by Wendi Wilson
I grab a pillow from the couch and chuck it at his head. He ducks with a laugh, then holds up his hands in surrender. Stop listening in on my thoughts!
I can’t help it. You’ll have to work on mentally blocking me when we get back.
“Do I even want to know what that was all about?” Celine asks, her gaze shifting back and forth between us.
“Probably not,” Bryce says, leaving the doorway and coming further into the room.
“Okay,” Celine says, shaking her head. “Kai has her locket and,” she pauses to glance down at Bryce’s wrist, “you have the watch. Good. Now remember, if either of you feel the charm get hot, it means someone near you means you harm. It should be pretty noticeable in the cold water.”
Bryce nods. “Okay, got it. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s down at the beach waiting for us. He wanted to keep a lookout in case your escort arrived early.”
It’s almost time. It seems like the hours between our afternoon nap and now zipped past and I don’t know how it’s possibly nearing midnight. We spent several hours between dinner and now trying to come up with a foolproof plan to get Bryce and I in and out with both my parents. Emphasis on the word trying.
We could sneak in during the night, conk someone on the head, and steal a key. I could swim ahead and cause a distraction while Bryce slips in the back door and finds my parents. We could turn the tables on my delivery boy, take him hostage and demand my parents’ release in exchange for the king’s messenger. And so on, and so forth.
The problem is that Delmare is such an unknown. None of us have any idea where it is, what it looks like, where the prisoner cells may be and how they’re guarded. The best plan we could come up with is for me to go with the messenger and Bryce will follow at a discreet distance. We can keep in touch telepathically and pay attention to our protection charms to try to stay away from danger.
We have to figure out the rest on the fly. Or the swim, as it were.
“You ready?” Bryce asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I take his outstretched hand and he pulls me into a tight embrace. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We head out onto the deck and my eyes scan the black water. The moon’s reflection sends sparkles of light across the waves, but other than that, I can’t see much. I raise our entwined hands, pulling Bryce’s wrist closer to my face, and check the time. Ten minutes until our midnight deadline.
A small surge of excitement fills me as soon as my bare toes hit the sand. That familiar pull of the ocean wars with the trepidation coursing through my body. When we stop beside Bran, I can’t help but bounce lightly from foot to foot. I look at the sea and wonder if this will be the last time I ever feel that pull, if my feet will never again touch the sand, my lungs never to breath in the fresh, briny air.
Bran pulls me from my morbid musings. “Kailani,” he says, “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I want you to know that I’ve come to care for you as a daughter.”
Ha! Told ya. I try to ignore Bryce’s smug thought.
“Please take care of yourself, and come back safely,” Bran continues before pulling me into a tight hug.
When he releases me, I quickly swipe at my eyes to remove the moisture gathering there. Celine and Bryce are hugging and Bran joins them, giving me a moment to myself to get my emotions under control. They zip from excitement to dread and back again faster than I can keep track.
“Hey,” Bryce says, stepping behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “Listen, I need to go now.”
“What?” I turn in his arms so I can see his face. “What do you mean?”
“I need to get into the water. It took a while for me to transform this morning. I can’t chance that you’ll change and take off with that… merman… before I fully change and I lose sight of you.”
“Okay.”
I barely get the word out. The trepidation is definitely overriding the excitement now. I don’t know if I can do this without Bryce by my side.
“Kai,” he says, his voice barely audible above the roar of the ocean, “I’ll be right there. We can speak in our minds and I’ll always keep you in view. I won’t leave you. I promise.”
All I can manage is a nod as the knot in my throat tightens.
We can do this, Kai. His thoughts swirl through my mind.
I believe you, I send back to him. Together, we can do anything, right?
Right.
His lips brush mine in a tender kiss before he pulls away. “I love you, Kailani,” he proclaims, his voice loud and clear as he backs toward the churning sea.
“I love you, Bryce,” I yell back, forgetting my usual embarrassment of displays of affection in front of his parents.
He shoots me one of those smiles, the real one that nearly blew me away the first time he turned it on me. I smile back and lift a hand toward him. He copies my action before turning and dashing through the waves. The inky water swallows him up and just like that, he’s gone.
“He’ll be okay,” Celine says behind me before her soft hand lands on my shoulder.
I turn and find myself wrapped in her arms. It’s been so long since I’ve felt my own mother’s loving embrace, I nearly break down. Instead, I stiffen my spine and pull away. I will have my mother back. My father, too. Bryce and I will pull this off, and everything will go back to normal.
“That’s the spirit,” Celine says, reading the determination that must be written across my face.
Before I can reply, a loud wailing fills the air, making all three of us cover our ears to muffle the sound. He’s here. The one sent to take me to Delmare. To my parents. To my death.
Chapter Six
Just like last night, the sound of the ocean is muted and silence surrounds us as the wailing fades away. Celine’s hand wrapped around my wrist, her grip so tight, I can feel her fingernails digging into the sensitive skin there. Ignoring the pain, I keep my eyes on the silent waves. A funnel of water shoots into the sky as he emerges from the dark depths. The moonlight bathes his body in a soft glow, making him seem incandescent.
“Kailani Ericson,” his voice booms across the sand, “the time has come. I will escort you now to the king.”
My first instinct is to bolt, putting as much distance as possible between me and this strange man from the ocean. I could run straight to Bryce’s room, hide under the bed, and never come out. My feet actually take a step back but Celine’s tight grip on my wrist brings me back to reality. Steeling my spine, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Celine,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. When she doesn’t respond, I try again. “Celine, let go of my wrist.” I gently peel her fingers away with my free hand.
She looks down at her hand with wide eyes. I don’t think she even realized she had such a tight grip on me. She mumbles an apology and takes a step back toward Bran. He looks at me, a grave expression on his face, as he wraps an arm around Celine’s shoulders. I try to smile, to give him some comfort knowing that I want to do this, but by the look on his face I’m pretty sure it came out more as a grimace.
“Thank you so much for everything,” I say, looking back and forth between them. “I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance repay you.”
“Just come home safe,” Bran says. “All we care about is that you, Bryce, and your parents make it out unharmed.”
I nod my head, the lump in my throat making it impossible to speak. I turn back toward the sea and take a step forward. Then I take another one. The steps are slow and shuffling, like a sulking child heading for punishment. The merman just watches me, his body somehow completely still despite the waves crashing into him.
My body flashes hot then cold, my heart pounding out a rhythm in time with the trembling in my hands. I don’t know if I can do this. My feet stop, my breaths coming in quick shallow spurts. I can’t do this.
You can do this, Kai. I’m here. I’ll be with you the whole time.
Bryce’s thoughts s
ettle over me, calming my nerves and giving me strength. I clench my fists and take a deep breath. He’s right. I can do this. I blow the air from my lungs, and with big strides, I walk into the water. Despite my fear, the cool water sends a surge of excitement through me. It feels incredible. It feels like coming home.
I dive under, stretching my limbs and propelling myself through the dark depths. I can’t really see anything, so I stay the course and hope I’m heading in the right direction. The tingling in my legs comes much quicker this time. My head breaks the surface and I tread water as I look around. I don’t see the merman anywhere. Just as panic starts to set in, the pain rips through my abdomen causing me to sink like a rock.
I try not to fight it. I know that any struggle I put up will not only be useless but will waste precious energy that I may need later. I grit my teeth as the spasms rip through my hips down to my calves. I can’t stop the groan that builds in my chest and escapes my mouth at a flurry of bubbles.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, the pain is gone. My body remembers how to use my new appendage, and it waves gently in the water to keep meet upright and stable. My lungs start to burn and my first instinct is to dart for the surface. I stifle the urge and, squeezing my eyes closed, I open my mouth and suck water into my chest. Gripping my hands tightly together, I wait for the burning and choking.
It doesn’t come. I feel the water moving easily through my lungs and back out again, as natural as breathing air has been my entire life. My body relaxes as the tension eases out of my muscles. This transformation was much easier than the first one. I hope it was just as easy for Bryce.
It was.
His voice in my head shocks me a little, causing my eyes to fly open. The shock multiplies as I realize I can see. Where before all I saw were dark blobs and shadows, now I see defined shapes and colors. It’s like looking at a well-lit and well-maintained aquarium. I spin in a circle, taking in the wondrous sights. This is amazing.
Are you seeing this?
Yeah, Bryce sends back. It’s incredible, isn’t it?
My movements come to a screeching halt and all thoughts fly from my head as a form appears before me. I jerk back in fear, but a strong, pale hand on my wrist stops my retreat through the water. I try to snatch my hand away, but his grip is like an iron manacle.
“We must go. Now.”
My body loses its will to fight as shock takes over. I stare at the merman, my mouth hanging open, and try to process the fact that he spoke, underwater, and I could hear him. No garbling. No gurgling. Just words, as if we were sitting on the beach.
His bright silver eyes stare into mine, intense and somewhat broody, as I start to recover from the shock. My gaze shifts across his features. I thought he’d be older, but he looks like he’s the same age as me. Aside from the alien color of his eyes, he’s actually quite handsome, in an aristocratic sort of way. High cheekbones, an aquiline nose and plump lips fill out the rest of his face. Those lips narrow and turn down at my continued perusal.
Kai, are you okay?
Yeah. Just a little surprised. He spoke to me. We can talk down here.
“Follow me,” the merman says, releasing my wrist and swinging his arm in a forward motion.
“Wait!”
I yell the word and it escapes my mouth unhindered by the water flowing through it. This is so weird. The merman turns back, an impatient look on his face. I swear, if he had feet, he’d be tapping one of them right now. I lift my hands in front of me in a placating manner.
“Sorry… I just… what’s your name?” I blurt out.
He closes his eyes briefly before opening them and pinning me with that silver stare. “Adrian. Now, let us go.”
Kai?
I’m fine. He’s in a hurry to leave. Where are you? Can you see me?
Yeah. I’m about one hundred yards to your left. Don’t look. I’m behind a huge rock formation. Just go with him. I’ll be right behind you. And Kai?
Yeah?
We’re going to get through this. Together.
Okay.
“We must start our journey, Kailani Ericson. The king is waiting.”
I can hear the impatience in his voice, but there’s something else there, too. An edge that I can’t quite pinpoint. I don’t know if it’s anger, fear or something else entirely, but I get the feeling that there’s more to Adrian than meets the eye. He runs a hand through his blond hair before taking off again.
I swim forward, deliberately keeping my pace slower than normal. Can you get a read on this guy, Bryce? What emotions are coming off of him?
Nothing. He’s like a blank void. I don’t know if it’s because we’re underwater or the fact that he’s a full merperson, but I can’t sense him at all.
Can you feel me?
Yes, of course.
So, it must not be the water, then.
Maybe. But you and I are connected. Who knows if I would be able to feel you if the circumstances were different?
“You must swim faster.”
Adrian’s voice jerks me from my silent conversation with Bryce. I realize I’ve been swimming at a snail’s pace, lost inside my head. I pick it up a bit, but not too fast. I can’t take the chance that Bryce will lose sight of us.
Kai, swim. Don’t worry about me. I can keep up, I promise.
Taking Bryce’s words to heart, I pick up the pace and join Adrian’s side. Trying not to be obvious, I glance at his face from the corner of my eye. His expression is stern, with creases at his eyes and lips pressed tightly together. He looks angry.
“So,” I say, “how far is it?”
“The kingdom of Delmare is eight hundred leagues southwest of your home.”
“Eight hundred leagues?”
I hear what sounds like a sigh. I still can’t get over the fact that I can see and hear everything so clearly down here. Adrian stops short and I glide past him. Stopping, I turn back and close the distance between us.
“Eight hundred leagues,” he says between clenched teeth, “is approximately two thousand, seven hundred and sixty miles. Therefore, you must understand my insistence that we hurry. Now, let us go.”
He starts forward, but I snake out my arm and catch his wrist to stop him. “Twenty-seven hundred miles? How are we supposed to swim twenty-seven hundred miles?”
His laser stare pierces my hand, which is still gripping his wrist. I snatch it back as if burned. I hadn’t even realized I was still holding him. His eyes raise to mine, their silver depths probing. A shiver runs down my spine. I wonder if those eyes can see into my soul.
“By going very fast,” he says, answering my question, “and utilizing what humans call the ‘California current.’ We will arrive in Delmare by the end of this sun-cycle.”
“We’ll be swimming for twenty-four hours straight?”
One side of his mouth twitches. “What is the matter? Do you not think you can keep up?”
I straighten my spine, letting righteous indignation flow through me. “Of course, I can keep up.”
“Good,” he says, swimming forward. Looking back over his shoulder, he adds, “Let us hope your mate can keep up as well.”
Chapter Seven
“How did you know?”
My words break a silence that has stretched between us for several hours. I’ve had at least a dozen mental conversations with Bryce during that time, arguing over whether or not I should admit that he has been following us. He thinks I should keep quiet and not say anything. I disagree. Adrian obviously knows. There’s no point in trying to deny it.
“How did I know what?”
“That my… Bryce is following us.” I can’t bring myself to call him my mate. It’s too weird.
Adrian comes to a halt in front of me. “Mer can feel when others of our kind are near. I felt him the minute he changed.”
He pauses, and uncertainty flashes across his face. It’s the first time I’ve seen any trace of emotion from him. I use my tail to glide a bit closer.
/> “What is it?”
“How did he do it? How did he change from human to Mer?”
Don’t tell him, Kai.
Why not? If I can gain his trust, maybe he’ll help us.
Adrian must take my silence for refusal because he says, “If you do not want to tell me, that is fine. We need to start moving again, anyway.”
“Wait,” I say, reaching out and grabbing his wrist without thinking. He stops and looks at me expectantly while I reach out to Bryce.
My gut tells me I should tell him the truth.
I hear Bryce groan through our mental connection. Okay. I trust your gut. Tell him.
Thank you, Bryce.
To Adrian, I say, “Bryce is a witch. So are his parents. They cast a spell on the both of us that will turn us into merpeople when we’re in the water and humans when on land.”
Adrian’s eyes widen and his body jerks back. “They can do that?”
“Yes. You’re looking at the proof.”
“It is my understanding that the sea witch reversed a spell that was keeping you human. That is why you are now Mer.”
“The sea witch?” I ask, my head jerking back of its own accord.
Adrian nods. “Yes. Coraline was a citizen of Delmare many years ago. When it was discovered that she was indeed a witch and using magic to hurt other citizens, the king banished her from our city and the surrounding waters.”
“Coraline was a mermaid?” I know I sound stupid, but I just can’t grasp it.
Adrian nods. “Yes. She disappeared after she left Delmare and it wasn’t until your father showed up, as a Mer, that everyone realized she must have transformed herself to live as a human. Of course, your mother figured it out years before that.”
“Yeah,” is all I can think to say.
When my mother fell in love with a human, she made a deal with Coraline. She would use her power to change Mom into a human, but Mom would owe her a favor. She never collected that favor. A few years later, I fell into the ocean as a toddler and grew a tail. My mother took me to Coraline, but the price that time was steep. She had to give up the love of her life, my father, in order to save me. Coraline turned him into a merman and sent him into the sea. She changed me into a human, but my mother and I had to live in her house as servants forever to keep me safe.
