Page 66 of Under Gorse and Stone

“Who told you of the fisherman?” Sigurd asks.

“The gulls. They spoke of him, but you know them. They are such loud and silly creatures. They only told of him possessing it, but could not say his name or what village he hailed from.”

“But you believe them?” I ask, forgetting my resolve to be quiet.

She nods. “Her family can feel it is no longer in her possession.” She sighs. “You know Melusine, Sigurd. She’s asilly, foolish girl, but the comb is the source of her power. If she has lost it, she will be powerless and cannot go back. If it can be found, she can return to the sea.” She sets her hand on his arm. “Please, old friend, could you help me?”

“Of course,” he says at once.

When she releases him, she turns to me. “I am sorry indeed to take his attention from you at such a time.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” I assure her, but inside I’m reeling. Does this mean I’ll have to go home? I feel a sense of deep sadness at the very thought. I don’t want to go home.

Sigurd looks at me, his face solemn. “So, do you fancy searching for a foolish mermaid and her comb?”

“You want me to go with you?”

His brow furrows. “But of course. Where you go, so do I.”

The simplicity in his words sounds somewhat formal. I smile. I can’t help it. “I wouldloveto help,” I say, unable to hide my enthusiasm. “Shall we go now?”

His wide smile rewards me with happiness, and he bends to take my mouth in a sweet kiss. “Then we shall go together, yes?”

I nod, and Morveren sighs. “It is a pleasure to see you in such good humour, Sigurd,” she says. She turns to me. “I think I will see you again, Cary. In fact, I am sure of it.”

“I’m only here for a few days.”

“Like many of my kind, I have the gift of prophecy. Iwillsee you again.”

I have a wild, fervent longing that her words will come true, and she nods, giving me a sudden wink as if she can hear my thoughts. Maybe she can.

We leave in a whirlwind of thanks and set off down the narrow street. When we come out between the tall cottages, I take one last look back and blink.

The street and shops have vanished.

Chapter Nine

I take a bite of my sausage and mushroom roll and sigh. “God, that’s lovely.”

Sigurd beams. “It is the best, yes?”

We’re sitting in a small café overlooking the harbour, eating breakfast. There’s no sign of Agnes and her sisters now—only a few tourists in raincoats peering into shop windows. The wind gusts outside, throwing rain against the panes of glass and making everything cosy inside.

“So, we have to find Melusine?” I say.

He sets his sandwich down and takes a sip of his coffee. “Yes. Sooner rather than later.”

“That sounds very ominous.”

“Humans have grown to look on mermaids as something from a children’s film. In reality, they are much darker. They are wild, fickle, and very dangerous.”

“Dangerous in what way?”

“They have power over the tides, the sea, and the winds. They can harness all this for their own ends. Nowadays, they avoid humans, finding them small and uninteresting.”

“Really?”

He nods. “Many magical creatures feel the same. They hide themselves and conduct their lives totally separately.”