Fathoms Below

Chapter 7: The Truth About Adelaide

Adelaide's nose scrunched and she cocked her head to the side. "Come again?"

"You're the only living evidence of a unity between a saltwater Mer and a freshwater Mer. Your mother was one of theirs—the sister of Pheron SeaKeep. Your father was one of mine. My uncle."

Questions and comments swirled around in Adelaide's brain, each fighting to come out first.

"Where are they?"

"Dead." Ro threw it out like one might comment on weather. "Killed because of you, because of their union."

"Just because they were on different sides?"

"War is hell." Ro let out a long, slow breath. "But you were different. You were both. They thought you could end the war—at least, at first."

"How could I do that?"

"You were proof that there could be peace between us, at least individually. You were brought up with the expectation that you would marry into power and unite the sides."

"Which apparently didn't happen."

"I think both sides still want it to. I know ours does."

"That was the problem." Seymour's voice made Adelaide flinch in surprise. "Each side expected you to marry one of theirs. Neither trusted the other to not use you to create a dominant power."

"How am I supposed to be powerful? I have zero special about me."

"But you have the blood of both kinds of Mer. Each can manipulate water: salts can bend water to their will as long as it's drawing toward them, and freshes can force water away from them. You can do both." Ro wiggled his bound hands at her.

"But Pheron threw water at me."

"Pheron's powerful," Seymour said. "I'm sure that wasn't easy for him to do. It'd be easy for Ro."

"If I concentrate hard, I can bring the water toward me." Ro splayed his hands, wrists still tight together, making them look like an open clam. "But without Tahoe, we've been forced dry."

"Then agree to speak to Pheron with me."

"It's not that easy," Seymour said. "Each side will still want you to marry into their clan."

"And if I refuse? I'm barely eighteen. I don't want to be married."

"Eighteen?" Ro scoffed. "You disappeared when you were sixteen, and that was years ago."

"What?" Adelaide rounded on Seymour, who lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "You said I was twelve."

"Twelve?" Ro laughed. "You must be joking." He looked her up and down. "You didn't look that age even when you were twelve. How could you not have known he was lying?"

"She's never seen herself," Seymour answered.

Ro twisted to look at him. "Never?"

"Not since she came to live with me. No mirrors – no reflections."

Cocking his head to the side, Ro considered Seymour. "But why tell her she was a child?"

"Look at her." Seymour waved a dismissive hand at Adelaide. "I was told to keep her safe. Do you think I could have done that if men thought she was a full grown woman?"

Adelaide crossed her arms over her chest, wondering why she'd never questioned Seymour's way of life.

He took me in. He kept me safe. I'm alive because of him.