Book Seven: Chapter 127

“Ano?” Staring down at the water, she was a little surprised when he didn’t appear right away. Then again, she had bailed on him and not made any further efforts to come out here since yesterday. It wasn’t like she expected him to sit here all day, waiting to see if she would come back.

Leaning back, she let out a heavy sigh and stared out into the water. There were a few distant clouds that vanished over the horizon, but the skies were otherwise clear. If Ano didn’t show up soon, maybe she would just jump in and go for a swim of her own.

Ano surfaced rather rapidly, his waist and upper body popping up like a cork. “Lady Beth!” he declared, his body tilting back and splashing into the water. He stuck his arms behind his head and floated in place. “I apologize. I was out at the reef visiting with friends when I heard that you were coming.”

“That’s quite a swim,” she said, wondering just how fast merfolk could swim. It had to be similar to what a dolphin could accomp