Mermania

Fated

isn't it?" "Yeah, right." "Okay," I said. "Is there anywhere that we can wade in the ocean?" Mr. Nordell's expression shifted slightly, but he waited for me to continue, prompting with a mild, "And? Grandma Mary swatted my great beast of a grandfather on the arm. "Is your stomach all you can think about?" she chided. "Look at these girls; they're scarcely managing to stay awake." Mom shrugged off her concern. "My stomach is jumpy, that's all." "Right, the obituaries!" He tried searching for "Rhonda Lerwick" and "Obituary" together. As when he had searched during work, a wide assortment of results appeared. This time, though- Tara laughed. "Don't be jealous because I'm rockin' the pink bandana. I might need to try this look at school..." She almost dropped her keys as tires screeched in the street. A dark SUV had stopped in the middle of the road for no apparent reason- probably a drive-by shooter taking aim. Please, just let me get into my apartment and I'll be safe. I glanced at my alarm clock again and the glaring blank screen. I had no idea what time it was since I had jerked the cord out of the wall. Great. Better hurry if I wanted to meet the bus on time. I struggled to open the top drawer of my dresser, pushing back piles of messy clothes stuck in the sides, and selected a pair of cutoffs to wear over my leggings, a tank-top and long black sweater. Underneath a pile of dirty clothes, I unearthed my combat boots and slipped them on. I loved the weight of them. They made me feel grounded, like I could climb a mountain if I had to. I tied my hair in a messy know, gathered my school books that had been littered across my desk, and tucked them into an army bag. My fingers traced the lines in the smooth canvas. I loved the worn pack, covered in peace signs and denim patches. It carried everything that was important to me, my art supplies, my drawings, pictures covered in peace sign and denim patches. It carried everything that was important to me, my art supplies, my drawings, pictures I'd cut out of magazines. "I can't believe he did it," Eddie continued. "Zach's been with you so long, I figured that when he returned, he would give up on Zach and let him go... I made arrangements; I was ready to stop him..." "And how did they give him that name...?" Kara huffed in frustration and glanced at the clock again. "What do we have, twenty minutes? Here, help me finish these roses." Striding into the dining room, she took Craig's arm and led him to the table. She was frustrated, edgy. She needed to do something with her hands. Darmik had been so sure Lennek was up to something, but this was nothing more than a pity party, filled with drinking and girls. And all because Father had yelled at him. Typical. Darmik had no desire to sit in the castle all day, listening to Lennek's indiscretions. He would leave tomorrow. There was nothing to discover here. Lennek wasn't up to some devious political maneuvering. No, he was too wrapped up in his own personal satisfaction. Darmik needed to stop being so paranoid. "Ah..." Kara saw Dr. Lerwick's face light up in the reflection as she lifted his mug out of the microwave. She mixed the cocoa into it and brought it to him, longing to spill it, steaming hot, into his lap. But a man who would try to kidnap her son from their own house- with them present!- might also kill over a minor burn. So, sucking in a deep, disciplining breath, she presented him with the mug and rejoined Zach in the armchair. With Dr. Lerwick's eyes on her, she had no opportunity to ask the boy whether he had understood her message. Instead, she wrapped a protective arm around his chest and pulled him against her. "Thanks," I said, glad for the interruption. "Enough!" Grandfather roared from the front seat. "I am taking you to my apartment. You'll be safe there." "It's ok to deal with life-changing events at your own pace." "I'm going to have some fun with you, my retched, little cur." He stepped back to let me in. "They're all upstairs in Katie's room." "__one step, and Kara saw me and screamed!" "You" Grandfather did not test the cord around his wrists. "How did you find us?" he asked, staring blankly ahead through the windshield. She covered my legs with her blanket, and I leaned against the fluffy sleeve of her new robe. "Right. Father is helpful, but they have to have the mother." Craig chuckled. "Don't get used to it, Paws. It's only for one night." The figure played along, but kept his hand poised on the sliding door handle as he turned his back to McWrait; a quick escape could become necessary in a hurry if the "Something special" McWrait reached for turned out to be a weapon. Craig refolded the newspaper and walked out of sight down the hall. As he left the room, Zach sighed audibly and let his shoulders sag a little. Kara watched him with concern, then turned and followed Craig to their bedroom. "Will he be mad?" What would David do it he knew she told me? Ula was quiet. I looked over and saw her scanning the crowd. Her eyes settled on someone, and she scowled. I followed her gaze. "I know you were. You're not the only one upset about this situation. Here, let me show you another example of what you've done." "How did you do that?" Sara's voice rasped in a low whisper. The man drew out a business card and handed it to her. "I used to be his doctor. John Blackfeather, pediatrician." "I thought you might like that. How's the ankle?" I nod, squaring my shoulders and tilting my chin upward. "

Your Majesty please put this on." As they tracked her, she realized they weren't ordinary soldiers. Even though they wore the King's Army uniform, there was a variation that Rema had never seen before. A black line extended the entire length of their sleeves and up over their shoulders. "We feared the wrath of Triton enough to leave them alone," Xanthus said. "But, Dagonians hated the Mer. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Dagonian that's sorry they are all dead." I ran to get the door. If Mom fell back asleep, I didn't want whoever it was to wake her. Opening the door, I found Katie and Evan. What was I wearing? Oh yeah, jean shorts and a tank top. Did I put on make-up this morning? Yep. Relax. "I'm fine with