ASH
Friday morning, April 22nd
“No!” I stretched my fingers for Fin as he disappeared into the billowy blackness below. The masked man carrying me muffled my name. I peered beyond the glass and found blue eyes—my father’s.
“Dad,” I said as sleepiness took over. “Fin’s in there, too. We can’t leave him behind.”
He nodded and everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, a woman in a navy blue paramedic uniform was placing an oxygen mask over my nose and tending to my burns.
“Ashlyn, Thank God you’re all right.” Dad knelt before me. A tear had made a clean trail through the soot on the side of his cheek. “Who else is in the basement?”
“Fin,” I squeaked out.
“Anyone else?”
On my left, Jax and Galadriel sat with paramedics fussing over them. Ferdinand and Colin weren’t anywhere. Did they get out? I shook my head.
Dad clenched his jaw. “How did the fire start?”
“We were in the basement, and there was an explosion. We were trapped.” I reached up and hugged his neck. “Dad, they have to get Fin out.”
“They’re inside looking for him right now.” He smoothed back my hair and held me close. “I’m so lucky. I almost lost my little girl.”
I wiped my cheek with my good hand and hid the other within the folds of a blanket someone had wrapped around me. Seeing my mutilated hand would freak him out more. I huddled up, though I wasn’t cold. Oddly, the early morning breeze didn’t chill me like it usually did.
Jax and Galadriel were anxiously watching like me, waiting for someone to pull Fin from the flames. A crash on the right hand side of the house shattered my nerves, and I gaped in horror as part of the walls crumbled inward. Finally, two bundles of black ran through the smoke pouring from the front door—empty handed.
I gasped and tried to stand. “Fin?”
Dad held me tight. “Stay still, honey. Your burns need tending.”
Burns? Didn’t he see I'd miraculously healed? All the paramedic did was swab dirt off perfectly pink skin. I wiggled to free myself. Fin was still down there.
With my new super-sonic hearing, I picked up bits of conversation between the firemen. They’d gone back inside for the last person and weren’t able to find him. Dad put his arm on my shoulder and squeezed.
“But he can’t be missing.” I pried myself away from Dad’s grasp and jumped up, taking off the oxygen mask. “Galadriel! Jax! Do something!”
Jax stood and spoke in Natatorian. “What do I say?”
“Just tell them to keep looking, to find Fin! He’s still down there.”
At that moment, there was a boom, and the house collapsed and sank in on itself. A huge plume of smoke floated into the early morning sky. I shrieked in horror. “Oh dear God. No!”
Galadriel appeared at my side. She tucked me under her shoulder and stroked my hair. We cried and hugged one another as the flames victoriously devoured the broken remains of Fin's human home. Though the scene looked bad, my heart told me Fin was still alive.
“He’s not gone, Galadriel. He can’t be.”
“I know. It’s hard to believe,” she said through sobs.
“No,” I swiveled and stared into her eyes. “He’s alive. I feel him here.” I tapped my finger over my heart.
“Really?” Hope washed over her face. “Then how did he get out?”
We looked at the water and spoke in unison. “Alaster.”
“I’m on it,” Galadriel said as she motioned to Jax.
Jax sang a quick song to tell everyone they were never there as they ran to the water. I started to shrug off the blanket in an attempt to follow when I heard Mom’s voice.
“Ashlyn!” she yelled. “Let me through. That’s my daughter! William, is Ashlyn there? Is she okay?” Mom muscled her way through the police line and charged over to us. “Are you all right?” Her eyes fell on me in relief. “What happened?”
“Mom.” I dipped my head and pulled the blanket up around my shoulders to hide my torn dress. “It’s okay. I’m safe. Fin came home last night and… there was an accident.”
Her expression morphed from fear to anger. “What do you mean an accident? Ashlyn Frances, you could have died. The house is destroyed. What kind of accident would do this?”
“Karen,” Dad said sharply. “Stop! Fin didn’t make it out, so….”
Mom blinked, then turned to me. Tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
She enveloped me with her arms and I melted into them. She’d loved me even when I wasn’t the boy she’d expected to give birth to, and though our relationship was often disjointed, I wanted her as my real mom more than anything. I sobbed harder. My human life and my family were no longer mine. All of it was a lie and if Fin didn’t survive, where would I belong?
“Mom,” I breathed in desperation. Fin had to be alive somewhere.
She took my face between her hands. “Where’s Colin?”
My brain scrambled for an excuse. Where was he?
“Right here, Mrs. Lanski,” he said from behind us.
I turned in shock as he walked up—grimy and gritty. A bloody beach towel circled his waist. He gave me a divided look of understanding and confusion.
“Oh, my dear boy,” she exclaimed and hugged him hard around the neck. “What happened? You’re bleeding!”
“I’m not. It’s only on the towel,” Colin said flatly. “Ash, where’s my dad?”
“Oh, no! Is he inside as well?” Mom shrieked.
I stared at Colin in astonishment. Did he not remember what happened in the basement?
Colin took Mom’s hand. “It’s going to be okay, Mrs. Lanski,” He sang. “Why don’t you go home? And Mr. Lanski, you go ahead and finish up fighting the fire. We can handle things here.”
I almost fell over. As a human, he knew how to mer-sing. And like robots, Mom and Dad hugged us both one last time and then followed their persuaded assignments.
“No,” I whispered. “How?”
Colin gave a questioning glance. “How what?”
“You’re singing.”
“Of course I sing. You’ve heard it lots of times.”
“But you converted? How did you convert back?”
“Huh? I didn’t convert.” Colin wrinkled up his face. “All I remember is being stabbed and then I woke up on the dock.” He rubbed the pink scar on his side. “Where is my father by the way?” Hate filled his eyes.
“You converted and had legs in the basement. We were all locked inside and your Dad started the fire, tried to burn us alive… or bury us. Take your pick. You don’t remember any of that?”
Colin’s eyes narrowed. “I only remember being stabbed.”
“Um,” I looked away. “Ferdinand must have changed you back. He’s full of surprises.”
“Ferdinand?”
“He showed up after you converted. He must have had some essence on him.”
“Well, then where’s Fin and the Princess?”
Lightning bolts of panic shot into my veins. We were wasting time. “I don’t know where Fin is. Galadriel and Jax went in the lake to get him, but she’s not back yet—” I was torn. Should I leave and find Fin now? What if he was in Natatoria already? I couldn’t leave my parents without an explanation of where I’d gone. “I need to find him.”
“Jax? Who’s Jax?”
“Ash!” Georgia ran down the small hill with Callahan on her heels. Darkness crossed Callahan’s face and his hands formed into fists. His strides lengthened.
Crap.
“You better mind mojo him if you don’t want another black eye,” I said quickly.
“Why you son of a—,” Callahan said through his teeth.
“I mean Ash no harm. I’m her friend. Forget what you saw on the beach,” Colin sang.
Callahan blinked and shook his head. He looked off to the side, then his eyes found me, in concern. “Ash, what happened? Are you okay?”
I in
haled deeply in relief. “There was an accident.” I looked to Colin for support.
“Yeah,” Colin said. “We’re lucky to be alive. Ash saved my life.”
I chuckled and creased my forehead. “I did no such thing. Don’t listen to him.”
Georgia took my shoulders in her hands and shook. “Your Mom called our house frantic at 6 this morning looking for you and then Callahan had your phone for some reason and finally answered it. After the prank at the club, you disappeared. Where did you go last night?”
I opened my mouth as visions of Alaster almost drowning Callahan came back to me. Only air whooshed out. So much had happened.
“Ash came to our house after Callahan dropped her off. Don’t you remember Cal?” Colin asked, ticking his head to the side.
Callahan flustered under Georgia’s hot stare. He wouldn’t remember after Alaster mind mojo’d him.
“Uh, yeah… I dropped her off,” he said. “And here’s your phone back, Ash.”
Georgia hit him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Sorry.” Callahan held up his hands. “The night’s a little fuzzy.”
Thirty missed calls highlighted the screen, mostly all from Georgia and Mom. There were two from Fin’s old number—Fin’s Dad—and a message from him. My heart sprung into a gallop. What did Fin’s dad want?
Georgia let out a frantic huff then flung her arms around my neck. “This is so crazy. I’m so happy you’re alive. I was freaking out.”
“I’m okay.”
She cried on my shoulder, but all I could think about was Fin. Was he okay? Had Galadriel and Jax found him already? What about Alaster?
“We should be going now.” Colin’s hand found mine and he squeezed.
“Go?” Callahan’s jaw tightened in jealousy. Colin would need to mer mojo that away for me and I couldn’t disappear to Natatoria on Georgia without an explanation, like Tatiana had done.
“Yeah.” I closed my eyes briefly. “Colin, please tell them I’m going on a trip to… Africa. A mission trip and I won’t be home for a while and I’m postponing college and the Olympics.”
“What?” Georgia’s tone was livid. “No way! What mission trip? Since when—”
At the musical sound of his words, Georgia and Callahan’s eyes glazed over. I hated every second of it.
“And tell Callahan to take good care of Jaime. She’s a good catch.”
Colin creased his brow, but told him anyway. Before I knew it, Georgia and Callahan were hugging me good-bye and wishing me luck. The magic mer-eraser had wiped away two of my friends from me and neither were the wiser. My stomach gave a hot pinch. I wanted to throw up.
“My family—” I breathed out. “I can’t leave without explaining.”
“Let’s do it,” he said. “But we have to hurry.”
I looked up at Colin as he tipped his head toward the house.
Panic swelled in my heart. “Just go tell them I’ll be back later and that I’m okay. I have to find Fin.”
I ran for the lake instead.
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FIN
Friday morning, April 22nd
I awoke to my body whipping in the current as something dragged me by my bound wrists. I fanned out my fins to stop.
“You refuse to die, pretty boy.” Alaster chuckled darkly and yanked my body harder. “You’re a catfish with your nine lives.”
“Where are you taking me?” I muttered through the thick coat of smoky grime in my throat.
“I’ve changed my mind. You’re better to me alive than dead. There’s a reward for anyone who brings you in and someone has to pay for Colin’s death.” He laughed evilly. “You’ll make great bait for that tasty lass of yours, if she survived, and for Jack. Finally, my brother will get what he deserves and the King will have to reward me with a princess after all this—your princess I’m hoping.”
“Never!” I gritted my teeth and with a quick yank, I pulled myself free from his grasp.
I inhaled the fresh snowy water, gaining strength. We faced off for a moment in the current. Faster than I could dodge, he whipped his tail around and sliced me in the side. My vision clouded as my muscles involuntarily relaxed from his poison.
“You’re still susceptible? Incredible!” He sneered as he reached for the rope strung between my wrists. “I bet you Jack never shared with you that you could build up immunity. My brother, the pacifist.”
I swam backward and shook my head. There was a way to gain immunity to the poison? What was he talking about?
But I had the advantage. He didn’t know Colin survived. If I couldn’t fight Alaster now, maybe that would be my way out of this. Galadriel could switch Colin back and free me from prison with the truth. But was Ash okay? Did they survive the fire? “You’ll never win.”
“Really?” He sanded his hands together. “It’s your word against mine and I think they’ll believe me over a criminal.”
His tail whacked me again. The pinch from his poisonous barb made me yelp. I drifted sideways in the current unable to stay upright. “Why are you doing this? You’re my uncle.”
“Why?” Alaster threw his head back and laughed. “Maybe you should ask your dad and his beta-wench. My brother: the golden child, the smarter one, the braver one, the one who could do no wrong. Even the late King Merric wished your dad were his own son. No one ever gave me a chance to shine.”
Jealousy and favoritism fueled his vitriol. My energy slipped. I worked to keep my eyes open, but just wanted to sleep. He’d take me into Natatoria and I’d have to await rescue. At least I’d see my sister. I had to hope Galadriel would care for Ash.
“And your little lass… she tasted sweet like honeysuckle,” he said in my ear. “I can’t wait to make her mine fully. She’ll give me another boy.”
Rage sizzled down my scales. I arched my back, swiveled my body, and looped the rope around Alaster’s neck. “What did you say?”
“Finley,” he choked, gripping the rope with his hands. “I can’t breathe.”
“Did you kiss Ash? Tell me!”
“I thought you were dead. I couldn’t help myself. Please—”
I pulled tighter. Alaster thrashed around but his tail couldn’t reach me. “You don’t deserve to live, Uncle. And if Ash or anyone dies because of you—”
Alaster gagged.
“Fin! Stop!” Galadriel swam up with Jax behind her.
“I have to end it,” I said venomously. “He kissed Ash and chopped off her fingers.”
“No!” She held up her hands. “Not like this. You’ll be no better than him. He needs to deal with his demons on Bone Island where the dead will torment him until he reaches Hades. They deserve the right to usher him from life unto death. Stop! I command you!”
“I don’t want to take the chance he’ll escape,” I said through my teeth, giving Jax an evil eye.
Alaster’s body went limp beneath me.
“Not like this.” Galadriel caressed my arm. “Let go, Fin. Let’s do things the right way, starting now.”
I loosened my grip. Alaster floated away from me in the current, his tongue out of his mouth but his gills were moving.
“That’s good, Fin,” she said. “Jax, restrain Alaster.”
Her tiny fingers worked to untie the ropes around my wrists.
“He’ll be under Jax’s guard the entire time,” she said softly, “and he won’t let him out of his sight.”
Jax puffed out his chest. “Yup.”
Ferdinand appeared beside Jax, handing him an extra rope.
“And Ferd, too.” She smiled.
“Dude,” Jax said. “This slippery fish ain’t goin’ nowhere. Right, Ferd?”
Ferd looked off to the side as he normally did.
“You have to go, Fin.” Galadriel’s face grew abruptly serious. “Ash is worried sick about you.”
Ash. I turned and pumped my tail hard. The lake would once again have another tidal wave incident, but I didn’t care
.
All her silent distress in the pool clicked. She worried how I’d react to the kiss.
I needed to see my ginger girl and tell her I knew and that it didn’t matter. I loved her and our love could heal anything.
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Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2) Page 25