Page 120 of Mermaid on Heels

The footsteps of her backup approached from behind, but Liriya didn’t look away from Luke, willing him to see her—his true, one and only Liriya.

Luke’s eyes shifted behind her briefly and widened even more as he saw who her backup was. “Ced?” he asked, in a reverent whisper that Cedric couldn’t hear.

Cedric stepped beside Liriya and found his voice boldly. “We were tricked, brother. The woman you’re holding is an imposter, a replica of the woman you love.”

“What?”

Liriya’s eyes snapped to her duplicate at her response. It took everything in her to not march up to the altar, tear Faelina out of Luke’s arms, and place herself in them instead.

“Drop it, Faelina. Enough of your games!” Papa’s deep and loud voice resounded through the room as he too, made the entrance.

“Papa?”

“Mamma?”

Liriya’s heart leaped at the sound of her younger sisters’ voices. She hadn’t taken notice of them when she entered, and seeing them now, her heart shattered. They stood next to Faelina at the altar, dressed in matching gowns of sea-blue, looking beautiful as always.

“Angelfishes!” Mama cried.

Ella and Sessa, though looking aghast, abandoned their posts and hurried down the aisle. Sessa half-cried and ran into their parents’ arms while Ella, her watery gaze darting between Liriya and their parents, strode towards Liriya.

“Liriya?” Her voice cracked.

Liriya’s tears spilled as she nodded and opened her arms. Ella didn’t think twice before launching herself at her.

“Sharks and dolphins, what is this?” She pulled back to look at Liriya. “What is going on?”

“Honey, she’s mute,” Bianca said from behind, and Liriya assumed that her entire backup team had made their entrance now.

“Mute?” Ella exclaimed.

“Faelina stole her voice—andher identity, as you can see,” Cedric explained, gesturing towards the altar. “She transported Liriya to Garbia, with the Garbian guards and maidservant who were under her enchantment, to throw her off to the sea where the Pearltunian guards were waiting to capture her and lock her up in an underwater prison with Aeira—therealAeira you can see here, who never made it to Lectoria. It had been Faelina all along, pretending to be her. We were tricked.”

Ella fumed in rage. Instead of going to her parents for a reunion hug, she spun on her heels to go back to where she came from. Liriya realized what she was going to do and grabbed her arm to hold her back.

“Let me go, Liriya! I want to make her pay!”

“Ella sweetie, this is utter madness! They are lying!Iam Liriya!” Faelina protested from the altar, her eyes wide.

“Save it, Faelina! My sister does not call mesweetie. She calls me sweetheart! I cannot believe how I did not thinkwhymy sister would suddenly start calling me sweetie! I will not let you get away this time, you blasted Siren!”

Faelina shook her head wildly, her eyes—Liriya’s eyes—feigning hurt. “This is witchcraft, Ella, do you not you see? My duplicate marching into my wedding ceremony, with our dead father and our mother who is under Faelina’s enchantment in Pearltuna… This isherdoing!”

“Drop it Faelina—”

“I am not Faelina,sheis!”

“I shall be the judge of that.”

Liriya’s breath caught and her eyes snapped to Luke.

His deep voice carried authority that resonated through the room. Every murmur died. Liriya watched as he gained composure from the shock of it all and dropped his hands from Liriya’s replica.

Partial relief washed over Liriya like a tidal wave.

“Luke.” Faelina grabbed his hand, feigning to look deeply hurt. “Thisisme.”

“I shall see that for myself.” Luke freed his hand from her hold, jerking his chin in a nod.

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