by Wendi Wilson
“None of that, now,” she says gently. Reaching to her other side, she clasps Bran’s hand. “We are not angry with you and we don’t blame you for any of this. This… situation was forced upon you, same as us.”
“But… Bryce…”
The words stutter out before I can stop them. I mentally kick myself for not just accepting the out she’s giving me. Why can’t I just take her kind words at face value and block out the guilt? I know why. If anything happens to Bryce when we venture into the sea, they’ll never forgive me, despite her guilt-absolving words. I’d never forgive myself.
“Bryce made his own decision.” These are the first words Bran has spoken and his voice startles me. “We had a talk with him while we cooked breakfast, going over the pros and cons of him accompanying you on this mission. Celine and I were adamantly against it, at first.”
“I’m, sorry,” I say, but he holds up a hand to silence me.
“He’s putting you and your safety first, which speaks volumes.” A small smile pulls his mouth upward as his gaze skips over Bryce’s face before settling back on me. “He was always a bit self-centered, concerned first and foremost with himself and his own pursuits. Until he met you.”
“Dad,” Bryce complains, which forces the corners of my mouth up, despite the current situation.
“Our point is,” Celine cuts in, swatting her husband on the shoulder, “we are not angry with you.” Her eyes lock onto mine with those words. “We care about you, Kai. In just one short, yet eventful day, we’ve come to realize how much you mean to our son and how much he’s grown as a person since you came into his life. We’ll do everything we can to get you through this, and when it’s over, when your parents are safe, we’ll work on finding a spell to make you all human, permanently. If that’s what you want.”
“You can do that?” I ask, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.
“I don’t know,” she says a tinge of doubt lacing her words, “but the spell we performed last night is easily reversible. Bryce will be fully human again, if that’s what he chooses. The hard part is finding the spell Coraline used on you and your mother. It exists, obviously, since you were human for the first sixteen years of your life. We just have to find it.”
Something wonderful starts to bubble up inside me and I try to grasp it before it slips away. Hope. We’re going to get through this. We’re going to save my parents and get back here, where Celine and Bran will perform a spell to fix us all. Everything is going to be fine. I repeat those words over and over to myself.
“Okay,” Bryce says, rising and stepping behind my chair. “Are you ready to go test it out?”
My eyes flit to Ana, a sudden panic searing through my veins. She gives me an encouraging nod. “I’ll come, too.”
The tension in my shoulders eases slightly. Ana knows I need her, and she’s always there for me. I give her a smile meant to convey my appreciation. She understands and smiles back, rising from her chair. Pushing myself up, I feel my chair slide away as Bryce pulls it out for me.
Such a gentleman! I think, giving him a grin.
Of course! I always said I was, didn’t I?
This playful mental banter does more for my confidence than any spoken word that came before it. Bryce and I are connected. We’re synergetic soulmates, and he loves me. He’s a witch with powerful witch parents who stand behind him one hundred percent, which means they also stand behind me. I don’t know what kind of luck barrel I fell into, but I’m so glad I did.
Luck barrel? Bryce’s thought flowed through my mind, laced with humor. What’s a luck barrel?
Shut up.
“Let’s go,” I say aloud, looking at Bryce’s parents for confirmation that they are coming with us.
“You three go ahead,” Celine says as she and Bran stand up and push their chairs in. “We’ll clean up here, then we have a couple of things we need to work on. We’ll catch up with you later.”
“Okay,” I say, slightly crestfallen.
“Kai,” Bran says, pausing before me as his wife carries some dirty dishes to the sink. “Good luck.”
“Thanks, Bran.”
“Yeah, thanks, Dad,” Bryce says, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the back door, Ana bringing up the rear.
I can feel the excitement coursing through him as we rush down the steps to the beach, and it affects me, causing my excitement to surge. Despite all of this, the pain, the despair at losing my mother, the fear, the possible deadly end… I can’t help but feel elated as we sprint across the sand, hand in hand. I’m going swimming with Bryce. My two most favorite things, all rolled into one big, shining moment.
We skid to a halt and stare at the crystal blue water in silence. Ana steps up next to me, taking my free hand into hers. This is it. This is when we’ll find out if the spell really worked, taking us one step closer to our destiny.
“As much as I enjoy seeing you in this skirt, it’s kind of weird that I find you so sexy in my mom’s clothes.”
Bryce’s ridiculous words jerk me from my epic internal monologue. I look down to see the skirt flipping up in the breeze, flashing my underwear for Bryce and Ana and anyone else who may be looking to see. I grab the hem and pull it down, feeling my face heat from what I suspect is a blush to end all blushes. Ana’s snicker reaches my ears over the sound of the waves, and my own blood pumping vigorously through them.
“Shut up,” I say out of the left side of my mouth for her alone.
She releases my hand and holds both of hers up in mock surrender. “I’ll just be over here,” she says, taking a few steps away and plopping down on her butt in the sand.
“You ready?” Bryce asks, his voice turning serious.
“As I’ll ever be,” I say, letting my eyes skim down his bare chest to his board shorts. “Um, there’s a reason I’m wearing this skirt.”
“Not just for my benefit?”
“No, not just for your benefit. When we go into the water, we will… we should grow a tail.”
“Yeah,” he says, not really catching what I’m throwing.
“No legs,” I say, motioning to the space between his knees. “You can’t wear those shorts.”
“Oh,” he says, finally catching up. He shrugs. “So, I’ll take them off.”
My eyes just about bug out of my head as he reaches for the knot at his waist and begins to untie it. I spin and give him my back. I catch Ana watching avidly and kick sand at her. She shoots me a huge grin, then spins around to face the house.
Hearing a splash, I glance over my shoulder to see Bryce wading out. I catch a quick glimpse of his bare ass before it disappears beneath the surface, causing heat to boil in my belly. Ignoring it, I quickly reach under my skirt and slip my panties off while he’s not looking.
“Ana,” I say, letting her know it’s okay to turn back around. I shove the ball of cotton into her hands. “Put these in your pocket, ’kay?”
“You’re lucky I love you so much,” she laughs, shoving them into her front pocket. “Why did you even wear them? You knew you’d have to take them off.”
“I couldn’t sit at a table with Bryce and his parents with no underwear!”
Ana shakes her head and motions to the water. “You better get going, or he’s going to change without you.”
With a streak of anticipation, I rush toward the waves. Laughter bubbles out of me as my feet splash cold water across my purple tank top. When I chose the color, I was remembering my mother’s story and how she said I had a lavender tail. I wonder if it will still be that same shade, or if the color changes with age, like hair.
Pushing the thoughts aside, I dive under and shoot out toward Bryce. The water feels refreshing and, if it’s even possible, more glorious than it ever has before. I pull myself to the surface quickly when Bryce’s shape comes into view before I get an eye full of his nether regions.
“Hey,” he says as my head emerges, and I push the wet hair from my eyes.
“Anything?” I ask,
treading water in front of him.
“I have a tingling sensation in my legs. It started in my feet and traveled up to my knees. I think it’s happening, just slowly.”
I nod, feeling the same sensation working itself up my legs. I would change either way, but if Bryce is changing, that must mean the spell worked. At least, I hope it did, and I’m not currently changing into a mermaid forever. Or until Bryce’s parents find a new spell.
“Hey,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts. “It worked. I know it did.”
I start to nod before raising an eyebrow at him. “Your teeth aren’t chattering.”
“No.”
“This water is freezing. I know it doesn’t affect me, but why isn’t it affecting you?”
“I guess I-”
His words are cut off as he goes under, an unseen force jerking him down. I plunge beneath the surface, spinning my body left to right in an attempt to find him. I spot him several feet below me and dive toward him.
He lifts his face toward me, and bubbles spew from his mouth, which is twisted into a pained grimace. His body thrashes in the water, his back arched to an almost impossible degree. I try to keep my eyes on his face, I really do, but fear mixed with a morbid curiosity has them drifting down his torso toward his legs.
I can’t see much through the churning bubbles. When I get close enough, I reach out to grab his hand. Just as my fingertips brush against his, he shoots away from me. His body propels toward the surface like a rocket. A shimmering, green fin brushes against my outstretched hand as he zips by.
Joy fills my heart as I pull myself toward the surface to join him. The spell worked. Bryce transformed, which means he can go to Delmare with me to save my parents. I can’t wait to get a better look at his tail.
A sudden pain rips through me, starting at my hips and shooting down through my knees. I can’t control my legs, and I drop through the water like a rock. I try to stop my descent with my arms, but soon the pain is too much to bear.
My legs start to burn, an intense searing sensation that seems impossible in such cold water. I feel like I’m standing in fire. My back arches as I turn my face upward and scream. A muffled, gurgling sound escapes, accompanied by several large bubbles.
My lungs are on fire with the need to breathe. This is it. I can’t move, and I can’t fight my body’s natural instinct to breathe any longer. I’m going to drown. It’s almost funny. Me, the person who feels most at home in the ocean and is, in fact, a mermaid.
Suddenly, I have the use of the lower half of my body. I try to kick, but there’s an awkward jerk and I can’t get my legs to work independently of each other. I glance down and see it. A large, lavender tail glimmering with lighter sparkles.
I move it tentatively, and something clicks in my brain. I don’t know if it’s because of the spell or some natural instinct, but I can use this thing. I squeeze my eyes closed and use the tail to propel me up as fast as possible. My head breaks the surface within a couple of seconds, and I take huge gulps of air, easing my burning lungs.
“It doesn’t feel right, does it?”
I spin around to see Bryce behind me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I reach toward him and he clasps my hand. “That hurt.”
A small smile plays on his lips. “Yeah, it did.” He pulls me toward him and brushes a soft kiss on my lips. “The spell worked.”
“Yeah,” I say, nodding. “Something’s not right, though. I feel like I’m not getting enough oxygen, like we’re at a high altitude or something.”
“That’s what I meant. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Hey, are you guys okay?”
The words are faint and muffled by the water lapping at my ears, but I hear them. I look toward shore and see Ana standing at the waterline, waving her arms. I wave back and give her a thumbs-up sign.
I look back at Bryce. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be breathing air. We’re basically fish now. My mom said she had to get to the water or she’d die after Ms. Coraline reversed the spell on us.”
“Well,” Bryce says, running his hand up my neck and over my ears, “I don’t see any gills.”
“Ha. Ha,” I say, the words dripping with sarcasm. “Okay, listen. We have to figure this out before tonight. I’ll go under and try to breath water into my lungs.”
“What? No, Kai.”
“It’s the only way, Bryce. You’re stronger than me, and you can pull me back up if I start to drown.”
“I don’t know. What if something happens? What If I can’t get you back to the surface in time?” He pauses, searching my eyes. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t either, but I can’t pull your weight up. It has to be me.”
“I can just swim to the surface and cough it up if it doesn’t work.”
“Bryce, people drown all the time. If you black out and start to sink, I won’t be able to save you. Please, just let me do it. I trust you to handle it if something goes wrong.”
“Okay,” he says, not looking very convinced, “but whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.”
“Deal.”
I try to sound confident, but if I had knees, they’d be knocking together in fear. The thought of sucking water into my lungs makes me feel like puking. I can’t think of any other way to breathe under water, so this has to be it. It has to work. If it doesn’t, I’m in for a world of pain.
Bryce jerks me forward and plasters his lips against mine, the force of his kiss taking my breath away. Our fins brush against each other, and a surge of electricity stronger than anything I’ve felt touching Bryce’s hands shoots up before settling into a ball of heat in my belly.
“Woah,” Bryce says, pulling back. “What was that?”
“I have no idea,” I mumble.
“Whatever it was, it felt amazing.”
I can feel my face burning with a blush. Our tails touching and the subsequent reaction felt inexplicably sexual. I push the thought to back of my brain to be revisited later.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I say.
Out of habit, I take a deep breath before I sink below the water. The water closes over my head, and I try not to panic knowing what is about to come. I sink further, fighting the urge to propel myself back to the surface. Despite the fact that I can normally hold my breath for longer periods of time, a burning sensation in my chest has my heart racing.
I’m here.
Bryce’s voice flows through my mind just before I see him. He swims gracefully through the water, reaching out for me, the lifeline he must have known I needed. His hands cup my cheeks and his lips press against mine briefly before he pulls back.
I don’t know if I can do this.
He nods his head and twines his fingers through mine. The familiar tingling sensation comforts me like nothing else could. Yes, you can, Kai. I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.
Nodding, I grip his hands tighter and slowly count to three. I know I need to hurry because there is no way Bryce can hold his breath as long as me. If I don’t get this done and over with he’ll need to go to the surface to breathe and won’t be here to save me if things go sideways.
I love you. I project the thought toward him as I open my mouth and suck in a huge gulp of water.
My mind rebels as the water fills my lungs. I try to flail my arms and whip my tail, but Bryce pulls me into an embrace, his arms like steel bands holding me still. I fight against him, reaching the surface the only thought racing through my mind. In my struggle, I feel a bolt of electricity shoot through my core as my tail brushes against his.
My eyes widen in fear, and everything seems to move in slow motion as I watch Bryce open his mouth. The shock of our tails rubbing together must have shorted out his thought process, because his eyes nearly bug out of his head as he inhales the briny water. His head shakes back-and-forth as his body convulses. I start to reach for him but pull my hands back.
/> I’m not dead. My body is performing the art of breathing, a task so natural and instinctive, but instead of air, I can feel water moving in and out of my lungs. It has to be the strangest thing I’ve ever felt, and I’ve felt a lot of strange things recently. The flick of a green fin in front of my face pulls me from my thoughts, and I see Bryce struggling to reach the surface.
Bryce! my mind screams, It’s working, come back!
His movements slow, but not because he heard me. They become sluggish, as if he knows he’s dying and there’s nothing he can do about it. It looks like he’s giving up. I propel myself forward, using my tail to gain speeds I never knew I could. I reach him in a second and wrap my fingers around his wrists.
Bryce, look at me. His eyes flutter open. It’s working. I’m breathing water. Don’t fight it. Just let go and let your body do the work.
He nods his head and opens his mouth. I can see his chest moving, a subtle rise and fall as if he’s trying to keep his breathing shallow. I release his arms and shift backwards. His tailfin begins to sway in the water, keeping him upright. His eyes widen just before a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth.
This is so weird.
I know, right? I send the thought to him with a smile of my own.
Bryce stretches out a hand toward me, and as I take it, he pulls me forward into his embrace. Before I can blink, his lips are pressed hard against mine and his salty tongue is exploring my mouth. I lose myself in the feeling as heat blossoms in my chest and spreads across my entire body.
Bryce slows our kiss, nibbling on my lower lip for a moment before pulling away. We should probably let Ana know we’re alive.
Guilt washes over me as I imagine my best friend on the beach, pacing back-and-forth, imagining the worst. With a powerful flick of my tail, I shoot toward the surface. As the cool air and sunshine hit my face, painful spasms wrack my chest. I cough the water from my lungs as the air fights to fill them. I hear Bryce coughing behind me as the same happens to him.
Once I get the hacking under control, I get my bearings and face the shore. I can see Ana, her hand shading her eyes against the sun as she paces. I wave my hands in the air and she stops moving. She waves back at me, jumping into the air. I turn to face Bryce and jerk back in surprise. I didn’t realize he was so close and it startled me.