The Fate of the Muse - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,125

seem to be fond of Cruz.”

“I hope so,” I said gravely, “Because Cruz is in way over his head.”

Evie sat down next to me, taking my hand in hers, “Marina… darling, I hope you know that I only have your best interests at heart…”

“Yeah… I know,” I said, still thinking about Stella’s strange goodbye.

“Nice ring,” Evie said, eyeing my hand with an arched eyebrow.

“Thanks,” I replied, thinking about Ethan. I had to hand it to him; he knew she’d notice it.

I wondered what Ethan would make of Fatima’s cryptic warning. He would be glad that Evie was suspicious of Brad, but absolutely furious about the fact that Yuri had worked his way into Evie’s camp. I sighed, for the conflict between Ethan and Evie seemed destined to never end.

One step forward, two steps back.

Just then, Cruz and Brad piled out, laughing at some private joke between them.

I suddenly wanted to go surfing, but more than that, I wanted to go home.

I wanted Ethan.

CHAPTER TWENTYNINE

MISSION

I had some time to think on the drive home.

I wasn’t really surprised by Fatima’s warning; I knew that Nathan Edwards was still out there, an ever present danger to my sisters in the sea. What was surprising was how cavalier Cruz was about the fact that his boyfriend’s father was my arch-enemy. The old Cruz would have fretted and worried, always looking on the dark side; now he seemed almost reckless– skipping blithely through a minefield that he willfully chose to ignore.

I heaved a breath, and another one of Evie’s sayings rang through my mind. “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer,” she used to say. How ironic that her enemy turned out to be her closest friend, and in league with the one person who posed the biggest threat to the mermaids.

Thinking about the mermaids swimming innocently while Edwards plotted to use them for his own evil purposes made me clench my teeth in anger. I swore an oath right then that I would never allow him to hurt them. I would do whatever I could to stop him from stalking my sisters.

And suddenly I knew my purpose in life as clear as day. Whether it was a simple twist of fate, or a result of my mother’s actions while she carried me, it was my destiny to be the link between the mermaid world and the human world. I would assume the role of guardian, interpreter and advocate. I would defend and protect them, and warn them about the ways people might try to capture them.

I’d always wondered exactly what I was meant to do. I knew that I could never go through life like Evie, for I was monumentally uncomfortable with the idea of controlling and manipulating all those around me. Cruz and Ethan, Abby and my father– even Megan and Shayla all had a clear path laid out before them. Now I did too.

I pulled up onto the dirt road, shivering with happiness when I saw Ethan’s truck. I parked next to it and followed a gravel pathway down a little incline to where Lue’s greenhouses sat in a neat row. I could see Ethan’s outline inside one and I walked in quietly, curious to see what he was up to.

He was bent over several racks of small plants on the table, and he looked up to give me a surprised smile, his eyes crinkling up at the corners, “Hey.”

I smiled back, “Watcha doing?”

He motioned for me to come closer and explained how he was thinning basil seedlings. The scent was thick in the air, and he snipped out the crowded plants and held a handful up for me to sniff.

“Smells like pizza,” I said, surprised to find myself hungry all at once.

“Mmm, sounds good,” he said, sidling up to me and bending to kiss me, taking care not to touch me with his dirt covered hands. I turned into him and returned his kiss, amused at the way he stood with his arms out at his sides.

“Watch out,” he said, “Or you’ll mess up your pretty dress.”

I laughed and draped my arms around his neck, kissing him again and pressing up against him. “Can I help you?”

“I’m almost done,” he said, “But you’d better stop that…”

He leaned into me, and I took a step back, “Show me how.”

He showed me how to pick the healthiest sprouts, and remove the crowded ones. Before too long we had all the trays of plants finished and he led me to a sink to