Book excerpt: Among mermaids and humans, cruelty has many faces. One secret Adelaide has kept for as long as she can remember--her love for Jonas. She is the daughter of the clan's elder; he is a bottom feeder. As Mer, they can never be together. But as humans, it might be possible.When Jonas's reckoning comes, he must go to land during the cycle of the full moon. But when the next cycle comes around, he doesn't return. Fearing what might have become of him, Adelaide follows and gains legs for herself. But living life as a human is much more difficult than she imagined. And finding Jonas is just as hard. To follow him to the underwater city, she must endure the Initiate's Trial. Her strength and resolve will be tested, if she wants to find Jonas and survive. Adelaide must prove she's more than just a mermaid princess.