asked.
“Actually, you would make a fine leader, Fin.”
“Me?” I blew out a breath, not believing for a second they’d let a youngin’ like me on the Council. Besides, I wanted to be on land as much as possible. “Why don’t you do it?”
“I’m too old for politics.” He leaned in. “The mers have no idea what to do with their new freedom, and you could lead them by example. Actually, your wedding will be the catalyst.”
I huffed and shook my head. “All of them?”
“Sounds like it.”
“Do you think that’s wise?”
“And why not?”
“It’ll be culture shock, and don’t you remember the Hill Billy boys who shot me in Oklahoma? I almost died.”
A twinge of pain radiated from my side, and I inadvertently rubbed the spot. The loss of blood almost killed me.
Dad laughed. “That was a different situation. With the lake nearby and mermen to sing away mistakes? It’s foolproof.”
“ As long as they’re human and unpromised ,” I wanted to say, but it felt weird being the cautious one. This was what my parents had preached my whole life. Mistakes happened, as with anything, but we’d managed to keep the secret all the same.
Dad locked up the house, then headed with me down the basement stairs. A new bridge suspended over the empty pool. Piles of human clothing were strewn about in various places on the deck, ready for their owners come morning.
“We should put shelving over there, Jack, or maybe a bar for hangers.” Mom motioned to the other side of the room. “And I was just thinking, that if all the mers are coming to the wedding, we are going to have to provide appropriate clothing — preferably store-bought.”
I ran my hand through my hair. More stuff to plan. “Let them dress themselves,” I said.
“The men can’t wear skirts, Fin. And the ladies, their beaded dresses compete with the bride.”
Dad pulled Mom into a hug and started kissing her. “It’ll work out. Stop worrying.”
She giggled, but I could feel the scales forming on my legs. Time was up.
I headed for the hatch first, disappearing into Lake Tahoe, but I couldn’t help but think that by having this many mers who’d never experienced life on land in one place would be like herding cats and not a good idea.
Not a good idea at all.
SEVENTEEN – ASH – May 26 – 7:20 p.m.
I darted inside my house, happy as ever. Nothing could change my good mood or our fortune. Everything was working out as planned. We could do this dual life.
“Ash?” Mom asked as I darted up the stairs. “I want to show you something.”
The dimness of the oncoming twilight reminded me the sun had already ducked behind the mountain range. As if in response, my legs began to itch to reveal their scales.
“I need to study for finals.”
“It’ll just take a second.”
She walked past me to her room, and I followed. On her bed lay the beautiful, long veil my sister and I had drooled over as kids, one I’d seen only a handful of times and was forbidden to touch, let alone try on. She lifted it up.
“I thought… for your something old.”
“Your veil?”
“Yes.” She led me to the full-length mirror, then slipped the veil’s clip into my hair. I sucked in a startled breath at my reflection, the contrast of red under the white.
“It’s so beautiful on you,” she said breathlessly.
I turned to her, the emotion welling in my throat. “You think so?”
Her lip quivered and she nodded, her eyes watering with tears. “You’re a vision.”
“Oh, Mom. It’s so beautiful. Thank you.”
She swiped away her tears. “I know we’ve had our issues, but I feel like this wedding has healed us. That by bringing Fin into our family, I finally understand you.”
I pulled in a gasp. After everything, I’d felt the same way — whole — even though, with the way mer bonded with their mother it really couldn’t be. Maybe it was just, delayed.
I threw my arms around her neck and hugged tight, so thankful I had her, the
“Actually, you would make a fine leader, Fin.”
“Me?” I blew out a breath, not believing for a second they’d let a youngin’ like me on the Council. Besides, I wanted to be on land as much as possible. “Why don’t you do it?”
“I’m too old for politics.” He leaned in. “The mers have no idea what to do with their new freedom, and you could lead them by example. Actually, your wedding will be the catalyst.”
I huffed and shook my head. “All of them?”
“Sounds like it.”
“Do you think that’s wise?”
“And why not?”
“It’ll be culture shock, and don’t you remember the Hill Billy boys who shot me in Oklahoma? I almost died.”
A twinge of pain radiated from my side, and I inadvertently rubbed the spot. The loss of blood almost killed me.
Dad laughed. “That was a different situation. With the lake nearby and mermen to sing away mistakes? It’s foolproof.”
“ As long as they’re human and unpromised ,” I wanted to say, but it felt weird being the cautious one. This was what my parents had preached my whole life. Mistakes happened, as with anything, but we’d managed to keep the secret all the same.
Dad locked up the house, then headed with me down the basement stairs. A new bridge suspended over the empty pool. Piles of human clothing were strewn about in various places on the deck, ready for their owners come morning.
“We should put shelving over there, Jack, or maybe a bar for hangers.” Mom motioned to the other side of the room. “And I was just thinking, that if all the mers are coming to the wedding, we are going to have to provide appropriate clothing — preferably store-bought.”
I ran my hand through my hair. More stuff to plan. “Let them dress themselves,” I said.
“The men can’t wear skirts, Fin. And the ladies, their beaded dresses compete with the bride.”
Dad pulled Mom into a hug and started kissing her. “It’ll work out. Stop worrying.”
She giggled, but I could feel the scales forming on my legs. Time was up.
I headed for the hatch first, disappearing into Lake Tahoe, but I couldn’t help but think that by having this many mers who’d never experienced life on land in one place would be like herding cats and not a good idea.
Not a good idea at all.
SEVENTEEN – ASH – May 26 – 7:20 p.m.
I darted inside my house, happy as ever. Nothing could change my good mood or our fortune. Everything was working out as planned. We could do this dual life.
“Ash?” Mom asked as I darted up the stairs. “I want to show you something.”
The dimness of the oncoming twilight reminded me the sun had already ducked behind the mountain range. As if in response, my legs began to itch to reveal their scales.
“I need to study for finals.”
“It’ll just take a second.”
She walked past me to her room, and I followed. On her bed lay the beautiful, long veil my sister and I had drooled over as kids, one I’d seen only a handful of times and was forbidden to touch, let alone try on. She lifted it up.
“I thought… for your something old.”
“Your veil?”
“Yes.” She led me to the full-length mirror, then slipped the veil’s clip into my hair. I sucked in a startled breath at my reflection, the contrast of red under the white.
“It’s so beautiful on you,” she said breathlessly.
I turned to her, the emotion welling in my throat. “You think so?”
Her lip quivered and she nodded, her eyes watering with tears. “You’re a vision.”
“Oh, Mom. It’s so beautiful. Thank you.”
She swiped away her tears. “I know we’ve had our issues, but I feel like this wedding has healed us. That by bringing Fin into our family, I finally understand you.”
I pulled in a gasp. After everything, I’d felt the same way — whole — even though, with the way mer bonded with their mother it really couldn’t be. Maybe it was just, delayed.
I threw my arms around her neck and hugged tight, so thankful I had her, the
Similar Books
