Fins Are Forever
Page 55

I don’t expect an answer.
“Anything I can help with?” a deep male voice asks.
“Daddy!”
I spin away from the phone, shocked to see him standing in the upstairs hal . In a fin flick I’m in his arms, squealing,
“What are you doing here?”
“Can’t a father visit his daughter?”
“He can,” I say, pul ing back to give him a fake-stern look,
“but he usual y doesn’t. Not when his calendar is ful of kingly duties and his daughter lives on land.”
“Wel , it’s a special week,” he explains. “It’s not every day my only child turns eighteen.”
“But I’m coming home tonight,” I explain. “You would have seen me in a few hours anyway.”
Not that I’m not thril ed to see him.
He gets a mischievous look in his eyes. “What I have to do cannot be done under water.”
He looks total y pleased with himself, like he’s got the greatest secret in the history of merkind. At times like this he seems more like a little boy than the most powerful man in Thalassinia.
“What?” I ask warily.
He gestures for me to take a seat on my bed, which I do because I want to find out his secret.
“For the past few weeks I have had Mangrove scouring the royal records for something.” He sits next to me on the bed. “For something I remember my father al uding to but I wasn’t sure existed or was even possible.”
“What?” The anticipation is kil ing me.
“You know that every merperson is branded with the mer mark on his or her neck.”
“Of course.” I rol my eyes. “Daddy…”
“What you may not know is that the mark is not only a symbol,” he explains, “but also the source of our powers.” I think back to the image of Doe’s incomplete mer mark.
That makes sense. When he exiled her and revoked her powers, the outer circle of her mer mark disappeared.
When he lifts the exile, it wil probably return.
“What Mangrove found,” Daddy says, sounding like he might be actual y getting to the point, “is an ancient ritual for creating the mark.”
“Creating the mark?” I echo. “What does that mean?”
“Merfolk did not always exist,” he explains. “We were human until Capheira used Poseidon’s trident to grants us aqua vide.”
“This isn’t news,” I insist. “It’s ancient history. What does it have to do with today?”
“What this means, Lily,” he says, his face melting into one of pure joy, “is that I can use that ritual to bestow the powers of our people on a human.”
I gasp. And tears tingle at the inner corners of my eyes.
He doesn’t have to finish the thought, because I immediately know exactly what he means.
“I can grant Quince the power of aquarespire,” he finishes,
“even without the bond. Your young man can come home with you.”
My emotions erupt in a battle between joy—Quince can return to Thalassinia!—and despair. Quince is gone. After al the ups and downs and whirlarounds of the last few weeks, it’s no wonder I have kind of a mini meltdown. I break into great gasping sobs.
Not, I imagine, the reaction Daddy had been hoping for.
“What’s wrong?” He wraps a strong arm around my shoulders and hugs me close. “What happened?”
“Quince left,” I blurt between sobs. “He found out I’m giving up the crown to be with him,” I explain, “and he left.”
“Where did he go?”
Shaking my head, I answer, “I don’t know. He was just so angry.” I wipe at my nose. “He doesn’t think he’s worth the sacrifice.”
There is a tense pause before Daddy says, “But you do?”
“Of course!” How can he even ask me that? “He’s the kindest, strongest, most loyal person I’ve ever known. I love him.”
Daddy nods, as if pleased by my answer. “Then everything wil work out.”
I suck in a deep breath and glance at the ceiling. “I’m not sure.”
“It wil just take time,” Daddy says, patting my knee.
“I know.” I wipe at the tears, trying to regain some composure. “Hopeful y he’l be home by the time I get back.
We can talk then.”
“Do you want to postpone the bal ?” he asks. “We cannot delay the renunciation, but we could reschedule the party.”
“No,” I insist. “No, I’l be fine.” Ish. I climb off the bed. “Let’s get going now. I’m sure Peri and her mom are eager to finish my gown.”
“Are you certain?” His eyes are ful of concern. “We could wait; maybe Quince wil return in time to—”
“I’m sure.” The last thing I want is to have it out with my boyfriend while my dad is waiting. What Quince and I have to talk about won’t change in the next few days—even though my decision wil have been made final.
“Just let me cal Shannen to cancel lunch,” I say, “and tel Aunt Rachel and Doe good-bye.”
“How is your cousin doing, by the way?” Daddy asks.
“Have you made any progress with her?”
I freeze halfway to the door. Shoot, this wasn’t how I’d imagined tel ing him Doe’s news.
“Actual y…”