Chapter 1

Six years earlier

The sun was high overhead and very, very hot as Lewis walked along the beach to meet his friends. He had slept late yet again, a habit he knew he would need to break soon. He wouldn't even have time to fully adapt to the time zone - his plane back to the US departed tomorrow. It was a short visit, only a week, but he would never have forgiven himself if he had not been there to see his girlfriend graduate. He smiled to himself as he walked along, thinking of her happy surprise. His smile widened as he reminisced of the time they spent together, alone, after the celebrations had died down. That had definitely been worth a full day of travel.

He had suggested, today, a picnic lunch by the water, on their favourite stretch of beach. There were shady spots and he hoped the others were already there, settled close to the water in the shade, near enough to enjoy the breeze, but still far enough away to avoid the spray from the waves. Even though the beach was out of the usual way, and not very popular, there was no point for the girls to take unnecessary risks.

Risks like the one now walking briskly towards him, looking extremely agitated. Lewis considered swerving, pretending he wasn't headed towards the private beach but decided that avoiding Zane would be a cowardly move and he was done with cowardice. Lewis found that his main feelings toward his friend (former friend, he had to remind himself) were more of disappointment than of anger. He felt sad that Zane had once again thrown away friendship - and Rikki's affections - for the sake of greed. You'd have thought that he had enough money.

"Lewis!" Zane called out, finally coming up to him, and Lewis stood still, crossing his arms in front of him with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Zane didn't seem to notice the disapproving look, or at least ignored it, as he announced dramatically "She's back."

"Who?" Lewis asked, now slightly bewildered.

He hadn't seen Zane since arriving home, but Cleo had filled him in on his part in the moon pool's destruction. Surely Zane would have thought that Lewis would have heard by now and wasn't about to fake being chummy, that everything was fine again.

Then again, the grimness in Zane's face didn't suggest that things were in any way OK.

"Linda Denman," said Zane, the name turning into a snarl.

Lewis felt a shock go through him. He hadn't thought of the marine biologist in years, which itself was a wonder, given the risk she had posed to his best friends - and continued to pose. But maybe it was the source of the news or just denial. Either way, he decided to tamp down his rising worry. He schooled his face to display no strong emotions.

"So?" Lewis said coldly. "She's a marine researcher. This area is prime for marine research."

He extended his hand towards the sea, as if to demonstrate the obvious.

Zane frowned, but carried on.

"It's too convenient," he said. "Come on, Lewis. She goes quiet, we don't see her for two years, then out of nowhere she's back just as we all finish school? You don't think she's thought this through?"

Lewis shook his head.

"Really? Timing is your argument?" he asked. "I mean, it's awfully convenient timing for you to ride to the girls' rescue after screwing up as badly as you did."

Zane clenched his teeth.

"I'm not here for me," he said. "I thought I should tell—"

"Me?" Lewis finished for him. "Why not tell Rikki?"

"Rikki isn't speaking to me," Zane said, hanging his head.

"I'm not surprised," Lewis scoffed.

"Are we going to stand here trading insults?" Zane said, finally showing a bit of anger. "Or are you going to warn the girls? You don't have to tell them I told you. Just... warn them. Please."

He paused and looked down at his hands.

"Please," he repeated quietly.

Lewis let his mask drop for just a moment.

"You're really worried," he spoke the thought aloud. "What happened?"

Zane looked at him with real gratitude.

"I was in the marina and she came up to me," he said. "She didn't threaten me or anything but she asked how my 'friends' were doing, and wouldn't she just love to see them again. She mentioned that she was at graduation."

Lewis saw Zane tense up, and he realised the gravity of what he had just said.

"She's been watching them," Lewis breathed. He could feel a knot form in the pit of his stomach. "I've got to go tell them."

He looked up the slight rise ahead of him. Behind the sand dunes was the little private beach where his friends were waiting for him with a picnic. Where his girlfriend was waiting for him. Zane followed his line of sight and sighed.

"What made you do it?" Lewis asked, mentally kicking himself for engaging further with Zane.

"I don't know," Zane said, and it sounded genuine to Lewis. "I really don't. Maybe things were going too well and I needed the conflict. Doesn't matter. Rikki will never forgive me for this."

Lewis didn't know what to say to that and they stood there together for a few seconds, listening to the hiss of the surf and the seagulls crying nearby.

"Don't—" Zane said, slightly strangled. "Maybe don't tell them I told you."

Lewis frowned.

"I want them to take this seriously," Zane said. "And if they think I'm just trying to get their attention, make up with Rikki... you said it yourself. It's awfully convenient for me to come and be the big hero here."

Lewis nodded and looked again at Zane. So much had changed since they had been kids. Some of it for the better. Some of it... not so much.

"I won't say anything about you," Lewis agreed. "But if she comes to you again, let me know, OK? I'm leaving tomorrow but I want to know what's going on. And if I need to tap you in to watch out for the girls, then..."

Zane looked as if he was about to argue, but he closed his mouth again without saying anything.

"Just go," he said, dejected, looking up towards the rise again.

***ITD***

Lewis approached the girls and Will with a grim kind of smile, and while they all greeted him, Cleo immediately picked up on the fact that something wasn't right.

"What happened?"

Lewis sighed. He hated lying, but Zane was right. They wouldn't take it as seriously if he admitted that the message had come from him.

"I saw Denman today," he said quietly.

The girls, including Bella, hushed instantly and Cleo gulped. Rikki motioned to him to keep talking.

"She's been watching you, I think," Lewis continued. "Or so she said. She was at the graduation ceremony. And she said something about how she'd love to see you again. It could be nothing. She could be bluffing. Or..."

"Or..." Rikki continued his thought, "She figured out that we're not all the way back to normal."

Lewis nodded.

"Yeah, that's what's got me worried."

"Who is Denman?" Will broke in. While Bella had heard the story about the mad scientist who had almost kidnapped Rikki, Cleo and their friend Emma, Will hadn't quite gotten the full briefing. Rikki and Cleo quickly amended that, and he listened to them with increasing shock.

"Guys," he said, seriously, "Do you even understand how much trouble you could have been in?"

Rikki rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course," she said. "Why do you think we're feeling jumpy now?"

Will wasn't quite so blasé about it, however.

"You can't seriously tell me you are only 'jumpy'," he said. "She knows your secret! And she's a marine biologist! I mean..."

He paused, because Bella was giving him a look.

"We know," Cleo said. "Obviously, we know. But she hasn't been seen or heard of here in years. We thought it was fine."

"What if she's already seen something?" Will said anxiously. "What if she saw you?"

This last was directed at Bella.

"If she saw something," Lewis said, trying to be reasonable, "She would have already acted. She knows that water is the trigger. So if she wanted to she could have thrown water at them during graduation. Maybe she's just bluffing."

Will shook his head but decided to let it drop for now.

"So what next?" Bella asked.

"We stay out of the water and out of the public eye," Cleo said. She had matured considerably in the last few years, from the carefree, sometimes silly girl she had been to a bright young woman who understood all the nuances and complexities of their circumstances. Lewis smiled to himself as he reflected on that change.

Rikki nodded her agreement.

"Let's not give her any ammunition to use against us," she said. "And maybe let's give Emma a call and make sure she's doing OK and hasn't had any unexpected visitors."

Lewis was about to tell Will about the role he'd like him to play, given he would be leaving the country shortly, but Rikki broke in.

"Do we tell Zane?"

Cleo and Bella both looked at her intently and Will frowned.

"What does Zane have to do with this?" he asked.

"Kind of everything," Rikki mumbled. "He's the reason we got caught by Denman in the first place. Sort of."

Will's expression would have been comical if the situation wasn't so serious.

"You've got to be joking," he said. "I mean, what the hell? Just when I think that asshole couldn't sink any lower."

Rikki tried to explain, half-heartedly, how Zane hadn't meant to expose them. She also clarified that without Zane, they wouldn't have gotten free. But Will had formed his opinion, and Bella and Cleo were also clearly not so keen to have Zane form part of the group again, even if there might be safety in numbers.

"I'll tell Zane about her being back," Lewis said, annoyed with himself for how the lie was twisting itself around. "Just in case she approaches him, you know?"

The group agreed, and Lewis bowed his head. Why couldn't this last day have just been a bit of relaxation and time with his friends and girlfriend? Clearly, nothing was easy when you were dating a mermaid.