Adelaide woke halfway through the day, lying next to Seymour on his mat. She stifled a groan as she tried to move her injured arm, wondering how she'd swim like this. Seymour shifted beside her, and she rested her chin on his chest, grinning at him as he opened his eyes.

"You realize we could have had years like this," she said, pushing closer with her good arm to kiss him again. "Now we only have hours."

"We might have days," Seymour said, ruffling her hair. "However long it takes Pheron to put his plan in motion."

Adelaide stilled, tracing her finger down his chest. "I suppose so." She didn't look him in the eye, hoping he wouldn't notice her change of tone. "How long do you think it will take for the UnKept to realize what happened to Ro?"

"I don't know." Seymour sighed. "I'm sure they already know he's missing."

"It's still light out. We should catch up on all the sleep we've missed."

With a roguish grin, Seymour ran his hand up her arm. "Or we could find other ways to spend the time."

Adelaide waited until Seymour's energy was spent and he'd nodded off. Her heart ached as she rose and dressed, soaking in the sight of him, so peaceful. Swallowing back tears, she knelt down and planted a soft kiss on his lips one last time. Before she could change her mind, she fled the shack.

It was time to go visit her family.

Adelaide squinted up at the sun, only halfway through the sky by the time she reached the beach.

Her body shook with delight mingled with fear as she stepped into the waves. Staring down at her feet, she saw the scales form. With a deep breath, Adeladie threw herself into the water.

Pain shot through her as she tried to kick deeper. Twisting around, Adelaide watched as her legs conjoined, covered in golden scales that flashed in the sunlight. Her lungs burned as something sharp pierced behind her ears. She reached up, feeling slits, and realized she could breathe.

Well, maybe breathe wasn't the right word.

Tearing off her shirt proved difficult, as it stuck to her, and her injured arm slowed her down. Once free, she was pleased to see her scales crawled up her body, the shimmering gold covering her chest.

Adelaide rolled in the water, trying to master the odd sensation of kicking her fin. In her head, she still felt like she ought to have two appendages down there, working together. She hovered momentarily in the water, her heart pounding.

Pheron, twice her age, was a master of his swimming and water manipulation. She'd only moved the water once, and it was by accident. She could barely even swim.

So much for being the most powerful mermaid.

Adelaide sucked in a deep gulp of water, trying to calm her nerves.

You did this for sixteen years. You remembered how Seymour liked to be kissed. You can remember how to swim.

Staring down at her tail, Adelaide let a roll slide through her body, starting at her stomach and ending at her fins. Her body shifted forward, and a thrill of delight went through her.

Adelaide turned to face the dark, deep ocean once more, watching the sand travel down into blackness. She realized she didn't even know where she was going.

Closing her eyes, Adelaide searched for the song now that she was in the water. It'd hummed so clearly the first time she'd been there. After a moment, she found the beat inside of her and clung to it, trusting it.

Take me home.

(word cont 608)