Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series)

Chapter One

ONE 

I barely heard her parting words when the screen door slammed shut. My head spun in desperation as the anger coursed through my bones.  

"Get back in here, Eviana!" she continued to scream at me. "We are not finished with this conversation!"  

I'd already raced down the deck stairs to the sandy beach, kicking off my shoes and unbuttoning my blouse. We are for now, I thought as my blood boiled with rage and resentment. I'd be trapped! How dare they? This wasn't the eighteenth century anymore! I had rights!  

"Do not go see that boy," she yelled. "I'm warning you!" 

I stumbled onto the sand, taking just a brief moment to savor the warmth and the tiny grains massaging my toes. My shirt came off and I started to unzip my jeans. No one was around, but I wouldn't care anyway. The water called to me, becoming the only voice I could hear now.  

With one pant leg off, I hopped along in my forward progression until the other one broke free. My oasis was so close I could taste the salt in the air. The sun suddenly broke free of a cloud, stopping me for a moment. Although late afternoon and sunset a few hours away, the sky already turned multiple shades of pink and orange, the coloration resembling the inside of a brilliant conch shell.  

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I knew there'd be to be hell to pay when I returned to the house. Marguerite, my mother, had tolerated my rebellious behavior when I was younger, giving me more freedom and second chances than anyone in our clan. But apparently now, at seventeen, I was an adult. Adult enough to bear children. Adult enough to participate in clan gatherings. Adult enough to navigate our youth through their transition period. But not adult enough to choose who to love.  

A slight breeze wafted off the ocean, bringing along scents that filled my gut with longing. The freedom of the ocean. Why couldn't I just stay there forever? A gull called overhead, beckoning me to join him. The splashing waves calmed my inner rage as they ebbed and flowed in a hypnotic pattern. A distant moan of a shipping vessel reminded me of our history. I opened my eyes to see that I stood alone along miles of sandy beach interlaced with large rocks and cliffs emblematic of the northern California coast. So beautiful. I stripped off the rest of my clothes and ran into the ocean. 

As soon as I dove under the water, I felt the transition begin. My lower body ached as the bones adjusted from a life on land to one at sea. Both legs began to fuse together and work as one. My foot bones elongated while I prepared for the agony. Although accustomed to the changes, it still proved to be a struggle of mind over matter.  

Breaking through the surface of the water, I grabbed one last breath before the final jolt of pain ravaged my body. I bit my bottom lip and squeezed my eyes shut, willing the moment to be over. At last I felt an electric tingle move from my hips to my toes as the hardened, iridescent scales appeared on the bottom half of my body. I opened my eyes to find the internal transformation complete as well. My vision cleared. My lungs expanded. I could hear for miles.  

I was free. 

So I swam. I swam away from the shore and the house that I lived in. I swam away from my fears and obligations as though they could disappear with the distance. I would temporarily forget my responsibilities, my duties, and the argument with my mother. In here, I wasn't trapped. In here, I was a mermaid and the sea was my true home.  

The sun broke through the water, highlighting the kelp and creating a kaleidoscope of light beams piercing the blue depths of the ocean. Gathering up all of the negative energy, I smiled and thrust power into my movement. I darted over and under and around the light beams, while challenging myself not to hit any of the massive algal trees. I chased the fish and raced with the sea otters, laughing as they tried to decide if I was friend or foe.