Of Fangs & Fins ✔

14. By Your Side

SR: The Lumineers – Ophelia

Fourteen.

Marina.

"It's been four days already, when can I see them?" I begged Chris, trying to keep up with his pace. I was growing more agitated as each day passed. I had no answers to where my friends were and no one let me see Eryn nor Ally. I was getting cabin fever, pooling in my thoughts of concern for them.

Tomorrow was the party that they suspected Flynn and Sydney would be at, but it still could be a hunch. A small voice in my head kept telling me they were already gone. Each day I passed felt like an eternity, and I couldn't bear to think what was happening to them.

I desperately didn't want to succumb to that voice.

"I've told you until I see that your blood is completely out of their system, then they're not getting out of there. They need to dry out and start all over again," Chris explained, perhaps tired of me being so persistent. I kept asking the same questions each day.

Chris was a busy man, most of the time he was holed up in his office doing research for things that no one would tell me. When he would leave, it would be in the night and he'd be back by morning. I didn't think this man got any sleep.

Today, he carried a stack of files. One slid off the top and he stumbled, looking for where it fell. I held back a laugh that bubbled up and bend down, giving him the fallen manilla folder.

Chris and Lance acted so humanly. If Eryn didn't tell me they were vampires, I would've never known.

"And what's the plan for the party you insisted Flynn and Syd were at?" I asked, taking the steps by two just to stand side by side with him. He stopped abruptly, turning around to face me. I took a step back, intimidated by his size.

"Don't worry about any of that. Lance and I have that covered. You aren't getting anywhere near that party. You're too much of a liability. Clan parties are infested with vampires," He shook his head, his dreads moving with him.

I sighed, hating that all I have been doing is sitting back and waiting. Daddy always told me my biggest fault was being so impatient. This was no different.

"Then what the flip do I do then?" I asked, trying to find a purpose among the household. The only people I felt remotely friends with were Chris and Lance. Everyone else avoided me and I wasn't sure if it was because they didn't want to hurt me or they thought I was going to hurt them.

Each night, Chris and Lance liked to watch movies in the living room. They insisted I joined them so I wouldn't worry about everything going on. Sometimes Chris would leave to check on Eryn, for which then I'd ask him if I could see her and he'd say the thing he always said.

When Sagan would come home, she'd glare at me until I got uncomfortable and headed to Eryn's room.

All in all, I really missed Eryn. I wore the clothing she had on hand here and her minty scent engulfed me. It comforted me like a hug, something that I wish she could do in person. I didn't think I'd miss her so much after what had happened, but I wanted to be there for her. I'm sure she was beating herself up about what happened.

The face of regret she'd given me as Lance took me upstairs... It stayed with me, seared into the back of my mind.

"You wait and let us handle it. Mermaids don't belong in a vampiric world," Chris deadpanned, walking away from me and heading towards his office.

I sharply exhaled, ignoring the words that probably was the consensus. As nice as Chris was, he definitely wasn't afraid to tell anyone how he felt.