Fins (Transformations: Book 2)

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Eric commented as he and Adam walked down the beach, that night.

“Oh, please, I’ve talked people into crazier things than this,” Adam replied, unfazed, “Besides, I want to meet this girl and, if you find her on the beach at night, that’s when we need to search.”

“I just don’t feel like this is going to work. When I’ve met her, it was by accident. It seems like searching won’t work.”

“You never had me to help you before,” Adam pointed out, “I am the master finder of women.”

“Are you just hoping to seduce her, yourself?” Eric wondered.

“I can’t believe you would think me so low,” Adam’s tone wasn’t as hurt as his words let on.

“You’re not denying it.”

The older boy laughed. “I’m just curious about the kind of girl that could turn your head away from your mermaid. She must be something spectacular.”

Eric couldn’t argue with that. “But I haven’t given up on Aria.”

“I never said you did,” Adam pointed out, “I just said your head’s been turned and it has. That isn’t a bad thing. Let’s face it: you and Aria aren’t likely to work out. It’s been weeks since she said she wanted a break and what’s happened in that time? Do you feel like you are close to getting back together?”

“Hard to say.”

“Yet, she is growing closer to another boy, in the meantime,” Adam continued, “Is it such a bad thing if you consider another girl?”

Eric sighed at that. “I’m just not ready to throw in the towel with Aria.”

“So don’t,” Adam suggested, reasonably, “Pursue both girls until you know which is right.”

“And if that leads to one of them deciding I’m not right for her?”

“Then you have one less girl to worry about.”

“That’s way too simplistic.”

Adam shrugged. “Whatever. I’m tired of searching. Let’s head home and we’ll try again another time.” He walked off and Eric was forced to follow, shaking his head, silently.

Aria showed up at the beach an hour early, just to make sure there were no traps. That meant she had an hour to contemplate all the different things Sapphira might be planning. She reminded herself that Freya was nearby, though. She had kept her distance, but stayed close enough to intervene if something went wrong.

Finally, Sapphira emerged from the water, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. Aria was forced to remember just how beautiful the mermaid was. She remembered that the princess was considered to be a perfect specimen and did her best not to add that to the list of reasons she disliked the girl. It was long enough, already, after all.

“You came.” Sapphira’s voice held just the slightest hint of surprise as she pulled herself onto the beach.

“I figured it had to be important for you to ask me here,” Aria replied, “Also, Freya is nearby, so don’t try anything.”

“I have no intention of harming you,” the princess assured her, “I just want to talk.”

“About?”

“Did you steal the necklace?”

Aria just stared at her for a few seconds before replying, “Of course not. What would I want with a necklace like that?”

“There are several possibilities,” Sapphira said, “You like mermaids, so you, may want the necklace of one. Also, you seem to dislike Alexander, so you may have simply wished to hurt him, somehow.”

“Those ideas are both ridiculous,” Aria retorted, “How do people think I even got ahold of this thing? I couldn’t have simply slipped it off his neck.”

“He says he put it in his pocket and you grabbed him, then it was gone,” Sapphira explained, “Admittedly, that sounds a little strange, but he is part of a well-regarded family, so no one doubts his honesty.”

“Well, they should.”

Sapphira watched her for a moment, clearly, searching for any sign of dishonesty. “So you didn’t take the necklace?”

“No,” Aria said, firmly.

“Do you know where it is?”

“Not a clue.”

Sapphira frowned at that. “Are you going to look for it?”

“As well as I can,” Aria promised, “Of course, I can only search on land. It could very well be in the ocean.”

“It’s not,” Sapphira replied, immediately, “I made sure they were thoroughly searched and there wasn’t a chance for them to hide it anywhere outside of Glemora between the party and the accusation.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about this.”

“I’ve been doing my research.”

It was Aria’s turn to stare, now. “Why? Why would you be so invested in helping me?”

Sapphira scoffed at that. “I have no interest in helping you, I promise.”

“Then why?”

Sapphira push some hair away from her face, taking on a carefully blank look. “You know my bodyguard.”

“Rin,” Aria said by way of an answer.

She looked at the human. “Rin?”

“That’s what I’m calling him, now.”

“Don’t give my bodyguard pet names.”

“It’s a nickname. He’s my friend, so I gave him a nickname. That’s perfectly normal.”

“It’s not normal. Stop it.”

“Why?”

“You can’t be friends with my bodyguard.”

“Why not?”

“It’s inappropriate.”

“How so?”

“He’s my bodyguard!”

“That’s not much of a reason.” Aria couldn’t help being a little pleased at how her questions seemed to agitate the princess.

Sapphira looked back to the ocean, clearly trying to come up with a better argument. “You wouldn’t understand, but you shouldn’t call him that.”

“Until you give me a reason not to, I will,” Aria stated.

“Did you ever consider that he might not like it?” Sapphira demanded.

“Do you care about things like that?” Aria couldn’t help wondering. She had trouble figuring out what the princess was thinking.

“I never said that,” Sapphira replied, “But you seem to care about it.”

“Well, he said it was fine, so don’t worry.”

That seemed to strike a nerve. Sapphira stared at her for a minute before asking, “And when did you talk to him about that?”

Aria opened her mouth to answer, then shut it abruptly as she realized she couldn’t very well tell the princess that he had snuck out. “We’ve talked a few times, you know.”

“He never said anything about you giving him a pet name.”

“Nickname,” Aria corrected, “And does he usually tell you stuff like that?”

“He tells me what he needs to tell me.”

“Be vaguer,” Aria said, “I dare you.”

“Shut up and stop calling him that name.”

“Neither of those things is going to happen,” Aria promised, “At any rate, why did you summon me here. It couldn’t just be to argue about Rin’s name.”

“That’s not his name.”

“Just tell me why you wanted me to come or I’m leaving,” Aria warned, trying to hide her curiosity.

Sapphira gave a dramatic sigh. “Well, he’s been accused of colluding with you to steal the bracelet, which is troublesome, because that means he has been locked away until the situation can be sorted out.”

“So they locked him in his room. Isn’t that normal?” Knowing he could break out made it hard to feel concerned.

“But locking him in his room isn’t punishment, enough,” Sapphira said, “So they had his wrists bound, as well.”

Aria felt a pit in her stomach at those words. “They what?”

“That’s fairly normal. Whenever he does something that causes my parents trouble, that’s his punishment. It hasn’t happened for a while, but…” Sapphira shrugged, looking back to the water.

“That’s horrible!” Aria remembered the scars on his wrists and realized he must have spent a fair amount of time like that for them to form.

“If you say so.” Sapphira’s expression and tone were unreadable. “At any rate, I was hoping you might find the necklace and put the matter to bed.”

Aria stared at her. “Are you…worried about him?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Sapphira’s tone was sharp, but she never looked at Aria. “It’s inconvenient for me to not have him as a bodyguard. My parents keep assigning regular palace guards and they spend all their time trying to keep me from doing what I want. It took me forever to even find an opening to escape and talk to you. If I transform, they’ll be following me around and they won’t let me have any fun.”

“Right.” Aria couldn’t help being somewhat disappointed at her words. “So you don’t care about him, at all.”

“He is loyal and obedient,” the princess stated, “As a bodyguard, he suits my needs. It is not important for me to care about him. In fact, it would be highly inappropriate.”

“But treating him like a dog is fine.”

Sapphira looked at her in confusion. “Dog?”

“It’s an animal…never mind.” Aria realized it didn’t actually matter if Sapphira understood what she’d said. “The point is that you should treat him better. He does whatever you say and is loyal to a fault, it seems. It wouldn’t hurt for you to treat him as a person.”

“I don’t expect you to understand.” Sapphira slipped back into the water, but turned back to look at her. “You care about him, so find the necklace, quickly.”

“Easier said than done. Any chance you could give me a lead?”

“Not yet,” Sapphira admitted, “I will send you a message if I do. I might not like you, but our goals are aligned, for the moment, so I’ll help if I can. Don’t misunderstand my intentions, though.”

“Don’t worry,” Aria told her, “Your intentions are coming in loud and clear. Besides, I don’t like you either.”

“As long as we understand each other.” Sapphira dipped under and disappeared quickly.

Aria watched her go, torn between relief at not being drowned and disappointment at not getting more information. More than anything, she was worried about Alizarin, now. She stuffed her hands in her pockets as she headed back to where Freya was waiting.

“You were gone longer than I expected,” Freya commented as she approached, “I was beginning to worry.”

“That makes two of us.” Aria looked at her friend. “We really need to find that necklace.”

“I understand you’re distressed, but you shouldn’t push yourself so hard,” Freya said as they returned to their apartment that night, “It won’t help if you make yourself sick over this.”

The pair had spent the day scouring the beach for any sign of the necklace. Even after the sun set, Aria wouldn’t quit. However, her feet gave out, eventually and Freya managed to convince her to return home for the evening.

“And while I’m protecting my health, Rin’s being held prisoner and unable to move,” Aria pointed out, “That’s just not right.”

“I know.” Freya managed to steer the girl to the couch and sit beside her. “I know you want to help him and we will. We won’t give up, but I want to protect you, too.”

“I’m not in danger.”

“You’re always in danger,” Freya stated, firmly, “Ever since you met the merfolk, you’ve been in danger.”

Aria really couldn’t argue with that, given her current predicament. “What makes my safety more valuable than his? Logically, if I decide not to turn into a mermaid again, I’ll just have to wait until the comet passes and the magic fades. After that, I’ll be safe from them, but he can’t escape. I’ve seen what his life is like and I can’t just ignore it. He needs somebody to help him.”

“But why does it have to be you?” Freya wondered.

“I don’t see anybody else volunteering. Even you seem content to let the situation go.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” Aria looked at her. “I get the whole staying out of their business stuff, but this is one person you could help. How could saving him hurt anything?”

“How would I save him?” she demanded, “Do you want me to set him free or place him under my protection? It was decided by the seers that he should live with the king and queen, so my actions would be seen as defying their system. I could always claim him, but who says he would want that? Did you bother asking what he wants, at all? You always talk about saving him, but who says he’s looking for someone to do that? Aren’t you just trying to make decisions on his behalf?”

Aria paused as she considered that. “I wouldn’t do anything he didn’t want me to do, but I can’t imagine he’s happy being tormented and punished for things he didn’t do.”

“Probably not, but we can’t make those decisions,” Freya told her, “If he truly wishes to escape that life, he must decide that for himself. You can offer him your hand, but he has to decide to take it.”

“That seems over-simplified.”

“Maybe, but now’s not the time to argue,” Freya said, “You’re tired and emotional. You’ll be able to think more clearly after you get some rest.” She stood and headed to the door.

“Where are you going?” Aris asked.

“Out. I’ll be able to think more clearly after I get some fresh air.” She disappeared out the door before Aria could ask anything else.

The younger girl yawned and breathed a sigh, knowing Freya was right about her needing sleep, no matter how much she disliked it. She headed to bed, hoping things might seem better in the morning.

Freya headed to the beach and stared out over the ocean, debating going for a swim. Her head was always clearer in the water, but she knew she’d be tempted to talk to the Glemorans if she got in, so she stayed on land and just allowed the water to wash over her bare feet.

She looked around and noticed a familiar figure kneeling by the water, nearby. She couldn’t help but smile as she walked over to him. “You’re out late, doctor.”

Grey looked up at her and it took a moment before recognition dawn on him. “Ah, hello…”

She continued to stare at him, easily realizing his issue, but not interested in helping. “Take a minute. I’ll wait.”

He was silent for several seconds before managing a response. “Frigg?”

“Close,” she told him with an amused smile, “I’m sure you’ll get it eventually.”

“Fulla?” he tried again.

“Now, you’re just messing with me.”

“Freya?”

“There, you go.” She knelt beside him. “So, what are you up to, Frederick Grey?”

“Collecting some water samples.”

“You’re out awfully late for something like that,” she pointed out.

“Things like time, temperature and weather can affect it. This water is constantly changing and I wish to understand every time it does.”

“Ambitious.”

“Is it?” He gave an unconcerned shrug as he finished and packed up his gear. He looked up at the night sky, thoughtfully. “I suppose it is rather late. I didn’t really think about that.”

“I would imagine not.”

“But that begs the question of why you are out so late on your own. If it’s late for me, it must be late for you.”

“Look at you, taking an interest in a person,” she commented with a smile, “Well done.”

He stared at her for a second. “Are you avoiding the question?”

“Not really.”

“But you haven’t answered it.”

She gave a chuckle. “That’s fairly observant for you.”

“Is the answer so terrible?” he wondered.

Freya sighed and shrugged. “I just needed to clear my head.”

“I certainly understand that feeling,” he admitted, continuing to watch her expression, “Is everything okay?”

“Peachy.”

“Are you lying?”

“Do I seem like I’m lying?” When he didn’t respond for a few seconds, she added, “Can you even tell?”

“I realize I have a reputation for being a little absent-minded.”

“A little?”

“Even so, I am not completely clueless when it comes to people. I may be easily distracted, but I can listen just fine, when I try.”

Freya couldn’t help, but smile again. “If you say so.”

“If you’re hurting, I would like to help,” he said.

“I’m not sure you can,” she replied, “But I appreciate the offer. I’ll definitely keep it in mind.”

He nodded, seeming to be satisfied with that answer for the moment. “Would you like a lift back to your apartment?”

“Careful,” she warned, “You keep being so nice to me and I might start to fall for you.”

“That would hardly be appropriate. After all, there is a bit of an age difference.”

Freya laughed. “Oh, you have no idea.” She shook he head and looked back to the ocean. “I think I’ll stay here a little longer. I can walk back home.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?”

“I’ll be fine,” she promised, “You head on home and get some rest. A man your age shouldn’t be staying out so late.”

“I’ve never slept much,” he told her, but he started walking away, “I’ll see you around, Fulla.”

“Now, I know you’re messing with me,” she called after him with a smile. She watched him walk away, thinking, again, about what a strange person the doctor was.

She turned back to the water and took a breath as she walked in, slowly lowering herself into the water and disappearing into the darkness.

“Are you alright?” Aria asked as Freya returned to their apartment the next morning, “Did you stay out all night?”

Freya shrugged. “I went for a swim to clear my head and lost track of the time. I hope I didn’t worry you.”

“No, it’s fine,” Aria promised, “It’s just…you didn’t go to Glemora, did you?”

“Of course not,” Freya rushed to assure her, “I promised I wouldn’t, after all.”

“Right.” Aria watched her for a minute. “You seem stressed.”

“I am stressed,” Freya replied, “So are you. We both have a lot on our minds.”

“That’s true,” Aria admitted, “But, for now, I have to get to school, so you don’t have to worry about anything happening to me for today.”

“Oh, Aria,” Freya said, “I will always worry about you.”