Breathless (18 page)

Especial y when he told me that his kind didn’t touch.

“Um, okay.” Morgan squeezed his hand and dropped it like it burned. She turned to me and whispered, “He’s your
merman
?”

I gave her a weak smile.

Morgan looked from me to Bastin to back at me. “This is insane. I must stil be dreaming.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in.” I clasped both of her hands and squeezed. “But you can’t say anything about Bastin to anyone. Please. Promise me.”

Morgan opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, a new voice spoke out from the shadows at the back of the property. “She doesn’t have to. Because I promise that if either of you says anything, I wil kil you both.”

It was as if ice water had been dumped inside my veins. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Luna.” Bastin didn’t sound happy.

She stepped out of the shadows and regarded us with a sneer, then shook her head, causing waves of midnight-blue curls to spil over her shoulders. “My prince, you are in a world of trouble.”

His shoulders tightened. “Am I?”

She walked up to us, clothed in an oversized dirty shirt. The fabric, tattered around the hem, was barely long enough to cover the important bits.

“I’ve searched the entire ocean over for you. I never dreamed you were exposing our kind to the parasites on this dung heap they cal land. The king is not going to be happy when he hears about this.”

Bastin clenched his fists at his side. “Then I have nothing to worry about, because the king won’t find out about my visits to the surface.”

Luna closed the distance between us and crossed her arms. “And why’s that?”

His hands swung up, reaching, but I stepped between the two mers before they could col ide. “Are you two crazy?”

Luna jerked her head toward me and hissed.

Bastin tried to reach for Luna over my outstretched arms. “If you so much as touch her, Luna, I swear—”

“Stop it!” I took his hand in my own and he relaxed his stance. “If you keep this up, you’re going to wake Morgan’s parents. I can’t risk any more people finding out about you.”

The two mers regarded each other silently, as if unsure how to proceed.

“Come on, you guys,” I pleaded. “Can’t you save the fight for the water?”

Luna’s eyes didn’t leave Bastin. “I’l make a deal with you. I won’t say a word to the king about your land excursions, providing you return to the water with me right now. And never come back.”

I swayed on my feet, as her words stabbed my heart. He was going to leave me. Again.

As if reading my mind, Bastin tightened his hold on my hand. “I can’t do that.”

Luna’s eyes grew impossibly wide and I knew mine looked much the same. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve tried, Luna.” Bastin turned away from her so that he stared down at me. “What have you done to me, Edith?” He took both of my hands in his, pleading. “Why can’t I leave you?”

“Are you il ?” Luna grabbed him by the shoulder and wrenched him around before I could respond. “Or perhaps just crazy? Don’t you know the dangers of venturing into the surface world? You could pick up a disease, or worse, get caught.”

“I know the risks and I don’t care.”

Luna hissed, only this time it was more frustrated than angry. “Bastin, I wil take you under by force if I have to. As a member of the King’s Guard, it’s my duty to maintain your safety and the safety of our people. You endanger us al with this . . .” she waved her hand in the air as she searched for a word, then said, “liaison.”

Bastin straightened himself to every inch of his six-foot-plus frame. “I’d like to see you try.”

Luna appeared to weigh her options.

“Besides,” Bastin said, “if you’re so worried about my safety, stay with me. Then you can see what real y happens on the surface—you can meet some humans instead of condemn them from a distance.”

Luna scoffed and threw her hands in the air. “I don’t need to meet them. They’re al murdering parasites. Their trash and their oil infect our home.

Their military sonar inhibits our ability to find food and is a never-ending source of my migraines.” She dropped her hands and lowered her voice, as if suddenly afraid someone might overhear. “Have you even considered what would happen if the other tribes found out the heir to the Aridonian throne has gone insane? Your fondness of humans doesn’t just make you weak, Bastin; it makes
all
of us weak. We’l be under attack as soon as the word spreads.”

He shook his head. “Stop being dramatic, Luna. I’m not insane, in fact, the opposite. I’m figuring things out myself for the first time in my life.”

“This is al
your
fault.” Luna locked eyes with me and closed the distance between us in a matter of seconds. She smel ed nothing like Bastin.

Gone was the scent of salt and surf, overpowered by the stench of fish and blood. Her eyes narrowed into black slits. “I’d sooner kil you than al ow you to manipulate our future king.”

She reached for me. But before her claw-like nails could graze my neck, Bastin moved like a blur, shoving her to the ground. “You wil not harm her!” He stood over Luna, his chest heaving, clenching and unclenching his fists. Anger spil ed from him in hot waves and, at that moment, I had my first glimpse of the prince he claimed to be. “I swear to you, Luna, if you so much as touch Edith, I wil see to it that you do not make it back to the water before sunrise. You can shrivel and die on the land that you hate so much.”

She blinked several times. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would.”

Luna brought her hands to her throat as if the burning in her lungs had already begun.

“Edith.” There was a tug on my sleeve and I turned to find Morgan had moved beside me. With everything that had happened, I completely forgot about her. She stared at the mers with unblinking eyes. “I have a question.”

I nodded, even though I knew there wouldn’t be an answer—at least not one that I understood.

“Just tel me,” Morgan began, “am I real y seeing what I think I’m seeing? Are there two mermaids about to throw-down in my backyard?”

Actual y, that seemed to sum it up nicely. I nodded.

“This is the best day ever!” she squealed, clapping her hands together.

Bastin and Luna seemed to forget about their staring contest, as they turned their attention to Morgan.

“Seriously,” Morgan continued. “This is the most awesome thing that’s ever happened to me. Look at you guys with your shiny hair and wicked eyes. You’re real!”

The mers blinked.

“Wow.” Morgan shuddered. “That über-fast-blink thing you do with your eyes is a little disturbing.”

Bastin looked at me but I could only shrug.

“Anyway, here’s the deal.” Morgan pointed to a window at the edge of the house. “That’s my dad’s room. If you guys keep it up, you’re going to wake him and that would be a bad thing. So, if you want to hang out for a bit, you can come inside. My room is on the opposite end of the house and my parents won’t be able to hear a thing.”

“Luna?” It may have been a question, but the tone of Bastin’s voice didn’t leave room for argument.

Luna dropped her arms to her side but her hands remained fists. “Absolutely, my prince. Let’s go inside the human’s filthy den. Whatever you want.” As she brushed past me she mumbled, “Consorting with humans. This can only end badly.”

Yeah,
I thought, holding Bastin’s hand as we fol owed Morgan inside.
Tell me something I don’t know.

The four of us marched, single-file, down the hal to Morgan’s room. The soft pad of our bare feet on the marble tile was another sign that this wasn’t a dream. Even though I’d been reluctant to share Bastin with anyone else, now that Morgan was involved it was almost a relief. The fact that another person could see the mers proved I wasn’t hal ucinating—that Bastin
was
real, something I couldn’t help but question every time we parted.

He slid his arm around my waist, dissolving the tension that had built to muscle-aching levels inside me. I wanted nothing more that to fold myself against his body, to fal into the world that was just the two of us.

Morgan ushered us inside her room and shut the door. She pul ed a cigarette lighter out of a desk drawer and began to light the dozens of votive candles strategical y placed around her room. Afterward, she turned her stereo on low and flopped down on the floor, motioning for us to do the same.

Luna dropped to the ground, grunting. Bastin ignored her, pul ing me onto his lap and wrapping his arms around me.

Morgan, who’d been watching, wriggled her eyebrows. “
Just friends,
eh Smal s?”

My cheeks burned.

“What do you mean?” Bastin asked. “Is there something better than friends?”

“Oh, sure.” Morgan flashed a sly grin. “FWB. Friends with benefits.” She giggled.

The burning in my cheeks spread from to my neck and the tips of my ears as I silently pleaded with her to stop.

“I’ve never heard that expression. What does it mean?” Bastin asked.

Morgan looked at me and must have seen the desperation in my eyes because she waved her hand in the air. “Nothing. Never mind.” She winked at me before turning her attention to Luna, stil sulking in the corner. “I absolutely adore your hair.”

“Why?” Luna pul ed a strand of her blue hair in front to her face and examined it. “It’s a common color.”

“Not here.” Morgan ducked her head, al owing several black and pink dreads to spil across her face. “I have to dye mine to get it this color.”

“It is more desirable to have hair like Bastin,” Luna said, pointing at him. “Only those with royal blood have silver hair. That’s how we know he’s the heir to the throne.” She said the last part like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

“That’s cool,” Morgan said. “I’d love to hear al about your culture and stuff.”

Luna glared at her.

“Right.” Morgan jumped to her feet. “Where are my manners? I’m being a terrible hostess. Do you guys want something to eat?” She walked to her desk, opened another drawer and examined the contents. “I have Doritos, gum, or—” she withdrew her hand and inspected the package in her hand. “Sour straws!”

Both Bastin and Luna held out their hands and Morgan placed several pieces of the sugary-sour candy into their palms before sitting next to Luna.

Luna eyed Morgan as she shoved al the candy into her mouth, smacking her lips as she chewed. “Why are you sitting so close to me?”

“It’s what humans do,” Bastin said. “They like to touch and be close. It’s wonderful.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Luna said after swal owing. “This food is disgusting, by the way.” Stil , she held her hand out for more.

Unfazed, Morgan scooted closer and handed her the bag. “I was wondering . . .”

Luna shoved more candy in her mouth. “Yes?”

“How are you able to transform your tails into legs?”

“Because of the moon,” Bastin answered. “We’re ruled by it. When the moon is out, we can trade our tails for legs if we want. But we need to be back in the water before sunrise, otherwise we’d suffocate as would any fish trapped on land.”

“It doesn’t happen often,” Luna said. “
Most of us
,” she glared at Bastin, “hate taking human form.” She wiggled her toes and shivered.

“Disgusting.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Morgan inched closer to her. “I think they’re kinda cute.”

Luna’s face remained blank, oblivious. But I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread come over me. Of al of the people in the world to flirt with, why had Morgan picked Luna? An actual shark would have been friendlier.

“It’s so sad that you can’t be out during the day,” Morgan said. “There are so many things I’d love to show you.”

“We can,” Bastin said. “Once a month.”

“What?” I looked up at him. This was news to me. “How?”

“The three days of the ful moon,” he answered. “That’s the only time the moon is strong enough to al ow us to walk under the sun.”

Morgan stood and grabbed her school planner off her desk. “The ful moon is next weekend!” She hopped up and down. “What do you guys want to do?”

“Stay in the water,” Luna said.

“No way!” Morgan tossed the calendar on her desk and flopped next to Luna. “You’l have legs for three days straight. We have to use that time to do something epic!” She clicked her tongue ring against her teeth as she thought.

“Morgan,” I said. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I couldn’t imagine Bastin, even with legs, being able to go unnoticed among humans.

Even ful y clothed, there was no way of altering his silver hair or black eyes.

“Don’t you start, Negative Nancy.” She silenced me with a wave of her hand. Then, “I got it! This is the best idea ever. Are you guys ready?”

We stared at her.

She rol ed her eyes. “Whatever. Here it is . . . the greatest idea ever . . . you guys are gonna freak.”

I sighed. “Wel ?”

“Disney World.”

She was right. I did freak—but not in a good way. “No, Morgan. There’s no way that would work.”

“What’s Disney World?” Bastin asked.

Morgan ignored me. “It’s an amusement park with rides and rol er coasters. You guys have to go. You’l love it!”

“Morgan,” I said. “We can’t go to Disney World. It’s six hours away. There’s no way we could take them that far from the ocean. Besides, they don’t exactly blend in.”

“I could drive us. My mom and dad have a timeshare. We could stay for the weekend.” She continued to click her tongue ring, then snapped her fingers. “They could wear disguises! Al we’d need are some wigs and dark sunglasses.”

“But could you survive out of the ocean for that long?” I asked Bastin.

He nodded. “Yes. As long as we had enough water to drink.”

Luna’s mouth dropped. “You can’t possibly be considering this, Bastin. You’ve done some stupid things—”

Bastin cut her off. “We’re going.”

Morgan squealed and clapped her hands.

“You sound like a porpoise,” Luna grumbled.

Morgan only smiled and nudged her. “I was wondering something else, too.”