“When we communicate, we direct our words to who we want to hear us.”
“Let me see if I’m understanding you. When Syleen was talking about the hunt, she can pick and choose who she wants to hear her? She can leave whoever she wants out and speak only the select few?”
Lelas nodded. “Yes, we all can.”
I considered this. Thinking back to the meal. All the mers around us.“Was everyone in on the conversation about the hunt? Only me who wasn’t able to hear?”
“I assume so. Not everyone offered input, but I believe all were aware of the discourse.”
My brain felt like it was going to start cramping up. I began rubbing my temples, as if that would clear up all the confusion. This made absolutely no sense.“So… what if… I don’t know… what if someone were behind me, farther away from Syleen. If I couldn’t hear her, if she’d blocked me, they wouldn’t be able to hear her either, right? They’d be blocked too.”
Confusion clouded her expression again.“No, that would not make a difference. Maybe I do not understand your question, as I fail to see how that would have an effect at all.”
Must be different than sound waves. Duh.“Okay, then you’re able to talk to only the people you want to, no matter who’s around. How do you direct your voice to them? Do you have to think about their names every time before you say something?”I thought back to all the magic I’d witnessed at Finn’s house.“Do you say a spell or something?”
Lelas laughed again, but this time only in her mind.“Remember, as I have stated, mers are not magic.”
“This seems like it to me.”
“No magic. No saying any names or anything of the sort. It is all dependent on the direction of your intention.”
“Direction of your intention? I have no idea what that means.”
Again, she looked up at the stars, as if seeking answers. Finally, she turned her focus back to me.“I am sorry. I have no other words to help explain. It is just something that occurs naturally over time as we grow. I am sure it will become natural to you as well over the upcoming expanse of time.”
I thought back to the meal. How Lelas had kept looking at me out of the corner of her eye. How Syleen had glared at her after Lelas had told me about the hunt. How Lelas had looked like she’d been scolded.
“Syleen was upset with you when you told me about the hunt, wasn’t she?”
She was quiet for several seconds before she responded.“It was not my place say anything. I hated that such a huge event was being discussed about your future and you were unaware.”
“Thank you for that. I’m sorry you got into trouble.”I knew I should stop there, but as with everything else lately, knowing what I should do and actually doing it were two different things. “You keep saying that she’s not a queen—not your ruler, but she sure seems to boss everyone around. What business of hers is it if you include me in a conversation? If she’s not your queen, then how can she be in charge of you?”
“She is in charge—she and the rest of the elders—of keeping the tribe safe.”As if that explained everything.“We should return home. The darkness deepens, and you will need your rest tomorrow.”
I cursed myself. Here I was, this gorgeous night, actually breathing again, and I chose to waste it with trying to understand how mers spoke to each other and talking about Syleen, of all things!
“I’m sorry, Lelas. I know you’ve already done so much, more than you’re comfortable with.”
She didn’t acknowledge the apology.“There is a ‘but’ coming. I already know your tone. What do you want, Brett?”
“Swim with me.”
“I will. We have a long swim ahead to return to the tribe.”
“Up here.”I made a grand gesture to the sky, then swept my arm across the shadowed sea.“It will be like we’re flying.”
She gave a sideways glare, but the right corner of her mouth tilted a nearly undetectable amount.
“And I know your expressions. That’s a yes!”I let out a loud whoop and took off with a dolphin kick, shooting past Lelas, intentionally splashing her as I passed.
“You really are a child.”I heard the laugh in her voice and felt her behind me before she quickly caught up then passed me.
It truly was like flying, the sky and the sea once again becoming indistinguishable. The stars zoomed by overhead, the glowing sea life blurring below. I dove, soaring through the water. We leapt, swimming through the sky. Once more, utter serenity flowed through me. The impression of gliding through eternity an overwhelmingly genuine yet surreal sensation.
After a time, I slowed. Unaware, Lelas continued her reverie. In so many ways, life with the mers was already becoming commonplace. Normal in a weird way. I watched as she swam, disappearing as she dove, then resurfacing a ways away, leaping at least ten feet in the air, twisting, turning, shimmering in utter radiance. She was anything but commonplace. She was a mermaid. I was swimming with a mermaid. For the first time, I truly felt awe. This was real. All of it was real. I was mer too. More mer than anything else. At the moment, my envious nature reared its head once more. Not for her having parents. Not for her not having to deal with vampires, demons, and broken hearts.She had a tail.She had what I could not, the one thing that could make me belong here. The one thing that would possibly drown out all the other aspects of my lineage.
Even that jealousy couldn’t last at the sight of her. She was too beautiful. The night was too beautiful. If I let go of the past, if I forgot about tomorrow, this moment was perfect.
