Everblue

Chapter 31 - Fin

FIN

 

The lifeless eyes of the curious sharks moseyed past the window, spelling my doom. As I sat in my cell on an uncomfortable rock, I kicked myself again for allowing Colin to trick me into confessing. If I'd only pretended I didn't know a thing, they'd be the ones rotting in jail, not me. My life was in King Phaleon's hands now.

Dad, the best negotiator I knew, wouldn't have allowed Azor to hold me, especially since I wasn't a danger to other mers. House arrest would have been more fitting than these dingy closet-sized quarters, void of a functional bed or chair. A caged animal in a zoo.

Azor had locked me inside and said, "Be ready to tell the truth when I come for you." Who knew how long that would take? The light never changed, as if it were night 24/7.

I tried my best to piece together a good defense. But all I could think about was Ashlyn. The sweet taste of her lips, the softness of her skin, the delicate shape of her body—all of it haunting me. My parents had warned me at a young age, once your soul entwines with another, it's all over until you can be together and make your commitment official to the public. I see why they insisted I wait. My soul, lit with a burning passion, wanted nothing but for me to figure out a way to be with her forever.

The decision became easy. I'd run away. Living in the water at night as a merman would be far easier than trying to survive the elements on land as a human, lacking money and a place to stay. And mer to human conversion was dangerous to do alone anyway.

Of course, I'd need to tell Ash something creative about why we couldn't be together at night and why I didn't live next door anymore. Then we had the mark of the promising to contend with—the matching symbol of our bond etched on our ring fingers like a tattoo. I studied the skin, noticing mine was already starting to show. Would Ash notice as hers filled in on her finger too?

She'd need to learn the truth, and I had to do it in a way that didn't scare her like the last time. When she saw us by accident a few summers ago, she screamed bloody murder—her voice permanently etched in my mind. I'd been forced to mind-wipe her back then, but now I didn't have that option.

And if the time to convert became necessary, careful consideration would be taken first. I'd never ask her to change for me. Getting married and living on land as undercover mers for the time being, like my parents did, might be the best.

I groaned and took another deep breath of salt water. For my latest meal, one of Azor's goons gave me a live sunfish in a cage and conveniently forgot the utensils. Was I supposed to tear the poor thing apart with my teeth? A deep fiery red, the fish darted around inside, looking for an exit. Identifying with his fate, I let him go. I didn't have much of an appetite anyway.

"Be careful, Freddy," I called out, watching him swim through the bars into the shark infested waters, headed towards freedom. He looked back for a moment as if to say "thank you" and slipped out of sight. I wished he could deliver a message.

Tell her I love her and we'll be together soon.

I returned to my lowly spot on the floor and recreated the triangular peg board game with the fifteen golf tees, using shells as my placeholders to pass the time. Every once in a while, a crab would skitter by and try to hide under my tail. I'd shoo the nasty thing away. After a few days of this, I'd go stark raving mad.

Tatch said she'd visit so I stared at the outer stone door through the bars, hoping she'd enter. If somehow she could flirt again and gain access, I'd be forever in her debt. I doubted Azor would ever allow it. Solitary confinement was part of my punishment.