Surface Tension by Valentine Wheeler

Author:Valentine Wheeler [Wheeler, Valentine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781949909692
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2018-01-15T05:00:00+00:00

THE DOOR SLID open with a rush of bubbles and Sarai sat up from her bed of kelp. “What was that? Ydri, are you okay?”

Ydri drifted over to her, lingering listlessly by the edge of Sarai’s bed, eyes focused on the ocean floor.

“Ydri?” Sarai leaned over, trying to see the mermaid’s face. “What’s wrong? I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“They’ve taken everything,” she said, voice dull. “All my research, all my artifacts. They’re gone.”

“What do you mean, gone?”

“Confiscated. Destroyed. I’ve been deemed too dangerous. Too far from established doctrines.” Her fists clenched against the seaweed beneath her. “My program has been shut down completely. Our study charter has been taken to be traded to another kingdom. They say they granted me a special privilege when they let me keep you, and I broke their trust. And they are right. I was far too open. I’ve compromised us all with my obsession.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what you’ve shown me!” Sarai reached toward Ydri, but she pulled away, and Sarai’s hand dropped between them. “There’s nothing wrong with being curious, Ydri. There’s nothing wrong with sharing, with making friends. That’s how you learn new things.”

She grabbed for Ydri’s hands again, and this time, with a shudder that turned into full-body trembling from her head to her tail, Ydri let her take them. Her hands were cold and they twitched in Sarai’s before curling around Sarai’s fingers. Sarai stroked her thumbs along the back of Ydri’s knuckles, trying to rub warmth into the cool, slick skin. Did mermaids even need to be warm? She wasn’t sure.

“My sister was invited to be acolyte to the queen.” Ydri flicked her tail, sending eddies through the water. “It’s a great honor. It’s what she’s always dreamed of.” Her hands tightened on Sarai’s, then released.

“That’s good for her,” said Sarai, not sure where the conversation was going.

“The offer can be revoked at any time,” said Ydri. “For any reason. And once revoked, it may never be offered again.”

“She’s not the one in trouble, though. Why is your problem suddenly hers too?”

“I’m a part of her family. I cannot disgrace her, not when she’s worked for this for so long. Don’t you have family you’d sacrifice for, to see them happy?”

Sarai pushed aside thoughts of Gretchen, of her months in the palace. Gretchen had taken a chance for her. Gretchen had risked her job for Sarai. She’d taken her in despite Sarai’s status. How could she deny Ydri’s sister the same familial bond? But this was different. Gretchen had a plan, one that had nothing to do with working in the palace. She had Rory and the dream of the farm. Even if Sarai had cost her the job at the castle, she would have been all right. This was Ydri’s whole life at stake. This was everything she lived for. Sarai swallowed hard. “You’ve worked hard too. Look at how much you’ve learned about us, how much it’s taught you about your own people!”

Ydri pushed off from the sand, swimming angry laps across the ceiling.

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