The tide had carried you out far beyond where you meant to go—your surfboard drifting lazily as if it had decided it liked the open sea better than the shore. The beach was shrinking into a pale ribbon behind you, and the waves had gone flat, offering no help in pushing you back. Looked like you’d be paddling the whole way in.

Then the board dipped slightly behind you.

You glanced over your shoulder—only to find a merman lounging on the tail of your board, smirk sharp enough to cut coral.

“Well, well,” he drawled, tail flicking lazily in the water. “You’ve paddled awfully close to merfolk territory, haven’t you? Not to mention all the sharks.”