by Megan Linski
His father was having a grand old time. You’d have thought it was his birthday and not his son’s. Adrian leaned on his hand and hoped he’d have a few more minutes of peace to be single before his parents shoved him out into the crowd again.
Then— the great doors blew open.
A giant wave pushed them apart and merpeople quickly swam out of the way. There was a sound like a mass of water being shifted, and the entire room went dark for a moment before it brightened again.
Merpeople started screaming. Adrian straightened up— finally, some excitement. An inky black cloud surrounded the water between the two doors, and from it emerged a figure Adrian hadn’t seen in over ten years.
He was thin, with spines jetting out of his back and short black hair clipped into a point on his head. He had a goatee with a long face, and wore a smirk, like he knew everyone in the room was afraid of him. Eight tentacles, like those of squid, propelled him through the water toward the dining table. Like most mermen, he carried a weapon: a wooden staff made of driftwood, and a shining black stone smoothed by the sea set in the top of it.
Stavros… the sea warlock.
His reputation preceded him. Stavros had a talent for luring merpeople into traps with promises of whatever they wanted… for a price. The price was always, always more than what merpeople could afford to pay. Adrian didn’t know how Stavros kept making deals, but Adrian supposed if you were desperate…
Thousands had fallen due to his dark magic. He’d even cursed an entire city of merpeople to dust and sand, once.
Everyone was afraid of him— save for Poseidon, and Adrian.
Though for totally different reasons. Poseidon, because he had more power than Stavros and so, had no reason to be afraid of him. Adrian wasn’t afraid of Stavros because he was stupid (as he would admit) and also because he truly believed that if it came down to a fight, he could take him.
Although… Adrian had to admit… Stavros was intimidating. People swam out of the way as he moved through the room, creating a wide berth. It was clear that if Poseidon didn’t have control of the sea, it would immediately belong to Stavros.
No one would dare challenge him.
“You are not welcome here,” Poseidon said as Stavros approached the throne. “Speak what you must, and get out.”
Stavros laughed low in his throat. His voice was deep, and alluring. You could listen to him talk for hours and still be enchanted by the sound. “I merely came to wish my nephew a happy birthday.”
“You haven’t seen Adrian since he was an infant,” Poseidon growled. “Why would you come unless you wanted to ruin today, the most important of days?”
Stavros grinned his pointed teeth and stared at Adrian. “Why not let the boy decide?”
Stavros thought Adrian would make him a deal in order to find the perfect wife. No go. His uncle had obviously made a very bad judgement, because if Adrian could, he’d stay single forever.
His father was expecting him to say something, so Adrian said, “You can stay. If you don’t cause any trouble.”
Merpeople gasped at the invitation. Even Stavros seemed momentarily shocked. But he shook it off quickly, and that arrogant smile was back. “Very well. I only ask for a moment of your time.”
Adrian rose from the table. He knew his father’s eyes were on him as he approached Stavros. The music, and the party, resumed, but it was different now… on edge, and wary.
“What do you want?” Adrian asked abruptly. He crossed his arms and stared at his uncle. “You wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t want something.”
“You’re like your father. So mistrustful. But I thank you for not throwing me out before I spoke with you,” Stavros said. “It is important.”
Stavros’ thank you sounded as genuine as one of Moona’s farts. But Adrian kept going. “So, you do want something.”
“You should make a visit to my cave sometime.” Stavros pounded his staff into the floor, and sparks flew through the water. “It’d be a special treat. I have a birthday present for you.”
“I don’t want anything from you. You should know better than that.”
“Nothing? Come, Adrian.” Stavros made a tsking sound. “That’s a lie, dear boy. There’s always something merpeople desire that they can’t have.”
A picture of the girl broke into his mind, but Adrian quickly pushed it away. “So? Doesn’t mean it’s mine to have.”
“Ah, boy. You’re so much like your father.” Stavros’ stare was burning, intense. “Or are you? I’ve heard the rumors, Adrian. You long to live on land. It calls to you. Can you imagine how much of an embarrassment you’d be to your father if your subjects found out you wish to exchange your tail for a pair of legs?”
“Stop it.”
An image broke into his mind and took control over his vision: him, walking on land, enjoying the sun and taking in the feel of sand underneath his feet. He could see it, he could feel it now… but it was an illusion. Stavros was playing with his head.
“I can make those dreams come true, Adrian. Anything you wish, and far more.”
“For a price. The answer is no.” Adrian had run out of patience. His hands were bunched into fists. “Get out.”
Stavros chuckled. “You will come, Adrian. We all want things that are out of our reach. You only need to be pushed in the right direction.”
His uncle shifted out of the party. Once his presence was gone, several merpeople breathed sighs of relief, and the jovial mood of the party returned.
Ianthe had been standing at a close distance, watching over and protecting her son, willing to move in at a moment’s notice. Now that Stavros was gone she put her hands on Adrian’s face. “Are you all right, my son?”
“Barely.” Now he had to go back to picking brides and be reminded of his inescapable future— again— right after his uncle had taunted him with his wildest dreams. This was a special kind of torture.
“Take a swim. Return when you feel well.” His mother patted him on the back, and Adrian swam off. He avoided mermaids who approached and slipped out of the grand hall and into one of the side parlors. He locked the door behind him with shaking fingers.
Adrian ran both hands though his black hair and tried to take deep breaths. I can’t do this. I can’t do this. He was sure he was becoming lightheaded.
“Hey!” Moona was outside, and Celer was floating nearby. She tapped on the window with her fin. “How’s it going in there?”
Moona saw that Adrian was turning green and frowned. “Oh. Not well at all, I see.”
“I’m gonna have a panic attack, Moona.” It was true: his heart was beating so fast he swore it would burst out of his chest and swim away.
“There’s no need for all that,” Moona said. “Come on. Let’s ditch.”
Adrian yanked at his hair. He wanted to, but… this birthday meant more than all the others, especially to his father. But would it really be so bad to skip out on his own party?
Adrian opened the doors and peeked around the corner. He could hear his father laughing boisterously with a group of mermen that he could swear must be part whale.
His father wasn’t even paying attention to him. He wouldn’t know that he was gone. Adrian had seven days after the party to pick a queen. He could put it off… just one more night.
“Okay. I’m coming, before they start looking for me.” Adrian swam round the back and squeezed through a tiny window in the kitchen he’d been slipping out of since he knew how to swim. He met Moona outside, and she pressed herself against him when they joined again.
“Where do you want to go?” she asked as Adrian kept his head down.
Adrian shimmied out of the stuffy shirt and threw it aside. “Anywhere but here. All right. Celer, let’s get out of here. Celer?”
Moona and Adrian turned around. Celer had his head pressed up against the window, small bubbles flitting out of his nostrils as he looked inside with wide eyes.
“Babes…” Celer said in a del
usion, staring through the window with an open mouth.
“Oh, forget him.” Adrian waved a hand his seahorse’s way. “Let’s go.”
Celer didn’t even notice them leave. Adrian was sure if they switched places, Celer would have no problem choosing a mate— only issue he’d have is picking which one.
Adrian swam away from the palace as quickly as he could. He wished he could be anywhere else, be anyone else… even if it was just for a moment.
The truth was, the offer Stavros had given him was tempting. Too tempting. Adrian had almost said yes.
The scarier part was, he was still considering it.
Chapter Four
Isamaria
The salty breeze she inhaled through her nose was like the original breath of life.
Isamaria held her surfboard tightly to her side and tried not to dance. She loved the feeling of the waves crashing against her bare feet, and the way she sank into the sand as the ocean rolled over her. A full moon lit the sea in a white halo, a perfect glow under the starry sky.
She’d been out here for hours, waiting for Harbor and Shelly to get done with clubbing until the wee hours of the night. It was close to dawn, she knew. She was tired, but she didn’t long for her bed. She wanted the ocean. She enjoyed being out here and watching the waves roll in, enjoyed being alone. The water was the only thing that understood her.
She wished she didn’t have to live a life on land. More than anything, she wanted to be a part of the sea.
The storm was still approaching. It had been raining off and on, so Isa had been waiting to make her move and start surfing. She couldn’t wait much longer, however. She needed to be out there, storm or no storm.
“Hey, Isa!” There was a shout over the waves. Isa turned, and smiled when she saw Harbor and Shelly approaching, boards tucked underneath their arms.
Harbor and Shelly were Isa’s best friends because, well, they weren’t from Coral Bay. They were college students at FSU like she was.
“What up, bitch,” Harbor said. She gave Isa a high-five when she joined her side. “How are the waves?”
“Just about perfect.” Isa fastened the surfboard to her ankle with the Velcro clasp, ignoring the approaching storm on the horizon. “You guys ready for this?”
Shelly shivered. “It’s a bit cold, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we go home?”
“The water’s fine, Shelly. You’re such a wuss,” Harbor complained.
Isa didn’t care if the water was cold. She just wanted to ride some waves. “You girls can stay on shore if you want. I won’t be long. I just wanted to head out for a bit.”
“Breakfast would be better.” Shelly was shivering. “The Flying Seagull has the best brunch, and boys.”
Shelly wasn’t interested in going anywhere unless there were boys involved. But Isa needed more than a quick hookup. She wanted to feel alive. She needed something real. “It’s still dark. We’ll go there in a bit. Just a quick ride, I promise.”
Isa had no intention of going to The Flying Seagull, but she said it anyway, just to make Shelly happy.
At the mention of boys and brunch, however, now Harbor’s attention was captured. “Shelly’s right. We have been surfing a lot lately. Something different for a change would be cool. It’s already starting to rain again.”
Isa didn’t want to tell her friends that they’d been surfing so much because it was her only way to handle life. She went surfing even more than her friends thought. If they knew how much she was on her board, they’d think she had a serious problem.
“You guys are babies,” Isa said.
Just at that moment, a large lightning bolt lit up the ocean behind her. Shelly and Harbor took a few steps back, but Isa wasn’t afraid. If anything, she was more excited.
The wind started to pick up. The rain was starting to fall heavily now, and dark clouds were gathering, blocking out the moon and stars. Isa hadn’t seen a storm whip up so suddenly and so violently since the last hurricane had blown through. The waves were increasing in size and intensity. Only the most experienced surfers could expect to head into the storm and survive.
But if you could… man, what a thrill you’d get from it. It’d be more than worth it.
Isa was in the mood to tempt fate tonight.
“Isa, no. I know what you’re thinking,” Shelly said the minute she saw the fire light up in Isa’s eyes. She tried to grab her, but Isa slid out of the way.
“I’m only going out for a sec!” Isa shouted. She ran into the water before her friends could stop her and was on her board just as lightning lit up the sky.
“Crazy bitch!” she heard Harbor call over the storm. Isa crouched down on her board, and it was then she started flying.
There was nothing better than the feel of a board underneath you as you skimmed over water. Nothing. It was like drawing energy directly from the earth and injecting it into Isamaria’s veins. She laughed with ecstasy as she expertly weaved her board against the water. For a brief moment, Isa thought that she could control the sea herself.
In the distance, a monster wave was growing. She spotted it in the corner of her eye as it rapidly approached, the size of a small building. The sea was growing stronger now, agitated by the demands of the storm and Isa’s arrogant claim to it.
Her first thought was to turn back and head toward the shore. Isa knew better than to take her chances. No one she knew had ever conquered a wave that big.
She’d be the first.
Isa heard the shouts of Harbor and Shelly, telling her not to do it. Even Harbor sounded worried now, but Isa would show them. She smiled and gave a happy cry as the tip of her board broke upon the monster wave.
She struggled to maintain her balance the moment her board was upon the wave. It was stronger than she thought, something she’d underestimated. But she could do this-- she could handle it. Hell, it was the only thing in her life she could handle. Slowly, she gained control, water droplets spraying off the wave and sticking to her face. She felt the powerful rumble of the wave underneath her feet as the board shook, and the roar that it made in her ears as it crashed around her.
Isamaria felt joy explode in her chest as she spotted the end of the wave. She’d done it! She’d mastered surfing! Shelly and Harbor were cheering from the shore, and Isa’s smile grew wider at the thought of their reaction once she returned to the beach.
Then something distracted her… the sight of that green fin again, and a boy’s face.
That broken second of concentration was all it took. Isamaria lost control. The violent wave tossed her into the sky, and her board broke. The line tying her to the surfboard snapped, and Isamaria felt her nose and mouth fill with seawater as she tumbled headfirst into the ocean, dragged down by the sheer power of the sea.
She thought she could hear Shelly and Harbor’s screams as she went under.
The entire world went dark, and her eyes burned as she opened them within the saltiness. She tried to swim, but in the darkness and swirling tumult, she couldn’t be sure which way was up, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull of the undertow. The wave churned her over and over, and Isa found herself swirling within the depths without a way out.
This was it. She’d finally gotten her wish. She was going to be a part of the sea, forever.
She was going to die.
Chapter Five
Adrian
Adrian and Moona were listlessly swimming around, not quite sure where they were going but figuring they were heading somewhere important.
Adrian could feel it in his bones. Wherever he and Moona were headed, it was of the utmost importance tonight. He didn’t know why, but he’d told Moona so.
“This feels right,” he said. “Like… we’re supposed to be out here, and not at my party.”
“You and your superstitions,” Moona said, but she let Adrian be consumed by his fantasies. It was too much work arguing with him.
For a little bit, Adrian had been nothing but worried after they
’d left the palace. He worried about how his father would react, how his guests would take it, and mostly, what his mother would say.
But his worries got farther and farther away the closer he got to the shoreline. It was like, for him, approaching land was the only way to calm his frantic heart.
There was a storm whipping up. It was a nasty one. There was thunder and lightning in the sky, and the waves were so strong they tossed Adrian and Moona back and forth between them.
Adrian knew the storm was caused by his father. Poseidon had finally noticed his absence. Adrian could hear what his father would say once he returned. Irresponsible! We’ve been planning this party for years, and you run off in the most disrespectful way possible! How can I possibly believe you will ever be ready to be king?
The shouts in his ears dulled as he got closer and closer to the beach. Just a little farther, Adrian told himself.
“I don’t like this, Adrian,” Moona called over the storm’s rampage. “It’s getting hard for me to keep up with you!”
“Just float for a bit, Moona,” Adrian told her. “I’ll be okay on my own.”
He left Moona behind as he continued on his quest. The water grew shallower, shallower than he was used to. Adrian paused for a moment to survey his surroundings. If he had to go back so soon, he was at least going to enjoy the few precious seconds he had...
Someone was on the water. Adrian was familiar with surfing, but he’d never tried it himself, and especially never in a storm. The human who was surfing now was either crazy, or they had a death wish.
Adrian spotted a mass of blonde hair, and his curiosity peaked. He swam closer, against the roar of the waves. He thought he was seeing things for a moment, but on closer inspection, he found that his eyes hadn’t deceived him.
It was the girl! The same one whom he’d spotted on the boat earlier. Adrian couldn’t believe his luck. What was she doing out here, tempting the favor of the gods? Poseidon had claimed many souls who’d dared to question him on the water, and he wouldn’t mind claiming one more.
