by M. N. Arzu
He was careful to shift only his gills, though a few renegade scales also went for the ride. Completely covered as he was, this was more an exercise on self-control than hiding his true identity. He took one last breath through his regulator and allowed his gills to expand, all eight of them. The microfiber allowed the bare minimum of water to enter, and Drake felt the lack of oxygen immediately.
Reflexively, he arched his body in search of more water and more oxygen, and failing miserably, he breathed through his mouth to allow the oxygen in the tanks to get to his lungs.
“Mr. Joe, is there a problem?” Dr. Greensburg asked through his earpiece.
Yes, your poor understanding of merfolk anatomy almost suffocated me, but I can’t even be mad at you for that since you did give it your best effort.
To the sub’s camera, he signed that everything was fine. They still had one more hour and another forty feet to dive before completing this preliminary test, and Drake couldn’t wait a second longer to take this thing off.
16
Commitment
Matt had been the subject of a strange kind of torture for the past two days. His brothers were doing a lousy job of pretending they didn’t want to know his every thought on finding a sudden brother, and Julian remained absurdly silent under the you need time to adjust crap. So everyone was staying out of it, while at the same time holding their breaths on Matt’s every word. And he hated it.
Not even school could keep his mind out of the whole thing. He walked through the halls surrounded by enough dark vibes that all his friends had taken the hint and left him alone. Everyone seemed to think that he would bite their heads off or something if they so much as said hi.
Stupid as it was, a part of him wanted someone to tell him how to feel. What to say. How to be a blood brother. For some reason, he had this crazy idea that it was different from being an adopted brother. The other part of him wanted Adrian to disappear completely, but even if he did, Matt was going to be stuck wondering about him.
Ten years from now, fifty—a hundred years into the future—Matt would always be wondering about him. Worse, he was already wondering how life would have been if Adrian had stayed, or if Adrian had returned sooner, like five years sooner, right before Mireya had found him and shipped him to Julian.
His past was a closed door for a reason. So not only was Adrian messing up his present and future, he was also making Matt think about the life he’d buried when he’d become a Brooks. Nothing but addicts and negligence and survival waited for him in those memories.
What kind of stupid surname was Thorne, anyway? Thorns hurt people, made them bleed. Thorns were what gardeners cut away from roses, the dangerous part of an otherwise beautiful thing. And he’d wanted to be liked, not to be feared.
He didn’t skip classes, but it was as if he’d done that. By the time the last bell rang, he felt mentally exhausted. It wasn’t just what it meant to be a Thorne, it was also what it meant to be a Brooks, and the truth was, he’d taken to Matthew Brooks as a lifesaving change, because his future as Matthew Thorne held nothing but darkness.
Had he really left that darkness behind with a name change? Adrian hadn’t escaped it, Matt could see it in his eyes, sense it around him. An oppressive, cold thing.
As soon as he made it home, he mumbled a few words to his family, and easily escaped to his room. He didn’t want to think about this anymore. He wanted to know why Christopher didn’t want him to see who’d attacked him. He wanted to know how the Squid was dealing with his newfound love life. He even wanted to know how Scott was doing with his mental blindness. Heck, even planning what to do for his upcoming eighteenth birthday sounded like a great plan.
He almost wished Drake would call for help so Julian would move them and hide them at the end of the world. As if the universe had heard him, his phone rang, a private ID flashing on the screen.
“Hello?” he asked, suspicious.
“How was school today?” Adrian asked on the other side, halting every thought in Matt’s mind. He didn’t know what to say. He felt as if he’d been betraying his brother, and Adrian had known it all along. “Matt? Are you there?”
“Fine,” he answered, blinking. “School was fine. I didn’t expect your call, that’s all.”
“It’s after school, so I figured I wouldn’t be interrupting.”
Silence filled the next few seconds as Matt didn’t say a word. What did Adrian want, anyway?
“So…if school was fine, how’s your family?”
Matt cringed, and he had the distinctive notion that Adrian cringed, too. “Fine. We’re going out in a few minutes. Alex’s bringing a friend here, and he wants some privacy, apparently.”
“Alex’s the computer kid, right? Isn’t he a little young to be dating?”
“That’s Julian’s problem,” Matt deadpanned.
“Hmm… I’m just concerned a Council member is allowing mer-human relationships under his own roof, that’s all.”
“Alex knows how to pick his friends,” Matt said, feeling warmth spreading from his abdomen to the rest of his body. Nobody messed with his brothers. “And so does Julian. He knows how to pick human allies.”
“Right, right. Nothing to be worried about. Listen, I’m right in the middle of a special delivery, so I might not be able to talk to you in the upcoming days. I just wanted to make sure we’re still good for this Thursday?”
Thursday was light years away, but Matt already knew he didn’t want to meet with Adrian after school. He didn’t want to meet with Adrian, period.
“Right,” he heard himself saying, because there was no polite way to weasel out of family.
“I’ll see you then. Have a great week, little bro!”
The cheerfulness felt forced, and the sweet aftertaste of Adrian’s voice made Matt gag. He didn’t say goodbye, but Adrian hung up, anyway. For one intense moment, Matt thought about throwing his phone away, so he would never have to answer him anymore.
And then he felt guilty. Utterly and inescapably guilty.
How can I not want to know my own brother? I’m being irrational about the whole thing, he told himself. Give him a chance. That’s all I have to do. That’s all anyone’s expecting me to do.
If only he could figure out what it was about Adrian that had him so on edge.
* * *
The whole house was so quiet that Alex didn’t even want to breathe loudly. His three brothers had left—against Matt and Scott’s wishes—so Gill wouldn’t have an audience or feel threatened in any way. With how excited she’d been at school, he doubted anything he told her would make her reconsider, including nosy brothers or a crowded house.
On the other hand, he couldn’t start babbling about government agents and merfolk hunters, because then she would go out and do something really stupid. His dad had a point: they had to do this right.
The elevator door chimed outside the penthouse, and Alex waited till Gill rang the bell. He walked all the way to the front door as if he were walking to a firing squad. He didn’t know why this whole thing was so tortuous, because admittedly, he liked Gill. He liked having someone who knew who he was. He liked having someone who knew who he was liking him back. Especially someone who was smart, and protective, and so invested in keeping his secret.
Honestly, there’s nothing not to like about her.
Taking a deep breath, Alex opened the door, and his insecurities receded to the back of his head as Gill’s bright smile uplifted his spirits.
“I hope I’m not too early?”
“You’re right on time,” Alex said, smiling as he opened the door all the way to let her come in. Her backpack bounced as she stepped in, her uniform skirt flowing as she moved. He’d never noticed how skirts flowed before. Or how backpacks bounced. This whole thing was just plain weird.
Gill stopped right in the middle of the living room, taking a moment to look around. Her eyes stopped wandering, and stared beyond the living room to the half wall that divided this s
pace from the swimming pool. And beyond that, the floor-to-ceiling glass wall showed a breathtaking view of New York City.
“Of course you have a pool…” she whispered, smiling more to herself than to Alex as he walked her to the pool area.
“Salt water, really cold,” Alex added, as Gill tested the temperature with a tentative hand. “Nobody ever wants to swim with us—not that we ever invite anyone to swim here,” he said, feeling suddenly shy.
“So, your dad is in here or…” She trailed off, her eyes still on the undulating movement of the water.
“In the study. Dad’s in the study, but we can take some time. No rush,” Alex said, looking at Gill looking at the swimming pool.
“Can you—can you tell me what happened on Friday at the school? Are you really okay?”
“I’m growing too fast,” Alex said, blushing for no reason. “You know how some guys just grow taller in a matter of weeks and their skin gets all these stretch marks?”
Gill nodded.
“It’s sort of the same. The rash is a side effect. It should be okay in a few days…maybe a few weeks.”
She turned to look at him, suddenly worried. “You’re going to miss school all that time?”
“Ah…no. Dad says if I spend more time in the water, it’ll pass on its own. It just caught me off guard, and I ended up running to the pool at school—and no, nobody at school is a merman, except for us. Nobody in the entire city, for that matter.”
“Oh… I thought… Well, that explains why Matt is so good at free style… He just goes breathing underwater all the way.”
Alex shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. The chlorine in the water burns our lungs, so it’s not feasible.”
“Huh…I hadn’t thought about that. So he’s just naturally good at it?”
Alex chuckled. “We are faster, especially in the water, since we do spend a lot of time swimming. He does have an unjust advantage, but…” He trailed off, feeling stupid by explaining this.
“I won’t tell if you won’t,” she said with a smile. “So why aren’t you on the swimming team?”
“It’s too easy and so boring. You swim back and forth to see who’s faster. What’s the point of that? You learn nothing about the world while you’re outrunning the competition. You go in and come out exactly as smart as you were an hour before.”
“But with a better body,” she pointed out, shrugging a little. When he stared at her, it was her turn to blush. “Um… Do you think we can go to your dad now?”
“Right this way,” Alex said, pointing with his hand. “Do you need help with your backpack?”
“I have to confess,” Gill said, as she started to move, ignoring his question, “this is the most important moment of my life, and I really, really don’t want to mess it up. Is there something I should know about your dad?”
Alex frowned. Julian was a laidback dad, probably even more than his real dad, but the memories were distant, and the comparison seemed unfair.
“Dad just wants to make sure you’re okay with this,” he answered, smiling. “He’s a great person.”
Gill nodded. “Maybe you’d like to meet my dad, too?” she asked, hopeful.
Alex’s whole being petrified. “Your—your dad?”
She nodded eagerly. “I mean, if he’s going to fight for merfolk rights, it’s the least I can do…even if he never knows he met a real one, I mean.”
“Your dad…” Alex repeated, feeling like the walls were closing in.
“It’s just a thought. And the more I think about it, the less I think you guys would need my dad’s legal expertise.”
Alex shook his head. “Every little bit would help. If we ever go public…it would be a disaster. Having willing humans who have already researched the law would definitely be important.”
“You know I would have your back no matter what, right?” she asked, as both stood in front of the closed door to the study. She reached for his hand and lightly squeezed it.
“I’d certainly love that,” he said, and they both smiled. Suddenly, beside her, Alex was no longer afraid. Suddenly, beside her, he could take over the world.
* * *
Behind his desk, Julian kept writing on his computer, while Mireya explained that she’d discovered a new lead in the Brazil incident.
The trail is not as cold as we thought, she wrote, but I’ll know more in the next few days. Have you heard from Drake?
The thought that hung over the entire Council like a sword ready to fall revolved around Drake. Mireya, Aurel, and Lavine had all retreated to hidden safe houses. They were not taking any chances when it came to Drake’s meeting going horribly wrong. If Drake fell, Julian would most likely fall, too, but the Council had to continue.
Not after he reported before lunch. He still has a couple of hours before I start to worry.
If he’s taken prisoner right this minute, we won’t know something is amiss until it’s too late, she answered back. A common thought by this point.
Drake trusted them, Mireya. I have to trust them, too.
What about Matthew’s new relative? Isn’t he concerned?
Adrian Thorne was an open question without an easy answer. The young man hadn’t said much, preferring Julian to tell him about Matt. Without Drake’s skills and contacts, there was little Julian could find on his own on such short notice. Meanwhile, he couldn’t deny Adrian access to Matthew, even if there was something about Adrian that didn’t feel right. Animosity against the Council was not uncommon among merfolk who were off the radar, after all, and Adrian had every right to want to know his brother.
He says it’ll take more than the US government to scare him away from Matthew. He wasn’t pleased we’ve already been exposed. I’m sure he’ll ask Matt to leave with him, and it might not be a bad idea.
I don’t envy your position, my friend, Mireya wrote back.
A knock on the door told him his newest problem was right outside. Gill’s here, I’ll talk to you later.
Don’t scare her to death, Julian. Alex is a smart kid, he would choose a smart girl.
Julian smiled as he closed his laptop. “Come in,” he said out loud, letting his mind touch on Alex’s mood. He was pleasantly surprised to find Alex’s anxiety almost gone, replaced with something akin to giddiness and a bit of resignation.
“Ms. McKenzie, it’s an honor to meet you,” Julian said, walking over to meet the teenager. Her grip was firm and brief, a handshake to be proud of—especially given the circumstances.
“Mr. Brooks, thank you for inviting me,” she said, taking a seat beside Alex, putting her backpack on her lap as if afraid it was going to disappear. Julian sat behind his desk, wondering if he’d ever negotiated with anyone younger than Gill before.
“First of all, I want to thank you for all the help you’ve been giving our family without my knowledge,” he said, looking to Alex, who squirmed under his gaze. “Lesser people in your position would have done any number of things that would have endangered my sons and myself, or our community at large. You are a true example of what the SWIMMERs aim to represent, and we’re grateful for the smart head you bring to the table—and the kind heart that has helped Alex through a very difficult situation.”
Gill nodded in acknowledgement, and without looking at Alex, unzipped her backpack and took a tablet out. Standing, she placed the tablet facing Julian, and steeling her nerves, she turned the device on.
“I’m more than a member of SWIMMER, Mr. Brooks. We know that to the outside world we sound nuts, and most of the people who join do it out of curiosity or with no real commitment.” On the screen, the logo of SWIMMER faded out as a montage of several protesters wearing Save The Mermaid! t-shirts appeared. “We know we have many ideas that will be proven wrong in the future, and brief talks with Alex have already proven me wrong on so many things.” She didn’t dare to look at his son, whose face was slowly taking on a what are you doing? expression. On her presentation, a dozen people formed a col
lage of serious and smiling faces, from medics and activists, to teachers and military.
“Regardless, we are a worldwide organization, and our members, our true members, are more than committed to our cause of forging lasting relationships with you. People from all walks of life, at all levels of society, are willing to see this moment in history succeed. In seven months, we’ve organized teams, mobilized hundreds of people, reached five million signatures for various legal initiatives, and have put in place several contingencies to deal with a dozen different scenarios. We won’t let the wrong people handle the most important event in our lives.”
Now she was getting passionate. Julian realized with no small amount of surprise that he wasn’t talking to a clueless teenager; he was talking to a young woman who would surely get very far and very high in life.
“What happened to Ray was in no way representative of the human race at large, but we would be naïve in thinking it won’t or can’t happen again.” A map of the world showed up, and it rapidly populated with hundreds of red dots. At the bottom, it read SWIMMER Network. “Mr. Brooks, I gave my word to Alex that I will never reveal anything that would put him or you or anyone else in jeopardy. But let me bring our commitment, our SWIMMER commitment, to your own hands. We will help you, and we will tirelessly work to defend you.”
She put both hands on the desk, and looked Julian straight in the eye. “You have my word.”
She said it with the kind of finality that preceded great things to come. The kind of speech that would benefit any political candidate and that he’d heard from many fundraisers. She could certainly give half the board members at Brooks Inc. a run for their money.
“I believe you,” Julian said with the same seriousness she’d used. “And I won’t take it for granted, Ms. McKenzie. Every person who comes into our inner circle has already proven him or herself trustworthy. You don’t have to impress me at all.”
“I am more than trustworthy, Mr. Brooks,” she said, taking the tablet back and turning it off. “You already know we have the resources to track people. We found Scott in a matter of hours, and everyone involved thought it was about a missing kid, not an actual…you know… merman.” She whispered the word as if anyone outside this room might hear her. “I mean, I know you don’t lack resources, and neither do we, but we’re valuable when it comes to contacts. We’re already in place.”
