Lights at Midnight : A Mermaid Story (Lights at Midnight Series Book 1)

by Orchid Leigh

  My eyes began to water. I wiped at the tears and cleared my throat. “Hey, can I read you something I just found in my closet?”

  “Sure, I guess,” said Peter.

  “It’s a letter from Granny Leira.”

  “Oh, okay,” he said, suddenly understanding.

  I read the letter.

  Dearest Cordelia,

  I have hidden this letter here in hopes that you will find it one day. I do not think you will mind that I wanted to keep the contents herein just between you and me. As a result, it will remain hidden until it is found by you, whenever that may be. I will trust that the curious child that you are will find it before it has been too long.

  I do hope that you like your new home here. I think that you will find that this is truly your home in more ways than you ever realized. I wanted to bring you here because I thought it was only fair that you had all the pieces and knew all the secrets that make you who you truly are. If right now this does not make sense, do not worry—it will in time.

  I wanted to do for you what I could not do for your mother, which is to give you the choice to live your life the way you want to live it.

  In the past, I made the mistake of taking that decision away from her. When my son Matthew had a daughter, I had already scared him enough with my stories that, sadly, he thought hiding her was his only option.

  I have regretted this throughout all of my days, and I am sorry that I have missed her life and yours. I know I do not deserve your forgiveness. Just please understand, I have always loved you and your mother and have always only wanted the best for you both.

  Even now the decision to bring you here is a difficult one for me. Sometimes, even when you’re quite old, it’s hard to know what the right thing to do is. But I have confidence that a princess can choose her own path, just as I chose mine.

  Remember to trust your heart, for it is your most honest guide and a princess’s heart will never lead her astray.

  I love you, Cordelia.

  Your loving,

  Granny Leira

  P.S. I have a friend named Peter here whom I think you might get along with. He lives across town but plays back at the lake often. Tell him I sent you and tell him thank you for keeping a dear old lady company.

  I lowered the paper.

  “That’s the Granny Leira I remember,” said Peter.

  “She liked you a lot,” I said. “Somehow she knew we were going to find each other.”

  “We almost missed each other, though.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, you only just moved there a few months ago. Any later and I would have been gone already. We wouldn’t have met.”

  I shook my head against my pillow. “That never would have happened,” I said.

  “Oh, no?”

  “Nope. Peter, I was always going to find you.”

  “Is that right?” he asked. I heard the smile in his voice.

  “Yeah,” I said, smiling back.

  “So you think you found me?”

  “Yeah, I found you. You were the piece I was searching for all along. Don’t you know? So I could start my story.”

  “You got quite the unexpected story, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess I did. It kind of swept me up. And you know what, Peter Evans?”

  “What?”

  “You were the best part.”

  Peter laughed. “So, Cordelia, are you ready for the next chapter?”

  I smiled. “I am . . . as long as it includes you.”

  Epilogue

  I stood on the dock, breathing in the fresh night air. The warm summer breeze soothed and comforted as it brushed across my skin.

  I closed my eyes and listened to the harmonious drone of a million crickets and the soft lapping of the waves as they hit the wooden posts below me.

  The tranquil waters glittered under the moonlight, calling to my heart. I took a blissful breath. There was no point in trying to resist it anymore—I wouldn’t be able to.

  I stepped on the backs of my shoes to remove them, then pulled off Peter’s hoodie and threw it on top.

  I smiled down at the water. “Okay,” I said, “it’s just you and me now.”

  And with one more breath, I jumped in.

  Thank you so much for reading Ellie and Peter’s story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Their story continues in Lights at Midnight Book 2: Shadow of Stars. Coming soon!

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  About the Author

  Orchid Leigh lives in Maine with her husband and two children.

  She loves music, movies, painting, and listening to the rain. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found playing video games with her kids, dabbling with her paints, or singing karaoke to herself.

  Lights at Midnight is her first novel.

  Want to keep up with Orchid’s enchanting stories? Follow her online at:

  Website: orchidleigh.com

  Instagram: @orchidleigh