The Mermaid's Mirror - L. K. Madigan [76]
That swoon is happening again, she thought.
Nix took her hand, drawing her closer.
Lena's breathing quickened.
"We could leave a message for your mother," said Nix. "She would know you are safe."
"Really? How do you leave messages?"
Nix lowered his gaze and looked around the cave. He let go of Lena's hand while he gathered up three smooth stones the size of his palm. He positioned them on the seafloor next to Melusina, their edges touching.
Lena watched him. "Why three?"
He hesitated. "I do not know. We have always used three stones for reassurance. I suppose one or two would appear to be accidental. But three stones placed just so"—he nodded down at the trio—"appear very deliberate." He offered his arm to Lena in a courtly, old-fashioned gesture. "Will you join me?"
Slipping her hand into the crook of his arm, Lena swam with Nix through the village, curious stares following in their wake.
***
"Dearest maiden," said her mother, when Lena returned. "I felt your absence keenly."
Lena lowered her eyes, embarrassed. It seemed that mothers were overly protective no matter where they lived. "I was just out for a w—" She faltered. Not a walk, she reminded herself. "A swim with Nix. He was showing me around."
"Indeed," said Melusina. "I hope that I may trust Nix to keep you safe." She gave him a stern look.
"Mother," whispered Lena, mortified.
Instead of backing away, Nix met Melusina's gaze directly. "I will never put your daughter in harm's way. She is a treasure."
Lena's heart fluttered. Someone—a different boy—had once called her ... what? A jewel? A feeling of déjà vu swept over her.
"Nix," she said. "Your words are sweet. Thank you. I enjoyed our time together." Even though her mother was right next to her, Lena could not help falling into the depths of his eyes. She wanted to reach for his hand again—not touching Nix was becoming unbearable.
Nix must have read her thoughts, because he moved closer to her, and took both her hands in his. "Selena," he said. "I will return to you. The time apart will be long."
Oh, she thought. So this is what it feels like ... falling in love. I wish I could tell—
The image of a girl with long black hair and pink yarn around her ankle did not even take shape fully in Lena's mind before dissolving.
CHAPTER 40
"Fossegrim, please put aside your flute," said Merrow. He floated in front of the group of young children, waiting for quiet.
Fossegrim lay his flute on the seafloor next to him and beamed up at Merrow. "Will you teach us more about the care of seahorses? Mine keep dying."
Lena suppressed a giggle. In this world, pet seahorses lasted about as long as goldfish or box turtles did on land.
"Another time," said Merrow. "Today we will practice our Clouding."
"Oh, that's hard," sighed Syrenka. She turned to Lena. "You're not very good at it."
Now Lena's giggle burst out. "I know, Syrenka. I'm trying, though. Where I come from, we talk out loud instead of with our minds, so we don't have to learn Clouding."
Lena loved to take lessons with the children—on land, she supposed they would be five or six years old. For some reason, she was filled with happiness when she was with them, although sometimes the sight of their rounded cheeks and bright eyes caused a nameless ache inside her.
Merrow lifted his hands, as if conducting an orchestra, and began, "Clouds are kind..."
The children sang the rhyme that reminded them to obscure their thoughts when necessary:
"Clouds are kind to everyone.
Some thoughts are just for me.
Clouding works and it is fun!
Some thoughts are not to see."
It was true that Lena was still struggling to cloud her private thoughts from regular speech. But she practiced diligently, because she worried that too many people could read her thoughts about Nix. And those thoughts were definitely private.
Merrow described various methods of Clouding while the children listened. "Perhaps you may visualize a blanket