"Hey, hey - what's that?" Raf asked as I leaned against a tree. We were cleaning up at the river after sparring and attempting to let Raf get better control of his werewolf side. So far, it wasn't working. "It's a girl!" Raf told me as he stumbled down the bank where there was a pale form pulling herself from the water.
"Oh my god," I murmured as we neared. She had a huge propeller digging into her side, and she was covered with blood. As I got closer, however, I noticed a strange, scaly appearance on her skin. She shimmered as she pulled herself from the water and collapsed in the mud. Raf quickly averted his eyes. She was naked. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked as I dropped to her side. "Raf, give me your jacket," I said as an afterthought. The girl didn't answer, but Raf shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to me so I could wrap it carefully around her shoulders.
"Where did you come from?" Raf asked as he stooped down beside me. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing hard, panting. I looked at the propeller and noticed fresh blood seeping out.
"We've got to get her back to the school," I said worriedly.
"Yeah," Raf agreed. Before I could offer to levitate her back, he scooped her up very carefully to his chest, mindful of the propeller, and looked at me expectantly. We headed back in the direction of the school quickly, following the path we left ourselves.
Inside, the school was bustling for preparations for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Students were busy clearing out all the magical items, and people hurried past us, almost oblivious to the girl Rafael was carrying. He made a beeline for Dr. Saltzman's office and I followed.
"Dr. Saltzman," I called as we neared the double doors. His eyes widened in shock as Raf and I entered.
"Holy crap - is that a propeller from a boat?" he asked.
"Uh yeah, where do we go with her?" I demanded.
"Where did you find her?" he asked, stupefied.
"The river," I answered quickly. "Dr. Saltzman - where do we put her?"
"Uh, the infirmary. Take her there, I'll get Emma and meet you."
Rafael and I hurried down a few hallways until we got to the empty infirmary. Raf laid her gently on a bed. As he pulled away, her hand shot out and grabbed his. He sunk down by her side and remained, her hand still clutching his.
I busied myself getting a pitcher of water, clean bandages, and turning on the lights while we waited for the adults. When I returned, though, I was able to see the girl in better light, and gasped at what I saw.
Small, opal-colored scales dotted her legs and feet. They shimmered in the light, and I stiffened. This girl wasn't human, werewolf, witch, or vampire. Could she be a monster from Malivore? We no longer had the urn, but that didn't mean we were no longer a target.
"Raf, her legs," I said quietly. He looked, and his mouth dropped as he saw what I did.
"Okay, we're here," Dr. Saltzman called as he and Emma entered the room. Emma's eyes widened as she saw the damage.
"Um, Dr. Saltzman," I said quietly. He looked at me, confused. "I think...I think she's a mermaid."
"Mermaid. Great," Dr. Saltzman said as he looked down at the girl again. He swore softly under his breath. "Okay, tell Dorian to start researching," he told Emma. She nodded and hurried away as Dr. Saltzman crouched down to get a better look at the propeller and the girl's scales.
"Shouldn't we pull it out?" Raf asked. Dr. Saltzman shook his head.
"Not without knowing more about how she heals. If she heals like a human, it could kill her if we pull it out now."
The girl, still clutching Raf's hand, slowly opened her eyes. They were beautiful and startling - the same color as her scales. Opal, white with so many shimmering colors and a pearl-like sheen. Her eyes wandered over to Raf's face, and he looked down at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She winced, and her other hand fluttered helplessly around the propeller. "What's your name?" he asked.
The girl ignored his question and reached for the propeller. She grasped it, then promptly released it as she blanched white with pain.
"Can we pull it out? Will you heal?" I asked her. She made a motion with her hand, waving it up and down. I watched, frustrated, until she caught sight of the pitcher on the small table near her bed. She reached her hand for it, and Dr. Saltzman looked, his face lighting up.
"Water! She means water!" he said. He grabbed the pitcher. "Is this enough?" he asked her. She shook her head, and Dr. Saltzman looked at me. "Let's get her into a bathtub."
Raf gingerly picked her up again and she winced, but wrapped her arm around his shoulders to help support herself. He carried her down the hall, following Dr. Saltzman. He led us down several halls, into part of the school I rarely visited - his personal rooms, and Caroline's, when she was around.
The bedroom he led us through was obviously Caroline's - with the white bedspread and feminine furniture. We walked through and into a bathroom with a huge soaking tub. Dr. Saltzman began to fill it as Raf gently lowered the girl in. As the water surrounded her, her scales stood out in sharper relief against her skin. They erupted over her flesh, covering her from below her belly down to her toes. Then slowly, her legs began to fuse together, until she had one tail the same length of her legs. A strong looking fin took the place of her feet, flopping against the sides of the tub. Her tail was beautiful - it shimmered with the shine of thousands of opals, her scales glittering in the bathroom light. Scales also framed her eyes, and were patchy on her hands. I noticed her fingers were webbed - with a thin, fin-like webbing between them.
"Damn," Raf said softly. The mermaid reached up from the tub, hand extended to Raf. He took it and looked at her intently. "Are you okay?"
She reached for the propeller again, blanched when she touched it, and then looked first at Raf, then me, then Dr. Saltzman with a pleading look.
"She wants it out," I said firmly. I reached inside the tub and braced my hands on the propeller.
"Hope, wait," Dr. Saltzman said urgently.
But I didn't. I pulled the propeller out with one swift movement, dislodging it from her side. Blood stained the tub red quickly, and the mermaid let out a shrieking scream so piercing and so loud, it had Rafael and I on our knees, clutching our ears. Dr. Saltzman covered his as well, but his hearing wasn't quite as sensitive as Raf's and mine.
"Daddy, what was that?" Lizzie asked as she and Josie ran into the room. They balked at the sight of the girl, in the tub, fin delicately poking out as she slipped further into the water so that her eyes were visible to the twins. The rest of her body, aside from her fin feet, was submerged under the water.
"Is that a..." Josie began.
"Mermaid?" Lizzie finished.