The sun was drooping low in the sky, etching dazzling shades of pink and orange across the horizon as day began to wane into twilight. Though the falling sun had not abated the heat to the waters or air, it had cooled the sand from scalding to pleasant.

Riley had pulled herself most of the way out of the water to bask on it, leaving just her tailfins to flutter in the gentle waves hitting the shore.

Lewis was flopped in the sand beside her, with one leg twisted like he was going to cross them, and the other pulled closer so he could rest one arm on the knee. He was digging his bare toes into the sand.

Luna was sitting a little further up, completely out of the surf with her tail curled under her and her long hair billowing in the gentle breeze wafting in from the ocean. Her mother and father were in front of her, sprawled on their bellies next to each other. The five of them had been talking the past little while. Nero and Karina had not joined them yet, however. Karina was still hanging back in deeper waters and eyeing Lewis nervously, while Nero stayed by her side with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Every once in a while, he would dip his head to murmur something in her ear. Riley wondered if he was filling her in to bits of their conversation, as they were using English to keep Lewis in the loop, and Karina had not yet had enough exposure to the language to know what was being said.

Lewis seemed to catch her looking out at her older cousin because he laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled her attention back to him. He nodded out towards them. “Do they not want to join us?” he inquired.

Before Riley could respond, her aunt beat her to it. “Karina is a very nervous girl,” she refused. “This trip has been a lot for her. She does not have much trust in humans because they are responsible for the loss of her pod, and she cannot understand your tongue. It is easier for her to hang back.”

“I am sorry she has suffered,” Lewis agreed. “But I hope you all know you’re welcome any time, and none of us mean you any harm. Luna has been a pleasure to have around.”

“And what am I, then?” Riley protested playfully. Her lips pulled up to show her teeth and poked her tongue out between them.

“A brat?” Lewis offered.

Riley huffed and lashed her tail. Her fins swished through the water and showered Lewis in salty droplets.

“I rest my case,” he taunted as he shook his arms and then began to wring out his shirt.

Riley shrugged and bit back an amused giggle. Instead, she opted to lift her chin and present a haughty grin as she settled her tail back in the surf.

Lewis sighed and rolled his eyes, but his grin was wide. “It’s good to have you back, Riley,” he said after a moment.

Riley slumped down in the sand and rolled onto her back as she stared up at the glistening streaks of pink and gold staining the sky. “Good, because I am staying. Even I have had too much of an adventure.” She flicked her fins and stretched her arms high up towards the sky until she heard a soft popping noise and the sore muscles in her shoulders loosened. “I feel like I could eat half a school and then sleep for a quarter moon,” she declared.

From beside her aunt, her uncle Ixion hummed in agreement. “We should consider hunting before it grows too dark; these are unfamiliar waters. Rebecca, you should stay with Karina and Ker-Luna,” he caught himself and nodded at his daughter. Luna’s eyes were sparkling with sorrow and she looked away. Riley felt a swell of pity at her cousin’s pain. She hated that Luna felt so much guilt over the situation. “I will take Nero and Riley,” her uncle added.

Riley grimaced. She could feel her side beginning to tighten again, and she had not rested nearly enough while on the boat. Now that there was no urgency to push herself to her limits, the last thing she wanted was to venture off in search of fish.

Lewis cleared his throat and shook his head. “I’m sorry to say, but there’s not much in the way of good feeding out here. We’ve done a few topography scans and there’s no real schools of fish for miles.”

“Miles?” Rebecca echoed.

“Far,” Riley clarified. She did not know exactly the distance either, but she agreed with what Lewis was saying. She did not sense much in the way of ideal hunting either. She winced as she rolled over onto her front and propped herself up on her elbows. “If we are going to go, we should set out, but we will be swimming the night.”

Her aunt Becca pursed her lips. “I suppose we should consider getting to foraging then. There was a kelp forest below in the deeper waters when we arrived. It will not be as filling, but it will suffice.”

Riley nodded.

“You’ll need more nutrition than that, surely?” Lewis protested. “We’re a little short on supplies camped out here, but we can certainly figure out a meal for everyone.”

There was a heartbeat of silence that passed between them all. Rebecca pursed her lips and pressed her palms deep into the sand as she dragged herself further out of the surf. Lewis was still crouched down, so she was able to pull herself up to eye level. Her scales glittered a golden olive shade in the dying light instead of their usual brilliant shade of emerald, and she paused only to tuck a strand of her short hair back behind one ear. “We appreciate your hospitality and kindness, Lewis, but we are not pets; we will feed our own,” she refused firmly.

“I did not mean to imply-”

Aunt Becca cut Lewis off with a shake of her head. “You did not,” she assured him. “But you must understand it from our view. Humans are known for taking all manner of lives from their homes to tame as pets for amusement and labor. While I will not berate a kind individual for the deeds of a species, it is hard not to insist upon our independence.”

Lewis nodded and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. “I can understand and respect that,” he agreed. “Is there anything I can do for you all though? I know you want to retain your independence, but up here we also tend to value being proper hosts to our guests.”

“You have done more than enough already,” Uncle Ixion spoke up.

“Yes,” Aunt Becca agreed. “You have kept our daughter safe, and generously aided my niece. You have our gratitude. You need not do anything more. There is more than enough nutrition in kelp to tide us a night or two. We will rest, and then it will be time to take Luna home.”

“Do not bother arguing, Lewis,” Riley sighed in amusement. “Stubbornness runs in the family.”

Lewis waved a hand in defeat. “Alright. If you do need anything, all you have to do is ask.” He shifted in the sand and crossed his legs, leaning one elbow on his knee and supporting his cheek on his palm. “You will be leaving so soon, then?”

“It is for the best,” Rebecca agreed. “There is not much here for us, and if we delay too much longer, Karina will not be able to make the trip back. It is never safe for a new mother to be travelling the open waters this way; especially not in a group as small as ours. And it is best we get Luna home as soon as possible.” Riley found her aunt’s solemn gaze focused on her next. “Will you be coming with us?”

Riley hesitated, then reluctantly dipped her head. “You could use an extra hunter on the journey. I will escort you back, but I will not stay.”

Her aunt pursed her lips, but she did not say anything. As Riley was searching her expression, another one caught her attention. She glanced towards her young cousin who was currently wringing her fingers and chewing her lip with a crestfallen, conflicted expression and drooped shoulders. “Luna?” she inquired.

Luna looked up from where she had been previously staring at the sand, and her bright blue eyes were glistening with tears. “No,” she whispered softly. “I am not ready to leave.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Riley saw her aunt’s head whip towards her daughter. “Luna?” she inquired. Her tone was soft and concerned, but there was an edge to it that Riley did not like. Her aunt always meant well, but Riley suspected she had concerns about Luna being too tame and would be inclined to drag her daughter back regardless.

The tears in Luna’s eyes continued to swell like tiny tidal waves until the spilled over her lower lashes and slid down her cheeks. She sunk in on herself and whimpered but shook her head again. “I cannot leave. Not yet. Not without Katie.”

“The formerly human girl that was with you? Luna, if she wishes to join us, she is more than welcome,” Rebecca soothed. “But wherever she is, if she does not want to come, we cannot force her.”

“That is something I was wondering about,” Riley finally added. She turned to stare Lewis down firmly. “I did not want to spoil the pleasantries earlier, but I have waited long enough. Where is Katie? And Sophie? I was expecting she would be back by now, but she does not feel any closer, and Katie should be here. She never leaves Luna, and now she is missing this? Why have you had to relocate away from home and what is going on?”

Lewis’ face fell and Riley’s heart squeezed. He sighed and Luna sniffled and bowed her head. There was something truly wrong. “She’s sick,” Lewis said finally. “Not long after you left, Katie started coughing and getting really ill. She declined very quickly.”

Riley reeled back, feeling as though she had been punched in the gut. Her belly twisted and hot bile rose in her clenched throat. It felt like she was being mocked with the very lie she told to her aunt.

“Where is she?” Rebecca inquired. “Perhaps I can aid her.”

Lewis shook her head. “I hoped in the beginning that you could,” he agreed. “You’d certainly know more than I do about Mer diseases and how to treat them. But at this point, I doubt there’s much you could have done. She’s in very rough shape. The cough was the start. She was coughing up blood and getting terrible headaches, then she stopped eating because she couldn’t keep anything down. She’s shed most of her scales and isn’t breathing without the help of a machine. Her gills only ooze pus when we put her in the water, but her skin is cracking and flaking leaving her up out of it. A couple days ago, we had to resuscitate her.”

“Resuscitate?” Rebecca echoed.

“Her heart stopped,” Lewis clarified. “We had to restart it. She nearly died.”

Riley felt her heart flutter with horror, and she stared at her aunt to see if the healer would have anything to say.

Instead, Aunt Becca merely shook her head. “I am sorry, but I know of nothing like that. I have never heard of such a disease with so many extreme symptoms. Though, I suppose it is possible that previous victims simply did not live long enough for them to manifest. Our medicines are strong, but they are limited. Out in the ocean, she would have died long before this point. The second her gills ceased to function certainly, but likely sooner if she could not eat or swim.”

Lewis sighed. “I had a feeling that would be the answer. It’s alright, I’ve already done everything I can at this point, and besides; she isn’t here. Sophie isn’t ready to let go – and I don’t blame her, although I think Katie was ready in part – and she took a final chance on her daughter. She’s back at the marine park.”

“I thought you felt it was not safe for us there anymore?” Riley queried. “That was the point of migrating, was it not?”

“Sophie’s taken her down there to call Lemuria. They don’t know about this place, we agreed Luna would stay here and then go with her family when the time came, in order to keep her safe. They can’t do much with just one and they can’t use Katie to create another like they did off Luna. But those scientists are probably the only people who know enough about her to possibly save her life.”

“I cannot leave her behind,” Luna sobbed. There were tears flowing freely down her cheeks now. “She saved me. She would never abandon me. I have to know, I cannot just leave her alone.”

“When did they go?” Riley pressed. She swallowed the thick lump of dread in her throat and forced the question out with a warble in her tone.

“A few days ago,” Lewis replied. “Just before I learned Lukshia had found you all. Sophie took her back down to the park with a colleague of mine because the park is better set up for the equipment they needed to treat her. I haven’t had any contact since they left, but I know they weren’t holding out much hope that they could help her any further. If she hasn’t contacted Lemuria already, she’ll be doing it soon.”

Riley nodded her understanding and began pushing herself back into the surf. Lewis leaned over and caught her by the wrist.

“Riley,” he warned as he held firm, even when she tugged on her arm.

“Let go, Lewis,” Riley countered. She lashed her tail and her fins stirred up water and silt around her.

“No,” Lewis refused. Riley growled softly. She knew it was not a refusal about releasing her. He knew, and was trying to stop her, but Riley had made up her mind. “Don’t be stupid,” he scolded her. “They would need two; it is her only safety right now.”

Riley sighed and yanked her hand free of his fingers with a harsh tug. “I am not being stupid,” she hissed.

“Stay here,” he commanded.

“You are not thinking of going after them?” Rebecca demanded. She bared her fangs and slapped her fin on the water so the spray showered them both. “Even you are not so foolish. These are the very people Luna is fleeing from and you want to swim right into their grasp? Do not be brash!”

Riley glowered between the two. “This is my family,” she growled back. “And right now, I only know that half of them are safe. I will not sit here idly while they are in jeopardy.”

Riley had already pushed herself deeper. “Riley, please,” Lewis strained. “The best thing that you can do for them right now is stay out of trouble. Sophie doesn’t need the added stress right now. I know it’s not easy, but you have to wait here.”

Riley shook her head and did not reply, but she did hesitate for a moment. They seemed to take her silence as refusal, however, for Lewis stepped closer and her aunt reached towards her. Riley swished her gliders to pull herself further back into the water. The waves lapped at her shoulders.

“Riley? I want to go with you,” Luna spoke up. Riley locked gazes with her desperate cousin and sighed.

“Luna…”

“Do not ask me to stay when you will not,” Luna begged.

“I can handle myself,” Riley replied. “I know your fears, Luna, but you cannot come with me. It will be easier and faster for me to go on my own, and your family needs you now too. If something happened to you, they would have come all the way just to get to grieve again. Trust me, little cousin, I will do what I can to ensure they are both safe.”

“No,” Lewis barked. “Riley, I mean it, you will stay here. You are not going down there…please.”

Riley sighed. She hated the lines of distress that were creasing Lewis’ expression. He was not angry, but concerned for her. She hated to disappoint him, but she refused to sit out on Katie and Sophie. She glanced at the rest of her birth family, and then back to Lewis. “Keep them safe, okay?”

She did not wait for an answer and instead twisted herself backwards and lashed her tail to shoot into deeper water. She heard Lewis calling her name, and felt her aunt’s nails craze over one of her fins as she darted away, but she ignored them both.

She knew she could outswim her aunt and her uncle, and that neither of them were likely to pursue her too far. She flicked her fins again, only to pull up short to avoid slamming into Nero’s chest. Her older cousin regarded her solemnly and she bared her fangs in a silent warning not to stop her. “I will come with you,” he stated instead. “If you insist on going.”

“Karina needs you more,” Riley reminded him. “You are going to have a baby, you need to be here.”

“You are not anticipating coming back.” It was not a question.

Riley sighed and shrugged. She was prepared for what may come. “Do not let them teach the child that I was just a reckless fool, hmm?”

“You should teach them yourself,” he countered.

She smiled softly. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and squeezed. “I am glad you are alright. Look after Luna, alright? She needs a brother now more than ever.”

Pulling away, she darted up over him and shot off for deeper water before angling to keep close to the coast. Exhaustion still burned in her muscles, but her determined loyalty drove her to pursue the missing members of her family. She knew she would probably have to rest before she stormed in, given she had no idea what she would be rushing into and – despite her family’s beliefs – she was not that foolish. But for now, she wanted to close as much distance as possible.

She was genuinely worried about the condition Lewis described. She was just getting to enjoy Katie’s company, and now the new Mer was deathly ill. And from what had been described to her about Luna and Katie’s situation, Lemuria was not a place to be trifled with, and the fear for Sophie as well was churning Riley’s stomach. The woman may be human, but she was the closest thing to a proper mother that Riley had. She had missed Sophie so much over her trip, and she knew that she loved the members of her chosen family very deeply. Her aunt thought her a fool and Lewis likely saw her as hasty and irresponsible, but Riley was not going to lose anyone else close to her, no matter what.

She lashed her tail again to put on a larger burst of speed to match the pace of her pounding heart. Her eyes were stinging and Riley bit her lip to try to force the swell of emotions down. She hated feeling helpless like this and only hoped that they were going to be okay.