Tracey's roommate, Aiden Macon, is finally moving in, but he does not know how he feels about him. He reminds Tracey of Peter Nelson, which prompts the Octopus Man to try once again to talk him into returning to the sea.
To protect him, the Chief Wave sends a "friend" to assist Tracey when the Octopus Man strikes. Not only that, the College of Charleston knows he is a prince, and now students are following him everywhere. He wonders how long it will be before they find out his fish secret, too.
While doing research, Candice and Luna learn a secret about Tracey that will affect the rest of his human journey from this point on. There is a fatal connection at stake, and Tracey and his friends are the only ones who have the power to change the Human and Magic Worlds forever.
Weekends in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, were usually lively, with tourists checking out the Market, Aquarium, Carriage Tours, King Street, Marion Square, The Battery, and other historical sites. Weekend mornings, though, at the College of Charleston were relatively quiet. Students would be pooped from their long weeks and sleep in.
It was the first weekend since Tracey Freeburg, Luna Cora, and Candice Hope started college. Boy, did they have quite a week. Besides learning that Tracey was a merman, a claxton to be exact, Luna and Candice had been watching over him for the past few days since his first encounter with Poseidon (the Octopus Man) in the Charleston Harbor.
Poseidon lured Tracey to Fort Sumter and attacked him with his pet, the Kraken. He stripped Tracey of his life energy before a mysterious whale jumped in to save him. Since Tracey was a magical being and couldn't go to a human hospital, he had just been resting in the dorm, waiting for his magic level to return to base level. At least he had Luna and Candice. They took turns keeping an eye on him.
Today was Luna's day. She let Candice sleep in and fixed a morning cup of tea for Tracey, who had set up a bed on the suite's couch. His friends couldn't watch him if he locked himself in his room. For now, no one else lived in the dorm with them, so it was okay.
Luna had her auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she was dressed in a pair of silky purple PJs.
With a smile on her face, she headed to the couch, where Tracey sat with a blanket over his lap.
A handsome, young man, he had long black hair that reached behind his back and golden-brown eyes. His lounge clothes were just a simple green shirt and a pair of pants.
"Here you go, Tracey." Luna offered him the cup of tea.
Thanking her, Tracey accepted it. He actually blew on the tea that morning. He had had quite a few instances in the past few days where he burned his lips.
Luna sat down beside him, asking, "Are you feeling better? You look a lot better."
"I am. Thank you." Tracey closed his eyes and sipped his tea. He was careful not to spill it on himself. If he got wet, he popped a merman tail.
The door to Room C in the suite opened, and out came Candice. Her curly brown hair was snarled, and she wore a pink nightgown with some star patterns.
Yawning, she said, "Good morning," to her friends.
"Morning, Candice," said Luna. "The coffee pot is all heated up. Knock yourself out."
"Knock yourself out?" Tracey frightfully asked.
"Oh, honey, it's just an expression." Luna laughed behind her hand. "You definitely do not have a lot of knowledge about the Human World, do you?"
Tracey shrugged. "Well, that happens when you train under Sensei Merlin in the Magic World for nineteen years."
"It's so funny how you call him 'sensei,'" Candice admitted. She had just pulled out a coffee cup and was preparing to put it under the coffee machine. She blushed when Tracey gave her a friendly smile.
"That's just his inner ninja talking," said Luna.
"Did Merlin teach you magic?" Candice asked in an excited voice.
"Of course, he did. After all, I started as a fairy."
"Wait, a fairy?" Candice almost dropped her coffee cup. "How?"
"Well, here's the thing, girls." Chuckling nervously, Tracey scratched the back of his head. "My mother was a fairy. My dad, the king, fell in love with her, even though it's forbidden for claxtons and fairies to love each other. He calls me the 'rare exception.'"
"Hold on! The king? Your dad is the king?" Luna jumped off the couch, shocked. "Then that would make you—that would make you—!"
"Oh, my God! There's a prince at the College of Charleston!" Candice yelled. Instantly, she tried to make herself look nice. She set her coffee cup down and ran her fingers through her hair. She picked up her nightgown and gave Tracey a curtsy.
Luna bowed, since she was wearing pants. "We are indebted to you, our prince."
"Oh, girls. You don't have to bow to me," Tracey said with a nervous smile. He pulled his blanket off his legs and rose to his shaky feet. "I didn't grow up in the royal court, but by isolation on Merlin's Island. I may be a prince, but I sure don't feel like one."
"Still! This is even better than learning you're a merman!" Candice rushed to him and grabbed his arm. "We should totally be together! You and me! A prince and an aspiring princess!"
"Whoa! Let's stop right there! Shall we, Tiger?" asked Tracey. He picked Candice off his arm, setting her down beside Luna. He then changed his voice from embarrassed to serious. "Poseidon told me that my father is somewhere at the College of Charleston. I find him, and he will leave the city alone."
"Poseidon?" Luna questioned. "You mean the Greek god?"
"The gods are different than what you guys learn in school. In the Magic World, gods are known as 'Guardians.' For example, Neptune is the Guardian of the Pacific Ocean, and Ethelinda is the Guardian of Coutarine Island, an island close to Merlin's Island. Poseidon is supposed to be the God, I mean, the Guardian of the Atlantic Ocean, but something apparently happened between him and his brother that turned him evil. When he attacked my realm, my father, King Tamesis, confronted him one-on-one, only to become his prisoner. And that is what he is now. A prisoner of his own kingdom."
"Wait a minute," said Luna. "What's your father's name again?"
"Tamesis. Why?"
"I just feel like I've heard that before."
Tracey gave Luna a funny look. What was she talking about? How could she have heard of his father? She wasn't even a magical being.
She curiously scratched her chin. "Thank you, Tracey. You've given me a better idea of what exactly I need to research." Glancing at Candice, she added, "Candice, I know it's supposed to be my day to look after him, but I need to do something."
"Not to worry, honey! This girl's got your back!" Candice squealed.
"Thanks." With that word and a quick peace sign, Luna disappeared back into hers and Candice's room.
"So, what do you do for fun?" Candice asked Tracey. "I'm sure we have tons in common. I mean, counting out the fish tail part."
"Really?" Tracey said with a sarcastic chuckle. "It's kind of a long list. Why don't we go through it and pick out everything we have in common?"
"Okay!" Candice sighed dreamily, but lost her smile when Tracey started his list.
"I play the Claxton Violin, I practice ninjustu every day, I like to Manta Surf. Sailing is one of my all-time favorite hobbies. I go Shipwreck Treasure Hunting and deep-sea diving to the bottom of the Atlantic. Must I continue?"
Candice's eye twitched. "Uh, on second thought, I think the word 'common' is a little exaggerated. You're a sly prince, Tracey. I'm going to start calling you Zorro II—Ninja Style."
***
Inside Room C, Luna sat at the desk under her bed where her laptop was. She knew she had heard the name "Tamesis" before, but where? Then it hit her.
Even though she was safe in her room, Luna went ahead and did a quick sweep of it. Once she ensured the coast was clear, she reached into her desk and pulled out a small wooden box. She set it down on her desk and took a deep breath. Then, she opened the box. Inside was an old leather book with an image of a trident. Luna found the book while she was strolling on the beach during her senior year of high school. It was buried in the sand and looked like it had been washed up.
The book contained all sorts of unique information. It looked like it came out of Narnia. It had spells in it, as well as legends and mythology from a world that seemed different from her own. Now, Luna was sure it came from the Magic World, especially now knowing that the Tamesis she read about was true.
Luna held her book to her face and flipped through its pages. She stopped on a particular page and did a quick skim. Right when she did, her eyes widened. She knew it! She knew Tracey was no ordinary claxton prince! The proof she needed was in the book. One thing was for sure: it was especially important that she and Candice protected him from the Octopus Man. The only way to do that was to find King Tamesis.
***
Tracey and Candice leaped out of their skin when a knock came from the suite's door.
A female voice spoke from the other side. "Excuse me? This is RA Julia. I need to talk to Tracey Freeburg for a sec."
Talk to Tracey? Uh oh, did the RA know? Tracey and Candice had been talking a little loudly.
Candice sheepishly smiled at her crush, saying, "Just act casual." She wasn't able to open the door because Luna poked her head out of her and Candice's room.
"Girl, I have to tell you something. Alone."
Tracey gave Luna a funny look.
Candice, who couldn't turn down a request from her best friend, nodded. "Sure." She glanced at Tracey. "You'll be okay, Trace. Just ask her why she wants to see you."
"But, Candice!" However, Candice had already disappeared into hers and Luna's room. Tracey had to talk to the RA alone.
He took a deep breath before answering the door. Standing in the doorway was a blonde-haired girl who had blue eyes. Her hair was long and straight, and she wore a College of Charleston t-shirt.
"Oh." Julia momentarily forgot what her job was when she saw how handsome Tracey was. She started to fidget with her fingers.
"Hey. Why do you want to see me?" he asked her in a calm voice.
"Um, I just wanted to let you know that your roommate is moving in today."
"He is?" Dang it! Tracey forgot all about his roommate! He missed the first week of class because he went to England for summer vacation and didn't get back until Friday morning.
"He's a little questionable, though," Julia explained. "If you have any problems, feel free to talk to me. After all, I'm an RA for the 3rd and 4th stories of this dormitory."
"Questionable? How so?"
"He's not leaving this suite," the voice of Luna piped up from behind. She and Candice had just exited their room to assist Tracey, although Candice looked a little green around the gills. She didn't look like that a second ago. What did Luna tell her?
Luna grabbed Tracey's arm and pulled him close. "He's staying here. Candice and I have been tasked to protect His Royal Highness."
"Luna!" Candice and Tracey yelled.
Julia merely laughed. "Oh, no need to get your fins in a bunch."
"Fins?" Tracey frightfully asked.
Julia laughed again. "I know he's a prince."
"What?" Tracey yelped. His eyes widened to the point that they looked like they were about to fly out of his sockets. "I mean—!" He chuckled nervously. "What gave you a crazy idea like that?"
"Well, Number One: you look like a prince. And Number Two: that's how you got into the school. Those are your special conditions."
"Special conditions? Hold on, are you that girl in my Music Appreciation class, who asked Dr. Lincoln about rock-climbing into the classroom?"
"I am."
"And how can you be sure that he is most definitely a prince?" Luna angrily fought back.
"I'm an RA, guys. We're supposed to know about the students living in this dormitory. Besides, it's in Tracey's records. The point is, Aric, the Resident Hall Director, is thinking about getting him a bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" asked Luna. "No way, girl. He's safe with us."
Tracey was traumatized right now. If Emilee and Jesse spilled the beans that he was a prince, then how long would it be before the college found out he was a fish freak, too?
"Stop," he begged Luna and Julia. "I'm not a prince." The stress killed him, but it went up a whole other level when another girl popped out of the floor's laundry room and took a picture of him with her phone.
"Ahh!" she squealed. "The prince! I'm going to be a hit on Instagram!"
"No!" Tracey said. He couldn't take this. He didn't belong at human school. Emilee and Jesse were wrong. All humans were bullies.
He shoved past Julia and used ninja speed to disappear from the hallway.
"Great? Now see what you did?" Luna asked Julia.
***
It did not take long for the picture the girl uploaded of Tracey to go viral. As soon as he left McConnell Hall, students who were out on morning strolls gasped at the sight of him.
"It's the prince!" they shouted at one another. Sure enough, almost every student was on their phone.
Tracey clenched his teeth. He tried to run, but tripped. He crawled back on the sidewalk, but that didn't stop the students from gaining up on him.
"Leave me alone!" Tracey yelled. He didn't like to lose his temper, but felt like he had little choice.
Tracey went all-out ninja, disappearing and reappearing everywhere: on buildings, platforms, cars, and sidewalks. He did not stop until he reached a small marina that was beside the Waterfront Park. Boats surrounded him like a line of dominoes, but he went ahead and dove off the dock into the Charleston Harbor, startling a few tourists.
They hurried to the edge of the dock and peered into the water.
An older man scratched his head, guessing, "Maybe he missed his ship?"
***
Tracey hid on a gravel bed at the bottom of the Cooper River. His long hair swayed in the water, along with his green-and-gold merman tail. He closed his eyes, trying to recover from what just happened.
Schools of fish such as bass, herring, sunfish, and mullet kept him company. They were curious about the strange-looking fish.
Sensing the ocean beings, Tracey opened his eyes. "I knew I couldn't pull off this human act," he told them. "I'm nothing but a failure. Sensei was right to keep me isolated on Merlin's Island."
"Tracey, you are not a failure. You just need to get used to the Human World." The Chief Wave's voice was gentle. He appeared as a whale beside Tracey.
"Chief Wave." Tracey glanced at him. "I tried. I really did. I've only been in college for a week, and already the campus knows I'm a prince."
"Emilee and Jesse didn't have a choice. They did it so they could get you enrolled," explained the Chief Wave.
"How long will it be before they find out I'm a fish freak, too?" Tracey wanted to know.
"You're not going to let them. What you need, Tracey, are friends. Good news for you, I found a friend who was willing to come back and help you."
"You did? Who?" Tracey was interested.
"She's waiting at the surface." The Chief Wave gestured with his head for Tracey to follow him.
He did.
The Chief Wave took him to a quiet channel that was on the other side of the Cooper River Bridge, the side that faced away from the city. Almost no boats were in the area, because everybody liked to boat under the main part of the bridge. Green trees, small beaches, and marsh grass added to the area's silent water. The channel was a popular feeding place for dolphins. In fact, there were a few dolphins in it right now.
Tracey lifted his head out of the water and smiled when he saw a few dorsal fins approaching him. While he played with the dolphins, the Chief Wave metamorphosed back into a wave and hovered over him.
Tracey hugged a dolphin close. He spoke to it in dolphin language, and it answered through a round of gentle clicks.
"Look into the sky, Tracey," the Chief Wave soon told him. "Here she comes."
"I have to let you go now, but we'll play later, okay?" Tracey asked his dolphin friend.
She nodded and swam away from him.
Finally, Tracey looked into the sky with the Chief Wave. His eyes caught a bird flying toward him, but it was no ordinary bird. Tracey's whole face lit up. "Gina!"
Indeed, it was Gina, his best tern friend, with whom he grew up on Merlin's Island, after he saved her from a broken wing when he was ten. The Chief Wave called her, and she agreed to return. Tracey thought she couldn't wait to explore the world, though.
Gina was a Magic Animal, born into the Magic World and endowed with telepathy. Despite that, she looked like any ordinary tern with her long, white wings, deep brown eyes, and black crown.
"Gina!" Tracey called again. He held his hands out to her.
"Tracey!" the tern called back in a telepathic voice. She flew into his arms, and he hugged her.
"It's so good to see you! But I thought you were traveling with your flock."
"I was, but then the Chief Wave asked if I wanted to go on one more adventure with my best friend. Of course, I said yes. An adventure with you is always fun."
"Thank you, Chief Wave," said Tracey, who looked at the wave.
He nodded. "No problem. Now take very good care of your tern friend. And, Gina. Make sure you take care of Tracey, okay?"
"Will do, Chief Wave!" Gina flew out of Tracey's arms and landed on his head.
The Chief Wave turned his body, but shook when he saw that a boat had just entered the channel. It came toward him and his friends. "Red alert! Tracey, there's a boat coming!"
"Oh, thanks for the heads up, Chief Wave." As the Chief Wave disappeared back underwater, Tracey peered up at Gina. "Gina, meet me at the Waterfront Park."
Nodding, Gina lifted off his head and started to fly away. Right when she did, Tracey ducked back underwater.