Between the Sea and Stars , livre ebook

Between the Sea and Stars
The Lena Series - Book One


Chantal Gadoury
Copyright © 2018 by Chantal Gadoury
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by The Parliament House
Edited by J.D. Castleberry
Lena & Soren Artwork by Aislinn Honeycutt
Line editing by David Rochelero
Created with Vellum
The book is dedicated to Reggie, who gave a mermaid a second chance to love and the happily-ever-after she dreamed of. 
And to all the dreamers of the world. This book is for you. 
Contents



Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29


Phonetics Glossary

About the Author

The Adventure Continues…

Acknowledgments

The Parliament House
1

“L ena!”
Javelin’s voice echoed through the currents of the Skagerrak Sea, startling Lena where she sat perched upon a mound of rocks, humming to herself.
She tilted her chin, careful not to disturb the large, colorful starfish grazing her fingertips. She narrowed her eyes on a blur in the distance—her older brother bursting through a school of speckled wrasses.
She’d expected him to return from the market hours ago. Even from afar, she could see his striking blue eyes and sandy-blonde hair. His arms were textured with powerful muscles, his skin flawless and pale. His gleaming silver tail launched him forward, muscles coiling like rope beneath his crescent-shaped scales.
“Lena! I had good luck scavenging!” he called. “I was the hit of the market!”
Lena combed a hand through her long, brown hair. The wayward strands reflected particles of gold and red in the sparkling water. She remembered the last time Javelin had announced a good day of trade. He’d found a newly sunken ship just beyond the coral walls, filled with strange rocks that glittered from the deep recesses of wooden barrels. That discovery had resulted in offers from nearly every vendor in the square.
“What did you find?” she called back, doing her best to conceal her curiosity even as her body straightened with excitement.
Javelin thrust his hand forward as he came to rest upon the rock beside her. With a grin, he uncurled his scaled fingers to reveal a shimmering pink shell on a chain made of delicate white kelp.
“It’s beautiful!” Lena exclaimed as he pressed it into her palm. She admired how perfectly it fit in her hand, and just how unique the color was compared to the troves of shells they’d collected over the years.
Javelin had a knack for scavenging and bartering. He’d made a name for himself in the market, selling the best trinkets to the highest bidders, while Lena spent her days hunting small crabs and unaware fish.
“I thought of you when I saw it,” he said, clearly amused by her balking. “Couldn’t bring myself to sell it.” He nudged her playfully with his shoulder, his blue eyes scanning the small bushel of crab in her lap. “Have you had much luck this morning?”
“Not nearly as much as I’d hoped,” Lena admitted, and bit her bottom lip. “What took you so long?”
Javelin picked up one of the crabs she’d collected and cracked the outer shell with a nearby rock. “Other than trying to make better trades than last time, I had a few admirers stop me.”
“Again?” Lena rolled her eyes. Merrow women were always fluttering their lashes at Javelin, flipping their hair and flicking their tails, hoping to catch his attention.
“They’ll move on eventually,” Javelin shrugged. “They always do.” With nimble fingers, he twisted the crab legs and tugged the meat free between his teeth.
Lena plucked one of the dangling legs from his palm. She twisted the shell between her fingers, releasing the tender flesh underneath. The crab meat was juicy, rich and full of salty flavor. Her stomach rumbled as it dissolved on her tongue. She swallowed and tore off another bite.
“It seems you’ve become an expert in the hunt,” Javelin grinned, licking his fingers and reaching after her catch. Lena swatted his hand away and began to push the small heap of crabs into a nearby sack.
“Save them for later, Javelin,” she sighed. “I want to show father. . .”
“There’s plenty,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I did well in the market, so it seems we’ll both have good news to bring him.”
Lena pushed herself up from the rock and hovered over a small hole she had seemingly missed; another crab’s home. With quick fingers, she reached inside and grabbed for the creature, careful to avoid its large claws. She slid her small hunting knife into the crab’s belly and pushed it into the sack with the others.
“You’re getting better and better Lena.”
“You think so?” she said as she dropped her knife into the sack.
Javelin nodded. His eyes scanned the ocean floor quickly, then darted back to hers. A devilish grin twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“Race you back!” he winked and began to swim away before she could react.
“Aren’t we getting a little old for racing?” Lena shouted, shoving the sack’s handles over her shoulder. After all, she’d celebrated her eighteenth birthday a fortnight ago. A giggle tickled her throat as she scurried after him, her choppy breaths sending bubbles floating up, up, up toward a bright, sprawling light overhead—the sun .
Lena turned her violet gaze toward the surface. Envy and wonder swirled in her veins at the idea of basking in that warm, iridescent glow. In the early days of her childhood, before the death of the queen, merrows had breached the crested waves and gazed upon the human world from afar. Now, surfacing was strictly forbidden. Poseidon’s wrath awaited any merrows brave or foolish enough to disobey the king’s decree. The idea sent a shudder down her back, even as longing bloomed in her chest.
With a start, she realized she’d begun to swim skyward. She leveled her gaze on Javelin and pushed harder against the current, catching up with him at last.
“Took you long enough, little minnow,” Javelin smirked.
Lena narrowed her eyes. “I’m not a minnow,” she replied, wrinkling her nose at the pet name.
Javelin tilted his head back to laugh, slowing his pace. Lena tried to steady her heaving breaths as she found a comfortable rhythm beside him.
“What do you think it’s like up there?” she asked as her eyes darted back through the water. The glittering rays of the sun captivated her, only fueling her curiosity.
“We’ve talked about this so many times, Lena,” Javelin replied. “How many more times do we need to go over the rules put in place?”
“At least once more,” she begged. “Truly, what do you think it’s like?”
“I’ve already told you what I think, over and over and over again.”
“Tell me again,” she said softly, a playful smile bowing her lips.
Javelin raised an eyebrow at her. “Perhaps later.” He mussed her hair, sending her bucking out of arm’s length.
Ahead, their home came into view, darkened by the shadow of a nearby shipwreck. The weathered stone was a far cry from the sleek huts and shell-paved pavilions of Lena’s youth. After her mother’s untimely death, her father, Carrick, had moved the family into a deserted cavern near the small village of Sogen Hav, leagues from the capital city of Skagerrak.
He hovered now just beyond the threshold, awaiting their return. Age had stripped the sight from his eyes and whitened his hair. His faded, vermilion tail—once brightly red—swayed beneath him, matching the gentle current.
“Father will be happy to see these,” Javelin murmured, tapping Lena’s sack.
“What will I be happy to see?” Carrick bellowed as they slowed the rhythm of their swim. His unseeing, gray eyes darted blankly between them. His gnarled hand reached forward, searching for the familiar shape of his vanished children.
“I had quite a lucky morning, father,” Lena chirped, massaging her catch of crabs so the shells clacked together.
Carrick chuckled. “That you did, min pige .” My girl. “It seems you have your mother’s talent.”
Lena smiled, a painful curiosity rising in her throat. She had so many questions about her mother’s death, but they always went unanswered. She glanced at Javelin, who shook his head.
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