by Chanda Hahn
“You can’t be serious,” I snapped. The curse was slowly consuming my life. I needed to find a way to break the spell, not play servant to him.
“Get used to being by my side.” He was enjoying tormenting me.
My mouth dried out. Images of me cleaning his room daily and pressing his shirts filled my head.
My mouth pursed, and I wanted to stomp my foot like a little kid and scream out at him, because that left me stuck at his side. Instead, I channeled my inner Rosalie. I became calm and collected. “And if I refuse?”
“Then I have no qualms about having you punished for breaking my contract and thrown in prison.”
“You’re a pirate,” I grumbled.
“Why thank you for the compliment,” Brennon breathed as he grasped me around the waist, pulling me closer. “I have a tendency to take the things I want.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “And right now, I really want to kiss you again.”
The curse and his betrothed disappeared from my mind, for I became weak in the knees. He made me hate him one moment and then want to kiss him in the next breath. His lips brushed against mine, and I turned my head as he kissed along my neck.
“Am I interrupting?” A deep voice chuckled.
I pulled away from Brennon’s grasp and let out an embarrassed squeak. King Roald stood over us, nonplussed by the embarrassing circumstances we were caught in.
Brennon rolled his eyes, groaning loudly, but his grip on my arm didn’t lesson. I tried to wiggle free, but he held firm. I stepped on his foot, and Brennon grunted and let go. I snatched my skirt and tried to curtsey.
“How can I help, Your Majesty?”
“I hoped to have a moment with Captain Pike,” King Roald answered.
Feeling irritated, I took a jab at Brennon. “Maybe you can teach this pirate some manners, Your Majesty.”
Roald roared with laughter. “Not likely. My son is pretty hardheaded. It runs in the family.”
“Son?” I gasped in surprise, as a flush of embarrassment rose to my face.
King Roald addressed his son. “You really do have a way with the ladies. Come now, Brennon.” He held his right arm out, and Brennon begrudgingly followed.
Brennon scowled over his shoulder, shot me a look, and mouthed, Stay there.
I rolled my eyes. As soon as he was out of sight, I took off. I needed to figure out the source of the magic I felt earlier.
I walked along the edge of the palace grounds and didn’t feel much of anything other than the magic that sprung up from deep within the mystical waterfalls, which was a fountain of renewing magic. I continued to walk through the mists and found a hidden set of steps that led down the sides of the falls. The steps were slim, no deeper than a hand, and a black chain was the only handrail available. But this seemed to be where I felt the magic, and the closer I came to the ocean, the surer I was. The falls poured right into the ocean, and there was a small sandbank along the side and a man-made ocean breaker.
But it was what lay beyond the breaker that gave me chills. I self-consciously touched my heart and felt it flutter in fear. In the deep ocean, highlighted by the moon’s rays, I could see them.
Seven silhouettes floating in the water, watching and waiting.
Chapter Eighteen
“There you are. I was worried,” Brennon’s voice echoed above me.
I had come up the treacherous trail from the ocean and didn’t notice him pacing by the pools, waiting for me.
He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “It just so happened that Howland had seen you head off in this direction. That path isn’t safe. The steps are eroding, and the safety chains are loose in some parts.”
“I’m fine,” I said numbly.
He looked down the path I had come up. “What were you doing?”
“Nothing,” I breathed. Seeing the mermaids in the ocean, knowing they were just waiting for me to die so I could break their curse, was very depressing.
“Well, the gathering is almost over, so I think I should show you to your room.”
“I don’t want—”
“It’s not about what you want, but what your captain orders.”
I had no fight in me. Not tonight. I was emotionally beat and really wanted to be comforted. I looked to Brennon’s firm arms and decided on the second option.
“Fine,” I said without arguing. “As long as you bring me cookies.”
“Is that all it takes to keep you happy?”
“Cookies make everyone happy,” I added.
“I will remember that.”
Brennon must have noticed my change in mood, because he became somber as he led me through gardens and into the palace. I barely noticed the marble floors, white sandstone walls that sparkled with bits of colored glass, and how most of the windows were stained glass in ocean shades of blue, green, and white. Another fountain stood in the middle of the foyer as we headed up the stairs to the second floor into a private wing. He stopped in front of a door and unlocked it. Pushing it open, he waited outside.
“This will be your room.”
“Where does the rest of the crew sleep?” I asked.
“Most of the crew is from Isla, so they returned to their families until we set sail again. The others stay at the inn in town.”
“I could stay there,” I offered. Not stepping into the room.
“No, it’s not fit for a lady. Especially when I want to keep a closer eye on you. And like I said, I may need of your services.”
“Then you should ask one of your many palace servants, Your Highness.” I did a mock curtsey, and the corner of his lip rose in a half smile.
“But what fun is there in bossing them around, when it’s you I like to rattle?”
“I’d rather be bossed around at sea,” I muttered. At least at sea I knew what they required of me. I knew my worth, my value as a sailor, since I had fallen into a routine. In the palace, I wasn’t prepared for what he would ask, expect, or... desire.
“Well, I usually spend ten months of the year at sea.”
“What for?” I asked. “Looting, stealing, and what were you doing along the road when the transport picked you up?”
Brennon leaned against the doorframe and ran the back of his finger down my cheek. “A soothsayer told me I may find answers at an old fishing village.”
“Did you find them?”
He smiled. “No. But I found you.”
“I’m not a consolation prize.”
He frowned. “I would never consider you second place—to anything or anyone.”
I glared at him.
Brennon sighed and gave me a pained look. “We’ve been searching for the lost treasure of the Undersea for years. I hoped that by finding it, I could permanently postpone my coming engagement. I was even desperate enough to try to persuade a sea witch to help me.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never even met her!” he yelled in frustration. “She’s a complete stranger. An arrangement governed by soothsayers and seers to heal the Undersea. For if that kingdom falls, so does ours.” Brennon’s voice was laced with anguish. “The choice was never mine. I am but a puppet controlled by my father’s wishes. But it is you, and only you, who pulls the strings of my heart.”
He reached for my hand and placed it on his chest. I could hear the wild beating of his heart. My heartbeat picked up to match his, like two racehorses running toward the goal. But mine slowed, knowing I could never cross the finish line. I glanced at my gloved hand envisioning the curse beneath the material.
“Stop,” I whispered, my voice full of emotion. I pulled my hand out from under his. “For I can never love you the way you want... or deserve.”
Brennon’s face fell with rejection. I feared he would ask more questions and suss out what I was hiding. I stepped into the room and slowly closed the door in his heartbroken face.
He knocked, but I didn’t answer. I moved to the bed with its soft turquoise coverlet and slid across the top, burying my head into the
pillows until I heard his footfalls leave.
I rolled over to take in the room and let out a lengthy sigh. The room was circular with no windows. Arched doors led to a balcony filled with potted plants. The shutter doors were open, and they let in a warm breeze. There was a fireplace, although based on the current climate in Isla, I didn’t think they needed to use it but a few weeks of the year. A round table, two stuffed chairs, bookshelf, and an ornate wardrobe completed the room. But in every decorative piece or portrait, rug, sconce, and fire grate, the trident motif ran throughout.
I slid from the bed and moved to the balcony to look out upon the ocean, knowing that somewhere out there watching me were the mermaid sisters.
“I’m sorry, Mother,” I whispered to the air. “I got myself into a bit of a mess, and I don’t know how to get out of it. You taught us to use our magic, and twice now it has brought me nothing but trouble.”
My lip trembled as I began a whispered confession. “I’m sorry, Aura, for losing control of my temper. I had only meant to help you, but I brought misfortune down upon our household. Maeve, I miss your sense of adventure. I’m sure you would have loved being at sea, flying with us above the Bella Donna. Rhea, you were always the cautious one. If I had been more like you, I wouldn’t be in this mess. You would have found the answer in a book, I’m sure. Honor, wherever you are, I hope you find what it is you’re looking for, because I miss having you underfoot. Rosalie, I hope you and the baby are doing well, for I’m sure you must’ve had my niece by now. Oh, Eden,” I murmured, “I’m jealous you found your family and have answers to who you are, where you’re from, and that they love you so much.”
“Families are overrated,” Vasili’s familiar voice came out of nowhere.
I followed his voice to see him sitting on the edge of a stone banister just around the corner, out of sight. How long had he been sitting there? But that’s when I noticed that even though my room was circular, the balcony wrapped around to the next set of rooms, there was only a few feet of space between each balcony and could easily be scaled by someone with Vasili’s long legs. He looked quite pleased that he made the jump.
“Is your room close by?” I asked.
“Nope, not even close. Brennon wouldn’t hear of it.” He grinned. “But that won’t stop me from visiting you to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. But you shouldn’t eavesdrop on people.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just thought it prudent that I join in on your one-sided conversation so people don’t think you’re crazy. And I still stand by my earlier statement that families are overrated.”
“You only say that, because you know where you come from and therefore know your future.”
“True, but knowing your future can be just as devastating as not knowing.”
“Devastating. Is that because the queen is dying? Why can’t you take the throne?”
Vasili nodded his head sadly. “Our kingdom is a matriarchal society. All the power lies in the female bloodline. And she is the last of her kind.”
“Why can’t she remarry and have more heirs? It seems like a simple solution to a world-ending problem.”
Vasili looked uncomfortable. He pulled the collar of his shirt and looked away as he answered. “It isn’t as easy as that. The queens are chosen by the sea. And as I’m sworn to secrecy, that is all I’m allowed to tell you.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Then why bring me here?”
“There’s just something about you. It’s like we’ve met before, yet you said you’ve never been to the Undersea.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “I wanted to see if that was true.”
I shrugged. “I’ve never been there before but feel honored that you wanted to share your home with me.”
“You are the only other person, besides Brennon, who I have taken to the Undersea. What you see is only a figment of its former glory. It’s been slowly dying ever since that wretched day.”
“I know this,” I spoke up excitedly. “It’s when a sorcerer and his army stole the heart of the Undersea. A magical treasure.”
Vasili’s head dropped, his hair falling over his eyes, and he seemed in mourning. “It was the day I failed our kingdom.”
“Vasili you barely look over twenty yourself, you must have only been a child back then. How could you have failed?”
His eyes were glassy with emotion. “Meri, I am reaching my two hundredth cycle. I told you time passes differently in the Undersea. I was born to be a protector, a royal guard in charge of protecting the legendary treasure with my life. I failed my sworn duty when men from above broke into our palace and stole it. It would have been better that I died that day than to live knowing my failure would lead to the downfall of my homeland. The queen can barely look at me, and my own people despise me.”
His hands clenched into fists, and they shook with anger. I went to Vasili and placed my hands on his shoulder. “I disagree. I’m glad you are alive. One day, you will find that treasure, return it to the heart of the Undersea, and it will thrive again. I believe it.”
Vasili placed his hand on my head, his fingers so long that it was like wearing a hat. He gave me a crooked smile. “You are so young and so naïve.”
I pushed his hand away. “I guess. But hope isn’t a sign of being naïve. It’s belief that we can change our circumstances.”
“I tried. We tried. Brennon and I spent years searching for the treasure. Because if I can return it, there is the possibility its strength is powerful enough to keep our kingdom from collapsing. But I’m running out of time.”
I glanced down at my arm and brushed my hand across the hidden mark beneath the glove. “We all are.”
Sleep wouldn’t come. I kept dreaming of the death omen, the shell I found weeks ago in my house dripping blood. My blood. The white cursed marks would finally move up my arm and onto my shoulder, engulfing my neck, and finally my heart. I dreamed of my lifeless body floating out to sea. Not dead necessarily, but living lifeless as sea foam, forever doomed to float on the sea, a shadow of my former self.
My dress that Vasili provided lay across the edge of the bed. In the wardrobe, I found a lightweight silk nightdress, which I donned before retiring, perfect for the humid temperatures. And I tucked the enchanted dagger under my pillow. The nothingness I felt was terrifying, and I awoke frustrated and terrified. I had to find solace.
I stood outside in my nightdress and stared out into the sea. Was this my future? To die before having truly lived? The stupid dagger hadn’t glowed red; it was useless, and I believed it was just a ruse by the sea witch, designed to give me false hope, so they could syphon my magic without me fighting her.
I heard a rustle and scrape across the stone and assumed it was Vasili coming to annoy me with more hard truths.
“I want to be alone, Vasili!” I muttered as the sound drew closer.
“It’s not Vasili,” a deep voice answered. “But I think I should throttle him, for he’s already been here to see you.”
I turned to see Brennon standing in the archway of my room.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I knocked, but you didn’t answer.” He hadn’t changed out of his clothes, other than losing the cape. In his hands, he had a small satchel with a ribbon around it. He walked out to stand by me on the balcony. “Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No. I just feel unsettled here.”
Brennon’s brows furrowed. “Here, maybe this will help.” He held out a piece of cloth and placed the object in my hands.
I unfolded the wrapping and looked at the smallest, most perfect seashell cookies dusted with colored sugar.
He took a star cookie out of my palm and held it enticingly in front of me. “Taste one. They just came out of the oven.” He placed the cookie between my lips, and I bit down. It crumbled into my mouth, and I moaned at the flavor. It was soft, fresh, and not too sweet. A mixture between a cake and a cookie.
I caught him staring, Brenno
n’s eyes watching my lips. He glanced away and put the other half of my star cookie in his mouth.
“Hey, I thought that was for me,” I teased.
“Consider it my cookie tax,” he answered. “Since I made them.”
“Cookie tax? That is ridiculous. And you didn’t really make them. Did you?”
“No.” He flashed me a charming smile. “A servant did. But I oversaw.”
“Oh, you mean you watched and ordered her about.” I grinned.
“I had to make sure they were perfect. I even decorated a few.” He plucked another cookie out of my hand, and before he could put it in his mouth, I snagged it back.
I spun, giving him my back, and ate the whole cookie in one bite. Which was a mistake, because I was laughing so much it was hard to chew.
Brennon’s hands wrapped around my waist as he moved to grab the pouch of cookies. He pressed me close, and I heard his muffled laughter in my back as he lifted me up in the air.
I squealed as my feet lifted off the floor and made a play at running away. “Well, I guess I will have to taste something else just as sweet.” He nuzzled the side of my neck, and I froze.
The cookies fell from my hands and crumbled on the balcony, the game suddenly over as I realized what was happening. He nuzzled again, moving his lips up to my ear as he nibbled on my earlobe. He pulled me closer, and I leaned into him, closing my eyes, enjoying being wrapped up in Brennon’s arms and feeling his kisses trail up to my cheek. He spun me around, and I read the desire in his eyes.
Sugar still coated my lips, and Brennon leaned in; my mouth parted in anticipation. He slowly kissed my bottom lip and brushed his mouth across mine in the gentlest of kisses. “The cookies are sweet, but you definitely taste sweeter,” he breathed.
My knees went weak.
My arms reached up around his neck, and our kiss deepened. He moaned, and our breathing quickened. His hand going to my waist, he lifted me up and carried me to my bed. I hit the mattress with a soft bounce, and he crawled up next to me, his eyes sweeping over me with yearning.
