Okay. Come on, then. I swam over to grab her hand. But try not to steal anything.
I saw another mer swimming a couple dozen feet away.
Luke?
But it wasn’t Luke. It was Reese. He swam toward us with the speed of a killer whale.
Where’s Luke? I rang.
Reese held up his hand. He had Luke’s watch on his wrist. He gave me this. He told me you would come.
Trey was wrong. Luke had known about the watch the whole time. But why did he have to give the watch to you?
They have him. Come!
Just a sec. I popped my head out of the water and called out for Cori. “It’s not Luke, but we’re going to find him.”
“Be careful!” Cori called out as I dove back into the water and followed Reese and Serena to the bottom of the ocean.
Finally, we came to rest behind a curtain of kelp overhanging a rock outcropping on the outskirts of a deserted-looking mer village of low-lying caves.
Where do they have him? Here? I asked, willing my heart to settle in my chest. Where is everybody?
Hiding. Reese pointed upward in the general direction of The Lady Sea Dragon.
Hiding from the boat? Like a fire alarm? I wondered.
Reese nodded. Did they know boats couldn’t detect them? Could they even understand what sonar was and that they had these awesome sonar-blocking skills the Navy would kill for? Probably not.
I’m so happy you’re okay. I thought of the last time I’d seen Reese. I was so afraid of what they would do when they took you and Renata away.
They let me go but Renata lost her privilege to bring the food, Reese said.
I’m really sorry to hear that, I replied.
Reese nodded, then looked past my shoulder to Serena. His face broke into a broad grin. And you are back.
I looked from Reese to Serena. If sparks could fly through water, I was sure I’d be staring at jet streams of steam.
Uh, can we get back to the subject at hand? I asked. Where is Luke?
Reese tore his eyes away long enough to focus on our conversation. He tightened his grip on his satchel. Follow me.
I followed Reese and Serena through the back alleys of the village. The ever-present danger of The Lady Sea Dragon looming high overhead must have really freaked everyone out, because the place was a ghost town.
Reese motioned to an entry in the rock face. In here.
A current of water swept against us, like we were going in through the out door. Once inside, Reese led us through a dark, narrow tunnel. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust.
What is this place? I asked.
Tribunal. Reese held up his hand for us to stop.
Tribunal? Like a courtroom? Were they keeping Luke under lock and key? I pushed past Reese and grabbed at the dark, slippery walls to propel myself forward. Where is he?
Careful. Reese grabbed the back of my shirt and held me back. Just then, three mers crisscrossed our path, along a distant tunnel.
Once they’d gone, we swam until we entered a cavernous space as big as Bridget’s Diner but deep and hollowed out, so it looked like a small auditorium. Reese’s Uncle Alzear guarded the door. He shook his head slightly at Reese but waved his hand for Serena and me to swim through.
I can’t go any farther, Reese whispered.
I get it. But thank you, you’ve already done so much. I squeezed his hand. Serena gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Uncle Alzear motioned for Reese to go, then blocked us from view so we could hide behind a rock on the upper level of the room. The grotto’s walls sparkled with photoluminescence, like I’d seen once on a Planet Earth video, lighting the space with a dim glow.
I pulled back some of the swaying moss from the craggy rock formation to get a better look. The room dipped down into a central meeting area. There, a group of about a dozen adult mers lounged around stone tables filled with seafood. Several mers ate while others talked in groups of twos and threes. Just then, a mermaid with sharp features and graying hair floated into the grotto from a passageway on the far side. The chatting stopped and mers put down their food.
Is the vessel still present overhead? The mermaid raised her eyes upward, even though the grotto’s ceiling hid the patrolling boat.
Yes, Dame Council. A younger merman minion with a peach fuzz beard nodded.
Then we must hurry. Attention, everyone. Dame Council floated over the group and paused to consider each of the mers’ faces. You’ve been gathered here to make a final decision on the boy. Do you swear to make this decision in accordance with our laws?
Yes, Dame Council, the crowd answered in unison.
Dame Council motioned to her minion. Bring him in.
A few minutes later, Peach Fuzz returned, holding Luke by the arm. The sight of him with a tail made my heart leap to my throat and filled me with guilt. He was a mer because of me. Had they hurt him? Threatened him?
I couldn’t stand wondering what he’d been through since they had pulled him underwater. Luke had sacrificed so much to help me find Mom. This was my chance to return the favor. I braced my hands against the rock in front of me, ready to kick some mer butt, but Serena put her hand over mine and shook her head, putting a finger to her lips.
Luke’s eyes darted from right to left, no doubt searching for a way out, but with Peach Fuzz’s hand gripped on his arm and a roomful of mers, things weren’t looking good. I wished I could call out to him, to tell him we were there, but what good would that do? We were just three kids against a whole Mermish Council. It was like the Butterflies vs. Boutiques rally all over again.
As Mermish Council, we are charged with the responsibility of Absolute Power Over the Sanctity of Mership, Dame Council said, looking down her straight, narrow nose. I trust you will not make this decision lightly. What say you, Framulus?
A merman with balding hair and sagging jowls swam over the group and turned to address them. The boy cannot be left to come and go as he pleases. He risks revealing the Webbed Ones secret to the village. Escort him back to the tidal pool.
The tidal pool is too dirty, Uncle Alzear said. It will take many tides to clear.
What of his family to the north? Another elderly mermaid adorned with many seashell necklaces asked. No one will discover his secret if we shuttle him there.
His family? Had the Mermish Council figured out where Luke came from? Could he be reunited with his birth family? Luke’s shoulders tensed. Was it fear? Anticipation? Was this what he wanted?
Dame Council consulted with Peach Fuzz. How long before you can assemble a team?
We can leave at nightfall, providing the vessel is gone.
Leave? For up north? Take Luke away?
Wait! Luke called out.
A murmur swept over the crowd of mers.
Let the boy speak. Dame Council turned her sharp eyes to Luke.
Luke looked from Uncle Alzear to the other members of Council. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. Was he considering it? Did he even have a choice?
They couldn’t send Luke north. North, where? It was hard enough finding him today. How would we stand a chance if we didn’t even know where to start looking? I had to talk to Luke before that happened, at least to have him understand how I felt—how everyone felt—about him. And about his mom too! Geesh! He didn’t even know his mom was back in the hospital.
Come on, boy. Speak up, Dame Council urged. Though, I must warn you…should you decide on this option, you can never return here.
I’ll go, Luke said flatly.
No! I shot out from behind the rock without thinking. I could feel Serena’s hand skim my tail as I swam out from our hiding place, but she didn’t follow.
Well, well. Dame Council examined my YOU CAN’T SPELL AWESOME WITHOUT “ME” T-shirt and glanced back at Luke, who was still wearing a T-shirt of his own. She obviously put two and two together and realized she was dealing with another two-legger because she waved her hand toward me, motioning for the other mers
to detain me. This certainly complicates matters.
Halt. Uncle Alzear held back several mers from the Council. He grasped my arm lightly. I’ve got her.
Bring her to me, Dame Council bellowed. Uncle Alzear turned and gave me an apologetic look, then pulled me toward the center of the dimly lit grotto.
Luke’s eyes widened when he saw me. How did you get here? he whispered in English.
I glanced upward for a split second. By boat with Cori and Trey. Serena is with me, I whispered back in English, hoping no one caught on to what we were saying.
Serena? he asked. I thought…
Enough! Dame Council bellowed. Once again, this is an open defiance of the Council and our mandate. It will not be tolerated.
There is only one option for those who defy the Council. Jowls smoothed his balding head as he spoke. What of the Freshie prison?
Mers from all sides turned to consult with one another and several nodded in agreement. The elderly mermaid with the shell necklaces spoke up. The Freshie prison is only used in extreme circumstances. We have not sentenced anyone there since the last uprising.
Uprising? Like, against the Council? I stopped to think. Mom had explained that Freshies were criminals, kept in Talisman Lake for their crimes. Was she wrong? Were those people just inconvenient squeaky wheels for the Mermish Council?
These children are no better than the original rebellion leaders, Finalin and Medora, Jowls said.
I looked at Luke. He understood right away. Finalin and Medora were Serena’s parents. Sure, they were mean thugs, but had they been shut away in Talisman Lake for some political reason?
Dame Council narrowed her eyes, as if remembering something.
Only then, we were able to justify Finalin and Medora’s imprisonment by charging them with the murder of that era’s Grand Council. A wry smile crept across her face. Unfortunate but quite convenient for us, don’t you all think?
A ripple of laughter swept over the Council.
At this, Serena whizzed out from behind the rock, her eyes blazing. My mother. My father. Framed for a murder they didn’t commit?
Mother? Father? Finalin and Medora have been Freshies well past your age! That can only mean one thing. Jowls looked from me to Luke. These two are freeing prisoners from the Freshie prison! This cannot stand. It simply cannot stand.
Mers from all sides talked at once, debating the issue in loud, ear-piercing screeches.
It is time to put this to a vote, Dame Council announced. All those in favor of imprisoning these three on the grounds of violating the Secrecy Decree and threatening Mermish Sanctity?
Eleven pairs of hands rose through the water and clapped in some sort of mer voting signal. The elderly woman with the seashell necklaces remained still.
Dame Council eyed her menacingly but continued with her ruling. Passed.
I grasped Luke’s hand and Serena’s too. What would it mean, being shut behind the lock of Port Toulouse canal and becoming a prisoner in Talisman Lake? Finalin and Medora were going to have a conniption fit once they saw me return with their daughter. And what about Luke? Could I get the Merlin 3000 to a place on the lake where he could transform safely? Had Dad even got it working again?
I needed to get to Cori and Trey. Somehow, I needed to get a message back to Mom, Dad, and the others.
Alzear, escort the prisoners to the Freshie prison, the Dame Council instructed.
Uncle Alzear swam to our side and pulled long strands of thick seaweed from around his torso. He bound our hands together with a sad expression.
The way is clear, Peach Fuzz dude announced after checking outside for the boat.
That could only mean one thing: the Coast Guard had caught up with Cori, Trey, and diabetic Cedric.
The Lady Sea Dragon was gone.
Uncle Alzear was the perfect host for our swim to the Port Toulouse canal even if, technically, he was leading us to our doom.
Traveling was slow, though, because our hands were still bound together like a double three-legged arm race with me in the middle and Luke and Serena at both sides. Plus, I kept whacking my tail against Serena’s, sending us all off course.
Sorry, I said for the millionth time.
My apologies—Uncle Alzear looked back to check on us—but I must keep you bound. If we were to be seen…
Don’t worry, I said. We’ll be a shoo-in for the three-legged race at the next Mermish County Fair.
I was grateful for the smirk from Luke to help lighten the mood because my jokes were falling flat with Alzear and Serena. Thankfully, the long swim back to the canal gave me an hour or so to talk to Luke and explain everything that had happened with the mall construction and my mom. Who knew what was waiting for us in Talisman Lake. What if we got separated? What if Finalin and Medora skewered us like fish kabobs?
Wow, a lot can happen in a day. Maybe I should go away more often, huh? Luke joked.
Very funny, but there’s something else, I admitted. Your mom. She’s not doing very well.
Oh…like in the hospital? Luke asked. I nodded. We swam for another few minutes before Luke spoke again. She’s the one who told me it was okay, you know.
I glanced his way to catch his meaning, but his face was unreadable. That what was okay?
She said I could go find my mer-parents once I turned fifteen in October. I guess, being sick, she wanted me to know I had that option.
And back there, when Dame Council asked you if you wanted to go up north to be with them?
Luke laughed. Well, it was sooner than I’d expected, but it didn’t seem like I had much of a choice.
But if you had a choice—? I began. But just then, Reese swam up from behind and scared the scales off my tail. Geesh, Reese. We’re going to have to put a bell on you.
You should not be here, Uncle Alzear said quietly, coasting to a stop a few dozen feet from the mouth of the canal leading up to the lock.
Is this what it comes down to? Reese shot a glare his uncle’s way. Imprisoning your own nephew?
Uncle Alzear’s face fell.
It’s not up to me. He bowed his head and swam off to talk to the two sentries stationed at the mouth of the canal.
Nephew? I asked. Alzear’s your uncle too? I looked from Reese to Luke. And Reese…
Is my cousin, Luke said with a smile. We figured it out last night when Reese and Alzear tried to free me.
And now what does he do? Reese muttered once his uncle was out of earshot. Lock you up because it’s “not up to him”?
He did what he could, Luke said quietly.
Serena stroked Reese’s arm, but meanwhile she shot furtive looks toward the canal as the sound of propellers vibrated through the water. I followed Serena’s gaze and could make out two boats tied up along the concrete pier, just inside the canal walls. One I recognized as The Lady Sea Dragon; the other one was red and white.
Oh! That’s our boat—and the Coast Guard? Luke asked. What’s that all about?
Rescue mission. Lainey Chamberlain’s dog was a stowaway. I could see Lainey standing on the pier snuggling Cedric while a tall woman in a blue uniform seemed to be reprimanding her, probably for failing to mention that Cedric was a dog and not human.
Luke’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Do I want to know?
I shook my head. No, but I really hope Trey doesn’t decide to take the boat to your house on the lake or else that’s where we’re headed too.
As if on cue, The Lady Sea Dragon shoved off and started to make its way up the canal.
I think I jinxed us, I said.
Uncle Alzear returned and led us partway up the canal. Reese tagged along, despite the murderous glares from the other two sentries posted at the canal’s entry.
This is where I leave you. Alzear used the tip of his spear to unbind our hands and hugged each of us. Be safe.
Safe? Reese spat.
Alzear turned his back to the other sentries and rang in an almost inaudible tone. Take heart; there is talk of ano
ther uprising. I can’t say more, but some of us will stop at nothing to see you free again.
Serena’s eyes widened. As quick as a flying sea monkey, she grabbed Alzear and hugged him tightly. He smiled and scanned the boats making their way up the canal.
Take a few moments, then they must go. Alzear touched Reese’s arm before swimming away.
Serena hugged Reese and kissed him on the cheek before she flicked her tail to follow The Lady Sea Dragon up the canal. Reese watched her go, his cheeks a deep pink.
Maybe your Uncle Alzear will let you visit on weekends? Luke kidded.
Maybe, Reese said with a smile.
Seriously, though. Luke held out his hand to shake Reese’s, then pulled him into a big hug. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us, man.
And for helping me find my mother, I added.
Mother? Reese said, his green eyes glinting. She is safe?
Yeah, I said quietly. Is…do you still have your mother?
Here and here. Reese put his hand to his head then his heart. But go!
Keep the watch! Luke called to Reese, then he took my hand and we swam toward the lock.
•••
So, do we have a plan? Luke pulled me through to the lock’s holding area as the metal gate on the Atlantic side swung shut, trapping us inside the lock with The Lady Sea Dragon.
We still had a few minutes before the other gate opened to the lake side, but I wasn’t sure the extra time would help because I didn’t have an answer. I’d battled Finalin and Medora before, but the only reason I had won was because I could give them what they wanted: their daughter’s freedom. Now I was showing up at their front door, delivering their daughter back to them. Plus, I was bringing a friend. Talk about crashing a party.
Swim like the wind? I offered.
Luke wrinkled his nose. That was kind of my plan too.
I looked up through the water to see if I could catch a glimpse of Cori. She stood at the stern of the boat talking to Trey, but I couldn’t be sure who else was in the boat. I checked to see how Serena was doing. It couldn’t be easy being back here.
Home again. Serena waited under the hull of The Lady Sea Dragon as the water level rose to adjust to the lake level. The rush of fresh water into the lock made me want to gag.
Real Mermaids 2 - Don't Hold Their Breath Page 13