Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2) (3 page)

I shoved my phone in my pocket and breezed down the stairs expecting to see Georgia, and stopped mid-stride. Colin, Fin’s traitorous cousin, stood on the porch. Mom’s lips were propped in a weird smile.

“Colin’s here to see you.”

I narrowed my eyes.
What the heck does he want?

He grinned, his dimples pressing small divots into his cheeks, and tilted his head. “Hey, Ashlyn.”

I walked over, my fists balled up at my sides. Why couldn’t the sun have set here, too?

Unfortunately, it made sense why he’d showed up. Yesterday, after I thought all the mermen had vacated Fin’s house, I’d spotted him spying on me from the deck. We met a few weeks ago, but now I knew what he was—a merman like his cousin. He’d been responsible for turning Fin over to the bad mer guys of Natatoria. Did Colin know I was promised to Fin? Was he here to quiz me? It didn’t matter. No amount of his fishy mer mojo would get me to spill. I was looking forward to watching his attempts fail.

Mom cracked a sappy smile and nudged my shoulder, pushing me toward him. He must have used some on her to get her to be so cordial. I shooed Colin away and joined him on the porch, closing the front door behind me.

“What’s up?” I planted my hand firmly on my hip.

“I’m wondering if you know where my cousin Fin went?”

A spark of anger ignited inside, and it took all my control not to slap his cocky smirk off his face. I pushed my lips into a fake smile. “He went somewhere?”

“You’d seemed friendly before. Thought he’d tell you where.”

“He told you we were friendly?” I smiled. “That’s news to me.”

I knew exactly what he referred to—the night he’d betrayed Fin and Tatchi at the beach.

“Oh, I must have been mistaken.” Colin flashed a confident smile. “You wanna go out sometime?”

“Really?” I squinted at him in disbelief.

His cockiness melted away. “Well, yeah. Why not?”

I fluttered my eyelashes innocently, enjoying my power over him. His cuteness might have worked on me before, but now I saw through his mer swagger. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

His nostrils flared while he clenched his jaw. “Wow.” He turned toward Fin’s house and took a deep breath.

“You seem surprised.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, the last time, you were all over me—” He furrowed his brow.

“You’re delusional.” I turned my head to the side and sneered. “I’m taken. So… sorry.”

“Poseidon!” he barked and then before I could do anything, musical words came from his lips. “Dump whoever you’re seeing and go out with me!”

I didn’t expect him to mojo me so quickly. I tried not to react and kept a straight face while my brain screamed for me to tell him to shove it. But I couldn’t. Not unless I wanted to reveal I knew his precious secret and that my promise blocked him.

“All right.” My stomach clamped in disgust. If Fin knew I was entertaining a date with the enemy, he’d come back to Tahoe tomorrow and rip Colin’s head off. But curiosity captured the reigns. Why, if I said I knew nothing, would he want to date me?

“Great.” He let out a relieved exhale. “How about tomorrow?”

“No good. I won’t be home. I’m free Saturday.” There was no way I’d give him valuable Fin time. Morning was safe knowing Fin would be on the road within earshot of his parents, which would make for a boring phone conversation.

“Uh, yeah. At my place?” He gestured off to Fin’s house.

I withheld a grimace. How dare he take ownership over the Helton’s house. “Sure. Nine sound fine?”

His shoulders relaxed. “Perfect. It’ll be
fun
.” Visions of choking him overtook me as my blood rocketed through my system.

Yeah, I’ll show you fun, buddy
.

“Oh, I’m sure it will be.” I spun in my spot and exited inside, leaving him alone on the porch.

Through the gossamer curtains, I watched him saunter across our driveway. On the deck in the shadows of Fin’s house, someone stirred. I strained to see a face, but they disappeared just as Georgia pulled up.

Georgia remained in the car, mouth agape. Fin’s future plans for her sent a smile to my face. Little did she know the surprise we’d have for her at FAU—boyfriend-wise. She waited until Colin disappeared before she jumped out of her car and ran to the porch.

“Who the heck was that?” she asked as I opened the door.

“My creepy neighbor, Colin.”

“Creepy? He’s like… amazing. Did you see his shoulders?”

I rolled my eyes and motioned we head upstairs.

“Hey, Mrs. Delatore. Gorgeous ring,” Georgia called over my shoulder.

My legs swiveled my quaking body around to meet Gran’s curious eyes as she stood in the hall.

“Why hello, darlings.” She tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean ring?”

Adrenaline sapped my strength, caught ruby-red handed. “Oh, nothing. Come on, Georgia.” I tugged her arm a little harder than I should have toward the stairs.

“The ruby ring,” she said as she sailed behind me. “Ash said you’d given it to her.”

I pulled her into my room and slammed the door.

“What the heck.” She rubbed her arm. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I don’t want you to talk to her about the ring.”

“Why? Didn’t you say she gave it to you?”

“It’s nobody’s business, okay?

Georgia dumped her bag on the floor. “What’s wrong with you?”

I pulled my lips into a straight line. “Nothing. Just don’t mention it to my family again. It’s a sensitive subject.”

“Why? Because a guy gave it to you instead?”

The back of my neck burned hot. “No. It’s just… I don’t want to talk about it.”

She crinkled her brow. “You’ve been acting totally strange… ever since your accident. It’s a guy, isn’t it? The one who rescued you!”

“No, of course not.” I rolled my eyes and pulled out my history book from my backpack, wishing I had fishy mojo to silence her once and for all. “Near-death experiences change people. Now let’s get on with our homework. You’re here to tutor me, and I’ve got a ton of catching up to do.”

She shrugged as she pulled out her book too.

I didn’t know why I’d felt like I needed to keep Fin a secret from her. He was, for the most part, a guy after all. Maybe I should tell her… of course I’d leave out the part where he was my knight in shining scales.

I turned to chapter twelve when the guilt sunk my heart like a stone. I’d already forgotten about the date. How could I have allowed Colin to sing to me? If Fin knew, not only would he be furious, he’d be crushed.

Curiosity aside, I couldn’t keep the date. But how could I break it without revealing I was impervious to the merman song? I ran my finger over my lips and wished for a perfect solution to my problem—one that didn’t involve me taking the next bus headed to Florida.

I’d figure out something.

:::

FIN

Tuesday evening, April 12th

Barely able to reach the dashboard with my mertail in action, I strained to hide the phone inside the glove compartment of the RV. Luckily, no one was around to see me as I slithered the few feet toward the lake on the rocky ground.

I laughed at myself. College? Did I actually tell Ash I wanted to attend college? What a change. Two months ago, I’d sworn I’d never abandon the mer and chewed out Tatchi for wanting to leave. But now, for love, I’d do anything, including singing Michael Jackson songs. Crazy.

The water washed away the dirt as I plunged myself into the current, still singing
Bad
in my head. Sharp twigs jutted uncomfortably from in between my scales, and I yanked them out. This would be something I wouldn’t miss, the unavoidable scale-filled time-bomb at sunset. But the reason I hesitated to convert came to mind—Tatch. I needed to be mer to save her.

But I would change if Ash asked me and once the time came, Mom and Dad, though they would be disappointed, would have to understand. The King would never allow Azor to have his fins stripped for what happened, and I wouldn’t dare bring Ash into our communal drama. Maybe my sister and I would convert together.

But how far would Dad go when erasing our memories after the change? Couldn’t he leave them there? It wasn’t like we were law-abiding citizens anymore. But until then, one thing was for sure: I needed to look into getting a waterproof case for the phone, so I could talk while in the water and stop busting through anymore of my jeans by accident.

“Fin… what took you so long?”

Dad’s abrupt voice startled me.

“Late… sorry.” Shame whirled around in my gut as I dislodged the last rock embedded behind my pectoral fin.

Dad shook his head. “You can’t keep staying out past sunset. Someone’s bound to see you.”

“Yeah,” I laughed, “on this remote side of the lake, I’m sure lots of people saw me and they’re running for the tabloids now. Merman removes rock from his pectoral fin in Oklahoma, news at eleven.”

Dad remained stoic. “Were you talking to Ashlyn?”

The way he said her name made me cringe—like she was the enemy. “Don’t worry, Dad. I won’t let it happen again.”

I swam away in the murky soup the locals called a lake and looked for cleaner water. In my distracted state, I’d apparently picked another dud. Google needed to add a water purity index on the lake listings ASAP.

“Wait, Son. I need to talk to you about something.” He swam to catch up.

I turned around. “What?” Obviously, I wouldn’t be lucky enough to escape his lectures tonight.

“When we get to Florida, we need to keep things under tight wraps about what’s going on, got it?”

I leaned my head to the side. “But you’ve been telling Hans and Sissy everything?”

“Not from them, from Galadriel.”

“Really? She’s still around?”

“She’s—become a bit of a problem.”

I withheld my eye roll. Galadriel, the King’s eldest daughter was the source of this whole mess to begin with. Because she’d run away, the King had sent Dad on a mission to find her, Mom, Tatchi, and I were forced to stay in Natatoria and wait for his return. And since Tatchi and I couldn’t abide by the rules, we were forced to promise with people we didn’t like in order to control us. Dad ambushed the ceremony just in time for me to get away, but Tatiana wasn’t so lucky. Azor, the King’s son, kissed her against her will. Galadriel was the last person I wanted to be friends with.

“Well, I hadn’t planned on becoming BFF’s, if that’ll make you feel better.”

“I’m being serious and don’t get smart.”

I balled my hands, trying to keep my cool. “I don’t understand the big deal.”

Dad sighed. “The big deal is we’ll be living under the same roof until we get a place of our own, and it’ll be tempting to befriend her. She mustn’t know anything about us. Are we clear?”

“Under the same roof?” I hoped this roof was large enough for me to have my own room. “Who all lives in the safe house besides Sissy, Hans, and Galadriel?”

“Just them, for now. Galadriel’s situation is complicated and to protect the other runaways, they’ve been redirected elsewhere.”

To protect the others? Sheesh. Why even ask? Mers and their love of drama. I fought back a yawn. All I cared about was Ash. When she got to Florida, we’d be together during the day, and I’d stay in the Atlantic at night. No need to make friends with anyone else if I had my way. The safe house was only a temporary storage place for my things.

“I’ll keep my distance in the ocean.”

“Good. She was the reason for the ‘mission’ that lost me Tatiana to the King’s son in the first place, and since her botched conversion, she’s reluctant to become human. She’d also been disappearing for days at a time without word. We aren’t sure who she’s communicating with or who she’s connected to. She’s more than likely a spy.”

“A spy? You think she planned her near death so she could snitch about the safe house and our location? That’s a little far fetched, don’t you think? I bet she ran away from an overbearing King.”

“Unpromised mermaids are fickle, Son.”

I shook my head in disgust. “Really? You blame her genes after all of this? I’m sure she’s not unlike any other mermaid in Natatoria, just smarter to run away. Being cooped up drives them all crazy after awhile, especially if they aren’t allowed to get promised to whom they wish.”

“She’s worse. She’s royalty.” Dad pitched a brow. “And it’s not unfounded why females need to be chaperoned.”

Yeah, blame the girl.

“But what I really want to talk to you about is Ash. Your mother and I have been talking—”

“And?” I ground my jaw.

“Son, we know things have been difficult being apart, but once Ash gets to Florida, she’s not invited to the safe house, nor to be given the address. And don’t tell Galadriel anything about her—or even that you’re promised.”

I held up my ring finger and smirked as the tattoo glowed purple shards of black light. “A little difficult to hide.”

“Yes, well… until Ash is mer, she needs to live her normal life.”

“Why? Because she’s human? I’m not hiding who I am from her. Don’t forget Ash is going to be my wife and you sure seemed fired up about that on Saturday. How can she make the decision if she wants to be mer if I don’t show her what it’s like? Or do you want me to become human instead?”

“Now you know that’s out of the question.” Dad’s nostrils flared. “My request isn’t ridiculous. We need to keep the girls apart until Galadriel chooses humanity. Otherwise, she could return to Natatoria, beg for forgiveness, and tell the King. Please… for Tatiana’s sake.”

My sister’s name sent a wave of pity through my gut, stopping my next rude remark. I actually did have higher regard for Galadriel once I heard she’d run away from the King’s unfair rule. But if she ever betrayed my family—there would be no telling what I’d do.

I saw the ever-praised Hans and Sissy in my mind, the mer nobility of dry land my parents raved about. They’d been lecturing Dad on the phone over their expectations once we arrived in Florida; their kingdom otherwise known as the safe house. But the delivery often seemed pushy. Were their rules no different than King Phaleon’s? Whatever lurked in our genetic bloodline that made us crave royalty to lord over us, I’d ignore once I became free to do what I wanted. I didn’t need them or their archaic ways influencing or approving my decisions.

 “Fine, whatever,” I finally said.

 “I knew you’d understand. Things are complicated, especially since we’ve lost touch with Badger.”

“What? When?”

“After he tipped us off, we haven’t received word from him. Hans hasn’t heard from our other contacts as well. But one thing is for sure; no one has been able to leave Natatoria since our escape, runaways or regulars. Has Ashlyn said anything about the house? If anyone’s been there?”

“She hasn’t mentioned anyone. Should she?” I asked, suddenly alarmed. “I should go back. Protect her.”

“No. She knows to stay away if mermen show up. They can’t influence her. Just ask she not speak with them. I wouldn’t want her to tell them something innocently. If they knew the truth—” A somber look crossed his face.

“They’d what?” I flipped my tail, propelling myself forward in the water. “They’d take her, wouldn’t they? I can’t stay here, Dad. I can’t!”

Dad lunged and grabbed my arm. “No, Son. We have to continue on to Florida and make plans to rescue Tatiana. They have no reason to bother Ash, and she’ll be in Florida soon enough. She needs to keep her distance and things will be fine.”

I gritted my teeth. Dad didn’t know that the night Tatchi and I were abducted from Lake Tahoe, Ash had run to the beach and saw us all in the water. Luckily, the promise had blocked Blanchard’s attempts to erase her mind, but if he or any of Azor’s goons were at the house right now, they might get desperate and suspect Ash was more than just my neighbor. Uncle Alaster or Colin might go so far as to try to persuade her to tell them where we’d gone. She’d be able to deflect the questions, but her family wouldn’t.

I had to warn her tonight.