Whitney looked at her new home. It was larger and closer to their neighbors, but she liked it. It was situated not too far from the shore this time. It was better to be part of the siren island rather than watching over it like Sam’s old place had been, and maybe being on a new island also helped. It made things feel safer and a lot more peaceful than walking around a place where many had died, and more had bled.
In the wake of the attack, they were left with hundreds of enemy mer they didn’t know what to do with. If they let them go free, they would just group up and attack again. If they killed them off, they would be no better off than they had been to begin with. Luckily, the siren found a solution they all could live with.
The old siren island became a prison for the mer who had attacked the siren. They weren’t allowed on the mainland because the hunters were still allowed to kill them, and they weren’t allowed to go free. Cassie was able to set up a spell that would hold them there forever. Only about one-hundred yards out to sea was a barrier that went from the ocean bottom into the sky that no man or object other than the fish and other mammals in the sea could pass. And really, how much of a punishment was it to be stuck on a tropical island for the rest of your life?
The siren then moved to their second island. While Tim had been staying there, he didn’t do anything bad to the place. He kept up the original barrier to keep it protected. It didn’t take much work to move everyone there. And the best part was that it was closer to the mainland. Going back and forth took no time at all.
“We’re going to be late,” Trudy complained to Whitney as she looked back at the water.
The water still called to her, but it was a happy sound that seemed to say, “Come back when you have time.” There were no more urges to walk toward it like there had first been and no more urges to drain people dry either. Everyone had full access to the night human blood banks, and all the Oceanids were well-fed instead of on the brink of starving. Life had taken a complete one-eighty, all due to one choice to stand before the night human council and ask for forgiveness.
“You know your aunt is going to be mad if we’re late,” Trudy tried again to get Whitney to move from her spot.
Okay, that much was true. Whitney stood up and transformed into her legs, being sure to scoop up her clothes as she did so she wouldn’t get them wet. Running after her friend up the sandy beach, it didn’t take much to climb the path back to the parking lot behind the diner. Sam was already in his car with the engine running.
“We’re going to be late,” he told her.
Leaning over, Whitney gave him a peck on his cheek.
“Come on, lovebirds, keep that to a minimum,” Tina complained next to Trudy from the back seat. “Some of us without mates don’t want to lose our breakfast before we get there.”
“Tell me about it. I’m nervous enough that I am going to trip and make a fool of myself,” Trudy replied.
Sam peeled out of the parking lot and onto the street faster than necessary. At that rate, they weren’t going to be late, and they’d make it on time to the school. There was nothing to worry about. No one was going to be late or trip as they walked. They were Oceanids, after all, and way too graceful to trip, even in their black billowy gowns.
Whitney smiled as her friends helped each other attach their square black hats while the car zoomed toward school. It was graduation day, a day she never imagined would come. She hadn’t thought too much about her future, but once she had been changed into an outlawed mer, Whitney figured it was a life on the island or a life on the run. Now she got to have a life of her own choosing. She was allowed to go on land any time she wanted. She could go to college, get a real job—all that stuff people dreamt of. Life was turning out to be better than she ever could have guessed it would be. Maybe, just maybe, she had a bit of Oceanid luck after all, and being a legend wouldn’t be so bad.
Author note:
Thank you for reading THE MERWORLD TRILOGY! The world continues in THE NIGHT HUMAN HUNTER and Jax’s tale. I’d like to ask that if you enjoyed reading this book, please consider leaving me a good review at your favorite ebook seller. Join my mailing list for the latest updates and sales info at http://www.bkristinmcmichael.com/list. If this is your first night human world book, there are nine more in the same world that you can read while you wait for the next book. Check out THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE EYES or THE WITCHLING APPRENTICE.
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