Daughter of the Tide

The New Magic

you are not a drop

in the ocean.

you are the entire ocean

in a drop.

—RUMI

~~~

Connor grinned at me as Harper ran through all of the things she wanted out of the photos we were taking today, including some in the dolphin tank since I was the aquarium's own hero for saving Riley. The trainer seemed to hate me more for it and hadn't even bothered to look in my direction the following day.

"And after those, I would like some on the shore of the actual ocean," she finished, taking a sip of her expensive coffee from the coffee shop she and Hans had built here. I rolled my eyes and turned away from Connor to face her.

"What ridiculous outfit are you putting me in this time, Harper?" I asked, crossing my arms. She gave me an offended look and turned away from me to go grab it from the rack covered in clothes. I cast a sideways glance at Connor and he chuckled.

"Not a fan of the latest fashion trends?" he teased quietly.

"They're just so ugly..." I muttered, shutting my mouth when Harper plucked something from the rack and headed back over. To my surprise, it wasn't like the last outfit. This one was in an array of darker and duller colors and consisted of a swim top with a long and flowing skirt.

"Our customers didn't enjoy the last outfit so much," Harper admitted as she handed it over to me. I took it, the fabric soft against my fingers. "Get changed quickly and we'll be on our way."

The outfit was much comfier than the last one and when I turned to look in the mirror, it looked very close to how my tail looked. This was much better. When I exited the dressing room, I caught Connor's eye first. He smiled when he saw me and Harper turned as well, shrugging.

"This is much better than the first," I told her as I approached, playing with the fabric of the skirt.

"I suppose..." she trailed, turning to her brother.

"Alright," he sucked in a breath, pulling his gaze away from me, "so I was thinking we take the dock and beach photos first and then take the underwater ones." Harper nodded and waved for us to follow her, taking off in her heels towards the exit of the warehouse.

"This is going to get old very quickly," I breathed, falling into step beside Connor, who laughed.

"I can see why it would," he replied. "At least she's becoming a little more sensible. These photos are bound to look even better than the ones before."

"Oh really?" I asked.

"Those colors bring out the blue in your eyes," he commented with a soft smile, catching my gaze, "and I can't wait to photograph them." I returned the smile as we climbed into the car. Connor put his gear in the trunk before getting in next to me and Harper sat in the front, using the mirror to fix her lipstick.

"Nerina," she spoke, turning over her shoulder to speak to me, "what is the best place to take beach photos?"

"Um... anywhere on the island?" I tried, "it's all gorgeous. We could use the dock in front of my father's shop if it's more convenient."

"That'll work," Connor nodded, clicking a few things on his camera.

When we arrived and got out, I found that Ryan was there. He came out of the shop and right up to me, casting a short glance at Harper and Connor.