Kingdom of Salt and Sirens

by J. A. Armitage

  My mother’s chambers looked very much like something out of the Baroque era, but there were obvious technological updates with the lighting and screens that seemed to be floating near the wall.

  I turned to Mason, determined to take advantage of the few moments we had alone.

  “This is all very surreal.” I said, circling the sitting room. “Thank you, so much for telling me the truth. It truly is nice to see her.”

  “Arya,” he said cautiously. “Don’t get too attached. Remember. Your mother is royalty and as you witnessed for yourself, King Atlan isn’t too pleased with her past choices.”

  “Indeed” I responded. “What was that look you were giving me when the King was requesting, we come here?”

  There was hesitance on Mason’s part. He was the one to take to circling the room, “maybe it’s just me. But there is something about you that puts King Atlan on edge. I’m not sure if you noticed, but it he really didn’t take well to you. Besides, I still don’t know why he took it upon himself to join Princess Thalia on the surface. I’ve met with her a few times and he’s never been in her company.”

  “Maybe he’s afraid of losing her to her family?” I said, knowing that would be a real fear of any father who was preparing his successor.

  “Maybe,” Mason said, immediately shutting up when Sergio rejoined us, accompanied by a young woman carrying a tray.

  She moved about quickly, in a suit like my mother’s but hers was white which made her dark hair stand out. The woman didn’t say a word. She simply poured the liquid from a glass pitcher into the glasses and immediately took her leave.

  I looked at the drink. It was a light green. I couldn’t imagine what it was, but I thought it couldn’t be that bad. Except, it was awful! I spat it back into the glass, “I’m so sorry. But I can’t drink that.”

  Sergio smiled, “interesting. You know, no one in your royal bloodline can tolerate this algae drink.”

  “Then why would you give it to me?”

  “I had to test you. It is important for us to get to know you better. You’re the only half-breed in this bloodline ever known to us to have our abilities. I’m sure Mason has explained how rare it is. But it is even more rare in the King’s bloodline. Unheard of.”

  My mother walked in, “Sergio, thank you. I’ll take it from here.”

  “Very well, Princess Thalia. Just call when you are ready.”

  She nodded and saw him out. A door that had been hidden within the wall slid closed, making a pressuring sound as if to seal us in.

  “Arya,” my mother said again as she embraced me. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “Me too,” I said no longer holding back my tears. “I really do wish my sisters could be here, mom. We’ve really missed you.”

  She nodded, turning to Mason, “you’ll have to take her back soon. We don’t have much time. Otherwise, the King is going to have his scientist subject her to testing. He’s determined to find out why Arya is the first of our bloodline to have our abilities. Mason. It is imperative he not get his hands on her, do you understand?”

  Mason nodded, as they exchanged a silent moment.

  “What does that mean? Why does it matter?” I pressured.

  “Arya, there are so many things I need to tell you and I’ll do so quickly,” she said leading me to a seat. “My dear. The reason you have the abilities you do, and your sisters don’t is because Una took their abilities away. She’s like us. And my father sent her to the surface to keep watch over me. Except, when I started having you girls and each of you displayed abilities that were incomprehensible to her, she stripped your sisters’ powers. Only, when it came to you, I made a pact with her. I agreed to return to Atlan, so long as she left you intact. I’m happy to see she kept her end of the bargain.”

  “I don’t understand? Why? I mean, why would she stirp my sisters of this, and why does Una have this type of authority?”

  “Because,” my mother looked away, “she helped me hide from my father while I lived on the surface. When my father learned that Una was protecting me, he banned her from the ocean.”

  “So, she was good?”

  She shook her head, “she’s not bad. She’s just bitter. And whether you believe it or not, she’s managed to keep a secret for me all this time. A secret only she, Mason, and now you will know.”

  I sat quietly, waiting for the bomb to drop.

  “We believe your father has Atlan blood. Clearly, not powerful enough, but enough that when we had children together, you all inherited our abilities.” She smiled.

  “I can’t believe this. You’re telling me dad is Atlan too?’

  “In a way. Yes. Someone on either side of his family, was kind of like you. But they probably didn’t even know it. Look, none of that matters right now. Una is still looking into it all. Mason can tell you more about it. I love you, Arya. But you two need to go. It’s not safe for you here. I’ll find you as soon as I can. I promise.”

  My mother yielded a silent strength I wish I had in that moment. I knew I needed to heed her warning, yet I didn’t want to leave her. I threw my arms around her, “I just found you.”

  “I know my sweet baby girl. I know. This is difficult for me too. I need you to be strong and speak of this to no one. I’ll be in touch as soon as it is safe.”

  “Okay mom. I love you too,” I said giving her one last squeeze before she let me go and showed Mason and I to a secret passageway.

  “Mason, you know the plan. Do not deviate from it no matter how scary it might seem. Get to the surface and you’ll be safe.”

  “Wait!” I shrieked. “Mom, I can’t leave you.” The tears dripped down my face.

  “Go!” she said pushing us through the opening. I saw her lips say I love you, before the secret door closed and Mason and I sprang into action.

  I might’ve been able to keep up with him swimming, but on legs, it was an entirely different story.

  We ran upwards a spiraling passageway that looked like we were inside of a cave, until we reached another door. “This puts us outside of the sphere. If we are lucky, the King doesn’t know we’ve escaped yet. So, no one will be on our trail. But if he does, whatever you do, keep up with me and don’t look back.” He said tucking strands of hair behind my ears. “Arya, you are stronger than you know.”

  We entered an antechamber and waited for the door to reseal itself before Mason pushed another button, “let’s go!” he said, and the water immediately flooded the room as we swam out.

  I did exactly what he told me, swimming like my life depended on it, because it did.

  I had no idea if anyone or anything was in our pursuit because I never looked back. We swam faster than humanly possible, shooting straight for the surface. When we broke the surface we gasped for air, and Mason yelled to stay on the surface and keep swimming. We swam faster into a dense fog, “don’t look back Arya,” he reminded me as I felt like something was going to grab me. The fear settled in, telling me that despite being at the surface, I was still in the water and therefore in danger.

  My instincts told me to push harder and I did. How much time had lapsed, I did not know? I only knew my muscles were starting to grow tired, but I kept up with Masons stride.

  “We’re almost there,” he said. Only I couldn’t see. And had no clue how he could, being that the fog was still so dense.

  I swam faster, thinking about my mother. All along we’d thought we’d lost her, yet she’d been in the ocean the entire time.

  It was like a fairytale, yet it was my reality.

  I could hear voices ahead and Mason suddenly stood, turning to reach for me. I scrambled to stand, feeling as if the ocean was going to pull me back in, I rushed for Mason and in one move he lifted me in his arms. Our hearts beat fast as he finally reached the safety of the beach.

  “Are you all right?” He asked through panting breaths.

  I nodded, watching how the fog recoiled into itself, slowly clearing as the sun broke through the
sky.

  “Thank goodness the two of you are back,” a familiar voice said, as I whipped my head around to find Una waiting for us. “Did anything follow you?” She asked Mason.

  “Not that I’m aware of. But you and I both know that doesn’t mean anything.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked point blank.

  Una stepped forward with a towel in hand, “Mason told me what was going to happen this morning. I had to be here just in case.”

  She handed me the towel and hugged her midsection. There was a vulnerability in her I’d never witnessed before. “Una,” I said. “I need to know if I can truly trust you.”

  She smiled. For the first time since I’d known her. “You can.” She replied, “come on now. Let’s get away from here.”

  We grabbed our bags and followed her to the parking lot.

  I had no clue what was going to happen next, but what I did know was that my mother trusted this woman, therefore I was going to have to as well.

  12

  Una grabbed our things, beeping her key to unlock her car. Her movements were jerky, untrusting. I knew she was worried for my safety, and that put my fears at rest for the moment.

  She kept looking around, watching behind us.

  “Don’t worry, Una, I told you nothing followed us.”

  “Yes, but you know that we can’t trust that. We don’t see everything, and everything is not as it seems.” Una warned Mason, as if reminding him of some dark secret they both carried. “Come on Arya, we need to get you out of here.”

  “The King is after me, isn’t he?” I asked, the feeling of fear growing stronger. “Why would he be after me? I don’t understand.”

  “Arya, get in the car.” Una urged, pulling gently on my arm, as the door to her little blue vehicle swung wide open.

  I ducked my head in, waiting for an answer from either one of my companions, growing more impatient by the moment.

  Mason climbed in the front seat, while Una tossed our stuff in the trunk. She hurriedly got in, starting the vehicle and took off quickly out of the parking lot, staring into her rearview mirror as if she still expected something to be coming after us.

  I tilted my head around, staring out the back window, my heart pounding furiously. Maybe there was something coming after us, and I just couldn’t see it. After all, Una had said not everything was as it seemed.

  “Mason! Please, tell me! The King is after me, isn’t he?”

  Mason shrugged his shoulders. “I honestly don’t know, I just know that he is threatened by you, and I know that I swore to your mother I would protect you at all costs. The car accelerated, as Una hurried to get away from the water. She darted in between vehicles, putting as much distance as she could between them and the body of water.

  “Do either one of you want to tell me what's going on?”

  “Listen, Arya, we can only suspect at this point. We don’t know, we just know that your mother, Thalia, asked us to keep you safe.” Una peeked in her rear-view mirror, as she kept searching for trouble.

  “Yes, it’s like Una said. We only have our suspicions at this point, which is why Una is driving like a crazy person to get you away from the water.”

  I shook my head, as I stared out the window. I envisioned my mother’s elegant face and wished I could be back with her again. I hoped that when this was all over, we would be reunited. I hated that our time together had been so short, and then I had been jerked from her. Tears stung my eyes.

  “I know it sucks, Arya. I know. Just hang on, and when you are safe, we can try to figure this all out.” Una tried to comfort me, yet it was fruitless, my nerves were on end. My heart hurt, and the situation seemed ridiculous and unfair.

  “I just want to be back in Atlan with my mother.”

  Una and Mason gave each other glances.

  “We can’t risk it. No doubt the King has told his armies about you. They will not take kindly to you, for it is the King whom they serve and will die for. They’ll have your head if you go anywhere near Atlan.”

  Una cut off a black truck, and he honked loudly at her. The blaring sound resonating in her ears. Just as I began to accept my fate, and had begun to relax a little, a thundering sound encased us on all sides. We’d driven quickly, and for what felt like miles, only as I looked back, a solid wall of water raced over the tops of the vehicles on the road, drowning all in sight.

  “No!” I screamed, “Una! Mason!!! What is that?” Mason flipped around in his seat, and Una peered out of her driver’s side window.

  “It looks like a giant tide that has come onto land!” Mason yelled, his eyes wide in disbelief.

  “No, no, no, no!” Una cried out, pushing her car as fast as she dared. The revving sound of the engine worried me.

  “Please, be careful, Una. If you push it too hard, we won’t stand a chance.” I cautioned her. Knowing if her car broke down, we would be stuck, and whatever was coming after us would catch up.

  Then, suddenly, with no warning, something impacted us on the right side, and the little car went spinning out of control. My head jerked to the side, and like a moment that occurred in slow motion, my head spun as we flipped over and over. We landed wheels up, just a few feet off to the side of the road, several cars crashing into each other a repercussion of what had just happened.

  Everything was very loud, and then it went muffled. The bright light of day, now a flickering in my head. Was I alive? Day was fading. Mason was talking to me, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Then Una’s loud voice interrupted. I could see her yelling, as her lips moved, but I couldn’t make out a single word. Then everything blacked out.

  I was back in my mother’s arms, safe and happy. Water everywhere around, like a peaceful embrace carrying us further and further inward. Where were we going? I didn’t care. It was like a dream, and I never wanted to wake up.

  “Mother…” I said, and she looked down at me smiling, and then everything was loud again.

  “Arya come back! Arya! Are you okay?” Una was terrified, I could hear it in her high-pitched voice. “She’s not responding Mason!”

  I tried to open my eyes to show them I was okay. Only I couldn’t, I just wanted to rest them. Sleep seemed to be my best option at that moment, and I clung to it like a lost love.

  “Arya,” Mason’s voice came in strong and turbulent against the heavy fog that clouded my brain. “Arya, you need to wake up now. We need you. Thalia needs you. Atlan needs you.”

  His voice coaxed me from my sleep, and reached out for it, like it was an anchor for my soul bringing me closer to the surface of where I was.

  Slowly, I could feel my eyes opening, but my head felt funny. We were still hanging upside down.

  “I’m here, I’m awake.”

  “Oh, thank the gods!” Una sighed dramatically, so relieved that I had come to.

  “What happened? Help me out!” I was still trapped in my seatbelt, with my blood rushing to my head. Everything in me hurt, and my heart was pounding furiously.

  “Hold on, Arya, and stay quiet. I’m going to try to sneak out to get you,” Mason finally wriggled free from his seat, and crawled out of the broken window. His body pressed against the glass and the ground, as he reached around to the back seat to try to help me undo my seatbelt. No sooner had he unbuckled it, and I was able to wiggle free than the car was spinning on its top. Water splashed up on both sides, and I choked on it, as it leaked into the vehicle.

  “Oh no!” Mason was spinning with the car, trying to maneuver his way out as it spun. “Uuuuggghhhhh!” he yelled, dragging his hand on the ground to stop the car. I scrunched my eyes shut, terrified for the injuries he might suffer. He was putting all his might into trying to stop the spinning of the vehicle. Then he climbed out and was gone.

  “Mason!” I cried out. We could hear his heavy footsteps on the undercarriage of the vehicle.

  “Stop!” He yelled loudly. “You’re going to kill her!”

  “That’s what I wa
s trying to do!” I recognized the Kings voice yelling over the rage of the waters that now encircled us like a tornado, and we were in the eye of it.

  “Why?” Mason yelled, “Just because you’re a little threatened?” his voice was incredulous.

  “What does it matter to you? You’ll breathe your last if you take her side this day!” The King raised his hands up, and the water around them spun faster. Clearly, they were both distracted, so I used the moment to climb out of the vehicle before it began spinning again. My stomach turning nervously.

  “No!” Una whispered loudly, “Don’t go! He’ll kill you!”

  “I don’t care,” I said. “He doesn’t know me, this is stupid!” I couldn't figure out why a King I had just met, would force me into a situation where I couldn't be with my mother. Was he so controlling? I crawled out and peeked over the car, to look up at the King who loathed me so, and in that moment, our eyes locked.

  “Serge! Get her!” he ordered. The man who had just helped us earlier that day, now was my enemy, and he came for me on a cloud of water, with an odd contraption over his nose and mouth. I assumed it was for breathing, though I’d never seen such a thing in my life. It was a very sleek version of a snorkeling mask, only stainless steel looking, and not as wide. I didn't have time to study it more, and instead focused on getting away from the man.

  “I thought only royalty could be on land?” Una had clambered from the car as well.

  “Yes, well I am the King with the power to do anything I wish. I say it shall be done, and it shall be done. I am tired of this game.” With that, the King began to retreat; the great mountain of water beneath him was like a massive armored truck, powering through the water tornado he had encased us with. I could see as he parted, that he destroyed any and every vehicle in his path, but I wondered why he had left the ocean, destroyed the town as he chased after us, just to leave now.