by Angel Leya
I peered at Vince, his green eyes searching mine. My breath caught in my throat, my pulse increasing. I knew what I had to do.
“I’ve chosen to be a mermaid,” I said at last.
“Are you sure?” Vince’s brows furrowed.
I took a deep breath. “What good are legs if I can’t use them? Besides, the sea has been my home for so long. We’ll have to find a different pod than the one I grew up in, but the Sea King said there are many.”
“Indeed, I did.” The Sea King rose from the water, sitting atop his dolphin, the shark bringing up the rear. Vince nearly jumped out of the water, and my own heart skipped a beat.
“I’m happy to hear you have chosen the water,” the Sea King continued. “I hoped that you would.”
“You had to know I would,” I said. “You gave me Vince’s disease. You made it impossible to choose land.” A tear rolled down my cheek, and I swiped it away.
“Your fates were linked. Even I could not control that without tampering with the physical laws of this world.”
“You could’ve warned me. It just doesn’t seem fair.” I hung my head.
“I’m sorry, small fry.”
Vince’s green eyes met mine, asking the same question: Are you sure?
I nodded. It was hard letting my dream of being human go, but I had received more than any other Mer. I had no right to complain. The sea was where I belonged, and I was grateful that I wouldn’t be returning there alone.
“So, how do we do this?” I asked, standing.
“Jump in,” the Sea King replied. “There’s a pod to the north that I think you would appreciate. They are a kind and fair bunch. They are also quite curious about humans, and I am certain they would welcome your tales of land.”
“Thank you.”
I looked at my feet one last time, wiggling my toes. A small smile crossed my face as I thought of all the things they had let me do. Their time was fleeting, but wonderful, even if they did give out on me at the end. Not only had I seen land, but I had walked on it. I had skipped, jumped, danced, and run. These feet had served their purpose. Now it was time to take them off and go home.
With one quick motion, I dove in. As my legs hit the water, I felt them fuse together, my feet fanning out to create the fluke. It was an odd feeling—nearly as odd as the moment when I first received my legs—but it also felt right.
I surfaced next to Vince and glanced around. The Sea King was gone, once again disappearing as quickly as he came.
Vince embraced me, his arms warm and strong. I hugged him back, snuggling my wet head into his chest.
“Well, we did it. We’re both Mer.” I drew back from Vince, watching his expression. “Do you have any regrets? You’re leaving a lot behind.”
“I’m gaining so much more. No regrets here. Not now. Not ever.”
“How about you? You gonna miss that hottie in the park?”
“I don’t think so.”
Vince’s hand cupped my chin, his green eyes clear. Electricity ran through my body as I let my walls come down. We did have a connection, and now our fates were linked. I wasn’t sure what that entailed or what the future held for us, but in this moment, none of that mattered.
He leaned in, and I closed my eyes. His lips met mine, soft flesh and salt water mingling. The scent of brine and fish mixed with his musk. Every ounce of me felt alive, my heart beating faster, my head light and tingly.
Our lips parted, and breathless, I searched his eyes. I found exactly what I had hoped for.
“Let’s get out of here,” Vince whispered. I nodded, my lips curled in what felt like a permanent smile.
Holding hands, we dove beneath the water. We swam north, swirling about each other like little Mer. It wasn’t dancing – not like the humans did, anyway. It was better. We twirled and whirled, our bodies in sync with the current and each other.
This was the way things were meant to be. Right now, in this moment, I had what I had been missing, what I had longed for my entire life. It wasn’t legs and it certainly wasn’t land, though those things would always hold a special place in my heart.
It was what the Tierramor had yearned for long ago.
Love.
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Bonus Scene:
Legend of the Mer,
The Retelling
“The Mer didn’t always exist—at least not as we’re known now. We used to live as people of the sea, living in the water nearly as much as on land. We turned to the depths for our food, trade, and more. It was a simple but wonderful life, as some tell it. Our people kept to themselves, preferring the briny waters and marine life to outside tribes, and the sea returned our love. We fished with the dolphins, swam with the sharks, and oysters willingly gave us their pearls. Then everything changed.”
I paused, looking at the young Mer gathered around me. Their eyes were wide, reflecting the glow of the jellyfish that danced by in the cool waters of the deep. The flow of hair in the gentle current made them look like the coral reefs. It wasn’t so long ago when I sat in the audience, mesmerized by the animated retelling of our people’s history.
“As legend tells it, our tribe carefully protected the secrets we learned from our love. In order to do so, our elders passed a law that no one should find love or marriage outside of our tribe. It worked for many years, but as our trade business grew, some of the youths among us began to fall in love with the young and exotic traders that came in. There were only a few at first, but soon a large group of our tribe had fallen in love with outsiders.”
An appreciative “oooh” resounded from the small crowd, and a couple of the little mermaids giggled, webbed fingers covering mouths. A smile brushed my lips.
“The group, which called themselves the Tierramor, banded together. They fought for their right to pursue love, but the elders fought back. Though imprisoned and publicly flogged, the rebels persisted, and the uprising continued, growing in strength and number. Many sympathized with the Tierramor, much to the displeasure of the elders, and eventually the imprisoned escaped, fleeing to the outside tribes for refuge with their lovers.”
A few onlookers gasped. I pulled a rod I had crafted into a makeshift spear from the seabed and turned on the children, garnering some nervous gulps. The giant shark’s tooth I had on the end of my spear glowed blue in the light of the jellyfish.
My voice rose as I continued the story. “Fueled by anger and fear, the elders ordered the rest of the tribe to pursue the Tierramor. Those who resisted would be forced to watch their families suffer, so all participated, including the sympathizers.” I poked the stick in the direction of some of the Mer, who squealed and shied away, tail flukes flailing. A wicked smile crossed my face.
“After a few days, all of the Tierramor were rounded up, along with many of their lovers. The elders forced the mutineers and their lovers into the sea, blocking their return to land.
“Their deaths were slow. The outsiders drowned first, not having the skills that our tribe had learned from birth. The rest succumbed to the sea one by one.”
I looked from each child to the next. One visibly shuddered, and some whimpered from the back.
“As the last woman began to drown, a dolphin swam by. It saw her distress and tried to save her. The dolphin’s actions angered the elders, and they threw spears at it to scare it away. One of the spears pierced the dolphin’s tail.” I threw my spear into the sand in front of the crowd, causing one of the little mermaids to scream. “It cried out in pain,” I shouted over the growing ruckus, “but it continued to try to help the drowning woman. Enraged, the elders threw more spears. One struck the dolphin’s side, while another plunged straight into the woman’s heart.”
I grabbed my chest and let my body sink to the ocean floor. I lay there until all were silent. The only sound was the swishing of the passing jellyfish. I rose slowly, my voice s
oft and low.
“Seeing the woman speared to death, the dolphin screeched. As legend tells it, it sounded just like a human. Having nothing left to live for, the dolphin died, joining the dead bodies that floated along the shore. The elders forbade the people of the tribe to bury the bodies, including that of the dolphin. They said that the rebel’s punishment wasn’t full until the sea had swallowed them whole.”
I paused.
“The creatures of the sea surrounded the floating bodies, preventing them from floating away. For days, they sang to the tribespeople. Their song had no words, but the meaning was clear: bury your dead and mourn for their loss. No one listened.”
One of the children sobbed, and I had to choke back a catch in my own throat. Despite the many times I heard the story over my lifetime, the calloused actions of my ancestors always got to me.
“On the third day, the singing ceased, and the creatures parted. A man rode through their wake, carried by a shark and a dolphin. Kelp covered his body, and starfish clung to his wet hair, which shone as green and brown as the seaweed. Although none had ever laid eyes on the man, all understood that this was the King of the Sea, and fear spread through their midst.
“As the man emerged from the water, the sky darkened, and the creatures began to cry in anguish.”
I lowered my voice as I continued, attempting to sound like I imagined the Sea King would. “‘How dare you punish the sea for your own sins,’ the Sea King roared. ‘This was not a matter for the sea to settle, but by forcing your will on the waters, you have punished the depths as well. Even as she begged you to stop, you continued to ignore her pleas. Now you will pay for your sins. You will no longer live on the land, but you will live in the briny waters that you have taken for granted. Your lives will be dedicated to repaying the ocean, and her secrets will never be yours to tell, for you will be hunted and feared by your once fellow humans. They will force you to live in seclusion, for if they find you, they will annihilate you or trap you and rip you apart.’”
“When he was finished, the Sea King jumped into the water, riding his creatures back into the sea. The sky remained dark, and the waves began rolling in with the ferocity of a great storm.
“As soon as the King disappeared from view, swallowed by the waves, the people of the tribe began falling to the ground. Tails like that of dolphins grew from their feet as their legs fused together.” I flipped my smooth tail, sending a small wave through the crowd. “A great wail arose as the people felt the weight of their punishment, but it was too late for repentance. The sound turned into an unearthly chorus, taking on a brassy, unnatural tone. The eerie howling reached the ears of the surrounding tribes.”
As if on cue, the children began to moan and wail.
I raised my voice again to combat the lamentations. “The outsiders, eager for revenge after losing so many of their own, rushed into the midst of our tribe expecting war. Upon seeing our number writhing on the ground, half-fish and half-human, they were frightened. ‘What abomination is this?’ they cried.
“Filled with anger and horror, they began attacking. Many of our people died that day, but many escaped into the waters.
“As further punishment, we found that the sea no longer loved us, and we had to learn how to survive in this now hostile environment.”
All was quiet. I grabbed a clam from the seabed and held it up in front of the children. I tapped on the shell, and it opened, releasing bubbles. Inside was a pearl. I removed it, careful not to trigger the shell to clamp back down.
“The sea is our home now, and though it’s still full of danger, we have made our peace. This pearl is a testament to our legacy, and it must always remind us to stay hidden. Fear the humans and keep the law of the elders. This is the only way we can survive.”
I punched the pearl above my head, holding it between two fingers. The crowd erupted into applause. Beaming faces and a flurry of bubbles filled my view, but I lacked that depth of feeling. The little Mer began to disperse, some called away by their parents, some ready to chase their next big adventure.
The legend has been told since our creation, and though I put everything into my retellings, I always felt a little hollow afterwards. The story was meant to teach the children the importance of following the rules. Speaking to a human is not only dangerous—it is punishable by death. Most of the Mer heed the rules and are content with our life in the water.
I, however, am not like most of the Mer.
My name is Skye, and I fear that my growing curiosity will one day drive me to a fate worse than that of my ancestors.
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About the Author
Have you ever had a dream you couldn't shake? It got under you skin and followed you through the rest of your day. Maybe it returned the next night, or even years later. That's the story of my writing career.
Literature has always been an important part of my life, whether as a reader or a writer. I particularly love clean young adult stories with at least a touch (or more) of magic and romance, which also happens to be what I write.
In addition to the books already published, I'm working on revising Antarctic Discovery, the modern uncovering of the Tower of Babel—and the man who survived. I'm also revising my original novel, Call Her Forth, a tandem dream romance.
Between writing and chasing kids, I enjoy doing all things book. You can find out more at:
www.AngeLeya.com
Did you love Skye's Lure? Then you should read Running Toward Illumia by Angel Leya!
Astrea would do just about anything to feel like she belongs--even hunt a unicorn to feed her starving tribe.But when her guilt and the promise of a curse gets the better of her, she'll do everything in her power to free the unicorn. Even if it means taking away the last hope of meat in the midst of a famine and leaving behind her foggy homeland to return the unicorn to the safety of Illumia. And Illumia is nowhere she wants to go, being the land her parents were banned from.The problem is, she can hear the unicorn talking, though no one else can, a handsome and mysterious elf joins her and the snarky unicorn, sending her emotions careening, and someone is following them.Just when she thinks things can't get any worse, she finds out that her parents have been keeping a secret from her, and the revelation ruins every hope of fitting in. Her homeland is now inhospitable in every possible way, and the once comforting fog becomes a smothering blanket that promises death.It's a race to escape and a struggle to put everything right. And Astrea is running out of time.Running Toward Illumia contains all 4 previously published parts - Banned, Lost, Drenched, and Marked - and is the first book in the Illumia series.
Read more at Angel Leya’s site.
Also by Angel Leya
Illumia
Running Toward Illumia
Running Toward Illumia
Banned (Preview of Running Toward Illumia)
Skye's Lure
Legend of the Mer
Standalone
My Natural Birth Story
Raven: A Dark Fantasy Short Story
Skye's Lure
Watch for more at Angel Leya’s site.