“I don’t know, compadre.” Grim rose and returned the carton of OJ to the fridge. “Looks to me like your mom’s the one—”
Merrick logged out and snapped the laptop closed. “You’re right. I should go to bed.”
Grim sighed. “Good night, man. I’m here if you need anything.”
Merrick grumbled a pathetic “Night” and walked upstairs to his futon in the den. When his head hit the pillow, he almost immediately passed out.
He found his mom there in his nightmares—running. Every time he’d catch up to her, she’d back away. He grabbed hold, but she vanished beneath his touch.
When the sun shone through a screen of fog in the morning, a new strategy found him. He needed someone on the inside.
He picked up his phone and dialed the number he’d thankfully memorized.
Merrick could only hope Nikki wouldn’t hate him too much.
Twenty-Five
Coral
If humanity was Coral’s prison, high school was her torture chamber.
She slammed her locker and ducked her head, wishing this place were made of sand. Longing for it to be filled with water so she could swim her way free.
But these walls were concrete and the people between them were stone. Coral had learned how to make herself small and insignificant as the little mermaid she’d once been. But even this didn’t stop some people from blocking her way to the exit.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” some stupid boy with his stupid grin said. Typical human. How could her sister have fallen for one?
Coral tried to distinguish which boy in particular this was. She couldn’t. They were all the same, of course. Each and every one of them were Dukes or princes or kings, or some other version of the men, both below and above, she had grown to loathe.
At least one thing she’d been told about the Disease rang true.
The male species was immune. Deep, soul-worthy emotions they could not fathom.
“I saw your sister the other day,” the boy said, hanging an arm around Coral’s shoulders though she tried to keep walking. “She’s got quite the voice.”
Had he been out on a boat? How did he know about Jordan? Her family’s reputation preceded her when all she wanted to do was disappear. But what did she expect? Jordan’s voice was beautiful. She was famous, as the crown princess had been before her.
“Too bad your other sister offed herself,” the boy added.
Coral spun on him then. “What do you know about it, you worthless urchin?” She spat in his face and stomped on his flip-flopped toe, immediately regretting the action.
Some princess she was. What had she become? Human or not, she had no excuse for acting so improper. She was above this.
“You little witch.” He grabbed her hair and yanked hard.
She jerked, but his grip was too tight.
His bony fingers latched on to her wrist. “What’s this?” He tugged her sister’s pearl bracelet free and held it high in the air. “Looks like money to me.”
“Give that back.” Hysterics threatened to break her. The bracelet was the only thing she had left of the crown princess. “Please.”
“Nah, I think I might take these to the pawn shop. See what they’re—”
“Hey!” Another boy with sloppy clothes but kind eyes jogged toward them from the hallway’s opposite end. This boy was older. Coral guessed he was one of the after-school tutors from the community college.
“Are you looking to be thrown into moving traffic, my friend?” His voice carried through the long corridor. “Because I can certainly make that happen.”
The bully released her as Mr. Tall, Bright, and Lanky approached. He wore a laid-back grin and had shaggy brown hair. He didn’t boast the build of an athlete, but his presence made the hallway feel much smaller.
“Just having a bit of fun.” He dropped the bracelet.
Coral snatched it off the floor and slipped it over her hand, then tugged her sweater sleeve down to cover her wrist.
“I like fun, amigo.” Coral’s hero clapped a hand on the coward’s shoulder and squeezed hard. “How about I have the same kind of fun with you?”
The urchin shrugged him off and stormed away, giving the finger and tugging on the collar of his letterman jacket.
“You all right, ma’am?” The kind boy swept his arm in a horizontal arc and gave a chivalrous bow.
Coral had never been called “ma’am” before, but she had a feeling this guy addressed everyone the same way. With terms of endearment or friendship or respect.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Be careful.” He wagged a finger. “That word is often misused. Name’s Nigel. Can I walk you somewhere, Miss . . . ?” He offered his arm.
“No.” She took a quick step back, not giving her name in return. “I’ll be fine.”
He straightened. “Again with that word.”
She avoided his gaze.
“Okay . . . well, I’m around if you ever need a bodyguard.” He saluted and they went their separate ways.
Soon Coral found herself soaking up the sun on the sidewalk outside the school. The only good thing about the school was that it was situated exactly three blocks from the beach. It was so close, in fact, that grains of sand lingered on the pavement where the humans had tracked it over time. She wanted to run there. But it was May now, and she was no closer to finding her sister’s prince than when she’d started.
“Coral?”
An inner groan ensued. So close, yet so far. She turned to find Miss Brandes with hair piled high and glasses thick as bottles looking right at her.
“Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
No. She didn’t. There were bigger things at stake here. This woman could talk all she wanted, but what would it help? Absolutely nothing. “I came to your group.” What else did she want?
“Yes, and I’m so glad you did. I promise this isn’t about that.” Miss Brandes turned as if Coral had already agreed to follow.
She did, of course. The last thing she needed was her grandmother’s chiding.
Might as well get this over with.
The office was as bland as any other. Cluttered and filled with drab, muted shades of brown and taupe and manila. Coral sat in the seat before the metal desk. Her leg shook and she stilled it with one hand.
“How are you liking your classes?” Miss Brandes asked.
Coral shrugged. She’d spent her entire life splitting time between a class full of students and her private studies at home in the palace. Now that she attended school full time, she longed for the solitude a private tutor brought.
“Your teachers say you’ve been . . . distracted. Want to talk about that?”
“Nope.”
“And your family? Any updates? Have you spoken to them since we talked last?”
Coral eyed her through narrow slits. This woman was venturing dangerously close to the place Coral kept under tight lock and key. “No.”
“I only want to help.”
Why did everyone keep trying to help her? The Sorceress bringing her here. Then Merrick with his pinky promises. Now Miss Brandes. The only thing that would help Coral was out of reach.
“Your English teacher says you’re quite the writer. He showed me some of your class work.”
A new emotion lowered Coral’s guard. She sat back in her seat. Waited.
Miss Brandes took out a file and opened it flat on the desk before her. She thumbed through some pages and pulled one free. “This piece is particularly good. So good, I’d like to encourage you to submit it to the district-wide Young Literary contest.”