After a school dance, Cleo and Lewis at last became an item. Their soulmarks flared to life after the first kiss they shared. Cleo was gushing about it non-stop, but I suppose that was to be expected.
Cleo had always been unsure since Lewis's mark had been blank until after she became a mermaid and then it flared to life. She thought that his soulmate was the mer side of her but he was quick to tell her how he'd always liked her ever since they were little.
She was on cloud nine.
Their bubble burst when Dr Denman came back to town.
The marine biologist that stole Lewis's research on the girls. He'd destroyed it back then, but the very fact that she knew something existed with the changeable qualities was dangerous.
"So what's Dr Denman doing back?"
"I don't know but whatever she is doing, she's moored by Mako."
I had peeked around Emma's corner overhearing the news when Emma glanced my way.
"Well at least we have Darcy."
It didn't take long for Lewis to come and inform them, "She found a new cell sample from the moon pool."
I looked Cleo in the eye, "I know how tempting it is to go to Mako, don't. We should stay clear of it for now."
Rikki looked at me, catching my determined gaze.
"I don't like that look."
"If I were her, I would be curious about this new discovery. I'd set up cameras around Mako trying to catch a glimpse of a new species."
"She would have to have the conservationist groups approval for that." Emma shook her head.
"Which I doubt she has, so any attention she gains will only put her under the microscope. In the meantime I need you all to go full lock-down." I looked into each girls' eyes, trying to convey the absolute seriousness of this.
"But Mako is our safe place." Cleo pouted.
"Not right now it isn't." I shook my head.
"What about Denman?" Rikki spoke up.
"We'll have to do what Lewis did a 2nd time...Destroy the evidence. I can get wet and you all can't. I could swim with Lewis and remove the cameras if there are any...or if we need to make a quick exit off Denman's boat."
"Have you swam without...?" Rikki stopped glancing at Lewis.
"Without what? What haven't you told me?" Lewis glanced at me and then Cleo.
"It wasn't their secret to tell Lewis." I waited for him to jump to his conclusions.
His eyes grew wide, "I knew it! You are a mutant!"
"Rude. I'm pretty sure they prefer superhuman or something and no...I'm a natural born mer."
"I thought you came from Brooklyn."
"I do. Not all my family returned to the sea."
Lewis glanced around the girls and then back at me, "I feel like there's more you're not telling me."
"I barely told Cleo and Emma a few weeks ago."
"Wait! Rikki knew!" Emma shouted.
Rikki glanced in my direction, "We bonded over our soulmarks."
"Oh."
Soulmarks were sacred and even Emma couldn't refute wanting to keep certain things like that between only a few.
The full moon rose and the girls were locked uptight at Cleo's. I was seen at Cleo's too for an alibi. I activated my moon ring with a conscious thought to be invisible. I waved a hand in front of my face and marveled at the new safety net I had. Then I climbed back down the stairs.
I walked down to the marina to see Lewis waiting at the docks.
"I'm here." I whispered in Lewis's ear.
"Ah!" A weird squawk-like sound came from him as he turned around, "Where?"
"A little gift from Ms Chatham, allows me to be invisible."
"I want one." Lewis whined.
"Go and cause the distraction we want everyone off the boat."
"Why?"
"We need to draw attention to Denman, how else but her boat going kaboom."
"You are frightening." He gave a shiver.
"Why thank you, now go."
I sprinted and lept in the water mentally telling my body not to transform and low behold it didn't. I held my breath for a while before reaching the surface and paddling closer to Denman's boat.
I pulled myself up onto the boat, keeping to the shadows even with invisibility nothing could be certain.
I flattened myself against the side of the boat as Denman and her guard went off the ship when raised voices started up. They seemed to have only just come to the deck and hadn't tied down yet. As soon as I saw the others off I went up to the helm. I turned the boat on, and revved her until she exited the harbor. Shouts from the dock could be heard from behind.
I wouldn't have much time before they got another boat out.
I made it to the open sea in record time.
Before stopping and searching the boat for the sample. Underneath a desk that was Denman's I saw a black box.
"There you are."
I checked the rest of the ship making sure there was no one else on board.
I lit the cigar I snagged from Cleo's dad's secret hiding spot (from a new box, not even opened yet that everyone in the house knew where it was). It was generic, nothing special, the labels pulled off and I jerry rigged the ship to blow, opening the fuel lodge and placing the lit cigar nearby. Something I'd seen in a treasure hunting movie once.
I jumped from the ship after throwing the black box overboard. The black box was heavy but I was able to swim with it, and when I got a little bit away from the blast zone I broke the latch with my bare hands. The strength rippled through me like it had before when I saved Zane. The sample was in a plastic container which I grabbed before swimming away, invisible still to the naked eye.
I brought the sample back to Cleo's after climbing up to her window before 'turning off' my invisibility.
The girls let out a squeal as I came into view.
"Sorry."
I gave the plastic container over.
"Is that it?"
Rikki promptly destroyed the sample.
The next day Denman was on the news. (I'd swam back to the wreckage early in the morning and gotten rid of any evidence.)
Lewis wasn't held under suspicion long due to no evidence shown of foul play, only a faulty line that had come undone.
It was still a mystery how the boat had drifted so far by itself. Denman told anyone that would listen that it was foul play.
No one would listen.
As they found out about her putting equipment all through the Mako reefs without prior permission.
The news showed divers going down and removing the equipment as safely as possible so as not to disturb the local wildlife.