A Thousand Salt Kisses Forever (Third Book in Salt Kisses series)

Happily Ever After

Hey readers! I am republishing ATSKF on Wattpad because I have very exciting news! The long-awaited fourth book is written, edited and ready to be published in Summer this very year! So to get you in the flow (both old n new readers alike!) I am putting it all up here again! I have also updated the first and second books too (to their fully polished latest editions) which are available for free exclusively for Wattpad readers. Let's goooo.....

Chapter One

When I first moved to my parent's new home on Starfish Island, I used to feel so drowsy. I would have to take little cat-naps wherever I could. At first, I thought there was something wrong with me until our neighbour Mrs. Hart told me that the sea air was the culprit - I was inhaling more oxygen here than before. Being from London, it was likely I was accustomed to breathing in more pollution than anything. Nonetheless, during my first summer here when I was seventeen years old, I had managed to adapt, and instead found myself becoming energized by the strong ocean vapour.

However, four years later, it was not only the sea air I was breathing but Mama Ocean herself.

I had been a mermaid now for four months and although my little lungs were taking in the H20 just fine, my mind was still not doing the same. Sometimes under the sea, I would glance over my shoulder and scream when I saw my blue sparkly tail flapping behind me. I would momentarily think I was being pursued by a big carnivorous fish.

Such a memory lapse happened today as I swam side by side with my friend, and sweet adorable merman, Bright. We had stopped to look at a little shoal of fish and had been laughing at how overweight some of them were.

"He's absolutely obese!" I cried, pointing at a big plump silver one as it wobbled past. The fish was only about a half a foot long but he was nearly the same in girth, like a little football.

"I've never seen such a fat fish," Bright agreed.

I giggled hysterically. What have they been eating to get like this?

Bright blew out his cheeks and swam around the fish as if to show him what a fattie he was.

"Oh, stop it!" I cried. "This is bullying."

Bright refused to listen, but to my surprise, it seemed that the fish did not need me to stand up for him. It turned and began to swim right up into Bright's face, completely unintimidated by his antics.

Bright frowned and retreated, clearly a little perturbed by the fish's bravado. "I think it wants to feed on me now, Crystal," he said launching off ahead.

I laughed and followed, before turning my head to look one last time at the chubby shawl. However, instead of the silver parade of scaled footballs, I was greeted by two huge blue fins, right up close by my head.

I screamed. I'm being attacked!

Bright turned. "What? What?" he cried.

I placed my hand to my heart and swam up to a standing position, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I now realized the object of my fear.

"It was my tail," I breathed.

"Huh?" cried Bright, still alarmed. "What's wrong with it? Why are you screaming?"

"I'm sorry," I said, "it's just ever since I started coming back into the waters again, it's been taking me by surprise."

"That's odd," Bright frowned. "You did not have this before."

"I know," I said, now swimming along slowly beside him. "I think it's because I'm shifting so often, I can't get used to it, like how I did before. I'm on the land one moment and then in water. I just keep expecting to see my legs, you know?"

I spent two solid weeks down in the sea at the start of the summer when I first become mer. Following an unfortunate altercation with a sea monster, I was dragged beneath the waves and sprouted a tail much to my bewilderment. And then, as though this were not all stressful enough, I was unable to make the morph back into human. It was a turbulent time, to say the least, fraught with supernatural mishaps that left the most seasoned sea-shaman scratching his head.

Now, Bright and I swam into shallower waters and I realized we were nearing our destination.

"Well, maybe you need to be spending more time down here with us," mused Bright, in light of my tail situation. Now that I was able to shift back and forth I spent most of my time in my true human form, only really getting tailed-up to swim places.

"Yes, maybe..." I sighed. "You know, on land we have this saying about nervous people, that they're 'scared of their own shadow', but I'm like the mermaid who's scared of her own tail."

"I don't know, something tells me you're probably the human who is scared of their own shadow too," came a familiar voice from my other side.

I gasped, before promptly recomposing myself.

Llyr had appeared and was smiling at me, with a sparkle in his dark green eyes. His long brown hair was tied back allowing me to see his whole face despite the pull of the water.

I didn't know whether to smile back or frown. I was half overjoyed to see him, and half outraged by his remark. "I am not!" I protested, eventually opting for a frown.

"You're generally a little jumpy," he teased, putting his arm around my waist as we swam and kissing me on the cheek.

"No!" I sulked. It genuinely bugged me when he made fun of my so-called nervousness. I bet I'm more courageous than most humans. I've done all kinds of brave things, especially in recent months.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, pulling me close, sensing he'd annoyed me. "Thank you Bright, for bringing Crystal to me. I had to go all the way out into the Atlantic today."

"Always a pleasure," said Bright, "especially as we never get to see her anymore!"

"Sorry about that," said Llyr, "I'm still obsessed with her. Although I can't imagine I ever won't be."

I did melt a little at this point, my anger about his earlier remarks slipping away. We had only got back together a few months ago and had been inseparable ever since. After four agonizing years apart, we were still very much in our 'happily ever after' phase.

We said goodbye to Bright, and as I hugged him, I promised to visit him in the kingdom of Evergreen soon.

"Well, you'd better, young maid, or I'll send fat-face out to get you!" said Bright, referring to our bold, chunky find earlier. I laughed at the memory of the fish and followed Llyr up towards the swirling waves above.

We broke through into the dusk and I looked around. The sunset was glorious, like a crimson Frisbee about to glide into the horizon. I turned the other way, and saw now the familiar sight of the purple amethyst cliffs, jutting out into the sea. This island was mer-territory, and Llyr and I spent most of our time together here. But as I looked ahead I realised we were not at our usual spot.

It was a much narrower beach and I had never seen these stones before; rows and rows of big colourful gems nestled into the white, flat sands.

"Where are we?" I asked, surprised.

Llyr put his arms around me and our bodies moved up and down gently in the waves. "The cemetery," he answered. "I hope you don't mind, it's my mother's death anniversary. We will go to our beach after."

"Of course," I said, hugging him and resting my head on his shoulder. I had no idea. Well, I guess I don't actually know much about his mother at all, I realised. The only two times he had spoken of her was when he gave me her ring, and when he talked about her tragic passing in the Red Tide. Perhaps a little later he may want to tell me more about her.

It finally felt like after all these years, we were truly getting to know each other, and it was just the best feeling in the world.