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Chapter Twelve
AQUARIANS THRIVE ON KNOWLEDGE
Ryn
Pasha strokes a kitty in the alley, while I ask another shopkeeper if they’ve seen Maris.
“What did you say was the name of the guy she’s with?” asks one of the customers.
“Kasper. He’s looking for a treasure map or something,” I say, trying to be vague but giving enough information for it to be relatable.
“Are you sure it wasn’t Kyle?”
“I think he said Kasper.”
“A couple of nights ago, I went on a date with a guy called Kyle Columbo. He said he was a treasure hunter.”
“There are probably lots of tourists trying to find a fortune in these parts,” the shopkeeper says.
“What makes you say that?” I ask.
“It is rumoured the lost city of Atlantis is off these very shores.”
The woman blows a raspberry. “Please. Give me a break. That’s the same line Kyle tried to spin me right before he robbed me.”
“What did this guy look like?” I ask.
“A beach bum. You know the type. Blonde shaggy hair and a long-lasting tan. He was talking about mermaids existing and needing to find treasure.”
I cover my mouth to hide my expression. This could be Kasper, but I don’t want her to know that. Even worse, we’ve left our princess with him. “Do you know where this guy lives or anything?”
“If I knew that, I’d be knocking down his door, not standing here waiting for my daddy to transfer me some money.”
“It’s done,” the shopkeeper says, handing her some cash.
“Thanks.” She turns to me, “If you catch up with Kyle or Kasper, whatever his name is, tell him to return my stuff before the police hunt him down.”
“I’ll make sure he knows people are looking for him.”
I step back onto the street, ready to share the information with Pasha. She’s sitting on the back of some guy’s truck with the cat on her knee. They see me and wave. The guy bangs on the hood of the cab, and I start to run. He pulls Pasha farther onto the truck bed and the cat leaps off.
The truck speeds to life and they’re getting away. I run as fast as I can, but I’m no competition for a machine. I’m breathing heavily by the time I finally give up. I hold my knees for support.
“Fuck,” I shout, and a woman covers her kid’s ears.
Maris is probably with a thief who steals jewels, and I’m not even sure what trouble Pasha’s got herself into. I didn’t want to do this but I have no choice but to go to my source on land.
Isaac knows my secret about being a merman, and his help will cost me. He already has samples of my hair and scales. I dread the walk to his house even more than usual. The place is like a fort, wrapped tightly with security.
Once I arrive, I press the button on the gate. “It’s me. Let me in.”
“Hello, Ryn. What a pleasant surprise,” he says, buzzing me in.
Slowly, I walk up to the house. My stomach is already churning with anticipation. It hurt when he extracted a scale, and it took a long time for the imperfection to go away on my tail. Nobody else noticed, but I knew it wasn’t there.
“Hello, Isaac,” I say, after opening the door and going inside.
“What a pleasant surprise. Would you like some coffee, or perhaps a beer?”
