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Authors: Shana Norris
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all sides, all directions. If I let myself go, I started to turn in a dizzying pattern. I panted as I struggled to get out of the swirling water.
“Dylan!” I called out. I didn’t know if he could hear me, but I didn’t have time to wait for a rescue that might not come.
I arced down into the water. The current was even stronger below and even more confusing as it pushed first one way and then another. I let myself drift with the water instead of fighting it, surrendering to the violent current.
When the current pushed me to the left, I waited as long as I dared and then torpedoed out of the stream, flicking my tail fin hard and pumping my arms. I swam as far and as hard as I could, until finally my fingers brushed sand.
I panted as I grabbed the beach towel I had left on shore and began drying myself in the cold wind. “Thanks for the help,” I muttered.
Dylan rolled his eyes. “You won’t drown,” he reminded me. “So you weren’t in that much trouble.”
“What was that anyway?” I asked.
“It looked like a whirlpool.”
“You ever seen one this close to the island?”
“No,” Dylan said, frowning as he looked back at the water.
“We should tell the others,” I said. “So they’ll know to stay away from it.”
“Maybe if we’re lucky these finfolk will be caught up in it,” Dylan said.
I shook water out of my ears. “Maybe. We don’t have any other options right now.”
Dylan’s expression hardened. “If these people are as dangerous as you say they are, then we maybe we should take more extreme measures.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Like what?”
“We have one of them here already,” Dylan said, his eyes narrowed. “Why don’t we find ways to make him talk? Tell us what he knows?”
“Callum?” I shook my head. “I told you, Callum isn’t helping Domnall. He’s on our side. He doesn’t know any more than we do.”
Dylan laughed, a short harsh sound. “That’s what you think right now. But how well do you really know this guy? He willingly took you and Sailor straight into danger. If he knew how bad these finfolk were, why did he even take you to them? He risked your lives, and you’re lucky you got out.”
“He took us there because we asked him to,” I said. “Callum has helped us the whole time. He warned us not to let them know we were part human. He warned us not to trust them. He’s on our side.”
“No one is ever on the side you think they are,” Dylan said. He glared at me, then turned toward the trees.
I got dressed and then followed him down the narrow path through the trees, back to civilization. We walked in silence for a while, both of us keeping our distance from each other.
“So what’s your real problem with Callum?” I asked finally.
Dylan’s head whipped toward me, his light blue eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you distrust Callum because he’s from Hether Blether, or because Sailor likes him?”
Dylan’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything.
“Sailor has been in love with you for years,” I said. “It’s funny that now that she’s found someone else, you get all jealous.”
Dylan stopped, whirling around to face me. “I am not jealous of that creep. Sailor is my friend. I still feel the same way about her that I always have. But I don’t like him . I don’t see any reason I should believe he’s not just like the rest of his people.”
“What is it then?” I asked. “You’re acting like you want to beat the hell out of him.”
“I’d like to beat the hell out of someone around here all right, and not just Callum.” Dylan sneered at me before turning and walking down the road.
I laughed. “Me? Go ahead then. You’ve waited this long to do it, get it out. I’m sorry if you think I stole Mara from you, but as far as I know, she’s free to like anyone she wants. It just didn’t turn out to be you.”
Dylan kicked at a crushed can on the street. “Yeah, too bad she has
“Dylan!” I called out. I didn’t know if he could hear me, but I didn’t have time to wait for a rescue that might not come.
I arced down into the water. The current was even stronger below and even more confusing as it pushed first one way and then another. I let myself drift with the water instead of fighting it, surrendering to the violent current.
When the current pushed me to the left, I waited as long as I dared and then torpedoed out of the stream, flicking my tail fin hard and pumping my arms. I swam as far and as hard as I could, until finally my fingers brushed sand.
I panted as I grabbed the beach towel I had left on shore and began drying myself in the cold wind. “Thanks for the help,” I muttered.
Dylan rolled his eyes. “You won’t drown,” he reminded me. “So you weren’t in that much trouble.”
“What was that anyway?” I asked.
“It looked like a whirlpool.”
“You ever seen one this close to the island?”
“No,” Dylan said, frowning as he looked back at the water.
“We should tell the others,” I said. “So they’ll know to stay away from it.”
“Maybe if we’re lucky these finfolk will be caught up in it,” Dylan said.
I shook water out of my ears. “Maybe. We don’t have any other options right now.”
Dylan’s expression hardened. “If these people are as dangerous as you say they are, then we maybe we should take more extreme measures.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Like what?”
“We have one of them here already,” Dylan said, his eyes narrowed. “Why don’t we find ways to make him talk? Tell us what he knows?”
“Callum?” I shook my head. “I told you, Callum isn’t helping Domnall. He’s on our side. He doesn’t know any more than we do.”
Dylan laughed, a short harsh sound. “That’s what you think right now. But how well do you really know this guy? He willingly took you and Sailor straight into danger. If he knew how bad these finfolk were, why did he even take you to them? He risked your lives, and you’re lucky you got out.”
“He took us there because we asked him to,” I said. “Callum has helped us the whole time. He warned us not to let them know we were part human. He warned us not to trust them. He’s on our side.”
“No one is ever on the side you think they are,” Dylan said. He glared at me, then turned toward the trees.
I got dressed and then followed him down the narrow path through the trees, back to civilization. We walked in silence for a while, both of us keeping our distance from each other.
“So what’s your real problem with Callum?” I asked finally.
Dylan’s head whipped toward me, his light blue eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you distrust Callum because he’s from Hether Blether, or because Sailor likes him?”
Dylan’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything.
“Sailor has been in love with you for years,” I said. “It’s funny that now that she’s found someone else, you get all jealous.”
Dylan stopped, whirling around to face me. “I am not jealous of that creep. Sailor is my friend. I still feel the same way about her that I always have. But I don’t like him . I don’t see any reason I should believe he’s not just like the rest of his people.”
“What is it then?” I asked. “You’re acting like you want to beat the hell out of him.”
“I’d like to beat the hell out of someone around here all right, and not just Callum.” Dylan sneered at me before turning and walking down the road.
I laughed. “Me? Go ahead then. You’ve waited this long to do it, get it out. I’m sorry if you think I stole Mara from you, but as far as I know, she’s free to like anyone she wants. It just didn’t turn out to be you.”
Dylan kicked at a crushed can on the street. “Yeah, too bad she has
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