Tails of A Half Blood: Birthmark

Keep your friends close and your enemies, Closer.

The day started like any other, with the sunlight pouring in through the window and the smell of pancakes flooding my nose. When breakfast was finished, along with my homework, I headed down to the grotto to start my lessons with Sirena.

Seeing as there wasn't that much time for the mermaids to be around land, and wanting to explore more hobbies, I took up some singing lessons with Sirena. I wanted to learn some mermaid songs anyway, so I could sing them for years to come. At rare times, singing gave me a sense of peace, but it was the ocean that mostly did the job.

Though I'm far away. Across the sea. This moon keeps haunting me. As I spread my wings- I was cut off from my singing when Zac came in a trepidation.

"Hey Zac. What brings you by?" Lyla asked.

"Zac." I asked. "You ok?"

"I almost told Evie I was a merman." At that moment It took all of my willpower to not flip out in front of him. Yes, being aware I was half mermaid for years instilled in me a slight bit of paranoia, but let's face it, a mermaid's tail wasn't something you could automatically turn on and off at will.

"Zachary, do you have any idea what you were close to doing?!" I said in a voice that was threatening to become a scream.

"I know, I know Thalie." Zac said quickly, slumping against the wooden railing. "I couldn't help it. I can't keep lying to her."

"Well, not telling the exact truth isn't the same as just lying." Nixie said cynically.

"Actually Nixie it is." I said.

"No it's not." She retorted.

"Is."

"Not."

"Is."

"Not."

"Ok girls, that's enough!" Mom exclaimed, stopping our fight.

"It's tearing me up, I have to tell her." said Zac. Even from standing a foot away from him, I could feel his pain. It hurt me to the nth degree not to tell my foster parents what I was. I wanted to, and I lost count of how many close calls I came to. But I couldn't because I couldn't risk losing two of the best parents I ever had.

"Zac we understand how hard this is, but you have to keep this secret until after the full moon." Mom reminded my brother.

"Look once you're back to being a normal boy, you don't have to lie anymore." said Nixie.

"You guys said you weren't even sure you can't change me back." Zac reminded us. "What if you can't?"

"You can join our pod." Lyla popped in.

"Lyla, he's a land boy!" Nixie pointed out. "He doesn't belong in our pod."

"Nixie!" Mom groaned. "Look this is a stressful time for all of us, but the full moon's in a couple of days. After that, all of this might be over."

"What if it's not?" Zac asked. "No matter what happens to me, you can still go back to the sea. I have family and friends here. I can't keep lying to the people I love." He then left. Poor Zac. I wish I could understand his pain.

"Thanks a lot Nixie." Lyla sarcastically said.

"You know why you want him to stay as a merman?" Nixie asked. "It's because you've actually fallen for him and you just can't let him go."

"Nixie!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Nixie asked. "It's the truth. Ever since he saved Thalie, you've just been stuck on him like a remora on a shark."