“What is it?” his mother glanced up in surprise.
That was enough to get the attention of the others, who had been preoccupied with their meal. Nearly two dozen sets of eyes were on him then, heads tilted curiously to one side. The rest of the pod, all mermaids of varying ages aside from his father and grandfather, waited for him to speak, hands paused halfway to their mouths.
“The other day, I overheard some seals talking about a magical place,” Reed began, excitement clear in his voice. “They said there was a place nearby where magical creatures thrived and lived in community, safe from the threat of humans.”
“Is such a thing possible?” asked a mermaid incredulously.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing in all my moons,” added Celeste, frowning.
“T-that’s because there’s one tiny catch,” he bit his bottom lip as he prepared himself for the big reveal.
Across from him, Jupiter shot him a sharp look. “Is that what this is about? That tall tale?”
“No. Well, yes. But it isn’t a tale! It’s real,” continued Reed, swallowing hard. “I went there. I saw the selkies and shifters of all kinds, living in peace. On land.”
Gasps rippled through the assembly. Expressions turned to disbelief, disgust, and aggravation. Reed clenched his fists as he did his best to not waver under their collective ire.
“It’s impossible,” said Lumina dismissively.
“I swear to you, it is! That’s where I got all this fresh fish from,” Reed insisted.
“You…,” his mother hesitated, her tone deceptively calm. “You ventured to the Coast…without my permission? Alone?”
He shrank back from the ice in her voice. “Look at all I was able to provide for the pod because of it, Mother. It was worth the risk.”
“You do not get to decide what is worth the risk,” Lady Serena snapped, eyes flashing with anger.
“How could you be so reckless?” his father asked, disappointment written plainly on his face. “You know what happens to the mer who get too close to land! They never return.”
“I-I know, but I had to see it for myself,” Reed attempted to defend his actions.
Jupiter reared back at this. “You do not trust the word of your elders? Your ancestors? You think you know better?” “Not better, no, of course not,” he hurried to explain. “But the seas have changed drastically in recent moons. What if I could find a solution for our pod?”
“Absolutely not,” his mother’s expression could only be described as thunderous.
Reed opened his mouth to argue, but Lady Serena lifted one hand to silence him. “Do not question me. I have led this pod since before you were born, guppy. I know what is best for us.”
Crushed at their response to his incredible discovery and all it could mean for them, he closed his mouth and turned away. This would not be the last he heard on this topic, but he certainly had no interest in getting further chastised in front of the entire pod.
Disappointment washed over him as he fled the cave, his father’s voice fading as he exited their caves. His tail powered him through the waters as he took off anywhere but there.Home, Reed thought bitterly.Where I am the last merman toperpetuate our pod, destined to be married off to Lumina or Celeste in a matter of moons. Is that all I’m good for?
The waves above crashed, as if matching his mood. The sky grew dark, and so did the sea. He listened to the storm roll in. When thunder sounded overhead, Reed unleashed his frustrations into the open water with an ear-shattering scream. It was infuriating that no one in the pod would listen to him. As the storm crescendoed, he found himself approaching the shoreline near Crescent Cove. Curiosity took hold of him and Reed propelled himself in the direction that Tempest had disappeared the night before.
Sure enough, as he approached the beach a little ways down from the Boardwalk, he caught sight of a figure standing in the water. The storm rumbled overhead, rain pouring down in full force, yet she remained. Her bare feet gripped the sand to maintain her balance against the ever-growing waves that battered her legs.
“Why can’t they love me?” Tempest cried to the sea. “Am I truly unlovable?”
His heart splintered at the broken voice and desperate tone of her words. Carefully, Reed approached the shore, close enough to rest his tail on the sand and steady himself against the storm. He raised his head above the water slowly, taking the chance to see her up close in all her stormy glory.
“No one understands me,” she sobbed, covering her face.
Her deep teal hair was soaked through, clinging to her face and shoulders. Her soft pearl-colored dress was equally sodden, sticking to her beautiful frame in ways that set his heart racing. His eyes were immediately drawn to the curves of her hips, the water dripping onto her shoulders as she screamed at the sky.
She was undeniably beautiful—and just as dangerous. Like a hurricane, capable of wiping out whole stretches of land in a single gust.
Yes, Reed thought,Tempest is a storm in human form. The skies and seas respond to her cries as if she commands them.
A feeling he had never known took over him then, at the sight of her there, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she sobbed. The fierce need to comfort and protect her overcame him and he pulled himself further up the beach by his elbows.
