He’s munching on French fries and mustard. “Glad you’re finally awake.”
I let go of his neck even though I don’t want to. “How long was I out for?”
“A few hours.”
“What happened?”
“Either we didn’t take enough potion each, or the recipe wasn’t exactly right.”
I hug him hard. “I’m so sorry I was mean to you.”
“I’m sorry I made you do all the work,” he says. “Want a fry? The mustard isn’t as awful as you’d think.”
“Sure,” I say.
“Me too,” Lana says.
“What time is it?” I wonder.
“Almost ten A.M .”
I look at Lana in surprise. “It’s ten o’clock, and you’re still alive!”
She nods. “I am.”
“And you can talk!”
She nods again. “Nelly reversed the spell. And gave me back my voice.”
“That’s amazing!” I cheer. “We did it! We fixed the story! Everything is back the way it was!”
“Not everything,” Jonah says.
“What do you mean?” I ask, munching on another fry. Jonah’s right. The mustard isn’t that bad.
He motions to Lana. “She still has legs.”
He’s right. She does still have legs. “What happened? Nelly wouldn’t let you have your tail back? She’s making you stay on land forever? I thought we had done so well! Did your dad cancel the date or something?”
Lana shakes her head. “No, that’s not it. She offered to give me my tail back, but I told her I didn’t want it.”
Huh? “Why not?”
“I love my family, but I don’t want to leave the surface. Prince or not, it’s my home. I love to walk and dance. And I really love sunsets. And shoops — I mean, shoes. And books. And paintings. And have you tried a cheeseburger with mustard and that yellow-y American cheese? They’re amazing.”
I nod.
She goes on. “And even though I have my voice back, I have another voice now that I’m not ready to give up.”
I don’t understand what she’s talking about. “You have a second voice?”
“Yes! Thanks to you, I can write! And that’s given me a whole new voice. I want to stay on land and write stories about the world under the ocean. I want to write books about mermaids and share them with humans so they don’t think merfolk are make-believe!”
“I would love to read those,” I say. “Is your dad okay with you staying?”
She nods. “He said he was going to miss me, but he also gave me these.” She opens her hand, and I see the diamond ring, theemerald earrings, and the bracelet. “They belonged to my mother. He told me I can sell them and buy a house with a big dock so he and my sisters can always visit.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, throwing my arms around Lana in a hug. “Everything worked out.”
“Almost,” Jonah says. “We still have to get home.”
Oh, no! If it’s almost ten here, we only have two hours to get back, and we still have no idea how. “What are we going to do?” I ask.
“It’s all taken care of,” Jonah says smugly. “By me.”
“But, Jonah, we’re sitting on the beach. Not in our basement.”
“Not for long,” Jonah says, and then he points to the water.
In the distance, I see the five mermaid sisters, plus Nelly, plus the king.
“She’s finally awake!” the oldest mermaid says.
“Hi, guys!” Lana yells. She splashes out into the water and hugs them all. Aw. We got them back together.
“Carolyn made us more underwater potion,” Jonah says. “She made double, just to be safe.”
“How does that help?” I ask. “We don’t live underwater.”
“Nelly’s cauldron is underwater. It’s going to take us home.”
“But Nelly isn’t a fairy,” I say. “Is she?”
He shrugs. “She said she could do it.”
“She did? Did you have to trade her something?”
He shook his head. “She said it’s payment for reintroducing her to the king.”
“Oh!” If being a judge doesn’t work out, maybe I can be a matchmaker. “When do we go?”
“Now!”
I look back up at the palace. “Should we say good-bye?”
“I said
I let go of his neck even though I don’t want to. “How long was I out for?”
“A few hours.”
“What happened?”
“Either we didn’t take enough potion each, or the recipe wasn’t exactly right.”
I hug him hard. “I’m so sorry I was mean to you.”
“I’m sorry I made you do all the work,” he says. “Want a fry? The mustard isn’t as awful as you’d think.”
“Sure,” I say.
“Me too,” Lana says.
“What time is it?” I wonder.
“Almost ten A.M .”
I look at Lana in surprise. “It’s ten o’clock, and you’re still alive!”
She nods. “I am.”
“And you can talk!”
She nods again. “Nelly reversed the spell. And gave me back my voice.”
“That’s amazing!” I cheer. “We did it! We fixed the story! Everything is back the way it was!”
“Not everything,” Jonah says.
“What do you mean?” I ask, munching on another fry. Jonah’s right. The mustard isn’t that bad.
He motions to Lana. “She still has legs.”
He’s right. She does still have legs. “What happened? Nelly wouldn’t let you have your tail back? She’s making you stay on land forever? I thought we had done so well! Did your dad cancel the date or something?”
Lana shakes her head. “No, that’s not it. She offered to give me my tail back, but I told her I didn’t want it.”
Huh? “Why not?”
“I love my family, but I don’t want to leave the surface. Prince or not, it’s my home. I love to walk and dance. And I really love sunsets. And shoops — I mean, shoes. And books. And paintings. And have you tried a cheeseburger with mustard and that yellow-y American cheese? They’re amazing.”
I nod.
She goes on. “And even though I have my voice back, I have another voice now that I’m not ready to give up.”
I don’t understand what she’s talking about. “You have a second voice?”
“Yes! Thanks to you, I can write! And that’s given me a whole new voice. I want to stay on land and write stories about the world under the ocean. I want to write books about mermaids and share them with humans so they don’t think merfolk are make-believe!”
“I would love to read those,” I say. “Is your dad okay with you staying?”
She nods. “He said he was going to miss me, but he also gave me these.” She opens her hand, and I see the diamond ring, theemerald earrings, and the bracelet. “They belonged to my mother. He told me I can sell them and buy a house with a big dock so he and my sisters can always visit.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, throwing my arms around Lana in a hug. “Everything worked out.”
“Almost,” Jonah says. “We still have to get home.”
Oh, no! If it’s almost ten here, we only have two hours to get back, and we still have no idea how. “What are we going to do?” I ask.
“It’s all taken care of,” Jonah says smugly. “By me.”
“But, Jonah, we’re sitting on the beach. Not in our basement.”
“Not for long,” Jonah says, and then he points to the water.
In the distance, I see the five mermaid sisters, plus Nelly, plus the king.
“She’s finally awake!” the oldest mermaid says.
“Hi, guys!” Lana yells. She splashes out into the water and hugs them all. Aw. We got them back together.
“Carolyn made us more underwater potion,” Jonah says. “She made double, just to be safe.”
“How does that help?” I ask. “We don’t live underwater.”
“Nelly’s cauldron is underwater. It’s going to take us home.”
“But Nelly isn’t a fairy,” I say. “Is she?”
He shrugs. “She said she could do it.”
“She did? Did you have to trade her something?”
He shook his head. “She said it’s payment for reintroducing her to the king.”
“Oh!” If being a judge doesn’t work out, maybe I can be a matchmaker. “When do we go?”
“Now!”
I look back up at the palace. “Should we say good-bye?”
“I said
Similar Books
