whale that usually swam just a bit farther south of here surrounded her, vocalizing in the deep peaceful tones of their kind. The sound resonated, echoing off the ocean itself, filling Shayla with peace, easing the last lingering remnants of her grief.
This would always be her true home. On land, she occasionally managed to forget how much she loved the underwater world. Once here, she wondered how she ever stayed away.
Finally, she reached the outskirts of her home, a city known among her people as Coral. She swam under a natural rock archway, and as usual, the first glimpse of Coral had her heart skipping a beat.
The city glowed softly, appearing as if it had been constructed from the most precious essence of oysters, the pearl. Muted white, intermingled with bright flashes of color from the live coral gardens, from a distance her home had a mysterious, ancient air. She could only imagine what the humans would make of it if they happened to send an undetected probe close enough to photograph it.
The nearer she drew, the more the place vibrated with life. Fish as bright as the deep-water coral swam up to greet her, escorting her around the protective shield and into one of several unmarked entrances.
Inside, the city teemed with life. Merfolk, as graceful as the fish, swam in the streets, going about their daily lives. Noticing her, several greeted her and waved, others shouted hello, the sound traveling as waves through the water, tickling her skin. This made her smile. These days, sometimes she could come home and forget about her past pain.
She went directly to her parents’ house, a large free-form structure made of cobalt glass and green coral, shot through with swirling silver accents. Like all of the buildings here in Coral, the shape and color complemented the sea that surrounded them. Her family’s home was larger than the others, due to their royal status. Only the palace, where her brother now resided as king, was bigger and more ornate.
Shayla swam to the door, opening it and going inside without even knocking. Now that her parents were retired from ruling, they occupied their time with various other activities, sometimes together, more often separate. It was fifty-fifty whether she’d even find them at home.
Inside, she headed directly for the kitchen. When her mother saw her, she cried out and swam to give Shayla a hug. “You just barely caught me,” she said. “I was about to leave for afternoon class.”
On alternate days, her mother, Blythe, taught young Merfolk the art of preparing fish. Chef Blythe, the kids called her. After acting as a wise queen for several decades, Blythe had been glad to rid herself of her crown and scepter. Most days, she preferred a more casual style, unless she was teaching a cooking class. She wore her long, inky hair up in a tightly wound bun these days.
“Will you be here later today?” Blythe asked, releasing her.
Though Shayla knew her mom would be disappointed, she told her she couldn’t stay too long. “I’m actually working,” she said.
“On finding artifacts?” Blythe waved her hand in the general direction of the study. “I’m pretty sure your father has several in there waiting for you to pick up.”
“I’ll grab them before I head back,” Shayla said. “I’m actually looking for a missing Mermaid.”
“What?” For a second, Queen Blythe returned. Her mother straightened, lifting her chin and fixing Shayla with a no-nonsense stare. “Explain.”
As succinctly as possible, Shayla did. When she’d finished, Blythe frowned. “And you say her father’s name is Ion? The name sounds familiar, though I can’t place it.”
“If you do, or if you hear any information about Nantha, will you give me a call?” Shayla asked.
“I sure will.” Blythe returned her attention to what she’d been doing when Shayla arrived—packing cooking supplies into a tote. “Right now, though, I’ve got to run.”
“Where’s Dad?” Shayla asked. “Please tell me he’s not up at the castle pestering Merc again.”
“He’s not. Your brother banned him.” Blythe smiled, since they both knew such a ban wasn’t really possible. A sitting king couldn’t forbid a former ruler from visiting the castle. Nor would he really want to. “Since your father had so much difficulty with retirement, he’s gone back to fishing a lot. I tried to get him to volunteer at guppy school, but he refused. Whatever. At least he seems happy.”
“As long as he continues to look for inventory for me, that’s awesome,” Shayla said, even though no one had asked her permission. “He finds the best stuff.”
“You know he and your brother are in a competition to see who can find the most valuable artifact, don’t you?”
Intrigued, Shayla sat on one of the bar stools. Made of coral and glass, they perfectly complemented the stone countertop. “That’s actually pretty awesome,” she said.
“It’s good for you, isn’t it?” Blythe hefted her tote and squared her shoulders. “Who knew humans would pay so dearly for such things?” She smiled, hugging Shayla once more, quickly this time. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and visit, but you’re welcome to come with me and watch the class.”
“I would,” Shayla said. “But I’d planned on going around and seeing if anyone near here has ever heard of Nantha. I wish I’d thought to ask where her family lived. I figure they’re probably from this city, but I have no idea which part.” And since there were thousands of Merfolk living in Coral, she’d need to narrow it down quite a bit.”
“Nantha is an uncommon name,” Blythe mused thoughtfully. “I’ll ask around, too, and let you know if I hear anything.”
“That’d be great.”
“When will you be back?” Blythe asked as she swam toward the front door with Shayla right behind her. Despite being a retired queen, and underwater renowned chef, she’d kept her slender figure. Sometimes when she and Shayla went out together, they were mistaken for sisters. Not a hint of gray touched Blythe’s dark hair, and her face still appeared free of lines or wrinkles. Shayla hoped she’d be as fortunate when she became her mother’s age.
“I’m not sure,” Shayla admitted. “But since I plan to aggressively work this case, I imagine it will be sooner rather than later.”
Blythe cocked her head, studying her daughter. “You look happy,” she mused. “Happier than you’ve been in a long time. I think this new business venture might be agreeing with you.”
Immediately, Shayla thought of Zach. Her entire body heated. Glad her mother couldn’t see, she nodded. “I think so, too.”
With a wave, Blythe swam off. Shayla wandered around the house for a moment, peeking into the study to see what her father had found, before she left to go canvass the part of town closest to her parents’ home. She figured it couldn’t hurt, though she knew she’d do better once she learned where exactly in Coral Ion and his daughter lived.
For the next two hours, Shayla traveled up and down the busy streets, wearing her long, dark hair up in a tight bun in hopes of disguising herself. She hoped no one would stop her, wanting to talk about Richard’s death or asking her where she’d
