Fins (Transformations: Book 2)

Eric smiled when he saw Aria, but he was clearly surprised by the group following her.

“I thought you were just bringing a couple of friends,” he commented.

Aria gave an embarrassed shrug. “I thought a bigger group would be more fun.”

“Of course,” he agreed, “The more, the merrier.”

As he led the way inside, Aria kept glancing at the merfolk, making sure that none of them attacked the others. Tensions were definitely high, but no one seemed eager to throw the first punch, so she was grateful for that.

Freya walked beside her and spoke softly, “This has the potential to end very badly, you know.”

“I know,” Aria admitted, “But it could always go well, right?” She offered Freya a smile. “Let’s hope for that, shall we?”

Freya couldn’t help smiling at her unwavering optimism, despite the dangerous circumstances. “As you wish.” She took care of the tickets and they headed inside.

Within the sanctuary, bird flew freely, unaware of their captivity. There were more species than Aria could hope to name, many of them brightly-colored. Some of the birds flew close to the group, giving them curious looks.

“Aria,” Eric called.

She turned to see him holding out a small, covered cup.

“It’s to feed the birds,” he explained.

“Right.” Aria was about to open it, but she looked at the merfolk and smiled, wanting to give them the full experience. After a moment of thought, she held it out to Alizarin. “Would you like to try it?”

He took the cup and stared at it, blankly as Aria removed the lid. Within a few seconds, a bird had perched on his shoulder and was leaning towards the nectar in the cup. Alizarin jumped as it landed, causing the bird to fly to a nearby branch.

Aria giggled. “It’s alright. They’re not going to hurt you. Just hold still and they’ll drink from the cup.”

“You’re sure it’s okay?” Sapphira asked as she watched another bird land on her bodyguard. This time, he stayed still and allowed it to drink.

“It’s fine,” Aria promised, petting the bird, who was too focused on its drink to mind, “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Alizarin stared at the bird as if it might bite him. “It’s red.”

“Yes, it is,” she agreed, looking at his red shirt. She wasn’t sure what else to say on the matter. Standing so close to his raised arm in the sunlight, she noticed that there was a faint scar around his wrist. She glanced at the other wrist and found the same thing, but she decided not to comment on it for the time being.

When she turned back, she found Freya handing out cups to the others. Aria noticed a slightly mischievous grin on her friend’s face and felt relieved that she was having fun.

Freya offered a cup to Sapphira, but the princess didn’t take it immediately, so Freya raised her eyebrows. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of course not,” Sapphira replied, swiping the cup from her hand and ripping the top off. A green bird landed on her arm and began to drink. The princess stared at it in wonder. “Alizarin, look!”

She excitedly grabbed his arm, causing him to flinch as her fingers pressed into his wound. Fortunately, the bird was on his other shoulder and took no notice.

Sapphira pulled her hand away, immediately, looking crestfallen. “I’d forgotten.”

“It’s fine,” he assured her, quickly.

“Most people would apologize,” Aria pointed out as she looked at Sapphira.

Alizarin spoke before she could. “She’s under no obligation to apologize to me.”

Sapphira frowned, but remained silent. Realizing there was nothing more to be said, Aria looked back to the other merfolk, who seemed to focused on the birds to pay attention to the Glemorans.

“This is amazing,” Echo commented.

Eric smiled at the group. “First time at an aviary?”

Kai nodded on their behalf and Eric began telling them about the different species of birds they were holding.

Alizarin’s bird finished the nectar and he watched as it flew away. Aria offered him a smile, but his expression was as impossible to read as ever.

“You’re not going to feed one?” Kai asked.

“Oh, right.” She’d been too focused on them to think about herself. She grabbed a cup and peeled off the lid, smiling as a bird landed on her shoulder. “Weren’t you the same one as before?” she asked the bird, recognizing it as the one that had alighted on Alizarin.

“The coloring’s the same, so maybe,” Eric agreed, “I suppose it really likes this stuff.”

“Well, nothing wrong with that,” Aria commented as she pet it with her free hand, “It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Definitely.” Eric smiled and gave the bird a little pet before it flew away again. “Well, come on. There are more birds to see.” He led the way through the rest of the sanctuary with the unusual group in tow.

The merfolk were, by far, the most fascinated by the birds. They were perfectly happy to listen to all of Eric’s lessons about them. Aria kept looking at Alizarin and wondering if he was having a good time, but his expression remained neutral, even as he looked around at all the different birds.

They left the aviary before noon and parted ways, so the merfolk could make it back to the ocean in time.

Aria was feeling good about how the day had gone, so she wound up agreeing to walk with Eric back to his car. However, she didn’t actually know what to say to him as they walked.

“So how did you meet your friends?” he asked, “Do they go to school with you?”

“No,” she answered, “We have similar interests. We met at a...party.” She paused as she considered the best way to explain it without lying. “A mermaid thing.”

“They’re into that stuff?” he wondered.

Aria nodded. “Very much so.” She wasn’t sure if the conversation was going well, but it was going and she figured that was something.

“Alizarin, Kai, Echo and Sapphira...” He looked at her. “Are those their real names?”

“They’re the only names I’ve been given.”

“Fair enough.”

He took on a thoughtful expression, as if he was trying to figure out a way to delicately approach a difficult subject. Aria did her best to prepare herself for questions about Kai. She decided that she would be as honest as possible. That morning hadn’t given her any insight to her feelings, but she wanted to do her best to be clear about what she knew.

“You and Sapphira didn’t seem to get along very well,” he noted, catching her off guard.

“No, I suppose not,” she admitted with a sheepish grin.

“So why did you invite her along today?”

Aria paused as she tried to put her thoughts into words he would understand. “She and Alizarin are...close. He doesn’t go many places without her and I wanted to invite him, I guess. He seemed like he could use some fun. Sorry if it was a bother.”

“No, that’s not it.” He took on a thoughtful expression again. Aria realized he was tiptoeing around a subject, but it didn’t seem to be the one she expected. “How well do you know Alizarin?”

“Not that well,” she replied, “To be honest, we’ve barely spoken.” She vaguely wondered if he thought Alizarin was the one she was attracted to, but that didn’t fit his expression quite right.

“Do you know how he got those burns on his arms?”

Aria stopped short, not having expected that. “Ah...you noticed those.” There didn’t seem to be much point in pretending she hadn’t.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “I noticed and I’m guessing you know how he got them, going by your reaction.”

Aria realized she probably couldn’t tell Eric anything about the wounds without causing more problems. Besides, she didn’t think it was her place to tell anyone. “I don’t think he’d want me talking about it.”

“Those didn’t look accidental,” Eric stated.

“No?” Aria looked away, keeping her expression carefully blank.

“Aria.” He turned to face her directly. “I get that you want to protect him, but if he’s being abused, you can’t keep it a secret.”

“His parents didn’t do that,” she said, quickly. It wasn’t a lie, even if she was certain his parents were just as bad as the people who had hurt him.

“Self-inflicted?”

Aria shook her head. “I don’t think he’d do something like that.”

“So someone did it to him,” Eric pressed.

Aria sighed and looked at her feet. “It’s not my place to talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“If he’s in some sort of trouble, I may be able to find someone to help him.”

“My knight in shining armor.” She offered him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Listen, I know you want to help. I do, too, but it’s more complicated than that. That’s all I can say for now, but I promise that I am doing what I can to help him, so can we just drop it, please?”

Eric looked at her for a few moments, seeming to be trying to read her expression. Eventually, he nodded. “Alright, but promise that you’ll let me know if I can do anything.”

“I promise.”

“And you better not do anything to get yourself hurt,” he warned.

“Well, now, you’re just spoiling the fun,” she joked half-heartedly.

“How did it go?” Freya asked when Aria returned to her.

“It went,” Aria said, simply.

“That doesn’t sound very promising.”

Aria shrugged and looked at her friend. “Do you think Alizarin had fun, today?”

Freya gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. “I’d wager this is one of the better days he’s had in a while.” She put an arm around the girl, wishing there was a way she could make everything better for her. “Come on. You need to get some sleep before you collapse on the pavement.”

Aria nodded her agreement and leaned against Freya as they walked, grateful for the support.

“So, was it everything you hoped for?” Echo asked as she and Kai walked back to the ocean. They’d managed to get out of earshot of the Glemorans, but she still spoke softly to be safe.

“I didn’t speak to her that much,” he admitted with a sheepish grin, “I guess I got a little too distracted.”

“That’s understandable,” Echo assured him, “It was hard to focus on anything else. Did you see all the birds?”

“Of course,” he replied, “I was right next to you, after all.”

Echo nodded and stretched out her arms, as if preparing to fly away. “They were the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen and the way they sung...all their voices clashed, but they were still wonderful.”

“Sounds like you’re in love,” he teased.

She just continued to smile. “What do you think it’s like to be a bird; to fly around and answer to no one?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed, “But I’m not sure how well I would do with heights. Even standing on land is a little disorienting, still, don’t you think?”

She looked at him, curiously. “So why do you keep wanting to become human? It can’t be just for Aria, since she would be perfectly happy joining you in the sea.”

He shrugged. “I like the adventure, I guess. Don’t you?”

“I suppose...”

“Do I have something on my face?” he asked.

“Nope.” She looked towards the ocean. “It seems a shame we have to return.” She raised a hand to stifle a yawn. “But I guess it’s time we got some rest, huh?”

Kai nodded. “It really wouldn’t do for us to pass out on land, after all. What if a human found us?”

“That would probably be bad,” she said, “I guess not all humans are likely to be as kind as Aria.”

“She seems to be something special, for sure.”

Echo looked at him, carefully considering his expression. “You really like her, don’t you?”

“Of course,” he replied without hesitation, “I’ve never met anyone like her before. How could I resist someone so unique?”

“Unique?” Echo shook her head. “That’s not the most romantic sentiment, is it? Most girls would prefer to be called beautiful or kind or smart.”

“Well, she’s all of those things, isn’t she?” he stated, simply, “Those seem to be so obvious that unique is the only word I might have come up with on my own.”

Echo stared at him, blankly. “I’m not sure that way of thinking really makes sense.”

“No?” He laughed and rubbed his neck. “I guess I must really be tired.”

Echo couldn’t help but smile at his cheerful expression. “You’re very unique, yourself, aren’t you?”

“Do you think so?” He looked genuinely pleased with the idea.

Echo just shrugged. “Of course. I’ve definitely never met anyone like you anywhere else.”

He gave her a bright smile. “I’m glad. I’d hate to think I was replaceable.”

Echo smiled and shook her head. “Oh, Kai, no one could ever replace you.”

Sapphira glanced at the Valadorans, making no move to approach.

“Does it bother you to see them getting along so well?” Alizarin asked.

She looked away from the pair, immediately. “Of course not. Why would it?”

“Well, you seem bothered by the human spending so much time with him,” Alizarin pointed out, “I figured another girl being so close might trouble you, as well.”

Sapphira shook her head. “She’s not the same. The land girl has turned his head because of she is different from mermaids. He’s being seduced by her strange ways. Echo isn’t like that. They are friends and have been since childhood, right? He knows her too well to be swayed like that.”

“You seemed bothered by the idea that he might prefer someone else’s company to yours,” he commented, “Is that really only the case with the human?”

Sapphira shrugged. “I don’t need his company, really. I’ll have enough of that once we are married.”

“It doesn’t worry you that he might choose to live on land with a human?” Alizarin wondered.

Sapphira looked at him and frowned. “Are you trying to upset me?”

“Of course not, princess,” he assured her, “I was merely wondering because you seemed troubled last night. I wanted to fully understand your concerns so I might find a way to alleviate them.”

She searched his face for any sign of sarcasm or dishonesty, but, as ever, none could be found. “He won’t become human. He would never abandon his people like that, any more than I would abandon mine.” Her gaze drifted out over the sea. “We will be married, just as our parents intend, because it is our duty.”

“So how was your date?” Adam asked as Eric entered the lab that afternoon.

“It wasn’t a date,” he replied, flopping down in a nearby chair, “It was just a trip to the aviary.”

“Sounds romantic to me,” Adam insisted.

“There was a whole group of people with her,” Eric said, “There were even a couple of other guys and I think she might be interested in one of them, but I didn’t have the courage to ask.”

“Sounding less romantic...” Adam admitted, twirling a pen between his fingers, “Did you manage to get any time alone with her?”

“A little.” Eric frowned. “That wasn’t really romantic, though. We just talked about her friends. It seems like one of them might be in some trouble, but she won’t talk to me about it.”

“Trouble?” Adam perked up at that. “What kind of trouble? Maybe, you could get a chance to be a dashing hero.”

Eric shook his head. “I don’t even know the guy. I’m pretty sure the name he gave was fake, so I have no way of figuring out who he is, let alone what kind of trouble he might be in.”

“Not as sexy to rescue a guy, anyway,” Adam decided.

“I wouldn’t do it to be sexy.”

“Of course not,” Adam replied, agreeably, “But it would be a nice bonus, right?”

“Your mind’s pretty twisted, isn’t it?” Eric noted.

Adam gave him a mischievous grin. “You have no idea.” He looked back down at the papers he was editing. “Sorry things didn’t go as planned, anyway.”

Eric shrugged. “It’s fine. It was fun, anyway.”

“So have you had any luck finding the flying girl?” Adam asked.

Eric shook his head. “I’m pretty sure she was a hallucination.”

“Shame,” Adam said, “I was hoping you could get me her number.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Eric told him as he looked at his own pile of work, hoping to distract his spinning brain by focusing on editing. However, he had a strong feeling that just wouldn’t be enough.

That evening, while Aria slept, Freya slipped out and headed to the park. It wasn’t long before Idun stepped out of the trees to smile at her.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Idun asked, “Or did you just miss me so much that you had to come and find me, tonight?”

Freya sat on a bench, her heavy thoughts weighing her down. “I’m worried about Aria. I think she’s getting in too deep with the merfolk.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?” Idun wondered, “You know I can’t revoke her ability to change and neither can you. Even if we did, she would just find them when they are on land.”

“I know.” Freya tucked a strand of her pale hair behind her ear and sighed. “I’ve also been thinking about the merfolk a lot.”

“That is part of your job as a nereid.”

“But where does that stop?” Freya looked at her. “What is my job; to guard the ocean and the creatures in it? Would that not include the merfolk?”

“I suppose,” Idun spoke slowly, uncertain about the direction of the conversation, “Are they in danger?”

“In general, no,” Freya admitted, “It’s just that I see some of them suffering. I never looked so closely before, but Aria has and it’s forced me to pay attention. There is such prejudice and cruelty, how can I ignore it?”

Idun sat on the bench beside her and took her hand. “We agreed long ago not to get involved like that. It is not our place to tell them how to rule.”

“Why not?” Freya demanded, “I am a nereid. I can transform at will and speak to all manners of sea life. I can convince the creatures of the ocean to obey my will, so why should I not be allowed to tell the merfolk they are wrong?”

Idun touched her cheek, gently. “My dear friend, if you thought that was the right thing to do, you would not be here, looking for me to tell you it’s not.”

“Who says that’s why I’m here?”

Idun just smiled at her. “I know you better than you know yourself. I understand your distress and have shared it as I see humans and animals suffering on land, but we can’t choose for them. They must be allowed to rules themselves. You cannot take away the free will of all in hopes of ending suffering or you will become the monster you wish to destroy.”

Freya let out another sigh and laid her head on her friend’s shoulder. “Why does this have to be so difficult?”

Idun wrapped an arm around her. “Because you are too kind to make it simple, my friend.”