pull me back. He clench his thighs around mine. His nose brushed my neck inconspicuously to catch the scent of my perfume. Looking in the rear-view mirror I could see there was possession in his eyes, and I knew Gina saw it too. So I pinched him, the underside of his arm, away from view so that he would snap out of our bonding enchantment. The jerky reaction his hand made told me I was successful, and he whispered his thanks.
Rayne looked at us smugly as if she had proved something to us both by smooshing us together in the front of their car. Her eyes were mischievous and suddenly her mouth was smiling in amusement. Pearl and Coral joined her with their own smiles, clearly able to pick up on the emotions we were emitting so intensely.
Chapter 7
When we all piled out of the car Gina looked displeased. I had expected her to be sad or angry, but instead she latched onto Merrick’s hand and seemed to hold on for dear life.
“I’m glad I finally get to meet your parents Merrick.” She said smiling almost sweetly, and again I felt pity for her.
“They’re not here,” Coral responded immediately, while we all walked towards the door.
“Oh. They’re not?” Gina asked, looking up at Merrick with a worried expression.
“No,” he said, “They’re working in Halifax tonight, but they’ll be back later.”
I guess I wasn’t the only one whose parents had to work long hours in the Mer community. It made me wonder what project was so important that it was keeping all of our parents so preoccupied. The past few years, my parents had been needed more and more by the Mecrutia Council and High Order. I had assumed that it was only because I had grown older that they agreed to do the extra work, but now I was starting to wonder.
“Where’s Zale?” I asked suddenly remembering that the Prices had a younger brother, one I had initially mistaken for my future husband.
“Zale was accepted to a school for the gifted, near our parents work, so he gets a drive with them every morning.” Rayne looked at me speaking slowly enough so that I could tell her words were chosen carefully. She was suggesting that I read between the lines, which I did.
Zale was a Sealatian , a chosen one from our Mers to attend their schooling on the base camp where our parents would work. It was an opportunity given to those who excel in specific Mer capabilities from an early age. Water manipulation, enchantment, and empathy were common gifts they wanted to cultivate and strengthen. It was rare among Mers to have the opportunity to attend Sealatia Ceremonies.
I had been offered a chance to join when I was eleven because of my empathy, but had declined. There was something strangely cold about the teachers that made me feel uncomfortable. At first my father suggested that perhaps it was simply because I could not read them as well as other Mers, but I felt that it was something more akin to fear. The Sealatia made me fearful, because there was no humanity in them, and I could tell instantly that they had disliked the human in me. We had once been humans though, all Mers had, long long ago and so that kind of prejudice didn’t make sense to me.
“ Oh,” I said in response, sending a wave of emotion to Rayne, letting her know that I had understood what she had meant to say through omission. I wondered what Zale’s gift was, and I wondered why he seemed so incredibly warm and adorable when I had met him. Other Sealatia seemed so calculated and exacting.
“ Who’s Zale?” Gina asked.
“ Our brother,” Rayne snapped back.
“ I am so hungry I could eat a whole swordfish!” Coral exclaimed with an exasperated groan.
“ Me too,” Pearl added, “only I think I want catfish instead with potatoes and—”
“ I wanted to have the trout tonight,” Merrick interrupted.
“ We’re having salmon.” Rayne said ending the debate there. “I took the salmon out this morning and seasoned it while all you lazy
Rayne looked at us smugly as if she had proved something to us both by smooshing us together in the front of their car. Her eyes were mischievous and suddenly her mouth was smiling in amusement. Pearl and Coral joined her with their own smiles, clearly able to pick up on the emotions we were emitting so intensely.
Chapter 7
When we all piled out of the car Gina looked displeased. I had expected her to be sad or angry, but instead she latched onto Merrick’s hand and seemed to hold on for dear life.
“I’m glad I finally get to meet your parents Merrick.” She said smiling almost sweetly, and again I felt pity for her.
“They’re not here,” Coral responded immediately, while we all walked towards the door.
“Oh. They’re not?” Gina asked, looking up at Merrick with a worried expression.
“No,” he said, “They’re working in Halifax tonight, but they’ll be back later.”
I guess I wasn’t the only one whose parents had to work long hours in the Mer community. It made me wonder what project was so important that it was keeping all of our parents so preoccupied. The past few years, my parents had been needed more and more by the Mecrutia Council and High Order. I had assumed that it was only because I had grown older that they agreed to do the extra work, but now I was starting to wonder.
“Where’s Zale?” I asked suddenly remembering that the Prices had a younger brother, one I had initially mistaken for my future husband.
“Zale was accepted to a school for the gifted, near our parents work, so he gets a drive with them every morning.” Rayne looked at me speaking slowly enough so that I could tell her words were chosen carefully. She was suggesting that I read between the lines, which I did.
Zale was a Sealatian , a chosen one from our Mers to attend their schooling on the base camp where our parents would work. It was an opportunity given to those who excel in specific Mer capabilities from an early age. Water manipulation, enchantment, and empathy were common gifts they wanted to cultivate and strengthen. It was rare among Mers to have the opportunity to attend Sealatia Ceremonies.
I had been offered a chance to join when I was eleven because of my empathy, but had declined. There was something strangely cold about the teachers that made me feel uncomfortable. At first my father suggested that perhaps it was simply because I could not read them as well as other Mers, but I felt that it was something more akin to fear. The Sealatia made me fearful, because there was no humanity in them, and I could tell instantly that they had disliked the human in me. We had once been humans though, all Mers had, long long ago and so that kind of prejudice didn’t make sense to me.
“ Oh,” I said in response, sending a wave of emotion to Rayne, letting her know that I had understood what she had meant to say through omission. I wondered what Zale’s gift was, and I wondered why he seemed so incredibly warm and adorable when I had met him. Other Sealatia seemed so calculated and exacting.
“ Who’s Zale?” Gina asked.
“ Our brother,” Rayne snapped back.
“ I am so hungry I could eat a whole swordfish!” Coral exclaimed with an exasperated groan.
“ Me too,” Pearl added, “only I think I want catfish instead with potatoes and—”
“ I wanted to have the trout tonight,” Merrick interrupted.
“ We’re having salmon.” Rayne said ending the debate there. “I took the salmon out this morning and seasoned it while all you lazy
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