2 Deja Blue by Julie Cassar Page A

big sigh. (Not really, I thought to myself…hopefully.) “Okay,” I said as I sat back up and wiped my eyes. “Lay it on me.”

 
    Chapter 13
     
    Brennan’s pale ice- blue eyes seemed to twinkle with mischief as he smiled wide, showing off his dimples. Huh. I never really noticed those before. “Before I tell you my plan, I’ve gotta fill you in on Celestine’s problem.”
    “Right, I remember,” I nodded, “You said she was in love with a Troll , and that’s forbidden because he’s a Troll and not a M er -person or whatever, right?”
    Brennan nodded, “Yes. She is in love with the Troll Bexin . His brother is Grobel . That’s why she came over to investigate near the jetty the other day. From a distance, she thought Grobel was Bexin . Instead, she found you being crushed under the boulders.” He grimaced at that last part.
    I looked over at Jeremy, “Yeah, apparently M erpeople don’t like to ruin their bloodline by hookin ’ up with a lowly Earthener .” I spoke the last words with fake-disgust.
    Jeremy shook his head, “So eighteenth century, doncha think?” He tsk’d tsk’d his tongue.
    “Tell me about it!” Anya exclaimed. “No fins, no wedding. Unless…” she trailed off, looking to Brennan to fin ish her sentence. “…Unless the C hallenger to the Grá mo Chroí Dúshlán is triumphant.”
    At exactly the same time, Jeremy and I said, “Huh?”
    Brennan smiled that mischievous grin again. “When a Mermaid or M erman wants to marry outside of their own kind, they must go through the Grá mo Chroí Dúshlán .” Jeremy and I sat there , staring blankly at him. Brennan sounded it out slowly for us. As he said the words again, it sounded like Graw-muh-Khree Doosh-lahn . He continued, “Loosely translated, it means the Love of My Heart Challenge.  It’s pretty simple actually. The next of kin to each betrothed must compete or choose a competitor from their own Court to compete in a swimming competition. If the competitor from the Water Court wins , then Celestine cannot marry Bexin . If the competi tor from the Earthen C ourt prevails, then Celestine is free to marry Bexin .”
    “That’s it? They have a swim ming competition? Big whoop dee - doodley -doo !” Jeremy answered , surprised.
    “But , wait a minute,” I interrupted, “If it’s a swimming competition, doesn’t pretty much anyone in the Water Court always win? Anya said members of the Water Court are the fastest swimmers. And, couldn’t the person from the Water Court just throw the competition so that Celestine and Bexin can get married? I mean…Celestine could just, like, pay off the Water Court competitor , y a know…to lose. Then she’d be free to marry Bexin . If the Water Court loses, and the Earthen Court wins, Celestine can marry who m ever she wants…right? ”
    Brennan was sternly shaking his head as he answered my question. “ Well, yes. In a way you’re right. But , I doubt that would happen. First of all, as I said, the next of kin compete for the betrothed. But , just because someone from her family is competing doesn’t mean that they’re au tomatically going to throw the C hallenge on purpose. Many M erpeople feel the same…that marrying outside of their own kind is wrong and should be forbidden. T o have a ny Water Court member marry outside of their own Court is considered a black mark, not only in the eyes of the Royals of the Water Court , but on the family’s honor.”  I snorted and r olled my eyes. What were these M erpeople thinking? It’s the 21 st century for Pete’s sake! These Water Court people were some hig h and mighty racists if you ask me.
    Brennan ignored my obvious irritation and continued on, “ Celestine’s family is most likely against her choice to marry the Troll . But, i f the King and Queen of the Water Court feel that Celestine’s competitor wil l be sympathetic to the couple and throw the competition on purpose, they will simply choose another to compete.