Adrift (19 page)

But he didn’t.

How could he claim to love me, if he would never trust me.

And he was right. If I chose to get to know my illusive, mysterious mother, then I was choosing a life opposite of what Devin could offer me. I would be turning my back on growing older, changing, having a family.

Time changed so quickly in fairy. One day there could be hundreds of years in the mortal world.

There would be no turning back.

I couldn’t forgive Devin for not trusting me, for not trusting in my love for him.  I couldn’t forgive myself for loving him so much that this betrayal felt like the end of the world.

I wanted my dad. I missed him so desperately. I needed his advice. What would he have counseled me to do? I couldn’t believe that he would want me to turn my life over to the hands of a man to direct my every breath.

And that is what would happen, if I stayed.

Devin would never trust me. He would always being watching for the day that I turned away from him and let the call of the sea take over. He would brace himself against me and control my every move, just trying to protect myself.

He would never trust me enough to let himself love me.

And I deserved to be loved.

If I was going to give up the last of my family for him, then I deserved to be loved fully.

Could Devin ever give me that?

“Mom,” I whispered. “Can’t you tell me what to do?”

I wept into the sealskin coat she had labored so hard over. I dug my fingers into the thick felt, finding comfort in its softness.

I threw back my head and screamed, in frustration, hopelessness, and anger.

I put on the sealskin coat.

It felt like it had always belonged to me, that it had always been a part of me.

As soon as it was on, everything changed.  Colors shifted.  Scents filled my nostrils, I could smell everything.  Though the twilight had been dimming, to my changing self, there was plenty of light to see by.

The water called to me.

Movement on land was unnatural and awkward.  My new form had to hump up and bound to move across the rocky shore.

I dipped into the water’s embrace.  It was like taking the first breath of life.  I luxuriated in it.  Beads of water slid over my new skin, caressing me.  I rolled playfully, feeling all the worry, all of my mortal life, wash away with the loving whisper of the sea.

I held my breath and this body knew I could hold it for a long time.  I dove into the water.  The murky depths were as clear to me as daylight in the meadow, Tiny fish darted by and I watched how they twinkled and flashed with every movement.

A faint sound caught at my new ears and I surfaced.

Devin’s face looked odd, distorted, by my new vision and being.  My seal-self viewed his curiously, taking in his warm scent, the oddness of him.

“Meg,” he called to me.

I felt tears roll down my cheeks.  I wanted to tell him it was too late.  It was too hard.  It shouldn’t be so hard just to exist, to need family, and to fight.

I couldn’t fight anymore.

I wanted to tell him, but my voice was all wrong.  I looked hard at him, and he stared back at me.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” I thought.

My heart tore within me.  The sea was calling me, and I could feel my mother, on the other side, waiting for me.

“Goodbye, my love,” I thought.

I took a deep breath and dove deep.

The deeper I dove, the more I was able to forget.

Keep Watch For The Last Selkie Book Two

 
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About the Author

Legend has it that Elizabeth A Reeves was born with a book in her hands and immediately requested a pony.  Though this story is questionable, it is true that books and horses have been consistent themes in her life.  Born in Massachusetts, she was quickly transplanted to Arizona by a professor father and creativity-driven mother, who is the one responsible for saying "If you can't find a book that you want to read, write a book you want to read.”  She went to college at the University of Arizona, where she studied Classics and History. She has long been fascinated with myths, folklore, and fairytales from around the world. In her spare time, she likes to knit, weave, hatch chickens, and chase after her husband and four sons.

Elizabeth A Reeves is the author of the Last Selkie series and the Cindy Eller Cupcakes series (coming 2013).