Mermaid Academy

by Cameron Drake

  BAM!

  The golden light shot out of me in a large mass and obliterated the small vase Annaruth had placed there. Then the mass stayed there, floating. It gathered itself and started spinning, faster and faster, until it was a shining golden sphere.

  A big one.

  We both stared at it in silence. I jumped at the sound of Annaruth’s voice so close behind me. Her hand rested on my shoulder, steadying me.

  “You need to claim the energy. Your magic will replenish itself, but it will take time to regain that much.”

  I nodded, totally freaked out by that giant ball. It didn’t look friendly. It didn’t look like it wanted to be absorbed.

  “Just . . . reach out and touch it?”

  “Yes. It’s your magic. It won’t hurt you.”

  I grumbled something about that being dubious and swam slowly toward the sphere. It was nearly as tall as I was! I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before reaching out for it.

  A strange energy filled me, running from the tip of my tail to my crown and back again. I felt the water shudder violently around me. I felt my insides vibrate. I opened my eyes as the last of the light transferred into the skin on my arm where I had reached into the ball.

  I stared at it.

  And then I fainted.

  I woke up to find Annaruth leaning over me with a worried look on her face.

  “Can I take a few days off?”

  “Unfortunately, that would only play into their hands.”

  “They?”

  “Those who want you and the Prince separated. Those who do not want you to be Spark.”

  “People like my stepmother’s friends?”

  Her lips formed a thin line at that.

  “You don’t like her either?”

  “How could I? If I had known how she treated you . . . it infuriates me. If only I were prescient, I could have saved you. I thank Triton that we have a Seer now.”

  “Marcum? Jonquar said something about a Mage. I wondered if he was talking about him.”

  “You are annoyingly perceptive, my wild one.”

  “If whoever is doing this finds out, won’t they harm him? Isn’t he in danger too?”

  “You like him,” she said with a small smile.

  I nodded. Marcum had helped me during the Trials. He was a good Mer. I knew it all the way down to my fins.

  “It’s nothing to worry about. He is protected by his own gifts.”

  “He has looked out for me a few times, too. I won’t forget that.”

  “Of course he has. He sees great things in you. And anyone with a lick of any kind of telepathy knows you have a good heart.”

  “It makes me nervous to have you two fishing around in my head.”

  “It’s not like that, Tri. It takes a different kind of magic to be truly invasive. You would know it was happening,” she said ominously.

  “Great,” I said as I sat up and groaned. “How long was I out?”

  “Nearly an hour,” Annaruth answered.

  Panic filled me deep inside. True panic and fear. I grasped her hands frantically.

  “Please tell me I did not miss dinner.”

  She laughed long and hard at that. I scowled at her. This was serious. I needed food.

  Lots and lots of food.

  “I think something can be arranged.”

  Chapter 8

  “Is this really happening?” I asked as I turned in a circle, staring in awe at the murals painted on the walls, shelves packed with jars of this and that, and heavy wood cabinets. Something delicious-smelling bubbled on the stove. Everything was strange and beautiful. The objects here were ornately made, clearly taken from the two-leggers and unlike anything I’d ever seen.

  “Yes,” Annaruth said with a chuckle, leading me to a small dining nook at the far side of the kitchen. And not just any kitchen.

  I was here. I was in the Royal Kitchen.

  Carved stone archways, magically preserved wood and painted tiles, ornate two-legger stoves that magically worked underwater, and small doors. I knew what those were, at least. They opened to narrow tunnels that led deep underground to caches of ice-cold water to preserve food.

  Royal servants buzzed around the chamber, swimming this way and that. They looked well-fed and happy with their work.

  I scooted into the booth, complete with a heavy wooden table. It was well-made but worn. I leaned forward to stare at what looked like initials, tracing them with my fingertip.

  “PPD,” I said. “Is that . . . ?”

  “Prince Pollux often took his meals here.”

  I looked around. As cozy as it was in the kitchen, it sounded lonely to be eating here alone. I wondered if he only came here because of the hustle and bustle of the friendly kitchen staff. That it might make his life seem less isolated.

  When I looked up, Annaruth was watching me with a shrewd look in her beautiful eyes.

  “You see so much, Katriana. I am so glad he has you now.”

  My cheeks turned bright red as I tried to think of an answer. Instead, I stammered out something about ‘good friends.’ It was a good thing, too, because we had unexpected company.

  “What are you guys talking about?” Dane said as he scooted into the booth beside Annaruth.

  “Nothing,” I mumbled, my stomach growling at the smells coming from a large pot simmering on the stove. Yes, Mers ate soup. But it had to be spelled to stay in the pot and stay in the bowl. A two-legger might think we wouldn’t want more fluids, but we actually didn’t drink salt water. Only the very wealthy could afford cooks with enough magic to make soup more than once in a great while. I’d only tasted it a few times, and only when I was very young. It was warm and tangy and so good my fins wagged involuntarily just thinking about it.

  Soup was one of my favorites.

  I said as much and Dane laughed.

  “Every single food I’ve seen you eat is your favorite.”

  I stuck out my tongue at him and heard a soft gasp. We turned to see the doll-like cook with silver- and bronze-striped hair staring at us. Dane waved her over.

  “Katriana Spark, this is Batrinza Cook. Batte, this is Tri,” he added with a familiar smile. The cook gave him a quick curtsy and a doting smile. She was tiny, almost doll-like, with round cheeks and a worn face. She was so maternal I wanted to curl up in her lap. But she was smiling at Dane like a long lost son.

  Clearly, this Mer was special to him. And he wanted us to like each other. The use of our nicknames made that pretty clear. I gave her a shy smile.

  She gave me a nod and asked if we wanted human-style French bread with our soup. I had no idea what that was but I nodded enthusiastically. I watched her swim back to her stove and turned back to Dane and Annaruth. As usual, the Prince was frowning when he looked at me.

  “You look pale, Tri.”

  “Gee, thanks.” I cast a glance over toward the busy cook. “I mean, sorry if my paleness offends you, Your Highness.”

  He flipped his fins against me under the table.

  “Ow!”

  He grinned at me as Batrinza carried over three soup bowls, knowing I would not retaliate in front of the cook. Even if she hadn’t been the most adorable Mer ever or if I wasn’t naturally respectful of my elders, I was not going to fin slap Dane in front of her. He was the Prince, after all. The sole heir to the crown. And we already had a target on our backs because of our friendship.

  Or at least, I had a target on my back. The thought of anyone hurting Dane was even more upsetting to me. I could handle the threat. The Prince of the entire realm shouldn’t have to.

  I resisted the urge to dive face first into the bowl of fragrant soup in front of me. It was a reddish color, and I had no idea what I was eating.

  “It’s a seaweed stew. It’s tomato based with hot peppers.”

  “Human food?” I asked in wonder.

  Batrinza nodded with a kindly smile and swam away after making sure we didn’t need anything else. I lifted my spoon to my
lips and almost cried in ecstasy. The flavors were so robust, so complex, so different from anything I’d ever had before.

  “I’ve never seen you look this happy, Tri,” Annaruth teased.

  “I have never been this happy,” I agreed, savoring another spoonful.

  “Don’t forget to try it with the bread!” Batrinza chirped from across the room. I nodded eagerly and tore a piece of the tubular shaped bread, imitating Dane and Annaruth. It was hard on the outside and white and soft on the inside, still warm from Batrinza’s oven.

  I dipped it into the soup and groaned in ecstasy at the taste. The warm, soft bread with its hard crust, moistened by the soup, seemed to both absorb and increase the intensity of the flavors.

  “It’s magic.”

  Dane shook his head with a laugh.

  “It’s bread. French bread, to be exact.”

  “French. That’s in Europe, right?”

  He nodded and gave me a smile of approval. We’d just started Human History and Etiquette, but I’d been reading ahead in my scrolls after dinner. For as long as I could keep my eyes open, anyway.

  “Yes. The country is called France. They are known for their food and fashion. Wine too.”

  I dipped another chunk of bread into my rapidly dwindling bowl.

  “Well, I’m definitely a fan.”

  And then, before I could even ask, Batrinza was there with a fresh bowl and another basket of bread. I stared at her lovingly.

  “You are my favorite person in all the blue seas.”

  She chuckled and shook her head.

  “Silly Mer.”

  “She means it,” Dane said with a sardonic smile.

  Batrinza shook her had again but she was smiling.

  “Just wait until you try desert.”

  I grinned, overjoyed to have met such a wonderful Mer. Annaruth stopped me before I could take a bite.

  “I’d like to add a special ingredient.” She sprinkled some dust into my soup. I peered into my bowl, then back at her. “Just a little magic to help with your endurance,” she said, answering my unspoken question.

  “Okay. You are also my favorite Mer. I have two.” Dane raised his eyebrows at me and I shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Everyone laughed. I was teasing him. He could be my third favorite, I decided. Plus Starla, Lila, and Rip. And my parents, of course.

  I groaned contentedly, holding my belly. Batrinza had not been joking about desert. She’d served us a variety of small flat treats called ‘cookies’ and something else she called ‘fudge,’ which was the thickest and most delicious thing I’d ever eaten. I’d even brought a piece of it for Beazil to try.

  I wasn’t sure if it was the warm coziness of the kitchen, Annaruth’s endurance spell, or the incredible food, but I felt better than I had since starting at the Academy. Better even than before the Trials.

  Maybe better than I’d felt since my father died.

  I chewed my cheek as I swam toward the stables, remembering that awkward moment as we’d left the kitchens.

  “She’s very pretty,” I’d heard Batrinza whisper to the Prince and immediately turned bright red. She wasn’t even trying to be quiet, but it still felt like eavesdropping. Never mind the fact that everyone had an opinion on whether or not we were, or even should be, a ‘thing.’

  “Your freckles are glowing,” Dane teased with a smug smile as he swam past me. I grumbled about ‘Royal pain in the tailfins’ as I followed him. But I hadn’t complained when he swam me all the way to my room or when he pressed a quick kiss on my cheek. I rubbed my skin softly. It was slightly warm and tingly, as if I could still feel his lips.

  But I couldn’t sleep. I had a view of the Royal stables from my chamber. I’d stared out the magically secure window, realizing how long it had been since I checked in with my friend.

  “I missed you,” I said as I swam into his stall, leaning my head against his cheek. His magical eye twirled at me, changing colors. I nuzzled him, enjoying the silence. I patted the wrapped bundle in my net bag and smiled.

  “Have you ever heard of fudge?” I asked, holding out a large chunk of the sticky sweet substance in my hand. Not surprisingly, it was gone in an instant. “It’s good, right?”

  Beaz smiled his secret shark smile at me. I carefully dug out another chunk of fudge, offering it to him. He gobbled it up and flipped over, offering his belly.

  I rubbed his belly for a while until he dozed off. I nestled against him and fell asleep. I’ll just doze here for a few moments, I said to myself. Just to rest my eyes . . .

  I woke with a start, not sure where I was at first. I turned my head to the side and saw Beazil. He was awake and nudging me. His magical eye was twirling wildly.

  Something was wrong.

  It was still dark outside, I realized. Not yet dawn. The quiet seemed . . . too quiet. I glanced out the slotted opening in Beazil’s window and froze.

  Cloaked figures were streaming out of the castle. Each cloak was long and dark and covered its wearer almost completely. I couldn’t even see the colors of their fins.

  But perhaps if I got closer . . .

  I knew without a doubt that whatever I was witnessing was a threat to the Royal family. A threat to Dane. Maybe even a threat the Seas themselves. I held my finger up and whispered to Beazil to stay put. Then I swam quickly and carefully through the stables and back out on top of the roof. I swam close to the edge, silent and swift as a blade.

  There were dozens of them. They swam in formation, leaving the castle behind. As soon as they were clear of the gates, I swam after them, trying to figure out how many of them there were. I got as high as two dozen before I lost count.

  My mind was racing with unanswerable questions.

  1.Who were they?

  2.How could there be so many?

  3.If they meant harm, how were they able to leave and enter the Palace?

  4.How was a mass migration like this not logged into the log of comings and goings?

  But I knew the answer. Magic. It had to be. They had a powerful magician among their ranks, perhaps even one who had deliberately hidden their talents. That made them very, very scary and very, very dangerous.

  I swam slowly, careful to keep a consistent distance between myself and the cloaked figures. The front of the procession took a sudden turn and dove downward sharply. I blinked as the last one disappeared. I swam closer, but not near enough to be seen by the sole lookout.

  There was no sight of them. Only a dark patch of seaweed that looked shallow. Nothing like the kelp forest we’d faced in the Trials.

  An underground cave. It must be.

  And underground caves had more than one entrance.

  I swam in a wide circle as I scanned the sea floor.

  There.

  A dark shadow among the sand and seaweed. It might be a rock from what I could tell. Or it could be a small entrance to a network of underground caves. I dove down without hesitation.

  It was an opening! I slipped inside, not sure I would fit. I was actually a little bit afraid I would get stuck. But I was in, and I could hear muffled voices. And when I squeezed a bit further in . . . I could see.

  A large cavern opened up below me. It had been carved by magic, I thought in wonder. It was far too spherical to be natural. Ornate carvings were etched into the walls. I fought the urge to gasp at the beauty of it.

  The dangerous beauty.

  Just being there . . . having a secret location so close to the Palace to gather . . . it was treason. And treason was punishable only by death.

  I swallowed nervously at the thought of what I was witnessing. I almost screamed at what I heard next.

  “Bring her,” an unfamiliar voice rang out.

  For a moment, I thought I had been discovered. I tensed, prepared to swim fast. I was ready to fight. But no. Two cloaked figures carried a slumped over Mer into the center of the circle. I swallowed when I saw the uniform, torn and tattered but unmistakable. It was a Messenger.


  “Awake.”

  The Mer lifted her head and I could see her features. I didn’t recognize her. But she was definitely one of ours. Older than the other Candidates. Not in the Academy. She was already in service.

  “Let me go. Please. I cannot betray my Queen,” the Messenger sobbed pitifully. I found myself reaching for a weapon that I did not have. This could not go on. I had to save her!

  The cloaked figures floated in a circle around her. I did a brief count. There were even more than I’d thought outside. Close to forty.

  Don’t be stupid, Tri. You are not yet trained. And there is a powerful Mer among them. Perhaps more than one!

  I forced myself to relax and pay attention. I could save her if I gathered information. But it would not be tonight.

  “What is your message to us, Jollina?”

  “I don’t know, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did! They have a Magician just as wicked as you are!”

  I nodded to myself as I watched her defiant bravery with admiration. Jollina. I had heard of her. She was known for her speed and bravado. The rumors were true. She was resisting them. No matter what happened, I would see her name cleared.

  But her resistance was for naught. The Magician waved an elegant hand over the Messenger’s forehead.

  “Remember . . .”

  The expression on her face slack, Jollina opened her mouth to speak.

  “The Ambassador to Quendath has been compromised. They seek to share our waters. Or to overtake them completely.”

  A murmuring broke out among the crowd below me. I myself was horrified. Quendath was to the south, near the land of South America. We knew their waters were badly impacted by the warming of the seas and pollution. But that they wanted to take our territory over was terrifying.

  That would mean only one thing.

  It would mean war.

  A war the Queen knew nothing about and could not prepare for.

  A war that would put my friends at risk. Thousands of Mers could die. Even Candidates would be called up to fight, well before they were ready to.

  “Listen and remember. We are open to opening our borders. Our Royalty can be removed when the time comes. We negotiate for the common Mer.”