Splash!

  The water released Tracey the second his transformation ceased, and he hit the ocean. He ended up twirling because he wasn’t used to his new wings yet.

  Closing his eyes, Tracey spun down to some sand and seaweed. When he landed, a cloud of sand spewed up around him. The transformation wore him out a bit, but he remained strong.

  At first, he didn’t believe he had new wings, but he did notice his hair had grown shorter and had changed color underwater: black to blonde with black highlights. Tracey reached up and grabbed the curved tuft of hair on top of his head, pulling it down so he could examine it. This was so weird! What had happened to his hair?

  It wasn’t long until Tracey heard a woman’s voice. “Tracey.”

  Tracey turned toward another section of shimmering water. He gasped and retreated a few feet. Staring into his golden brown eyes was a beautiful creature who looked like a cross between a mermaid and a sea lion. Most of her body was white, and she had a long, fish-like tail. The tip of it was cyan. Long, light pink hair trailed down the back of her head, and a tiara-like structure adorned her forehead.

  The mysterious creature’s beauty was enough to make Tracey nervous. She was as beautiful as a siren. What if she were one? Had Poseidon sent her? The closer she approached, the more nervous he became.

  After a bit, she said, “Hello, there.”

  Totally speechless, Tracey stuttered, “Um, hi.” He then puffed out his cheeks and reached for his mouth. Wait a minute, did he just talk underwater?

  Hearing his inner question, the mermaid sea lion answered, “Yes, you did. You’re a merfairy now.”

  Tracey, blown away, removed his hands from his mouth and glanced at her. “Who are you? Are you a siren? Did Poseidon send you? Were you the light we saw from the cruise ship?”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. “So many questions. I am the light you saw, Tracey, but pull your pants up. I’m not the voice you heard. That was someone else, someone you will meet one day. Poseidon didn’t send me.”

  “Why are you here, then, and how do you know my name?”

  “Everybody knows who you are. You’re Merlin’s apprentice. Do you even know what just happened to you?”

  Tracey shook his head and watched as the mysterious creature stopped beside his arm.

  “Look yourself up and down,” she cooed.

  Tracey gave her a funny look but complied. His eyes rolled down to his new attire, widening. “Wait a minute! This isn’t my apprentice or training outfit! What’s going on?”

  Right after he asked that, he noticed the mermaid sea lion smiling at him. With her head, she gestured at his back. “Look behind you.”

  Excitement bubbled inside Tracey. Slowly turning his head, he peeked over his shoulder, and his jaw dropped when he saw his new wings waving at him. Tracey’s entire face turned red, and he shouted, “Whoopdeedoo! My wings! My wings, ma’am! I’ve got my wings!”

  The mermaid sea lion nodded and brought her left front fin toward her nose. “Try them, Tracey.” Tittering, she watched as he nodded and opened his wings.

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  As soon as he flapped them, he yelled, “Whoa!” Just like when Makenna got her merfairy wings, Tracey’s caused him to fly all over the place in the ocean. Fish scattered and swam through the green and purple bubbles they gave off with each flap. “Oh, gee!” yelled Tracey. “Come on, Tracey. You’ve got this.”

  After a few minutes, Tracey finally managed to control himself a bit. When he did, the smile returned to his face. His fragile, new wings shoved him out of the ocean, and he spun forward a few more times.

  Further ahead, the Veendam sailed but steadily grew smaller.

  As soon as Tracey was out of the water, his hair glowed and returned to its normal color. He cheered and shot forward as fast as a bullet. The light he saw in the ocean followed him.

  Tracey was finally starting to get the hang of flying again. Holding his arms out like Peter Pan, he soared over the ocean toward the Veendam, where the three women and Gina still waited on the balcony.

  Diving into the ocean, Tracey leaped out of it and back in like a dolphin. He had forgotten how much fun it was to fly. Right now, The Mincing was the least of his worries. His mind was focused on protecting his new wings.

  Tracey flew above the surface for a little longer until the Veendam drew closer. He then dove back into the ocean.

  Tracey met up with the mermaid sea lion, who had been following him.

  “So, how does it feel?” she asked.

  Tracey immediately answered with an excited, “Amazing! I had forgotten how much fun it is to fly!”

  “Well, from this point on,” spoke the mermaid sea lion, “you will not only be able to fly in the sky, but also underwater. You have proven true bravery to the Atlantic Ocean and to me. Congratulations, courageous one.”

  She started to swim away, but Tracey held out his hand. “Wait!”

  The mermaid sea lion stopped and turned again.

  Tracey lowered his hand. “Who are you?”

  Again, the mermaid sea lion smiled, replying in her goddess-like voice, “I am Alexandria. I am the one you seek in the Bermuda Triangle, but you probably didn’t know until now. I am the Atlantic Oracle.”

  Tracey’s eyes widened. “The Atlantic—?” He quickly bowed. “Please excuse me for my rudeness before, ma’am. I’m a bit edgy when it comes to trusting water people now, ever since that time on the sailboat when those sirens attacked Gina and me.” Suddenly, he gasped. “Gina! I forgot her on the cruise ship!”

  “Then go to her, young man,” Alexandria sweetly spoke. “Right now, she needs you more than the ocean. I do need to speak to you about something, but that can wait until later.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” Approaching the oracle, Tracey picked up her fin and softly kissed it. Afterward, he flapped his new wings and hurried toward the surface again.

  Alexandria watched him. Nervousness replaced her smile. “I’m worried about that kid. Poseidon is going to send another storm filled with black magic soon. I hope he can handle it.”

  ***

  Tracey headed toward the Veendam again, the second he escaped the ocean. Behind him, a huge thundercloud filled with white, yellow, green, and blue lightning crept toward him.

  Tracey used stealth and speed when he reached the ship to prevent himself from being caught. He pulled his new mask up to his mouth and pressed his palms against its side. Tracey's fairy instincts told him the three women had left their balcony and taken Gina to the ship's stern. Therefore, Tracey sped to it and peeped over the railing. A horde of people walked and talked on the deck before him.

  Tracey slipped under the railing when a few people hurried to the deck and pointed at the black cloud.

  “Look at that cloud!” a human girl yelled. “That’s gnarly!”

  “Whoa! Gnarly, but beautiful!” a male passenger yelled. He snapped a picture of the cloud. “I’ve never seen that many colors of lightning before.”

  “Are we safe?” asked a female passenger.

  Murmuring rose from the crowd.

  Tracey still hadn’t seen the cloud, so intent was he on finding the women and getting Gina back. Through ninja speed, he escaped his hiding place and appeared on top of the Veendam’s funnel. Up there, he finally saw the cloud. “Oh, my gosh! Look at that thing!”

  The Veendam hit a large wave. As soon as it did, it jerked.

  The jerk was so forceful that passengers were knocked off their feet, and Tracey fell from his perch. “Yikes!” he shouted, grabbing the funnel’s edge.

  Passengers screamed below and scattered.

  Tracey focused on the approaching cloud again. Hair blew in his face, and he frightfully whimpered, “I’ve doomed these passengers.”