said through his teeth, “Answer your mother.”
Maya wanted to look to Ree for help. Her brother remained uncharacteristically quiet. She wanted to pull back from her mother but knew that would only anger Crystal more.
“I didn’t… that isn’t mine.”
“We know it’s not yours,” Crystal and Meren said in unison.
Maya shook her head, trying to shake her jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. “It’s not mine because Laev gave it to me.”
Crystal released her.
Meren looked at the amulet and then back to Maya. “What do you mean he gave it to you? Why would he give you this? Why would he have it?”
“He didn’t give it to me as a gift. It’s his. He wanted me to try it. I told him no but he insisted it wouldn’t harm anything.”
Crystal snapped, “You still shouldn’t have.”
Maya nodded quickly. “I know that, Mommy. I’m sorry. I really am. It was only going to be a minute. I was going to put it on and then take it off just so he would stop harping on it. But then his father came and rushed me before the magistrate, who then called you. I didn’t get a chance to tell anyone the amulet wasn’t mine.”
“How do you know Laev, Maya?” Meren swam closer, searching her gaze. “I wasn’t aware you knew any mermen.”
“I didn’t. I only found out Laev was a merman recently. I met him on land. He wore the amulet beneath his clothes, so I didn’t even know it was there.”
“You met him on land?”
Maya nodded quickly. “He’s familiar with human culture. I never would have guessed he was a merman. We met many times -- movies, dinner, walks through the mall. I couldn’t tell he was anything but human.”
Crystal made an angered noise and sliced her hand through the water. “That sneaky little bastard. He has the nerve to accuse my daughter when he was the one doing it himself.”
Maya said quickly, “I wouldn’t use the amulet to present a false image of myself. I would never want a relationship like that.”
Ree asked, “Dad, can you tell the magistrate what Maya just said?”
Meren shook his head. “It makes no difference. The judgment is passed. Any effort to change it now would be construed as trying to get vengeance.”
“They didn’t give us a chance to say anything. They called us down here to humiliate us. That’s it,” Crystal said. “This is BS. At least in a human court of law, we’re allowed to defend ourselves.”
“Don’t start, Crystal.”
“Kiss my ass. Your daughter was just accused of a crime she didn’t commit and then slandered. You’ve been given a sentence of servitude for that false accusation. Don’t stand there and give me that ‘merman society is better’ crap.”
Ree said, “Technically, he’s floating.”
Maya smacked her brother’s arm. Butting in on the age-old argument between their parents would only make matters worse. If left alone, Crystal and Meren would argue until they reached a stalemate and then let the subject drop for a few months.
While Maya didn’t like to hear her parents arguing or the topic they argued about, she knew it was a stress relief of sorts. There would be yelling and slamming doors as her parents raged at each other. A few hours later, it would be like the fight had never happened. Her parents would joke and laugh together, once again drawing love from each other’s company.
Crystal threw her hands up in Meren’s direction. “Well?”
Meren didn’t speak.
Maya stared at him with wide eyes. Meren never backed down from the humans versus mermen argument. “Daddy?”
Crystal snapped, “Forget it, Maya. He knows this is wrong. That’s why he won’t argue. Put your tail on and let’s go home.”
Maya brought her legs together and took a deep breath. As she pushed out the breath, she pushed at the tingling sensation at the base of her spine. It spread over her legs, knitting them together and reforming the bones until she wore her mermaid’s tail.
She loosened her muscles with a
Maya wanted to look to Ree for help. Her brother remained uncharacteristically quiet. She wanted to pull back from her mother but knew that would only anger Crystal more.
“I didn’t… that isn’t mine.”
“We know it’s not yours,” Crystal and Meren said in unison.
Maya shook her head, trying to shake her jumbled thoughts into some sort of order. “It’s not mine because Laev gave it to me.”
Crystal released her.
Meren looked at the amulet and then back to Maya. “What do you mean he gave it to you? Why would he give you this? Why would he have it?”
“He didn’t give it to me as a gift. It’s his. He wanted me to try it. I told him no but he insisted it wouldn’t harm anything.”
Crystal snapped, “You still shouldn’t have.”
Maya nodded quickly. “I know that, Mommy. I’m sorry. I really am. It was only going to be a minute. I was going to put it on and then take it off just so he would stop harping on it. But then his father came and rushed me before the magistrate, who then called you. I didn’t get a chance to tell anyone the amulet wasn’t mine.”
“How do you know Laev, Maya?” Meren swam closer, searching her gaze. “I wasn’t aware you knew any mermen.”
“I didn’t. I only found out Laev was a merman recently. I met him on land. He wore the amulet beneath his clothes, so I didn’t even know it was there.”
“You met him on land?”
Maya nodded quickly. “He’s familiar with human culture. I never would have guessed he was a merman. We met many times -- movies, dinner, walks through the mall. I couldn’t tell he was anything but human.”
Crystal made an angered noise and sliced her hand through the water. “That sneaky little bastard. He has the nerve to accuse my daughter when he was the one doing it himself.”
Maya said quickly, “I wouldn’t use the amulet to present a false image of myself. I would never want a relationship like that.”
Ree asked, “Dad, can you tell the magistrate what Maya just said?”
Meren shook his head. “It makes no difference. The judgment is passed. Any effort to change it now would be construed as trying to get vengeance.”
“They didn’t give us a chance to say anything. They called us down here to humiliate us. That’s it,” Crystal said. “This is BS. At least in a human court of law, we’re allowed to defend ourselves.”
“Don’t start, Crystal.”
“Kiss my ass. Your daughter was just accused of a crime she didn’t commit and then slandered. You’ve been given a sentence of servitude for that false accusation. Don’t stand there and give me that ‘merman society is better’ crap.”
Ree said, “Technically, he’s floating.”
Maya smacked her brother’s arm. Butting in on the age-old argument between their parents would only make matters worse. If left alone, Crystal and Meren would argue until they reached a stalemate and then let the subject drop for a few months.
While Maya didn’t like to hear her parents arguing or the topic they argued about, she knew it was a stress relief of sorts. There would be yelling and slamming doors as her parents raged at each other. A few hours later, it would be like the fight had never happened. Her parents would joke and laugh together, once again drawing love from each other’s company.
Crystal threw her hands up in Meren’s direction. “Well?”
Meren didn’t speak.
Maya stared at him with wide eyes. Meren never backed down from the humans versus mermen argument. “Daddy?”
Crystal snapped, “Forget it, Maya. He knows this is wrong. That’s why he won’t argue. Put your tail on and let’s go home.”
Maya brought her legs together and took a deep breath. As she pushed out the breath, she pushed at the tingling sensation at the base of her spine. It spread over her legs, knitting them together and reforming the bones until she wore her mermaid’s tail.
She loosened her muscles with a
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