Since that first day he'd gone down to the basement, Niall went back down many times. As long as he was sure it was safe for him, he'd wake up before dawn and take down a book of his choosing. It wasn't as often as he'd wished, though. Sometimes, his classes would be scheduled horribly early, or his older brother would throw a random fit and wake up the whole Manor before dawn. It was nerve-wracking, but exciting, to find opportunities to go down there and see her. Sometimes, he'd even find himself brazen and getting down there during one of his stepmother's parties, when the Manor was full but his father had retired early.
He liked to think that even if she didn't like him, the mermaid enjoyed his reading. He didn't always just read to her, though. Sometimes, he would just talk about hi
