fondness. 'I tried to tell her to come in, but she insisted on being outside in case anyone tried to harm you.'

'Thank you,' I said, my mouth still open. There was someone so dedicated that they assigned themselves every post? Did she ever sleep?

'We have come to an agreement!' Scarlett announced, beaming into Sakura's face. My sister threw her arm around the shy, quiet guard, who flushed red in return.

'I just guard, S-Scarlett.'

'That's fine,' I added, 'you can come with us anyway...we're going back to Sapphire.'

Sakura grinned at the three of us. 'When?' Was all she asked.

Dear readers,
Sorry this chapter took so long, it's been a busy few weeks. In fact, I'm writing this on a train. How edgy is that? It's 80% less cool than I thought, especially as I'm squashed and facing a couple invading my space and talking very loudly. I've learned my lesson: trains only work for J K Rowling.
If you want to vote for Equinox as book of the year PLEASE DO SO! Search Wattpad Book of 2015.You have until the end of January to vote and only 1 vote/account! Lots of love

Larissa