“Well.” She smiled back. “You have kept your promises so far.” Before I could leave though, she reached for my hand. “But… don’t be gone too long, please?”
I squeezed her hand back, something electric in the air between us, something shining brighter than the sun at noon. “I’ll be back soon.”
CHAPTER SIX
AULANI
He wasn’t what I had pictured when I imagined a frog turning into a human prince. Ezra Kanahele looked like the island had shaped him: sun-brown skin kissed countless times in the heat, salt-flecked curls falling into his eyes like he’d just come from a long swim (which he did). His hair held the faintest hint of gold, like it had stolen light from the tips of the waves themselves. And those eyes… a brighter green than even the brightest green kelp at sea.
He wasn’t flashy, not even in his princely attire, but there was something quietly noble in the way he carried himself. There was a stillness, like a mountain rising from the ocean floor, steady and unshaken even when the surface was wild.
His voice was calm and genuine, cutting through any falsehood like a coral shard, and when he smiled–which was rare, crooked, a little reluctant–it felt like catching sunlight through the tides.
And that kiss? I smiled as I waited for him, trying to trust that he would come back. Hours had passed, and I wasfreezing.The dense water dried out my skin and scales, and I couldn’t breathe for long underwater. Not like I wanted to go under anyway. It was too cold.
This is what life in the deep brine would be like, and I shuddered.
I made the right decision,I thought. Right? Even though I was stuck here, it was better than being trapped underwater by my father.
After a while, I began to pace. The sun had long disappeared and the moon shone in the sky.
What if he doesn’t come back? What if he lied?He knew I was vulnerable out here.
He knows too much…But what choice did I have? Ihadto trust him.
As more time elapsed, I grew angry at myself. Why had I kissed him? He was thewrongprince to kiss! I was supposed to kiss Prince Ryker! And Prince Ryker wasrealmsaway.
Just as my anxiety began turning into panic, I calmed myself by singing. I could sense the life of the world around me. This island was truly something. It wasn’t full of magic, but it was full of natural, innocent, unassuming life. Joyful life. Bright life. Lush life.
The trees were old, the water pure, and the leaves bent to the will of the wind. The birds occasionally sang, but they seemed… sad. Like they had lost something.
They had lost themselves.I couldn’t explain how I knew this, but all mermaids had some connection to the natural world. I seemed to have this sense stronger than any other mermaid. Just as I could connect with the whales or the dolphins, I could connect with the creatures here. Which is why it surprised me when the little frog talked.
Turns out he was actually human!I looked towards the path, and when I didn’t see him, I began to sing the song I sang to Ryker after rescuing him.
E hiamoe, e hiamoe,
The tide has found you, soft and slow.
The stars above still know your name,
Even when you’ve lost your way.
E ho’omalie,no need to fear,
The sea carries you home from here.
I’ll sing ‘til breath returns to stay,
And all your sorrow drifts away.
The birds sang back, and the area, though cold and filled with mist and crisp mountain air, seemed to turn warm. A few birds descended from the trees to fly around me, as if welcoming me here. It made me feel a little less lonely.
One bird, in particular, rested on my shoulder. It seemed weak. Hungry. He looked at me with his black eyes and I paused to stroke his vibrant red head. His curved black beak tapped my skin.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
It tapped me again.
