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Nereida sighed and plopped down into one of the airport chairs, curling in on herself so her forehead almost brushed her knees. She gripped her hair in anger and weariness. “They lost our luggage,” she muttered into her jeans. “They lost our luggage.”

“It’s not the end of the world, Ida,” Rico said, sitting down next to her. “We’ll get it back in a few days. We just need to tough it out.”

“Rico, we’re used to the humidity and sunny weather, not fog and gloomy days.”

“Flash floods?” He offered, “hurricanes?” She rolled her eyes and he poked her in the shoulder. “We’ll find a second-hand shop, or something like that, to grab jackets and pjs.” He stood up, shouldering his backpack, “you’re traveling with a world-renowned minimalist packer. I can last a week with one pair of shorts.”

“And one pair of underwear,” Nereida added, dodging his next attack. She cackled and raced ahead of him, feeling hope seep into her bones.

Maybe this trip would be fun after all.
*****
Nereida inspected the jacket in her hands, grinning to herself as she catalogued the details. The outside of the jacket had a light grey waterproof seal to protect the wearer and the fabric from the elements. The inside consisted of thin faux fur around the torso, the neck, and the wrists to keep the wearer warm in the cold Scotland climate. Nereida slid the jacket on and relished in the warmth that it brought. She pressed her nose against the collar and smelled the sea, reminding her of a night near the bay, watching the waves roll back and forth, her eyes darting in search of familiar movement beneath the dark water.

“Are you done making out with the jacket?” Rick cackled a few feet away, sauntering up slowly.

“Shut up,” she peeled it off in one motion, her face burning.

“What’s the price?” Nereida located the tag and flashed it at Rico, he gave a low whistle, “nice deal! Now I want one.”

“Mine,” she hissed, fingers digging into the fabric as she yanked away the article of clothing.

“Easy there, Fish Bait.”

“I thought Leilani was Fish Bait,” she slid the jacket back on once more, grinning in victory.

“Nah, he’s Nemo.”

“You do know that he’s not going to understand any of the nicknames that we throw at him, right?”

“But we’ll enjoy them,” Rico grabbed his backpack. He glanced over at Nereida and spoke, his native Spanish accent butchering his attempt at a Scottish pronunciation, “are you ready to see Scotland’s countryside?”

“Only if you stop that horrendous accent.”
*****
Nereida stepped out onto the back porch, pulling her new jacket flush against her body. She closed her eyes and listened to the sea roar against the craggy rocks, singing a song to the stars. The last notes from the wind whistled around the rocks, brushing Nereida’s braid away from her sweaty back. The fog blanketed the hilly side, hiding rough rocks and brush weeds from curious eyes. The young adult opened her eyes and stepped away from the cottage, trading shelter and safety for adventure and excitement.

The roar of the sea grew louder as Nereida made her way down towards the shore. Instead of fine sand, pebbles littered the ground, smooth, worn away by the great sea. They clustered around great rocks that jutted out from the ground, holding back the water from slamming into the flat pains. Nereida hoisted herself up on one of the rocks and trapezed her way across the rocks that sat halfway in the salty water. Once finding the perfect spot, she sat down and listened to the sound of the ocean around her. Saltwater slapped against the rocks, spraying Nereida with ice-cold mist. She continued to dip her water shoes into the dark water, ignoring the cold touch against her skin. Water splashed rhythmically against the rocks, clicking and creaking in the dark night. The thin blanket of clouds obscured the full moon, plunging the countryside in a dusky late night, instead of the bright evenings Nereida received in Florida.

Suddenly, uncoordinated splashing sounded from Nereida’s right and she glanced over in the dark water, seeing the inky ocean quiver in the night. A pair of dark hands broke through the surface and latched onto the rock, pulling the owner out from the saltwater. Leilani hoisted himself up onto the rock silently, rivulets of water streaming down his tattooed back and multicolored tail. His tattoos pulsed in the night, giving off a red hue on his face and the rock below.

“Welcome to dry land, Nemo,” Nereida said once he situated himself on top of the rock properly.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, the shadows on his face obscuring most of his expression from Nereida. “Are you going to have a different nickname for me everytime we meet?”

She shrugged, “Rico’s idea, not mine.” She curled her arms around her waist, pressing the soft fabric of the jacket closer to her body.

“Aren’t you cold out here? It’s autumn.”

She grinned, holding out an arm towards Leilani while rubbing the fabric with the other hand. “New jacket; do you like it?”

His eyes widened, “where did you get that?” He asked, surprise and--was that fear in his tone?

“A thrift shop near the airport. The airline lost our luggage so Rico and I stocked up on the clothing we lost. Do you like it?”

“Nereida,” Leilani’s voice hardened, “that’s seal skin.”

Her blood turned cold, chilling her from the inside out. “What? I-I’m wearing seal skin? It looks like a normal jacket.”

Leilani rubbed his temples, trying to keep a headache at bay, “sorry,” he mumbled, “wrong term. I meant selkie skin,” he turned back to her, and seeing her confused face said, “you know, the Irish version of mermaids?”

“But I thought selkie skins looked like. . .y’know, an actual animal skin.”

Leilani motioned with his hand and Nereida peeled off the jacket, handing it to him. The moment the jacket touched Leilani’s skin, it shimmered and changed into a grey cape made of seal fur. He brushed a hand against the fur, his tattoos glowing in the night. “This selkie has been missing this skin for years,” he murmured, forlorned, “stranded on land; cut off from the sea.” He tore his eyes away from the pelt and gazed at Nereida. “We need to return this to the selkie as soon as possible. What are you doing tomorrow?”

Nereida shrugged, “exploring monuments and stuff like that.”

“I’ll join you.”

Nereida raised her eyebrows in surprise, “really?”

“Why not? I’ll just be another tourist tagging along.” Leilani passed the selkie skin back to Nereida and it shimmered, taking the jacket form once more.

“Are you sure?” Nereida asked, Leilani gave her an incredulous look, “I mean, why go through the pain of transforming for this? I can probably find the selkie on my own.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” He shifted his position on the rock, getting ready to leave. “Get some rest, Nereida, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He reached out, patted Nereida’s hand, and slipped back into the water, disappearing under the dark waves. She watched him vanish, waiting to see a flash of light that never appeared.
*****
“We searched all day,” Rico moaned, collapsing onto a bench. “And we didn’t find the selkie. Not even the mermaid could find them!” He motioned to Leilani, who leaned against the pier railing to watch the sea.

Nereida ignored her friend’s complaining and stood next to Leilani, “how are you holding up?” She asked quietly.

“I’ll be okay once I get back into the water,” he murmured back.

“At least you’re not dripping blood everywhere this time. You scared me and Rico half to death last time you showed up at my doorstep.” He cracked a small smile and bumped Nereida’s shoulder playfully. The two stood side by side, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Nereida’s stomach growled, breaking through the music of the water. “What time is it? I’m starving.” She glanced down at her watch and groaned, “it’s not even breakfast time back home, why?”

“There has to be something open around here,” Rico announced, standing up. “Come on, we’ll find something lying around.”

“Do you have any preferences?” Nereida asked Leilani as they fell in line behind Rico.

“I’d like to try fish and chips,” he admitted, earning a smile from Nereida.

“Oh heck yeah, we’re buying you fish and chips.”

The trio found a small hole in the wall off the pier and decided to treat the mermaid to the best fish and chips in the world. As Rico and Leilani argued back and forth about the currency and the exchange rate between US dollars and Sterling pounds, Nerida strode up to the front counter, her own stash of money in her pockets. She leaned on the ordering counter and gently knocked her knuckles against the wood paneling.

“Comin’!” A voice called from the back as one of the workers stepped through the swinging doors. The tall, broad-shouldered female glided over the tiled floor and greeted Nereida with a bright smile. “What can I do for you?” She asked with a thick scottish accent. Nereida read her name tag, Moira.

“Three orders of your finest fish and chips for me and my boys.” Nereida pointed a thumb over her shoulder at Rico and Leilani, who were still arguing.

“Sure thing, pup,” the woman rang Nereida’s order up and barked it to one of the cooks in the kitchen. She turned back to Nereida and propped herself up on one of her elbows. “Y’know, you get a better price paying with pounds,” she motioned her head towards the two boys.

“I’ll let them figure that out on their own,” Nereida informed, handing her the money.

Moira laughed at Nereida, “what brings you to Scotland? I can tell by your accent that you sound foreign. But the curly haired cutie back there can blend in better than you two.”

Nereida glanced back at Leilani, seeing how at ease he looked compared to Rico, who twitched with the uneasiness of a tourist out of his element. “My parents own a BnB on the Florida coast, and they wanted to see other styles in different countries.”

“The Scottish coast is one of the best, ‘cept maybe the Irish lochs. Unless you don’t want to encounter the faeries, then steer clear of that island.” Moira informed, casting Nereida a sly grin.

She smiled back, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Leilani and Rico finally finished their bickering just as Nereida grabbed their food from Moira. The two shared one more smile toward each other before separating. The trio continued down the dock, snacking on their lunch.

“I’m in love,” Leilani muttered as he devoured another fish. “Where have these been all of my life?”

“Because you can’t fry anything in the water,” Rico muttered, “humans: one; mermaids: zero.” Nereida snorted and covered her mouth with her hand, giggling at Rico’s outraged face. “What?” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Mermaids have magic, so that gives us at least one point, right?” Nereida nodded and Leilani gave Rico a feral grin. “Now we’re even, human.”
*****
The trio ended their day in town by watching the sunset in the bay. Rico unfurled the small travel blanket and they all sat on one of the various rocks dotting the seashore. Waves slapped against the stones, rocking back and forth in the fading sunlight. The sky began to turn orange and gold as the sun continued to say goodnight.

“Do you think anyone knows about this spot?” Nereida asked quietly. “It’s a perfect view, yet no one is here.”

“It’s right next to the pier,” Rico gestured to the pier behind them. The dock went on for another hundred feet or so, ending in the deeper end of the sea. “Though, I don’t see anyone.”

“I do,” Leilani said, standing up. “There, at the end.” He pointed, letting the black tattoos on his arm glow in the dusky evening.

“That’s Moira,” Nereida muttered, “the girl from the fish and chips place.”

The group watched in silence as Moira walked slowly down the pier. Without hesitating a single step, she reached the end of the pier and stood on one of the various benches, easily climbing her way on top of the railing. Nereida’s eyes widened as Moira jumped from the dock and began free falling towards the choppy water.

“Leilani!” She exclaimed, he took off without needing anymore information. He vaulted over the line of rocks and disappeared into the surf, leaving Rico and Nereida to pick their way across back towards the pier.

“Why did she do that?” Rico asked aloud, cursing loudly in Spanish when he scraped his hand on a rock.

“I don’t know, Rico!” Nereida snarled, “but we have to help her!”

By the time the two reached a clearing in the rocky beach, Leilani was already dragging a soaking wet Moira from the surf. He had one arm across her body in a modified lifeguard’s hold, while the other arm pulled them up the beach, his long mermaid tail dragging them down. “I’ve got her,” Nereida informed, grabbing Moira under her armpits and pulling her up the shore. Rico rushed over to Leilani to help him from the surf.

“Stop!” She cried, “let me go!” She thrashed in Nereida’s arms.

“No!” Nereida snapped, “I am not letting you back in there, you’ll freeze half to death.” She released her hold on Moira so she could shrug off her jacket. “What are you doing out here, jumping into the water?”

Tears fell down Moira’s cheeks as she stared out at the water, completely oblivious to Leilani and his transformation. “I wanted to go home,” she whined.

“Home?” Nereida asked.

“The sea,” Moira said, “it has been so long since I have been home.”

Nereida’s eyes widened and she glanced over at Leilani, who nodded feverishly. Nereida cleared her throat and Moira looked over at her, confused. She held out her grey jacket towards the young adult and Moira’s eyes widened at the garment. “No, it can’t be,” she whispered.

“Here,” Nereida draped the jacket over Moira’s shoulders. Instantly, the jacket shimmered and returned to its original form as the seal skin. “I believe that this belongs to you.”

Fresh tears fell down Moira’s face as she grasped the edges of the cloak with her slender fingers. She broke her gaze away from the cape and stared Nereida straight in the eyes. “You returned my skin to me, without bargaining for anything in return.”

“Just don’t jump off of anymore piers, okay?” Nereida request, letting out a weak chuckle.

To Nereida’s surprise, Moira reached out, cupped Nereida’s plump cheeks with her lithe hands, and kissed the human on the lips. In the small moment of contact, Moira felt the neverending call of the sea and the taste of adventure and a true home. Moira pulled back and murmured “thank you” before slipping into the water, silent in the white noise of the thrumming waves. Rico, Leilani, and Nereida sat in the sand for a few moments, shell-shocked and still processing what happened.

Rico broke the tension with his usual humor. He glanced over at Leilani and elbowed him in the ribs. “How come you didn’t kiss me or Nereida like that after rescuing you? I think we deserve something in return for that endeavor.”

Leilani chuckled, his voice deep as the sea. “I think we all deserve a good night’s rest after today, don’t you think?” He glanced over at Nereida and grinned. “So, selkie savior, what are we going to do next?”

“I need a nap,” she muttered, collapsing into the sand.

Leilani and Rico laughed, before joining her. The two curled around Nereida, shielding her from the salty sea air. The trio watched the sky above them change colors as the sun finally dipped completely over the horizon. In the distance, they could hear the sound of a seal barking, almost like a laugh.