Page 79 of Oceansong
His eyes became two bulging orbs in his face, and with quick reflexes, he disappeared underwater. The knife landed with aplopbeside him, and sank.
Angie grimaced. She screwed up and should have warned Mia, but it was too late now.
Kaden resurfaced and shrunk back, putting his hands up, staring at Mia.
“Mia! Stop!” Angie rose to her feet, and fell flat on her face when Mia grabbed her arm and yanked her backward toward the tree line.
“We have to go. We have to go,” Mia kept saying.
Rosie squealed something that Angie thought was French then, “a real merman!” She bum-rushed Kaden. “Can I touch him?”
“No!” Mia yelled. Her hands shot forward, grabbing her daughter’s arms. “Rosalynn! I said come back!”
“Mia, it’s okay!” Angie looked at each of them. “And Kaden, she’s harmless.”
“K-Kaden? It has a name?” Mia shot her a look that screamed shock and surprise. “What the Hells is going on here?”
“I’d like to know, too.” Kaden’s tone was as sharp as the razorblade Mia threw at him.
“I’m sorry, I should have said something sooner. Mia, this is Kaden. He won’t hurt you or Rosie.” Angie turned to Kaden. “Kaden, Mia, my sister. That’s her daughter, Rosie.”
“We’ll finish our conversation later.” Kaden eyed her.
She nodded. It seemed he’d put aside the sanctuary chaos until after their little meet and greet.
Mia and Kaden’s strained poses relaxed, but only slightly. Angie pressed a palm to her heart and thanked her ancestors. It was a start.
“Are you real? Like real real?” Rosie cut in. “Can I see your tail?”
Kaden gave a nervous laugh. “Yes, I’m real.” To make a point, he pushed himself up to sit on the shore, bringing his tail closer to him. Rosie yelped in excitement and rushed over to touch and “ooh” and “ahh” over it. He held out Mia’s pocket knife. “This is yours.”
Without a word, Mia took it from him, fiddling with it before stashing it back in her purse.
“I can tell you two are related. Your sister tried to kill me too when she first saw me. Twice, actually,” Kaden said. Angie’s face grew hot at the mention. He continued, “Mia, yes? Mia Song?”
“Mia Richelieu now. Nice to, uh, meet you?” Mia looked to Angie, silently asking for help on how to greet him properly.
Angie gave her a thumbs up.
“Why do you have a different surname? You are not sisters?” His eyes held questions for Angie.
“Well, that’s her husband’s last name. When people get married, they can take the husband or the wife’s last name to signify the start of a new family. Or choose to combine the two.”
He pursed his lips. “So, he is your lifemate?”
Something about watching Mia converse with Kaden warmed Angie’s heart, despite him being upset with her.
This time, Mia gave him a soft chuckle. “Yeah, you can say that.”
“Then I’ve learned a new word.Husband.” Kaden flicked a small stream of water at Rosie, who laughed and asked him to do it again, so he did. “So, you and Angie are no longer family?”
“Oh goodness, not at all!” Angie punctuated her words with a quick shake of her head. “Mia is my blood sister forever.”
A spark of understanding appeared in Kaden’s eyes.
About to say something else, Mia stopped and her eyes rounded again.
Angie followed her gaze. “Is something wrong?”
