The Mermaid Catches Her Mate

  Dear Reader,

  Nocturne Falls has become a magical place for so many people, myself included. Over and over I’ve heard from you that it’s a town you’d love to visit and even live in! I can tell you that writing the books is just as much fun for me.

  With your enthusiasm for the series in mind – and your many requests for more books – the Nocturne Falls Universe was born. It’s a project near and dear to my heart, and one I am very excited about.

  I hope these new, guest-authored books will entertain and delight you. And best of all, I hope they allow you to discover some great new authors! (And if you like this book, be sure to check out the rest of the Nocturne Falls Universe offerings.)

  For more information about the Nocturne Falls Universe, visit http://kristenpainter.com/sugar-skull-books/

  In the meantime, happy reading!

  Kristen Painter

  THE MERMAID CATCHES HER MATE

  A Nocturne Falls Universe Story

  Copyright © 2017 by Jax Cassidy

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction and was made possible by a special agreement with Sugar Skull Books, but hasn’t been reviewed or edited by Kristen Painter. All characters, events, scenes, plots and associated elements appearing in the original Nocturne Falls series remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Kristen Painter, Sugar Skull Books and their affiliates or licensors.

  Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or Sugar Skull Books.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Cover design by Dreams2Media

  Formatting by Jaxadora Design

  Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year.

  The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better.

  Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all.

  Luna Matsya is a local celebrity as a trendsetting hairstylist, but she’d prefer to spread her fin in a nice body of water rather than make a big splash around town. She’s starting to believe that her ability to live and walk among mortals is more of a curse rather than a blessing. Especially now that the flashy tent from a touring magic show is blocking her lake. Where’s a mermaid to swim when the slightest mistake can put her in the spotlight?

  Ace Conall is infamous for his daring tricks and he plans to make history with an epic illusion before taking a lengthy hiatus. This is a chance for him to finally feel at home after harboring a secret that may be the greatest magic act never revealed. What he hadn’t expected was falling for a smart-mouthed siren tangled up in his plans.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT JAX

  EXCERPT

  ALSO BY JAX CASSIDY

  For Elizabeth, my angel mermaid in the sky.

  There are so many stories you’ve inspired me to create. So many more to come in which you’ll be a part of. Your beautiful soul and desire to bring light and happiness into the hearts of others made an eternal impression upon me. Thank you for your 13 years of wisdom.

  Until we see each other again…

  ♥

  i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

  –e.e.cummings

  CHAPTER ONE

  Luna needed water like mortals needed air to breathe. She swam effortlessly across the lake, propelled by the pure force of her powerful fin. She broke through the water’s surface and twisted in mid-air before diving back into the deep unknown. The splash created an illusion of a light rain shower and she laughed as she reveled in the freedom of her natural form.

  Mermaids have always been depicted as mythical creatures known as seductive, yet deadly sirens. That was, until the pop-culture-made-cutesy version turned them into the latest trend. Now everyone couldn’t get enough of them. Created by the benevolent Goddess Quan Yin to balance, heal, and protect the majestic waterways and its creatures, her immortal species had quietly existed under the radar for many millennia. The law assigned to these ancient mermaids and mermen was specific, with rules preventing them from living among mortals.

  Luna’s family was an exception.

  As the mer-tale goes, her great grandfather had saved the life of a Fae disguised as a mortal. She’d slipped off the mountain’s ledge on a stormy day and fallen into the sea. Instead of letting her drown, he’d interfered with the pact between the worlds and pulled her to safety without fear of being punished. In return for his selfless act, the Matsya lineage was blessed with the ability to integrate with humans. Unlike other mer-people, who could only stay on land for a handful of hours, the Matsya could live within both worlds. By learning from mortals, it would be easier to protect the bodies of water and creatures from further destruction. Some of the clan had become teachers and ocean activists, while others infiltrated the scientific world to help preserve the oceans and its inhabitants.

  However, there were rules to abide by in order to maintain this valuable gift.

  Cinderella’s magic may fade at midnight, but her problems could be easily solved by a glass slipper and a Prince. For Luna, if she were to fall in love with a mortal man, and he didn’t love her in return, her body would gradually forfeit immortality. Within three months, her mermaid’s heart would no longer beat again, and she would be destined to die alone without knowing true love. Once a Matsya chose her mate, it was forever.

  Luna made it a mission to never give her heart away. Her hand balled into a tight fist just thinking about that day she had witnessed first-hand what it had done to her aunt. The heavy emotion still weighed on her chest like a ton of bricks. The memory was as vivid in her mind as it was that fateful day years ago, although she struggled to remember the secret she’d overheard. There was one way to reverse this tragic fate—this came from the mouth of the very Fae that blessed her family.

  “Feels more like a curse, to me,” she scoffed.

  Luna shook off the gloomy thoughts and floated on her back. She stared up at the beautiful full moon as it shined brightly above. She closed her eyes and allowed the soothing sensations to flow through her. Her body hummed, glowing almost as brilliant as the moon, rejuvenated by the water’s sacred powers. This had become her nightly routine for the past five years since arriving in Nocturne Falls. It was a no brainer for her to choose a town that proudly touted, “Where every day is Halloween”. The kind of place she easily blended in without her parents pressuring her to take over the family business. Time was winding down and she’d have to give her answer by her twenty-seventh birthday. Roughly three months away.

  The scales on her once dull mermaid tail were now a glittery spectrum of green and blue hues. This change always alerted her that her time in the lake had come to an end. She dove beneath the ripples, but the sound of muffled voices, echoing from a distance, made her quickly resurface.

  “What in Neptune’s name!” she spat out. Her eyes zeroed in on where the commotion was occurring.

  Several vehicles were parked ca
relessly over the property line that separated the Ellingham’s land and her private lake. The door of the red Range Rover hung wide open. Her perfect vision latched onto the handsome dark haired man deeply engaged in conversation with another burly one. Her ultrasonic hearing automatically tuned into the frequency of the voices and every nerve ending in her body lit up in alarm.

  “Pike, the tent must go up first thing in the morning,” Mr. Tall and Delicious instructed. “Got it?”

  “No problem, Ace. It’ll all be taken care of,” the henchman replied.

  She didn’t know who gave these men clearance to construct some kind of tent near her property, but she’d get to the bottom of it first thing in the morning. Whether this was temporary or not, this would make it tricky to indulge in her nightly swims without being caught.

  Luna didn’t wait to hear any more of their ridiculous discussion. Her temper flared and she swung her tail in anger, slamming it across the water with a loud thud. The strength of her action kicked up a makeshift rainstorm. The heavy droplets drenched the men and she couldn’t help feeling a bit of satisfaction for squelching their conversation.

  “What the h—” Ace pivoted around and his eyes widened, riveted on her.

  “Crap!” Luna squeaked and ducked down. “Could he really see me?”

  She watched him blink several times, praying he chocked it down to a late night hallucination. Better yet, perhaps he’d had some of the magical spring water that shielded mortals from seeing her true form. Thankfully, the burly man hadn’t spotted her, too. Within seconds, Luna high-tailed it out of there, swimming hard and fast as if sea Daemones were snapping at her tail.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Here you go, Luna. The Scare-The-Frap-Out Latte with an extra helping of whipped cream. Just the way you like it.” Jordie, the cute and quirky seasonal barista, slid the icy drink towards her.

  She mumbled her “thanks”, not in the mood to make small talk with the chatty teenager today. Luna walked out of the Hallowed Bean, the best coffee shop in town, and onto Black Cat Boulevard to head to work. Even with the quirky town catering to Halloween, the place was growing on her. She passed the familiar building that was deliberately angled to make it look rickety. Glancing at her wristwatch, she was relieved she would still make it to Hair Scare on time to take her regular client.

  Being a hairstylist had turned out to be the perfect gig for her. She had flexible hours and a busy schedule that made it easy not to overthink much about anything. She could step outside the box with her artistic talents and be recognized, which was highly rewarding. She had quickly become a trendsetter and the town’s most sought after stylist, but not without some secrets to her success.

  She hastened her steps while replaying the morning’s entire conversation with the town officiate, Sebastian Ellingham. Luna still stewed over the news that her objections about the enormous tent being constructed weren’t going to make a difference. Apparently, the traveling magician’s show was being built on the Ellingham’s property, and did not cross over onto hers. Thus, she could protest all she wanted, but couldn’t do a darn thing about it.

  To top it off, Nocturne Falls was the last stop in the leg of their tour so she’d have to tolerate the nuisance for the next six months. Six months! She’d have to find a quick solution on how to swim in her own private lake, which wouldn’t be private any longer. She cringed at the thought of the media publishing photos that would capture her home on the other side of the lake.

  As if the Universe was conspiring against her, she noticed the oversized posters and flyers that were plastered along the storefront windows, the streetlamp with a metal bracket in the shape of a cobweb, and even on the tourist trolley that passed by on her walk to the salon.

  Her eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance. “What kind of name is Ace Conall, anyway?” she grumbled.

  There was no escaping the smug, yet handsome face of the celebrity magician staring back at her. Sure, she’d heard about him, but had never seen any of his performances on television. In fact, she worked long hours and on her days off she focused primarily on her own brand of haircare products. She didn’t have much time for anything else.

  Luna passed a group of young women excitedly gushing over the man’s photo and rolled her eyes. She was certain he was all airbrushed with fancy tricks to make him appear more mysterious and alluring. He probably was short in person. His image was all Hollywood smoke and mirrors, anyway.

  She quickened her pace and rounded the corner a little too sharply, tripping on an uneven patch of sidewalk and lost her balance. The drink went flying out of her hand, her ankle gave out, and her body contorted ungracefully in the fall. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting her face to kiss the pavement. Miraculously, something or someone had broken her fall.

  Her eyes flew open and she found herself in the arms of a rather masculine stranger. Luna couldn’t get a good look at his face, since most of it was concealed by a baseball cap. His lush lips revealed a hint of a smile as melted coffee and clumps of whipped cream dripped off his hat and onto her sundress.

  She let out something that sounded akin to a dolphin’s screech. Instead, of being angry at her, he seemed to find the incident amusing.

  “Do you mind?” she blurted, squirming out of his arms since he was still holding her in a way that reminded her of those romance cover poses.

  He helped her up before pulling off his cap to shake off the liquid. “A ‘thank you’, would be a preferred response.”

  She opened her mouth to speak but her mouth went dry. Why did he seem so familiar? Holy, Aphrodite! Not only was he the same man who’d spotted her last night, but the one and only Ace Conall in the flesh!

  “You’re—”

  He interrupted, “Running late.” He winked knowingly before putting on his hat, pulling down the stiff brim and briskly taking off down the sidewalk.

  Luna watched his lithe, yet toned body maneuver expertly through the crowd without being recognized. Frankly, she was relieved he didn’t seem to remember her. She smiled to herself at the knowledge that, although they may be from two different worlds, they both had the same goal in mind. To be left alone.

  “Thank goodness, you’re here!” The part-time assistant’s British accent was more prominent when she was in panic mode. Her worried expression disappeared when Luna arrived.

  “Gracie Johanssen at my station?”

  “Yep. Told her you were running late, and even made her a spot of tea. She’s all good.”

  Luna nodded. “Thanks for the save, Basil.”

  The young woman in her usual retro 1940s fashion raised a brow as she eyed the front of Luna’s dress. “Looks like you’ve had your morning coffee.”

  Luna didn’t have time to deal with the coffee stain or provide explanations. As if Basil sensed her mood, she pulled out an apron from a nearby cabinet and handed it to her. “I’m not even going to ask.”

  “Might be wise.” Luna quickly slipped her head through the loop of the fabric and tied the straps behind her as she headed over to her client. She smiled at the older woman. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Gracie’s eyes lit up. “No need to worry, dear. I’m in no rush.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ve got a new hair color that will be fabulous on you.” She took the empty teacup and set it aside before securing the vinyl cape around the woman’s neck. “Just give me a couple of minutes to set up and I’ll be right back.”

  “Certainly. I always love whatever you do.” Her smile brightened. “Besides, I enjoy making the women at the club green with envy. I don’t know how you do it but the color lasts forever!”

  Luna bit back a smile as she walked into the back workroom to prepare the mixture. She opened her locker, pulling out the items she needed. She twisted the cap off the container that held the organic ground ingredients and poured them in the mixing bowl. She’d spent many free days meticulously collecting the land and sea plants fo
r her special products. Some ordinary, some rare. As she stared blankly at the thick paste, she focused on what combinations would work for Gracie’s hair color. In her mind’s eye she imagined the perfect shade and texture of a horse’s mane, then stuck her finger into the concoction and twirled. It transformed from white to a warm chocolate brown with reddish sparkles throughout.

  She wiped her finger on the hand towel. “Perfect.”

  Luna may not be able to control the soon-to-be-built tent situation, but she could certainly use her mermaid magic to her advantage. The Fae that had given her family legs had also given them unique abilities, making the Matsya clan truly distinctive from the rest of her species.

  When she went back to her station, she gave Gracie a quick shampoo. They chatted while she worked and she was quickly caught up with the latest gossip in town. Luna then prepped and applied the magical chestnut color and was pleased with how well it matched the woman’s fair complexion. She knew in the sunlight the shade would be fully enhanced by the lighter streaks. The striking red tones would pop nicely. It would also remain soft and silky until their next appointment.

  Gracie moaned, “Your product always makes my scalp tingle…in a very wonderful way.” She laughed. “I may be fifty-five but I swear you take off a good ten years with your products. I look and feel marvelous whenever I leave the salon.”

  Luna grinned. “I try to work my magic.”

  Gracie’s eyes sparkled then turned serious. “That’s why you should sell your products outside of the shop. Why don’t you take it online or into a larger market? You’d be bigger than that fellow, the celebrity stylist with the choppy hair and overdone tan. Whim or Wham, whatever his name is that’s found on the home shopping network.”