"Where did you go?" he asked sitting on the beach and sharing a bottle of rum with me. 

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said. 

"Okay," he said and looked out at the ocean, "I saw the strangest thing last night, I know I hadn't been drinking." 

"Oh?" I interrupted him. 

"I thought I saw a mermaid," he said keeping his voice hushed. 

"Now that's just ridiculous," I laughed and nervously took a sip of rum. 

"You think? The ocean is vast, what if they are real?" he insisted. 

"No, they're just tales from sailors," I replied as I fidgeted on the sand. 

"True," he said taking the bottle off me and took a swig, "but I know what I saw last night." I just laughed and laid back on the warm sand. 

"Where is he?!" We heard a deep voice bello. 

"Come with me," I said offering him my hand, he took it and we headed to the wrecks. "I can hide you here."  We sat behind some rocks, my hands touched the cool salty water, the scales on my arms and neck began to glow. 

"Tom?" he asked. I ignored his question I continued keeping watch. 

"Shush," I said. 

"You're glowing!" he exclaimed. He sighed and sighed, "you're the mermaid?" Flint and Vane appeared into our view, we ducked behind the rocks quickly and remained silent. Silvers gaze still hadn't broken from mine, he gently caressed the pendant around my neck examining the seawater inside the crystal sphere shell. With the other hand, he pulled the collar of my coat down exposing my scales. He gasped. "You have disguised yourself well."  Flint and Vane soon left and retreated I let out a sigh. 

"Yes, it was me you saw," I replied removing my hat and let golden tendrils fall down my shoulders and back. 

"How hasn't this come to Flints attention?" he asked. 

"I've been clever," I said. 

"I have so many questions," he said smiling and looking me over. I walked out of the water and the glowing died, I pushed my hair into my hat and we walked deeper into the belly of the wrecks. 

"Let's save those questions for when we're somewhere safer," I said and continued to the walk shrouding myself in the shadows. Silver kept close to me, we climbed onto the slippery rocks. Silver lost his balance and fell into the water I threw off my hat and jacket and leapt into the water after him transforming immediately. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back up to the surface, the glow of my scales lighting his skin. He looked below the water and at my tail. He was speechless but offered me a nod of thanks. "Not every man can say they were saved by a mermaid," I smiled. 

"Quite," he said, we swam to the beach which was several meters away. I stayed in the shallows, Silver mesmerized by my form placed his hand into the cold water and rested his fingers tenderly on my scaled tail. "It's soft." He was surprised.

"What did you expect?" I asked smiling, looking up at him as I leant on my elbows. 

"I expected your scales to be like a snake," he said. 

"That's a misconception. Promise me you'll keep this a secret I can't having him knowing the truth," I said. 

"I promise," Silver said and shook my webbed hand.