Of Fangs & Fins ✔

10. Awkward Nostalgia

SR: Sagun ft. )Shiloh Dynasty) - I'll Keep You Safe

Ten.

Marina.

Underwater, no one saw you cry.

Your eyes would do a little twinkle and that was it.

Above water, they could even hear you cry.

I couldn't hold back my little sniffles as I curled up in the passenger's seat of Eryn's truck. She founded a blanket in the trunk and draped it over me. It smelled of pine and I welcome the scent, hoping that it would distract me enough that'd I stop replaying the last twenty minutes that occurred.

At home, I would always fiddle with my hair. Father hated when I did because it seemed I was unsure of things. Right now, I couldn't help but cling to it desperately as Eryn led us to her car.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"We're heading out of Queen Anne to Capitol Hill. I had some friends over there that can help. Vampires took your friends, they would know how to get them back," One of Eryn's hands was on the wheel. The other had a white-knuckle grip on the ceiling handle.

I cast my gaze to Eryn as she pulled out of her parking space. The dark circles under her eyes were the most apparent they could possibly be. She put on her sunglasses the second we got into her truck so I wasn't able to see her eyes.

Sure, her eyes were slightly unnerving, but there was a pain in them that was indescribable. It was almost as if she was disgusted with herself. I didn't want to be the cause of her feeling that way. I couldn't help but think of when we were back at Purgatory.

"Do you hate being a vampire?"

Eryn turned her head at me for a moment before looking back at the road. "Everyone goes through a stage in their lives where they're unhappy with themselves. Vampirism isn't any different."

What a rehearsed answer, I thought.

The thought of Ally as a vampire came across my mind. I hope I made the right call, I thought.

"Is Ally okay?"

"She's already on her way to the estate. I called ahead of time and transported her. She's still transitioning and anything upsetting could disturb her," Eryn glanced at me, "don't worry about her okay?"

Sydney and Ally were closer than I was to them since I had to stay with my father in the Kingdom, but whenever I got the chance to see them, I took it. I loved them very much, I couldn't bear to lose any of them.

I couldn't help but think of the times where we'd race around near Carp's Row. It was a local drop off near Aqueria that we were told to stay away from. With its strong rip currents and whirlpools, young mermaids who quite didn't have the muscle mass nor the skill to navigate its choppy waters could easily hurt themselves, or worse.

Being the daredevils we were, Syd and I would push Ally and Flynn to head there and race. We had fun and on a good day, Flynn would beat me. On days where I'd be too upset from the duties my father would make me tag along on, I'd beat all of them with seconds to spare.

My thoughts wandered to when Ally got caught up in a current she couldn't swim out of. It was one of those particular days where I was mad about something at the palace. I put all my pent-up aggravation into the race, leaving Ally behind. The force of my fin was too much for her to handle. She almost died that day because I let my anger get the best of me.

I couldn't lose her. Not any of them, not now.

"You're not going to lose them. It might take a bit for Ally to adjust, but she can do it. She's strong," Eryn commented, placing a hand on my thigh, "and your friends, we'll get them back, I promise."