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  She paused, her eyes taking in my new husband and me. “And for heaven’s sake,” she added, “I wanted to be there when you got married! Don’t think you’re getting out of it! When the boys return, we’re having a proper darn wedding!”

  That relieved the tension in the room. Tammer rolled his eyes.

  “I’d like to speak with Thayde and Morgan alone. I guess I should have done all this before you two went off together...” His voice trailed off.

  Kissing him on the cheek, Mom left with Tiesa and Ezen close behind.

  Tammer waved his hand to the sofa. “Sit.”

  We obeyed and sat, our sides glued together. Tammer eyed my wedding ring.

  “Nice ring.” He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Ok, let’s get this over with. When you were in the hospital, I told you both I wanted to go over a few things. The first one was to wait to get married. That’s been blown out of the water. The second was to treat each other better than you would treat yourselves. Now that you’re completely linked to each other, if you in any way act carelessly, you will reap the effect three times over.”

  “Meaning?” I interrupted.

  “He’s saying that if we were to be cruel to each other, the both of us would endure the pain three times more,” Thayde explained.

  “Cording and linking are huge matters. Not every mermaid and merman are able to cord. It doesn’t happen every day. A lot of times, they never meet the one they can cord with.”

  “Is there anything else you wanted to say to us?” I was irritated with Tammer. He was treating me like a child. “You guys are leaving in what, a few hours? I don’t want the entire time to be spent being yelled at.”

  Thayde squeezed my knee in alarm, but I held my ground. Tammer was not going to ruin our first day together as a married couple. It was already going to be ruined by Thayde leaving.

  “Do you know anything about unicorns?” Tammer’s question couldn’t have been stranger. It was such a huge shift in the conversation that it completely threw me off guard.

  “No,” I began, “just that they’re not real.” Thayde stifled a smile.

  “They most certainly were,” Tammer’s voice rose slightly, “until their secret was found out. Man hunted them into near oblivion for their horns. Their horns were magical and highly prized.”

  “Okay,” I didn’t understand what he was getting at.

  “Desperate to evade man, the unicorns ran to the sea. Our leader at the time took pity on them, transforming them. Today, you know them as Narwhals.” He paused, searching my face for understanding. “We don’t have anyone to save us like that, Morgan. I can’t begin to express the necessity of absolute silence when it comes to your powers. If you’re found out by the humans, it will be the end. It will be up to you to protect and safeguard all the merpeople. Do you understand? Don’t take your powers for granted and don’t abuse them.”

  “I think Morgan understands, Tammer.” Thayde interrupted the silence. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready?” I asked, “Ready for what?”

  Thayde’s face said it all: they were leaving.

  “No! I thought we had a few more hours!” I stood in alarm.

  “Our escorts are waiting in the harbor for us,” Tammer said.

  “Escorts?”

  “Yanix, Tobar, Sarraf, and Willow.”

  “Your horses?” I was incredulous.

  Tammer stood. “We’d better get going.”

  The dock swayed uneasily beneath our feet. Thayde, Tammer and Ezen had stripped down to their shorts and stood facing us, their backs to the setting sun, the fading light silhouetting their bodies. It was the last time I was going to see Thayde and my heart was tearing in two.

  Tiesa and Ezen embraced. Tammer and Mom held hands and looked into each other’s eyes. I wanted to grab Thayde and never let him go. He pulled me close, pressing my head against his chest. His heart beat ferociously.

  “Remember, you’re my love,” he said in a quiet voice.

  I clung to him, squeezing as tightly as I could. “I don’t want you to go,”

  “I know,”

  “Please be careful,” I sniffed, not knowing what else to say. Somehow, crying ‘you’re going to die’ didn’t seem like the best thing to say at that moment. Suddenly, I remembered the necklace I’d bought for him. Digging into my pocket, I fished it out and placed it into his hand.

  “What’s this?” He asked.

  “It’s called a Chi Rho. It’s supposed to protect you.”

  “Oh baby,” he tied it around his neck and leaned forward to kiss me.

  I circled my arms around his neck and, as we kissed, I memorized his soft lips, his smell, the perfect way he held me, the warmth of his skin.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

  I nodded, unable to speak for fear that if I opened my mouth, I’d scream.

  A happy squeak sounded behind us and when I looked around Thayde, there were four strange looking dolphins bobbing in the water.

  Tammer kissed Mom and called to the biggest one. “Yanix,”

  My confused look prompted Thayde. “Tammer’s horses – they turn into pilot whales. They protect Tammer when he goes out into the ocean on trips. They’re going with us.”

  Ezen dove into the water, phasing as he surfaced. Tammer followed. Thayde held my hand as long as he could, as he pulled away. Stepping backward off the dock, he disappeared beneath the waves. Moments later, he surfaced close to the smallest black whale. Taking its dorsal fin in his hand, he smiled encouragingly at me. Slowly, they pulled away.

  I felt on the verge of a panic attack. I dropped to my knees, clinging to the edge of the dock. Mom and Tiesa waved goodbye, glancing back at me nervously. What had I forgotten? Something was nagging at me. Then I realized I hadn’t told him I loved him.

  I heard Mom shout as I threw myself into the water, but it was pointless. I had to tell Thayde. If I didn’t, I’d hate myself for the rest of my life. I swam in his direction with all I had. When he realized what I had done, he let go of the little whale and made his way toward me.

  “Thayde!” I cried as I swam, “Thayde, I love you. I love you!”

  He reached me in seconds and I clung to him, sobbing and confessing my love. We sank below the water as he kissed my face. I kissed him back and let every inch of my body imprint his touch and energy.

  When he pulled away, I could see he was suffering as much as I was.

  “I’ve got to go, Morgan.” He mumbled.

  “I want you to know you’re my life. Please come back to me,” I cried.

  “I will,” he said and pulled me to the surface. The others were waiting and I allowed Thayde to pull away from me once again. I watched them until they slipped below the water. The heaviness that gripped my heart was a sludgy black tar enveloping my golden light.

  Chapter Eight

  Idaho

  I’d forgotten how clean and sweet the Idaho air smelled. In the forests, the strong smell of pine sap mingled with the fragrance of healthy soil and rainbow of wild flowers. I lay on my back looking through the tamarack trees to the vivid blue sky. Chipmunks scurried along the branches angrily informing each other a stranger was among them. Closing my eyes, I listened. Listened to the wind move through the trees, making their leaves shuffle against each other. Listened to the water from the lake lap against its silver shore. Listened to the hawks cry as they circled above the trees. I was home.

  That brief feeling of peace was a Godsend. It had been three days since Thayde and the others had left and my heart was an empty casket. The feelings of deep depression and loneliness haunted me. For a few moments, concentrating on being one with my surroundings brought an immense feeling of relief. Digging my fingers into the earth, I reminisced about the previous days.

  The day the guys left, Mom and I packed our things and booked tickets for the next morning flight to Boise. She also arranged for my little sister, Naira, and her nanny Shirley, to meet us there. Tiesa re
turned to Vero Beach to finish her last year of high school.

  I barely remember the flight to Idaho – just that I wrapped myself in a blanket and slept most of the way. Occasionally, an overly perky flight attendant woke me but after a few sarcastic smiles, she left me alone. We rented an SUV and drove the two hours north to McCall where our house on the lake waited for us. I have to give Mom credit – any time something needs to be done, she does it right then and there.

  The large cabin-like house was nestled on the edge of the lake. Complete with dark green roof and walls made entirely of rounded trees, the house blended in with the pine trees surrounding it. Moss laden rocks formed a stairway from the patio down to a silver beach complete with its own private dock. Large boulders flanked the house’s left side while the massive mountains towered over it to the right. Everywhere they could, an array of wildflowers grew.

  The inside was just as grand as the outside. Soft silky rugs covered the dark wooden floors. A small library stuffed with old books, a large chaise longue, and heavy wooden table and chair occupied the west side of the house. The library led into a comfortable living room with a 72- inch flat screen television above its large stone fireplace. As it was summer, a huge bouquet of fresh flowers sat in the fireplace instead of wood.

  The dining room had a fantastic view of the lake through the tall trees growing around the house. A wide pass-through gave access from the kitchen to the dining-room. A small bathroom and the laundry room completed the first floor. All of the bedrooms were on the second floor.

  The moment I saw Naira, I couldn’t contain my shock; no one had mentioned anything about her growth spurts. Though she had always grown quickly, the speed with which she had begun to grow was alarming. She looked much older than just three years old. When I hugged my little sister, my mouth dropped open at Mom and she smiled gingerly at me as if to say ‘I don’t know what to do about it’. It was freaky.

  Naira and Mom quickly decided to share a room together – one which had a bunk bed. Naira’s squeals’ of delight would be heard at all hours of the day. Mom reveled in her innocence. I think she was trying to hold onto it as long as she could.

  I chose a smaller room with a full-sized bed and spent the entire day and night in its soft covers, dreaming nothing. I’d have preferred to have slept the entire time Thayde and the guys were away and woke up when they returned. It would have been nice, but it wasn’t going to happen.

  In the early morning, I dragged myself from the warm covers, pulled on some sweats, and walked out the front door into the crisp, cool air. Idaho always had crisp mornings. I’d never grown used to the humidity of Florida. It always made me feel like I couldn’t get a proper breath of fresh air.

  Making my way along the drive, I was soon stopped by a sharp curve that would have made me start walking uphill. I opted out of that and pushed my way through some huckleberry bushes. A short while later, I found the perfect place – a small opening in the trees a few yards from the lake. It was here I vowed I’d come every morning to center myself and try to find some semblance of peace.

  After a long, tranquil moment, I sensed movement and opened my eyes. A beautiful lady clothed in layers of long green material was making her way toward me. I watched her tiptoe barefoot around the ferns, careful not to break them. Her shiny black hair fell like a waterfall to her hips.

  Reaching me, she gathered her dress and knelt.

  “You’re Aletheia,” I said.

  Holding my gaze, she nodded. After a brief moment, I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. The peace I felt was still very much present and I didn’t want it to go away, but it didn’t take long before my curiosity got the better of me.

  “Does my mom know you’re here?” I asked.

  “She does.” Aletheia’s voice was soft, barely audible. I opened my eyes and frowned slightly.

  “Does Tammer?”

  “He does.”

  “Have you heard anything from them?”

  “I have.”

  “And?”

  “They are aware I have accepted the job of teaching you the ways.”

  “How are they? Are they all right? Have they found Limus? Where are they?” The questions streamed from me in a jumbled mess. She simply smiled.

  “They are fine.”

  If she was going to be this evasive the whole time, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stand it. Sucking in air, I tried not to let my anger boil. I started over and held out my hand.

  “Morgan.”

  She cocked her head, watching me with intense violet eyes. Her cool hand made me shudder as she took mine.

  “You are able to center and calm yourself.”

  “Not really, this is the first time I’ve been able to control myself at all.”

  She released my hand and looked at her palm. A slight smile spread across her face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Your aura is gold as well.”

  “My aura?”

  “The light that surrounds you. Everyone’s aura is unique. You leave your aura behind you.” Her strangely colored eyes bore through me. “We’ll have to work on that.”

  I felt as if I’d crossed into the realm of mystics or something. Hesitating, I decided to be completely honest with her.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know why Troen chose me. I think I’m too young for this.”

  “That,” her voice rose slightly, “is why you are having the problems you’re having.”

  “Problems?”

  “You feel completely out of control and on the verge of slipping into the blackness of the evil you feel in your heart.”

  Holy cow.

  She continued. “It is because you doubt yourself. Troen didn’t choose you. You were chosen years before your parents were even born. The line does not make The Link until it is time.”

  “I don’t understand how I could be The Link,” I interrupted. “The Link has to come from pure lines. My mom said she’s got Halflings and Humans in her line!”

  Aletheia looked amused. “What do you think a link is?”

  I thought for a moment. I knew what merpeople thought it was.

  “How do you think the dictionary defines a link?” She rephrased.

  “To join something?”

  “Yes,” she began, “it is a means of connection. It is a channel for communication between groups. In order to be The Link, you must have blood from both channels in you. You cannot be pure blooded.”

  That took me by surprise. I’d always assumed The Link would be this perfect being from pure blood and the oldest of the merfamilies. When I didn’t answer, she continued.

  “Troen and Calipsor were not pure and were better able to mingle with humans and understand them. This is imperative for our survival. I met with Troen after you were blessed. He told me the moment he met you, he knew you were The Link and that your time to be blessed was at hand.”

  “How?”

  “When he touched your hand, he read your thoughts, felt your feelings and instantly read your blood lines. It is similar to a computer download and that only happens with The Link.”

  This was all very deep. My brain felt as if it was floating on water.

  “I have a lot to teach you.” As she stood, her dress gracefully fell to the forest floor. “We don’t have very long to do this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She looked down at me, a kind expression on her face. “Thayde believes he can kill his father. He cannot. It will be you who has to do it.”

  “Me?” A bolt of shock flew through me. “I can’t kill anyone!”

  “If you wish to stop this, you will have to.”

  “This is foul.” Mom wasn’t enjoying her lunch at all. “I don’t know how you can eat that.”

  “Hmm...” I mumbled, my mouth full. Idaho wasn’t a big importer of seaweed and Mom was missing it. She eyed the teriyaki chicken sandwich I held tightly in my hands and winced as I took another bite.

 
“Doesn’t it make you feel sick at all?”

  “Nope,” I licked the juice running down my wrist.

  “Ugh,” she looked away. “I hope the boys get back soon so we can return to Florida.”

  We’d been stuck in the house for five days while Aletheia taught me some of our ways. By the fifth day, I insisted we get out. The suggestion of lunch was met with a lot of enthusiasm, but now, as Mom realized that Idaho food was quite a bit different from Florida food, she seemed anxious to get back.

  Oddly enough, Naira insisted on staying at the cabin with Shirley, saying she wanted to swim in the lake and play in the sand. She enjoyed the water far more than I, and like Tammer, was constantly in it.

  I eyed Aletheia who sat demurely in a heavy wooden chair across the table from us. She was picking through a spinach salad and ignoring the looks from the men at the adjacent table.

  I looked straight at them and nearly laughed. It was painfully obvious they were overcome with the beauty sitting around me. With Aletheia’s dark hair and striking eyes and Mom’s blonde hair and honey colored skin, it was like sitting between a couple of models.

  The men talked among themselves, daring each other to go over and talk to us. The handsome Egyptian man was commenting on how beautifully Mom’s necklace fell just above her cleavage. His friend, a tall blonde man who could pass as a Viking in the movies, commented on Aletheia’s gorgeous eyes and shiny hair. The third, a younger man who was obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation, dropped his eyes when I looked at him.

  “Men!” I exclaimed.

  “You’d better get used to it Morgan,” Mom picked up a purple lettuce leaf and pointed at me with it. “You’ve got a few lifetimes to master the subtle art of ignoring their gaping mouths.”

  I laughed. “They’re talking about you.”

  Aletheia’s eyes darted to me. “How do you know?”

  “I can hear them!”

  Their startled looks made me doubt myself.

  “Can’t you?”

  Both of them looked over to the guys’ table, and I realized it was pretty far away – a good thirty feet from us. Both men looked back with hopeful looks.