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and took another swig of water instead.
    “No, seriously… we don’t know what’s in this sludge. It’ll strengthen your blood.”
    She nudged me again, holding out the liquid.
    “I’m good,” I finally said.
    She grimaced before corking the vial, not drinking any either, and put the necklace back on. Seeing the vial on her neck daily reminded me of what I was and what Ash was not. And for some reason something inside compelled me to take it from her as if I didn’t trust her judgment.
    Mom placed her hand on mine. “I know what you’re thinking.”
    I looked up, caught in her curious gaze. “What?”
    “You’re afraid there won’t be any when it’s Ash’s turn.”
    “Well,” I looked away. True
    “I promise you, when Ash is ready, I’ll give her this one. You don’t need to worry.”
    I hated the way Mom kept ownership of the essence, as if she didn’t trust me. I’d never trick Ash into drinking the essence—ever. That would make me no better than Azor.
    “It’s fine.”
    “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m trying to keep you both from pressuring one another. It’s a big decision.” Mom’s eyes bored into me as grief stretched across her face—a worry I couldn’t understand.
    “Is there something wrong?” I finally asked, but already knew the answer. She worried about Tatchi.
    “No.” She looked away.
    I skipped a rock across the water. I missed her, too. “Are we going to Natatoria as soon as we get to Florida?”
    “I’m not sure. There’s a lot to plan first.”
    Though I wanted to know more details, I was too tired to ask. Obviously the mission wasn’t as easy as we’d all hoped. We couldn’t just bring Tatiana home with us. We had to break the bond she had with Azor, and that meant one of two things—his death, or either of their conversions. Too much to think about and something heavier weighed on my mind.
    “What was it like when you changed from human to mer?”
    Mom let out a long, pained sigh. “Excruciating, like breaking all the bones in your legs at once, but it doesn’t last long—”
    Painful?
    “—all good things come with a little pain, like childbirth.”
    “I guess,” I said with a grimace.
    Silence filled the space as we watched the other end of the bog for signs of Dad. He’d better come back soon, otherwise I’d have to figure out where he went.
    “Was it an easy choice to convert?”
    Mom chuckled. “Up until I finally decided, no. I struggled with what to do everyday.”
    “Why?”
    Mom turned toward me. “I didn’t want to abandon my parents.”
    I wanted to ask why Dad didn’t change for her, but obviously there was something else going on. Maybe he was afraid he wouldn’t survive.
    “So what finally changed your mind?”
    Mom flipped her tail in the water a few times. “Your father’s continued acts of unselfish love. Before the promise, he’d sacrificed so much to rescue me from a life of servitude to Phaleon, and then after, he had undying patience with me. How could I not do the same for him?”
    “You’ve never told me this.”
    “You never asked.” Mom smiled and looked wistfully off into the distance. “When it came time for Prince Phaleon to choose a mate, he wasn’t happy with his selection in Natatoria. So he came to Florida to stay with Jack’s parents to find a human girl instead. And since Jack knew the ways of humans and could guard Phaleon on land while he chose someone, the King agreed. So, Leon and I met soon after he arrived, and unbeknown to me, he wanted me to be his mate.
    “I have to admit, at first I was flattered with his attention. He swept me off my feet with his accent and charm. I didn’t know for sure what he was exactly, until I caught Jack calling him prince once, so I became giddy with the possibilities—a royal life as a princess. I hadn’t a clue where though.
    “But, after a while, I tired of Phaleon’s ego. I found myself drawn to your father. Though he was very proper in the