Kingdom of Salt and Sirens

by J. A. Armitage

  “Ari says the Havfrue Ruby saved me. Do you know what he’s talking about?”

  My mother heaved a long sigh and cupped her head in her hands. I waited patiently for her to look up and tell me what was going on.

  When she did, she reached forward and took hold of the ruby that was still hanging from my neck. I let her lift the necklace over my head. She’d told me it would protect me, but how did Ari know about it?

  “I didn’t know just how well it would work,” she said addressing Ari, “although it didn’t save her. I don’t know how much magic it still contains. My father gave it to me to make a wish with, but I can see that it has not been used. It still has magic in it. I guess the witch saw it for what it was and was scared off. I doubt it will work again if she finds out that nothing happened to her. It was sheer dumb luck that you all survived.” She walked around the room, wringing her hands together as she spoke, twisting the gold chain between her fingers. She turned back to Ari. “I didn’t want her to go at all, but I know how stubborn she is. She’d only have found another way to go out to sea if I didn’t let her. These last few hours have been the worst of my entire life. I’ve spent the whole time on that balcony waiting for you to come back. Well, in all honesty, that’s not true. I was waiting for Erica, Hayden, and Astrid to come back. I hoped they wouldn’t find you.”

  I gasped. My mother had been acting strange for the past couple of weeks, but it wasn’t like her to be rude.

  “How is he?” she asked, still looking at Ari. “Is he still mad?”

  Now, I really didn’t know what was going on. Who was she talking about?

  Ari smiled and took her hand, obviously not put off by her rudeness. “He never truly recovered.”

  “He never recovered,” I repeated back what Ari had said so my mother could hear.

  Tears began to prick the corners of her eyes. I looked around to Hayden and Astrid to see if they had any more of a clue than I, but they looked as dumbfounded as I felt. At least, Astrid did. Hayden just sat there with a grimace on his face.

  “Please, can one of you tell me what is going on?” I asked, feeling frustrated. “Do you two know each other?”

  My mother closed her eyes and sighed again, looking utterly defeated. “You tell her.”

  Ari turned to me. “When I came here to the ball, I didn’t pay attention to the king and queen. I didn’t really pay attention to anyone but you. As you know, I was only inside for a few minutes before going outside to dance. If I’d have taken the time to look around me, I’d have recognized your mother. Maybe not straight away. She left before I was born, but she looks so much like some girls I know. The Havfrue Ruby confirmed for me who she is.”

  “I know she’s a mermaid,” I said to him in my mind. “But why would she look like those other people?”

  “Your mother isn’t who you think she is. Her name is Anaitis. Those people she looks like are her sisters. Your mother is the heir to the throne of Havfrue. When her father, the king, dies, she will become queen.”

  “But she’s already the queen of Trifork,” I said rather stupidly. I looked at my mother. Tears fell down over her pale cheeks.

  “You are the heir to the throne underwater as well?”

  Hayden and Astrid stared at her as she nodded her head. So much emotion was overwhelming her that she didn’t speak. She just cried, hiding her face in her hands.

  Hayden stood up and left the room, slamming the door behind him. What was going on with him today?

  “I’m sorry,” I heard her mumble between her fingers.

  I stood up and gave her an awkward hug. I was still getting used to this new version of my mother.

  I turned to Astrid. “Please, can you get one of the palace staff to bring us some tea. I think we are going to need it.”

  She nodded and stood up. As she ambled to the door, my mother asked her to forget the tea and bring us all a whiskey. I guessed it was going to be one of those nights.

  Ten minutes and a burning throat later, my mother was ready to talk. Her hands shook with each word she spoke. Her history was not something that was easy for her to dwell on.

  “You’ve never met the king of Havfrue,” she said, speaking to Astrid and me before turning to Ari, “But you, Ari will know what he is like. He is nothing like your father, Erica. He is a stern man, a strict man, and he rules Havfrue with an iron fist. He is fair to his subjects and is a good leader but living with him was a nightmare. My mother died when I was young, leaving me and my six sisters. I was the eldest and, as such, was expected to look after the rest of them. I didn’t really mind, but my father became so overprotective of us that he stopped letting us out of his sight. If we left his side for more than a minute or failed to tell him where we were going, he became so angry.”

  She stood up and brought a box of tissues from her writing desk. Pulling one out, she dabbed her eyes and sat back down. Ari poured another glass of whiskey and passed it to her. She accepted it gracefully before knocking it back in one swallow.

  “As you can probably tell, I was a willful child, always disobeying orders. I was in trouble all the time. In the end, I couldn’t stand it anymore. You know the rest. I swam away after a particularly bad fight with my father and never went home again. I hated leaving my sisters, but after visiting the sea witch, I had to stay on land. I was not given the opportunity to return, but if I had been, I probably wouldn’t have taken it. Trifork is my home now.”

  She hiccupped and set the glass down on the table next to her.

  “Do you think she’ll come back, the sea witch?” asked Astrid, running her fingers through her shaggy hair.

  “She won’t come on land, but she believes I owe her. If I go into the sea, or if Erica does, she will know, and she will come back. The Havfrue Ruby won’t keep either of us safe for too long. You were lucky it worked the one time.”

  “I cannot go back either. She knows I am with you now. If I go back, she will use me to get to you like she did before.”

  I’d only had one glass of whiskey, but it was making my head spin. It had been an exhausting day, and I couldn’t take in any more information.

  “I don’t know about anyone else, but I need to sleep. Let’s go to bed and work this out in the morning.” I yawned as if to prove my point.

  “What’s to work out?” asked Astrid. “We saved Ari. Your mother hasn’t gone in the sea for years. Surely, Ari can stay out too.”

  “I guess,” I said, looking towards Ari. He looked as tired as I felt. He was stuck. He couldn’t go back to the sea because of me, but to stay on land meant that he’d never have a voice and would have to spend his days walking in agony. “Mother, can we find guest rooms for Ari and Astrid?”

  My mother nodded her head, but the whiskey had affected her. With Ari’s help, we were able to walk her up the stairs to her own bedroom. My father was already there. His voice boomed out as I knocked on his door.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s me, Erica. I’ve got mother here. I think she needs to sleep.” She was propped up in our arms, her head lolling to one side. My father opened his bedroom door and took her from us.

  “What’s the matter with her?” he asked, looking down on her in concern.

  “Too much whiskey,” I said. “I think she was stressed out about today and accidentally drank too much.”

  My father raised an eyebrow. Drinking hard liquor was another thing my mother was not known to do. I guess neither of us knew her as well as we thought we did.

  He carried her to bed and placed her down gently. I quietly closed the door before my father could ask any more questions. My mother could deal with him in the morning.

  I took Astrid and Ari to the lower level where the guest rooms were. Astrid took one, and I showed Ari to another.

  I wanted to kiss him, but I was so tired. My mother wasn’t the only one exhausted by the day. I could barely keep my eyes open.

  “We’ll speak tomorrow,” I said.

  He
looked disappointed but didn’t reply.

  I wearily dragged myself up to my room only to find Hayden there. “What are you doing here?” I asked, wishing he’d gone home. He’d been in a funny mood all day, and I was too tired to find out why. I just wanted to keel over and fall asleep on my bed.

  “What is going on with you, Erica?” His voice had more than a hint of anger.

  “What? Nothing is going on. What’s going on with you? You’ve been looking like you’ve been slapped around the head with a wet kipper all day.”

  “Nothing? I woke up this morning expecting to be getting married, and instead, I ended up on some lunatic suicide mission for...for...for one of those.”

  “One of those?”

  “You know what I mean. A stinking sea person.” He slammed his fist down on the bed. I’d never seen him so angry before.

  “Ari saved my life. I’m sorry if it bothers you that he is a merman, but it’s really none of your business.”

  “That’s right,” he growled, “it isn’t any of my business, and yet, you dragged Astrid and me out with you, knowing full well we were going right into the lair of some crazy old sea bitch.”

  He was right. I’d not asked if he would help or told him what I needed him for; I’d just instructed him to sail me out to sea. We’d been best friends for so long, that it hadn’t occurred to me to ask him if he wanted to help me. He’d always come to my aid when I needed it in the past. Mind you, I’d never asked him to save my life before today.

  “I’m sorry,” I replied lamely, “I thought you’d want to help.”

  “And why would I want to help?” He was so cross, his voice hard and full of aggravation. I was too tired to even try to be nice anymore. I matched his tone as I answered him.

  “Because we are friends. That’s what friends do,” I yelled back. “I thought you’d be happy today. I managed to put a stop to our wedding. You don’t have to be married to me. I thought I was doing you a favor.”

  His face set in a grimace. “Don’t give me that. You were doing yourself a favor. Just like everyone else around here, you thought it was okay to make a life-changing decision about my life without consulting me first. Well, it isn’t okay.” He opened the bedroom door. “It’s not even close.”

  The door slammed behind him with a bang.

  I sat on the bed wondering just what was going on with everyone. First, my mother was acting completely out of character, now Hayden.

  I fell into bed and closed my eyes.

  A few minutes later, I heard my door open again. I opened my eyes, hoping it wasn’t Hayden back for another round.

  It wasn’t. It was Ari. I smiled as he sat on my bed.

  “I’m so glad it’s you,” I smiled. The smile dropped when I saw the worried look on his face.

  “What is it?” I asked, pulling myself up in bed.

  “I have to tell you something,” he replied. I could see the flashes of purple in his eyes despite the low light in the room.

  “Okay.” I patted the bed next to me. He sat and took my hand.

  “It’s about why your mother couldn’t hear me when I spoke to you. I haven’t been completely honest. I was hoping I’d never have to tell you this, but if I don’t, your mother will.”

  “Okay,” I said again, answering him with my mind. It felt weird being the only one to speak aloud, especially when he was telling me something important.

  He took a deep breath. I could see how nervous he was. Whatever he was about to tell me, it was a big deal for him.

  “Merpeople communicate through our minds,” he began. I already knew that. We were doing just that with each other now. “Humans don’t. At first, I couldn’t understand why I could talk to you like this. But when I found out who your mother was, it made sense. You are half mermaid.”

  I nodded. Being called a half mermaid felt strange. Of course, I was, but it was something I would have to get used to. I couldn’t even swim.

  “I felt better knowing that there wasn’t something...strange between us, knowing that this was happening because you had mermaid blood in you. But then your mother couldn’t hear me. If anything, she should be able to hear me better than you. She is a pureblood mermaid.”

  “Does it matter?” I asked, wondering where he was going with this.

  “At first, I didn’t think so; but it’s been puzzling me. I remembered being told as a child that it is only under the water we can communicate. On land, we have to use our voices like anyone else. I’d completely forgotten because before now, I never had reason to come on land, and you’ve always been able to hear me.”

  “Maybe you remembered wrong?” I offered.

  “No,” he said, his eyes flashing pure purple. “No, I didn’t remember it incorrectly. There is something else that I’d forgotten, and it explains this. It hit me as I was heading to bed. I’d never believed it existed before, but knowing what I know now, I can’t think of any other explanation.”

  “Are you going to tell me what it is?” I asked, reverting to using my voice again.

  “Merpeople can possess an incredible ability that land dwellers can’t. It’s rare, but it can happen. I’ve only known it to happen to two couples in my whole life. When two people are perfect for each other, soul mates, a magic can happen where they get bonded together almost like what land dwellers call marriage, but in this bonding, they can never be separated. If one leaves, the other must follow. The magic keeps them near to each other. It is a magic that goes beyond love and lust. Anyone can be attracted to another person. Anyone can fall in love. In bonding, it is only when two people are attracted to each other but are also perfect together, that it happens. It also helps them communicate through their minds above water.”

  I tried to take in everything he was telling me. I could almost hear his heart pounding in his chest.

  “We are bonded?”

  “I think so. I knew as soon as I saw you that you were special. I just didn’t realize until just now how special. It’s really fucking scaring me.”

  I looked at him. The green hadn’t yet come back to his eyes. I knew he was special too, and I couldn’t deny I felt more for him than I ever thought possible.

  My own heart began to race as I took in the implications.

  “If I leave the country?”

  “I will have to come with you.”

  “What if you can’t?” I asked softly.

  “The further we are apart from each other, the heavier our hearts will feel. At only a few hundred meters, we will barely feel it, but if we travel farther and farther to another kingdom perhaps, our pain will intensify to the point our hearts are so heavy they will no longer be able to pump blood around our bodies.”

  “And what If I die?” I whispered softly.

  He pulled me close to him drawing me into a hug. He felt so warm next to me. My body fit perfectly in his arms. We were a perfect fit.

  “If you die, I will die too.”

  I lay back down on the bed taking Ari with me. Neither of us said another word. We just fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  The next morning dawned, bringing sunlight through my window. My head hurt slightly from the whiskey, and my stomach growled. In the madness the day before, I’d completely forgotten to eat.

  My eyes went straight to the other side of the bed, but Ari was already gone.

  Pulling myself out of bed, I headed out to the balcony, eager to get a glimpse of the sea in this beautiful weather. I loved the view in the morning when the sun hit the sea, making it sparkle. I stepped out, fixing my eyes on the horizon as I always did, but this time, there was something different. The sea had completely vanished.

  20

  Ocean Disappearing

  A scream cut through the silence. I had no idea who’d made it or where it had come from, but it was obvious why it had been made. All I could see in the distance was sand covered in seaweed, dead fish, and various other sea creatures. Midway between the horizon and the palace, the ruins of
a boat reminded me of the Erica Rose. I squinted my eyes to see if it was my ship, but it was too far away to tell. I thought back to Joe and the captain and all the others. My heart hurt knowing how they’d all ended up.

  On the very horizon, was a strip of blue that told me that the sea had not vanished completely but had gone out hundreds of meters.

  I dashed from my room and crashed straight into a guard, knocking him to the floor.

  “I’m so sorry, Your Highness,” he apologized, even though it was I that had knocked him over. I held out my hand and helped him to his feet.

  “I was just coming to fetch you. Your mother requests your presence in her study.”

  I nodded and thanked him.

  When I got there, I was surprised to see Hayden and Astrid seated in the exact same places they’d been the night before.

  Astrid smiled pleasantly, but Hayden just scowled. I’d never seen him like this before. Whatever it was that was bothering him hadn’t diluted overnight.

  “I called them down here,” My mother answered my unasked question. “Where is Ari?”

  I looked around the study wondering the very same thing myself. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him this morning,” I answered, perching myself on the arm of the sofa.

  “I thought he’d be with you,” she pointed out, the implication clear. I blushed.

  “No, I put him in one of the guest rooms.” I didn’t tell her that we’d fallen asleep together in my bed.

  “Oh,” she replied brightening up slightly. “That’s good. I’d hate for gossip to get around the palace.”

  What with everything else happening, a bit of gossip over whether I’d slept with Ari was the least of my concerns. Apparently, my mother was back to her normal self again. Prim and proper.

  She adjusted her skirts and cleared her throat before beginning. “I asked you all here to thank you for yesterday. As you can imagine I was dealing with a lot. I told you all a lot of things that I’d hoped I’d take to the grave with me, and though I hate to do this, I’m asking you to keep those secrets.”