Page 25 of Magic Potions and the Merman's Lure

Why would Ro even want something like that anyway? Sure, it limits his ability to explore if he must return every night, but surely there must be a better way. If it came right down to it, I would much rather find a way to brew a potion that could allow me to be underwater with him for a day while we work together rather than harm him regardless of how much it makes my skin crawl.

I think I could deal with my fear of the sea under those terms—as long as we stay safely near the shore. And away from sharks. And if he really wants something to help him stay out of the water for a long period of time, then I can create something better. But it would take time... and a whole lot more research.

I regard the grimoire in front of me again and reach for my phone. I need to know if Adiele has discovered anything more about the supplement. If I can at least get a framework for understanding how it works better, I might be able to work with that. Ro hasn’t mentioned wanting to acquire it again, but Adiele will also know if he’s still determined to get it. If so, I will do everything in my power to provide him with something better.

I gulp quietly as I pull up my friend’s number. Even if it means asking for help from the coven—and disappointing my parents that I’m exploring other avenues of magic afield of the family practice of divination—to keep Ro safe, I will do everything in my power to make him what he needs.

I won’t tell him yet, not until I know for sure what the best route to take is. There is no reason to potentially upset him right now. Especially not when he’s obviously looking forward to tonight. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that it’s a date.

It’s not a date. I can’t forget that. Whatever else Ro is looking for here—it’s not for me. He would have already said so if it was. I should be relieved that I don’t have to negotiate such a complicated relationship, so why does my heart hurt so damn much?

Chapter 16

Ro

I stand at the edge of the crowd and eagerly peer at those passing by, hoping to spot my female’s pale hair among the humans who are wandering along the docks. Although I am pleased that Keri agreed to this, I’m not so thrilled that she insisted that we meet here rather than walk together. I don’t understand why. Although I stay at a motel near here, I would have been happy to meet her at the library and walk back with her. I am anxious waiting here, half-expecting that if I do not move that some male will abscond with my female. It is an instinct bred of generations of males competing on the flirting grounds, but I cannot help the anxious flutter of my fins as I search the crowd for Keri.

But there—I see her, and the tension coiled within my belly relaxes as her eyes find me and she smiles as she lifts her hand in the air as if I have not yet seen her. How can I miss her? With her hair falling loose around her shoulders and the brilliant coral orange and red dress that hugs her body and flares around her thighs, she is a vision that stands out from the crowd. I cannot help but smile in return as I straighten and stride over to her, carefully avoiding stepping on anyone or bumping into them so not to accidentally slash them with the barbed tips of my flattened fins. Keri meets me halfway as she weaves among the milling human families.

“There you are,” she exclaims breathlessly, and for a moment I am anxious and watching for a sign of distress. She waves off my concerned look with a laugh, putting me once more at ease. “I’m all right. A bit of a squeeze this evening, isn’t it?”

I glance around and nod slowly. “I did not expect so many humans to be drawn to the docks,” I admit. “It feels a little strange.”

My female snorts lightly and tips her head to a brightly colored banner drawn up between two poles. “I’m afraid that’s going to happen during the seafood festival. It’s going to be a madhouse all week.”

I frown at the sign. More of the human writing is scrawled across it, but accompanying it is the image of something that looks vaguely like a crab. It boasts a horrifying smile that sends a tremor of unease through my scales. There is something so unnatural about what should have been a familiar creature that I instantly dislike its oversize smiling eyes and the toothy grin it has in a spot where no crab should ever have a mouth—and certainly not one that big. Even the size of the crab is beyond belief! My gaze drops and then widens in horror as I see a large slab of wood carved and painted to resemble the crab at terrifying proportions. The claws alone could behead an Aquana.

Keri glances over at the wooden crab, her brow furrowing. “Is something wrong?”

I blink at her, unable to comprehend how she is not disturbed by it—or how none of the humans seem bothered by it as they stand beside it and take pictures. I see several children clamor playfully around the image, and I want to just scoop them up and thrust them at their parents with a few biting words. There are plenty of monsters hidden in the depths of the seas. Humans do not need to create new ones.

She scrutinizes the docks for a moment and gives me a faint smile. “It is a bit crowded, isn’t it? I’m afraid that there’s no helping it, everything is pretty much cranked by noon this time of the year.”

That isn’t the crux of the issue, but I give the humans an uncomfortable look and nod slowly. “I am not accustomed to this.”

Her expression turns apologetic. “I didn’t consider that. I’m guessing that you are used to interacting in a small family group at most. This must be chaotic to you.”

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