Riley was starting to feel very confined by the dark pool of water. It was not quite triggering her claster-thing that Lewis had talked about, but it was still making her scales crawl. It did not help that Karina got more skittish as time passed – cradled against Nero like they were going to be ripped apart at any moment – or that her aunt still refused to speak to her. She caught her uncle glancing at her from time to time, but he had said nothing to her either. It stung, but she could not entirely blame them for their reactions and only hoped that they would understand when the time came.

Lukshia had come down a few times to offer them food, and Riley had been the first to take from each offering as a reassurance to her family that none of it would make them drop. Karina had been eating out of necessity, and Nero picked occasionally at the fish, but her aunt had declined all of it so far. They were hardy as a species, but Riley knew she would have to eat soon or risk growing genuinely weak.

With a sigh, she broke the surface and gazed around the empty room with a sinking heart. After spending cycles essentially on her own, wandering place to place, often for moons without seeing another soul – only occasionally joining up for a small time with other pods or groups for the few turns of the sun and moon that their hospitality would last – she would have thought she would no longer have the capacity to feel loneliness. And yet her heart ached with every beat, every breath she drew into her lungs. She was homesick and desperate to be with those she loved once more.

She scoffed to herself and shook her head to clear it. She needed to focus. It was silly how little time it had taken for her to become almost entirely dependent on Sophie and Lewis and their company. How quickly she found herself drawn to Sophie’s warm embrace and Lewis’ tender teasing, for Katie’s smile and playful, welcoming attitude despite all her struggles. Luna’s sweet nature and hopeful eyes, and her laugh – rarely heard and buried beneath a mountain of insecurities – were all the things Riley considered her home, and she craved them desperately. Missed all of it.

As her eyes wandered, her attention focused in on the small like-a-phone-but-not device that was still perched at the side of the pool where she had left it. She had not touched it since she came back from the other room with Lukshia initially.

Bracing her palms on the edge of the pool, she dragged herself out of the water and over to it. She shook her hands to rid her skin of the worst of the dripping water, and then picked it up. It was still just a chunk of hard plastic, but she knew if she pressed the button and spoke into it, they would be able to hear her.

Lewis had answered the first time, there was no reason why he would not again. Riley leaned back until her back bumped the wall of the boat. She pulled her tail up and her fins slapped noisily on the ground, though Riley barely acknowledged the smarting sting that jolted up through them. She cradled the device and chewed her lip. Maybe talking with her family would make her feel better. Sophie almost always seemed to know what to say, even when Riley had not told her what was wrong. She wanted that now.

But she did not know what time it was. Sure, if she used the not-phone, Sophie or Lewis would probably never complain about talking to her and soothing her loneliness and fears, but she felt guilty at the thought she might wake them up. It was hard to have a sense of day or night trapped down in the bottom of the boat like this. Lukshia had offered to put the lights on, but Riley knew the unnatural brightness would have spooked the other Mer, so she had refused. The dark accompanied them constantly and gave her no hint as to how much time had passed.

She sighed softly.

“What is that?”

Riley’s head jerked up at the new voice. She glanced over to see Karina leaning on the edge of the pool with her arms crossed and her chin resting on them.

“Oh…umm…well, humans have these things called phones – little black devices – that they use to talk to each other over long distances. This is not a phone, but it works the same way, just with a lot of extra noise that makes your ears hurt.”

Karina chuckled softly. “If it hurts your ears, then why to clutch at it as if it were precious to you?”

Riley shook her head and tucked one of her still dripping bangs back behind her ear. “No, it is not,” Riley replied as she bounced the device in her hands a little. “It just…I can use it to talk to some people that I do care about is all. I want to, I just do not think that I should. It is hard to know if it is day or night, and I do not wish to disturb them.”

Karina nodded. “These are your humans, yes? You wish to speak to them, why?”

Riley frowned at the distrusting hitch in Karina’s tone. It made her want to snarl. “You do not know them,” she responded through gritted teeth.

“Peace, Riley,” Karina soothed. “I did not mean offense. I cannot understand your association with the people of the land. I have lost something far too precious to me because of them and one of their large vessels just like this one.” She paused and stretched out a hand to brush Riley’s arm. “But I can understand caring about someone, and about feeling homesick.”

Riley glanced up again. Karina’s gaze had softened to a warm acknowledgement, and the upraised scales framing her head flicked, glistening with water as they did. Riley had not known the other Mer could move them. She forced herself to relax with a sigh. It was unfair to be hard on Karina; who had a reason to hate human beings. While logically the storm had been the culprit of her family’s demise; if the humans had not been out on the water carrying poisonous liquid, it would never have been an issue.

“I respect that. I do hope perhaps you will feel more comfortable around mine once you meet them,” Riley admitted. “They are different.”

Karina shook her head. “Do not think lesser of me, but I would much prefer to keep my distance then to meet them at all when the time comes. I do not ever imagine myself comfortable around humans and I feel safer in the water, where I can flee if need be. Perhaps things would be different, possibly, if I were not with child, but I cannot risk my baby.”

Riley nodded, though her shoulders slumped and her former soft smile wilted. She only wished for the two parts of her family to meet and get to know one another, but she understood – though she did not like it – that there may just be too many differences for that to happen. It was different for Katie and Luna, who were both raised around humans and understood that the family is safe, and she herself was in no position to argue in the beginning and thus got the chance to get to know them properly. Most Mer avoided humans with good reason. Luna’s history was a prime example of why.

“What about you, Nero?” she inquired. Her senses were more alert now and she sensed him hovering just out of her peripheral. She turned to see him dragging himself out of the water beside her.

“I do not know about these humans of yours, but I will admit to being eager over the reason of our journey,” he stated calmly. Though his voice was controlled, Riley could see the twinkling gleam in his eyes.

It caused a wide smile to flow over Riley’s lips and she nodded. “It will be well worth the wait, I promise.”

“It better be, little cousin,” Nero warned. He wrapped a well-toned arm around her neck and dragged her close to rub a fist against the crown of her scalp. “Else I may just skin your scales from your tail.”

Riley yelped in surprise, though it quickly morphed into an amused giggle. Her gliders flapped and her tail lashed as she squirmed out at his grasp and shoved away from him. She huffed and then set about patting her mussed hair back into place.

“It will be,” she vowed.

A content half-smile settled across Nero’s features and he nodded as their playful moment sobered. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed before jerking his head back towards the still water of the darkened pool. “You should go make peace,” he advised.

Instinctively, Riley bristled. She was tired of apologizing when doing nothing wrong, especially when the other had lashed out with hurtful words and painful declarations. A firm look from Nero wilted any of her protests, however. Riley sighed. She knew he was right. It had to be done else her aunt would likely dart off or be in too foul a mood to be receptive to the real reason she was brought here. And that was the last thing Luna’s self-esteem needed.

“Very well,” she caved. She knew she could not truly blame Rebecca for her anger. It was rooted in fear – for herself and others – and a lack of knowledge. Riley was asking her to just accept a lot on an assurance, and she knew it could not be easy for her. “I will see what I can do.”

She bunched the muscles of her tail below her and sprung from the floor over the edge of the pool to plunge into the abyssal waters of the hold. As she swam down, she felt the waters above shift again. Likely Nero rejoining his mate in the water. He had continued to keep Karina close lately.

Riley smiled softly, then shook herself and continued deeper. She discovered her aunt and uncle at the bottom of the pool. They were pressed into the far corner and lying together. Her aunt’s normally brilliant emerald scales looked more like inky waves down her tail in the low light, and the limb was intricately twisted around her uncle’s. His tail was almost impossible to see in the lack of light, the gray-green of his scales disappearing almost entirely in the water, save when it swayed and small patches popped into view before vanishing again. She could not see his fins no matter how she squinted. The dark made good camouflage for her uncle, and it made her wonder if he was perhaps better equipped for the depths.

Riley tenderly brushed the pads of her fingers over her aunt’s arm; not wanting to be jarring as she disturbed her rest, though she knew Aunt Becca was not truly asleep.

Rebecca opened one eye to inspect her and sighed heavily. Bubbles trickled from her gills in a display of exasperation. “What is it?” she grumbled.

“I just want to talk to you,” Riley whispered back.

She flinched as she watched her aunt’s lip curl. “The only thing I wish to hear from you is the truth, Riley. What is the real reason you have dragged us here?”

Riley shook her head and took in water so she could sink and settle on the floor beside them. Her aunt and uncle sat up as she did. Their tails were still intertwined, and Ixion curled an arm around Rebecca’s waist as she leaned back against his chest. Neither looked overly impressed with her, and Riley had to subdue the rising urge to cower like a scolded child.

Riley reached out and took her aunt’s hands, curling her fingers around Rebecca’s and meeting her gaze. Her voice wavered as she spoke. “I understand you are cross with me, and I should have at least mentioned that I was involved with people of land before we left. You can hate me if you wish, you may refuse to speak to me or associate with me again. I will respect that. But before any of that, I need you to have patience just a little longer. I cannot tell you the reason, only assure you it is a positive one,” she explained.

Her aunt only tossed her head in response. “I have no more patience to give, Riley, and no more trust. You have betrayed that. I put too much faith in you, and now we are trapped and even you cannot convince yourself entirely of our safety. I have let you risk my life, the lives of my mate, my child and his mate, and their soon to be parenthood, and for what? Do you not think I at least deserve the reason?”

“You do,” Riley conceded. “But not here, not now; not like this.”

Rebecca growled at her words, but it was her Uncle Ixion that bared his fangs and hissed. “Go. If you will only speak more deceit and words to distort the conversation away from the topic, then go.”

Riley’s eyes were beginning to sting, and she knew that had they been above the water, they likely would have been brimming with tears. She opened her mouth to plead with them and defend herself, but instead it was Nero who came to her rescue.

“Father, mother; enough,” he called as he drifted down through the water. In the lack of light, Nero became merely a hairless, eyeless torso – a dark shadow of a torso at that – and it was slightly unnerving to look at as his darker features blended perfectly with the water. Karina was with him, resting her head on his shoulder while she tightly hugged his one arm. Her fins flowed in the water behind her, still managing to seem sunny and bright despite how they too dulled in the dark.

“If you cannot trust Riley, put your faith in me instead,” Nero continued as he dropped down beside them. “I do not care for her involvement with humans either, but her reason for bringing us is a wonderful thing.”

“Then just tell me what it is.” Rebecca’s voice sounded like a desperate, pleading whine as she begged her son. Her fingers were curling and uncurling repeatedly as she dragged her nails across her scales.

“No, mother; I will not. It is something for you to see and know, something for you to experience in a moment of awe, I will not spoil that for you; for either of you,” he refused as he nodded at his father as well.

“But I–”

“Telling you,” Nero continued as her reached out to cup Rebecca’s cheek, “would only anger and distress you. Trust me, mother. That is all I ask.”

“How can it be a good thing if it will cause us offense?” Ixion demanded.

“It is not the reason that will offend you, Uncle,” Riley spoke up. “Us telling you will.” Riley splayed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes. “We do not have long now,” she reported in a murmur. She bit back on part of the truth as she registered something odd in her senses. She had bonded with both Sophie and Lewis, but while part of her call thrummed deafeningly in her ears – a strong indicator that she was very close to Lewis – the other called her further down the coast. Sophie and Lewis were separated. Not by too much – Riley suspected it would take her half a day at most to traverse between them – but it still bothered her. She shook it off for now. Perhaps Sophie had needed to venture away for something on land, and she would be enlightened when they arrived.

Nero hummed at her statement. “Just a little more patience,” he encouraged.

Rebecca sighed and nodded. “Very well,” she relented. “I will muster a little more, for you.”

Though the words were not spoken to indicate a jab, they still felt like a painful barb digging up under Riley’s scales and she flinched. She could only hope that her aunt and uncle would find it in their hearts to forgive her for the perceived wrongs.

While Nero dipped his head in thanks, Karina reached out to place her hand over Rebecca’s. “We can lose much, even in a single ferocious storm, but that same tempest can also bring us things to cherish. You lost a son, and I gained a mate. And my pod…” Karina broke off as she choked on the words. Sympathy blossomed in Riley’s heart as she watched the mask of composure on Karina’s face deteriorate into crumpled agony. “I never would have met you otherwise,” she continued finally. She flicked her fins and drifted just a little bit closer to the two older Mer until she was cuddled up against them. “You have both been like second parents to me, and I cherish that immensely. Do not be so harsh with Riley. This is an unforeseen storm – and perhaps she should have been more forthcoming on some details – but she needed you both to come and could only do as she thought was best to accomplish that. There is something worth cherishing waiting for you both in calmer waters.”

Before anyone could respond to the touching comment, a shrill whistle broke through the calm from the surface of the water. Riley craned her head, then glanced around at the nervous expressions of the Mer around her. It was obvious that none of them were inclined to answer the loud summons. With a sigh, Riley flicked her fins and darted to the surface. When her head broke the water, she found Lukshia standing at the edge of the pool. Her arms hung loosely from her sides and her thick black hair was pulled into a tight bump coiled up on top of her skull.

“I just wanted to let you know that we’re here,” she stated. “It’s going to take a few more minutes to actually get the boat docked, but once it is, I’ll open the lower doors of the hold for you. No sense hauling you all out and up to the deck when that’s probably a much more natural way for you to leave. Just make sure none of the others are lying on the floor, alright? The doors open slowly, and I don’t want any of you getting your fins pinched.”

Riley dipped her head as excitement bubbled in her chest. It was finally time. She was eager to see her family again, but she was also thrilled at the notion of getting out of the rather stagnant dark pool. “We will be cautious,” she agreed.

Lukshia pursed her lips and nodded once before turning and walking away. There was nothing more that needed to be said, and while the woman still made Riley feel a bit uneasy, she appreciated the rather blunt ‘to the point’ demeanor. It was a strange sort of comfort because it kept interactions to a minimum.

Without wasting another heartbeat, Riley dove back down to inform the others. She prompted them up off the ground and they all hovered in mixed forms of anticipation. Though her excitement made the time seem to crawl by slower than a seastar picking its way over a particularly rocky pile of coral, her patience was eventually rewarded with a loud screech as the doors began to part.

Riley was the first to dive down through the still widening opening. She plunged down into a second, smaller chamber and frowned in confusion before she realized. The others had followed her and looked equally puzzled before she elaborated. “The boat would sink if they just opened the doors to the water. We probably did not notice out of panic when we were brought in. They will close the ones above us to seal the boat off from the water, and then let us out.” She spoke confidently, but unease did prickle along her skin. The explanation made sense; she could only hope that was truly the intent.

Sure enough, after a short while, the doors above began to slowly slide together once more, allowing plenty of time in case one of them had lingered. They were plunged into total darkness – the likes that did not even allow Riley to see her fingers when she waggled them in front of her eyes – as the doors above them sealed with a hiss. Karina broke the silence that followed with a soft whimper of panic, but she seemed to quickly bite it back.

They did not have to wait long, and the darkness was broken by a blinding light that made Riley squint as the panel below them finally slid open next. She got shoved aside as the rest of the Mer dove out for the opening, clearly eager to be free of the risks a boat presented. Riley followed them into the warm afternoon waters, rubbing at her eyes as they adjusted to the light after so long in the gloom.

She gazed around once she did, unfamiliar with the surroundings. The water here was deep – they could easily disappear in a few tail flicks if they needed – but before them was the edge of a much shallower stretch that eventually rose above the water into the beach beyond. A long wooden dock stretched above their heads.

Her former podmates were all staring at her expectantly, and Riley nodded. “Wait here just a moment, okay?” she requested. “I just need to see what is going on and I do want to ensure we are safe. Aunt Becca, Uncle Ixion; I promise you will understand in just a few more heartbeats.”

She did not wait for a response and only hoped that Karina and Nero would help encourage them to stick around if necessary. She turned her attention to the skin of the water and broke through it with a strong lash of her tail. She peered up onto the deck and found Lewis crouched there with a wide grin and warm eyes. Her anxieties melted away as he waggled his fingers at her. “Hey Kid, how was the trip?”

“Long,” Riley groaned.

Lewis nodded. “Sorry if Lukshia gave you all a bit of a scare. I didn’t know she was going to get you, but I’m honestly glad that she did. There’s a lot to fill you in on, but it can wait until after. I think there’s a few people who have waited long enough.”

“Longer than they were really willing to,” Riley agreed. She bit her tongue so she would not demand answers about the worried scent wafting off him. She did want to be filled in on what was going on, but he was right. It could wait.

“Let me go get Luna then,” he decided. “I’ll only be a minute.”

Riley bobbed in the water as she watched him rise and hurry back down the dock and into a small, older looking home. She waited with bated breath, and once she saw the door reopen and confirmed that he was holding her younger cousin, Riley dove back beneath the water. She waved a hand to her companions and a wide, eager grin flowed across her features. “Come on,” she urged with a jerk of her head. “It is time for you all to see.”