Heart of Shell (The Mercrutian Chronicles Book 1) (8 page)

My dentist appointment was
right after school and I had anticipated it with excitement and apprehension. My mother had even taken the afternoon off of work just so that she could drive me there. It was a weird present for my birthday, but having straight teeth was one of the best things I could have hoped for; to be free of my braces would be such a reward.

Tomorrow Evelyn and Leah would come over. After the weekend of fun that I had with the Prices two weeks earlier, I was really looking forward to another night with my friends. I had asked them if they wanted to go into Halifax for shopping, which seemed like the thing that girls our age did, but they said they preferred to chill at my house. We would have a movie marathon with goodies, and I was eager to try out the black nail polish Pearl had given me, which I hadn’t opened yet.  We had already bought snacks and my mother had surprised me with seaweed chips. I knew it probably wasn't the kind of thing that the other girls would like, but I loved them and could eat a whole bag in one sitting.

My tongue glided over my teeth surprised by the smoothness there. They were still a little bit sensitive from the chalky feeling of having the brackets removed. My mouth was so dry that I was grateful my mother had brought a large jug of water with her, and I drank eagerly from it before I flipped down the mirror in the car and looked at my teeth again. The dental assistant had handed me a hand mirror that I had gazed into briefly, but now I could really examine them. My teeth were perfectly straight. Between my smile and my eyebrows, and my hair growing longer, it was a weird face staring back at me.

“What do you think Anya?” My mother asked.

“I think it's great. I can’t wait to eat some Junior Caramels...Oh, and to chew gum again. Oh gum, how I love thee.”

She laughed. “We'll pick some up on the way home.”

I chewed on the caramels slowly, my jaw was immediately sore from the unexpected motion. Yet, even though my gums were a little tender, I felt great. A little while later, I sat on my bed with a book in my lap and my box of caramels at my side in pure heaven.

My mom walked into the room with the phone and handed it to me.

“Who is...”

She mouthed a name I didn't quite catch, and then the voice on the other line was already speaking.

“Hello Anya.” It was a male's voice, but seemingly unrecognizable.

“Hi,” I said trying to wrack my brain in recognition, it wasn't Merrick. It wasn't Seth.

“It’s Zale.” He said as if reading my mind.

“Zale! Hi! How are you?”

“I'm well.” He spoke softly. “I would like to see you.”

“Me?” I asked surprised by his formal tone.

“Yes, may I come over?”

“Of course,” I said not seeing a reason why he shouldn't, everything for the party had already been prepared and the only thing I had planned that night was to maybe watch an episode of that H2O show that I liked so much.

“Perfect,” he said, and then hung up. I felt jarred by the suddenness of his actions. Not even a minute later the doorbell rang. Clumsily I made my way down the stairs and to the door. When I opened it, there was Zale's blonde spiky haired head.
How on earth did he get here so fast I wondered?
Only there was not amusement at my surprise on his face. His blue eyes were pale and his face looked tired.

“Come in,” I said. “Did you teleport here?” I asked jokingly.

“Something like that.” He answered as he examined his surroundings. “Your house is nice.” My parents had quickly decorated the walls with their worldly wares, and tapestries from their travels before I was born. My mother had such an affinity for ornate things that I was surprised he hadn’t supplemented the word 'gaudy' for nice.

“Thanks. Thirsty?”

“No,” he said as he removed his shoes and then unzipped his bomber jacket. For a moment I noticed that he looked a little older.

“Have you begun transcending?” I blurted out unable to contain myself.

He looked at me; his expression pained as though he knew his answer would hurt me.

“Yes.” He replied and winced when my face fell. “Anya it will happen for you, I promise you that,” his hand reached out to grab mine and he held it tenderly.

“I have something for you,” he said and unzipped his jacket pulling out a thin book like object wrapped in purple shimmering decorative paper. “A birthday present. Happy Birthday Anya.”

I smiled, touched from the bottom of my heart. He was so very sweet. It pained me to see him so distraught. We moved towards the front room and sat down on the couch there. The room was hardly ever used, but it was handy and had plenty of seating. I took the present from him and unwrapped it slowly, trying to preserve the paper so that I could reuse it later for something else. When I finished unwrapping it I realized it was a leather cover for a book and opening it up I was shocked when I saw that tucked into the cover was an e-reader.

Zale smiled slowly. “I thought you might like it.”

“Zale, you bought this for me?” My heart fluttered, the gesture was unbelievable and overwhelming. The emotions from him were warm and comforting, his love and care for me in that moment were so clear, but unexpected.

“Well Merrick helped, a lot.” He admitted and laughed.

“He did?” I asked surprised.

“Yeah, like ninety percent. We both wanted you to have a really good birthday this year.”

“How did you know this was what I wanted?” I asked.

He simply tapped the side of his head. “It's all in here,” he said.

I looked at him for a moment wondering exactly what that meant, and then I realized that I could ask him.

“I think maybe you should tell me about that. C'mon,” I said coyly and grabbed his hand leading him to the kitchen. “I'll make us some hot chocolate and we can have a good chat.”

He sat at the kitchen island and interlaced his fingers, resting them on the wooden place mats my mother had purchased. Instead of using water I pulled out some milk, it would make the drink much richer. I grabbed the chocolate powder and marshmallows, as well as some extra baking chocolate I could melt into the mixture.

“You’re going to spoil me with that delicious drink.” Zale said breaking the comfortable silence between us. He sounded like Merrick.

I looked over at him as I turned on the burner and placed the pot on the stove. He was looking at me the same way Merrick did whenever we were alone. There was curiosity beneath the surface of something else that I couldn’t decipher. Emotionally he was bare, and so I could read nothing from him. Then, his eyes began to change in the light and they faded and cooled into something closer to grey. In that moment, seeing him there with his eyes like that and his face calmly serene, I wanted to move closer to him and touch him somewhere, anywhere that his skin was bare. I yearned to place my hand against his cheek. I felt such a deep kinship with him that I could not explain. It wasn’t desire or something purely platonic, instead it was as though we were connected, as though we should be touching.

I thought of Merrick and wondered what this meant. If I felt this way for his brother was it wrong? Even though I had felt similar things for Merrick, only they were far more passionate; I couldn't help but wonder where this emotion stemmed from when it was clearly different than my bond with the Price females.

“What would you like for me to tell you, Anya?” He asked almost flirtatiously.

“Well what would you like to tell me, Zale?” I asked matching his tone. He was so easy to be near that I felt comforted by his presence. He chuckled and I felt him relax even more.

“Well for starters there are always going to be some things that I’ll know which will make you wonder how I knew them.”

“You have the gift of telepathy?” I asked, “And you can somehow move quickly from one place to another...teleportation.”

“Teleportation, yes, but only through water. And well, to your telepathy question, no.” He answered, watching me place the mug on the place mat in front of him and turn the handle towards him. “Thank you, Anya.” He added.

“You’re welcome.” I answered. “So then... you
cannot
read my thoughts?” I said wanting to confirm that I was in the clear.

“No,” he said with a smile, blowing lightly on the drink and pushing a large marshmallow down with his finger. “Sometimes I wish I could though,” He said and then winked at me.

“You wouldn't want to be up there in that jumbled mess of my mind,” I said grabbing my own cup and sitting next to him. “You said teleportation through water. How is that?”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s like the water splits me apart molecularly and I can jump from source to source. I know that doesn't make much sense, but that's the best explanation I have.”

“No,” I began, “that I can understand, even if it does not make sense in human rules of the universe- I understand how that could fit into the Mer world. We're an enchanted society, so, water travel makes sense.”He took another sip and licked the chocolate from his lips before he answered.

“Good. So you like your gift?” He asked looking at it on the counter top between us. Then I realized I hadn't even thanked him!

“Yes I love it! Thank you so much.” I said and hugged him soundly. “I'm sorry, I was so curious about your powers, I forgot my manners.”

He shook his head in disbelief, but there was still a smile plastered on his face. “You are always polite Anya, no need to apologize.” I looked at him with a smile but I still felt a little nervous about his powers. I wondered what else he could do and how he did it.

“So then what is it, what allows you to know things sometimes?” I asked wondering if I was starting to annoy him with my determined questioning.

“I just, see things...” He said with a shrug.

“Like visions?” I chose the word carefully.

“Yes.” He said and gave me a look that made me want to fill in the blank.

“Of the future?” I guessed, my voice unsure as I spoke.

“Yes.”

“Hmmm... no wonder you looked so distressed the other day,” I said and placed my hand over his in comfort. His hand turned up to mine and he squeezed it gently.

“I can see why my brother is so in love with you,” he said softly under his breath.

I jerked my hand back surprised by his words. “What did you say Zale?”

He looked up at me and the corner of his mouth pulled up slightly. “You heard me.”

“
You
said Merrick
loves
me.” I spoke in an accusatory tone. I wanted to point at him for emphasis, but held back.

His look remained remarkably calm. “Yes.”

“I don't think you know what you're talking about Zale.” As far as I knew, none of the Prices knew why Merrick had picked me, and it seemed peculiar considering they were all quite close. “Your brother didn't pick me to be his betrothed because he loves me.”

“No, he didn't. He picked you because I asked him to.”

“What do you mean you asked him to?”

“It’s a long story Anya and I don't have time to tell it all, but whatever he says to you, whatever even I might say to you, now or later. You two were meant. He loves you, and will love you always, more than I ever could.”

“I don't believe you Zale.” I felt hurt and confused by what he was saying. What did he mean 'no matter what he said to me' and 'more than he ever could'?

“He
does
love you Anya, though right now he may not show it,” Zale took my hand this time and held it.

“No,” I said shaking my head in disbelief. “He wants to be with Gina.”

“For now,” he acquiesced, “maybe I might love you more. Well right now in this moment, I think.”

I swallowed hard, staring into his eyes speechless.
Why would he say that?
We hardly knew one another, and hadn’t he just told me to disregard what he might say?

“You love me?” I whispered so low that I wondered if he understood.

“Oh hello, Zale,” my mother said walking into the kitchen and pulling a carton of juice from the fridge.

“Hello Mrs. Patel, you’re looking beautiful today.” Zale was smiling with the same charm I had seen Merrick turn on half a dozen times since first meeting him.

“
Oh, why thank you Zale, you’re such a sweetheart.” She glanced at our hands, mine still being held by his. “Would you like to stay for supper?”

“
No thank you, but I really appreciate the offer. I must be going now actually.” Zale got up from his seat.

“
Okay,” my mom replied. “Well hope that you have a good evening, Zale, come over any time.”

“
I’ll see you out.” I said, finally regaining my voice, I followed him to the door. “Do you really have to go?” I asked trying to think of a way to get him to stay. We had just begun scratching the surface with our conversation and I felt like there was so much more to be said, so much more that he wanted to tell me.

“
I can’t,” he said tying his laces, “but believe me, I want to. I have to go away for a little while Anya, but I promise I’ll come back.”