Then We Fly

by Rebecca Salas

  He smiled easily. “Naturally, the girl my son is bewitched by is more than sufficient.” I could hardly wonder at his use of the word bewitched. I wasn’t sure if I completely liked the suggestion he had made, mentioning my sufficient appearance. I wasn’t vain, but I had no false humility. I knew that by most standards I was more than sufficiently pretty, whether or not Oran had put himself under some dumb spell.

  “You wouldn’t put the queen’s posterity in any danger.” Fynn remarked. It was a statement that sounded more like a question as Fynn tried to appear only mildly interested. At Fynn’s words the queen perked up, showing real interest in the king instead of staring at me as she had done up until this point.

  “I do not think she would be in any real danger, especially since for the majority of the task she would be sleeping. I would go so far as to say that this particular task would be easy.”

  The queen smiled and seemed pleased by Fynn's comment while he maintained the uninterested air. If there was no real danger, and I had a real chance to know more, why wouldn’t I take the opportunity? Oran’s concern as I prepared to leave jumped into my mind. Clearly, he hadn’t thought that my involvement here would be easy. Fynn seemed to share that opinion before this morning. No, whatever this was, I couldn’t expect it to be “easy”.

  I chewed slowly, looking down at my plate so that my internal dialogue wouldn’t be obvious for everyone at the table to read. This was up to me. I couldn’t fully weigh the cost, because I didn’t know it. All I knew was that if I opted out, I would also be choosing ignorance. Ignorance of what Fynn was up to, and ignorance of any insight this might offer into Blake and Naida. I could let everyone else be the players and I could go home. Probably. Maybe. Or I could be ignorant right until whatever was going on came to bite me in the butt. No, I had stuck my head in the sand long enough. Whatever was coming my way, I would rather go into it as informed as possible.

  “Alright, what do you need for assurance of my reliability?” I asked calmly. The king smiled again.

  Zoya

  My heart broke each time I saw the tick in Shea’s behavior. The subtle difference that proved to me again and again that something was not the same. I had tried to deny it. Had tried to ignore it, but there it was. An occasion inexplicable uneasiness. A change in his manner. At first, I had been certain that it was simply his attempt at overcompensating for how things had gone before. But as time with him passed, it seemed less like him trying to make up for how things went and more like he was following a script. I had denied it for days, but I couldn’t deny it anymore. This morning I could have sworn I even smelled it on him. A subtle tang of a spell. Salty where he should have smelled earthy. It was another bit of evidence. And now, now I had to decide what to do with him.

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  Chapter Nine

  Fayre

  Dylan was gone again. Off having some adventure above the surface no doubt. He came around less frequently since father had returned. I could hardly blame him. Father hadn’t been receptive to his presence. Thus far my attempts to warm him to Dylan were an unmitigated failure. The mere idea of me spending time with a boy who wasn’t mer seemed to set my father on edge. Though, if I was being honest with myself, he probably wouldn’t have been receptive to any boy who I was spending time with.

  But this wasn’t just any boy, this was Dylan. My half human boy who smelled like freshwater. I laughed at myself. I had no reason to call him mine. We hadn’t so much as held hands, but I held a hope that we might. Maybe more. We just hadn’t had enough time. And now my father had all but scared him away.

  My father had a tenuous relationship with the human world. He would travel at the king’s direction, excavating numerous human treasures from the floor of the sea. At first, he felt like he was cleaning up their garbage, and he told us as much, even if he was honored by an errand given directly from King Byron. But I saw the change over the past few years. He complained less often of the human litter and spoke with more warmth of the exciting treasures he would find.

  I longed to go with him. There was so much out there to see. I had taken to exploring the wrecks nearby, even though they had all been picked over before. I was thrilled when Dylan arrived and I finally had someone who could give meaning to the treasures I found. I could never show my father, he was always so worried about me, and had spoken plainly about the potential danger in exploring the decrepit old wrecks. The danger wasn’t only from the structures themselves. Many of the abandoned ships had become home to unsavory mer, sea witches and syphon alike.

  I twirled my most recent discovery over in my fingers, watching the sunlight glint off its now shiny metal surface. I had taken the time to scrape off the barnacles and polish it until it shined. I was eager to show Dylan and see what he thought of my efforts. I couldn’t show anyone else; they wouldn’t even know what it was, or why it was special.

  “Fork.” I said the unfamiliar word out loud, enjoying the sound of it.

  “What?” Dylan laughed and then coughed, his eyes incredulous.

  “Dylan!” I threw my arms around his shoulders, happy for his company. He laughed and pulled my hair out of his mouth. I held the fork out to him. “What do you think?” I asked twirling it in the sunlight.

  “It looks great.” His smile held a secret. I wasn’t sure what it meant.

  “Did I damage it?”

  “No, no. It looks exactly like a fork ought to.”

  I nodded, holding the fork in both hands, placated.

  “Fayre, I’m going to have to leave soon. I need to go with Cora.”

  I eyed him cautiously. “Where will you be going?” His eyes darted across our surroundings.

  “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. I just know that Cora needs my help and I’m going to have to go with her. I’m not sure how long I will be gone.” His eyes were apologetic.

  “Well, take me with you.” My words came out in a rush, before I lost my confidence. “I know the mer world better than either of you and I could be helpful. I’m done with my studies for now and until I find a task or receive an assignment, I am entirely free. We could have an adventure.” I smiled, hopeful. His apologetic eyes didn’t waver.

  “We won’t be staying down here, Fayre. We’ll be going to the surface first.” He squinted his eyes. “I won’t be able to bring you with me.”

  At the words I felt something crack deep inside of me. I was going to be left behind, again. I shook my head. “No, I’ll, we’ll…” I trailed off trying to find a solution.

  “I’ll come back.” Dylan offered with a placating smile.

  “When? How long will you be?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure.” He said, his eyes dropping. More cracking and I squeezed the fork in need of something to hold on to.

  “I don’t want you to go.” It wasn’t entirely accurate. I wanted him to go, I also wanted him to take me with him. I had become attached to him, and more than that I loved the freedom I had felt with him around. I could swim through dangerous places with confidence when he was with me. I didn’t want to be left behind. I tightened my jaw. I wasn’t angry at him. I was angry at feeling trapped, but he wouldn’t know the difference.

  “Remember me.” I said placing the fork in his hand and closing his fingers around it with my other hand. “And come back.”

  I swam away from him with a newfound resolve. I was going to find a way to be free. I looked back at my glittering tail behind me. As a child I had been proud of it. My tail was the most beautiful of all the merfolk, my father had told me. But now as I looked at it, I didn’t see a thing of beauty, I saw a shackle.

  Cora

  The king had been the one to sing and bind me to secrecy. He sang well enough, but it brought a stark contrast to Fynn’s smooth warm voice. Where with Fynn I could listen endlessly; listening to the king was merely pleasant. I was left looking at Fynn again longing to hear him sing. Maybe I was under more of his control than I had
realized.

  “Now that I am confident that what is said here will remain here, we can be more forthcoming with details. Fynn usually has the pleasant task of doing much of our work on the mainland. He’s established a reasonable following and is able to get into places that many cannot. That combined with his particular skill set has him in an excellent position to further the interests of the kingdom. People are happily swayed to act in the interest of my kingdom where they might not have otherwise.”

  I let this sink in. This was what I had hoped for, more insight into Fynn. My experiences with Fynn began to click into place with this revelation. The king had been using Fynn to manipulate people into doing what he wanted. And now that was what he wanted from me?

  “I’m not sure that I have Fynn’s musical skill.”

  “That could hardly be hoped for. Fynn has an uncommon skill for music as well, which is why I rely on him above most.” He looked with pride at Fynn. Whatever his faults, he seemed to sincerely appreciate Fynn. I wondered what Ell thought of this. She had sat silently for all of the meeting thus far, a quiet observer. I knew she didn’t hold Fynn in high esteem. “No, I don’t expect you to be doing any singing. Much of the income that goes to run this kingdom is supplied in the form of trade. There are some who would claim that what we trade in isn’t ours to sell, as if all the ocean isn’t mine to control. As if any of them would be allowed to find anything if I didn’t let them. We trade in the treasures of the ocean. The humans have been leaving their treasures behind for hundreds of years. It is easy for my people to find what they leave behind. Still, some don’t think the treasures are mine to sell. That is where you come in.” Fynn had become more keenly observant as the king spoke, clearly following the direction of his words faster than I had. “There is an antiquities dealer who needs to be persuaded to do business with us. Well, actually, with you.”

  “Ammon Amari?” Fynn asked.

  “Precisely. While we have established sway with some dealers, Mr. Amari has been unimpressed with those I have sent his way.”

  “Why do you need him at all? If you said that you work with other dealers?” I asked.

  “Given the nature of the items that I would like to sell, I need to work with someone who has his connections.” I didn’t hide the confusion on my face and the king continued. “If I am to get the most for the Egyptian treasures I have I will need the approval of certain Egyptians. Ammon Amari could provide that with the proper incentive.”

  I memory clicked in my mind. An insult I had slung at Fynn about selling himself. My disgust at seeing him kiss that syphon.

  “What kind of incentive?” I asked, cautious.

  “That will be up to your discretion. A meeting has been planned. You will make him an offer, he will likely refuse, or at the very least delay. Afterwards, he won’t find it out of the ordinary if you were to slip into his dreams, and on that occasion, you would do whatever was necessary to convince him to agree to our offer when he is awake.”

  “I may be able to get into his dreams, but I am not exactly skilled at making business deals. I wouldn’t have any idea what to say.”

  “Which is why you won’t be going alone. Ell will be working with you. I don’t expect you to do much of the talking.”

  Fynn’s brow furrowed. Clearly this wasn’t the direction he had expected things to take. Ell however seemed to be sitting taller in her seat.

  “Why couldn’t Fynn hum or something to get him to agree to your terms?”

  “We did try, and it didn’t go well.” Fynn offered. “Turns out he has a hearing implant and those don’t seem to carry the full effect of any music mer may try to use. The technology is new enough that we didn’t even realize that might be a problem. It was pretty disastrous.”

  “I don’t want to risk Fynn being involved any further. He has his own reputation to maintain and there is no scenario in which his approaching Mr. Amari again would be helpful. He did gain some insight into the man and can help to prepare you and Ell.

  “When?” I asked.

  “In three days. You will stay on as my guest in the meantime. I expect that you will be helpful to the kingdom in many ways and it would be beneficial for you to be seen and get to know many of those who come and go here. The more people who see you, the more people you will be able to help direct to our cause.” Manipulate. He didn’t say the word, but I heard it clearly enough. The thing that I had found so distasteful in the way the mer used their music. The tendency to try to force people against their will. I didn’t like it any more in this context. And now I was being asked to do it in my own way. Still, I needed his trust, and I wanted to know what was going on so that I could help with Naida. I was sure that this kind of position would help me get access to the information that I needed. And I found myself nodding.

  “Alright. Three days.”

  The king turned to Fynn. “During which I expect you to prepare her. Familiarize her with any necessary information.” With a tone that carried a strange weight he said, “You are free to discuss any information with her that will further her ability to serve in her new role.” Fynn’s shoulders seemed to relax from a tension I had not noticed previously.

  “Thank you.” He said bowing his head slightly. The king returned his gaze to me.

  “There are some foreign dignitaries who will be visiting over the next few days. I expect you to make your presence seen. You won’t have any business with them right away, but it will be good for them to get accustomed to seeing you.”

  “Please enjoy your time here, Cora. I hope that you will not forget the benefits that come with your position. I hope that we might find the opportunity to visit together while you are here.” The queen seemed sincere. I wasn’t sure what level of formality was appropriate in my response so I simply nodded.

  Dylan

  It had been a few days since I had seen Fayre at all and with Cora gone, I was feeling stir crazy. Fayre’s father still hadn’t warmed up to me, despite her attempts and my willingness to be the perfect example of a human/ ondine boy. And now with telling her that I might be leaving soon, now she seemed to be avoiding me. She had been so disappointed when I told her. I really wish I could bring her, but I couldn’t imagine how to pull it off without exposing the world to something they thought was a myth, and it wouldn’t end well for us.

  “Dylan!” A voice called out from behind me as I walked back in from the beach where I had been attempting to teach myself to surf for the past few hours. I turned to see Oran jogging down the hall, looking worse for wear.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “Have you heard from Cora?” The poor guy looked desperate. I wasn’t sure what the deal was between him and Cora, but it didn’t seem to be going well for him.

  “Just a text when she headed out.” With Fynn. On an adventure as she put it, but I didn’t really need to tear out the guy’s heart. He nodded, the little enthusiasm he had displayed upon seeing me completely gone. “Did you need something?”

  “Just… her.” He said with a sigh and I raised my eyebrows.

  “Right. Sorry.” I patted him on the shoulder and turned to make my way to my room when I stopped and turned back to Oran. “Hey, do you know the mermaid Fayre and her family?”

  Oran thought for a moment. “Fayre Myrnuien?” He asked, a trill in her unfamiliar last name. I may have heard it once.

  “Maybe.” I answered, unsure.

  “I’m familiar with the family, yes. What did you want to know?” His previous dejection was replaced now with the formal attitude I was used to seeing in him.

  “What can you tell me about her father?” I asked cautiously.

  Oran thought for a moment, nodding his head. “Levenic Myrnuien, he works for my father. Digging up underwater relics for the Kingdom of Glieyen. Also, not a fan of races intermixing.” He said with an apologetic smile. “He is, however, a fan of royalty. And I’ve heard word that my father is planning on giving your sister a title, which could work to you
r advantage.”

  I stared at him, plainly confused. “What?”

  “My father, the king,” He spoke slowly like I was an obvious idiot. “He’s planning on giving your sister a title, I’m not sure what, but you guys are relatives of the queen. Levenic will be impressed by that.” Here his face turned apologetic. “We’ve made great strides with the people being more accepting of one another, but some people have a hard time. Familiar feels safe for them.”

  “Thanks.” I said, processing what he had told me.

  Cora

  The queen had wasted little time in seeking me out after that first meeting, and Ell seemed to think that I was being shown great favor. I hadn’t had any alone time yet with Fynn to discuss everything that had transpired over the mornings breakfast. Ell had escorted me out while Fynn stayed behind to get some further direction or maybe to relay some information to the king. I still didn’t know. Ell had given me a tour of the castle. I was pleased and unsurprised to find a courtyard similar to the one back in Oran’s castle, with a fountain of water springing up through a rough-hewn stone. I had taken a moment to dip my fingers in the pool of water at its base while Ell went on about the style of the pillars and the uses of the space. The water brought a feeling of calmness that I was grateful for.

  “This is one of my favorite spots.” The queens soft musical voice came from over my shoulder. Ell bowed her head as the queen approached. “Ell, I would have a moment with Cora to myself.”

  “Of course, your highness.” With another gentle bow Ell left us alone in the courtyard. As she walked back, I saw a man who seemed to be guarding the doorway. The queen followed my gaze.

  “Rarely am I truly alone anymore, Cora. The things one will accept for love. Still, he knows his role and will remain comfortably out of earshot.” She gave me another heartwarming smile. “I am so glad that you came, even if it wasn’t under ideal circumstances.” She looked at me intently. “You have their eyes. Aerwyna and Isla both had those same gray eyes. It’s nice to see you got something from them.”