“Our Victoria,” Mr. Simonsen corrects me with a laugh, his big belly bouncing up and down like Saint Nicholas.
“Lovely girl, just lovely,” Father agrees. “Say, Henry, we’re hosting a party at our house next Saturday. Why don’t you bring your family along? You too, Edward.”
“Of course, we’ll be there,” the other two men chorus.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Mr. Roth says.
“And I’ll be sure to bring Victoria, in her best finery,” Mr. Simonsen adds, winking at me.
I fake a smile as my stomach twists itself into knots. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Luckily, all talk of Victoria ceases as Father reels in a splendid Pacific salmon, and the other two men marvel over his catch. The remainder of the boat ride is full of financial and political discussions, and I completely block out the idle banter, instead listening to the natural orchestra of the waves and daydreaming of Oceania.
I set down my fishing pole, still cast in the water, and hum the tune of the Sonata of the Mermaid under my breath. I close my eyes, imagining Oceania popping out of the water at Point Joe.
I’m just beginning to doze off into a contented sleep when a rough tap on the shoulder jolts me awake.
“You have a fish on the line,” Father says, gesturing to my fishing pole, which is on the verge of being tugged into the water.
“Thank you.” I reel in a large, scrappy salmon, similar to my father’s, and as soon as we’ve unhooked it, he stretches it out next to his. Of course, his is a few inches longer.
“Decent fish, Xavier, but you still have a long way to go to catch up to me.”
Mr. Simonsen and Mr. Roth laugh, and Father winks. But I know the truth. He’s really not joking.
At that moment, The Arabella feels claustrophobic, and so does the life my father is pushing me into. All he wants from me is to work with him—as his minion—and marry Victoria, and give up my dream of becoming a composer. He doesn’t seem to care about what I want at all.
Suddenly, I just want to run away from this place, from these commitments that I’ve never agreed to, and straight into Oceania’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-One: Oceania
I can tell by the long, uncomfortable glance my parents exchange that they’re about to tell me even more horrible news. I’ve had it with this day. Why was I so excited to turn eighteen, anyway? Right now, I’d do nearly anything to go back in time.
“Or is there no way to break the curse?” I ask breathlessly. I twirl my hair around my fingers, my heart pounding.
Mother shakes her head. “There is a way,” she says, looking down at her hands. “But I’ve always thought it sounded nearly impossible to achieve, like a cruel joke from the sea witch Morwenna. I think she made it so difficult in order to appease King Triteus.”
“It was impossible for you, anyway,” Father tells Mother with a smile.
I frown at my parents. Why is Father picking this moment to be in a good mood? And what is he talking about?
“So how is the curse broken?” I persist, pinching at Mother’s arm like a bothersome crab.
She shakes off my hand and turns to me, her eyes suddenly incandescent. She licks her lips and clears her throat. “The curse can only be broken by a kiss between a part-mermaid and a part-merman. The union of the two will fuse the worlds of land and ocean forevermore. The couple, their surviving ancestors, and their descendants will be able to travel freely between the surface and the sea for all their days.”
I gasp. “That would be perfect. Someone needs to find a part-merman.”
“That’s the hard part,” Mother says. “We’re the only part-mers in the entire village of Mar, and in the whole Pacific Ocean, as far as I know. Perhaps there are part-mermen in other oceans, but the voyage would be quite arduous. And I suppose there could be a part-merman living on land, but think of how many people there are in the world. It would be like finding a sea jewel in a typhoon—worse, even.”
“But there is a way out,” I say, suddenly feeling more optimistic. “So what happens when the part-mermaid and the part-merman kiss? Is there a magical glow, or does the witch Morwenna appear to them, or what? How do they know that they are the ones breaking the curse?”
“Your grandmer said that, if the kiss occurs on land, the couple will suddenly be surrounded in a shimmering mist of sea spray, just like the one in which she and Lucas proclaimed their love. And if the kiss occurs underwater, the couple will be encircled by a halo of gold and silver.”
“That sounds beautiful.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will be—if it ever comes true. But Morwenna certainly made the stipulations difficult. Neither Ula nor I were able to break the curse.” She grins at Father and adds, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My parents kiss, and I quickly avert my gaze. “Well, I must be going. I think I’ll go for a short swim.”
My parents un-fuse their lips just long enough for Father to wag his index finger at me. “Don’t go above the surface, now. I hope that you won’t be so eager to see your human again, knowing the implications of such a relationship.”
“Yes, Father.” With a swift flick of my tail, I glide through the house and out the front doors, preparing for a solitary swim around the ocean floor.
My father is absolutely right; after hearing about the curse, I should want to avoid Xavier completely. He won’t help me to break the curse, and a relationship with him will only lead to heartache and estrangement from the world I’ve known for eighteen years.
But yet, I just can’t stop myself. I have to see him again, and I can barely wait until tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Xavier
After the sleepless night followed by the day of fishing in the bright sunshine, I’m completely exhausted. I want nothing more than to skip dinner and stretch out on my bed, sleeping until midnight, when Oceania and I will meet.
Unfortunately, Mr. Simonsen seems to have other plans.
“Come over for dinner, why don’t you?” he suggests as Father navigates The Arabella back to the docks. “Our new cook is a master. I think she’s making roast quail tonight, and there’s always extra.” He rubs his protruding stomach. “I can hardly wait.”
“I would love to come,” Mr. Roth says. He’s always open to dinner invitations, mostly because he’s a lonely widower with three grown daughters who have already gotten married and moved away.
“My wife was planning dinner at our house,” Father says as we alight from the boat, clutching the day’s catch.
“Come on,” Mr. Simonsen wheedles. “She’ll understand. She’ll love the quail.” He winks at me. “And besides, Victoria will be there.”
Father nods. “All right, then. You’ve convinced me. Thanks for the invitation, Henry. I’ll see whether Arabella and Amelie want to join us, as well.”
“Bully!” Mr. Simonsen exclaims, his round face jovial. As Father and I walk toward home, waving behind us, he calls, “See you at eight-thirty.”
Later that night, I’m perched on the edge of my seat, as far away from Victoria as possible. Naturally, Mr. Simonsen has seated us side-by-side, and Victoria leans toward me throughout the entire meal, her rosy cheeks inches from my face.
When the last bite of dessert has been devoured, Mrs. Simonsen begs my mother to treat everyone to an aria from her opera days, and everyone adjourns to the parlor to ooh and aah over my mother’s crystalline voice.
I follow the throng, but Victoria stops me, her little gloved hand fluttering to my arm.
“Let’s not go in there,” she says, smiling to reveal her buckteeth. Really, she has quite the overbite, but she’s not entirely unattractive. In fact, she cuts a fine figure—just not fine enough, especially since I’ve met Oceania.
Victoria gazes at me through her layer of black eyelashes and adds, “Let’s go outside for a walk instead.”
This is a horrible idea; the last thing I want is to be alone with her. But Mr. Simonsen, who has been walking in fro
nt of us on the way to the parlor, obviously eavesdropping on our conversation, says, “Yes. You young people must go outside. But don’t stay too long. I’d love to hear you sing and play the piano together.”
Before I can protest, Victoria links her arm through mine, practically dragging me outside and down the dimly-lit garden walk.
She leads me past the trellises encircled with vines, past the flower garden, and into the graceful white gazebo that overlooks the Spanish Bay.
“It’s so lovely here, and so peaceful,” she says as the sea breeze tickles our cheeks. “Isn’t it, Mr. Rose?”
Victoria is so ridiculously affected. We’ve known each other since childhood, yet she still insists upon calling me Mr. Rose, even in private. It is my firm opinion that finishing school, especially at an elite San Francisco academy, ruins a woman.
“It certainly is. But you know, I really have to be going. I’m very tired, since I didn’t sleep much last night.”
Victoria laughs. “Neither did I. I was too busy thinking about you, and hoping desperately that Father would invite you over for dinner after the fishing trip.”
I chew my lower lip, feeling like a cad. Victoria seems so fond of me, and I’m leading her on. I have no business walking with her in the moonlight when I have absolutely no romantic thoughts about her.
Of course, it’s hardly my fault that we’re always being thrust together.
When I don’t respond right away, Victoria takes a shallow breath, her chest heaving as she begins to prattle nervously. “There was just so much to think about, Mr. Rose. I had to decide which perfume to wear, and what coiffure. And of course, I had to pick just the perfect dress—”
I block her out as she continues babbling. Certainly, she smells nice, like lilies of the valley, and her emerald-colored dress contrasts with the pale green of her eyes. It’s evident that she did put a great deal of thought into these things. After all, she is the product of years of privileged upbringing, all her rough edges buffed out by finishing school, and she’s become the master of feminine wiles.
She’ll make someone a perfect wife—just not me. Now that Oceania’s aquamarine gaze has drawn me in, no one else will ever do.
“But I think the most important thing I was thinking about was which musical piece I’d perform with you tonight.” When I remain silent, she shakes my arm. “Mr. Rose?”
“Hmmmm?” I jerk myself back to reality. I hadn’t heard a word she said. I’d been gazing out over the water, thinking of Oceania breaking the surface, her voice ringing amidst the pounding waves.
“I was saying that the most important thing is which piece I’ll perform with you tonight.” She gives me a tight smile, her eyes glittering as she searches my face. “Is that what was keeping you up, too?”
“Of course,” I lie. “But unfortunately, we won’t be able to perform anything tonight.” I glance at my pocket watch, not the one that I flooded out last night, but another one that actually works. It’s five minutes to midnight. “I really have to go now.”
Victoria’s face falls. “But my father was expecting you to play.”
I inhale and exhale impatiently. Although I don’t want to hurt Victoria’s feelings, I really don’t have time for this. If I’m late to the rocks, Oceania might be gone. “Sorry. Tell him I will next time.”
“Where are you going, anyway?” Victoria calls as I dash down the path toward the water.
Shaking off my guilty feelings at leaving her outside like this, I wave goodbye, not bothering to answer.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Oceania
For the rest of the day, I try to clear my head, but nothing works. My long swim accomplishes nothing but tiring me out, especially after the previous night’s sleeplessness. My afternoon nap is not full of pleasant dreams, but of frightening nightmares. Even the birthday party that my family throws for me, with all my friends from my mer-school days, doesn’t do much to improve my spirits.
My new knowledge of the mermaid’s curse darkens the birthday festivities, like a heavy thundercloud overhead. I wish that I could be the one to break the curse, but I know that, like my mother and Ula before me, I will be stuck making the difficult choice instead. There’s no way I will find a part-merman, and I don’t even want to; no other man, part-mer or otherwise, could ever replace Xavier in my heart.
That night, after my parents have fallen asleep, I sneak out of the house. Guided by the light of the nearly-full moon, I swim through the village of Mar, frowning as I pass King Triteus’s glistening palace. As a child, I looked up to the king and his beautiful Queen Cordelia, but now I find myself almost hating him for the curse that he helped to inflict on my family.
Paddling furiously, I pass schools of silvery fish and coral reefs as elaborate as the lace on Amelie’s gowns. But as I hum the tune of Xavier’s Sonata of the Mermaid, imagining myself in his arms once again, I feel serene. A grin overtakes my cheeks as I head in the direction of the place he calls Point Joe, my voice surging as I break the surface.
I gaze over the foaming crests of the waves, which shimmer white in the moonlight. The rocks beyond are completely deserted…except for Xavier’s round-topped boulder. My breath catches in my throat when my eyes alight upon him; he’s leaning forward eagerly, with his lips slightly parted as he studies the waters below.
As soon as he spots me, his face breaks into a wide smile and his dark eyes catch the light of the moon, reflecting it back to me and illuminating me from the inside out. My heart beats faster as I remember the breathless, shivery feeling of his lips on mine.
The waves are much calmer tonight than they’d been under last night’s enchanted moon, and I ride one in to shore, hoisting myself up onto Xavier’s rock and settling right next to him.
Xavier doesn’t waste any time with formalities. Instead, he hops to his feet, picking me up and spinning me around as though I’m as weightless as a minnow. My tail flops in a circle, wrapping around his legs, and he laughs and carries me to the sand, placing me down softly and dropping to the ground at my side.
“Oceania,” he says, his voice giddy. He strips off his jacket, using it to dry my scales. Once my tail has separated into legs, he wraps the jacket around my shoulders and continues, “I’m so glad you came back. I was hoping you would.”
“Of course.” I grin at him. “I’ve been anticipating this all day.”
“Want to walk on the beach for a while? We shouldn’t go to my house, since my family is still at dinner and they could return home at any time. It’s probably better that we stay here—I left suddenly, and no one has any idea where I went, so we’ll have to watch out for search parties.”
I shake my head. “Xavier. That wasn’t a very good idea. Don’t you think your parents will be worried about you?”
“I doubt it.” He shivers as a strong gust of wind wafts in from the water. I settle into the crook of his arm, and heat pulses through my body as he holds me tight. “When I left, everyone was in the parlor, listening to my mother sing an aria. I know they’ll ask her for encore after encore, so the whole thing could last for hours.”
“But what did you tell everyone when you left?”
“Nothing. I was outside.” Xavier pauses, cupping my chin with his hand and looking deep into my eyes. “Oceania, I need to tell you something, and I hope you won’t be angry about it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four: Xavier
I swallow hard. Oceania’s face has clouded over, but I know that I have to be honest with her about Victoria. Keeping the relationship a secret will only lead to problems and make me look guilty.
And I’m not guilty of anything, right? Although I must admit, the way I’d abruptly fled from Victoria when she’d seemed to be trying so hard to please me certainly makes me feel that way.
“I was outside with a girl,” I say simply.
Oceania jerks back, pulling my jacket tightly around her body and yanking up the zipper, as though to close me out. “And now you’re here with me. Honestly, Xavier,
how many girls does a man need?”
“It’s not like that. Victoria is my father’s friend’s daughter.”
Oceania’s aquamarine eyes dart from side to side; she’s probably visualizing the exact relationship of “father’s friend’s daughter.”
I smile and continue. “Our fathers have been trying to force us into courting forever. They’re always seating us next to each other at parties, but there’s nothing between her and me—well, at least not on my end. I just wanted to let you know that I was outside with her, and that’s why my parents don’t know where I am. She doesn’t know, either.”
Oceania’s face softens a bit. “I understand. Similar things happen in the mermaid kingdom as well. What matters is that we’re together now, right?”
I nod, drawing her close and giving her a soft peck on the cheek.
Although Oceania settles into my arms, I have to admit that there’s something different about her mood tonight. Last night, she’d seemed jubilant, but now, her muscles feel a bit stiff, and there’s some tightness around the corners of her mouth.
“You’re not angry, are you?” I ask. “I wish that Victoria and I weren’t always being thrust together, but there’s not much I can do about it—not when I’m living with my parents, anyway.”
Oceania shakes her head, her silver-blond hair glistening in the moon rays. “No, I’m not angry at all, now that you’ve explained yourself. I’m just feeling confused, and sad. Everything has changed so much since I’ve turned eighteen, and I have something to tell you, too.” She pauses, her features tense with fright. “My parents told me that I’m the victim of a mermaid’s curse,” she adds quietly.
I’m speechless as Oceania tells me the unbelievable story of her grandmother’s forbidden love affair with a human, and the resulting curse. By the time she finishes, she’s bawling, and I awkwardly offer up the sleeve of my shirt to dry her tears.
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