Page 67 of Midnight Waters

I sank into the bed, each muscle in my back and torso unwinding little by little. The fear that my tail would pop into existence in front of everyone simmered beneath the surface, but at least it didn’t hurt anymore.

“That should do it.” The doctor, who’s beaming face belied the concern in her eyes, pulled a blanket over me. “Get some rest. We’ll check on you in a bit.”

“No, I can get up,” I said and tried to swing my legs off the bed, but Dad grabbed them and swung them right back. “What if something happened to Keith and Wendy?”

“What do you mean?” Sandra’s expression creased as I sat up on my elbows. “Theo, how did this happen?”

“Nigel Everhart had a fire wand and he?—”

“Dad.” My tone was so sharp, he even flinched a little.

I fixed Sandra with a stern gaze. If I could help it, there wouldn’t be any misinformation gossiped from Arrowood to Arrowood.

“Keith and Wendy planned a fight with Nigel and Robert Everhart,” I said.

“Now, Maeve, we don’t know this was planned.” Dad ran a hand through his hair.

“Don’t we? What other reason would all four of them have to be in the park at the same time wearing official robes?” I asked.

Sandra’s jaw dropped. “Theo.”

“I didn’t know anything about it,” Dad said, his hand running into his hair. “If I had, I wouldn’t have let them do it.”

A vein popped in Sandra’s forehead, and she patted the bewildered doctor on the arm. “Thank you, Andy. Could you give us a minute?”

The doctor couldn’t have walked out of there faster, and Sandra was about to shut the door behind her when a boot wedged itself in the gap.

“Excuse me, Sandra.” Mallory pushed the door open and walked in, wearing what appeared to be an oversized silk top and light trousers.

I chewed my lip. Well, a fight between the Arrowoods and Everharts apparently warranted the interruption of the chief’s downtime.

Mallory looked me up and down, and then shot Dad a look that could have turned him to stone.

“Both of you, out.” She brandished a finger at both Dad and Sandra. “Right now.”

“But, but—” Dad sputtered.

“I won’t say it again. Out!” Mallory pointed her sharp finger to the door.

Sandra slipped me a look out of the corner of her eye on her way out, one that said ‘good luck.’ I pursed my lips. By the look of it, I’d need all the luck I could get.

Dad moved toward the door in stops and starts, compelled by Mallory’s icy glare.

“I’m outside if you need me!” he called to me before Mallory shut the door in his face.

“Can I trust you to be honest with me?” Mallory asked as she pulled a lever attached to my bed and eked the top half of the bed up to meet my back.

I leaned back and adjusted the blanket. If an ex-detective was trying to make me comfortable, she really did want me on her side.

“Depends,” I said. “If you want my Dad’s apple crumble recipe, I kinda promised I’d take that to the grave.”

“All right, that’s enough messing around.” Mallory sat in the nearest chair and splayed out in it, her arms drooping over the chair arms. “What happened in the park?”

“Two of my idiots had a pre-planned fight with two of their idiots.” How else could I really phrase it?

“That much I gathered. Who started it?”

“I don’t know. When we got there, they were already threatening to attack each other.” A chill racked my body and I tensed as I searched for any telltale sensation of a mermaid transition.

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