A timeless tale of unrequited love is retold in this romance novel like never
before! Fall in love with the mysterious ocean and all its wonders!
Callie Moretti is your average college student in Royal Reef, Australia: when she is not working, she...
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CALLIE walked into the empty antique shop. The bell that was supposed to announce her entry was on the ground, neglected as the dust bunnies under the display tables. The whole store was not wholly unwelcoming if there was charm to be found in a forgotten lighthouse theme. Whether that theme was intentional or not was the question.
Too introverted to holler out for assistance, she mosied around checking out the nautical merchandise. A divided box sat on a table labeling different colored rocks. The pricing ranged from six to ten dollars. Each color promised a different attribute: luck, love, prosperity, balance, etc... What a hoax.
On the same table were incense sticks with creative, seaworthy names like Siren's Envy and Kraken Tears. She wondered if anything in this store was actually enchanted. The store did belong to a seawitch, after all. Was magic real? It's one thing to believe that an underground civilization possessing delusions of divinity and advanced technology existed. She could even rationalize that their ability to 'transform' was a result of genetic mutations. But actual magic? She wanted to ask more about Erza and probably should have before marching into her "lair" with a message from Triton.
A book caught her attention, 'How to Communicate with Mermaids'. Amused, she picked it up and skimmed through it. It seemed to be designed with children in mind. It listed different symbols that meant different words. The author instructed the reader to write the symbols in the sand above where the tide rose the highest. The next day, you return to the same spot and if the symbols are washed away, a mermaid received the message. She smiled at it, thinking this was something she definitely would've tried when she was a kid.
"$25.50," a girl said making Callie shut the book with a snap. Erza had her arms crossed looking like she had just rolled out of bed. Her purple hair was caught up in a messy ponytail-bun hybrid and her makeup was smeared adding to the dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes... Callie had to blink. It's no wonder everyone knew who Erza was despite her reputation of being a weird recluse. She had one bright blue eye and one brown. Callie wouldn't be surprised if her own brown ones turned green with envy. "Are you going to buy it?"
"I-I don't know... maybe--"
"I'll give ya a first time buyer discount. Five percent."
"I didn't--"
"You're pulling my leg. Six percent?"
"How much--"
"Seven! Take it or leave it. I'll throw in a tshirt in for fifteen percent off and a mood ring since ya seem like an indecisive soul."
"No, I'm not! Yes, I'll take it."
"There ya go. That will be thirty dollars."
"How did you figure that?" Callie asked perplexed by this abrasive selling strategy.
"You're getting a ring, a book, and a tshirt. A package deal worth close to fifty dollars for only thirty dollars. It's a bloody good deal. Take it. Make sure you wear that tshirt. Free promo for me." She bundled the girl's purchase in a white paper bag. "Pleasure doing business. Come again."
