reached across the table to take my hand in his. “Go on; tell me a fairy tale, my dear.”
“Alright,” I said, ready to tell him one about a fairy princess, but he put his hand in the air to stop me.
“I want to hear about mermaids .”
My heart stopped beating in my chest, I know it did, but I forced a smile to my face. There was no way he could know about me, no way on earth or in the seas, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief. I wasn’t sure what that meant.
“What?” I asked, letting the disbelief play over my words.
“Mermaids. I want you to tell me about how they walk on land.”
“Do they?”
“They do,” he said and ran a finger across my palm. “Don’t you know that one? I thought you would be ready for this.”
“Oh I know that one. I just didn’t deem you as a girlie man.”
Aiden grimaced. “I am no such thing, my dear, and you should know that.” He gave me that look, the one where I think I was supposed to swoon, but I rolled my eyes. He should know by now not to try that with me. “I won the game, and it is my tale to choose. Unless you don’t think you can handle your end of the bargain.” He let go of my hand and leaned back to cross his arms. The disappointment across his face was just a con, because his eyes held a playful challenge.
“Fine.” I could do this; it was one of my own people’s stories.
“Once upon a time,” I started with a grin, “when little boy pirates asked their mommies for stories, they asked for mermaids.” His gaze on me didn’t waver, didn’t show any hint he cared I was mocking him.
“Mermaids were the people of the sea, changing only by magic one night a month. They were able to survive on both land and sea, but they wanted more. They created a special stone which they wore around their neck, labradorite, which was an iridescent beauty. It was blue and green, the color of their love—the sea. While wearing this magically spelled stone, they were able to change from legs to fins any time they wanted to, allowing them to rule both land and sea. The Goddess of the Moon no longer ruled their powers.”
“Me hands have itched to get ahold of one of those stones.”
“Good luck,” I said with a laugh, “because legend also says they are now extinct. There are no more labradorite stones.”
“What happened to them?”
They were ground down and hidden away where no one could find them. “No one knows, Aiden, that’s why it’s a legend. Besides, it wouldn’t turn you into a merman. You’re a human.”
Aiden laughed. “I don’t care about the abilities, lass, just the gem itself. Lost treasure, you know. I heard rumors there was a castle on land they lived in. Perhaps there would still be treasure there.”
The intensity of his gaze worried me. I didn’t like he was hinting of going on a search for the island. I didn’t like he wanted to get his piratey hands on something from my people, especially since none of us had access to it anymore.
“No one knows where it is, Aiden. You couldn’t find it if you wanted to. It was a place no one knew of. Those who did thought it was ruled by cannibals and stayed away.”
He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “I know the sea very well. I’ve probably laid eyes on it before.”
“Perhaps, but you wouldn’t know it was once the home of the merfolk. They are no longer there.”
“What happened to them?” a stranger’s voice asked.
I paused and looked behind me. Several of the other pirates who gathered to watch us play darts were sitting closer to us now, listening to my story. The part of me that loved sharing stories was excited to have an audience. However, this was the story of my people, and I needed to tread lightly.
“They were run off.”
“By who, miss?”
“Humans.” Hiding the hatred in my words was hard, but I did it.
This earned a few surprised grumbles from the other men and more of them joined us at the table. It was the closest they had willingly gotten
“Alright,” I said, ready to tell him one about a fairy princess, but he put his hand in the air to stop me.
“I want to hear about mermaids .”
My heart stopped beating in my chest, I know it did, but I forced a smile to my face. There was no way he could know about me, no way on earth or in the seas, but his eyes were twinkling with mischief. I wasn’t sure what that meant.
“What?” I asked, letting the disbelief play over my words.
“Mermaids. I want you to tell me about how they walk on land.”
“Do they?”
“They do,” he said and ran a finger across my palm. “Don’t you know that one? I thought you would be ready for this.”
“Oh I know that one. I just didn’t deem you as a girlie man.”
Aiden grimaced. “I am no such thing, my dear, and you should know that.” He gave me that look, the one where I think I was supposed to swoon, but I rolled my eyes. He should know by now not to try that with me. “I won the game, and it is my tale to choose. Unless you don’t think you can handle your end of the bargain.” He let go of my hand and leaned back to cross his arms. The disappointment across his face was just a con, because his eyes held a playful challenge.
“Fine.” I could do this; it was one of my own people’s stories.
“Once upon a time,” I started with a grin, “when little boy pirates asked their mommies for stories, they asked for mermaids.” His gaze on me didn’t waver, didn’t show any hint he cared I was mocking him.
“Mermaids were the people of the sea, changing only by magic one night a month. They were able to survive on both land and sea, but they wanted more. They created a special stone which they wore around their neck, labradorite, which was an iridescent beauty. It was blue and green, the color of their love—the sea. While wearing this magically spelled stone, they were able to change from legs to fins any time they wanted to, allowing them to rule both land and sea. The Goddess of the Moon no longer ruled their powers.”
“Me hands have itched to get ahold of one of those stones.”
“Good luck,” I said with a laugh, “because legend also says they are now extinct. There are no more labradorite stones.”
“What happened to them?”
They were ground down and hidden away where no one could find them. “No one knows, Aiden, that’s why it’s a legend. Besides, it wouldn’t turn you into a merman. You’re a human.”
Aiden laughed. “I don’t care about the abilities, lass, just the gem itself. Lost treasure, you know. I heard rumors there was a castle on land they lived in. Perhaps there would still be treasure there.”
The intensity of his gaze worried me. I didn’t like he was hinting of going on a search for the island. I didn’t like he wanted to get his piratey hands on something from my people, especially since none of us had access to it anymore.
“No one knows where it is, Aiden. You couldn’t find it if you wanted to. It was a place no one knew of. Those who did thought it was ruled by cannibals and stayed away.”
He rubbed the scruff on his chin. “I know the sea very well. I’ve probably laid eyes on it before.”
“Perhaps, but you wouldn’t know it was once the home of the merfolk. They are no longer there.”
“What happened to them?” a stranger’s voice asked.
I paused and looked behind me. Several of the other pirates who gathered to watch us play darts were sitting closer to us now, listening to my story. The part of me that loved sharing stories was excited to have an audience. However, this was the story of my people, and I needed to tread lightly.
“They were run off.”
“By who, miss?”
“Humans.” Hiding the hatred in my words was hard, but I did it.
This earned a few surprised grumbles from the other men and more of them joined us at the table. It was the closest they had willingly gotten
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