Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

hips.
    “Sorry.” I lowered my head.
    Mom’s right eye twitched, as if she couldn’t decide whether to yell at me or just move on with things. I noticed she had changed into her most ornate, beaded bikini top and skirt—obviously for the meeting.
    I casually took a seat on the bar stool.
    “We’ve still got time.” I gestured toward the bay windows. The sun still peaked above the horizon.
    “Close enough. Your father has already left to meet with everyone. I guess you look okay. Just put on whatever you’re going to wear to the hatch.” She grabbed Great-Grandmother Sadie’s sacred shell-encrusted bikini top. “Tatiana!”
    Tatch came around the corner, taking a second to sneer at me. “What?”
    “I want you to wear this.”
    Tatch cringed. “What’s wrong with this bikini top?”
    “It’s a special meeting. I want you to look your best.”
    “But that’s for like… a promising or something.” Her face wrinkled up in horror.
    Could this be a trick and not a standard meeting? Promisings in our world were the equivalent of weddings but prearranged between parents. Our parents, who fell in love before getting promised, didn’t think the arranged unions were fair. They said, when the time came, we could make up our own minds. At least that’s what I thought they’d said.
    Tatiana blanched. “Oh, dear Poseidon. Please don’t tell me you have arranged someone for me to—? Is it Azor?”
    Mom chuckled. “Of course not. It’s just an important meeting and I want us to look our best. Please, for me?”
    Tatch groaned and grabbed the overly ornate thing from Mom’s clutches and marched toward the bathroom, mumbling threats. I let go of the breath I didn’t realize I’d held and darted into my room as well. Off came the jeans in a rumpled heap along with my shirt. I put on my tear-away board shorts and my waterproof sling pack over my shoulder—anything to stay on Mom’s good side.
    We reconvened in the living room at the same time and gave each other a fast once-over.
    “Happy?” Tatch twirled in a circle, but I avoided looking at her chest.
    “Beautiful.” Mom’s shoulders relaxed until she looked down at the lower half of her body. Tatch still wore her skinny jeans. “Are you planning to wear those?”
    “No.” Tatch rolled her eyes. “Sea serpents! Of course I’m going to change.”
    She stormed off and Mom resumed pulling cans of food from the pantry. Why would we need food when we were coming right back? Would we be staying the night?
    “What’s the meeting about, Mom?” Tatiana asked, walking back wearing her swim skirt.
    Mom kept a straight face as she took dry goods out of the cupboards: flour, sugar, coffee, noodles, and beans. “We’ll find out in a few minutes, but just in case, why don’t you pack a few of your things.”
    “Are you serious?” Tatiana gasped. “Can I at least make a phone call before we go?”
    Mom turned and tilted her head. “Who do you want to call?”
    Tatch’s eyes made their way to the linoleum. “Ash.”
    A jolt hit my stomach at the mention of her name.
    Mom used her low lecture voice. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be gone. What will you tell her this time? There’s a family emergency? We’ve had a death?” She shook her head and tsked. Close human friendships were discouraged due to the risk of exposure and Tatch hid how much time they’d spent together, as well as her secret plans for college. “We have to leave in five minutes.”
    Tatch huffed and stamped her foot. But I already knew we were running out of time. Under my skin, scales began to form and ached for the refreshing cool water to relieve the growing itch.
    But if we weren’t returning for a while, then someone else would be assigned to guard the gate. Last time, the privilege became my Uncle Alaster’s and his son Colin while we were in Fiji on vacation. Colin, who was our age, broke the lock on my closet and used all of my stuff. I couldn’t let that happen again.
    I ran to my room and put my belongings into the new secret hiding spot under the wooden floorboards: my laptop, iPod, all my shoes, and keys to the Jeep. I pushed my bed over so a leg secured the loose board in place. The rest of my clothes and underwear, I packed in a duffle bag and slid it into the attic. I shivered at the thought of him wearing my boxers again.
    “Hey, Tatch. Will you lock this in your room?” I called across the hall, showing her my guitar.
    “Yeah, whatever.”
    She was