A Merman's Tail

Chapter 34

Not the last chapter, but we're nearly there Lovelies. Hope your wishes are fulfilled. :)

Once we were out in deeper water, Mitch and his family gathered around and began excitedly asking questions.  Triton and the girls had been watching the events unfold as close as possible without being seen until it was obvious Rip and Hero were going to escape the way their Father had.  They'd swum closer and joined the boys, but then had stayed close when it looked like Mitch was going to need help with me.

It had taken most of the night for all the shenanigans to result in our freedom, and the sun had begun to rise.  Triton knew his family was too close to the human realm for this time of day, but he knew by the look in his son's eyes, that he would not leave the human behind. 

Triton shook his head at the evidence that his son had apparently fallen for a human, and a male at that.  He thought quickly, and decided that he could accept his son would never continue the family line, but that wouldn't stop him from ruling when Triton's time was over.  There were a number of children in the family already who would benefit from Mitch's protection and training, orphans whose parents had fallen to humans and other deep water predators.  And no matter this human or his love for him.  If he died, Mitch's heart might heal in time. 

Mitch ignored the questions his brothers and sisters threw at him, and instead begged his Father once again to help me.  But Triton shook his head.  "I have no power over this human my Son." He said.  You are one of the few Merfolk who can allow a human to breathe under water.  I have that gift and I passed it to you, but the only way your Scott could be subject to my power would be if he was a descendant of Poseidon."

"The First, the creator of our people." Rip intoned and they all nodded.

I smiled at Mitch and his family with a sad smile.  I knew it wasn't possible for me to be a mermaid.  Even with those red scales that mysteriously seemed to show up whenever I was wet or sweaty... ever since Mitch... wait a minute.

I frowned, then breathed out a faltering breath.  "Please try." I asked as I struggled for another breath.  At their expressions of incredulity I nodded.  "Plea..." I managed before my vision greyed again.  I began to sink in Hero's arms as he struggled to hold me up.  Rip and Mitch moved in to help and Triton swam close again.  He huffed out an unconvinced breath before shrugging and clasping my bare arm.  He held his Trident in his other hand and then concentrated on the rapid healing properties every mermaid possessed. 

And frowned.

I turned to look at Mitch, and for a second I didn't want to be saved.  The sun was brightening the water overhead and his beauty was so luminescent it dazzled me.  His hair was a dark halo around his head, the light tone of his skin seemed to merge with the pale blue of the water that was revealed in the light and his tail.  Well that was just as breathtaking as I remembered.  Shimmering hues of every colour blue I could ever imagine played over his scales.  His feelings for me shone in his eyes and I smiled at the vision before closing my eyes, prepared for it all to end.

After a few seconds I opened them again.

I wasn't dead, and Triton's eyes were looking at me with a stunned expression.  As were Mitch's and the rest of his family's. 

I smiled in stunned realisation that I was going to live.

"Did I tell you I've been finding red scales in my bathtub?" I asked with an attempt at a smile, trying to make light of the situation.

"Red?" Triton asked quickly.  "There has not been a red tailed Mermaid in the community since..."  He broke off with a cough. 

"Father?" Mitch asked.  "Since?"

Triton looked abashed and muttered under his breath.  "It couldn't be."

We all just stared at him and waited for him to speak.

"Merfolk live a great deal longer than you humans." Triton intoned.  And seemed to struggle with the decision to keep speaking before finally going on.  "Many years ago, many of your human years, one of our people chose to give up her legs and become human.  To follow her heart and marry a human male."

It couldn't be?  Could it?

"She belonged to my cousin's family." He said with a huff and blew out his moustache.  "They left for another reef when he couldn't convince her to return." 

"And?" Mitch asked.

"Well, she obviously had offspring... Haruump." He grumbled before continuing, "You might be one of her direct descendants." He said clasping his arms behind his back and frowning.  "It's not a colour that can be easily hidden near the surface here." He added as he struggled to keep a straight face against the beaming grin that was spreading over Mitch's face.

"A merman?" I asked.

"Scales?" Mitch replied.  "Show me!"

I said quietly, "Can they turn around?" And nodded at his family.

"Come on guys." Mitch said and pointed toward the sun.  They swam into a huddle, obviously determined to probe their Father's knowledge of the mermaid they had never heard about before now and what it might mean if I was her descendant.

"A tail?" I heard Hero exclaim.

I blinked at Mitch and he blinked at me.  We stared at each other for a second and then he demanded, "Strip!"