Restless Waves

Chapter 50

I know you're a fan of merpeople because you're reading this book... HOWEVER, merpeople books are rare, so I want to support a fellow author on here:  1flawlessflaw with a story called: Beyond the Waves (I bet you can guess what it's about *wink*)

If I've captured your attention, go give it a read ;) 

- Sian

"Your mother had the same tail," Michael said, looking beneath the water at Rowan's white tail with rainbow flecks.

"Royal tail," Kaerius said, staring at Michael's silver tail. He had never seen one like Michael's either.

"Yes," Michael beamed and moved his arms around in the water. "It's been such a long time since I've been in the sea. I never went in without Mandy. I forgot how cold it is."

Rowan tasted the salt on his lips. "Is it strange?" he asked, though it was weird for him to see his father with a tail.

"A little." Michael lightly hit Rowan with his tail before dipping under the water and swimming away.

Kaerius and Rowan watched him sink lower and lower until his silver tail was like a speck of glitter on the ocean floor. Kaerius wanted to ask about Rowan's feelings after the conversation they had with Jack. Kaerius felt Rowan's emotions, and he wasn't relaxed.

Rowan sensed Kaerius's eyes on him, and he heard his thoughts. Kaerius was arguing with himself in his head about whether he should talk about Jack now or later.

"Come on," Rowan said and touched the bottom of Kaerius's tail with his fins. "Let's show my dad where you sleep."

Kaerius knew Rowan had been listening to what he was thinking. Kaerius forgot that even his own mind was no longer private, though it didn't annoy him anymore.

They dipped under the ocean and quickly met Michael on the ocean floor, who was touching everything around him as if even the sand sparked some fantastic memory. "Which way are the caves?" Michael asked in the Thalassic Tongue.

"A mile that way," Kaerius replied in his first language, pointing to where the sand dipped into darkness.

Nobody was at the caves when they arrived, so Kaerius offered Michael and Rowan some fish. Michael took one and ate it like he hadn't eaten all day. Rowan declined. He preferred his fish cooked.

After Kaerius showed Michael around, and was happy that Michael was impressed by his kelp beds, Rowan watched his father float through the water. He didn't look natural in the water like Kaerius did. Rowan wondered if his mother would be with them in the sea soon. The thought was enough to make him smile to himself. Kaerius noticed and swam closer until their shoulders brushed.

"Your emotions are odd," Kaerius thought. "I know you are overwhelmed and stressed, but you're smiling. I don't understand humans."

Rowan smiled harder. "I was just hoping that my mum could visit the caves soon," he shouted.

Kaerius's purple eyes circled his face. "I think she will. On Saturday, when Jack breaks the curse to question your mother, we'll hit him with your stick thing then run."

"Kaerius, that's a terrible plan," Rowan scoffed, and bubbles escaped his mouth. "I don't want Jack to be an enemy. We just have to convince him that my mum has been punished enough, whatever she's done."

* * * * *

Thursday felt like the slowest day in history until Rowan tried to get through Friday. He watched Jack from the back of the classroom, wondering how he missed that Jack was half-vampire, fairy, and a little bit Thalassic Mortal. Now that Rowan was bonded to a supernatural person, he thought he would see their world better and easier.