The Mermaids Madness

steady, completing the cuts almost before the pain hit. Almost.
    Soon Danielle’s legs were crushing together. She clenched her jaw, biting back a shriek. Her nails dug into the deck as she waited for the shock to pass.
    Morveren turned to Talia, the bloody scale still in her hand.
    “You’ve got to be joking,” said Talia.
    “What if Snow casts the spell instead?” Danielle asked.
    “No,” said Morveren. “She should conserve her strength for Lirea. I can—”
    “I’ll do it.” Snow lay on the deck, wearing nothing but her choker and Lirea’s harness. Her red-scaled tail flapped against the sailcloth curtain.
    Talia sat down and closed her eyes. “Make it quick.”
    Danielle studied her own undine body. Her torso was thicker, similar to the way it had looked in those first weeks after Jakob’s birth. Her hair felt coarser, and there was more of it than before.
    “I hate this,”Talia whispered. She hadn’t made a sound during her transformation, but her face was sweaty. Her tail was a deep blue, fading to green near the fins.
    “You’re beautiful,” Lannadae said. “You all are.”
    “You shouldn’t waste your power playing color games,” Morveren said, frowning.
    “But Talia looks so much better in blue,” Snow insisted, climbing up onto the railing. Before Morveren could respond, she dropped backward into the water.
    Danielle reached over to take Talia’s hand. For once, Talia didn’t pull away. “It won’t last long,” she said. “Snow will remove the spell as soon as she can.”
    Talia took a deep breath, then straightened. “I guess we’d better follow to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble. Come on, Princess. The sooner we leave, the sooner we’ll be able to shed these scales.”
    “I’ll take the Phillipa west to make sure we’re out of sight,” said Captain Hephyra. “I’d come with you if I could. Spawning season sounds like fun.”
    “You’re as bad as she is,” Talia said, gesturing toward Snow. She shook her head and dove in after Snow.
    “Remember your promise,” said Morveren. “Please bring my granddaughter back to me.”
    “We will.” Danielle studied the railing. There was no graceful way for a mermaid to climb over. Well, Talia had made it look graceful, but that didn’t count. Danielle scooted forward and grabbed a belaying pin to pull herself up. The wood scraped painfully against her chest. She twisted around, balancing on her hips. Her weight shifted, and her body tilted toward the water.
    She overbalanced and fell, and her back hit the water hard. Her body sliced into the water. She pushed away from the ship, kicking to the surface. Her muscles launched her higher than she intended. This body would take some practice.
    “We’ll be waiting for you,” Captain Hephyra shouted.
    “Thank you!” Danielle waved, then blushed when she realized the sailcloth curtain no longer shielded her from view. Her cheeks burned. She sank lower and swam over to Talia, who had kept close to the hull. Lowering her voice, she said, “Let’s not tell Armand about this part.”
    “Personally, I plan on drinking until I’ve pushed the whole thing from my mind,” Talia answered.
    “Lirea’s will is strong, but her thoughts are chaotic,” Morveren called down. “Brute force won’t help you. Use her confusion to trick her into following.”
    “I will!” Snow leaped from the water like a dolphin, then vanished beneath the waves.
    “Be careful, Cinderella!” Lannadae shouted from the ship.
    Talia snorted and disappeared after Snow. Shaking her head, Danielle followed them both.

    To Danielle, the sea had always been an impressive thing, but ultimately dull. Water was water, fish were fish, and seaweed was seaweed.
    She soon discovered how mistaken she had been. Swimming through the ocean was like flying through another world. Her body felt light as air. The currents were gentle winds, pushing her to the right. Those winds grew stronger and colder the deeper she swam.
    Dark shapes passed beneath her. A school of fish, or creatures larger and more distant? There was no way to be certain.
    For the most part, she stayed close to the surface, skimming just beneath the waves. She kept her arms at her sides, imitating Snow’s movements. The water washed over her face, rinsing the sweat from her body.
    Breathing water for the first time had been a shock, but after a few coughing fits, she had finally mastered the trick. She doubted she would ever get used to