Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs) by Karen Amanda Hooper

returned to her place on my shoulder.
    “I like seeing you like this,” I told Treygan.
    “Like what?”
    “Proud of who and what you are.”
    He stood taller, his shoulders spread wider. “You helped me realize my gorgon side is nothing to be ashamed of.”
    “Good.” I threw my arms around his neck. “Now teach me how to turn things to stone.”
    He lifted me off my feet. “Later. First, we have a date with Koraline and Pango.”
    “I’ve decided I want to swim there.” I bit my lip, fighting back a smile. “So we can race.”
    Treygan kissed me while carrying me into the water. Confidently—bordering on cocky—he said, “I apologize in advance for leaving you in a cloud of bubbles.”
     
    ~
     
    He did win. I could barely keep him in sight underwater, so I had to fly to catch up.
    Koraline’s private oasis was almost as pretty and green as she was. Treygan held my hand as we walked onto her beach, which had the softest lime green sand my feet had ever felt. My stomach, however, was queasy.
    I retracted my wings and told Sage to get some rest. She faded away, leaving only a dull tingling at the base of my skull. Treygan’s brow rose.
    “Koraline lost half of her tail,” I explained. “It would be rude to walk in there flaunting all the new additions to my body when she just lost a crucial part of hers.”
    He nodded and squeezed my hand.
    “I don’t know what to say to her,” I admitted.
    “Speak from your heart. The words will come.”
    Pango’s green, curly hair popped through a window of the sandstone house. “Hello, love birds! We’ve been expecting you.”
    I waved to Pango then shot Treygan one last worried look, but he was already shouting back to Pango. “Good to see you!”
    Koraline’s home had a rope bridge porch just like her house on Solis. We went up the steps and Treygan walked right in. Pango met us just inside the door and barreled us over with one of his not-so-gentle hugs. “It warms my heart to see you sugar babies alive and well. We’re home!” He spun around with his arms above his head. “Can you believe it?”
    “Feels good to be back,” Treygan said.
    “What do you think of our lovely world?” Pango asked me. “Isn’t it like Disney World on steroids?”
    I grinned. “It’s more gorgeous than I imagined.”
    “And now, little miss queen of our magical kingdom, you are the grand master of it. How’s that feel?”
    “It’s a lot of pressure.”
    Pango laughed. “I bet it is. I would not want to trade places with you. No offense.”
    “None taken.”
    “Hello?” Koraline called from another room. “Rotting away like unwanted sushi in here! I thought this visit was for me.”
    Treygan led me into what would be considered the living room in a human house. Koraline was sitting in a pool with stone seating carved into the walls. My focus immediately shot to her tail. The tip where her fins should have been was wrapped in material that looked like palm fronds. I was glad the foliage and water prevented me from seeing further details. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing what the sharks did to her.
    “How are you feeling?” I asked her.
    “Much better.” She was smiling as if she didn’t mind getting eaten half to death by sharks. “How are you doing?”
    “A lot has changed since we were last together.”
    “It sure has. You’re a White, which no one has ever seen before. You’re breathtaking.” 
    My cheeks roared with warmth that spread down my chest where orange splotches appeared.
    Koraline was still smiling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
    I wrung my hands, trying to mellow out so my chest would go back to its normal color. “It’s okay.”
    Koraline looked at Treygan. “Good gods, look at you, Treygan. I’ve never seen you so happy. Love looks amazing on you.”
    Treygan flashed me a smitten grin. “Thank you, Koraline. We were a very unlikely couple, but somehow, here we are.”
    “A perfect and adorable