Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

stamped her foot. But I already knew we were running out of time. Under my skin, scales began to form and ached for the refreshing cool water to relieve the growing itch.
    But if we weren’t returning for a while, then someone else would be assigned to guard the gate. Last time, the privilege became my Uncle Alaster’s and his son Colin while we were in Fiji on vacation. Colin, who was our age, broke the lock on my closet and used all of my stuff. I couldn’t let that happen again.
    I ran to my room and put my belongings into the new secret hiding spot under the wooden floorboards: my laptop, iPod, all my shoes, and keys to the Jeep. I pushed my bed over so a leg secured the loose board in place. The rest of my clothes and underwear, I packed in a duffle bag and slid it into the attic. I shivered at the thought of him wearing my boxers again.
    “ Hey, Tatch. Will you lock this in your room?” I called across the hall, showing her my guitar.
    “ Yeah, whatever.”
    She was scrambling around, hiding stuff too. Luckily, my cousin never touched her room, but we could never be too careful.
    “ Fin,” Tatch whispered. “Sweet talk Mom for me, will ya? Get her to let me stay.”
    “ We have to go. Azor said.”
    “ What?!” Tatch stood, wide-eyed and frantic. “He’s going to be there, too? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    I shifted my weight from side to side, angry with myself for telling her accidentally. Azor, the King’s son, made no secret of his desires for Tatch, but she couldn’t stand him.
    She shoved me aside and clutched her pink sparkly bag under her arm as she headed down the hall, her top jangling with each step. I half listened as she complained to Mom, begging to use the phone again.
    I returned to my room, did one last sweep to make sure I’d hidden everything important, and grabbed a few extra board shorts for the road.
    “ Let’s go, Fin!” Mom called from down the hall.
    “ Okay.” I closed my door and paused, hoping this wasn’t the last time I’d cross the threshold.
    Mom saw me and sighed, frustrated with Tatchi’s reaction—no doubt. I picked up the bag at her feet with little effort and offered my arm as we walked down the steps. She squeezed my hand to console me, but I remained positive things would work the way I’d envisioned.
    Together, we walked across the bridge that stretched over the pool in our basement. On the other side was the metal hatch attached to the floor, leading out to the lake. Tatiana had already left, her pink bag resting on the cement ledge. With a shake of her head, Mom shoved it in with the rest of our things, sealed the bag, and dropped it down the hole. We watched it sink out of sight—the collection of our lives in one small bag.
    “ Don’t be long,” Mom said, and slipped into the water.
    I frowned as I looked around at our huge recreational center, with the large TV suspended in the corner, swim-up bar with anything you wanted to drink hooked up to taps and swim mats to lounge on. Most likely, Colin and Uncle Alaster would soon be here, enjoying our stuff and having the time of their lives without having earned it. I wanted to punch something.
    With two claps the lights shut off, leaving me in complete darkness. I ripped off my board shorts and plunged my body into the icy water. With an ache the muscles in my legs fused together and scales burst across my skin from my toes up to my waist. A wicked, black fin spread out where my feet used to be. I was sleek, fast, and dangerous—like a shark ready to hunt. I shot down the passageway and came out into the lake on the other side.
    Riddled with guilt, I went back up to the lake’s surface a hundred feet off shore. I looked towards Ash’s house, already missing her. What was wrong with me? How could I let things go that far? I felt wretched for hurting her and vowed to never do it again. Feelings aside, I had to remind myself of the consequences and stay away from her. For her sake.
    In the window, a silhouette of someone appeared. Was it Ash? I wanted to apologize in person and confess the truth about who we really were. If only . . .
    “ Sorry,” I said right before diving down into the frigid lake.
    I tucked my shorts in my sling pack and swam towards my family who waited a few feet underwater in the distance. When the sun returned, along with my legs, I’d need something to cover myself with so I wasn’t walking around in the nude.
3
ASH

    “ Ashlyn Frances, is that you? Don’t