Too Deep

Saladin & Lavendar

"You think so?" I queried. Studying her pretty features.

The idea of men really throwing themselves into the sea for pretty mermaids seemed like a joke.

Michelle was better read than anyone in Castaway.

If there's anything to know, she'll know it. I assured myself.

"That's how this Cove was settled." She said up to me. "An armada sailed in here to steady their sea legs and repair their ships. But every time they tried to leave, they ran into the sirens. So those that were left realized they were forced to remain if they wanted to live. There were very few left by then.

Forced.

"Like held captive?"

"Yep." She bobbed her head.

"Thus, our happy little corner." She skipped in a circle. Her arms cheerfully tossed above her and her small teal sundress twirling.

Happy?

By being the offspring of generations of captives? That sounded horrible.

I averted my attention back to Michelle who was still twirling and scampering. Like a child.

That's Michelle.

She was such a free person. Like nothing bound her to the earth.

I envied that about her. I was more reserved, always worrying about who was looking at me and what could go wrong.

Except for when I'm on my surfboard.

Now, I wasn't even sure how I felt about the water.

I shook my head, laughing at her. "You're ridiculous."

"That's what makes me so fucking adorable." She hugged the leg of my chair and peered up at me.

She wasn't wrong.

"So, what was all that stuff you were saying the other night? About being stalked by a mermaid?"

She caught me slightly off-guard. I'd completely forgotten I'd spit that out while we were dancing and having fun.

After drinking wayyy too much. I groaned inwardly.

Stupid. Stupid.

There was no elaborating on Malius.

I'd sound like a crazy person.

Even though Michelle knew the history, it wouldn't make it sound any more believable from me.

"I was just drunk." I explained. "I thought I saw something in the water awhile back."

"Ah." She stepped back sagely. Lifting a finger. "Just be careful, because if a mer likes the scent of you, they can rise under a particular moon and gather legs to come hunt you."

"Uh-huh..." I laughed it out.

"If you want to read something really interesting, skip to page two-eighty." She giggled and walked away. "That's where it gets juicy."

I gaped after her. Wanting to stop her and demand to know where she'd heard that version.

It seemed everyone knew that story but me.

That was the same tale Hunter had told.

***

I did as Michelle suggested. Carefully flipping through the worn pages. Hearing them crackling and feeling how delicate they were between my fingers, as I reached page two hundred eighty. That consumed much of the rest of my afternoon. I had to forcefully remind myself several times to look up and scan the shore.