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Excerpt
Tails You
Win
by
Andrea Jackson
Chapter One
Opening Ceremony
“If anybody laughs at me...”
Eileen’s words brought Stella to a
halt to stare at her friend’s face as they floated just outside of
Calladora City’s central gathering place. Tall girders spun in the
water, bubbling with a carnival atmosphere. Merfolk flicked
vivid-colored tails as they swam through all the landings and
enclosures of the girder. The annual Sea Festival was four days of
rousing celebration each year, bringing together the natives of
Calladora as well as many visitors from other undersea cities.
Stella grabbed Eileen’s hand. “But
you promised me you’d do this with me. We have as much right as
anyone else to participate in the annual games.”
Eileen waved her other arm, the
undersized one. “But why? You’re not interested in mating. And
everyone’s knows that Dell and I…”
“I don’t want to mate.” Stella felt
her cheeks redden. “But the prize—”
Eileen tilted her head with an
inquiring look. The young mermaid looked small and frail with her
delicate lavender scales and curly silver-pink hair. Although her
father was the city king, her handicap made it difficult for her to
swim and to communicate in the merfolk’s language, which combined
sounds and gestures.
Eileen’s friendship had supported and
warmed Stella since they were children. Despite that, she had held
one dream secret even from her friend. But now that it seemed so
close— “I want to win, Eileen. I want the purse so I can go to
Quantikko and study dolphin life.” She held her breath, waiting for
Eileen’s reaction.
Eileen’s mouth pursed in a surprised
smile. “Stella! Really? Work with them and train them? Oh, I’m so
glad!” She surged forward to hug her friend.
Stella grinned back. As one of
fifteen children of the local web-weaver, there was no way she could
afford tuition as well as living expenses for the two-year program.
She was expected to join the family business like most of her
siblings. However, the prize cowries would bring her secret savings
a lot closer to her goal.
Stella and Eileen moved into the
registration circle to fill out the forms. They received
bright-colored flurrie strips to tie on their bodies. Some
contestants put them on their wrists or biceps, others around their
throats and others around the narrow part of their tails. The loose
ends fluttered in the water as they swam. The object of the game was
to collect as many of these banners as possible. The moderators
would distribute new ones after each challenge.
“Hey, Stella, what are you doing
here?”
Swirling around, Stella saw Leo in
all his golden beauty surge toward her through the water. A look of
astonishment colored his welcoming grin.
Her neck muscles tightened, but she
didn’t show any reaction. After all, this wasn’t a place her friends
would expect her to be.
“Hey, Leo.” She shrugged. “Oh, you
know. We thought we’d give it a shot. Should be fun.” She flicked
her tail to create a swirl of bubbles in the water.
Leo turned to greet Eileen, and they
joked back and forth while Stella laughed. Leo’s golden hair and
skin reflected the dazzle of the bronze shading of the scales on his
strong muscled tail. Each movement of his lower body rippled with
power. Today, for the games, he wore a kelp-braided vest similar to
what other mermen wore. A thick belt hung low on his hips to hold
various necessities. He already had his flurrie tied around his
head, the ends mingling with his hair.
“Leo, darling, we’re wasting time,”
came a crooning female call. A beautiful young mermaid eased to his
side, slipping her arm possessively through his and fluttering her
eyelashes at him.
He pulled her close. “I’m ready,
Cassandra. I wanted to say hello to Eileen and Stella.”
She gave a dramatic start of
surprise. “Oh! I didn’t see you girls there. Eileen, dear, are you
sure you’re up to this challenge?”
Eileen’s tail swished in a subdued
flash of anger. “Don’t worry about me.”
“What was that you said?” Cassandra
gave a small laugh. “I have so much trouble understanding you. But
of course you’ve got your little friend with you to interpret.”
Stella’s fists curled at her side,
but she managed to remain silent.
Leo flipped backwards through the
water. “Come on, girls, let’s go. They should be calling the opening
of the games soon.”
With Eileen, she ambled after them.
Stella was surprised when Cassandra sidled over, brushing her side.
Her long floating hair shielded them from the other two just ahead.
“Listen to me, you sneak. I’m not
having you steal Leo from me again. I’ll be watching your every
move.”
A slow smile of triumph bubbled
inside Stella. She answered with taunting sweetness. “It’s for Leo
to make his own choice, isn’t it?”
Leo had introduced Stella to the joy
of lovemaking when she’d had her first opening last summer. Stella
remembered how furious Cassandra had been. She’d somehow gotten the
idea that Leo was Stella’s particular beau, even though merpeople
enjoyed sex without inhibition until they chose a life-partner. Then
it was forever.
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