Fairy Lies by E. D. Baker

Author:E. D. Baker [Baker, E. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Published: 2012-04-08T05:00:00+00:00

Tamisin wanted to thank the mermaids, but climbing to the top of the rocks was harder than she remembered. Finally she was standing on the beach looking out to sea and listening to the water hiss as it ran up the clean white sand. Taking off her shoes, she stepped into the advancing foam. The cool water felt good on her feet, so she began to walk along the curving beach while searching the waves for some sign of mermaids. When she nearly tripped over a large stack of seashells at the water’s edge, she knew that someone had been there. A little farther on she found a pool cut off from the rest of the water, and saw a crab scuttling across the bottom. Taking a seat beside the pool, she was bending over to see what else lived there when she heard splashing and a voice called, “Hello!”

Tamisin looked up. A young woman was bobbing in the water just past the point where the waves broke. She waved, and suddenly something angled and dripping rose out of the water behind her. Tamisin was about to shout a warning when she realized that the object was a tail and it belonged to the girl.

“I’ll be right there!” the mermaid called, and dove into the water with a flip of her tail.

Tamisin watched as a blue-green shape streaked just below the breaking waves. When the mermaid reached the shallows, a tongue of water rose up, carrying her above the grating pebbles at the water’s edge onto the beach itself, depositing her only feet from where Tamisin was standing. Her hair, which had looked black from a distance, now looked like the deepest green. Her eyes were green as well, but a lighter shade that spoke of seaweed and kelp.

The mermaid flipped her wet hair over her shoulder and smiled. Tamisin held up the necklace. “Are you the mermaid who sent me this?” she asked.

“I am if you’re the princess, Tamisin.”

“I am,” said Tamisin.

“And I’m Kryllus. My friends and I just wanted to welcome you to our part of the world.” The mermaid gestured toward the deep water where two more heads were bobbing.

“That’s very kind of you,” said Tamisin. “The necklace is lovely. Did you get the pearls around here?”

“About a hundred miles east of here, actually,” said Kryllus. “Would you like to see the spot? I can take you there if you’re interested. I’m a fast swimmer. It wouldn’t take too long.”

“I’m not sure . . . ,” Tamisin began. Even though she could swim, she wasn’t sure she should go into deep water with a mermaid she’d just met.

Kryllus sighed. “It would be a real shame if you didn’t go. I could show you some very pretty places that you’d never get to see from the land. However, if you’re afraid of the water . . .”

“I’m not afraid!” said Tamisin.

“Or would rather not socialize with mermaids like us, I’ll understand.”

“It isn’t that! It’s just . . . Never mind.

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