Breathless: A Little Mermaid Retelling

by Megan Linski

  The soldiers noticed that Adrian was chasing the squid up, and they followed his lead. The two sides took turns jabbing each eye and keeping the tentacles at bay, leaving Stavros blinded and unable to do anything but back away, upward to the surface.

  The kraken finally crashed on the crest of a wave at the top of the ocean. It rocked Isa’s little boat. Adrian had to hang on tightly to Celer to avoid being thrown off.

  “Now what?” Adrian cried to Isa as Stavros floundered about, blinking his irritated eyes.

  “Keep him busy!” All he saw was Isa’s back. Adrian figured it was best to do as he was told and just roll with it.

  “You heard the young lady!” Poseidon screamed. “Distract him!”

  It took everything the soldiers had to get Stavros’ attention. The minute they were sticking him in one place they had to move to jab him in another, before one of Stavros’ massive tentacles grabbed them. Adrian looked for Isa. He noticed with horror that she was steering the boat toward the kraken.

  Adrian wasn’t quite sure what Isa was doing, but he knew he had to help. He cut ahead of the boat and chopped away at what tentacles he could, clearing a pathway for her.

  Isa was next to the kraken’s head now. She let go of the wheel and reached for something on the floor below her.

  “Izzy, look out!” Adrian cried.

  Stavros’ tentacles wrapped around the boat and snapped it in two. Isa slid downward, then climbed up to the top of the boat, crawling onto the very tip in order to avoid sinking into the deep. Adrian saw her raise a large and rusty harpoon.

  With all her might, Isa leapt from the boat and onto the kraken, bringing the harpoon slamming down. It pierced straight through Stavros’ head.

  Stavros screamed in horrible pain. His grip on the boat tightened, and Isa was propelled off of the kraken’s head and into the stormy waves.

  “Isa!” Adrian cried, and Celer whinnied.

  The kraken’s body twitched. Blood poured out from the wound where the harpoon stuck, and it didn’t heal. Stavros’ body went limp, and his tentacles slid off of the pieces of the boat as his body sunk slowly to the ocean floor in a massive heap.

  He was finally dead.

  The soldiers cheered, but Adrian didn’t notice— he was looking for Isa.

  “Isa!” he called. He jumped off of Celer’s back and swam in every direction he could. He didn’t see her. “Isa!”

  “Over here!” He whipped around. Moona was supporting Isa and helping her swim against the rough waves, which were already starting to calm down.

  “Isa,” he said again, as a finality. He picked her up and put her on a piece of wreckage. Isa sat on the board as the waves became calm again. The clouds cleared into a blue sky. The sun came into a new dawn, brightening up the span of the sea with orange-yellow light.

  It was finally over. But there was no facing the undeniable truth. She was a human, and he was a merman. They still couldn’t be together, even after everything they’d been through.

  “Adrian…” Isa started weakly. “I’m…”

  He couldn’t reply. There wasn’t anything that he could say back except the cold, undeniable truth.

  “Well now, what do we have here?” Poseidon approached. As he opened his palm, a new trident formed, proclaiming him as king once more.

  Adrian took Isa’s hand and turned toward Poseidon. “Dad, this is Isamaria. My mate.”

  “Young lady, you were spectacularly brave out there,” Poseidon said. “I don’t know any mermen, or merladies, that would’ve had half the courage to do what you just did.”

  “I thought all humans couldn’t be trusted,” Adrian said in a tease.

  “Well,” Poseidon chuckled. “Not all humans.”

  “I had to do something, sir,” Isa replied. “I couldn’t let anything happen to Adrian. I’d never forgive myself. I… I wouldn’t be able to live without him.”

  “Nor would I,” Poseidon said gruffly. “And if there was any question of if you deserved my son, I think the question now is if he deserves you.”

  Adrian laughed, and Isa tried not to blush.

  “Sorry I don’t look my best,” Isa said. She played with the tatters of her soaking, ruined gown. “This isn’t how I imagined meeting the parents would go.”

  “I think there could be a way to change that.” Poseidon smiled. He dipped his trident downward, and through the water spread a light blue, sparkling magic.

  The magic touched the edges of her frayed dress. It began to knit back together, but not into fabric.

  It became a tail.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Isamaria

  Isa’s eyes widened as the magic began to spread up her form. She looked down in amazement as her gown began to glow. “No way.”

  Things were quickly changing. Poseidon’s magic modified her form, and Isa felt her legs knitting together into something new. Her dress melded to her body, sequins becoming sapphire scales and fins. The blue magic swirled all around her in a tornado, and Isa could handle it no longer. She dove off the board.

  Isa put her hands in front of her in an arrow and swam through the water more quickly than she ever had. Her tail was powerful, propelling her through the sea faster than even a boat could sail. She swam for what felt like forever, joy and excitement coursing through her unmatched by anything she’d ever felt in her entire life.

  When she finally stopped, she ran her fingers through her wet locks. Her hair was still blue. She turned around to see Adrian and Poseidon had kept up with her. She did a backflip in joy, spinning like a top within the ocean’s depths.

  “I’m a mermaid,” she whispered, her childhood fantasy become reality. “A real mermaid.”

  Adrian’s mouth was open. “Dad, you did this?”

  “Of course, I did,” Poseidon said. “She has to be a mermaid if she’s going to move to Aquatica and become your queen.”

  There was a pause. Adrian looked at Isa. “Do you want to move to Aquatica?”

  Isa smiled slightly. “I don’t know. What’s it like?”

  Adrian swam forward and took Isa’s hand. “I’ll show you.”

  * * *

  A morning of touring the merpeople city had Isa hooked. Everywhere she went, there was more to see. She had trouble taking in the fact that this was all real. There were hundreds upon hundreds of merpeople living in Aquatica, and the city was absolutely breathtaking.

  Adrian’s mother was more than welcoming… she felt like the mother Isa had never had. Ianthe wrapped Isa in a hug immediately the moment she saw her. Ianthe took Isa aside privately and discussed her job as the Mistress of the Waves, and what would be expected of Isa if she became Adrian’s queen.

  Ianthe was more than willing to take Isa on as her apprentice, but still, the task seemed daunting. Isa wasn’t so sure she could do it, but Ianthe was certain she was up to the task.

  She was supportive. Involved. It was more than her father ever had been.

  Ianthe almost felt like the mother Isa had never had.

  Still, Isa hesitated. It was… a lot. A huge responsibility, that was for sure. Isa had always wanted to save ocean creatures as a marine biologist, but if she accepted the title of queen, she’d be able to save all of them. It would be her literal job, to safeguard the ocean from the dangers of humans and protect sea life from becoming destroyed.

  She just… wasn’t sure if she could.

  Isa had the perfect time with Adrian. Yes, she wanted to stay here. But she wasn’t sure if it was the right decision. She had school and responsibilities back home, not to mention her father. Could she really give that all up to become queen of the mermaids?

  She wasn’t going to lie, it sounded really tempting.

  At the end of the day, Poseidon was looking expectantly at her in the throne room. “Well? Have you made your decision, child?”

  Adrian’s eyes were locked on her. The look he gave her was begging her to say yes.

  Isa didn’t know what to say. Pose
idon wasn’t the type of guy you told no.

  Ianthe stepped in. “Perhaps she needs some time to think it over, dear,” she said gently. “She has a life back on land, as well.”

  Adrian’s face became crestfallen, and it hurt Isa. Poseidon rubbed his beard and said, “You’re right. You are free to return to land, Isa— your legs shall reform and you’ll be able to become human for as long as you’d like. You too, Adrian,” Poseidon added. “Stavros’ spell is broken. You may now walk upon land anytime you wish— though since you were not born human, the time limit is still in place. My magic can only go so far.”

  Adrian nodded. He wasn’t about to complain, not after everything that had happened. Isa reached out her hand to hold him.

  “Come with me?” Isa asked Adrian. He nodded and followed her out of the palace gates.

  They swam through the ocean together, mostly in silence. Along the way, they bumped into Moona.

  “Hi guys.” Moona waved at them with her fin. “How’s it going?”

  Isa was ecstatic now she could understand her. “Oh, Moona.” Isa hugged her. “You saved my life. Thank you.”

  “It wasn’t anything,” Moona shrugged, and she smacked Adrian. “I’d do anything for this loser.”

  “Hey,” Adrian said, and he narrowed his eyes.

  Moona laughed. She waddled away through the waves, giving them the alone time they desired.

  But before she left, Moona glanced behind her. “Isa. I hope you stay.”

  Adrian and Isa glanced at each other. They swam to the coral reef that they’d loved so much together and reached the surface.

  She could barely see the outline of Adrian’s face in the moonless night. “So…” he started. “What do you want to do?”

  Isa sighed, and shrugged. “I don’t know. I know I should stay. My dad needs me.”

  “What does your heart want you to do?”

  Isa’s fingers clenched Adrian’s hands. She swam there for a few moments, thinking, before she replied, “I was born to be a mermaid. I know I was. This one day has been more amazing than my entire life.”

  She stared down at the coral reef below. “I realize what I’m expected to do. But it’s not what I want to do. And I’m pretty tired of doing things for everyone else, but never for myself. This is my life. I need to live it in the truest way possible. I need to be me. And being a mermaid is being me.”

  “Does that mean you’ll say yes?” Adrian’s tone brightened.

  “Yes.” Isa laughed. “But I’ll have to come back on land and make up some story for my dad. Tell him I’m transferring out of state or something.”

  “All right!” Adrian hugged her, then kissed her in ecstasy. “You’re going to be my queen. All mine. You don’t understand how incredibly crazy this is.”

  “What do you mean?” Isa tilted her head.

  “All my life, I thought I’d never find the right girl. I figured finding someone would mean I’d be tied down forever, but you set me free instead. Turns out you’re the biggest adventure of all, Isa. And I can’t wait to explore you, every day for the rest of my life.”

  “Aw, Adrian. That’s so cute.”

  “Yeah, well.” He grinned. “I’m a pretty good sweet talker.”

  Isa made a sarcastic noise, which turned into a tiny shriek of happiness. “I can hardly believe this. Mermaids are real, and I’m one of them! How incredible.” Isa sighed. “What else is out there? Peter Pan? The Big Bad Wolf?”

  “I guess we’ll never know.” Adrian laughed. “Though someone might.”

  Isa smiled. She was counting on finding out.

  “Come on, Adrian.” Isa let go of his hand and wiggled the sapphire tail that she already loved so much. “Race you back to Aquatica.”

  THE END

  What if Peter Pan was a girl? Find out in Twisted Fairy Tales #2— LOST by CONSTANCE ROBERTS.

  Lost by Constance Roberts

  Twisted Fairy Tales #2

  Neverland sits in ruins.

  The Pirate Queen wages war.

  Pandora’s only hope lies in a boy… with no powers.

  It’s been a century since the Pirate Queen banned all men from the island. Pandora and her Lost Girls hide in crumbling palaces of rulers long gone while pirates terrorize the land. Pan’s only solace is sneaking off to the human realm with her pixie, Tinkerbeau, and spying on the most fascinating creatures she’s ever seen… humans.

  Tucked away in the flats of London, Pan discovers a lonely boy with an astonishing connection to Neverland. She whisks him away to give as a present to the Lost Girls, convinced he is the key to restoring peace. But as they prepare to battle the Pirate Queen, a terrible truth is revealed.

  There’s only one way to save Neverland.

  But Pan’s past has a hidden secret, one that puts her friends— and all of Neverland— in danger.

  Action, adventure, and romance collide in a breathtaking fairy-tale retelling of the classical Peter Pan story. Readers of both young adult and new adult literature will love this magical adventure by fantasy author Constance Roberts.

  THE WITCH’S CURSE

  "The scream of a dying girl was the singular sound that changed my life, forever."

  When Briar enters the Eldermere Woods alone, she never could've imagined the danger that awaited her there. As a young witch, she's sought by hunters who desire her blood, a group of radicals who wish to eliminate all magical creatures. When Briar discovers a fellow witch slaughtered in the forest, her boring afternoon is changed into a fight for her life.

  With the help of her dragon shifter love, Thomas, Briar must find a way to stop the witch hunters from destroying her town of Thorny Brook. But is her magic strong enough to defeat her most dangerous enemies? Full of danger, fantasy, and fun, THE WITCH'S CURSE is another thrilling installment by bestselling author Megan Linski.

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  About the Author

  Megan Linski is the owner of Gryfyn Publishing and has had a passion for writing ever since she completed her first (short) novel at the age of 6. Her specializations are romance, fantasy, and contemporary fiction for young and new adults. When not writing she enjoys ice skating, horse riding, theatre, archery, fishing, and being outdoors. She is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and is an active fighter against common variable immune deficiency disorder. She lives in Michigan.

  www.meganlinski.com

  gryfynpublishing@gmail.com