Everblue

Chapter 27 - Fin

FIN

 

I could have swam in circles of joy when Mr. Gumboot requested smooth rocks for his fence surrounding his algae garden. With pleasure, I insisted on retrieving them and left Kiernan to help arrange the existing collection. With a quick flap of my fin, I secretly slipped back into Tahoe for a little extra curricular rock-hunting adventure. Sure, I was pushing the limits, but hey, Mr. Gumboot asked and my explicit instructions were to please the elder mers. And where else would I find smooth granite stones?

I returned to the lake with a grin and swam to the shoreline, careful to stay far enough underwater so no one would see me. Of course, Uncle Alaster and Colin were nowhere in sight either. Scanning the bottom, I laughed at the bountiful selection. How would I choose? Heck, it might take me all day to find the perfect stones.

Hours later, when I finally stopped procrastinating, I found some that were satisfactory. I lugged them back to the gate. That's when I realized the opening through Tessie's mouth wasn't very large.

Annoyed, I returned to grab some smaller ones to take back with me when a scream from the surface grabbed my attention. One I'd know anywhere. Ashlyn's scream. Without a thought, I dropped the stones and with a powerful flick of my tail, I shot through the lake like a cannon, only slowing to listen.

The voice came from somewhere in the bay. Without a care for who might see me, I raced underwater. I found her lifeless body, slipping under the waves.

In one swift motion, I cradled her fragile frame and burst onto the shore, phasing as soon as my skin found the sunlight. Holding her against my body, I turned up my internal heater to warm her blue-tinted skin.

"Ashlyn, open your eyes," I said and rocked her, watching the water steam off her skin, but she wasn't breathing. I pulled her tighter into me, giving her a gentle shake. "Come on. Wake up."

She lay there, lifeless in my arms, the minutes ticking by, her life ebbing away. I panicked. The mer power behind my breath would save her, but our lips touching would seal me to her forever; our souls would intertwine. She'd want for me always and become immune to my powers to erase her memories.

"Ashlyn, please wake up."

She wasn't responding. Death's fingers were wrapping around her soul. I couldn't wait any longer for a miracle. I couldn't let her die. A world without Ashlyn in it, even if she wasn't mine, would be a travesty.

I pressed my lips onto hers and exhaled. The heat from my immortal kiss warmed her from the inside out, pinking up her skin. With the next breath, something inside broke free, flowing into her and making me care deeper than I'd ever cared for anyone. She had to live. Then she coughed, a tiny sweet cough that melted my fears. She'd survived. Barely.

I clutched her to my chest and patted her back, helping the water escape from her lungs. With a quick glance, I scanned the tree line for onlookers and didn't see anyone. I was naked, holding a drenched-to-the-bone girl. Quite an awkward situation. I kneeled down, holding her against my body with one hand, and took out my shorts with the other. Thank goodness for Velcro.

Ashlyn began to shiver and lulled her head around on the crook of my arm.

"Shhh. . ." I whispered, tucking her back into my side once I was clothed. "You're safe. Just stay with me. Fight."

Her words garbled off her tongue, recalling the events prior to her falling into the water.

"I fell . . . fire . . . it's burning." She feebly felt down to her leg and that's when I saw the blood. Blood everywhere.

"Oh, no."

I inspected the wound. A clean slice ran right across the side of her thigh. She needed medical attention quickly. Gently, I tore the rest of her pant leg off and tied it above the wound to stop the bleeding. I removed her sopping wet jacket and shrugged into it. I turned up my internal body heat to see if I could dry it out and put it back on her. I looked down. My choice of board shorts and ill-fitting girls swim team jacket looked—interesting.

I trudged up the hill to the Rangers station and braced for the reaction as I walked through the door. My entrance caught the tall, lanky, slightly-graying man on duty by surprise. He glanced at me, then at Ashlyn, and then at my wardrobe malfunction.

"Uh—" Theories of what really happened danced across his face—most of them dark.

"She's hurt. We need to call nine-one-one."

He kept staring at the water mixed with blood dripping on the floor, a deer in the headlights.

I sighed.

"Forget you ever saw me and the next five minutes," I spoke in my native tongue and waved my hand over his face.

The Ranger's eyes went glassy as he sat down, the mer playing tricks with his mind. I rushed inside and found a first aid kit, a cot, and blankets. I put Ashlyn's coat back on her, dressed her wound, and wrapped her up in the blanket, tight like a burrito. I knew I should take off the rest of her wet clothing, but I couldn't do it, not wanting to violate her in any way or injure her leg further. She was shivering uncontrollably now, which was a good sign, but difficult to watch.

I palmed through the Ranger's things and found some pants and a shirt. Not my size, but I put them on anyway. On the radio, I called for help.

"We have a young woman, unconscious. At the Fannett Island Ranger Station. She fell into the lake. Please send an ambulance."

"Yes, sir," someone crackled on the other end of the line. "Right away."

I went back to Ashlyn, smoothed her damp hair, and kissed her temple. "I'm sorry. I have to go. You'll be okay. Help is on the way."

"Fin?" Ashlyn's eyes fluttered open. She took two deep breaths and stopped shivering for a moment.

Time froze. Everything inside me ached to kiss her for real, to finish what I'd started. My blood would heal her leg and we could run away somewhere and live together, under the waves in peace and solitude.

She managed a smile. "I knew you'd come."

My throat hitched. Could she actually be awake? Should I screw everything and take her with me? Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but then her eyes rolled back and she started shivering again. She wasn't lucid; she couldn't be. And since I couldn't erase anything further from her mind anyhow, I had to take off before she woke up again.

Each time I'd mind-wiped her in the past tortured me so deeply—to watch her fade underneath a blanket of confusion. She'd never remember this moment anyway, but her sweet voice and leaving her here was going to haunt me forever. I hoped since she didn't know what had happened, she'd be unaffected.

The Ranger's groan interrupted our moment. Dude was coming back around and I had to get out of there. The choice to leave her with the clueless Ranger took every bit of energy I had.

Just outside of the door, I heard him say. "Oh, sweet Mary. Where'd you come from?" and then, to my relief, he called for the ambulance again, oblivious to the fact that one had been already en route.

I groaned and headed back to the lake.