Mer Tales 01 - Everblue

Fine,” Lucy called back with a grimace. She walked closer to me and whispered, “I’ll have Laura Jane come over later, okay?”
    I forced a smile. “If I’m feeling okay.”
    She perked up and skipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
    I pushed away the worry they’d want to do the interview anytime soon, snuggled under the covers, and reveled in the silence. No beeps or annoying nurses to bother me. Sleep came easily.
    Then he returned. All glowy and warm. I felt his strong arms tenderly wrap around my body, breaching the surface of the water as he carried me to safety. His melodic voice told me to fight, to stay alive. I would have done anything to stay there in his blazing hot arms. If only he’d fly us up into the clouds of heaven. His lips touched mine and golden heat tickled my skin. Something within my heart released, like a bird soaring toward freedom. Only there did I feel complete. Like his kiss was the key that popped open the lock in my heart, setting me free.

33
FIN

    A groan coming from behind the door startled me from my sleep. Somehow, I’d fallen over and the crabs were jockeying for position under my back. As I sat up, they scattered to the holes in the walls. I shivered and moved away from the floor.
    “ Stupid crabs.”
    “ Hold your breath.”
    I swiveled around and went to the bars at Tatch’s telepathic voice. As the outer door began to slowly open, black ink spilt into the water.
    “ Don’t breathe!” she said with a forced whisper.
    On the floor behind her, Blanchard lay knocked out cold from octopus ink.
    “ What did you do?” I asked silently as she rushed to the cage.
    “ I have to get you out of here before you pass out.” Her hands shook as she flipped through the ring of keys, inserting one in after the other. Finally she found the right one and popped the lock open.
    “ Come on!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall to the interior of Azor’s house. Through the thick clouds, I could make out a few other mermen laying in the same sprawled-out way as blackness tainted the water above their heads. I couldn’t see Azor anywhere, though.
    I knew Tatchi was smart, but to use octopus ink to incapacitate all the mermen so she could help me escape was brilliant. Mermaids for some reason were immune to its effects. Unable to hold my breath any longer, I let a small sip of water through my gills and felt my thoughts grow fuzzy. Tatch responded with a gasp and pulled me harder.
    Once we exited out the front doors, I sucked in a huge breath to clear my head. “What did you do?”
    Tatiana exhaled, but continued to pull my arm so we moved farther away from Azor’s compound. “I’ll explain everything after we get out of here.”
    I allowed her to drag me along since the tiny bit of ink I did inhale affected my ability to reason and swim. But once we turned away from the direction of our house and towards the far rock wall where the Tahoe gate loomed, I flared out my fins to stop.
    “ No!” she screamed, continuing to pull. “We have to leave! Now!”
    I yanked my hand back. “I just got in royal trouble for leaving unchaperoned and I’m not about to drag you into this with me. If we escape to Tahoe, we aren’t ever coming back.”
    “ I know that. And if we don’t leave now, we may never get another chance.”
    I pushed my hands into my temples to force away the headache from the ink. “But what about Mom?”
    Tatch fidgeted and avoided eye contact. “She wants to stay and wait for Dad.”
    I clenched my jaw. “We can’t just leave her. We promised Dad we’d watch out for her.”
    Tatch’s face pressed into a scowl as she pointed her finger in my face. “Look. You know as well as I do they aren’t going to give you a slap on the wrist and say ‘never do it again.’ You’ll be forced to stay here. Forced to serve the elder mers for who knows how long. Forced to choose someone here to promise. Do you want that?”
    Ashlyn’s sweet water-drenched face shimmered in my mind. My soul was trying to claw its way out of my chest to take ahold of my fin and make me leave Natatoria now. But without Mom coming with us, it didn’t feel right.
    “ Fine,” Tatiana said after I didn’t respond and my eyes met hers. “You can go back and lock yourself up if you want. I’ll just leave without you.”
    “ Wait.” I grabbed her wrist.
    “ I’m done with this place, Fin. Don’t you see I can’t stay? First with all the crap at the