The Merman's Hold

Chapter 1

Aria let out a deep sigh as she trudged along the cliffside path. Her family was far ahead, their figures small dots in the distance, while her legs dragged with every step. Vacation was supposed to be fun – a time to relax, maybe lounge by the hotel pool with a good romance book. Her idea of a perfect holiday did not include a two-hour hike along a cliff's edge. Yes, the view was breathtaking, but so was the heat, and with the sun beating down on her exposed skin, she felt like a sweaty, miserable mess.

She couldn't help but imagine her romance novel, still lying untouched on her bed back at the hotel, calling out to her. She could almost see the characters walking beside her, casting amused glances her way, as if to say, "You'd rather be here with your family than with us, lost in a fantasy world?" Deep down, though, Aria knew she enjoyed the walk. Family time was important, after all, even if she'd rather be at the poolside. This was still a vacation.

Ahead of her, her younger siblings, Tommy and Sabrina, giggled as they played their version of tag. The twins, recently turned eight, were full of energy, darting around sheep dung and brushing against each other's shirts as they chased one another. Aria remembered a time when she had loved games like that, but things had been different for her growing up. As an only child for ten years, holidays had never been this chaotic. Now, her role as the annoyed big sister was one she played well, even if she did love the twins dearly.

Just behind the twins but still far ahead of Aria, her parents walked hand in hand. They looked as much in love as they must have been when they first got together, and Aria couldn't help but compare them to the characters in her romance novels. A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of the passionate embraces and stolen kisses between her favourite book couples, but then ... her mind took a sharp left turn. Her smile quickly turned into a grimace as she imagined her parents in similar scenarios. Ugh, no thanks! She thought wrinkling her nose. The last thing she needed was to start picturing her parents in the steamy scenes she loved reading about. She gave her head a little shake, trying to banish the mental image.

Maybe it was a defence mechanism, a way to remind herself that no matter how in love her parents were, they were parents – and parents, in her mind, didn't belong in romance novels. The thought made her shudder. Okay, mental note: no more comparing them to fictional characters.

She continued her slow ascent up the next hill. It wasn't that she disliked walking – on the contrary, she loved it – but after two hours of climbing, her energy was drained, and all she could think about was getting back to her book. She marvelled at how her siblings still had so much energy, seemingly enough for ten people. Her parents were no different, walking as if they'd just gotten out of bed a few minutes ago. Meanwhile, Aria felt like she'd just attempted – and failed – a marathon.

Her eyes drifted to the ocean beside her. The sea was calm, its waves gently lapping against the rocks below. In this heat, she longed for a cool dip in the water, but standing on top of a cliff, she knew that relief was still hours away. A groan escaped her as she mentally calculated the time it would take to finally feel the cool, salty water on her feet – two hours back to the beach and another thirty minutes to the hotel. She sighed again, resigning herself to the long trek ahead, counting down the minutes until she could plunge her feet into blissful coldness.

The walk continued slowly with Aria trailing far behind her family. Her siblings had eventually slowed down as their energy waned. Aria had been surprised she was the only feeling tired – it made her wonder if she was more out of shape than she thought. But eventually they reached the beach, and Aria could finally kick off her shoes and step into the shallow water. Her tired feet found immediate relief as the small waves lapped at her ankles.

She stared out into the ocean, letting the calmness of the sea settle over her. The horizon stretched endlessly before her, and she found herself idly scanning for dolphins. A small ripple formed on the otherwise still water, far from shore. Probably just a fish, she thought, her gaze lingering on the spot for a moment longer. But nothing appeared, and she turned her attention back to the beach, unaware of the large blue eyes watching her every move from beneath the waves.