Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster Memoirs) (18 page)

Pango faced me again. His emerald eyes were glassy. "She's still unconscious, but her vitals have improved. The Violets think she might pull through."

I exhaled so loudly it surprised me. How long had I been holding my breath?

Pango glanced back and forth between me and Treygan. "They're holding a healing vigil tonight after sunset. The Oranges in the area have been sent to spread the word since most folk weren't arriving until tomorrow."

"We'll be there." Treygan squeezed Pango's bronze shoulder. I nodded, trying not to stare at his hallmarks. He was so big that every marking looked gigantic.

"Indrea ordered me to rest for a few hours," Pango sighed, "so I'll be on my way, but I wanted to thank you again, Treygan. I owe you."

Treygan unzipped the his armband and pulled out two joints. "You owe me nothing. Go rest."

Pango took the joints, zipped them away in his armband, and dove beneath the water. He was so different from the bubbly, flamboyant guy I had met yesterday. It seemed like the life had been sucked out of him.

"Is he close to Koraline?" I asked.

Treygan stared downstream where Pango had disappeared. "She's his only sibling."

Being bit by a shark felt like nothing compared to the guilt that ripped through me. Pango could lose his sister because of
me
. My stomach knotted. I couldn't swallow. He hadn't said goodbye to me when he left. He must know the attack was my fault.

Koraline was unconscious somewhere and clinging to life, Pango hated me, and now that Treygan knew how I felt about him he probably wished he could ditch me again. Just when I started to give in and embrace the mer world, I was quickly becoming an outcast.

"Well." Treygan pulled a lighter from his armband and lit a joint. "Change of plans. We won't have as much time as I thought to prepare for the ceremony. We'll have to start now."

"What ceremony?" I asked as he passed me the C-weed. Earlier this morning at Koraline's house I had coughed like crazy the first time I tried to smoke. Hopefully this time I would look less like a dork. I took a few short puffs.

"The Welcoming Ceremony," Treygan explained. "Tomorrow at sunrise every merfolk in this world will gather to welcome you as one of our kind. We celebrate in your honor until sunset."

I coughed so hard I thought I might hack up a rib. Treygan smacked me on the back, pointed at the water in front of me and told me to drink. I dipped down, sipping from the stream until I stopped coughing enough to reply. "I don't deserve a celebration."

"Oh, but you do." His blue eyelashes batted as he smiled. "It's a required step of your transformation."

My chest was on fire, my throat stung, and my head swirled. I had never been good in crowds. Even visiting towns like Key West gave me anxiety because of all the people and commotion. A hundred merfolk were gathering to meet me? The urge to run or swim away again was overwhelming.

"No worries. They will all adore you," he assured me.

They
didn't matter. There was only one merman in the world I wished would adore me—and he didn't want me to know anything about him.

I
couldn't believe I was swimming to Paragon Castle, but I needed to see Yara. If any of the merfolk—especially Treygan—found out she drank blood, they would try to keep her away from me. If they didn't know yet, then I needed to see her again before anyone found out.

Nixie said the mer were gathering tonight for some kind of healing gig for Koraline. With any luck, I would find the one merman who might agree to let me talk to her. Maybe he had been promoted to a Blue by now. If he was on guard duty I could talk to him without drawing a lot of attention.

Keeping my distance, I made a lap around the perimeter of the castle. More Blues hovered outside than I expected, but I didn't see him anywhere. Even a few Indigos stood guard. I watched all the Greens too, just in case he hadn't advanced over the years.

A conch horn wailed through the waters, announcing the start of a ceremony. I hovered behind a reef, watching a few Blues and Indigos leave their posts and swim inside. The waters around me vibrated so strongly the hairs on my tail stood up. I turned around, expecting to see someone. A ten foot manta ray soared past my head, looping through the water. I would never get tired of watching the massive, winged-like creatures fly through the seas.

A hand grabbed my elbow, spinning me around.

What are you doing here, Rownan?

Delmar, damn! No wonder I couldn't find you! Look at you, you're an Indigo.

His face stayed stern and serious.
Why are you here?

Come on, not even a hello, how ya been? I haven't seen you in years. Is that any way to treat an old friend?

We used to be friends. Not anymore.

Well,
I squeezed his shoulder.
I hope that can change after we're back in Rathe.
He glanced down at my hand and shrugged it away. So much for playing the friends card.
How did you move up two ranks while Treygan stayed a Blue?

He remained a Blue by choice. Now, why are you here?

By choice. Of course. I should've known.
I just wanted to see Yara for a few minutes.

Ha!
Delmar's lip lifted in a sneer.

Del, whether or not you and Treygan believe it, she means a lot to me. We got pretty close these past few weeks. I want to make sure she's okay.

She's fine.

Man, relax.
I raised my hands so he could see my claws weren't out.
I'm not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to check on Yara.

Rownan, this is a sacred night. You can't be here. Tomorrow is Yara's day of welcoming. Once that's over, you can see her. That is, if she wants to see you. Until then, don't let me catch you within a mile of this castle or Solis. Agreed?

I looked away from him.

He didn't know about her drinking blood or he would never agree to let me see her tomorrow. An entire night and day meant a lot of time for Yara or someone else to figure it out. Her first time cravings would start soon. Someone would recognize the behavior and know what it meant, even if she didn't. And if she didn't quench her thirst during her first cravings, she would survive the worst of it. She would have better control over future urges. She might be strong enough to resist drinking again altogether. Especially since her first drink was secondhand.

I needed to see her tonight. But with the healing thing going on, and their pointless celebration tomorrow, the place would be swarming with merfolk. All eyes watching their prized inductee. Jack would have to figure out another way for me to get to Yara. Until then I had to let Delmar think I was fine with waiting. If he suspected something, they would never leave her side. Then we would really be screwed.

Okay.
I extended my hand.
Enjoy the celebration tomorrow. I'll say a prayer for Koraline.

His dark eyes narrowed, but he shook my hand.
Thanks. Now get out of here.

I swam away hoping I had played it cool enough, but when I looked back Delmar swam through the castle entrance faster than I had ever seen him move. He only moved fast for two reasons. He wasn't racing my dickhead brother, so that meant he was on his way to protect someone.

Damn it.

W
e floated outside the doors to the gathering hall with about thirty other merfolk. Each person who came forward to meet Yara was friendly, welcoming, and happy to see her, but her unease continued to grow.

I feel like I can't breathe,
she said, massaging her throat.

Once we enter the hall you'll feel more relaxed. Indrea fills it with calming energy in preparation for the ceremony.

Right, sure.
She rolled her neck around.
They need to hurry up. I might have a nervous breakdown.

Just then the sea-glass doors swung open. Others swam into the hall.

I rested my hand on the small of Yara's back.
Remember what I taught you about adjusting your vision?
She nodded.
It's time to do it.

Her lashes flickered. After one hard squint she smiled.
I did it! It's so dark I can hardly see you.

Good. I'll lead you in.

We hadn't made it two feet into the hall before Yara stopped swimming. I glanced back, but she was floating in place, staring up at the tall, arched ceilings in awe. For a minute I let her observe the hundreds of glowing jellyfish above us. They slowly bobbed through the water, opening and closing, most with long tentacles that dangled like ribbons. Gossamer bells of the sea, illuminated by their blue and white fluorescent lights.

I momentarily established eye contact with her.
If you listen closely, they make a soft ringing sound.

She lifted her astonished gaze again.

Some of the most exquisite parts of our traditions had become taken for granted over time. It felt good to stop and appreciate the spectacle above me. A minute later I floated directly above Yara, blocking her view.
We need to get our lanterns and take our positions.

This is incredible!

I watched her with fascination. I had never been part of a new merfolk transformation. Seeing her reaction to things for the first time was like watching a child. She had barely seen a glimmer of how incredible her new life would be.
Come, the ceremony will begin soon.

When we approached the circle, two Reds handed each of us a lantern. I thanked them and led Yara to our places. Yara tried moving to my other side, but I guided her back between me and Pango.

Stay between us,
I explained.
You should be next to folk you're comfortable around.

Maybe you should be next to Pango. I could stand between you and Kai.

Kai's place is on the other side of the circle. You're where you need to be.

She glanced at Pango and he hugged her, but she looked uncomfortable. I hoped she wasn't still feeling guilty about the shark attack or assuming Pango blamed her. He didn't know about the blood incident yet, but his take on it would be the same as mine. It was an accident. Plain and simple.

The gathering hall was even calmer than I expected. Indrea had done an excellent job.

Still nervous?
I asked Yara after pulling her focus away from her lantern.

Um, no, but why are these fish glowing?
She glanced at the three fish swimming inside the glass globe, each radiating a different color: pink, yellow and orange.

It's called bioluminescence. It means living light. We each carry a lantern as a symbol of light and healing energy for Koraline.
I glanced at my own lantern. The fish emitted a blue, green and white glow.

She tapped my arm.
How do they light up?

Some have cells called photophores, others have a bacteria or protein inside of them that—
Caspian blew the conch horn. Three drawn-out notes announced the beginning of the ceremony.
Just watch and listen,
I told Yara.
You haven't yet learned the songs we'll be singing, but you'll feel the power of them.

Okay.

Caspian, Indrea, and the other five Violets hovered above the castle floor and linked hands around a raised stone slab in the middle of the hall. They began singing the song of
Clearing
, creating a scared place for Koraline to rest. Sixel, one of the Indigos, swam through the doorway with Koraline in his arms. Her mangled tail and other injuries were covered with flowers. I looked around Yara at Pango, knowing the flowers must have been his doing. The thoughts running through his mind made me grin.

Her hair should be in pigtails. I told them pigtails tied with daisies. Like it's such a difficult task.

Yara reached for my hand when she saw Koraline, but she missed and her fingers scraped the side of my tail. It felt as if a million water sprites flitted along my skin. I tried to ignore the sensation and block my schoolboy thoughts before making eye contact with her.

My God, she looks awful,
Yara said shakily.

Focus on the positive. She's alive.
Yara's chest turned red. A curtain of rainbow light fell over her eyes. I thought she was tearing up, but it was hard to be certain underwater. I touched her shoulder.
Sadness won't help her. Only positive thoughts.

We watched Koraline being placed in the center of the circle. The Violets continued singing, growing louder as they reached the section where the rest of us would join in.

With the first note of the group singing, Yara raised her head and her mouth fell open in surprise. Hearing one merman or mermaid sing could take your breath away. Hearing all of us sing together—well, someone once proclaimed we must be the souls who taught angels how to sing.

The opening song,
Connecting
, strengthened the bond between everyone in the hall and prepared us for the other songs. As we sang, Yara observed everyone in the circle. Most folks' hallmarks were changing colors, moving or shimmering, but it was difficult to see in the dim lighting.

Indrea motioned to Pango and he moved toward the table, swimming above the Violets before dipping down into the middle of the circle to hover face-to-face with his sister.

He placed two fingers over his heart, then over his eyes. Finally he reached out and placed them on Koraline's closed eyelids.

What were those hand gestures?
Yara asked me.

It meant, his heart, his soul, he shares with her,
I explained.

Pango sang the first few notes of the song,
Love.
The rest of us joined him.

When we finished, Pango returned to his place in the circle.

Yara rubbed her rainbow-hazed eyes.
They're happy tears. I promise.

We're underwater. No need to wipe them away. Though if you direct your tears at Koraline, your emotions will carry through the water and bathe her in love—or whatever it is you're feeling,

Really? Is that part of our ability to control water?

Tears are water. You should start small.

She smiled her biggest grin to date.
I'm not crying anymore. But it's good to know for next time.

The yellow blur of Merrick swimming toward Koraline momentarily distracted me, then I refocused on Yara.
You'll be the last to go, so follow what everyone else does.

I'll be the last to go where?
She almost sounded concerned, but as calm and love-filled as the hall was, it was impossible for her to reach any level of anxiety or fear.

Just watch.

Merrick hovered over Koraline, two fingers resting on her eyes as he led the song of
Healing.
Yara watched Merrick swim back to his place beside Pango while everyone continued singing. The mermaid next to him swam forward, floated above Koraline, put two fingers over her heart, and completed the pledge before returning to the circle. The next merman went and the ritual repeated over and over.

I was eager to hear Yara's reaction, but she wouldn't face me. She stared ahead, focused on every merman or mermaid swimming above the stone table as they pledged their hearts and souls to share with Koraline.