Between the Land and the Sea - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,70

I could breathe for the first time in weeks. I didn’t realize how crushing the weight of secrets could be; I’d never had anything to hide before.

I apologized profusely to Megan and Cruz, feeling terribly guilty about putting them through so much and forcing them to cover for me. They had become the best possible friends and confidantes; I smiled darkly to myself, thinking about how this was exactly what my father had wanted for me. I made a vow to never again involve anyone else in my quest for answers. This was my problem and I’d have to find a way to deal with it by myself.

The desire to know more about my mother was not going away, and now I had an entirely new set of questions. As much as I knew that I should let it go, I also knew that there was probably no way I could. Lorelei felt like my only link to the past.

Things at school changed dramatically. Shayla and her crew left us all alone, and the atmosphere was no longer hostile. The surfer crowd was even guardedly friendly, and I was treated with respect. They all believed that I had single-handedly rescued Shayla. I could only imagine what they’d think if they knew the truth.

Ethan kept my secret, and I was a little surprised that he didn’t seem put off by it. We always sat together in art class, and I looked forward to it more than I wanted to admit. I was so physically aware of him that every time we brushed up against each other I caught my breath. It seemed to me like he took every little opportunity to touch me, but I doubted he had any idea at all of how much he affected me.

Spending time with Ethan was a welcome distraction, but it still wasn’t enough to keep me from obsessing about my mother. I needed to understand how I came to be. How could she have possibly met my father, much less communicated with him? All the questions I’d ever had about my mother came rushing back to me, dredged up from the murky depths of my mind, trailed by bitter memories of being shut down by my father for even daring to ask.

I had someone else to ask now. As frustrating as talking to Lorelei was, I sensed she had no reason to keep anything from me. Unfortunately, the other mermaid made it even more dangerous for me to try and find her again. Clearly, meeting with me had gotten Lorelei into trouble with the mystifying sisterhood of mermaids.

I fretted about what might have happened to her, remembering the angry mermaid’s words.

“Forbidden”, she had said, and I guessed that maybe Lorelei had broken some kind of mermaid rule about not contacting humans. There had to be a way to meet with her secretly and safely, for now that I’d had a small taste of the truth I needed more.

It started to prey on my mind again, making me edgy and restless.

I worried about Ethan too. What if he came across the other, angry mermaid? He spent a lot of time in the water. Would she do anything to him? She hadn’t harmed me, but then again, she’d been busy attacking Lorelei. I kept going over all the stories of evil murderous mermaids–

the ones that Megan was so focused on. The thought of them hurting Ethan filled me with a strange mix of intense anger and icy cold fear that tightened my throat.

I imagined calling my father and demanding the truth, and it made me sick to my stomach. I knew I needed to talk to him, to hear his voice, to find the nerve to ask him about my mother. I kept putting it off and coming up with excuses to procrastinate. I knew it was crazy, but I was more afraid to confront my father than I was to head out to sea with a mermaid that had nearly done me in. I was a total basket case, I thought, contemplating my next move.

What I couldn’t manage to avoid was the beach. I stayed off the pier, but I found myself spending hours walking barefoot along the sandy shore, haunted by unresolved questions. Maybe it was my way to feel connected to my mother, but walking through the foamy surf was soothing, and I was better able to relax after my walks. I wanted answers, but all I had was a huge collection of