Page 65 of Midnightsong
“Yes, I had a fight with Angie. And I came with my Aunt Cassia and Uncle Varin’s sentries, so the journey back was quicker than normal.”
“I’ve met with his sentries. I’m glad you were smart to preserve your magic and the four of you traveled together. You were always smart, Kaden. Never forget that.” He patted his shoulder before dropping his arm to his side.
It was one of the only positive things anyone had said to Kaden in the past tidesweek, and his spirits lifted. “Thank you.”
“Is Angie well?” Saeryn swam in front of him, but took a coral lower on the sloped seafloor, positioning himself so he was looking up at Kaden. His caudal fins curled around the sand beneath, kicking up small plumes.
“She’s upset with me.” Kaden reached down, his fingers grazing a school of small yu swimming past.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
What was the harm? Maybe Saeryn would lend a listening ear, and he repeated her grievances with him to his uncle.
“I’m sorry to hear of your troubles with your lover.” Saeryn’s lips formed a slash. “I want you to know you did nothing wrong. I understand why you hid your condition from her. Of course, you didn’t want to put such a burden on her. And you also didn’t want to stop seeing her, showing her the beauty of our home. If she doesn’t understand you, doesn’t want to see your point of view, perhaps it will help to take some time away from her.”
Kaden nodded.
“And I want you to know that you are doing plenty. There are things happening that are out of your control, but never for one minute believe you are not doing enough. Have faith in yourself, my boy. Because I do.”
Something broke in Kaden at his uncle’s empathetic words, a flood washing away the pity he imposed on himself, and he allowed Saeryn to pull him in for a hug. “I appreciate hearing you say that. It means a lot.”
His uncle pulled away, a comforting smile on his face. “Be well. Come see me anytime you need to talk. I’ll always listen.”
Saeryn had returned to the personable, empathetic uncle he’d always known.
Still, disquiet pricked his skin, despite his uncle’s comforting words.
It was only when his uncle was out of sight that it struck him—not once did Saeryn look directly at him during their talk.
Twenty-Eight
Angie
Angie stared at her email inbox,distracted for what felt like the hundredth time as she sat in her school’s main library attempting to study for her upcoming midterms in two weeks.
For the past three days, she had been emailing Kevin Vester, Washington’s governor’s office, and only received canned responses as replies.
Thank you for reaching out to Mr. Vester’s office! We have received your message, and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.
Well, it had been over seventy-two hours, and nobody had gotten back to her, and that was only the most recent email. Five days since the email before that, and over a week since the one before that.
Calls to the office had gone straight to voicemail, and she had left one each time she called, four in total, and no response.
Anxiety built. How long would Cassia wait for a response from the governor? How was she going to set up a meeting between Mr. Vester and Cassia when she couldn’t even get a response from the former? In her email and voice messages, she had mentioned her appearances on the Pacific Pulse and the morning show, as well as her work at her school.
Still nothing. She needed more credibility.
After all, the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over again and getting the same results, so Angie needed to switch her tactics.
She turned her attention back to her laptop full of notes and diagrams and illustrations from her classes. Her mind would not focus, so she stood and walked around the library, weaving between bookshelves and students standing around whispering, reading, or checking out books. Her sneakers were silent along the carpeted floor and soft LED lights overhead gave the space an ambient feel.
The last thing she needed was to fail her midterms on top of the shitstorm with the humans and mer that was already swirling around her.
Two students speaking in low voices to each other across their cubicles made Angie freeze in her tracks. She recognized them as two of her classmates and she stayed in a high crouched position on the side of the cubicle so they couldn’t see her.
“My in-laws went out mer hunting a few days ago and they caught two mermen!”
“Oh my God, really? What did they do with them?”
