Free Everblue by Brenda Pandos Page A

lighthearted she was about the whole thing. We both knew the real reason we couldn’t be in Tahoe right now. She wasn’t allowed on land without Dad. But unlike what everyone would have you think, it had nothing to do with the wiles of a mermaid’s reputation. The King’s insecurity over the loyalty of beta-mers, promised or not, insisted they be chaperoned.
    “This sucks, Mom. We could be in Tahoe. It’s all because of fear and technicalities that we aren’t.”
    Mom held up her hand to stop me. “I’m fully aware why the laws are the way they are. You and your sister aren’t aware of the horrible things man can do. Their greed would put us in laboratories in a heartbeat, and for many millennia the law has kept the mer safe and pure of heart. Your father is one of the few who has enough street smarts to live close to humans and remain undetected—God protect his soul. But I’ve had some time to think and I’ve realized something—this predicament we’re in is actually a blessing in disguise.”
    My jaw dropped. “What do you mean?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
    “I mean, look at where we are. It’s wonderful here. No crime, love is all around us, people are happy and it’s the most gorgeous scenery ever. And, other than missing your father, it’s like a vacation.”
    I scoffed. “But you complained just last night you were having a hard time adjusting here, without the sun and stuff.”
    “I know what I said, but after a good night’s sleep, I’ve had a change of heart. It’s growing on me and, with the bubble, it feels like home. But really, we need to start thinking of the big picture. I was talking yesterday with some of the other mermatrons, and I wasn’t aware of all the opportunity there is for you kids. You both need to seriously embrace the culture, and me, too. We all could use some friends of our own kind.”
    Who took the woman who’d consoled me last night and replaced her with this robot? We’d avoided this place like poison and now she wanted me to embrace it?
    “And I was thinking, goodness, you both are around the most eligible mer’s of the land, you could introduce each other to someone. And maybe if Tatiana is dating, Azor will back off.”
    I blinked at the tsunami of information Mom spewed at me. In her sleep, she must have sprung a screw lose. This was insanity.
    “You’ve got so much potential. What if there’s something better than Tahoe? Maybe a larger gate or—” Mom gasped. “What about sun tunnel excavation?”
    “Mom, I don’t think—”
    “And once you get promised, don’t wait too long to have merlings.”
    At that, I choked, almost spitting eggs out of my mouth as she looked at something invisible in the horizon with a smile—the first real smile since we’d arrived.
    “What’s this about merlings?” Tatchi asked as she shuffled into the room.
    Perfect timing.
    “I’m glad you’ve decided to join us. Get some breakfast and have a seat,” Mom said, her voice overly cheerful.
    I wiped my mouth off on a napkin and took a moment to breathe before taking another bite. Tatiana turned up her lip and marched over to the kitchen counter to inspect the buffet. Never again would I be the first to breakfast in case of another bi-polar ambush.
    “Let me guess. This is about the festival,” she quipped while drowning her pancakes with syrup.
    “Well—” Mom took a sip of her coffee. “No, not entirely.”
    “There’s coffee?” I asked in surprise. With the distraction of Mom’s absent ring, I’d completely missed she’d made some.
    “Yes. It’s on the stove.”
    I hopped up, planning to snag a cup and run for the door before another mention of merlings came up. Tatiana shot me a look that said “Oh, great. Can’t wait to hear what this is all about,” which she couldn’t say telepathically because we weren’t immersed underwater. I smirked back. She needed this lecture way more than I did.
    Mom continued to eat and speak