Page 4 of A Merman's Tail
“But, Grandfather, I want to go to the surface. It’s my right.”
“He is correct, Naro.” Grandfather turned his attention on my father. “Itishis right. He is twenty-five now.”
“I have never argued against my other sons going to the surface, but Lyric is too interested in the humans.” He turned his back to me and whispered something I couldn’t hear. Grandfather nodded and they conversed quietly.
My heart thumped against my ribcage, and I held my breath, waiting and hoping, until finally Father looked at me again with a grim face. “Fine. You may go to the surface. Tonight, after the sun sets and the moon has risen.”
“But, I wish to see the sun above water. Feel its heat on my skin,” I argued.
“Don’t push your luck, Lyric. I’m tempted not to let you go up there at all,” Father warned, pointing his finger at me. “Tonight, when there’s less chance of a human seeing you.”
I sighed and nodded. “Yes, Father.”
“Good. Your grandfather will prepare you for the journey.” He swam toward me and cupped my face, placing a kiss on my forehead. “You look so much like your mother, Lyric. Never forget that I love you, son. I do everything I can to protect you.”
I closed my eyes and forced back another sigh as I opened them again. “I know.”
Father watched me, and I stared back until he shook his head and waved his hand toward the door. “I’ll leave you to your grandfather. Your brothers and I are going hunting again. You’ll see us after your trip to the surface, and we’ll celebrate this milestone.”
I did smile then, excitement buzzing through my body. My blood felt too hot and my face grew warm. “Yes, Father.”
He gave me a final stare before he swept past me and out the doors. Grandfather shook his head with a grin, waving his hand at the two thrones, one which was my father’s and one that had been my mother’s. “Shall we go over the preparations?”
I nodded enthusiastically.
There was no telling how long we sat there, my grandfather warning me of everything to take care of, but when he was done, the sun no longer glimmered through the water, lighting up Atlantia, and it was time for me to go to the surface. Excitement didn’t explain how I felt. My nerves bundled just under my skin, and touching my arms made me shiver. My tail swished, and I was unable to sit still.
Grandfather smiled at me, laugh lines denting the skin around his eyes. “Are you ready?”
“I was born ready.” I bit my bottom lip when Grandfather waved his hand upward.
“Then swim free, Lyric. Go see the surface.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I rushed out the doors of the castle, waving at the guards again as I stopped just outside and stared up. This was it, the moment I’d been waiting for.
The surface.
“Is it that time, Prince Lyric?” one of the guards asked, an older merman with short silver hair and a pink tail that twinkled with seafoam green highlights. I couldn’t remember his name, but he’d been in Father’s service for a long time.
I grinned and nodded. “Yes.”
“Be safe up there. Those humans are cruel.” He hummed, gripping his long gold spear in front of him. “Stay out of sight.”
I tilted my head, smiling again because I didn’t believe him. They were all so scared of humans, but I’d always doubted that they were any different from us. “Thank you.”
Not waiting for another warning, I propelled myself up. I took a deep breath and focused on the darkness.
Grandfather had warned me about how the water changes near the border between water and air. “You’ll feel it. It’ll get a little harder to breathe. Not impossible, just harder.”
I was already beginning to recognize the signs. My breaths came shorter, and the water felt like it was getting thinner until I broke the surface.
I let out a gasp when my head and shoulders were no longer in water. I was here.Above. And it was beautiful. The night sky wasn’t as dark as I’d imagined, with the white globe hanging high in the air. Father had called it the moon. It wasn’t quite like the sun, but I enjoyed the sight of it as well. Clouds clumped together, hiding the stars I’d heard so much about, but I didn’t mind. There would always be other nights.
A loud noise made me startle, and I turned, staring at where it had come from, and my mouth dropped open. I didn’t think I’d see a human, not at night, but there they were on their floating device: the boat. The device wasn’t like the one from the wreck. It wasn’t brown and wooden with large sail poles, but rather a lot smaller and white. Modern, that’s what Pru would call it. He told me the humans’ technology had changed as years flew by. They’d grown smarter with intelligent possessions, and this sleek… boat must have been what he was talking about.
The white capped water rocked the boat roughly, and the men shouted, running around the small vessel. I didn’t know what they were doing, but they yelled more, and one leaned over the back to check the things that made the boat move.
A drop of water hit my face, and I frowned up at the sky as more came down. Grandfather had warned me about this, too. He said it was called rain. I’d always found it intriguing. Water from the sky, who would have thought?
