Daughter of the Sea

1. Once Upon a Time

Amaya gazed at the vibrant coral beneath the cerulean waves. She liked to think of herself as a logical person who wasn't easily impressed, but anything involving the ocean was a definite exception.

She flicked her hair from her eyes and glanced back at the sandy beach. There were only three other people along the shore, all of whom were locals. It was the kind of place her mother would have known about. She had grown up on the island, and the few memories Amaya had of her were perfumed with salty brine and splashed with vivid colors.

Perhaps it was better this way. At least her memories of her mother would remain pure, suspended in the golden light of her childhood. 

A small fish nibbled on her toes, bringing her back to the present. The marine landscape was truly magnificent, marred only by an oddly shaped clump of rocks.

Then the rocks moved.

Amaya found herself staring into the eyes of the strangest person she'd ever seen. His bleached-blond hair swayed in the current like the tendrils of a jellyfish. Eyelashes curved around eyes the color of sea-foam, and his lips twisted into... was that a grimace of concern?

She had been so caught up with his striking features that she'd failed to notice he was also tangled in a fishing net. It was wrapped around his legs, tying them together and anchoring him to the seafloor. 

Amaya was also slightly concerned for his sanity, as he was wearing the most bizarre swimwear she'd ever seen. His chest was bare, but from the waist down, he was wearing a wetsuit the same brilliant green as his eyes. A matching monofin flipper completed the look.

These thoughts crossed her head in less than a second, but the next one took a little longer for her to process. This person wasn't human. 

He was a merman.

She choked back a gasp and tried to continue assessing the situation. Part of her was convinced the merman was an illusion conjured by her salt-addled brain. Then again, she wasn't creative enough to make this up. He obviously needed help, which he wasn't likely to get from the grey reef shark circling ever closer. 

Amaya made up her mind and dove toward the merman. She ripped a broken bracelet off her wrist and shoved it into his hands, indicating that he could use the sharp edge to saw through the netting. Flashing him the peace sign in farewell, she turned around and clawed back to the surface.

Amaya started gasping for air the second her head was above the water. She had never been very good at holding her breath, and diving fifteen feet was pushing her limits. 

Taking one last look at the merman busy sawing his way through the netting, Amaya started swimming back to shore. She was only halfway there when she felt a gentle hand brush her arm.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, taking in a mouthful of salty seawater. Turning around, she saw it was the merman. "Ahhh!" she half screamed, half-choked again.

"Lo siento," he murmured as he backed away, concern lining his angelic face.

Amaya frowned. It sounded like he had just said he was sorry in Spanish. It was a pity she didn't speak much of her mother's native language.

"Ah, no hablo Español?" she ventured, squinting in the salty sunlight as she tried to make sense of the bizarre situation.

The merman started speaking in a completely different language until Amaya interrupted him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand you." She bit her lip, but the questions tumbled out nonetheless. "How many languages are you fluent in? Are you alright? How did you get caught in the fishing net? Are your people nearby?"