“And Tandy?” Her throat tightened, making her choke on her words.
“She took Mom lunch, but she never came back to the house, and I haven’t been able to locate her.”
“Maybe they’re trapped.” Meriya’s gaze wandered over the palace remains. “Yeah, they could still be in there, we need to find them!” She whirled around to face Jovie. “Where’s Adrielle? She can help us…”
“Meriya. Stop. I haven’t been able to find Adrielle either. Her family was found dead, but no one has been able to find her.”
“That doesn’t matter. What if…”
“It’s been too long.” Jovie’s hardened stare stopped Meriya’s next words. “No one could survive that long without access to food, they would have starved to death by now. No way is anyone alive.” Jovie wiped at her eyes and looked over the ruins with Meriya.
Meriya still held onto the small inkling of hope clinging to her. Until they moved every chunk, piece, and sliver and found their bodies, she would continue to believe the best.
“You don’t know that, Jovie.” She refused to look at Meriya. “I’m not trying to get your hopes up, but Dad is stubborn, and you know he’d do his best to take care of Mom.
Jovie crossed her arms over her chest and said nothing, her bottom lip trembling. Meriya hugged her sister to her, offering comfort and whispering words of encouragement once again.
“Meriya?” A deep male voice questioned her from behind. She knew his voice. Her feelings were still too raw to face the one person who blatantly withheld answers from her. He more than likely knew her parents were at the palace that day.
Strong arms pulled her from her sister, spun her around, and crushed her to his chest. “Gods, I’ve missed you so much.”
Meriya, unable to extricate herself from his embrace, stood there, face smoothed against his pecs.
He released her at arm’s length, giving her a once over. “You look good, better than when I last saw you.”
“Yes, I was healed when I returned to the ocean.”
“Good, good,” he absently commented, drifting off into thought.
“Cayson, why didn’t you tell me about my parents?” Meriya pushed his hands away from her and took a fin flick back.
“Meriya, I…” His mouth hung open.
“And what’s this nonsense you were spouting to me about me being royalty?”
“Shh!!” He hushed her loudly, trying to cover her words. “Calm down, you don’t want the wrong people to hear you.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Meriya was done. He’d been keeping secrets from her. Secrets about her parents. Lies about her lineage. She turned to her sister whose eyes grew wide.
“Royalty?” Jovie whispered as she moved closer to Meriya.
“It’s lies. All lies.” Meriya shook her head, not believing a word Cayson spewed.
“It’s not,” Cayson boomed. “I can prove it, too.”
“Oh yeah? Then prove it.” Meriya crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to show her proof she was the next in line for the crown. Did she have some long-lost uncle with ties to the throne?
Cayson’s bravado faltered. “It’s, well… it’s back at my house.”
“Okay, then go get it. I’ll be here with my sister, helping her move some of this rubble…” Meriya cut her sentence off, not mentioning the fact she needed to find her parents in all of this. She ached to know if they were alive or dead. Only then could she get closure.
“That’s the problem. I’ve been trying to get into my house, but it collapsed during the quake.” Cayson’s shoulders slumped and he bowed his head. “I need your help getting it.”
“My help? Why?” She was shocked he asked for her help at all.
Cayson lifted his head and moved to steal Jovie’s spot in front of Meriya, taking her hands. “You’re small enough to fit inside the opening I’ve found. There is a journal on my desk I need to retrieve, but I’ve been unable to make the hole big enough.”
“You want me to risk my life to get some journal out of your room?” Meriya crossed her arms and frowned.
“It’s the King’s journal. It has entries in it talking about your mother and the child she carried. You!” Cayson pointed at her, his eyes lighting up.
Meriya was speechless. She uncrossed her arms and looked at her sister, an equally shocked look on her face, to Cayson, who waited patiently for her to process all of this.
“You’re saying my mom had an affair. With the King?” That couldn’t be. Her parents loved each other. They promised to be faithful to each other when they were joined. She’d never even seen her parents so much as yell a cross word at each other. He must be lying.
“It would appear that way. He even has a lock of your hair inside his journal.”
“That can’t be. My parents love each other. Mom would never do that to Dad.”
“Um, Meriya.” Jovie touched her arm to get her attention.
“What is it?” Meriya bit out, harsher than she intended.
Jovie nodded for her to follow her and Meriya sighed loudly before complying.
Once they were a good distance away from Cayson, Jovie leaned in close to her ear. “Mom and Dad weren’t always happy. There was a time before you were born, I… I remember, even at such a young age, Dad left for a time.”
“No.” Meriya couldn’t believe it.
Jovie nodded, leaning in closer. “It’s true. I remember Tandy talking about it, too. They’d gotten into an argument over something and she’d kicked Dad out.”
“So, Mom could have cheated on Dad?”
“I don’t know, but they both still worked at the palace. There’s a chance the King could have seduced her, knowing her and Dad weren’t on speaking terms.” Jovie’s lips pouted out. “I’m so sorry.”
Meriya lifted a brow. “Sorry for what?”
“Sorry for keeping things like this from you. I didn’t think it mattered. Mom always said you looked like Grandma. I always took her at her word. Over the years, I’d thought you were a product of them getting back together.” Jovie reached out a hand out to either side of Meriya’s head and combed her fingers through the ends of her locks.
Meriya’s dark, brown hair always stood out among all of the blondes in the household. And her amethyst eyes set her apart from the blue ones. Now, it all made sense.
Meriya pulled Jovie close. “You didn’t know. I’m still your sister and I still love you more than anything in this world.”
“I know. Let’s go to Cayson’s house and see if we can get that journal. Both you and I need these answers.” Jovie wasn’t usually this level-headed. She liked to break the rules, but today, she wanted answers and that meant listening to Cayson.
Meriya turned to Cayson, resolved to get to the bottom of everything. “I’ll help you get that damned journal, but we need to talk.”
“Talk about what?” Cayson schooled his face into a mask of innocence, but Meriya knew better.
“Why all the secrets and the lies? You never told me you secreted a journal proving I was next in line to be queen. I saw that journal on your desk the day we went to your room. You’ve kept it all this time and never once told me.”
“I… I never found time to read through it. My father gave it to me for safe keeping. He told me it contained a secret about you, one which would change the fate of our kingdom, but he’d left it at that, telling me we’d talk more about it later because he was late for a meeting.” His mouth gaped open like a fish as he fed Meriya his lines.
“If you didn’t know what was in the book then, how do you know now?” Jovie put her hands on her waist and cocked a hip.
“The day of the eruption, I’d finally found time to sit down and read through it.” His eyes lit up. “I never imagined I’d find out you were a princess. By the time I put all the pieces together, the house started to shake.”
All of his words reeked of lies, but she lacked evidence to prove otherwise. For now, she’d help him get the
book, and if he lied to her, she’d eventually find out.
Eyeing him suspiciously, she nodded toward his house. “C’mon, let’s go find this book and get to the bottom of these secrets.”
The three of them headed toward the remains of Cayson’s house. All three hopeful the answers they sought would be within reach.
31
A sweet, smiling nurse handed him his discharge papers. “I bet you’re glad to be breaking out of here.”
“You have no idea.” He returned the smile, folding the papers up and shoving them into his pants pocket. His uncle brought him a change of clothes this morning for the trip home. While holed up in the hospital recovering, his uncle actually helped Rowan out a lot.
He’d filled his truck with gas and it was tucked safely inside the garage once again. He’d kept the police at bay until he was well enough to give a statement. He’d been a godsend.
Another nurse rolled a wheelchair into the room, ready to transport him down to his uncle’s car currently pulled up front. “Your chariot awaits!” she joked.
The whole way down the elevator, all Rowan could think about was Meriya. He lost count of how many days it’d been since he’d seen her. The bullet went straight through him and he kept replaying that night in his head, wondering if the bullet may have hit her as well.
For all he knew, she could be dead, and he’d never find out.
Nick was in a mental institute, locked away in a room as he spouted off about Meriya and the existence of mermaids. No one believed him, especially since he didn’t have a shred of proof.
Her secret would be safe with him and his uncle.
Upon reaching the car, the nurse helped him to stand from the wheelchair and maneuver into his seat, helping him shut the door. “Good luck, Mr. Ashby.”
Rowan settled his elbow out the open window and smiled. “Thank you, ma’am!”
When they were on the road and out of earshot of the nurses, his uncle finally spoke up, voicing the same concerns running through his head.
“What are you going to do now?” His uncle asked while keeping his eyes on the road.
“Find her. I don’t know how, but I’m going to try my damnedest to make sure she’s okay and happy.” Rowan filled the silence between them by turning on the car radio and fiddling with the stations.
“Are you willing to leave her where she is if she’s happy?”
Rowan dropped his hand from the station knob, shaking his head. His uncle didn’t see the warring emotions playing across his face. The grief creeping up and stealing his breath.
“Rowan?” Uncle Terrance whipped his head to look at Rowan, then put his eyes back on the road.
“Yeah. I guess I’m going to have to be okay with it. In what world could we both be happy? I’m not a merman and she’s not a human.” The car stopped at a red light and Rowan leaned forward to thump his forehead against the dashboard.
“Do you want my help? I mean, in looking for her?” Uncle Terrance knew all too well the grief Rowan went through the first time he’d met a mermaid, but Rowan hadn’t found the time to mention to him how the one who rescued him and the one he found on the beach was one in the same.
“I think I need to do this on my own.” Rowan sat up as the car took off, then winced as Uncle Terrance hit a bump in the road, his muscles tensing, and stitches pulling. “I’ll be sure to ask if I need anything.”
“You do that.” Uncle Terrance patted his leg before gripping the steering wheel again.
Silence descended over the car as his Uncle drove. They approached the gate and Uncle Terrance rolled down his window, punching in the code. “I got your gate fixed while you were in the hospital. Didn’t want any vagrants breaking into your house like before and drowning in your pool.”
Rowan chuckled, then coughed, clutching his midsection. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts!”
“Sorry.” Pulling into the garage, his uncle parked next to his truck. He came around to the passenger side and assisted Rowan in getting out the car and into the house. His wound still ached but he hoped in a day or so the pain would lessen. Then, he’d start his search.
“Is there anything I can get you, Rowan?” Uncle Terrance gave him a hand, helping him to the living room.
“No, no. You’ve already done too much. I appreciate you getting my truck home, getting the gate fixed, and watching over things.” Rowan gave him a smile, trying to decide if he could sit on his own.
“No problem. I’m glad to help.” Seeing his nephew struggle, he grabbed Rowan’s hand to make the transition to sitting easier.
With his uncle’s help, Rowan managed to ease down onto the couch and prop his feet up on the coffee table with minimal pain. “Hey, you could hand me the remote from the chair over there. It’s so far.” Rowan mimed trying to reach for the remote, fingers grasping thin air.
“Seriously? That’s the best you can come up with?” Uncle Terrance chuckled and handed him the remote. “Sure you don’t want me to stay?”
“Honestly? No. I’d like to sit here, binge watch some Netflix, and wallow in my own pity party.” He grimaced when he shifted to get a pillow behind him.
Uncle Terrance shook his head. “Fine. I’m only a phone call away if you need anything. Got it?”
“Got it. Thanks again, Uncle Terrance.” Rowan smiled through the pain, both physical and emotional.
“Anytime.” He waved as he shut the door behind him.
Rowan, as promised, was left to his own thoughts and self-doubt. He kept playing that evening over and over, wondering if he could have done something different. Did Meriya get swept out by the current or did she escape on her own, not really caring one way or the other if he was okay?
In a few days’ time, the pain diminished enough for him to get up and move around the house. The place was a wreck, but he wasn’t up for cleaning. He wasn’t up for anything, save finding Meriya and making sure she was alive and happy.
Happy.
Happiness felt like a foreign concept. Would he ever be content going forward? Would his purpose in healing marine animals at the sanctuary be enough? He wasn’t so sure. Life no longer held the spark it once had. Not with her out of his life.
Rowan slid into his truck, pausing a moment. How long had it been since he drove it? Work gave him two weeks to recuperate, so time was on his side.
He eased the key into the ignition and started her up. Where was he going to go? What was he going to do?
Rowan lost track of his days. Days spent in the hospital, days spent at home. His nights involved binging on Netflix and getting little sleep. He tried to occupy his mind and not think about Meriya or dream about her, but it was useless.
Nothing could erase her from his memory. Not with each synapse engrained with an image or feeling from her.
He ran on autopilot, winding around streets, and finally coming to the boat docks. The answers he sought were miles out and leagues deep. Rowan stopped at the Snack Shack to grab a sandwich, then headed out to his boat.
Following his father’s old fishing maps he found stowed away in the cabin, he headed out to sea, steering the boat to the open waters where he lost his father. This was the location where Meriya rescued Rowan, so it made sense she may live nearby.
With the sun high overhead, Rowan threw a baseball cap over his unruly, blonde hair. He shut off the engine to his boat and let the ocean have its way, gentle waves lapping at the hull.
The sun grew unbearable, so he slipped inside the cabin, using the time to mark more points on the map and places he wanted to check.
After a time, his eyes strained to stare at all the tiny words and lines printed on the paper. He needed to leave it be.
The sun slipped a little farther down in the sky, a light breeze ruffling the hair peeking out of his baseball cap.
“Meriya!” He called out to the ocean. No one else was around – just him, his boat, and the sea – to see how crazy he looked as he called out her name, hoping for a miracle.
This was pointless.
He was never going to find her.
He yanked off his baseball cap, threw it to the deck of the boat, and yanked at his hair, which needed a serious haircut. The mane hung in his eyes and the soft waves tickled the back of his neck.
He collapsed to the deck, laying down, his cheek pressed against the weathered wood, feeling the texture from years of taking a beating by the rain and sun. Rocked to sleep by the gentle waves, his exhaustion finally won out.
Waking up to the moonlight, he realized he needed to get home before his uncle got concerned and called out a search party. Home to an empty house and an equally empty pool. This was a fool’s errand and he knew it.
He was done.
He would do his best to forget Meriya and forget any of this ever happened. The only thing left to do was move on with his life.
Every day for the next four days, Rowan guided his boat out to the same patch of water, expanding his search pattern along the grid laid out on the maps, but today would be different. He could feel it. Clouds moved in, blocking out the harsh sun, and a gentle breeze rustled his shirt.
He stood on the port side, gazing out over the water. Behind him the clouds darkened, moving in without notice.
Like every day since he’d been out here, he called out to her. “Meriya!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. He knew this was insanity. He’d done the same thing over and over, expecting a different result, but his gut told him he’d eventually find her. She’d eventually pop her head up through the water, chastising him for being so foolish.
The boat’s gentle rocking picked up its pace and Rowan placed both hands on the rail to steady himself as he leaned over to peer into the water.
Hope took root in his soul, becoming a part of his make up as his eyes landed on scales glistening beneath the water.
He leaned over farther, trying to get a better view of what lay beneath the choppy waves. Water on the railing caused his hand to slip and he barely managed to catch himself from falling in. Pain lanced through his midsection where his stitches were still healing.
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