Ailis drifts across Chautauqua Lake until a cute boy pulls her from the freezing water and takes her to his parents’ home to dry off and warm up. Allie doesn’t remember her family, where she’s from, or even her last name. But she just spent hours beneath the water and dreams of an emerald sea.

The girl’s DNA matches that of a runaway named Ellis, so she’s returned to her family. They think Ellis is a boy, though, one with gender issues. Certainly not a mermaid.

As long as Ellie can be near the water, she’s happy, and by the time the Reid family realizes that Ellis is now one of the Fair Folk, they love her and don’t care what changed their son. But how do they raise a child who is clearly not human? And how do they keep Ellie’s true identity a secret?