out of her way.
“Having a day?” I asked.
“A day?” She shook her head. “Girra’s been parading it in my face all afternoon at the palace. That Desirée and Pearl visited to get permission for Girra to plan the wedding. Girra! My fin, she gets to plan my best friend’s wedding! I want to hear it from the seahorse’s mouth that that’s the truth!”
“No, it’s—”
Nicole opened her mouth and sirened.
I clutched my ears and fell over, paralyzed by the sound.
“Nicole, honey, Mommy needs to talk to Uncle Fin. You be nice.”
The girl looked mischievously over at me and started to giggle. I struggled to right myself, my head spinning. This wasn’t good that she was already sirening at such a young age.
“Something’s wrong with Ash,” I bit out.
“What?” She let out a groan. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.” Needles of pain stabbed into my temples. “And another thing, when Desirée came and asked, Ash agreed, I mean, it is her mother, but just now she told me she wants to call the whole thing off.”
“What?” Tatiana shrieked. “You’re together without me for one week! One week! And you’ve let it come to this?” Tatiana ran her hand through her hair. “Oh, the poor thing. She must have wedding jitters.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yes, being a mom!” She gestured to Nicole. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t come find me!”
I backpedaled, hands up. “I know, and that’s why I haven’t bothered you. It’s been a little crazy for me, too.”
Nicole gave me an evil smile and for a moment I saw Azor. Chills ran up my spine.
“Crazy? This was worth bothering me for!” Tatchi hit me with her tail, spinning me sideways before she darted off to the Tahoe Gate.
Wait.
Nicole looked over my sister’s shoulder, and sirened again, freezing me in the current.
Stop her from doing that will you ?
Can’t you see she’s just a merling ?
Merling? She’s a terror. My eyes rolled backward in my head. Thankfully, Ash and I had thought to use protection when we made love. I couldn’t deal with this.
By the time I’d recovered, Tatiana had already disappeared through the gate. I followed behind slowly, taking my time. We needed my sister, yes, but bringing a merling into the public was asking for trouble.
I cleared the gate, but Tatchi was chasing after Nicole.
“You get back here,” she said.
The giggling merling zipped past me, dark hair flying behind her.
Fin! Tatch whined in my head. Help me .
Why did you bring her with you ? I mind-talked but still kept my distance.
Because, she cries when I leave her .
Nicole zipped by again, waggling her tongue out of her mouth like a dog.
And you think you’ll be able to plan a wedding ?
Shut-up and help , she yelled in my head.
Nicole turned, then swam right for me, arms wide, and as soon as I reached for her, she sirened.
I doubled over, grabbing my ears, groaning.
“Caught ya!” Tatch said.
Nicole yelped, then giggled some more. The two turned in a circular hug of bubbles.
Good thing she’s not a boy , I said, meaning to say it to myself.
Tatch frowned. After everything, I can’t believe you’d say that!
“No, I… ugh.” Clearly, I wasn’t winning any contests today. “Just the tail barb issue. He’d cut you to ribbons. I’m not trying to start a fight. I just need you to talk to Ash.”
She landed a glare on me, and Nicole opened her mouth like she was going to siren again.
“Please.” I moved backward in the current, wanting to distance myself from the merling’s vocal chords. “I can bring Ash to you.”
“No.” Tatchi sculled forward with her free hand. “Get Mom. And… where are you “staying” while Dad fixes the house, by the way?”
“Dad got a houseboat.”
Tatch’s eyes brightened. “Oh, that’s perfect.”
She swam ahead and I hung back, terrified of Nicole’s vicious lungs.
When I surfaced by the houseboat, I could see Mom holding Nicole.
“Having a day?” I asked.
“A day?” She shook her head. “Girra’s been parading it in my face all afternoon at the palace. That Desirée and Pearl visited to get permission for Girra to plan the wedding. Girra! My fin, she gets to plan my best friend’s wedding! I want to hear it from the seahorse’s mouth that that’s the truth!”
“No, it’s—”
Nicole opened her mouth and sirened.
I clutched my ears and fell over, paralyzed by the sound.
“Nicole, honey, Mommy needs to talk to Uncle Fin. You be nice.”
The girl looked mischievously over at me and started to giggle. I struggled to right myself, my head spinning. This wasn’t good that she was already sirening at such a young age.
“Something’s wrong with Ash,” I bit out.
“What?” She let out a groan. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.” Needles of pain stabbed into my temples. “And another thing, when Desirée came and asked, Ash agreed, I mean, it is her mother, but just now she told me she wants to call the whole thing off.”
“What?” Tatiana shrieked. “You’re together without me for one week! One week! And you’ve let it come to this?” Tatiana ran her hand through her hair. “Oh, the poor thing. She must have wedding jitters.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yes, being a mom!” She gestured to Nicole. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t come find me!”
I backpedaled, hands up. “I know, and that’s why I haven’t bothered you. It’s been a little crazy for me, too.”
Nicole gave me an evil smile and for a moment I saw Azor. Chills ran up my spine.
“Crazy? This was worth bothering me for!” Tatchi hit me with her tail, spinning me sideways before she darted off to the Tahoe Gate.
Wait.
Nicole looked over my sister’s shoulder, and sirened again, freezing me in the current.
Stop her from doing that will you ?
Can’t you see she’s just a merling ?
Merling? She’s a terror. My eyes rolled backward in my head. Thankfully, Ash and I had thought to use protection when we made love. I couldn’t deal with this.
By the time I’d recovered, Tatiana had already disappeared through the gate. I followed behind slowly, taking my time. We needed my sister, yes, but bringing a merling into the public was asking for trouble.
I cleared the gate, but Tatchi was chasing after Nicole.
“You get back here,” she said.
The giggling merling zipped past me, dark hair flying behind her.
Fin! Tatch whined in my head. Help me .
Why did you bring her with you ? I mind-talked but still kept my distance.
Because, she cries when I leave her .
Nicole zipped by again, waggling her tongue out of her mouth like a dog.
And you think you’ll be able to plan a wedding ?
Shut-up and help , she yelled in my head.
Nicole turned, then swam right for me, arms wide, and as soon as I reached for her, she sirened.
I doubled over, grabbing my ears, groaning.
“Caught ya!” Tatch said.
Nicole yelped, then giggled some more. The two turned in a circular hug of bubbles.
Good thing she’s not a boy , I said, meaning to say it to myself.
Tatch frowned. After everything, I can’t believe you’d say that!
“No, I… ugh.” Clearly, I wasn’t winning any contests today. “Just the tail barb issue. He’d cut you to ribbons. I’m not trying to start a fight. I just need you to talk to Ash.”
She landed a glare on me, and Nicole opened her mouth like she was going to siren again.
“Please.” I moved backward in the current, wanting to distance myself from the merling’s vocal chords. “I can bring Ash to you.”
“No.” Tatchi sculled forward with her free hand. “Get Mom. And… where are you “staying” while Dad fixes the house, by the way?”
“Dad got a houseboat.”
Tatch’s eyes brightened. “Oh, that’s perfect.”
She swam ahead and I hung back, terrified of Nicole’s vicious lungs.
When I surfaced by the houseboat, I could see Mom holding Nicole.
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