Freshwater Tails

An artifact of immense magic stolen from the Underworld. A deranged tyrant on a temporary throne desires absolute control. An immortal cursed with an insatiable thirst for mermaid blood lies in wait. All of it, including the fate of the entire merfolk community, rests on Imogen, a rebellious Freshwater-Tail harboring a hidden past and a guarded secret. Alaska, 1989. The Exxon Valdez runs aground, spilling millions of gallons of toxic crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. Faced with environmental devastation, and with no authority over the freshwater kingdom, Aislinn, the Pacific’s interim mermaid queen, demands that the merfolk of lakes and rivers join the cleanup efforts. The Freshwater-Tails will help, but only under their own volition. When they fail to follow Aislinn’s autocratic terms, their refusal becomes a death sentence as Sterling Baxter, an assassin with a lethal alter-ego, is unleashed upon them. But it’s only Imogen who can escape the subsequent slaughter. Unaware of a hunter on the loose, Imogen stumbles upon the site of a massacre. As her mother dies in her arms, she learns the truth about her impulsive habits. Furthermore, she discovers that the mysterious ring her late father gave to her as a child is a coveted talisman that protects her from those with ill intent.  Aislinn fears the impudent Freshwater-Tail, and the powerful ring she carries, could foil her plans, entangling Sterling and Imogen in a decade-long cat-and-mouse game. Sterling pursues Imogen across locations both real and mythical, encountering charming and dangerous magical beings along the way. To save others, Imogen must decipher her identity and embrace her destiny. Meanwhile, Sterling must navigate the complex gray area between good and evil to overcome the monster within.  Faced with difficult choices and impossible odds, they must each find inner strength to fight against their demons or succumb to sinister forces stalking them, condemning both their worlds to drown in darkness. Freshwater Tails is the second in a trilogy of fast-paced new adult urban fantasy adventures by Michelle Sauer. Freshwater Tails is a prequel spanning a ten-year period from 1989 to 1999, and should be read after Pacific Tails.