Page 47 of The Merman's Betrothal
The bond churned like an ocean current in Rory’s chest. Promising a tidal draw that could rip him away from Ullapool, if he let it.
Rory rose unsteadily from the floor and finished towelling off. He kept his mind carefully blank as he got dressed, blank as he made himself a slice of toast for lunch, and blank as he picked up his father’s shopping list and left the house.
Chapter Sixteen
Fionn headed straight back to Neacel’s cave after the ordeal with Rory. He needed to dissect all of this immediately, to recount every action and work out where it had gone wrong. And most of all to get the burning shame out of his chest. To get the taste of Rory’s rejection out of his mouth.
Neacel had good ears. He was remarkable for absorbing Fionn’s troubles and then helping to lay them all out in a logical fashion that Fionn could digest again more sensibly.
Fionn didn’t bother to announce himself this time when he reached the cave. He swam right through the curtain of kelp over the entrance and into the softly glowing light of the interior.
‘Neacel!’ he called out impatiently. It hadn’t been much more than an hour since he’d last been here. Surely Neacel hadn’t gone out for the night. ‘Where are you?’
A soft rustling sound indicated someone must be inside. Fionn swam to the end of the living space and rounded the corner into Neacal’s private chamber.
‘Why did you come in here?’ Neacel shrieked at him. The young Minchman snatched his kilt from the wall, trying and failing to cover himself with it.
‘Is that a dress?’ Fionn asked, momentarily fascinated.
Neacel gave up with the kilt. He ran flustered hands through his short hair, not meeting Fionn’s gaze. ‘It is.’
His body was swathed in a slinky wrap of fabric, shimmering silver and adorned with sequins. He also wore the necklace Fionn had seen earlier and a pair of long white net gloves. Neacal had evidently been trying to get out of it all when he heard Fionn arrive. The sequins cast a pretty speckled light over the carved rock walls.
‘Where did you get it?’
‘I bought it. With human money.’ Neacel sounded wretched, like he was admitting to a crime. ‘It’s just an experiment.’
Did Neacel think Fionn would disapprove? Guiltily, Fionn recalled how suspicious he’d been of Neacel’s familiarity with the surface world before. He hadn’t exactly presented himself as a fan of human culture.
He strove to come up with a reassuring comment. ‘It is an interesting material. I like the effect with the lights.’
Neacel uncurled a little. ‘You don’t think it’s strange?’
Fionn shrugged. ‘It is strange but it is also elegant. I imagine it could make for good armour in the deeps. Some creatures would be easily spooked by such glimmers.’
‘Does this look like armour to you?’ Neacel frowned, turning away from him. ‘Not everything needs to be so… No, forget it.’
Fionn floated awkwardly, waiting for him to say more or at least indicate that he was welcome to stay.
Eventually, Neacel sighed. ‘What can I do for you?’
Fionn didn’t see any reason to delay. He got straight to the point. ‘I’ve just been with Rory and he is a fool—’
Neacel held up a hand. Fionn stopped more out of shock than obedience.
‘Not now. Please, Fionn. I wish to help you but my own cup is running empty. I’ve held enough of your woes for today and right now is not a good time to continue them.’
‘But…’ Anger welled up on Fionn’s tongue. He was already hurting and now Neacel was rejecting him too? ‘But Rory is Bluefolk!’
The revelation had the intended effect. Neacel drew a breath then asked, ‘What happened?’
Fionn gave a hasty account of events, emphasising Rory’s unreasonable reaction at the end. Neacel’s mouth hung open, undoubtedly in awe and dismay for him.
However, the tone of Neacel’s reply did not sound quite so awed or dismayed as Fionn imagined. ‘And you revealed this information to him likethat?’
‘How else should I have done it?’
Neacel scrubbed both hands over his face like he was trying to erase the exasperation from it. ‘Gently. With fewer details. In short, Fionn, without scaring the life out of him with merman anatomy.’
