Stolen Scales

Chapter 13

Kyma turns to her mother. "Well, she seems fun."

Lahira laughs. "Yes, Aunt Talulah is a character. But I love her, and I hope you will too."

Kyma smiles. "If she acts like that all the time, I think I will."

"Good."

Nami pipes up from the pool in the corner. "While this is fascinating, can you guys fill me in? Because I have no idea where your relationship stands. Kyma, she's your mom? When did you find that out? And I still have no idea where we are."

Kyma's mother smiles. "Yes, Kyma is my daughter. We never met, because it wasn't fair to keep her from her father's world."

Nami cuts her off from finishing her explanation. "So you decided to never meet her?!"

Lahira shakes her head wildly. "No, no. Kyma's father was supposed to bring her here as she grew. When he didn't bring her, I respected their privacy and his wishes for me to stay away, not aware that the only reason that he appeared to not want us to meet was because he passed away."

Nami looks down at the bottom of the pool. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Queen Lahira smiles gently. "It's alright. You were just trying to protect your friend from being hurt. Now, as to your question of where we are. We are in the Western merrow Kingdom."

"What do you mean by Western merrow Kingdom? Is there more than one?"

"Yes. We have the Kingdom here, and there is also one across the Atlantic. It is located just off the coast of Ireland. Our community migrated here many, many eons ago."

Fala frowns. "What is a merrow?"

"It is similar to the mermaids of mythology, only we are real. We also have certain restrictions on our abilities. For instance, as Kyma has already experienced, we can't let our tails dry out and we also can't be too far away from the sea."

Nami looks at Kyma. "What is she talking about? When did you experience this?"

"When Dr. James still had us, he performed tests. I experienced both of those things during those tests."

Fala frowns and holds out her arms to Kyma. "Oh, Kym."

Kyma steps over to the pool so that Fala can envelop her in a hug. Nami joins in a few moments later, turning it into a group hug. When they finally pull away from her, Kyma looks up at her mother.

"What else is there to being a merrow? Because I doubt I've been told everything. I have as much information as my friends do."

Lahira nods, and her expression turns serious. "Never take your pendant off, never let anyone else take it. No matter what."

"Why?"

"If you don't have your pendant, or a red cap if you are from the Eastern Kingdom, you can't shift and you can't control your powers. This means that you can't return to the sea, and and you may also forget who you were. We don't react to the absence of the sea the same way as selkies, but it still isn't a good thing."

Kyma frowns, her brow furrowing in curiosity. "What is a selkie?"

"A selkie is a creature very similar to a merrow. However, instead of a meld, like us, they become seals, and then human again by shedding their skin. If their skin is taken, they must also be forced to stay on land, and will be forever drawn to the sea, so much that it hurts. If they regain their pelts, they are immediately forced to return to the sea, no matter what they must leave behind because of it. The stealing of pelts mainly refers to the female selkies, and there is another tale to tell of the males. If a female human cries seven tears into the sea of sadness, or loneliness, it will draw a nearby male selkie. The male selkie will provide comfort, and then be forced to return to the sea for seven years, sometimes leaving behind a gift with their temporary mates."

Kyma's eyes are wide, indicating how enraptured she was with the story. "Selkies are real?"

Her mother smiles at her. "Oh, yes. In fact, there is a community far north, in the arctic. They are another offshoot from the original Kingdoms." Then she frowns, deep in thought. "I think the Northern selkie Kingdom might be located near the Inuit tribe of your father's family."

"What?"

"Your father's father came down here, to the human Dominican Republic from that Inuit tribe. I think your father had a cousin still in the North. Maybe you can go up to visit the selkies one day, and also meet the tribe."

Kyma smiles. "I'd like that. What other creatures are real?"

Lahira summons up some water bubble chairs for them before speaking, looking up to the ceiling in thought. "Well, do you want to know land or aquatic creatures?"

"Everything!"

Lahira smiles and proceeds to explain all the magical creatures of their world.

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You guys didn't think I would tell you all the creatures did you? I have to keep some of it a mystery. And besides, this is the Sea Monster Saga, so there might be more creatures! So, I know it is super early to ask this, but what do you think the next book will be based on? After the first guess, I'll give a clue. And I might not tell you if you get it right, not until the next book at least.

So, what do you think will happen next in this book? What do you think the test results will tell them? Tell me your thoughts!

Here is another picture of Queen Lahira.

Happy reading!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.