Heart of Shell (The Mercrutian Chronicles Book 1) (5 page)

By the time I got home, I was exhausted and it was eleven o'clock. I was going to go straight to bed.

“
How was your night?” my parents asked meeting me at the door.

“
Great!” I said with a smile. “I'm beat and heading to bed.”

“
Wait! Don't we get any details, Anya?” My father called out to me as I walked up the stairs.

“
Well, Merrick and I hung out in the shed for a bit while he fixed his bike. I made supper, which we both enjoyed and then we watched a documentary on sharks. All in all, it was pretty fun.”

“
That's it?” My mother asked.

“
Yep,” I replied. There was no way I was telling them he kissed me!

They both looked at one another and shrugged and with that I headed to my room and changed quickly, brushing my teeth, then collapsing into the covers.

It had been two
weeks since I had arrived in Seabright, and things were finally starting to fall into a routine. I had become closer to Leah and Evelyn, and really began to enjoy spending time with them. They were funny, and sarcastic, and incredibly intelligent. It was like we were kindred spirits. If I was late for lunch or arrived for a class after them they were worried, or wondered where I was.

Pearl and Rayne were just as close- like sisters to me really,  and whenever I ran into them they kept suggesting that I should come over to their house sometime for a girl’s night.

It was a strange feeling to have them all want me around. It was peculiar to me to feel wanted, to feel like I belonged.

I arrived at school and said goodbye to Rodney hopping down the stairs. My mother had helped me make invitations for a get together with my new friends. I hadn’t really had sleepovers in my pre-teens, so it would be my first sort of birthday party or celebration.

Entering the main hall, I walked towards the lockers where I could usually find Rayne and Pearl. My eyes searched until they found them, and not far off was Merrick and a group of males, all clearly Mers. There were  four of them altogether, and my senses lit up. It was a strange feeling something like being close to sand and ocean water.

I couldn’t help but look at Merrick while I walked over, until a couple of girls walked up to him and his friends and my attention switched to them. Both of them were older than me. The first had long curly brown hair and green eyes, the second had auburn hair in long messy layers and blue eyes rimmed in eyeliner. The second sidled up to Merrick and placed her hand on his forearm, laughing at something he had said. Something about their conversation made me uneasy 

“
Hey Anya!” I heard Pearl say to me, pulling my eyes in her direction.

“
Hey!” I said, still feeling slightly thrown.

Rayne nodded in the direction of the redhead. “Don’t worry about Gina, she’s got nothing on you.”

They had seen me look at Merrick. I could feel my face grow warm with embarrassment.

Pearl groaned. “Ugh, she’s the worst. I don’t know why Merrick even bothers with her.”

I shrugged and smiled, pretending to not care. Or did I really care? I couldn’t tell. Honestly I hardly knew Merrick anyway; one night of hanging out clearly did not make us a couple, especially since we both agreed time would dictate how things went for us.

“
I came over to talk with you ladies anyway,” I said with a bright smile, “never mind boys.” They both smiled at me.

Rayne winked at me and then whispered. “Yeah we know. My mom called your mom this morning. You’re coming home with us after school. We can’t make it to your birthday thing on the first of December since our father has some Mer military function. Your mom is dropping your stuff off at our house as we speak.” She looked at Gina again now draped over Merrick and scowled.

Pearl moved in closer to me. “I would still love to have my invitation though. I’ve never gotten one for anything.” I handed it to her and her hand smoothed over the envelope in admiration. “Oh it’s so pretty.”

It was a sea shell set of cards in shades of purple and blue that my mother had bought at a craft store. As a finishing touch, my mom had even showed me how to write with a calligraphy pen and ink. There was nothing Mers appreciated more than small trinkets of beauty.

“
Coral was jumping around like a dolphin when she found out you were coming over tonight. Meet us here after school, kay?” Rayne added. Then her voice darkened, “Ugh, sometimes I want to box Merrick’s ears. WHAT’S HE THINKING?”

That was loud enough to get the attention of Merrick, Gina and everyone surrounding them. Pearl, for the first time I had ever witnessed, looked smug and Rayne’s eyes looked stormy as they centred on Gina. My eyes grew wide with surprise and I scratched my head lightly while turning in the opposite direction and averting the gaze of the group.

“
Who is that ugly uni-brow girl with your sisters Merrick?” I heard a voice ask loudly, and I turned back around slowly to see Gina’s blue eyes scanning over me.

UGLY?! I knew I was no Mer, but she didn’t have to insult me!

I had the feeling that I was not going to like this Gina person one bit, but I didn’t react.

Merrick sighed, a heavy one that didn’t sound very pleasing at all. Only,I couldn’t tell if the sigh was because he was considering how to explain who I was to this girl, who clearly liked him, or whether it was the question that made him annoyed.

“
She’s a friend of the family Gina, that’s all. Just don’t worry about it.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little wounded, especially when Rayne and Pearl gave me sympathetic looks. I shrugged it off. Nothing was going to stop me from being excited about my first ever—girl’s night. Then I really smiled, tonight would be filled with fun. The bell rang, it’s ringing chime giving me an annoying jolt.

“
I’ll see you guys later!” I said to Rayne and Pearl and briskly walked passed Merrick and Gina.

“
What does she mean she’ll see your sister’s later?” Gina asked. Only this time I didn’t wait around to hear Merrick’s weak excuse.

Classes seemed to fly by.
I think it had to do with the fact that I was eager for the day to be done. Before I knew it, I was waiting by the lockers for Rayne and Pearl. They came bolting towards me with stricken expressions on their faces, speaking to me rapidly. I didn’t catch much of anything until they slowed down, their breaths steadying.

“Whatever happens, just say no,” Rayne said. “Or you could pretend that you can't hear.”

Pearl nodded and then added. “Don’t make any sudden movements- she’s like a snake.” 

I watched them, amused while they uttered their absurdities. When they stopped abruptly, looking down the hall, I could see why. Gina was walking alongside Merrick and heading in our direction.

They caught up with us and Rayne and Pearl crossed their arms in disapproval.

“Hey ladies,” Gina said to them with a smile, and I noticed her unease with them. She looked as though she wanted their approval, but could tell she didn't have any sympathy. “So Merrick tells me you are all celebrating Anna’s birthday tonight. Can I come?”

“ANYA, and no
you may not
.” Rayne corrected her, and a smile pulled up from the corner of my mouth. For some reason I wasn’t angry anymore just amused by Gina; this close I could actually examine her. She was taller than me and a bit shorter than Merrick, but not nearly as pretty as Rayne or Pearl. She wore too much makeup to try and fill the gap, but her skin looked dull. She was slim, not curvy like a Mer and even her blue eyes were devoid of vivid colour. She looked sad, pathetic almost. I wondered if Merrick kissed her the way he had kissed me, if it was her supposed sexiness that appealed to him.

Merrick had watched me gauge her. She looked at him in a pleading sort of way and nudged his arm.

“Why don’t you let Anya decide Rayne? It is her birthday thing.” Merrick said, looking at me with a challenging gleam.

And then everyone was looking at me. I didn’t falter. I had already known what I would say. I wondered if he thought this were some type of game between the two of us to see who would cave first and beg the other to try and date. He had told me what he wanted; time to be young- and clearly stupid- so I would give it to him.

“I don’t mind you coming Gina, but it’s not my house, or my car, so that part you’ll have to settle with Rayne and Pearl.”

They both seemed shocked with my response, so I sent out an emotive wave letting them know my reasoning. If anything confirmed to me that I was indeed a Mer, it was my uncanny empathic abilities. Merrick caught a whiff of it too because his eyes went straight to me in awe.

I had let Rayne and Pearl know that I felt sorry for Gina, clearly she felt she had something to prove and I had the benefit of their friendship while she didn’t, which was something I was grateful for and gave me advantage. I felt much stronger than her. They smiled at me.

“Fine,” Rayne said at last, “but after we pick up Coral, Anya will have to sit with Merrick in the front.”

“Oh no I can,” Gina said trying to regain control of the situation, which was hard to do with Rayne around, “it’s no big deal.”

“You’re too big,” Pearl said, all of a sudden finding her voice in the situation. “Anya is clearly the smallest so it makes sense for her to sit with Merrick.”

Gina cast Merrick an accusatory glance, probably since he said nothing to defend her.

“
That’s dangerous,” she said quickly.

“
You’re the one who invited yourself over, otherwise there would be plenty room,” Rayne added gesturing towards the doors, “let’s get going already.”

We all piled into the car and when we reached Coral’s school she came squealing over, her curls bouncing with each step. Luckily by the time we got there, the school had been emptied and no one else was loitering.

When she opened the door she didn’t hide her disdain. “What’s she doing here?” She mumbled quietly. I tried to distract her from Gina’s presence.

“
Hey Coral,” I said with a smile, “I’m going to hop in the front, just give me one second.” I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car.

“
Anya it’s so nice to see you!” Coral said pulling me into a hug that I returned happily. It was sad that I was a year older than Coral, but still she looked more like a Mermaid than me.

Merrick opened the door and adjusted the seat so that it was pushed as far back as it could go. “Do you have leg space Coral?” He asked while looking at me and gesturing for me to sit in his lap.

“
Yep.” Coral replied.

We ended up positioned so that I sat in between Merrick’s legs and leaned back against his chest. Gina sent me icy cold looks while Merrick’s attention was diverted. He buckled us in, and subtly touched the window making it frost over. Even though what I was doing was strangely reckless and unlike me, I felt safe pressed against Merrick, and incredibly warm. His breaths fell even on my neck and he ended up wrapping both arms around me so that he could sit comfortably.

It felt like we were soul bound, and reminded me of old paintings I had seen in my father’s historical books. Mer’s wrapped around one another for portraits, such peculiar creatures with their overwhelming love bonds. I wanted to nuzzle against his neck and cheek and I think he started to feel the same connected emotions too, because his hand pressed against my stomach and pulled me closer. It had to do with the contract our parents signed for our pairing. Contracts of that sort always had a magical bond woven within. Something that deep seated was hard to resist, especially in close quarters.

I could see Gina watching whatever she could  in the rear-view mirror, but I had no sympathy for her. She had been unkind to me, and she had no idea who we all were. She didn’t even know that Merrick and I were bound. I thought about the romantic supper we had shared, and the kisses he had planted on my lips. For a few seconds I luxuriated in the feeling of his embrace. It was nice, until I recalled his desire for more time, and reaffirmed to myself that it was only one night of many to come much later on in our lives. I straightened and pulled my body forward, only to have him pull me back. He clench his thighs around mine. His nose brushed my neck inconspicuously to catch the scent of my perfume. Looking in the rear-view mirror I could see there was possession in his eyes, and I knew Gina saw it too. So I pinched him, the underside of his arm, away from view so that he would snap out of our bonding enchantment. The jerky reaction his hand made told me I was successful, and he whispered his thanks.

Rayne looked at us smugly as if she had proved something to us both by smooshing us together in the front of their car. Her eyes were mischievous and suddenly her mouth was smiling in amusement. Pearl and Coral joined her with their own smiles, clearly able to pick up on the emotions we were emitting so intensely.

When we all piled
out of the car Gina looked displeased. I had expected her to be sad or angry, but instead she latched onto Merrick’s hand and seemed to hold on for dear life.

“I’m glad I finally get to meet your parents Merrick.” She said smiling almost sweetly, and again I felt pity for her.

“They’re not here,” Coral responded immediately, while we all walked towards the door.

“Oh. They’re not?” Gina asked, looking up at Merrick with a worried expression.

“No,” he said, “They’re working in Halifax tonight, but they’ll be back later.”

I guess I wasn’t the only one whose parents had to work long hours in the Mer community. It made me wonder what project was so important that it was keeping all of our parents so preoccupied. The past few years, my parents had been needed more and more by the Mecrutia Council and High Order. I had assumed that it was only because I had grown older that they agreed to do the extra work, but now I was starting to wonder.

“Where’s Zale?” I asked suddenly remembering that the Prices had a younger brother, one I had initially mistaken for my future husband.

“Zale was accepted to a school for the gifted, near our parents work, so he gets a drive with them every morning.” Rayne looked at me speaking slowly enough so that I could tell her words were chosen carefully. She was suggesting that I read between the lines, which I did.

Zale was a
Sealatian
, a chosen one from our Mers to attend their schooling on the base camp where our parents would work. It was an opportunity given to those who excel in specific Mer capabilities from an early age. Water manipulation, enchantment, and empathy were common gifts they wanted to cultivate and strengthen. It was rare among Mers to have the opportunity to attend Sealatia Ceremonies.

I had been offered a chance to join when I was eleven because of my empathy, but had declined. There was something strangely cold about the teachers that made me feel uncomfortable. At first my father suggested that perhaps it was simply because I could not read them as well as other Mers, but I felt that it was something more akin to fear. The Sealatia made me fearful, because there was no humanity in them, and I could tell instantly that they had disliked the human in me. We had once been humans though, all Mers had, long long ago and so that kind of prejudice didn’t make sense to me.

“
Oh,” I said in response, sending a wave of emotion to Rayne, letting her know that I had understood what she had meant to say through omission. I wondered what Zale’s gift was, and I wondered why he seemed so incredibly warm and adorable when I had met him. Other
Sealatia
seemed so calculated and exacting.

“
Who’s Zale?” Gina asked.

“
Our brother,” Rayne snapped back.

“
I am so hungry I could eat a whole swordfish!” Coral exclaimed with an exasperated groan.

“
Me too,” Pearl added, “only I think I want catfish instead with potatoes and—”

“
I wanted to have the trout tonight,” Merrick interrupted.

“
We’re having salmon.” Rayne said ending the debate there. “I took the salmon out this morning and seasoned it while all you lazy buggers were still sleeping.”

“
You sure like your fish,” Gina said looking up at Merrick with a twinkle in her eye.

“
You have no idea,” Merrick whispered under his breath.

I smiled at him, enjoying the resonance to his voice. There was something compelling about it each time he spoke that made me want to draw closer to him. Gina watched me, and I turned my face quickly, my eyes bulging in personal punishment for being so obvious in my attraction to Merrick. Maybe, even I was still feeling the effects of the car ride.

Gina and Merrick planted themselves in the living room on the couch while she insisted they watch one of Pearl's romantic comedies. I felt sorry for him, but then maybe he liked the fact that she was feminine and demanding. I knew that I sure as shells wasn't.

“
Anya would you help us make a sauce like the one you made for Merrick last weekend
?” Coral asked me across the kitchen island.

Merrick's ears pricked up, but luckily Gina didn't seem to hear because she was too busy ranting about Stacey something or other.

“
Shhhh,” I said my eyes large, before I winked. “Coral, you're being a troublemaker. Your poor brother wants to be a normal boy.” I was poking fun, but really I had understood what he wanted. Only, I desperately wanted to be what he was running away from.

Coral burst out laughing and Rayne and Pearl giggled wickedly while they cut potatoes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                            

Gina’s phone rang and suddenly she was ranting even more vehemently to the person on the other line.

“
So much for celebrating with us,” I said.

“
Thank Poseidon!” Pearl said.

It was nice that we were all doing our part to make supper. It meant that in no time the food would be done, and I was starting to get hungry. I was busy working away on cutting onions, when a really pungent one wafted up and my eyes began to tear, drops running down my cheeks. It was my least favourite thing about cooking with onions, even though I loved them.

“What mischief are you Mers up to?” Merrick asked from behind me.

“Nothing,” Coral replied coyly turning from her own cutting to look at us both by the kitchen island. She gestured for me to turn and face him, but I hesitated. When I turned to look at him, his eyes went all soft and gooey-like. He immediately cupped my face with both palms and wiped away my tears with his thumbs.

“Why are you crying?” he asked his voice sweet. My mouth opened and I wished I had some sort of witty remark to spit out, but I was at a loss for words with those deep teal eyes fixated on my face.

“Onions,” I finally whispered after almost a minute of intense gazing at one another. He looked behind me to see them on the cutting board and then nodded. 

“Oh good. Makes sense,” he said curtly. Then backed up awkwardly, after he had reached over my shoulder to grab an apple.

“Aren't you going to grab Gina one, Merrick?” Rayne asked in a teasing tone.

“She doesn't like fruit,” he said and walked back to the living room. Gina's voice was finally calming as she was finished talking on her phone.

When I turned back around, Coral was leaning on the kitchen island with her chin nestled in her hands. She was looking at me wistfully. Pearl had her hand clutched against her heart and both sighed.

“I know that's my brother and all, but I wish my mate was that sweet with me, and wiped away my tears. We never have moments like that- Murdock is such an ass,” Coral said.

Pearl nodded. “I agree. Mine is too far away for us to bond like that right now, but when he's here, he is wonderful.”

“We weren't bonding,” I said in protest, finishing the onions and moving onto the tomato.

“All of you have mates already?” I asked trying to divert the attention from me. Of course they did, they were beautiful and
looked
like Mers.

“That Mer in the car with us a couple of weeks ago is my mate. You must see him at school with Merrick sometimes. Murdock.” Coral said spitting out his name bitterly.

“He's an ass?” I asked, wondering how on earth she would have chosen a poor mate. Coral was so fun and vibrant.

“He's just a little serious, and well a bit of a bad boy right now,” Rayne added.

“We're all hoping he grows out of it,” Pearl said.

“Yeah for my sake,” Coral added. “I agreed to him because I thought it would make my parents happy, but now I wish I had waited like Merrick. I don't even know why he picked me,” she huffed. “He just isn't romantic at all. He gets so irritated with me sometimes- especially when I'm cheerful!”

“That doesn't sound nice,” I said trying to be careful with my words. “You should tell him when he's being a jerk.”

“I know,” Coral said, “but I'm too nice, and he's so bossy.”

“You'll find your own way to put him in his place,” I said with a wink. “You’re too strong a Mer not to.”

Coral perked up at my words. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” I said. “I can feel it.”

“Yeah, that is amazing what you can do,” Rayne began, “those empathic waves are incredible.”

“Thanks!” I gushed.

Pearl sighed again.

“You miss him?” I asked already knowing that she did.

“Yeah,” she said, “His name is Merlin. We spend a lot of time together in the summers when he's visiting his uncle Arturo. This year he went to Military training college in the mid-Atlantic, though.”

“Merlin!” I said, “Your mate is Merley?” I couldn't contain my excitement even though I tried not to raise my voice to hearing level for Gina. Although she seemed pretty clueless, I couldn't be careless.

I had met Merlin a few years ago when Arturo had brought him on one of his visits to meet with my parents. He was one of the kindest Mers I had ever met, and someone I considered family, a good friend. Not to mention he was absolutely stunning. At seventeen now, he was gorgeous. His eyes were sea green, and his skin had a bronze complexion from his Spanish mother and Malagasy father. He was soft spoken and intelligent, but an incredibly skilled warrior from a long line of science Mers. His warrior skills were unusual for a family such as his, but much like my mother, a science Mer from a long line of warriors, he pursued his dream despite his family's discouraging words.

“You know him?” Pearl asked excitedly.

“He's like my cousin,” I said proudly. “I call Arturo my uncle even though there's no blood relation.”

“By Poseidon, Merlin is one dreamy Mer,” Coral said with a sigh. “I wish Murdock was that gorgeous.

“Murdock is cute,” I said remembering his curly blonde hair and light grey eyes.

“Meh,” Coral replied with a shrug.

Rayne smiled. “Even I agree with you on that one Anya, and you all know what my mate looks like. Actually, I haven't even showed you a picture yet have I?” She went to her purse left on one of the kitchen stools. Pulling out the photo, she did it with such care that I could tell just how much she felt for him.

“His name is River,” she said handing me a picture of him in his navy warrior fatigues. His hair was pitch black and fell just above his shoulders, it was streaked with purple on his front bangs, and he was clearly in his early twenties. His eyes were violet and a broad and white smile drew my eyes in instantly. No wonder Rayne had changed her hair.