Awaiting Destiny Read online

  “Okay, Princess! Unzap him,” he said, pointing in the shark’s direction.

  “Me?!” Destiny sank a little deeper into the coral. “I would be happy to, but I have no idea how. This was my first freezing.”

  “Oh. Hmmm,” Kincade mumbled, rubbing his chin. “All stones work differently. We will just have to figure it out. What was the last thing you did before he froze?”

  Destiny thought a moment before answering, “Well, I tried to scream, but it got stuck in my throat like this.” She opened her mouth as wide as she could, showing all of her bright, white teeth and shriveling up her face like she was just about to scream. A tiny cleaning shrimp came rushing up in excited anticipation. She snapped her mouth closed. She hated to be rude, but YUCK! She could accidentally swallow it, or worse!

  “No, thank you, Mr. Shrimp, I brushed my teeth this morning.” She said. The shrimp moved away looking a little disappointed. Kincaide coughed slightly, looking as if he were trying to hide a grin.

  “Well, that didn’t seem to help. Do you remember anything else?” he asked hopefully.

  Destiny replayed the freezing moment in her mind again. “At the very last second… when he was about to gobble me up,” she said, “I turned my head, closed my eyes and put my hand up like this.” She raised her hand in a defensive gesture.

  Blue light instantly shot out from the stone like lightning and Kincade was instantly frozen in place.

  His mouth was open as if he was just about to say something and his eyes were trapped in a most unhappy expression. Even his wild hair had ceased to move in the current.

  “Kincade? Can you hear me?” she asked, as she waved her hand madly in front of his eyes. He didn’t say anything, so she poked him in the forehead a few times. Still nothing.

  “Oopsy…Don’t worry! I will fix you,” she said, trying to sound encouraging. She raised her hand in the opposite direction, accidentally freezing a small spotted fish innocently passing by.

  Oh no! I’m worse than Medusa! Destiny thought hard for a moment, realizing it the palm of her hand was the conduit for her strange power. She stared at it until it was almost touching her nose. It didn’t look any different than she remembered, but she decided to experiment. Looking around, she spotted a passing purple fish with enormous clown lips that looked like a worthy victim.

  “Sorry fish lips, but if this works, I promise to make it up to you,” she said apologetically.

  Destiny raised her right hand and the fish flash froze in mid motion. She kept her hand up and demanded, “RELEASE!” Nothing. “UNDO!” she shouted. Still nothing. “UNFREEZE! MELT! DETHAW!!!”

  This wasn’t getting her anywhere, so she put her right hand down and raised her left hand, palm forward, to the purple fish. Nothing happened. This was harder than she thought! She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and flipped her wrist, placing her hand on her heart. Unexpectedly, the fish kept on swimming as if it hadn’t even stopped. She froze it again. Then, so excited, she leaned over, grabbed the fish with both hands and planted a big kiss right on its clown like, purple lips. Even frozen, it looked as if it flushed to an even darker shade of purple. She flipped her left hand and unfroze him again. This was fun!

  The fish hurried off, apparently not wanting to be subjected to any more of Destiny’s smooch payment. She unfroze the spotted fish, and then turned her attention to Kincade. She hoped he wouldn’t be too mad. Of course, she could always threaten to freeze him again. She unfroze him, feeling quite tricky and proud of her new skill.

  “Don’t forget the big guy,” he said, sounding slightly annoyed. He nodded in the shark’s direction.

  “You want me to kiss the shark?” she asked innocently, unable to resist teasing him.

  “I think he would settle for an arm or a leg,” Kincade said, playing along.

  Destiny ignored the remark and raised her hand to free the shark from its unseen prison. The shark reacted, instantly plowing forward and chomping a huge section of the ledge in its deadly jaws. Coral and rock crumbled into rubble in the exact spot where Destiny had been trapped. Though sharks don’t have much in the way of facial expression, this one was able to pull off looking rather confused as it spit out a mouthful of mud. The cleaning shrimp started jumping up and down, on nearby rocks, looking enraged at the destruction of their shiny-toothed masterpiece. Then with a swoop of his massive tailfin, the shark shot like a bullet into the deep sea.

  Destiny’s insides shuddered. That could have been her! She suddenly felt exhausted. She hadn’t noticed that Kincade had changed back into his fishtail. As he gracefully swam out of the tube sponge, she was able to get a good look at it. His flesh-colored skin took on a blue hue just above the waist, turning bluish green and scaly as it tapered down then flared widely at the bottom. She tilted her head slightly back and forth, taking in each color. It seemed to change with each angle.

  When she first saw Kincade’s, uh, other bottom…she was in total shock, but now it looked natural and it didn’t seem creepy at all.

  “Your tail is really pretty,” Destiny said, timidly as she carefully climbed out of the sponge to stand on a rock. She didn’t want him to think she was staring at it.

  “Oh, thanks,” he said, proudly. “What color is yours?”

  She wrinkled her eyebrows quizzically. What an odd question.

  “Oh, I don’t have a tail, just regular legs.” she said, patting the top of her thigh in explanation.

  “Of course you have a tail,” he said, laughing. “You are a mermaid.”

  “Oh, no! I think you misunderstand. I am not a mermaid,” Destiny said, matter-of-factly. “I live in Enchanted Cove on a sailboat with my dad. You see, I got this invitation to find out about my mother who disappeared when I was a baby and well, I was following the map, when I drowned… and then suddenly started breathing underwater?”

  Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying, and her head swam with the wave of truth that washed over her. A mermaid? Her? Is that even possible? She would have never believed it before but, of course, she was at the bottom of the ocean talking to a… merboy. That would explain why nothing seemed to make any sense. Well… at least why she hadn’t drowned. Could it be that she was meant to discover the truth? Maybe she was a mermaid… like her mother must have been before her.

  What would her dad say? Destiny’s hand went up to the icy aqua stone that now felt like it was burning into her skin and she wasn’t sure if should laugh or cry. She blankly stared into the abyss of the sea for a long moment.

  Kincade reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry you found out this way,” he said, “I thought you already knew.”

  “It’s all right. It’s just not every day you find out you’re a fish, or at least half a fish,” she replied. “And to think of all the times my dad made me wear a silly life jacket! Sometimes, he even made me sleep in it because I kept walking in my sleep and jumping off the boat!”

  Destiny smiled softly. “The funny part is, most of the time I didn’t even wake up. My dad would have to come fish me out of the water when he heard the splash.” She thought of her dad for a moment and made a mental list of all the reasons he would put her on restriction. Let’s see: She demolished the dinghy, left without telling anyone, was holding hands with a strange boy, and becoming a fish. She wondered at the last one. Could you put someone on restriction for that? Probably not, but even without counting the last one, she figured she had enough to be scrubbing the decks on the Seadancer for the next five years, easy.

  Kincade interrupted her thought. “Princess, perhaps we should go to see your grandfather. He should be able to explain everything.”

  “My grandfather?” she asked questioningly. “I didn’t know I had any family on my mother’s side. It’s always been a mystery to me… and my dad.”

  Destiny wanted to know everything, especially about her mother. Her heart twinged in the familiar way it always did at the thought of the woman who had given her life and the
n disappeared. She had wondered for so long. Could it be that her questions would finally be answered? She could barely contain her excitement as she answered, “Oh yes! Kincade, let’s go see my grandfather.”

  “Do you want to try changing into your tail first? It’s a lot easier to get around down here that way,” Kincade asked.

  “Ohh…I suppose,” Destiny answered, nervously. What if she didn’t have a tail? She was technically only half a mermaid, since her dad was just a regular man. What if her grandfather didn’t like her? Her stomach knotted up, and her fair completion turned slightly greenish. It just wouldn’t matter if she got to find out about her mother. Even if he didn’t like her, she would just demand the truth about everything! She would not stop until she knew! This last thought made her feel better and the knots in her stomach faded into nagging hunger.

  “Do you think my grandfather will like me if I turn out to be tailless?” she asked, shyly. “I am a pretty fast runner.”

  “Well, I like you, and I’ve never seen your tail and I’ve never seen you run,” he replied, lightheartedly.

  Destiny smiled in reply and the sea seemed to brighten around her as if it was bathed in a beaming ray of sunshine. Even a few passing fish hesitated as they swam by, basking in the warmth.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” she said, in the same no-nonsense tone that she used when she was trying to get ready hit one out of the baseball park. She never really felt ready for anything, but sometimes faking it made it seem more believable.

  “How do I change into my tail?” she asked excitedly, looking down at her legs and dancing from side to side, as if the rock she was standing on was really hot.

  Kincade’s brow wrinkled and he reached up to scratch his head under his mass of short, dark hair. Destiny thought he must be thinking really hard because his hair wiggled thorough his fingers as if it had become uncomfortable that close to his brain.

  Destiny waited patiently for an answer she was sure would be worthy of such effort, but had to hide a smile when he finally answered, “Well, I just sorta think it, and it just seems to kinda happen naturally,” he said. “I never really thought about it before. Maybe I better just show you.”

  With a few strong strokes of his tail, Kincade gracefully glided before her. He reached his arms above his head, like he was diving, and performed a perfect figure eight. On his last circle, his vibrant blue scales paled, turning flesh colored, and then disappeared altogether. His tail split right down the middle, turning into two legs, and the flared ends of his tail contorted into feet complete with toes. The whole transformation took a few seconds. Destiny stared in amazement. She watched as he swam toward her, kicking his legs awkwardly. He drifted down feet-first on a rock that was home to a beautiful red coral.

  “Wow! That was totally amazing! The special effects movie people would love to get their hands on you!” Destiny said, laughing. “That was the coolest thing I ever saw!”

  To her surprise, the color drained from Kincade’s handsome face. He flashed a piercingly, serious look and said, “Yes, Princess, that is why secrecy is so important. Could you imagine what would happen if our kind were found out by regular topsiders?”

  Destiny fell silent as the words our kind echoed in her mind. She didn’t know what to think. This morning, she had been a regular member of the topsiders. Now she wasn’t sure if she fit in anywhere.

  Kincade must have sensed her concern, because he gave a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry, Princess. You just have to a few things to learn. The first is how to swim like a mermaid! I think you will prefer it to sinking like a rock.”

  She smiled tentatively back. She would simply have to worry about one thing at a time, and right now she needed a tail! She held her hand out and let the seawater flow through her fingers, testing the current. It didn’t seem overpowering. Creatures of all shapes and sizes seemed to sway gently and naturally to the undersea rhythm. Destiny could barely believe she was a part of such a wonderful place. It was so alive with colorful movement. Everywhere she looked, beautiful fish went about their daily duties, tending their nests and searching for food. Her heart swelled with a sudden sense of belonging. Maybe she could play in the ocean with these amazing creatures.

  She gave her legs a quick goodbye glance. Her knees were rather knobby just under her flowered shorts. Shorts? Funny, Destiny hadn’t given them much thought before now. What would happen if her two legs turned into one big tail? Would the shorts disappear? Rip in two? Pure horror! Suddenly, she became very attached to them.

  “Sorry, Kincade, but I have to try and do this without you looking,” she said nervously, twisting the ends of her shorts in her fingers. “Would you mind turning around?”

  “Oh,” the boy said, seeming to notice her concern. “Of course not.” Then he turned around so quickly that tiny whirlpools formed above his head.

  Destiny looked around for a more private place. She spotted a beautiful purple sea fan a short distance away and swam to it. The spread of its graceful, featherlike limbs looked as if it would make excellent cover.

  “Can you hear me, Kincade?” she yelled, as she peeked through the sea fan toward his back.

  “Yes, Princess, I can hear you. Let me know how it goes,” he replied.

  Destiny didn’t know quite how to start. She took a deep breath and watched the bubbles float away. She stretched her arms up as she had seen Kincade do, held her legs together, and started kicking with all her might. Her strokes felt awkward and it wasn’t long before her side ached and her lungs burned. Kincade had made it look so easy! She didn’t like being shown up by a boy, even one as cute as him. Exhausted, she drooped down next to the flowing purple fan to catch her breath.

  Then, to her surprise, the blue angelfish seemed to appear out of nowhere, swimming right into her forehead with a bonk! “Hey!” Destiny laughed, rubbing her forehead. “You did that on purpose!” She tried to reach up and grab the little imp but it darted into her hair, escaping.

  “Are you in danger?” Kincade called, sounding concerned.

  “Only if you consider being pestered by an impish angelfish dangerous,” she replied breathlessly. “It is safe to come over. I don’t have a tail but I do have a rather painful side ache.” She shook her head in an effort to dislodge her new occupant. The angelfish darted out of her hair and into the feathery purple sea fan.

  “Well, that is almost as good,” Kincade said, swimming gracefully up beside her.

  She shrugged. “I just don’t know if I have a tail, so I guess I will simply have to be patient,” she said, wincing. She hated being patient! She couldn’t even bake muffins without opening the oven door twenty times to see if they were cooking.

  “Don’t worry, Princess, you don’t need a tail to get where we’re going,” he said. Then he pulled a shell whistle from around his neck and blew hard. A high-pitched, pulsing sound unlike any she had heard before burst out.

  Destiny covered her ears and yelled, “What are you doing?”

  “I am calling your ride,” Kincade answered, a mischievous grin spread across his handsome face.

  “You mean we are not going to swim?” she asked, relieved.

  “Well, we are, in a manner of speaking,” he said. “Just not by the power of our own tails. Trust me.” He pulled out a long, leather-looking strap from his pack.

  Destiny wasn’t sure if she was up for any more surprises today, but she decided to trust him. He certainly had been helpful so far. And after all, if anything scary happened, she would put her freezing power to work!

  She reached up and clutched the magic stone in her hand. What a wonderful gift! It made the underwater world seem less terrifying. As Kincade tied the strap, she noticed the red stone in the ring Kincade wore.

  “Kincade, is your ring magic, too?” Destiny asked shyly. “You don’t have to tell me, but it is so pretty and it looks a lot like mine.”

  “I have a stone of protection,” he answered without hesitation. “It’s not as fancy
as freezing things, but it is still pretty cool. My mom is sure happy I have it.”

  “So, it keeps you safe?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it doesn’t allow anything under the sea to hurt me. I can’t get eaten by a shark or trapped by a fisherman or anything.”

  “Oh, that must really come in handy down here,” Destiny said, impressed.

  “It’s the reason I get to go into the restricted area. It’s a lot safer for me to collect samples for the University to study than any other merperson,” he said, tapping on his pack.

  “What type of samples?” she asked, curiously.

  “Coral and sponges mostly, sometimes sand and water,” Kincade replied. “The plants and sea life are ailing in many places along the reef.” He pointed at some darkened areas that marred the side of a brainy-looking coral. “I collect the samples and turn them over to Professor Seamore, at school, and he studies them for clues as to how to help.”

  Destiny nodded, and then became concerned. It would be a terrible shame to lose any part of this beautiful reef. It all seemed so interconnected. She hoped she could help somehow, too.

  She watched as Kincade proceeded to fashion two large loops at both ends of the strap, leaving a long section in the middle.

  Her thought broke off, as the sunlight that drifted down seemed to grow eerily dark right overhead. It was as if they were suddenly sitting in the shadow of an enormous umbrella.

  “Our ride has arrived, Princess,” Kincade said, with a sweep of his arm upward.

  Destiny looked up to see a huge manta ray hovering above them like a colossal kite in a breeze.

  “We’re riding on that?” she stammered in awe.

  “You will like it. I promise,” Kincade said, and laughed excitedly reaching for her hand. Destiny felt as though her bottom had become cemented to the rock as Kincade tried to pull her up. She expected she was about to learn the true meaning of the word seasick. For heavens’ sake, she could barely ride in a car without becoming queasy!