Chapter 1

One

M errow Havfine stretched out lazily atop a rock, closing her eyes and basking in the hot summer sun. Such warmth never felt so good. The light illuminated her face as well as her barely-clad body. The melodic splashing sounds of the ocean waves lapped at the sea stack beneath her. This rocky outcrop was her favorite resting spot. It also served as a preferred gathering area for the rest of her forty-nine sisters.

Being an undine, or sea nymph, made her extremely comfortable in the water. She was one with the element. A guardian of the Aegean Sea. This was her home amongst dolphins, sea turtles, and exotic fish of every size and color. Merrow had grown up with her forty-nine sisters and one brother. They all took care of each other since her mother disappeared years ago, and her father, Nereus, was usually busy since he was known as king of the sea.

A tugging sensation on her foot caused Merrow to open one sleepy eye to find her favorite sister, Galene, playfully surfacing from beneath the sea. She spouted a stream of water from her mouth, hitting Merrow right in the face. It made them both laugh. Galene silently called Merrow back into the water without even having to use words. The undines had no real powers except for the ability to converse with each other through their minds, and shapeshift into humans while on land.

The undines were all beautiful women who wore thin, wispy clothing that clung to their wet bodies, not slowing them down at all in the water when they swam.

“Galene, you know I’d love to play but this is my special time for sunning myself. With so many sisters, we need to keep to our schedules.” Merrow liked order and was in charge of keeping her sisters in line. As one of the older sisters, her job was looking after the others and keeping them safe.

She smiled at her red-haired sister, seeing the mischief in Galene’s bright blue-green gaze. All fifty of the sisters had the same color eyes that matched the gorgeous hue of the crystal clear waters of their home. All the water nymphs had long, flowing locks. Hair in shades of every color, with most of the girls having at least three hues intertwined. Merrow’s long mane was a rich brown that glowed with interwoven streaks of pink and green. Her colors mimicked the bright coral and lush sea moss found at the Mystic Reef. The girls sometimes tied up their hair in braids or ornate knots. Merrow liked to leave her hair long and free, letting it fall past her shoulders to flow out in the water around her as she swam beneath the surface.

“Please, Merrow, Melite and I want to follow Ephyra, Arethusa, and Panopea, to the Mystic Reef to search for pretty shells.”

“Sister, you and Melite are women now, and no longer children,” Merrow reminded her, reaching over to brush a wet lock of hair behind her sister’s ear. Merrow played the role of mother to her younger sisters, knowing each of their strengths and weaknesses better than even her own. “You should be tending to your underwater chores instead of being distracted by pretty baubles.”

Melite’s head came up from under the water next. She had a round face and blonde hair and was even younger than Galene. Still, they were both women and no longer children.

“Please, take us there,” begged Melite. “You know the fastest way around the jagged rocks and how to avoid the sharks so they won’t chase us away.”

“Yes, you do. Better than anyone,” agreed Galene.

“Of course, I do,” Merrow answered. “And when you’ve had as many years as I’ve had to practice, you’ll be as skilled at underwater maneuvers as well. One hundred and fifty years was how long Merrow had been practicing. The life expectancy for humans would never even come close to matching this number, but undines lived at least one hundred years past this age. While Merrow was one hundred and fifty, to humans she looked comparable to a twenty-five year old woman.

“Then you’ll take us?” Melite’s sweet eyes were filled with hope.

“You know Father doesn’t allow you to go near the Mystic Reef. Or, at least, not until you’re older. It’s much too dangerous out there. Besides, the weather is too unstable. Not to mention, sometimes strange things happen at the reef. Scary things,” she added sadly.

“We know, you don’t need to remind us,” said Melite with a sigh. “Our mother went there one day and then something happened and she disappeared. But that was a long time ago.”

It had been eight years now since the disappearance of their dear mother. “I overheard some of our sisters saying Mother left on purpose and nothing bad happened to her,” Melite continued.

“Hush!” spat Merrow, pushing up to a sitting position. She scanned the area quickly. “Don’t ever let Father hear you say that. It will make him angry. Believe me, you don’t want to feel his wrath.”

“Father isn’t anywhere near. He’s not listening,” said Melite innocently.

“Mayhap not now, but you both know that Nerites is his eyes and ears. If he hears this nonsense, he’ll report it back to Father in the blink of an eye.”

“Why can’t our brother be more like his sisters?” asked Galene with a pout. “Nerites is always snitching on us.”

“He watches over us. That’s different,” Merrow assured her sisters.

“You watch over us, Merrow. All he does is cause trouble.” Melite pouted now as well. “Take us to the reef. Please.”

“It’ll be all right. You’ll be there to protect us,” Galene urged her. “We know we’re safe with you.”

“Plus, Ephyra won’t get so angry with us if you are there to soothe things over.” Melite rested her arms on the rock, her body still submerged.

“Yes, Merrow,” agreed Galene, attaching a bright pink sea anemone to her long braid.“You always have a way of maintaining peace between all of our sisters.”

“Well, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to go there.” Merrow sat up straighter, noticing the scent of a storm in the air. The squall was quickly approaching. The clouds darkened above them, taking on an angry composure. It wouldn’t be long now before the sky opened up and rain pelted down all around them.

“We can be there and back before the storm approaches,” said Melite, knowing Merrow’s thoughts though Merrow hadn’t expressed them aloud.

“Nay. We can’t possibly swim there and back before the storm approaches.” Merrow frowned, wishing for her sunshine to reappear. Nothing made her feel happier than sun warming her face while she dangled her toes into the cool waters.

“Not in that form you can’t, Merrow. Of course, not. Don’t be silly. You have your human legs and they’ll just slow you down.” Galene hoisted herself out of the water and onto the rocks, her long tail flipping back and forth in the growing breeze. The iridescent scales of green, purple and gold reflected the light. Undines had tails like mermaids while in the water, but once they were on land, they looked and walked on two legs like humans.

“Hurry, Merrow. Get into your undine form,” urged Melite. “You know you can swim faster than any of us by using your tail.”

“I’m not sure I agree to this idea.” Merrow looked over her shoulder to the other side of the rock where another dozen of their sisters were sunbathing but starting to slip back into the water one by one because of the approaching weather. “Nerites watches us closely. Too closely.We can’t risk him reporting back to Father that we’re breaking the rules. It’ll get us into a lot of trouble.”

“Since when are you afraid of trouble? Besides, our brother is checking on the fishing boats right now, and keeping the rest of our sisters away from their nets,” Galene pointed out. “Nerites won’t even know we left for the reef. He has his hands full with all his responsibilities. It will take him some time to check on all his fifty sisters.”

“She’s right. Plus, he can’t swim half as fast as we can. Come on, Merrow. Do it!” Melite continued to coax her. “I only need a few more of those pretty pink shells found only at the reef, to complete my necklace. Plus, I want to try to attract my personal shell charm to me, now that I’ve come of age.”

The undines, when old enough, attracted a personal shell charm from the sea to them. It was usually a soft shell that could sometimes even feel feathery. It would connect to their essence and become part of them in every way. It helped to hold their emotions and their feelings at bay. Most of all, it helped to control their sexual prowess since sea nymphs were very sensual, sexual creatures. The undines wore the personal shell charm in their hair. It was something that stayed with them always. It would help to give them strength and control. However, if for some reason it was ever taken from them, it could bring about a horrible fate.

Melite lifted the strand of shells around her neck, clicking them together. “If we wait any longer, the storm will cover all the shells with silt and we’ll have to wait another week until the sea bottom settles in order to go after them again.”

Merrow ran a hand through her hair that had been dried by the sun, glancing up at the sky once more. Even though she was the best at caring for others and maintaining order, deep down she got tired of always being the responsible one. Undines didn’t have souls. However, if she had one, she was sure it would be reminding her that she really did enjoy taking risks and exploring new areas. It was a longing deep inside her that always called to her and kept her alive. The Mystic Reef seemed to constantly beckon her. At times she was awoken from a deep sleep, swearing she heard her mother calling to her from the reef, even though it wasn’t so.

Merrow loved all her sisters as well as her brother, but Melite and Galene were her favorites by far. She would do anything to make them happy. Seeing them smile made Merrow’s heart sing. Plus, it helped ease the sting of no longer having a mother, as well as putting up with an ever-absent father. Merrow was close to her sisters and would do anything to keep that bond strong.

“All right,” she finally answered with a wink. “Why not? I haven’t done anything exciting in a long time now. If we’re fast, we’ll find your pink shells and also be able to attract your personal shell charm as well. We can beat the storm, and be back before Nerites even knows we’re gone.” Slipping into the water, her mermaid-like tail instantly appeared. The tips of her ears grew longer and fin-like. Webbing appeared between her fingers and toes that would aid her in moving through the water in a sleek and rapid way. “Let’s go.” She dove into the sea, not even bothering to take a breath. Undines could breathe under the water or breathe air while on land. They had the ability to do both. However, in the water was where they gained their strength and energy and where they always felt their best.

The lingering rays of sunlight streamed down, lighting up the hidden underwater paradise that Merrow had grown up in and always loved. With Melite and Galene right behind her, Merrow purposely held back as she swam so she wouldn’t lose them in her wake. Instead, she drank in the beauty of the underwater life all around her.

Schools of red mullet fish darted one way and then the other as she came through. Their bright hues of red, pink and orange always reminded her of the sun. A wrasse fish followed her as she swam. This was one of the most colorful fish in the sea in green and blue with red dots that made up stripes. Bottlenose dolphins smiled at her as they encircled her, wanting to play a game of chase. Merrow made a face at some of the puffer fish, blowing air into her cheeks trying to mimic the way they could blow up so easily.

She continued to swim, nodding to a garfish at the ocean floor. Its slim, long snake-like body curled around a rock while its needle nose poked at something beneath the sandy floor. Merrow reached out and dragged her hand across the back of a large sea turtle as it slowly floated past, biting at seaweed and underwater fauna along the way. She swam along with a dusky grouper, a black scorpion fish and even a blue spotted bream.

The waters of their home were so blue and clear. Little islands dotted the area, and Merrow knew each one of them like the back of her hand.

After passing some blue crabs in a nearby lagoon, they came to the Mystic Reef filled with the most colorful coral ever known. It made her happy to see it. She’d heard of humans who painted, and this was none other than the sea painting its beautiful colors below the water, splashing them onto the ancient coral reef. Merrow stopped and held up a hand, telling her sisters to wait. She didn’t want to speak with her mind or the others would hear her.

She thought she saw a glimpse of someone swim by in the distance, but when she spun around to look, there was no one there.

What is it, Merrow? asked Melite using her mind to communicate anyway.

Merrow held a finger to her lips and nodded toward their sisters, Ephyra, Arethusa and Panopea who had finished gathering up the coral and shells into their baskets, having sensed the approaching storm. She waited until they swam off before leading Melite and Galene toward the Mystic Reef.

Collect your shells quickly , she told her sisters, feeling a cold chill wash through her and it wasn’t from the frigid water. Something wasn’t right. She felt it in her bones. There was danger approaching, but she couldn’t place from where it came.

While Galene and Melite scooped up shells and placed them into the bags slung over their shoulders, Merrow kept a close watch. Once again, she thought, or sensed someone or something watching them. She spun around, but didn’t even see a single fish anymore. It was much too calm around the Mystic Reef. Calmer than usual. She supposed the underwater sea creatures sensed the approaching storm and that is why they remained hidden.

Hurry, she told her sisters, noticing Melite clicking the pink shells together. A large smile spread across her face.

These are the biggest and best shells we’ve ever found , said Melite. This will make the best necklace I’ve ever had in my life. Now, I just need to try to attract my personal shell charm to me.

Thunder boomed overhead, sending the vibrations flitting through the water. Looking up to the surface, Merrow could see flashes of lightning in the sky. She was about to tell her sisters it was time to leave when she looked behind her and her mouth fell open in shock. The water at the reef started to swirl violently making what she could only explain as an underwater sideways funnel. Colors of green and blue lit up the inside of the swirls and glowed from within with a fuzzy white color. Then, to her horror, she saw her sisters being pulled toward it.

“What’s happening?” asked Galene aloud, using her voice instead of her mind to communicate now. She struggled to swim away, but it was like a very strong current.

“Help!” cried Melite, shoving the rest of the shells into her pouch as her body was swept toward the swirling waters that started to open wider now. It was some kind of underwater portal!

“Hold on, I’m coming,” Merrow yelled to her sisters. Even though she was a strong enough swimmer to bring herself out of this strong current, her sisters were not. She didn’t think twice about risking her own life to save them.

“Merrow, help us!” Galene’s eyes opened wide and her hand shot out as her tail was sucked into the water portal and she started to disappear.

“I’m scared!” cried Melite, trying to swim upward, but the portal sucked her right to it as well.

“I won’t let that thing harm you!” With all her might, Merrow swam right toward the portal, reaching out and grasping each of her sisters by the arm just as they started to slip away. She pulled with all her might, but the water portal was just too powerful. She would have to either let go of her sisters to save herself, or surrender to the swirling water, just to stay with Melite and Galene.

She chose the latter, not willing to leave her siblings who were in dire need of her protection. Still holding on to them securely, she relaxed her body, letting the water pull all three of them deep into the center of the portal.

Something caught her eye again, and she noticed their brother, Nerites swimming toward them just as the portal started to close.

“Nerites!” she shouted, but it was too late. The portal snapped shut before their brother could reach them. They were sucked through brackish waters that became so dark she could no longer see a thing. Still, Merrow held firmly to her sisters, not willing to let them go.

The crystal clear waters of home disappeared. They were now surrounded by dark waters and also the feeling of doom. They needed to get to the surface to see where they were. Merrow needed to get her bearings. “Swim to the surface,” she instructed her sisters. They did as told, but Merrow never made it there. She felt a jerking motion and realized that her tail was entangled in some kind of netting that kept closing in around her, swallowing her up.

She was trapped and being pulled upward! The net enclosed her, making her a prisoner as it slowly dragged her along with it toward the surface.

Now Merrow knew what happened to their mother so many years ago. And she also felt it in her gut that she and her sisters were never, ever going back home.