by Liz Kessler
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Question. You’re offered a choice: cross the ocean in a magical golden chariot accompanied by dolphins and whales with your dad and your best friend, or take a luxury five-star cruise with your mom and your boyfriend. Which do you go for?
To be fair, I suppose that most people don’t get offered these options.
But I’m not most people. And this actually was a decision I had to make.
We’d all been on vacation together. It was supposed to be a relaxing week in the sun. It turned out to involve a near-death experience in the world’s biggest waterfall, a brush with a five-hundred-year-old giant, and an earthquake that nearly caused a world-threatening tsunami.
Just your average week.
Just my average week anyway! It certainly seemed like it lately.
The one good thing to come out of it was that we’d managed to help prevent a catastrophe from destroying the nearby islands. As a mark of gratitude, the people from the resort where we’d been staying had booked us cabins on a luxury cruise to take us home. As well as all the usual stuff that grown-ups love, like ballrooms and chandeliers and all that, the ship had a whole deck for kids, with its own theme park! We’d heard there were waterslides, climbing walls, about a hundred different clubs, and all-you-can-eat buffets.
Neptune was grateful too. We’d stopped a tsunami that could have threatened entire continents. Not that it was his fault, but he probably would have gotten the blame. Even Neptune doesn’t want something like that on his conscience. And since he never likes to be outdone, he matched the luxury cruise by offering his best chariot, his finest dolphins, and even a whale to escort us home.
Which was why I had the dilemma.
My best friend, Shona, is a mermaid. So am I, but only when I go in water. Shona’s a mermaid all the time, so she took Neptune up on his offer. His chariot can ride on the water, but it mostly dives down and powers through the sea. My dad is a merman, so he’d be going with Shona.
Mom and her best friend, Millie, were already getting excited about the luxury cruise. Well, Millie was. Mom was half excited and half sad.
“I just wish your dad and I could share one of these wonderful things with each other,” she said to me as we walked along the soft golden beach one last time. Mom’s human, so she didn’t have the magical chariot option. “It’s never as much fun on your own.”
“You won’t be on your own, Mom,” I reassured her.
She took my hand as we walked. “I know. Millie will be there, but it’s not the same.” She sighed heavily, and I knew what I had to do.
“Mom, would you feel better about it if I was there too?”
Mom squeezed my hand. “Really?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with hope. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course I would, Mom. I don’t want you feeling sad.”
She pulled me into a hug. “Oh, thank you, darling. I feel better about it already. We’ll have a nice time together.”
I laughed as Mom squeezed me so hard I could hardly breathe. “We will,” I agreed, once she’d let me go.
And I meant it. For one thing, the ship did sound amazing. And for another, Aaron had already told me he was choosing the cruise over the chariot.
Aaron’s my boyfriend, and he’s a semi-mer like I am. He’d had an even more life-changing week than the rest of us. Turned out the giant was a distant relative of his, and Aaron had promised to come back to live at Forgotten Island with his mom.
Which meant that this would be one of the last chances we’d get to spend time together.
Aaron had chosen the ship as soon as he’d heard about the theme park. He’d grown up without anything like that in his life. The closest thing he’d seen to one was the fairground at the end of Brightport pier. This one sounded about ten times better than that — and it was on a ship!
“A luxury cruise,” Mom murmured as she kicked at the soft sand. “Sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I said. I had to admit, it did.
“You’re sure you’ve got everything?” Mom asked Dad as he and Shona swam alongside the jetty to see us off. We were heading to a small boat that was going to take us out to the ship. The hotel people had already sent our luggage ahead of us. Millie was pacing ahead while Aaron and I walked beside Mom. Dad and Shona were staying for another day before Neptune’s chariot arrived for them.
Dad laughed. “What do we need, exactly?” he asked. “We’ve got ourselves; Neptune and his team are on their way. We’re all set!”
Mom stopped walking. “Just — be careful. Look after yourself, and look after Shona,” she said. Her voice wobbled as she spoke.
Dad stretched his arms out of the water. One of his hands was closed around something. “Come here,” he said.
“I can’t — I’ll get my dress wet.”
“Who cares?” Dad laughed. “Come on. I’ve got a present for you.”
“A present? What for?”
Dad shrugged. “Because I love you,” he said simply. “And so you will know I’m always with you, even when I’m not.”
Mom pulled off her shoes and crouched down on the jetty. She hitched her dress above her knees and dangled her legs over the side.
Aaron and I sat on the edge of the jetty with her as Shona swam up to join us. The three of us watched as Dad opened his hand. He held his palm out to Mom; I leaned over to look at it.
He was holding out a fine gold chain. It had a pendant on it: two interlocked hearts — one made of tiny diamonds, the other of gold. A mermaid’s tail was looped around the hearts. The diamonds glinted in the sunlight.
Mom clapped a hand over her mouth. “Jake,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“Like you,” he replied.
The three of us stared. Mom was right. The necklace was the most delicate, sparkling thing I’d ever seen.
“Mr. Windsnap, that necklace is swishy!” Shona breathed.
Dad grinned. “I know!”
“Where on earth did you get it?” Mom asked.
“From Neptune!”
“Neptune?” I burst out. Neptune was the king of all the seas, and Dad’s boss. He wasn’t known for his generosity or for giving out gifts for no reason. “Why did Neptune give you a necklace?”
“He told me he’d been planning to give me something anyway, in recognition of my hard work since I joined his team. And then everything happened last week and he said he wanted to show his gratitude to our family in a manner that was fitting for the occasion.”
I could just imagine Neptune saying something like that. “It’s gorgeous,” I said.
“Apparently, it’s a rare item from one of his most treasured collections,” Dad added proudly.
Mom was still staring. “Come here,” Dad said. “Let me put it on you.”
Mom tipped her head forward and Dad swished his tail so he could reach up to fasten it around her neck.
Mom threw her arms around Dad. “I love it,” she said. “And I love you.”
I made a face at Aaron and Shona.
Aaron stood up and brushed his legs off. “Come on, then,” he
said.
I looked at Shona in the water. I wasn’t quite ready to say good-bye to my best friend. It was only going to be a few days, but after everything we’d been through in the last week, that felt too long.
“Wait.” I glanced at Mom and Dad. “I’ll meet you at the end of the jetty. I’m going to swim up there with Shona,” I said, pulling off my shoes. “OK, Mom?”
Mom was still smooching with Dad. “Just be careful,” she said. “And don’t be late.”
“I won’t. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
I already had my swimsuit on under my clothes, so I wriggled out of my shorts and T-shirt. I perched on the jetty for a moment, feeling the water on my toes.
Then I slid into the water. It was warm and smooth like caramel. I wanted to melt into it.
I closed my eyes as I ducked my head under, letting the water wrap me up.
A moment later, I got the familiar feeling that had become as important to me as breathing or sleeping. My toes began to tingle. Then they went numb. The tingly numbness traveled up my calves and thighs as I felt my legs stiffen and fuse together. A moment later, my legs disappeared; in their place my tail formed.
I was a mermaid.
I flicked my tail and dived down in the water. Shona dived with me, and we swam across the bay.
“Are you sure you’re OK with this?” I asked her.
Shona’s blond hair swirled around her as she swam. “Travel home to Shiprock courtesy of Neptune’s golden chariot and his finest dolphins?” she asked. She flicked her tail to spread a sparkling arc of bubbles all around her. “Hmmm, let me think.”
I laughed. “I just don’t want you to be lonely or feel left out or anything,” I said.
“Honestly, it’s totally fine. I promise.”
“OK, good. I’ll miss you, though,” I said as we swam on. The water was so clear that I could see the sandy seabed below us. Fish darted by, scurrying on with their lives as we swam past them.
“I’ll miss you too,” Shona replied, lazily flicking her tail as she floated along beside me. “But just think how much we’ll have to tell each other when we meet up again!”
“That’s true,” I agreed.
Shona grinned. “Come on. I’ll race you to the end of the jetty.”
We spun our tails and zoomed through the water.
As I pulled myself out and waited for my legs to return, Mom called over. “Let’s get going.”
“See you on the other side,” I called to Shona and Dad as I rejoined Mom and Aaron.
Shona replied with a wave and then dived down under the water, flicking her tail and leaving a rainbow arc of water behind her.
“See you soon, little ’un,” Dad called to me. “Have fun!”
“We will!” I called back.
As I watched Dad and Shona swim away, I felt as if they were taking a piece of me with them.
“Come on!” Millie called. A little speedboat was bobbing in the water below her. “The boat’s leaving in two minutes!”
The three of us ran to catch up with Millie and board the boat that would take us to the cruise ship: our home for the next few days.
I linked Mom’s arm as the speedboat headed out of the bay. “It won’t be long,” I said. “Then we’ll get back to normal life together.”
Mom softly patted my arm. “I can’t wait,” she admitted.
I leaned my head on Mom’s shoulder and looked out to sea as we bounced through the waves.
When we rounded the headland a huge white gleaming ship came into sight. It had seven floors, with balconies all around the sides, and a brightly polished deck in the back. The boat’s name, the Sunbeam, was written in gold letters on the hull.
Even from this distance, I could see the theme park slides on the top deck. Aaron nudged me and grinned.
I stared as we drew closer to the ship. A door silently opened as we approached the stern, and we drove through the door and into the ship’s belly.
“This is your stop,” our driver said as he threw a rope to a couple of guys in ship’s uniform who’d come down to meet us. The driver kept the boat steady as he helped us off the speedboat. “Have fun!” he said, giving his engine a couple of revs. Then he unhooked his boat and drove off.
The men welcomed us aboard and led the way. “We’ll show you to your cabins,” one of them said. He smiled as he added, “I think you’ll be happy.”
As we walked through the ship — up a spiral staircase, across marble floors, past floor-to-ceiling windows, and under enormous chandeliers — Mom and Millie pointed and gasped at the finery. Aaron and I grabbed handfuls of candy from bowls along the way.
Finally, we reached our deck. We had four cabins along the same corridor. And when I say cabins, I actually mean luxury suites.
I walked on the soft carpet into my suite. It was huge. I opened the bathroom door. It had its own whirlpool bath. The walls had pictures of dolphins and whales. The soap dispenser was in the shape of a snow globe, and the toilet paper had crossword puzzles on it!
Going back into the main part of the cabin, I sat on the big double bed. It felt so soft and springy I was tempted to jump up and down on it like I used to when I was a kid. Maybe later.
Dragging myself up, I looked around. There was a sofa and a large-screen television. I checked the list. Fifty children’s channels! Not that I was likely to sit around watching TV with everything else to do on this ship.
I walked over to the patio doors that led out to my own balcony. I threw them open and went outside.
“Hi!” Mom was on the adjoining balcony. “Well, what about this?” she asked. “Think we’re going to have a nice journey home?”
“Hmmm, let me think,” I replied. “Possibly!”
As the ship began to sail out to sea, I couldn’t stop grinning. For once, I was pretty sure I could say that nothing would ruin this trip.
This is pretty cool, isn’t it?” Aaron said as he passed a plate back to me.
“Uh-huh,” I replied.
It was our first evening on board the Sunbeam and we were in the ship’s ballroom, lining up at the buffet. We’d already had our main courses and had reached the important part: dessert.
My stomach was almost full to bursting, but my brain still wanted more. It was a difficult decision. Chocolate fondue with marshmallows and strawberries, mint chocolate-chip ice cream, or Black Forest cupcakes?
I settled on a small portion of all three as Aaron passed me a spoon.
“Wow,” I murmured as I took it from him. “This ship! Even the spoons are fancy.” It looked like sterling silver, with an ornate pattern chiseled around the end.
We were making our way back to our table when a crackle came over the loudspeaker. It was followed by a woman clearing her throat.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you are all enjoying your dinner. For those who have just joined us, I’m Greta and I’m the Entertainment Director. Welcome to the Sunbeam. I hope you have a wonderful stay with us. And I hope you have your dancing shoes with you for our band tonight.”
Aaron nudged me. “What do you think? A bunch of old people doing a soft-shoe shuffle, or worth checking out?” he asked.
I shrugged and grimaced. “Both?”
Greta was still talking. “The band will be here shortly and the music will begin in about twenty minutes. Have a great evening, everyone.”
We got back to our table and started in on our desserts.
As promised, the band began setting up on the stage at the far end of the room, and it wasn’t long before they started playing. I didn’t recognize the songs but most people were tapping along or nodding their heads.
Millie turned to Mom. “They’re good, aren’t they?” she said.
“They are,” Mom agreed. In a quieter voice, she added, “I just wish I had someone to dance with.”
“Do you want to dance with me, Mrs. Windsnap?” Aaron asked as he wiped his mouth and put his spoon down.
Mom laughed. “That’s
very sweet of you but not exactly what I meant. You two should, though.”
Aaron turned to me. “You want to?” he asked.
The song had finished and the singer started talking. “OK, that got the older crowd going. Now let’s play a few modern ones for the youngsters.”
They started a song I knew: the one where you all do the same movements, kind of impersonating a chicken. We used to do it at school.
“It’s the chicken dance!” I said.
“The what?” Aaron asked as he let me pull him out of his seat.
“I’ll show you. You just basically copy the guy at the front.”
Aaron glanced at the band leader, currently bent over and flapping his arms around. People were getting up to join in. A bunch of little kids at the front squealed as they copied his movements.
“OK.” Aaron laughed as we made our way onto the dance floor. “But this might not be my finest hour. I’m not very good at following a routine.”
We joined in with the dance. Aaron was right. He was terrible at it! He kept flapping his arms when everyone else was bending their legs, and he kept clapping when the rest of us were twirling around in circles.
I was clutching my stomach by the time the song finished. “I’m in pain from laughing so much,” I said.
“I’m in pain from banging into people!” Aaron laughed as he followed me back across the dance floor.
Mom was approaching the table with a tray of drinks. “Coke for you two, OK?” she asked as she handed us each a glass. “Mojitos with an extra twist of lime for Millie and me.”
We clinked glasses. “Cheers,” I said.
“To a wonderful trip home,” Mom added.
I was standing by the table and looking around when I noticed a guy on his own coming our way. He was tan with broad shoulders, blond hair combed back and neatly parted, a crisp mustache, and a blue suit with an unbuttoned white shirt under it. He looked as though he was just out of school but trying to look older.
“Excuse me, ladies, are these seats taken?” he asked, green eyes sparkling as he pointed at the two seats Aaron and I had been sitting in.
Mom looked up at him. Millie did the same, her jaw hanging open as he flashed her a smile.
