Authors: Missy Fleming
Chapter Twenty-Four
Desma is waiting in the hall outside my room to help me prepare for dinner. She follows me in and my body still hums with the adrenaline of such a great day. Not anticipating tonight one bit, I reluctantly perch at the vanity and brush my skin with the sponge as she combs my hair.
“Did you have a good time, Zoey?”
I grin at her through the reflection in the mirror, envious of her halo of hair. “It was awesome. Stavros showed me the palace and we got to talk some.”
“I’m glad. The king is a wonderful man. It’s nice that you’re fitting in and learning your way around.”
The residual excitement of being with her brother has me speaking without thought. “He assigned Nerio to be my guard and he showed me the reefs. They’re breathtaking.”
Her expression darkens immediately and her fingers pause in my hair. “Nerio’s not for you. He has plenty of other maids lusting after him.”
“We’re friends, Desma. He’s the only person I know.”
The scowl deepens. “There is Xander. And you’re still new. You’ll meet more of our people.”
“What is it you’re so worried about?” Her disapproval bothers me, especially considering there’s nothing going on and I genuinely like her.
“I know my brother,” she says as her light brown eyes flash. “Despite you being human, he’ll respect your bravery for coming here. He’ll see you’re different from the others, that you haven’t been tainted by your position. Besides, you’re a royal. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
It’s a bit harsh, considering I just met him, so I attempt to ease her fears. “I don’t want to hurt Nerio either. You’re freaking out for no reason. I told you, we’re friends and we’ve only known each other for four days. I don’t plan on complicating this experience by falling for someone out of my league.”
She obviously doesn’t believe me, judging by the twist of her mouth, but she drops the subject. Her normally energetic disposition fades. Instead, she points to a box sitting on the vanity, her voice stiff. “The king had a bunch of jewelry delivered earlier.”
I lift the lid and discover a dazzling strand of pearls at the top. I pull it out, surprised at its length, and drape it twice around my neck. Desma offers me a matching bracelet. I’m awash in elegance, as only pearls can do. Jewels wink at me, but there’s too much to examine now. I’ll sort through the rest of the box later when I’m alone.
Galina surprises me at the door to accompany me to dinner. After an awkward goodbye to Desma, we go.
“Are you unhappy with Desma?” Galina obviously picked up on the tension.
“Well, besides the fact I’m not used to having someone underfoot and waiting on me, she’s not too pleased that I’m hanging out with her brother.” God, I am an ungrateful, spoiled brat.
She doesn’t remark on what I said. In fact, she changes the subject. “You’re wearing my mother’s pearls.”
I lift them, amazed at their age. “They’re even more special now. I wouldn’t have guessed they were that old.”
“I’ll ignore the fact you called me old.” Galina shoots me a look of mirth.
The rooms the king and queen occupy are on one of the higher levels of the palace. The atrium works like an elevator. Mer are able to swim up and access any level. I manage a closer glimpse of the obelisk, adorned with carvings of whales and other giant creatures that I don’t recognize. The images fade, growing fainter the higher we climb, but there isn’t enough time to study it. I’ll save that for another day.
All mer have sparse accommodations, according to Galina, housing only the most basic of furniture. My father and his wife are surprisingly no different. The only feature that stands out is the decorative touches on the walls and furniture. Their immense stone dining table is etched with shell-type scrolls and is intricately carved down the legs. Smaller tables hold figurines and an old ship’s wheel hangs on the largest wall. A gilded mirror graces another surface, almost too decadent for the surroundings.
Magdalena and Eustacia are politely rude when they greet me. In fact, all I get are curt nods. Both mermaids are weighed down in accessories. As I take a seat, Magdalena shifts, her many bracelets clanking together, as if my humanness will taint her. My half-sister wrinkles her nose and rolls her eyes in a huff over my invasion or some other imagined faux pas. In complete contrast, Stavros is warm and welcoming, offering me encouraging glances. It’s easier after our time together to view him as my father.
As we sit and the food is served by an older merman, I address a topic that’s been bothering me for a while. “I notice there’s a defined class system here. It’s surprising.”
“Is that not how it’s done in the palaces of your world?” Magdalena scoffs. “And why not? Whether you’re on land or under the ocean, some people are better than others.”
Stavros shoots her a glare. “I tend to view it as everyone doing their job. If you consider a coral reef for comparison, each creature has a specific duty to guarantee that the colony thrives. We’re similar.”
“Maybe it’s me. I’m not used to being in a situation where I have people waiting on me. It’s new,” I explain. His example of it resembling a coral reef is brilliant. It’s a method of coexisting in the most rewarding manner possible, not for personal gain. The mer are as much animal as they are human.
I shift in my seat, uneasy under Eustacia’s glares as Galina chooses a different subject. “Stavros, what have you heard about the problems on the surface?”
Immediately, his demeanor changes and it’s obviously bad news. His shoulders hunch and he folds in on himself. It’s as if his spine bows to the pressure of the water above him.
“Conditions are deteriorating faster. Massive amounts of fish continue to die off for no reason. There were five fatal shark attacks today in the Pacific alone and in the Bering Sea an orca went after a boat full of tourists. I’m worried it’s only a matter of time before whatever is affecting them, starts to affect mer. Actually,” his shoulders sag farther, “I’m afraid it’s already affecting us. Strange illnesses are starting to afflict those living in the outer settlements. Healing them is frustratingly difficult.”
It’s a chilling concept. The horror of his statement sinks in and latches onto my heart. Equally alarming is the lack of reaction from my stepmother and her daughter. Shouldn’t they be concerned instead of picking at their jewelry? The fate of the world will affect every race and species on the planet.
Eustacia daintily fingers a strand of her black hair and says, “I don’t see what the big deal is. For years the dirty humans have thrown their garbage and poison in our waters. Maybe now they’ll respect the oceans.”
“So, it’s okay for innocent people to die?” Her attitude shocks me. I hope it isn’t one shared by many of their people.
Magdalena fixes her cold, haughty glare on me and wrinkles her nose in distaste. “Humans are far from innocent. Their greed destroys the ocean. They hunt to the verge of extinction. Innocent mer and fish are poisoned every day.” She leans forward intensely. “Are you aware a collection of trash, twice the size of your biggest state, floats in the middle of our ocean? They don’t even attempt to clean it up. A few human lives are a pittance compared to their disrespect for what gives them life.”
Her passionate speech knocks everyone silent. Stavros gawks at her as if he doesn’t recognize who she is. It’s unsettling. A forbidden voice slithers into my conscience and screams that she’s exactly right. My people have abused the ocean and used it as a trash dump for hundreds of years. It’s sick.
But even if there’s truth in her words, I will never be okay with killing for no reason. To atone for my traitorous thoughts, I argue, “Humans are also capable of great compassion and ingenuity.”
“As well as war and suffering,” the queen fires back. “We have no reason to use weapons, not in the capacity yours does. Bombs that can level entire cities? Chemicals that when used melts the skin of its victims? Guns given freely to whoever wishes to own them? Where is the honor in that? Our planet is dying because of humans!” She sucks in a calming breath. “You may perceive me as cruel, but until you’ve spent more time here, you have no right to judge how we perceive a species that is killing our world and show no intention of stopping.”
“Face it, your kind is only interested in taking what was never theirs to begin with. Sooner or later they must comprehend the error of their ways,” Eustacia adds.
“That’s enough!” Stavros’s commanding tone causes me to jump. “We can’t deny humans have committed terrible atrocities, but we are just as capable considering what’s happening now. One power hungry mermaid is abusing her legacy and using it to unleash havoc on unsuspecting men, women, and children. Instead of giving her our sympathy, we should fear her. Her threat is not only to those who live on land, but to all living creatures on this earth. Her actions are killing fish and mer too. It is unacceptable.”
Here I witness the fearsome king he is and my heart swells with pride. Unfortunately, his words fail to wipe the smug looks off the faces of his wife and daughter. I pity him, being stuck with such cruel, heartless mermaids. He deserves better.
As soon as the meal is over, Magdalena and Eustacia excuse themselves, not bothering to spare me a second glance. My remaining family relaxes visibly in their absence.
“I apologize for that,” Stavros says sadly. “The longer I know Magdalena, the more extreme her views become. And Eustacia, she’s a stranger to me.”
I reach over and lay my hand on his arm. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“You’re far more patient than I would have been,” Galina says.
We spend the rest of the evening talking about the kingdom and my life on land. For a while, I entertain them with stories of my childhood and school and Charlotte.
“Did you adapt to the prosthetic as easily as you have to being a mermaid?” Galina asks after I reveal an embarrassing tale of tripping in front of the whole school.
“No. I never got past the foreignness of it. As ungrateful as it may sound, I hated it. I hated what it held me back from. There are plenty who have adapted and run marathons or climbed mountains. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t summon the strength.”
Galina shifts in her seat. “Maybe because somehow your body knew that wasn’t its true form. It’s fascinating to me, since it happens so rarely, to hear about how others like you sensed a big piece of their lives was missing.”
“That’s exactly it. Honestly, if I hadn’t lost my leg, I probably would have been a klutz. The legs always felt awkward, now that I’ve had time to look back and remember. This form is freeing.”
“I feel the same,” my father adds. “After a few days on land during my Sojourns, my skin grows tight and I grow restless. My imagination is overwhelmed with visions of the ocean.”
“Yes!” I say enthusiastically. “The time between when I first changed and the other, it filled me with longing. Even after a scary attack by eels, I was obsessed with turning back to a mermaid. I couldn’t talk myself out of it, no matter how hard I tried.”
His chest puffs up proudly. “That’s my girl.”
I can’t avoid the previous conversation, especially as no matter what I talk about, it brings Mom into my aching heart. “What’s happening in San Diego?”
They share a glance and my heart sinks. “Evacuations continue to increase and all shipping has been halted because the ports are underwater. I’ve been keeping a special interest in the city with you and your mother in mind. If Lindsay is anything like I remember, she won’t leave and risk not being there when you return.”
Guilt digs in. “I shouldn’t have left her, not when it’s so dangerous.”
He reaches over and grasps my hand. “I swear to you, daughter, if it gets worse or I learn she might be in danger, I’ll send you with a legion of guards to guarantee she is moved to safety.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
A smile lifts his mouth. “Why don’t you get some sleep? I’ll be by in the morning. We can explore and speak more. I’ve enjoyed our time together.”
His gesture to help Mom doesn’t really dissolve my guilt. I worry about her safety and how we’d have probably already moved inland as ordered if I were home. My chest aches with missing her. It isn’t fair to be basking in the light of one parent while the other is hurting in the middle of unrelenting storms. I wish, foolishly, that it’d been a simple case of my dad abandoning my mom and me.
Life would have been simpler, but I wouldn’t be nearly as happy.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It’s late when Galina and I go to our rooms. The seriousness of my previous thoughts presses me down. I may have dreamed of a different outcome, but it would never compare to the fulfillment I’ve found down here. I’m here for a reason and it’s important to stay focused.
My grandmother follows me in and perches on the vanity chair, idly poking through the box of jewelry.
“I take it you’re enjoying yourself?”
“I am and every day it grows. This place is becoming a home to me.” I hesitate to share my concerns.
She must notice because she prods, “But?”
“I hate hearing such disdain and hate for humans. It leaves me feeling unworthy, set apart from the others. And, to make matters worse, I agree with a lot of what they say. We have done irreversible damage to our environment. Then I’m betraying my kind by thinking it. That part of me is still inside, it always will be.”
“They are scared of what’s happening to our oceans and not only from the merwitch. Observing our world being used as a dumping ground is disheartening. It angers a lot of mer, but that doesn’t mean we have a right to attack humans. You’re in a unique situation, in more ways than you might know.” Her pause hints that she is leading up to an uncomfortable subject, so I wait for her to continue. “I understand it was your choice to have Nerio as your guard.”
“Y-yes.” The stutter sounds guilty and I hate it, but the change of subject startles me. “Because I know him and we’re comfortable with each other.”
“Which is fair. I only request that you be careful. Whether you accept it or not, you’re a princess. People are watching. Some expect you to fail in our world because you’ve spent your entire life on land. To them you are tainted. You need to understand what may be expected, should you stay here.”
Galina’s words strike home. I don’t want to bring unfavorable attention down on my family. Except Nerio’s brown eyes keep assaulting me, sending my heart into a frantic rhythm. I hear her warning and it bothers me. Aiming for a neutral tone, I ask, “And liking someone of a lower rank is not done?”
Galina purses her lips. Finally, she replies, “It is. It has. Your grandfather was a gatherer and I fancied him since we were children. It caused a tremendous uproar, but he became one of our greatest kings. The difference is, I was an only child and we were in the middle of a long, peaceful period.”
And peace meant no one was trying to attack the kingdom from the outside, as they are now. Galina’s so regal. It’s romantic knowing she took a huge risk for love. Unfortunately, as I understand more of this world, I appreciate the wisdom of her words. I don’t have to be happy about it though. Shifting, I absently finger the decorative shells on the vanity mirror.
Perhaps she picks up on my sadness because she reasons, “I’m not saying it’s impossible. If you want to spend time with Nerio and get to know him, we can deal with it. But understand that these are troubled days. The kingdom must appear strong to our enemies and avoid any scandals.”
Guilt builds inside me. “I’m attracted to him, yes. But it’s only been less than a week and he has very strong opinions about humans that I can’t ignore. You’re getting ahead of yourself, grandmother.”
“You may be right.” She peers at me intently. “What do you think of Xander?”
Her question catches me off guard and I blurt the truth. “He’s hot, no denying that.” Heat rises in my cheeks and I quickly add, “Initially, I thought he was cocky, full of himself. He is those things, but being in his presence relaxed me because he didn’t treat me differently. Either way, I don’t know him at all. I was only around him that little bit.” Alarm grabs me by the throat. “Why are you asking? Isn’t he destined for Eustacia?”
Her eyes rest on the closed wooden door and she lowers her voice. “I trust you, Zoey, and I know you won’t repeat what I tell you. It’s important you have all the facts.” Her gaze shifts to mine. “Many in the kingdom are terrified of Magdalena. When we made the match between her and Stavros, we were blindsided by her grace and wise nature, even her beauty. She fooled us, and so did her father, the Southern king. As the years pass, her true nature shows more and more.
“Her daughter is exactly the same and it worries us. Eustacia in power is a frightening concept. Stavros cares for her as only a father can, but he desires to marry her to another kingdom. Magdalena will not allow that. Eustacia being wed to Xander unites her with the second strongest family in the Pacific, a family almost as powerful as our own.”
She pauses, allowing my scrambled thoughts to catch up. I would not have guessed Xander was that important. By her expression, I gather she is going somewhere darker. I’m afraid to hear it.
When she does continue, her words are tightly controlled. “There are awful rumors circulating about Magdalena that are harder to ignore.” She turns her mouth down in a deep frown, accenting the lines in her face barely noticeable before. “I’ve heard she’s secretly working with Calandra.”
My eyes widen in shock. The implications of her betrayal are too terrible to consider. Hate blossoms inside me, directed at my stepmother. “That can’t be true.”
“The problem with Calandra is not much is known about her.” Frustration edges in. “It’s nothing but conjecture and fables. We have found out she’s old, very old, and has managed to corrupt her magic in order to stay eternally young. She’s more powerful than you can imagine. It’s quite possible she’s capable of controlling all the world’s oceans herself, which is bad for both mer and humans. What she’s doing now, I fear, is too far gone to reverse.”
“And no one has any clue where she is? Someone has to have gotten a glimpse of her, right?” I push up and roam the room, too pent up with these revelations to sit.
“No one can be certain what she looks like and we aren’t aware who’s aiding her. Stavros and I assume she’s planning to destroy any existing royals who do not bow to her will. The king of the Indian Ocean recently died in a very mysterious fashion. We suspect his replacement was put there by Calandra and that means her plot has been in play for years.” She studies me. “Some are excited by your presence. It allows them to have faith in the future, past these recent events. They see hope and innocence. You are not corrupt.”
My heart pauses and flutters. “But I’m a half-breed.”
“Don’t call yourself that. You’re not a half-breed if you choose this. In this form, you’re pure. It’s the dominant blood and it’s royal blood,” she enforces fiercely.
I’m dumbfounded. People have obviously witnessed something in me I haven’t. A week ago, I was oblivious to this world. Now they’re regarding me as part of the future? How did they expect that? I’m clueless about this part of myself. There’s still so much to learn.
“I’ve given you a lot to consider.” She rises up and cups my cheek. “You have to understand, Zoey, if you choose this life, you choose your position. If you live here, you will be a princess and expected to obey the duties that accompany it, including the merman you choose. I’ll arrange for you to have dinner the day after tomorrow with Xander. It’s nice to keep your options open.”
In distress, I start to object, to insist I don’t think of him that way, but Galina leaves and I’m alone with my overloaded brain.
I work to digest the news these people are already considering me one of their own, even as a possible ruler. It shows exactly how much they dislike and distrust the queen.
The idea doesn’t intimidate me as it should. It might be the crazy royal blood pumping through my veins, but if it came down to it, I wouldn’t shy from my duty. I want to be of use my father, and his people. But I won’t be told who to love. I see how unhappy Stavros is and I refuse to live like that. Xander and I have very little in common. He’s more concerned with himself than knowing me. No, I’m being unfair. I don’t know him enough to say that for certain and I shouldn’t judge too quickly. The simple fact is he’s not Nerio.
I’m most worried about what I’ll end up sacrificing if I choose to stay and offer assistance. What will become of my human self? My humanity? My heart?