Wherever the waves would take her

Dana

As Cas and Evie continued swimming towards the mayor's headquarters, they watched as a distant figure waiting by the main gate as it grew clearer and clearer.

Evie could spot those eyes anywhere.

Dana was beautiful, even by merfolk standards with a dark blue tail and black stripes running horizontally around and all the way down to her fins. Beautiful silver eyes that seemed to reflect the blue in the water around her at times and golden blonde hair that floated about her like a halo that she got from her late mother, Mayor Fontus' deceased wife.

A simple silver cuff sat in place as usual on her right upper arm with the Venetian crest stamped on it. The only thing that stood out was the scar running diagonally down her chest, just slightly off centre where her heart was located.

The main telling sign of a blood-bound serpent rider who wore such scars like badges of honor.

They each gave Dana a massive hug, kissing both her cheeks before heading into the building. Cas went ahead on his own, with Dana trailing behind with Evie to ask about Rowena's process with her studies in the local university.

Before Evie could reply she had stopped to sniff the air.



"He's here. I can smell the sulphur off him. Dana, is your lovely brother back from guarding Hades?"

A low chuckle sounded near her ear which gave her goosebumps down her neck and waist as a strong pair of hands reached around to hold her. "You've aged horribly."

Evie twisted around to beat the water above his head before poking his ribs with a subtly charged finger.

"Merfolk immortality seemed to miss you in their memo too. Where did your horns go?"

Finn Beck winced and gave Evie one of his rumbling laughs as he stooped down to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Cara Mia, it's been a while. Have you been in Irma's lab recently to attract that much of a charge? I was just teasing. You look as good as ever." 



"Just great?" Evie asked, pulling back and crossing her arms in mock anger.



He drew closer to whisper into her ear again. "You look spectacular Cara Mia. How is our prince treating you?"

Evie and Finn had a past history together. Finn had been an exchange student who temporarily relocated to Oceania after completing his engineering studies in Venice. They met through mutual classmates when she was eighteen and Finn was twenty.

They had started dating only to break up a year later when Finn had left to head back to take up a position as one of the city's engineers responsible for fortifying their borders and serve as Fontus' successor. Evie thought she had loved him back then, and the feeling had been mutual.

Or so they thought.

They kept up their correspondence, his pet name for Evie stuck despite only seeing him four years ago. Evolving into something resembling good friends, this was around the time Dana came into the picture whom Evie had met on a separate assignment.

As much as Evie had wished that she had run a background check on the mermaid, it would have just been easier to put aside their feelings for each other. Which she had no regrets on when Dana grew to be one of her closest friends.

Finn on the other hand kept an eye on Cas whenever his younger sister was around.

"He was looking forward to seeing your sister." Evie began, moving back to get a better view of him which he caught her doing so. He shot her a knowing wink as he did the same.

Damn him. Evie thought.

Finn still looked as good as he did back then. While he's packed on a little more muscle, he was still lean, with a tail the same shade and markings as Dana and skin tanned golden by the sun.

He and Dana could have passed on as twins with their matching silver eyes and arm cuffs if it weren't for his hair, dark like Evie's that curled past his shoulders. Finn had his hair braided and tied up as well with studs made from coral in his ears that Evie noticed were new, along with a goatee that he had started after ending their relationship. She supposed that she got his hair from Fontus when he still had his original hair colour.

Shaking her head with a smile as Evie eyed her watch. "Your father is expecting us in ten minutes. Finn, will you be joining us?"

Finn nodded, adjusting the stack of folders Dana handed to him under his arm. "Yes, I am working with your mother and Morrigan at the borders. Papa is expecting an update from me."

"Chief engineer huh?" Evie chuckled, nodding at Dana who had moved up ahead. "You've done well for yourself since you came back."

Cas threw a questioning look over his shoulder before he swam up to follow Dana into the mayor's work chambers. Finn stayed back with Evie as they drifted along.

"I've been busy, I guess. Focusing more on work and family which has been good." 



He did look good, much more confident and self-assured than the slightly geeky classmate that Evie had first met which made her heart swell for him. Evie reached out and touched his arm gently.

"I'm proud of you."



Finn flushed at her touch, rubbing the back of his neck. "I always looked forward to your correspondences, they always made my day." 



Now it was Evie's turn to flush, "Finn I-"

"Evie." Cas suddenly appeared in front of them and nodded at Finn. "Mayor Fontus is waiting for us to join him in his chambers. You want to finish on time to meet T.E tonight, don't you?"

He shared a pointed look with Finn which did not go unnoticed by Evie who frowned. Barely half an hour ago Cas didn't trust the human and now all of a sudden he was concerned about her dinner with him? The two males could never be in the same room together in the past, so what changed?

Evie sighed and turned back to Finn who regarded her with an expressionless look on his face she found hard to decipher.

"Finn could we continue this later when we have more time? We shouldn't keep the mayor waiting, and my love life apparently. According to his Royal Highness over here."

She took the opportunity to make a rude fingered gesture in Cas' direction before she flicked her tail at him, happy that her fins made contact with his face.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Don't worry about Finn, he's just trying his best.

- NADS