Daughter of the Sea

3. Who made a Shocking Discovery

Amaya awoke to an off-key rendition of Taylor Swift's newest song. It wasn't a bad way to wake up...so long as she ignored the mumbled words and fuzzy karaoke static. 8:00 a.m. was too early to deal with peppy teens and catchy pop music, but since she wasn't going to fall back asleep anytime soon, she figured she might as well get up and make the most of it.

Amaya shut the window, watching as the white curtains fluttered back in place. The silky fabric whispered against her fingertips, and she took a deep breath to reassure herself this wasn't a wishful dream.

A distant, off-key karaoke crescendo assured her it wasn't.

Amaya changed into a cherry red swimsuit and a cream cover-up. She wove her unruly hair into a simple braid and grabbed a banana from the basket of fruit. It was one of the first things she'd bought after her plane landed, and she had no regrets about purchasing the overpriced produce. Each bite dripped with heavenly flavor, and she would happily buy another bundle of fresh fruit. If she actually had money, that is.

Amaya forwent sandals as she ducked through the hotel door. The sand teased her toes as she hurried to the cove, and the salty scent of brine hung heavy in the air.

It took less than a minute to dump her towel on a plastic beach chair and wade into the shallows. Cool waves lapped against her legs, and smooth seashells tumbled beneath her feet.

Kai must have been watching for her because it didn't take long for him to surface.

"Hey stranger," she said, taking in his sun-bleached hair and glass-green eyes. His scales sparkled beneath the cerulean waves, and she had to make a conscious effort not to stare.

Kai smiled. "Thanks for coming back. I was afraid I'd scared you off after yesterday's ordeal."

Amaya snorted. "Has the saltwater addled your brain? You couldn't keep me away from here even if you wanted to. I love the ocean, and besides, talking with you will probably end up being the highlight of my trip."

Kai's eyebrows drew together. "Your trip? You mean you don't live in Puerto Rico?"

"No. My mother was a native Puerto Rican, but I'm from the States. I'll be on a plane by the end of the week."

"Oh. That changes things. Were you serious when you said you wanted to meet my people?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

Kai's face lit up, and his eyes glimmered with delight. They were such a lovely shade of green they looked surreal, and Amaya felt like she could get lost in their brilliant depths if she stared long enough.

Whoa, did they just share a moment? The saltwater must have addled her brain because she wasn't the kind of girl who had thoughts like that. Perhaps Kai was part siren after all. It was the only logical explanation.

He seemed oblivious to her struggle as he said, "I talked with some of my community elders, and we would be delighted to host you for a couple of days. There are some stipulations, though."

Amaya took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.

"You would be blindfolded for the trip there, and you would sleep on the island suite. I know it wouldn't be ideal to be apart from everyone, but you can see part of the city from the surface, and the Mer can visit you on the shore."

She blinked. "I...That sounds...I mean—"

"It's okay, I understand," Kai murmured, turning away.

"That would be incredible!" she burst out, finally finding her words. "How soon can I come?"

A weird look crossed his face. Amaya knew the feeling; she was getting whiplash from trying to keep up with their conversation, too. She wouldn't be surprised if he started reconsidering his decision to bring a bubbly landlubber to his secret Mer kingdom.

"I'll talk with the elders again to figure out the final details," he said. "In the meantime, I thought we could take a swim through the reef to, um, see the sights?"

Although it seemed impossible, it looked like he was blushing. Did mermaids blush? It had to be a trick of the light. Even if he was, it didn't matter. Amaya had never been one of these brainless girls who fell in love on a whim. She believed people had a degree of choice in who they loved, and she did not want to fall in love with Kai. So what if he seemed like a sweet, genuinely nice boy? A human dating a merman seemed like a logistical nightmare.

"Sure, a swim sounds nice," Amaya said with a calculated level of indifference. She took the hand he extended to her, although she was woefully unprepared for the zap of electricity that seemed to course between them.

If Kai felt it, he didn't let on when he said, "Take a deep breath. Even mermaids tend to lose theirs when they see this."

Then they plunged beneath the emerald waves.

***

Hello lovely readers! 

I hope you enjoyed this week's update. I had so much fun writing the witty banter between Kai and Amaya, and I'm as excited as all of you to see where their "friendship" leads. I love subverting popular cliches, and you can bet on continued sarcasm, obscure pop-culture references, and dry humor in the upcoming chapters.

I'm also a huge Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas fan, so be prepared for some light flirting and will-they-won't-they tension in the next update. Sounds like fun, yeah? 

Who are your guys' favorite authors? I'm always open to new reading suggestions! 

-C.C.