First published 2000
Willow volunteers on a winter morning to help clean up an oil spill along the coast. The environmental disaster has coated marine life in toxic crude, but while climbing across the rocky shore, she discovers an unusual victim. A selkie lies trapped on land, her magical seal coat blackened with oil that prevents her from returning to the ocean. Willow brings the shape-shifting girl back to the library where Giles and the other Slayerettes work to restore her enchanted coat. The team names her Ariel and grows fond of her childlike nature. Buffy remains wary of the creature whose essence shifts like the tides themselves. The oil spill has driven other supernatural beings from the depths. Merrows emerge from the polluted waters, resembling mermaids but carrying a deadly secret that threatens everyone. As the group tries to help Ariel reclaim her ability to transform, they must face these new aquatic dangers. The story explores trust and the wild nature that resists human understanding.
Genres: romance, fantasy, paranormal, urban-fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Coast, Library, Ocean
Period: Winter
178 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Books