Read Online Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2) by Brenda Pandos - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brenda Pandos
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proof.
I sat up and winced. “What?”
“Fin.” Mom put her hand on my chest to force me down. “I tried to hold off considering everything but you needed it to heal faster. You’d been shot in multiple places and lost a lot of blood. We didn’t have anything to take out the bullet until we got into the RV. They were trolling the lake most of the night and we couldn’t have you convert underwater accidentally and drown, could we?”
I turned my back to her, mad as hell, but mostly furious at myself. If I’d left the dog alone and headed to the water, none of this would have happened.
“It’s fine. I need to call Ash now.”
Mom touched my arm. “Don’t be mad. We had no other choice. I didn’t want to take her from you, Son.”
Take her from me? How would the conversion take her from me? Maybe allowing me to convert in the RV later, after we’d escaped was what she should have done. But they viewed converting as a sin, like all the other mers of Natatoria. This was another convenient excuse so Mom wouldn’t lose me. Why they still insisted my memories be wiped, I didn’t understand.
“You had to do what you had to do. Thanks.”
“I did.” She gripped my shoulder and forced me to look in her eyes. “I know it’s been rough, but—your memories, your love for Ash, everything would have been gone if I didn’t give you the essence.”
I laughed at the idiocy.
“Really?” I glared. “After what we’ve been through? Dad would still have to follow Natatorian law and erase my memories.”
“No.” Mom frowned, confusion settled over her face. “The conversion takes the memories, not Dad or any merman.”
“What?” My blood ripped through my veins. “That’s not what you said when we were kids.”
“I—what?”
“You said the merman erases the memories.”
Mom brought her hand to her lips in a gasp. “No, Fin, when a mer converts, they forget everything and everyone. The merman is only there to soften the amnesia.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not. That’s what happens. I’m sorry I misled you—I don’t remember saying that.”
I made fists around the sheet and squeezed to stop from punching the headboard. “And Ash?”
“She’d be broken out of the bond, but,” Mom hung her head, “she’d still remember what you two shared and have feelings for you. But you wouldn’t because she’d be a stranger to you.”
“Why didn’t you mention this the other night?” I bellowed.
“I thought you knew.”
I gritted my teeth. “I told Ash the exact opposite.”
“Oh, dear.”
I laughed bitingly. “And I thought this entire time Dad put pressure on you to change when he could have changed himself.”
“Oh, Fin,” she rested her hand on mine. “I’m sure he would have, if it were that easy.”
“This is insane. I can’t believe I didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry. We should have made sure the details were clear.”
In respect to my mother, I refrained from cussing like a sailor. I’d been making life decisions based on assumptions. I fisted the pillow, still anxious to punch something.
“Then—what about Tatch?”
Mom grew stern. “Azor must be stripped of his fins in order to free her from the bond, period. And we will fight to make sure that happens.”
I looked up at the ceiling, breathing out my anger. With the pure desire to do the courageous thing, I’d almost erased the most important person in my life. This needed to be common knowledge. An accident could rip the world from someone. And Sissy and Hans did this on a regular basis? How? Why would a person want to forget everything they knew? Unless something horrible happened…
“I want to call Ash.”
“Of course.” Mom bowed her head and left the room.
I dialed and closed my eyes while it rang. She’d be in class, but I wanted to let her know I was okay. My stomach knotted when I heard her voice on the message. I’d taken a stupid risk because I
I sat up and winced. “What?”
“Fin.” Mom put her hand on my chest to force me down. “I tried to hold off considering everything but you needed it to heal faster. You’d been shot in multiple places and lost a lot of blood. We didn’t have anything to take out the bullet until we got into the RV. They were trolling the lake most of the night and we couldn’t have you convert underwater accidentally and drown, could we?”
I turned my back to her, mad as hell, but mostly furious at myself. If I’d left the dog alone and headed to the water, none of this would have happened.
“It’s fine. I need to call Ash now.”
Mom touched my arm. “Don’t be mad. We had no other choice. I didn’t want to take her from you, Son.”
Take her from me? How would the conversion take her from me? Maybe allowing me to convert in the RV later, after we’d escaped was what she should have done. But they viewed converting as a sin, like all the other mers of Natatoria. This was another convenient excuse so Mom wouldn’t lose me. Why they still insisted my memories be wiped, I didn’t understand.
“You had to do what you had to do. Thanks.”
“I did.” She gripped my shoulder and forced me to look in her eyes. “I know it’s been rough, but—your memories, your love for Ash, everything would have been gone if I didn’t give you the essence.”
I laughed at the idiocy.
“Really?” I glared. “After what we’ve been through? Dad would still have to follow Natatorian law and erase my memories.”
“No.” Mom frowned, confusion settled over her face. “The conversion takes the memories, not Dad or any merman.”
“What?” My blood ripped through my veins. “That’s not what you said when we were kids.”
“I—what?”
“You said the merman erases the memories.”
Mom brought her hand to her lips in a gasp. “No, Fin, when a mer converts, they forget everything and everyone. The merman is only there to soften the amnesia.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not. That’s what happens. I’m sorry I misled you—I don’t remember saying that.”
I made fists around the sheet and squeezed to stop from punching the headboard. “And Ash?”
“She’d be broken out of the bond, but,” Mom hung her head, “she’d still remember what you two shared and have feelings for you. But you wouldn’t because she’d be a stranger to you.”
“Why didn’t you mention this the other night?” I bellowed.
“I thought you knew.”
I gritted my teeth. “I told Ash the exact opposite.”
“Oh, dear.”
I laughed bitingly. “And I thought this entire time Dad put pressure on you to change when he could have changed himself.”
“Oh, Fin,” she rested her hand on mine. “I’m sure he would have, if it were that easy.”
“This is insane. I can’t believe I didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry. We should have made sure the details were clear.”
In respect to my mother, I refrained from cussing like a sailor. I’d been making life decisions based on assumptions. I fisted the pillow, still anxious to punch something.
“Then—what about Tatch?”
Mom grew stern. “Azor must be stripped of his fins in order to free her from the bond, period. And we will fight to make sure that happens.”
I looked up at the ceiling, breathing out my anger. With the pure desire to do the courageous thing, I’d almost erased the most important person in my life. This needed to be common knowledge. An accident could rip the world from someone. And Sissy and Hans did this on a regular basis? How? Why would a person want to forget everything they knew? Unless something horrible happened…
“I want to call Ash.”
“Of course.” Mom bowed her head and left the room.
I dialed and closed my eyes while it rang. She’d be in class, but I wanted to let her know I was okay. My stomach knotted when I heard her voice on the message. I’d taken a stupid risk because I
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