Page 22 of Shifting Tides
So, we really are expected to go commando.
My cheeks instantly burned at that realization. After a moment of thought, the reason behind it came to me: any bottoms amer might be wearing would get in the way of two legs becoming one fin.
Logic, though, didn’t make me any less uncomfortable with the idea of leaving my lady bits completely bare—in a class with boys, no less.
I would just have to be extra careful. No bending over, that was for damn sure!
Accepting my wardrobe fate, I took off my uniform and pulled on the swim top. The fabric clung to me like a second skin, and I happily found that no part of it hiked up when I made different movements. In fact, the more I moved, the more I realized how difficult it would be to show anything I shouldn’t, even if I tried.
It was like the fabric learned my body, tightening and giving in certain places to offer more comfort. Could this be some kind of smart clothing? Was such a thing even possible yet?
As ready as I would ever be, I put my clothes and laptop bag in my locker, the door automatically locking when I closed it, and went back out to the pool.
Celeste stood outside the locker room, dripping as she waited for me. It was almost a shock to see her walking around on two creamy legs after that spectacle in the pool.
“Are you ready?” Celeste’s green eyes were bright as she gazed at me. Even soaking wet, her long red hair looked amazing.
“Um, actually, I’m not so sure about this,” I said with a timid shrug, then lowered my voice to say, “I’ve never done this before. I don’t even know if I can shift. And I definitely can’t swim.”
Rather than becoming upset or looking disappointed, Celeste gave an indulgent laugh and put her hand on my back to guide me toward the pool.
“Don’t worry about any of that. The water in the pool is salt water—mermaids automatically transform in salt water.”
“Really?” I asked in a hushed tone.
Celeste gave an encouraging nod. “You won’t even have to try. Just let your body do what it was meant to do. Don’t fight it—that lesson comes later.” She winked at me.
“Okay,” I said, doubt weighing down my tone.
I examined the crystal clear water as we came closer. There were no steps to ease my way in like I’d seen in movies. From the looks of it, every part of this pool was just as deep as the rest, and it seemed to be at least two meters deep, enough for the water to go over my head and then some.
“Just go in at whatever pace you feel comfortable with,” Celeste said as we stood at the edge of the pool. “And don’t be alarmed when your skin starts to react.”
“What will happen?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off the water in front of me.
“Dip a toe in and see,” Celeste encouraged.
My fear overridden by curiosity, I stretched out a leg and allowed my toes to submerge into the pleasantly warm water. Instantly, a prickling sensation devoured every inch of my wet skin, and I instinctively retracted my foot. The flesh that had previously been smooth and unblemished had begun to peel, revealing shimmery scales beneath.
I gasped, in awe of the reaction a tiny amount of salt water could produce.
“Oh, just dive in already,” Cora’s unmistakable voice said behind me, and suddenly, swift hands thrust against my back, knocking me off balance and forcing me to belly-flop into the pool.
I tried to scream, but water rushed into my open mouth and filled my lungs. I threw out my arms to find something—anything—to hold onto, splashing fruitlessly and grabbing nothing but water.
And then the whole-body circus of sensations took hold of my consciousness, and I could see, hear, and feel nothing else.
That same prickling covered the surface of my entire body, an itch that no amount of scratching could satisfy. Before I could even process that, the bones in my hips, legs, and feet began to shift, unsetting and resetting, breaking and healing, so quickly that the pain began and ended in the blink of an eye.
Half blinded by the sting of the water in my eyes, I hunched over to look at my legs. I could just make out that they had connected into one piece.
Another piercing pain rippled through my chest and the sides of my neck, and I felt the skin on my throat splitting. Squeezing my eyes shut, I cried out again in panic, releasing bubbles into the water around me like an over-shaken can of soda, and clutched at my neck as it seemed to tear apart.
All at once, the experience was over, and the world, both inside and outside of my body, was silent and calm. I opened my eyes, surprised to find that the water no longer stung and that I could see perfectly.
I gasped, only to realize that I could breathe. Water filled the inside of my mouth, throat, and lungs, yet somehow I could still inhale and exhale without struggle. I took in a deep breath, and tiny bubbles appeared at the corners of my eyes. With my hands still clutching my throat, I could feel that thosebubbles were releasing from three long slits on either side of my neck.
Holy crap, I have gills!
