Falling in Deep Collection Box Set

by Pauline Creeden

  “Myrtle Beach is much smaller, but almost predominantly mer. And Provincetown, up in Rhode Island, that’s our north most collective.”

  I contemplated the cities she mentioned. I’d been to all of them in my travels. But never, never had I thought I’d been working or dining or even dancing with mermaids.

  “It’s a lot to take in,” I explained.

  “I’m sure if I were faced with something I’d been told doesn’t exist, I’d be a bit overwhelmed, too.”

  “Well, yea. There’s that. Next you’ll tell me you raise unicorns.”

  “No unicorns,” she answered, adding sarcastically, “unless you count narwhals. They are, after all, the unicorns of the sea.”

  Gorgeous, funny, and mysterious. I was in awe and smiling beyond my normal capacity. What had I swum into here?

  “Fair enough. But I’m sure the island holds plenty of surprises you’ve yet to offer up,” I teased.

  She laughed, a tinkling laugh that got higher as she continued. It reminded me of a scale played on a flute, a pure, clear sound that cleared my head.

  “We do have our share —”

  “More than your share,” I interrupted.

  “True, more than our share. But you’ve hit the major ones already. There are a few left, but nothing that should throw you at this point.”

  “So the mermaid thing tops the list?”

  “I’d say so,” she agreed.

  “So, how did you all get here? I mean you have electricity and Internet access.”

  “You have to remember, we’ve been here for hundreds of years.”

  “That’s not surprising. Humans have been around for thousands,” I countered.

  “Yes, but I mean we, as individuals. Rowan is almost 200 years old.”

  I guffawed in surprise and retorted quickly, “How old are you?” with more shock in my voice than intended.

  “Me? Guess,” Anya challenged.

  “This is the one thing they teach men not to do with human women. No guessing age or weight. Ever.”

  “Go ahead,” she dared. “Give it a shot.”

  “Uh, maybe 45? 70? I mean in human years I’d say 25 or so.”

  “Good try. A valiant effort, but very, very wrong. More like 122.” She smiled at her victory in having stumped me.

  “Are you kidding me? That’s not possible.”

  “It is possible, and yes, I’m 122. In fact, I’ll be 123 in about two lunar cycles. Feel free to send a gift.”

  At that, I wondered what you buy a mermaid.

  “So, where do you live?” I asked feeling rather naïve. I was staying on her island, but I wasn’t sure that was her home.

  “I spent most of my time in the ocean. Others, like Lualla, spend more time on land. Since she runs the largest store on Orotava, it makes sense that she walks more than she swims. But most are like me.”

  “So, why come on land at all?”

  She smiled, understanding my confusion and interest. “We have land for the same reason humans have land. The more land a tribe or country has the more power it has. While it may not be true all the time, the mer are big on holdings. How much land, how much water, whether it is cold or warm, all of that makes a difference for us.”

  “And your family? Where are they? On the island or in the ocean?”

  “I’m related to most of the island,” she said. “You’ve already met my Uncle Rowan and Lualla is a cousin of some kind.”

  “What about your immediate family?”

  “My mother died years ago. But my father is the tribal council leader. And my brothers are all over the place. Some are on land, others are swimming. Noran is an ambassador to the upper Atlantic. Paulo and Gratio work the Panama Canal, kind of like mer customs and immigration. Dartanan lives with his wife and children on the other side of the island where they run a small farm. Kellen is helping with research in the Great Barrier Reef. And my youngest brother, Korwin, is more of a free spirit.”

  “A free spirit?” I asked.

  “He spends most of his time on the beach, smoking pot and drinking with his band” she confessed laughing.

  “Well, good to know ‘free spirit’ means the same to humans as it does to mer. So that makes six brothers?”

  “Yep, six. I was lucky number seven. My mother wanted a girl.”

  “And how did she die, Anya?” My voice softened as I knew I was asking a delicate question.

  She turned away for a moment before she answered. “I’m not exactly sure. I was so young and my father doesn’t like to talk about it. All I know is that it involved a human ship.”

  That left a lot of things to consider, and it explained why her father hated humans so much.

  “But enough about me,” she said more cheerfully. “What about you? What’s your story?”

  “It isn’t much,” I admitted. “And doesn’t cover nearly the years yours does.”

  She laughed.

  “I’m originally from Florida, just north of Miami. I have a sister who works in D.C. She’s a lawyer for the House of Representatives. My folks are both still in Florida and have me over for Sunday dinner when I’m around.”

  “What else? What about your research? Your team?”

  “Well, I went to the University of Miami. That’s where I met Kate. We were in classes together and competed for the same graduate awards.”

  “She beat you out, didn’t she?” Anya joked.

  “We split them 50/50,” I said proudly. “The only reason she isn’t the lead on this project is by choice. Her son, George, is seven and she claims not to have time to spend in the office researching. Says that’s for dull, single guys.”

  “She thinks your dull? Well that explains why you two aren’t together.”

  “Not an option. She’s more like family than dating material,” I answered. “The rest kind of came together later. Lucy is my grad assistant right now. I’ll be lost when she moves on. Brandon and Amir are a package deal. They’ve done all of their research together and really work as two sides of the same person. And Norton, he came with the boat.”

  We only stopped talking when we noticed Amir, Lucy, and Brandon walking up the beach to the cottage porch. The three happily recounted their morning. They guys spent some time casting off the pier and were exceptionally proud as they held up a string of snapper ready to be filleted and cooked.

  Inviting Anya to join us for blackened fish sandwiches, a specialty of his, Brandon took the fish inside to prep them.

  “I’d love to, really I would, but I have some other things to do before the day gets away from me,” she explained before making her exit.

  I watched her leave, knowing she was headed to meet the mer from yesterday. I also knew that I didn’t care for that. I’d much rather she spent the afternoon with me, talking and laughing, maybe even researching. I didn’t care what we did, but I did want to do it with her.

  After she left, I plodded around the cottage a bit, half-heartedly looking through the equipment Norton and Kate left behind. Meanwhile, my mind floated from images of Anya the woman, to those of Anya the mermaid. Her hair and eyes, her face, and even her arms remained the same in both likenesses. But her legs melded together beneath the bright scales and the faint scar lines under her ribs opened so she could breathe in her water form. Seeing these things, and hearing her admit to them, didn’t make them any more sensible. And after realizing that coming to terms with Anya and Orotava would take far longer than I’d thought, I sat down to lunch.

  Fifteen: Anya

  I PROBABLY SHOULD of have handled Luke and his crew differently, but there wasn’t much I could do now. He knew most of the secrets of Orotava and the Obthaluse, and I fault myself for that. I recognized his reluctance to believe me, to believe his own eyes. But I felt he needed to know. He drew me in somehow. I don’t know what it was about him, but when I saw him swimming days earlier, diving into the ocean off the bow of the Sea Star, I gave into my curiosity. My life, uncertain as it was due to
the trench and the light and these humans, seemed connected to him at that moment. It seemed connected even more so now.

  By the time Luke came ashore, he’d seen me twice already. That alone left me no way to hide my true form. Granted, I made the choice to tell him about the tribe and the island. I didn’t have to do that. I could have easily pretended I was the only one and that no one else knew my secret. But even if he believed me, accepted me as the only one with a changing self, it wouldn’t last. It took only an hour for him to meet the first member of my family. His false understanding would crumble in minutes as soon as I introduced him to the rest.

  If he could help me in any way with my research, our research now as I saw ways to blend his with mine, I needed him to know the truth. The sea shifts could drastically alter or even ruin my tribe. However, even if he could help, the tribe, and my father, weren’t going to be as easily won over as I was.

  And while I questioned whether I should have told him as soon as I did, the part that worried me most was Gregorio. He seemed flustered when he found me with Luke and his friends. No one would know it, of course. He breezed into the bar, kissed me, and sat down with a pint in hand. But he grabbed it so tightly his knuckles whitened. Not one to show he was shaken he puffed up. If we’d been in the sea, he’d have swum faster, deeper. But land left him without his usual aggressive behaviors. He couldn’t rely on the things he would do to compete with other mer and prove dominance.

  Now, without those practices, he edged around the issue, concealing any discomfort behind a too big smile, a too firm handshake, and a too cheerful conversation. But I may have been the only one to notice. Maybe he didn’t even know.

  Regardless of who knew what, Gregorio had been pleasant and Luke and his friends left the tavern.

  As I walked into the Sword and Dagger for lunch after leaving Luke at the cottage, I rolled my eyes noticing Gregorio on the same stool he claimed the night before.

  “Anya, it’s lovely to see you. I thought you wouldn’t grace my day until I came by the lab,” Gregorio said as I sat down.

  “Hello, Gregorio. Hey, Uncle Rowan.”

  Rowan nodded toward me from across the bar.

  “Have you had a productive day in the lab?” Gregorio asked.

  “I haven’t made it there quite yet,” I said, not wanting to explain where I’d been instead.

  Faking surprise, Gregorio continued. “Not to the lab yet? It’s already 12:30. It wouldn’t be those humans keeping you from your work, would it? The work the Obthaluse tribe needs you to complete.”

  “I stopped by the guest house to ensure they were all taken care of. I’m off to the lab right after lunch.” I felt like I was reporting my plans to my father.

  “Well, I need to know more about your research. The ambassador has questions.”

  “Maybe we should wait until we can both sit down with Uncle Jinsen then. No use going over everything twice,” I said trying hard to get out of the conversation. Gregorio bristled at the suggestion.

  I understood his frustration at being pushed aside. His annoyance seemed driven. But he had no claim on me. We weren’t together or even dating. His protective nature was misplaced. I wasn’t in danger, and I wasn’t his to protect.

  As I ate, he turned his conversation to Rowan. I heard my father’s name mentioned and I pretended not to pay attention. They continued talking and I heard Luke’s name. Intrigued, I listened more and pretended less in order to hear what was said. I couldn’t bring myself to give much thought to their discussion, though. My mind went back to Luke.

  The man fascinated me prior to our actual meeting. But now that I knew something of him, heard him say my name and laughed with him, he felt real. With all of the tension and questions about the tribe and my research, I should have been focused on those things instead. But I wasn’t able to get Luke out of my head.

  Was it coincidence that he was here now? I knew enough of the sea to know it had its own agenda. If he was meant to be here, if there was a reason for it, I’d know soon. In a quick premonition of sorts, I realized that when the festival was over, everything else would become clear. But it would be days still until our closing ceremony.

  “Anya, did you hear me?” Gregorio asked, breaking into my reflections.

  I broke from my daydream. “No, I’m sorry. I’ve been a little distracted,” I explained.

  “I know you have, and with the wrong things, too.”

  On a normal day, I would have spoken up against his comment, but I didn’t feel like engaging. I had enough to worry about and I needed to keep the allies I had. Maybe he wasn’t truly an ally, but he didn’t need to be an enemy either. He was on edge too after all. Our entire tribe had something to worry about now. Those who knew about the trench remained concerned with that. Those who knew about the humans had their worries, as well. And those, like me, who know about both and the light energy radiating from the ocean floor, won the anxiety prize.

  “I was saying that your father would be back soon and I’m sure he would rather not find your human friends here.”

  My human friends? When did Luke and his team become my human friends? Of course, I did spend the day with him and knew all of them by name, but I was merely being hospitable. At least that is what my father would hear when he got back. If he needed to hear anything, that is.

  “I’m sure my father will handle their presence here. But that may not be an issue as their boat is being repaired.”

  “You still don’t see the issue, do you, Anya? The real issue. Those humans are now interfering with everything.”

  “What do you mean ‘interfering’? The rift disrupted their research and the electric current failed their boat’s systems. They didn’t aim for Orotava. They didn’t even know it was here.”

  “That’s what they told you? That’s what Luke — is that his name? Is that really what he told you?”

  “He didn’t have to tell me. They were researching, towing trackers behind the boat, when the orbs took out their equipment. I saw it happen. We saw it happen, Gregorio.”

  With that, I walked out, disheartened with his abrupt possessive and correcting nature. My father didn’t speak to me like that, and I refused to allow someone else to parent me that way. Absolutely certain Gregorio would be tossed on his ear if Rowan had heard our conversation, I felt justified in leaving.

  My time would be better spent in the lab with my equipment and data, and that is where I was headed. He was right about one thing; I didn’t understand the real issue.

  Sixteen: Luke

  ANYA MAY HAVE saved me from the sharks on the reef, but she left me swimming with them in the cottage.

  “Okay, man, what’s going on with Anya? Spent the whole morning with her, huh?” Brandon prodded.

  Amir, not needing any encouragement, joined in. “Details, man. Come on. We’re living vicariously here.”

  “There aren’t any details to give. We sat here and talked about the island. That’s it, really.”

  “Do you believe that?” Brandon asked Amir.

  “You may, but I don’t,” he joked, as the three of us cleaned up the kitchen after lunch.

  I held to the story about innocent chatter, not letting on to the secrets I learned about the island and its inhabitants. I also kept my thoughts about Anya to myself. I figured they already knew of my attraction to her, but the depth of it could go without debate for now. Forever, if I had a choice.

  I’m not sure what I dreaded them finding out more, that Anya was a mermaid or that I couldn’t go five seconds without picturing her, usually naked, on a bed. Or in the sand. Or in the water.

  Eventually they gave up on the Anya issue and moved to other business. They asked about the boat, but I knew nothing at that point. With time, we found out the boat needed a complete rewiring. We also found that parts would need to be ordered for our GPS and there was a sizable burn in the hull. I wasn’t anything that would take on water immediately, but it looked like one of the orbs may have s
eared it.

  Sitting on the back porch and watching the water, we contemplated the flying, floating balls of light.

  “They were light, weren’t they?” Amir questioned.

  I had to agree with that idea. However, I also brought up the electric shock.

  “Well, lightning creates a shock, but it isn’t actually light. It’s electricity. If we stick with the electromagnetic pulse idea, that explains most of it.

  “Unless you add the floating part, the ball part, or the merge to create a sonic boom part,” Brandon interjected.

  “True,” I added. “The part that confuses me the most is that it came from the ocean. That type of energy should shock everything around it rather than surge to the surface. It should spread across the water, not up and through it.”

  In agreement, there was little else to say, and we passed the rest of the afternoon with cold beers and the beach.

  *****

  I made it to the lab later in the day hoping to check out the facility for myself. Anya was there, ensconced in her own work, and didn’t hear me knock. Alone in the lab, her smile made way to a more serious attitude, and she bit her lip in concentration. Pulled back in a knot, the sloppiness of her hair contrasted with the pristine stainless steel of the lab. Surrounded by whirring and humming equipment, she looked focused, competent, and stunning. I watched her work, moving briskly from one apparatus to the next, stopping only to jot notes.

  “So this is where they have you locked up today,” I called out, not wanting to get too close before announcing myself.

  Taken by surprise, she dropped her clipboard, the clatter echoing through the domed building.

  “St. Erasmus!” she hollered, invoking the patron saint of sailors and scooping up her notes. “You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry. I knocked, but the door was open and Rowan said you’d be here. I figured I’d come down to check out the accommodations.” I smiled trying to win my way back into her good graces.

  “I’m glad you did. You just scared me. I’m normally alone at this time of day. Happy Hour is pretty popular at the tavern, especially during the festival.”