Never Land
Melaina
“How long?”
Harry whipped his head around to the sound of Evelyn’s voice as he trudged through the wilderness to think. After the conversation with the others he was feeling tense and upset. He wanted to go back to Melaina but he knew she was probably underwater talking to her father or Talia. He also wanted to delay the inevitable of having to tell her that his friends had accepted her offer to distract Zayn while they go for the powder. It was weird that, out of everyone, it would be her that would find out his secret. His closest mates hadn’t even discovered it but now someone knew and he honestly didn’t care. Should he tell Melaina the plan, there was a very good chance it would come out anyway. And, he reasoned, it was probably about time.
“How long have you been in love with a mermaid?”
“Since I first laid eyes on her. Her name is Melaina.”
“Pretty name.”
“For a beautiful girl. They don’t know about her.”
“Why not?”
“Mermaids … we don’t exactly get on with them very well. They keep to themselves and so do we. We don’t use the water unless we absolutely have to. There are some mermaids that will drown a man for sport. It’s a complicated history between us and them.”
“And you are afraid they would judge you?” Harry simply nodded, sinking onto an overturned log. “How did you meet her?”
“After I first got here I was wandering on the beach. I was still deciding if this was what was best for me. I didn’t have any family back home or anything to go back to. I had been in the army before this as a medic and it was horrible. It seems like paradise but there is just as much fighting here with the pirates. While I was walking on the shore I saw something out in the water. It was a girl and I thought she needed saving, only I can’t swim. I nearly drowned getting to her but she saved me. Put me up on these rocks and we’ve been meeting there ever since.”
“You should tell them. If you’re so worried about her then you need to fight on her behalf.”
“The sad thing is that I know this is the only way to get the powder.”
“Don’t worry about the powder.”
“There’s something else there that I need … there’s something … something to make her human. So we can be together.”
“Then you have to trust that she will be all right. If she offered then she knows what she’s doing.”
Harry parted ways with Evelyn after her sound advice and tried, very hard, to just trust that Melaina knew what she was doing when she offered her help. Harry knew she was tougher than she appeared though she looked like a helpless girl. Seeing her perched up on the rocks in their spot he sighed deeply. There had never been anyone else for him. Not in Never Land and not back home. He had had offers from some of the girls in Tiger Lily’s tribe but none of that had ever mattered to him. He was faithful to her. And now he would have to have faith in her and just hope that everything would go all right. If it did, he could finally be with her how he always wanted. If for nothing else, he would risk everything for that alone.
“You look sad.” She said, hopping back into the water as he sat on the rocks. “Did they not take it well?”
“No, they agreed to have your help.”
“Then why are you upset?”
“Zayn is dangerous, Melaina. I’m worried about you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not when we are so close to being together for real.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me, Harry. I got some of the mermaids to help as well as the sharks and Talia rallied up the dolphins. We’ll keep him plenty occupied while you go and get the powder.”
“How did you get the other mermaids to help you? I thought …”
“Well, I’m a soon-to-be princess. They’ve had a change of heart. Even Nereus will help.”
“Help the humans … it still doesn’t make sense. Not with everything we’ve been through. You had to give them something. What did you sacrifice?”
“Calm down – it’ll be fine.”
“What did you do?”
“I … I had to agree to marry Nereus in four days. It was the only way to get their help!”
“Melaina! I don’t know how long this will take! It could take longer than four days and then you’ll be married!”
“It won’t! The island isn’t that far away and with our distraction you’ll have calm seas all the way there. It’ll be okay. I promise. Have some faith in me, Harry. Faith in us.”
Harry whipped his head around to the sound of Evelyn’s voice as he trudged through the wilderness to think. After the conversation with the others he was feeling tense and upset. He wanted to go back to Melaina but he knew she was probably underwater talking to her father or Talia. He also wanted to delay the inevitable of having to tell her that his friends had accepted her offer to distract Zayn while they go for the powder. It was weird that, out of everyone, it would be her that would find out his secret. His closest mates hadn’t even discovered it but now someone knew and he honestly didn’t care. Should he tell Melaina the plan, there was a very good chance it would come out anyway. And, he reasoned, it was probably about time.
“How long have you been in love with a mermaid?”
“Since I first laid eyes on her. Her name is Melaina.”
“Pretty name.”
“For a beautiful girl. They don’t know about her.”
“Why not?”
“Mermaids … we don’t exactly get on with them very well. They keep to themselves and so do we. We don’t use the water unless we absolutely have to. There are some mermaids that will drown a man for sport. It’s a complicated history between us and them.”
“And you are afraid they would judge you?” Harry simply nodded, sinking onto an overturned log. “How did you meet her?”
“After I first got here I was wandering on the beach. I was still deciding if this was what was best for me. I didn’t have any family back home or anything to go back to. I had been in the army before this as a medic and it was horrible. It seems like paradise but there is just as much fighting here with the pirates. While I was walking on the shore I saw something out in the water. It was a girl and I thought she needed saving, only I can’t swim. I nearly drowned getting to her but she saved me. Put me up on these rocks and we’ve been meeting there ever since.”
“You should tell them. If you’re so worried about her then you need to fight on her behalf.”
“The sad thing is that I know this is the only way to get the powder.”
“Don’t worry about the powder.”
“There’s something else there that I need … there’s something … something to make her human. So we can be together.”
“Then you have to trust that she will be all right. If she offered then she knows what she’s doing.”
Harry parted ways with Evelyn after her sound advice and tried, very hard, to just trust that Melaina knew what she was doing when she offered her help. Harry knew she was tougher than she appeared though she looked like a helpless girl. Seeing her perched up on the rocks in their spot he sighed deeply. There had never been anyone else for him. Not in Never Land and not back home. He had had offers from some of the girls in Tiger Lily’s tribe but none of that had ever mattered to him. He was faithful to her. And now he would have to have faith in her and just hope that everything would go all right. If it did, he could finally be with her how he always wanted. If for nothing else, he would risk everything for that alone.
“You look sad.” She said, hopping back into the water as he sat on the rocks. “Did they not take it well?”
“No, they agreed to have your help.”
“Then why are you upset?”
“Zayn is dangerous, Melaina. I’m worried about you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not when we are so close to being together for real.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me, Harry. I got some of the mermaids to help as well as the sharks and Talia rallied up the dolphins. We’ll keep him plenty occupied while you go and get the powder.”
“How did you get the other mermaids to help you? I thought …”
“Well, I’m a soon-to-be princess. They’ve had a change of heart. Even Nereus will help.”
“Help the humans … it still doesn’t make sense. Not with everything we’ve been through. You had to give them something. What did you sacrifice?”
“Calm down – it’ll be fine.”
“What did you do?”
“I … I had to agree to marry Nereus in four days. It was the only way to get their help!”
“Melaina! I don’t know how long this will take! It could take longer than four days and then you’ll be married!”
“It won’t! The island isn’t that far away and with our distraction you’ll have calm seas all the way there. It’ll be okay. I promise. Have some faith in me, Harry. Faith in us.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks for reading!xoxo, Erin