Choices Affect Everyone COMPLETE

Chapter 24

For a moment, nothing happens, but then the twins begin squirming before being caught in a tiny whirlpool. When the water settles, the twins are mermen again. They pat themselves before patting and hugging each other.

Percy smiles and hands the trident back to King Kalen. He looks back just in time for the twins to hug him.

"Thank you," they whisper in unison.

Percy smiles and rubs their head. "Good job for doing what's right in the end. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

Aidan shrugs. "Yeah... So she's gone?"

Percy nods, glancing in the direction she was sent. "She's gone."

They nod. "Well then, we should go. We don't want to cause any more trouble," Aban says, grabbing his brother's hand.

Percy gets in the way. "Where will you go?"

They shrug. "All that matters is that we're together."

Percy glances down at their tail. "You're half faires, aren't you? All us half faires never seem to have a tail that clearly resembles an undersea creature."

Both freeze. "Maybe... We're too young to do all the magicy stuff," Aban mumbles.

"Do you know who your parents are? Or any family?" King Kalen asks.

The twins look at each other before King Kalen. "We don't know who our parents are. Minerva got us from the fairies somehow. And... and our big brother," says Aidan.

"Big brother?" Percy whispers.

The twins look at him and nod. "He doesn't know, though," Aban says.

Percy stares at him for a long moment. "Would... would that brother happen to be me?"

The twins nod. "Is that okay? We can leav-" Aban says.

Percy hugs them both. "No, don't go." He pulls back and places his hand on a cheek each. "Even if you weren't, I'd like to get to know you both.

Aidan stares at him before hugging him tightly, closely followed by Aban. "You're not mad? We lured Muriel in," Aban whispers.

Percy sighs and rubs their heads. "I can't deny that part of me is, but I understand why you did it."

The twins nod and go over to the king and Muriel and bow. "We're sorry for all we've done," they say.

King Kalen nods.

"May we live in your kingdom?" Aidan asks, wringing his hands together.

The king smiles. "Yes you may-"

Everyone looks over at the sound of bubbles. Philip is covering his mouth with wide eyes. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries not to scream as his fishy features begin to disappear.

Muriel speeds towards him, grabs him and brings him to the surface. She helps him onto the raft.

"Philip," Caleb mutters through gritted teeth as he pats Philip's back.

Philip coughs a few times. "I told you that I would change back?" he whispers.

Caleb frowns slightly. His head whips in Percy's direction when his head breaks through the water. "Where's my sister?"

"Hey Caleb!" Caroline says, poking her head out of the water. She swims over and hugs him. "I'm a mermaid."

Caleb blinks a few times before hugging her back, pulling her into the raft. "Did you go to Minerva?"

Caroline shakes her head.

"I-it turns out I'm half fairy, so I was able to change her," Percy whispers. "I wanted to bring someone to explain to the king."