by Chanda Hahn
“Believe me. I know what you are giving up and I’m grateful. I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him.”
“I don’t look at him,” I argued.
He laughed. “Excuse me. Should I say ogle each other?”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” I whispered.
“Is there something else wrong?” Vasili asked. “You can tell me, you know.”
I turned my head to look at him. The sincerity was written across his face in his raised eyebrows. I opened my mouth to explain and felt the burning begin. I swallowed and tried to speak. Her magic bound my words and scalded my tongue. I balled my hands into fists and tried to outthink the curse. Maybe I could be vague? I formed the words in my head and was surprised when they fell easily from my lips. “Do you know how to break a curse?”
He didn’t overreact. He just asked, “What kind of curse?”
I was hesitant to tell him. “A very strong one.”
“Who cast it?”
“I-I can’t say.”
Vasili tapped his chin in thought. “Well, if you won’t tell me what kind of curse, or who cast it, you kind of limit my help.”
“I know,” I groaned, flopping my head back into my arms.
A few seconds later, he spoke up. “I have heard a tale of a powerful sorceress who lives in a remote area. She may be able to help you.”
My head popped up. “Really, who?”
“She goes by many names, but the one I’m most familiar with is Lady Eville.”
“I was afraid of that,” I groaned once more as he mentioned my adoptive mother.
Chapter Twenty
It wasn’t the worst idea ever. It just meant swallowing my pride and preparing myself for the tongue lashing and “I told you sos” that were sure to come. Not to mention my mother’s wrath was legendary. She may tell me it is my problem to solve and that I brought this down upon myself.
Back in my room, Lad deemed my bed as his and only gave me a cursory glance before rolling over and giving me his silvery back.
“Nice to see you too,” I said, closing the door.
I moved to the one gilded mirror in the room and ran my fingers down the side, searching for the runes and finding them etched into the side. I was in luck. It was an enchanted mirror. I frowned though, because there was a distinct lack of hum, of magical energy. It was cold.
The mirror was drained, or “dead,” and as Mother would say, “It needs to be recharged.”
We had a mirror in our home that Mother used to scry on the kingdoms, most notably, the royals. She knew about their economies, royal structures, heritages, and their enemies. She probably knew more than even the royal advisors.
Why? Because she was obsessed with her desire for revenge. Years ago, Lady Eville was engaged to the prince of Sion, but when her father lost their fortune, the prince lost his interest in her. Since then, she traveled for years with a magical menagerie, studying old magic, collecting secrets, and using them to gain significant power.
The kingdoms soon feared her. Since then, Lorelai Eville had done nothing but meddle in their affairs, showing up at their most inopportune times, preying on their weaknesses. When the Kingdom of Baist’s son was bitten by a werewolf, it was Lorelai who cast protective wards around the palace to protect the world from his dark side.
Having met the sea witch and seeing my mother’s revenge on her cursed daughters, it made me shudder. What if that had been me? What if it was the other way around and she cursed me?
Mother’s grim omens and prophecies came true, and the current kings feared her and her power even more. She is unwelcome now at any court, and so were we by association.
Baist was anti-magic, as it had no ley lines of power that ran under the kingdom. Isla, Kiln, Rya were kingdoms that magic was abundant and widely accepted. I had seen the shops that sold charms, which included memory, fire, heat, and sharpening charms.
But it was odd that I would find a dead relic within the palace. I would have expected it to be charged and in working order. No matter, for I knew how to use any mirror or reflective surface.
I took a hairpin and used it to prick my finger. A deep-red blood drop swelled on the tip of my finger, and I pressed it to the cool glass as I whispered a basic enchantment. The reflection waved and spiraled outward.
“Mother,” I whispered. And waited. I was hesitant to speak louder for fear that she would actually hear me—and at the same time terrified she wouldn’t.
The reflection blurred and came into focus, and I saw her, Lady Eville. Her long black hair was braided over one shoulder, her pale skin shone, and her lips were as red as blood. Even in her midforties, she was one of the most beautiful women alive, and terrifying.
Her gray eyes looked up and met mine through the mirror. They narrowed as she took in my unfamiliar background, studying everything, missing nothing.
“So, you’re in Isla,” she stated, matter of fact. “I wondered where you had run off to.” Her pitch hadn’t changed. To the normal listener, they would have assumed it to be just pleasant conversation. Not to me and my sisters. We could hear the silent disapproval in her voice.
“Imagine my surprise when I got a message from Rhea that you murdered the mayor’s boy.” I saw the twitch of her lip and relaxed. No one in our family held any love for that monstrous family. “But to abandon your sisters like that was irresponsible.”
“How do you know where I am?” I asked in amazement. I tried to search the room behind my mother and could only see a window.
“I’d recognize that gaudy decor anywhere.” She pointed a polished nail at the trident sconce behind me. “You’re in King Roald’s palace, which means you’ve probably met the sea witch, Sirena. Or if you haven’t, you soon will. Because there is a longstanding score between us, and I fear she will try to come after you.”
I ran my sweaty palms down the side of my dress, out of sight of the mirror. “Well, about that. I seem to have already had a run-in with her.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, well, that’s unfortunate. Are you okay, Merisol?”
Am I okay? I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing. She sounded worried about me.
“No, I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing, but she got the better of me.” I slowly held up my right hand so she could see the silvery-white veins in the mirror, being careful not to explain or say anything but letting the curse mark speak for me. My mother would know right away what happened. This wouldn’t be telling anyone, if she could see it with her own eyes.
Mother stilled; her eyes darkened with fury. Her lips pinched into a firm line, and by her silence, I knew it enraged her. “How dare she lay a hand on my daughter?” The mirror rattled with Lorelai’s power that was ebbing through the glass. “She has already harmed my family once, and I thought I taught her a lesson. But this is too far. I can’t believe she did this.”
“What do I do?” I asked. “I’m limited in time.”
The mirror shuffled as Mother dropped hers in her lap. Muffled voices came through on the other end. A few moments passed, and the mirror rose again to her face, but she was now whispering so the person in the other room couldn’t hear.
“There’s always a way out. Sirena only has covenant magic.”
“Covenant magic?”
“Yes, it is binding magic that is created through promises, contracts, or agreements. She doesn’t have many powers other than manipulation by unbreakable magical contracts. It always requires two parties, and there is always a clause written in on how to get out, but the problem with Sirena is that sometimes breaking the covenant’s repercussions are worse than the actual curse.”
My face must have given my mood away, because she caught on.
“What is it?” she asked. “What did she give you in exchange for the curse? Tell me everything.”
“I can’t.” I pinched my lips and pointed to my mouth.
“Ah, oldest trick in the book. She bound you from speaking
about it. Well, there are ways around it. Show me.” I stood and pulled the dagger from under the mattress and mimicked stabbing someone in the heart. I thought my acting was pretty good.
“Ah, a sacrifice.” Mother let out a curse under her breath.
I pointed to the red ruby and made a flickering motion with my fingers.
“Of course, and it’s probably heart-strung, so it is only someone you love. It’s meant to be a double-edged curse. It will kill you or someone you care about. How long do you have?”
I looked down at my arm. “Not long. Longer if I don’t use magic. Otherwise, it spreads faster.”
Mother murmured to herself, and I could tell she was trying to think. In the background, I thought I saw my sister Rosalie, and then I heard it. The sound of a baby crying.
“Mother, is that…?” I asked hopefully.
“Meri?” Rosalie came into view of the mirror, holding a bundle in her arms. Her dark hair covered one half of her scarred face, from her battle with the evil sorcerer Allemar. She won and afterward sent him to another dimension. Unfortunately, he escaped and is in corporeal form, searching for a body. Searching for a way back.
Rosalie self-consciously touched her face to make sure her hair covered her scars and then lifted the bundle to the mirror.
“Meri, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Violet.” She unfurled the blanket that covered her newborn to reveal an adorable pink cherub with a crown of raven-black curls. “Violet, meet your Aunt Merisol. Just wait ‘til you meet her, and she will sing you the sweetest of lullabies.”
Tears of joy filled my eyes and blurred the mirror. “Hi, Violet,” I said her name, and she opened her eyes to reveal the most stunning eyes that matched her name. Violet. “She’s beautiful.”
Rosalie beamed. “She takes after you. She’s always hungry and won’t go to sleep unless she has a full belly or someone sings to her. Oh, I can’t wait until you meet her. When can you come to visit? I miss you so much.”
I got choked up, since I knew I wouldn’t live long enough to see my niece in person. “S-soon. I’ll visit real soon,” I lied.
It was as if Violet could tell I lied, for she fussed and whined.
“Oh, you must excuse me! She’s hungry,” Rosalie exclaimed. She adjusted Violet and stood up. “It was good to speak with you, Meri. Please come see me soon.”
“Give her a kiss for me and tell her that her aunt adores her and wishes her a happy life.” Rosalie met my eyes. “And Rose?” My voice almost failed me, and tears blurred my vision, but I pushed through the pain. “I love you.”
She gave me an enormous grin. “I love you too, silly.” My sister moved out of view, and Mother’s stern face filled the mirror.
“I must give it some thought. But I don’t think there’s a way to break the curse. You’ll just have to outthink her, daughter. And if anyone can, it’s you. But Meri, remember this. You aren’t my daughter by blood. But I chose you. You are the daughter of my heart.”
A tear slid down my face.
“I told you how a fisherman and his wife gave you to me. But I never told you how they came to have you.”
“I don’t understand. I thought they were my parents?”
She shook her head. “No, the old fisherman found you floating in a bed of kelp and pulled you from the ocean after a storm. The sea protected you when you should have drowned. They raised you for a year, but then it was too dangerous for you to live so close to the water. Every time you cried or were hungry, you brought forth such a violent storm you almost destroyed their town. And Meri… you were always hungry.” She smiled.
It was true. Even now, my stomach was growling.
“They feared your powers, so they brought you to me, so I could protect you until it was time for you to find your destiny. The farther inland you were, the weaker your powers. I refuse to believe it is because of Sirena your time will be cut short. You will overcome this. I know it.”
“What can I do?” I asked.
“I believe you already know.”
“I don’t.”
“I truly believe you are the one who will return the treasure to the Undersea.”
“What? Even you know about it?” Then I remembered she spent much of her time scrying on kingdoms. She probably knew more than most.
She scoffed. “Of course, I even know what they lost, or at least I heard a rumor of what they are searching for.”
“What is it?”
Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “The song of the sea.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will. Solve that, and then you will have the power you need to break the curse. In the meantime, I will speak with your sisters. Maybe there’s something we can do.” Mother Eville waved her hand in front of the mirror, and it went black as she ended it without saying farewell. A few seconds later, the glass shimmered, and I was once again looking at my reflection.
I wandered out to the balcony and looked out onto the vast sea as the white curls of waves came crashing into shore. I watched the crescendo of the waves and the ebb and flow of the rhythm of the water, and I was just as confused.
“A song,” I spoke aloud to the ocean. “That makes no sense. How do I return a song to the sea?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Vasili had taken his role as my fake fiancé to a new and annoying level. He appeared at my door shortly after my conversation with my mother and became my designated guardian from Brennon ever since. It seemed he knew what this kind of announcement would do to Brennon and the strain it would put on their friendship. He was willing to take the brunt of it, if it meant sheltering me from his friend’s anger.
Brennon was stubborn and tried to get me alone. Each time, Vasili helped keep him at bay. During lunch, Brennon waited at the end of the buffet spread.
His blue coat was brushed, his hair slicked back, and he seemed nervous as he tugged at the buttoned collar. He didn’t care much for the constraining clothes of being royalty. I much preferred the scruffy, wind-blown hair and the less refined Brennon of the Bella Donna.
“I wish to have a private word with you, my lady.” Brennon tried to be formal in his request, his eyes pleading with me for answers.
My plate of food trembled as I struggled to contain my emotions. I was about to spill the truth to him right there.
Vasili swept in, grabbed my plate, and announced loudly, “Come, my sea urchin, let’s eat together on the overlook. We can finish planning our wedding there.”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I nodded. But as soon as we left, I felt a stab of remorse. It wasn’t fair to either of us to deny our feelings. But I had to, for I was protecting him.
Vasili and I headed to the overlook, a seating area that had a perfect view of both the mystical waterfalls and the ocean. Here, I ate my lunch in silence, while Vasili went without food again. I wondered if he ate earlier, or did he sneak back into the Undersea for his raw fish?
After lunch, Vasili lazed on the stone bench, pretending to sleep, while I pondered the question my mother gave me.
In the midst of my thoughts, Lucy arrived with a message. She handed it to me, and I opened up the green envelope.
“What’s wrong?” Vasili asked.
“Why do you think something is wrong?”
“Because you’re frowning.” He pointed to my forehead.
I held out the letter. “I’ve been commanded to escort His Highness into the city, because I’m still his cabin boy.”
Vasili snorted. “I have to give it to him. He is persistent. That’s just like Brennon to find a workaround to see you.” He looked up at me from his prone position on the bench. “You don’t have to go, you know. As my fiancée, I can decline on your behalf.”
“Can you, even if I’m under contract?” I asked.
“Well, it will be difficult. I’m sure it will come to blows and such, but if I get the element of surprise, I can win and demand he break the contract.”
I rolle
d my eyes. “Don’t do that. It’s no big deal.” I turned to Lucy. “I’ll go. Where am I to meet him?”
She pointed down a side path that was easily hidden by the palm fronds. “Just follow it until you get to the wall. Brennon will meet you there.” She headed back to the palace.
I crumpled up the note and headed up the sandy path, the whole while working myself up into a quiet uproar. One, I didn’t enjoy being summoned, and two, I had a feeling he would try to call my bluff.
Vasili caught up and fell into an easy step behind me, as the path wasn’t very wide.
“I take it you’ve taken this path before.”
“All the time. It’s our secret way out of the palace.”
We walked in silence until we came to the wall, and I stopped on the trail when I saw Brennon pacing. Even from a distance, I recognized those broad shoulders and that sun-kissed hair. He had a certain air of authority in his posture that spoke of royalty. I didn’t know how I never noticed it before. Vasili, on the other hand, always seemed like he was hunched over, trying to hide, sticking to the shadows, and becoming invisible.
Brennon stopped pacing. He shot an irritated look toward the path, and our eyes met.
My breath caught in my chest, and heat rose to my cheeks. I looked away.
Vasili waited patiently behind me, and when I didn’t move forward, he gave me a slight poke in the back before grabbing my hand and pulling me into the sunlight.
Brennon’s gaze went right to our entwined hands. I tried to untangle my fingers from Vasili’s, but he was having none of it.
“Brennon!” Vasili called out. “What a fine day to go into town. I’m so thrilled to receive your invitation.”
“I didn’t invite you,” Brennon snapped.
“Nonsense, where my love goes, I go.” He grinned and held up our hands. I winced at the awkward angle he thrust my wrist, but he let go of my hand and patted me on the head. “Plus, I would love to pick her out some engagement presents. I’m assuming that’s what you’re doing, right?”
