Kingdom of Salt and Sirens

by J. A. Armitage

  I take her down the hallway to my room, and while she looks around, I grab the last box of Rubins I collected. She looks at it sadly. “Let’s go back to the surface and talk for a while. Everything’s going to be all right. I know it is.”

  She just nods and follows me as we make our way to the surface. When we sit on the rocks, she leans into my side. “What’s going to happen now, Nix?” She sounds so sad, it breaks my heart.

  “I’m going to go and speak to Hurley to see if he can tell me more about our other option.”

  “Nix, that sounds dangerous. I can’t lose you.”

  “You won’t. I’m only going to talk to him.”

  We sit in silence for quite a long time and then she says, “I think I need to go home. I’m worn out after that meeting.”

  “I know what you mean. Come on. Climb on my back and hold tight.”

  “Whatever you say, fish boy.” She doesn’t laugh like she normally does. She’s obviously feeling the weight of what happened with my parents. She climbs on my back and wraps her arms around my neck. I feel so much better when she’s this close to me. My heart rate changes its beat until it’s in sync with hers as she tightens her hold on me.

  I take her back to our spot where her bag is. Before she gets out, I swivel her around so she’s in front of me. “Don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen to me. Mum and Dad will be working out a way so no one finds out it was me.” I bring the small box of Rubins from my pocket. Holding it out, I take a small bit and put it in my pocket then hand the rest to her.

  “Take this and use it to come and see me. I always know when you’re on the beach and will come and find you whenever you are near the water. If you need me or just want to come and see me, then take some and come on down.”

  She takes it and puts it on the rock. “Will I see you tomorrow?” I know it’s a lot for her to take in and she still feels worried about everything. She’s frowning and I don’t like her doubting me.

  “Of course you will. I need you to breathe, baby.” I pull her close to my body and wrap my arms around her. I kiss her neck and she moans.

  When I pull away, she blushes and then climbs out of the sea. She grabs her bag and puts her shorts and t-shirt back on, and I watch her climb the steps out of Kizzi Cove. Smiling and waving, I don’t let her see the fear that is gripping me inside. It’s only when she waves at the top that I turn around and swim over to the Lost Caves. I need time to think and be on my own.

  As much as I can’t live without her, I need to make sure I do everything possible for us to be together. Even if that means I’ll die in the process.

  13

  Nix POV

  After leaving the caves, I swim down to find Hurley. I need to know more about this quest and whether he believes it’s true or just legends.

  I see him tending the gardens. “Hurley!” I shout. He stops what he’s doing and walks over to me.

  “Hey, Nix. I thought you might be over to see me after our chat the other night.”

  “Yeah? Why did you think that?”

  “I saw the excitement flare in your eyes when we talked about it. Then I spotted you with a beautiful human a couple of times.”

  “Did you? She’s my soulmate. I need to be with her, regardless of what our laws state. That’s why I need to know about the quest.”

  “Come inside and I’ll tell you what I know.” He leads me into his house and gets me a drink before asking me to sit.

  “First of all, I want to ask you some questions. I’m intrigued that you think she’s your soulmate. What does it feel like?” He sits forward in his chair and is watching my face for any reactions.

  “The first time I saw her, my breath caught and I thought it was just because I had taken Rubins and it wasn’t working. It’s a long story but a starfish is involved.”

  “A starfish? Interesting. Continue.”

  “When I touched her for the first time, I noticed her heart beat at the same time as mine. Then when she was annoyed at me and didn’t come down to the beach to see me, I found it difficult to breathe. It frightened me, but the sadness that overwhelmed me was worse. I knew that I needed to see her and touch her. So I took some Rubins and walked up the steps in the cliff and left Kizzi Cove.”

  “You left the cove?”

  “Yes. I had to find her. I didn’t know where she was but I just followed my instincts. When I saw her, I could take a deep breath and my heart rate slowed down to the same as hers.”

  “Wow. I’ve only heard of mermaids and humans being soulmates in legends. This is amazing.”

  “Do you think the legends were true? Do you think we can make it work?”

  “To be honest, I always thought they were stories, but there is a legend about one merman who fell in love with a human and she was his soulmate. He took the quest and he chose to live as a human and only came back once a year to visit his family. His parents were devastated and banished him from their home. Even though he was with his soulmate, he still died of a broken heart. Not only does a mermaid need their soulmate, but they need their family equally.”

  “Huh. It didn’t go well when I told Mum and Dad earlier about Sophia.”

  Hurley starts to laugh. “No kidding. I would have loved to have been algae on the walls of the palace to hear that conversation.”

  “I’d say you didn’t need to be far outside the palace walls to hear what dad said.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Listen, Hurley, I want to know everything about this quest. I think I need to find out the other option for me and Sophia.”

  “You could die, Nix. Is she worth it?”

  “I’ll die without her, Hurley. Yes, she’s worth it. Will she die without me? What if something happens to me?”

  “I can’t answer that for you, but I think with her being human, the pull is strong, but not as strong as it is for you. I don’t think she would die without you, but we don’t know for certain.”

  “It’s a risk that’s worth taking. Can you tell me everything you know about the quest?”

  “Let’s get some food and talk at the same time. You could be here for a while.”

  “Whatever it takes to make her mine forever.”

  * * *

  Sophia POV

  * * *

  Leaving Nix at the beach was hard today. I can’t get everything he said out of my head. What does it mean to be the soulmate of a merman? I know it feels like my heart is breaking every time I leave him. It kind of explains why I’m so comfortable with him and his situation. But I don’t know what it means for our future.

  On my way home, I walk over to Molly’s house. I need a friend. After I knock on the door, Molly comes out.

  “Hey. Haven’t seen you in a few days. You’ve been busy with Nix. Come in.”

  “Thanks, Molls.”

  When we get to her room, we sit cross-legged on her bed. Her house looks out to the sea too, and I can just make out the island. Staring at it, I smile thinking of Nix.

  “What’s been going on, Sophia? You’ve got a funny smile on your face. Tell me all about him.”

  “Do you believe in soulmates?”

  “Well, I don’t know. I’ve read about them in books and stuff. You know, like Edward and Bella in Twilight. I’m not sure I believe they’re real though. Why? Do you like him that much that you think he’s your soulmate? Soph, you’re young. Don’t get tied down at this age.”

  “It’s difficult to explain, Molls. When I’m with Nix, it feels like everything in the world is right. I miss him dreadfully when I’m not near him, and the farther apart we are, the harder it is to breathe.”

  “Wow, that’s rather profound. It’s just the flush of him being your first love.”

  “It could be, but I think it’s more than that. When I said goodbye to him today, it felt like he was trying to tell me something. There’s shit going on with his family and I’m worried he’s going to do something drastic.” I start sobbing. It felt like he was say
ing goodbye.

  “Hey, Soph. I’m sure you’re over-reacting. Seriously, everything will be fine.”

  I don’t stay long because she doesn’t understand how I feel and I can’t explain it to her because I don’t want to break his confidence. That’s what his parents expect me to do.

  On my way home, I walk down the steps in Kizzi Cove and stand on the rocks. I want to see if he knows I’m here like he says he does.

  After a few minutes, I see something swimming towards the rocks. Nix pops his head above the water. “Are you okay, Sophia? What happened?” I lay down on the rocks so I can get close to him.

  “I was worried you weren’t coming back to me. It sounded like you were saying goodbye. I can’t handle that.” I let the tears flow. The relief that he came to me lies in each of my tears.

  “I’d never leave you. I told you. You’re my soulmate. I can feel you here.” He puts his hand over his heart.

  I reach out my hand and put it over his and feel the beating of his heart. Suddenly, I feel calm again.

  “I’m sorry. I just needed to see you.”

  “It’s okay. I just panicked when I felt you here by the shore. Are you sure you’re okay now?”

  I nod. “Yeah.”

  “It’s getting dark. I’ll watch you walk up the steps. You shouldn’t be down here in the dark on your own. Make sure you wave to me when you get to the top.” He leans over and kisses me on the cheek.

  “I will. See you tomorrow.” I stand up and start walking up the steps. When I reach the top, I turn and wave, and he waves back before diving under the sea. Smiling to myself, I walk home.

  14

  Nix POV

  I felt Sophia when I was just leaving Hurley’s place. I started to panic, and it was only once I knew she was okay that my heart calmed down.

  I didn’t want to tell her what I found out about the quest. I need to think this over and decide whether I want to do this or not. Once I’ve seen her walk to the top of the stairs, I leave and go back to the palace.

  Darya is waiting for me when I get back. “You took your time coming back. Was everything okay with Sophia?”

  “Yeah. She was upset with the way Mum and Dad handled the news, but she knows we’re meant to be together.”

  “Did you take her straight back or did you hang around for a while?”

  I look at Darya. Why is she asking me all these questions? Is she trying to find out information for Mum and Dad?

  “We hung out for a while and then I came home. Why?”

  “You were gone for a while. I didn’t know if you and Sophia had decided to end your relationship.” She looks down to the floor.

  “Why would you think that, Darya? We’re soulmates, you know that.”

  “I know that. I’m just worried about what’s going to happen.”

  “Me too. I need to go to bed and think about everything. I’ll see you in the morning, Darya.” I hug her and kiss her on the cheek. My mind is already made up. As soon as everyone is asleep, I’m going to leave on my quest.

  Hopefully, I’ll only be gone for a couple of days. Sophia and I will be still okay in that time, right?

  * * *

  Once I’m back in my room, I sit on the end of my bed and build up the courage I need to see this through. I take some Rubins, just in case, and put it in my pocket. I search my drawers for a weapon I can take with me. I find my knife that I was given when I became a teenager. I’ve never had use for it, but it might come in handy now.

  I dig a bit more and look for my school books. I keep looking through them until I come to the sections on narwhals, Bathysaurus and of course, Zale. I need to do some research before I leave.

  I read up everything I can on them. I know what they eat, what they look like, where they live, how they kill their prey, and anything else I can find out about them.

  After a couple of hours, I creep out of my room and move down the corridor to my parents’ room. Opening their door quietly, I see they’re sleeping. Now all I have to do is to get out of here without the guards seeing me.

  At the back door to the palace, I sneak out of the door that isn’t guarded and make my way out of the village.

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous; I’m absolutely petrified. But it’s the right thing to do for me and for Sophia. I hope she can forgive me leaving her for a few days. I’m sure she can if I make it back with the answer to us being together forever.

  * * *

  As I get farther towards The Deep, it gets darker. It’s never this dark in our village. There’s always light; even at night time it doesn’t get pitch black like this.

  Am I scared? Hell yeah. I’ve never done anything this dangerous in my life. I’ve never defied my parents until I met Sophia. I am quintessentially the good guy. The one that other mermen look up to. Hopefully, I will be thought of as a hero at the end of this, or I will just be another fallen soldier if I don’t make it back.

  Shaking my head, I know I have to make it back for Sophia. But right now, I need to concentrate on the tasks ahead of me.

  I’ve been swimming for about an hour solidly and the light is starting to completely fade. I can see a shadow moving alongside me. When I turn, there’s nothing there. Maybe the darkness is playing tricks on me.

  Again, I see a shadow circling me. My heart rate increases. I know there’s something there. Something watching me. I need to be tough, show that I’m not scared.

  “Who’s there? Is that you Bathysaurus? Come show yourself!”

  I stop swimming and stay very still. I can see the shadow moving closer to me. I’m sure it can hear my heart beating in my chest. It feels like it’s going to come out of my mouth.

  As if out of nowhere, a face appears in front of me. That’s not what scares me, though. He has his mouth open and he has an unfathomable amount of sharp, white teeth.

  He stops just in front of me, white teeth on show. “Who are you? What are you doing here? This is my patch.” He growls.

  “I’m on my way to see Zale.” I just get the name out when the Bathysaurus starts laughing. He opens his mouth and I can see he even has teeth on his tongue. I shiver uncontrollably.

  “Zale? Really? Are you stupid or something?”

  “No. I need to see him to find out the secret to living forever with my human soulmate.” I stand tall. I don’t want him to think I’m weak.

  “A human soulmate, huh? We don’t come across those very often. How interesting.”

  “I don’t want to cause you any trouble, but I need to get past you so I can be on my way.” I don’t move. I need him to help me, not eat me.

  “What’s in it for me if I let you past?” He moves closer to me, baring his teeth. “Tell me.”

  This where I need to pull out a miracle. I think back to my research on Bathysaurus. What is his weakness? Think quickly, Nix. Think. “If you let me past then I’ll bring you back a narwhal. I know you’d love to eat one of those.”

  “A narwhal you say? They are a delicacy for sure. The pesky tusks get in the way and I can’t grab them. So you think you can catch one and bring it back to me?”

  I puff out my chest. I need to convince him that I can do this. It’s the only way he’s going to let me past.

  “Yes, I can.”

  “Well, then I’ll let you past. Make sure you bring me one back if you get past them and Zale. I won’t hold my breath, but I’d love one.”

  “Thanks. You won’t regret it.”

  I swim past him as fast as I can, before he realises that there’s a chance I won’t come back and he could have just eaten me.

  I’m getting tired now. I’ve been swimming for an hour or so after leaving Bathysaurus. My vision is blurred and I can barely see in front of my nose. I don't know where it’s safe for me to sleep for the night. But I need to gather up my strength ready for the second part of my quest tomorrow. As I find a cave, I enter it cautiously, concerned at what may be inside. Realising it’s empty, I snuggle into the wal
l and close my eyes.

  When I close them, I can see Sophia smiling, laughing, and looking at me adoringly. I miss her already. I would imagine it’s already lunchtime back home as I swam through the night. Down here, there’s no sense of time, so it may even be evening time. I can feel myself getting weaker and weaker without her. God knows what it will feel like tomorrow. I hope she can forgive me. After all, I’m doing all of this for her. I just hope I make it back alive and in one piece.

  * * *

  Sophia’s POV

  * * *

  Waking up I stretch my arms then jump out of bed and run to the window to see if I can see any mermaids jumping out by the island. I always check this place first thing when I wake up, just in case and Nix or Darya are there.

  There's no one there. I feel a strange pulling on my heart and it reminds me of my feelings last night. The feeling that Nix was saying goodbye. I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack. My breath is shortening, my chest is tightening, and my heart is palpitating. I need to get down to the cove to see Nix. Once I see him, I know I’ll feel much better.

  After getting dressed, I head down for breakfast. I don't really feel like talking to anyone this morning and Mum is trying to ask a lot of questions, but all I want to do is eat and run.

  “Sophia, you’re very quiet today.” Mum hands me some toast. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine, Mum. I’m just tired.” All I can think about is getting to Nix. It’s a very strange feeling, and I'll be honest, it's not something I like. After I finish my breakfast, I grab my bag and make my way down to Kizzy Cove.

  I practically run down the steps trying to see if I can get a glimpse of him. But there's no-one there. Everything is okay. It has to be okay. HE has to be okay. When I get to the bottom, I run to the rocks and get ready to jump in the water.