Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels (13 page)

This
is
the
first
I've heard about it,
Luke answered.

Hello!
Serena called out.
Have
you
seen
two
mers
go
through
here? Their names are Finalin and Medora.

Another face appeared in the porthole. This one was of a man who looked oddly familiar. Could it be Alzear, Reese and Luke's uncle? It sure looked like him. Why would he be this far north? But no. Alzear had been captured and imprisoned in Talisman Lake. The merman and mermaid talked for a moment in low rings, then turned to us.

They
were
here,
the merman called out.
Long
enough
to
rest
and
eat.
They
told
us
of
their
plan
to
overthrow
the
Mermish
Council
and
wanted
us
to
join
them.

Yes!
Serena cried.
That
was
them.

What
do
you
know
of
this
plan?
the mermaid asked.

Serena quickly explained about the mer revolution and how Tidal Law was forcing Webbed Ones back into the ocean.

Webbed
Ones, you say?
The mermaid put a hand to her mouth and stared at us.

This
has
gone
on
too
long,
the merman muttered as he placed his hand on the mermaid's shoulder and then looked back toward us.
The
Mermish
Council
must
be
stopped.

If
you
believe
that, why didn't you go with my mother and father to help them?
Serena asked.

The mermaid stroked her daughter's hair again. The merman drew her close.

We
were
banished
from
the
mer
village
when
we
lost
our
baby
son
a
long
time
ago,
the merman rang.
The
Mermish
Council
couldn't risk anyone finding out our secret—that our son had become a Webbed One.

Luke's hand tightened around mine.

We've already lost one child.
The mermaid drew her daughter closer.
We
can't risk losing another.

Luke's hand was seriously threatening to crush my finger bones to rubble.

What's the matter?
I asked. But then, I looked in the merman's face and saw what Luke saw.

Luke turned to me, his face bright with happiness.

I
think
I
just
found
my
mer
family.

Luke approached the sunken ship as if in a trance. Serena and I trailed behind him at a distance.

Do
you
really
think
this
could
be
his
family?
I asked Serena. Luke had talked about his mer family a lot during the past few months. When his mom got sick and was in the hospital, she'd even told him he could try to find them once he turned fifteen.

Maybe,
Serena whispered in my ear as we swam.

As soon as we got close enough to the porthole, though, it was obvious. Bright light from the supermoon shone on the little girl's eyes. They were the same crystal blue as Luke's, framed with impossibly long lashes.

How
long
ago
did
your
son
become
a
Webbed
One?
Luke asked the mermaid and merman.
Would
he
be
about
my
age?

The mermaid let go of her daughter and swam up to meet Luke. She touched his T-shirt, which looked completely out of place compared to the unclothed mers, then she held her hands out and cupped Luke's face.
Penelopus?
she rang.

At least, it
sounded
like Penelopus, but my Mermish-to-English translation skills were still kind of rusty.

Well, everyone calls me Luke now
. Luke blinked a few times and his face broke into a smile.
But, yeah—I think so.

Luke.
The mermaid grasped him and pulled him into a hug.
My
son.

Come, Petra!
The merman swept the young mer-girl into his arms, then slipped out of the porthole and swam toward them.
Come
meet
your
brother.

I
have
a
sister?
Luke asked. He looked toward me and made my heart melt with the sweetness in his eyes. Petra reached out and felt Luke's short hair and pulled her hand back in surprise. Compared to their father's long, flowing hair, it looked pretty out of place. Then she reached out again and felt the cotton of his T-shirt.

Hi, Petra. I'm Luke,
he said with a quirky smile.
Do
you
like
my
shirt?
He pulled it off over his head and offered it to her.
Would
you
like
to
wear
it?

Petra nodded and smiled as her mother helped her put the shirt on. They weren't quite sure how to get her arms in the sleeves at first, which reminded me of Serena almost strangling herself with her bathing suit, but after a few minutes, Petra was swimming around showing off her new shirt.

It
tickles
when
I
swim!
she rang.

The next ten minutes were a flurry of rings as Luke and his mother and father, Pollinia and Portagus, caught up on all that had happened over the past almost fifteen years. Obviously, they were a family who really liked names starting with the letter P!

Apparently, Luke had washed up onto a beach during a hurricane (which we knew) when he was only about a month old (which we didn't know).

We
tried
for
days
to
get
to
you, but the small tidal pool where you were trapped was too far up the beach,
his mom, Pollinia, said, stroking Luke's hair.

By
the
third
day,
his father, Portagus, added,
a
human
discovered
you
with
your
legs
partially
formed. The human took you away.

That
must
have
been
Grandpa,
Luke whispered to me in a low ring.
What
would
have
happened
if
he
hadn't found me?

Good
thing
he
did,
I replied.

We
told
the
Mermish
Council
what
happened,
Pollinia continued.
That's when they sent us away and we were told we could never return. The Dame Council's sister told us secretly of this safe haven.
She waved toward the sunken ship.
It
had
belonged
to
her
grandmother. When we were driven from the village by the Council sentries, we ended up here. A few years later, Petra was born.

So
the
Mermish
Council
deported
you
so
you
wouldn't reveal the secret about Webbed Ones,
I said. Just like they were trying to do to Luke during his tribunal.

Not
just
us. We encountered several other families during our travels
.

It was then that I noticed a few more mers peeking out from some of the portholes.

The
Mermish
Council
is
so
evil,
Serena muttered.

Yeah, but—
I began. I couldn't help but think I wouldn't have Mom if the Mermish Council hadn't let her be a Webbed One.

No
buts!
Serena interrupted.
They
imprisoned
my
parents
and
blamed
them
for
murdering
the
old
Dame
Council!

And
threw
us
in
Talisman
Lake, too,
Luke reminded me.

Okay, okay—I know you're right. We can't keep letting the Mermish Council get away with this crap,
I finally said.

Crap?
Petra asked as she swam around me and studied my Elmo T-shirt.

Don't teach my sister bad words!
Luke laughed. He turned to his mother and father.
Jade
wants
to
fight
back. Me, too.

Me, too!
Serena agreed.

Pollinia whispered to Portagus. A dozen or so other mers slipped out of the portholes from the sunken ship and joined the discussion. I didn't catch everything they were saying, but it was obvious Polly and Porty were trying to decide whether they were going to risk joining us.

Okay. We've agreed to join in on the fight,
Portagus said.

What
about
Petra?
Pollinia stroked the mer-girl's hair.

Whatever
we
do, we must face it as a family. The Mermish Council has controlled our lives long enough. Do we have a plan?
Portagus asked.

I
think
our
best
bet
is
to
figure
out
a
way
to
get
as
many
mers
together
as
possible,
I suggested.
I
vote
we
swim
down
to
Port
Toulouse
canal
and
figure
out
a
way
to
free
the
Freshies
from
Talisman
Lake
and
go
from
there. One of us can stay behind with Petra to keep her safe.

I had my baby-sitter's course certification if they were looking for volunteers.

That
sounds
wise,
Portagus rang.
We
should
leave
as
soon
as
possible
so
we
can
travel
under
the
cover
of
darkness.

Hold
on
a
sec.
I looked around the water to get my bearings. How far away from the mouth of the channel had we swum? I'd gotten so turned around trying to find Luke and Serena. Then I caught a glimpse of the lighthouse beacon in the distance.
I
better
let
my
dad
know
what's going on.

I'll go with you,
Serena said.

• • •

We finally found the mouth of the channel, but the tide had gone out already so there wasn't enough water for us to swim back through. It killed me to think Dad was waiting back there, wondering what was going on.

“Dad!” My face broke the surface of the water and I called out into the night. I tried three or four times before he answered.

“Jade!” I heard his voice call out in the distance. “What's going on?”

“We're all fine! Luke found his birth parents but we can't get back through the channel.” I dove back under water to catch my breath.

“Come back!” Dad called after a few minutes.

“I said I can't!” I called again. Meanwhile, Serena pulled at my arm underwater.

We
need
to
go,
she urged.
Mother
and
Father
could
be
miles
from
here
by
now.

With no way to get to Dad and no way to make him understand what was going on, I had no choice. I dove back underwater and joined Serena, Luke, and his mer family as they began the long trek south to attempt to overthrow the Mermish Council once and for all.

• • •

It took us at least four hours to swim the eight or so miles from the northern passage of Talisman Lake to the coast off Port Toulouse. The moon was still quite high in the sky and bright enough to light our way. Along the way, we got to know the other mers who had been banished by the Mermish Council.

To our surprise, two of them were Coach Laurena's sister and brother. Luke's mer parents had found them hiding out in a sea cave along the coast after their father died. It didn't take long to convince them to join us once Serena and I told them what had happened to their sister.

The closer we got to Port Toulouse Bay, the louder the bonging sound got. Luke began acting stranger and stranger with each approaching mile.

What's up with Luke?
I looked over at Serena, who was still swimming along with Coach Laurena's siblings, but they seemed to have zoned out, too.

Everyone
is
acting
a
little
strange,
Serena replied. She and I didn't seem to be affected by the clanging noise, but something was definitely not quite right.

Hey, Penelopus!
I called ahead to Luke.
You
okay
up
there?

I figured the joke would be enough to get him to knock it off, but he acted like he hadn't heard me. All I could hope was that Tidal Law wasn't still messing with him.

After another hour or so of swimming, I thought we'd be getting closer to the canal, but instead, a huge underground mountain ridge stretched out in front of us.

What
the
heck?
I rang.
Is
that
the
mer
village?

I
think
so. I don't think we came from this direction last time, though,
Serena rang over the thunderous clanging.
And
that
sound
wasn't here, for sure.

Hold
up, everybody!
I rang.
I
think
we
took
a
wrong
turn
somewhere.