"Marie? Who is she?"
"Marie Laveau is the Voodoo Queen," Cleo said. "If anyone knows if there's any bokor activity afoot, or if any of them have the ability to open the void, she'll know."
"I don't know," I said. "I mean, I know there's a lot at stake. But this is a risk. I'm just not sure what will happen if my more... reptilian side takes over."
"I believe in you," Agwe said. "Many men and women have devils inside of them and don't even know it. If they knew, if they could recognize what it was, they'd have an advantage against it. You are not possessed by a devil or a demon, Joni. Your soul is imbued with a dragon's essence. You know what you face. And you know what it feels like to be a dragon. If you recognize what it is, no matter what urges you might have, you can master them."
I sighed. "Can I at least have a little time to think on it? After saving Merlin, after having to give him up to his father... I have to be honest... I'm exhausted. I don't know if I have the energy, much less the desire, to do much of anything."
"I realize it's a big ask," Cleo said. "And if anyone else could do it, they'd be the one we asked. But you are the only person in Fomoria who is not only part human, but also has experience on land. You understand human culture and can navigate your way through the sort of investigation that is required."
"And if the king finds out that I've left?" I asked.
"I'll take care of the king," Agwe said.
"We'll cover for you," Cleo said. "Fomoria is a large place. It's not difficult to get lost here, particularly in the matters of the nightlife."
I cocked my head. "There's a nightlife here?"
Agwe extended his hand. "No pressure, Joni. How about you allow me to show you?"
"Agwe," Cleo said. "This is an urgent matter. There's no time..."
Agwe raised his hand. "You said, yourself, that this is a big ask. I think Joni deserves at least a night to herself."
7
THE THUMP OF the bass rippled through the waters. I could feel it in my chest.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all about that bass. But at the moment, I could use a little treble.
I looked at Agwe, raising my eyebrows. "Fomoria has dance clubs?"
Agwe grinned from ear to ear. "Of course they do. The mer your age enjoy a good time as much as any human in their early twenties might."
A giant merman—not quite as large as Titus, but intimidating no less—stood at one of the spires' entrance. Based on the ripples of water coming my way through the door, I was pretty sure he was the standard doorman.
"Is there a cover charge?" I asked.
Agwe shook his head. "We don't have money down here.
"What? No money... how do you..."
Agwe, ignoring my question, nodded at the mer-bouncer, who nodded back in turn. I thought the man-nod was just a human thing. Apparently, I was wrong.
Agwe looked back at me. "To answer your question, everyone in Fomoria does their part. And everyone shares in kind."
I raised my left eyebrow. "And that actually works? I mean, don't people get greedy?"
"Greedy for what? You provide your service to others, presuming you have a job in demand, and others are willing to share their service or goods with you."
"So no one gets rich, here?"
Agwe shook his head. "No one gets poor either."
I huffed. "Incredible. I can't imagine that working in the United States."
"Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't," Agwe said. "But it works pretty well here."
"So how do people decide what job they'll do?" I asked. "I mean, if there's no money and everyone shares whatever they produce, why would anyone do shitty jobs?"
"We don't put a lot of folks in prison here, either. Only the most dangerous get locked up. I mean, incarceration doesn't make sense as a punishment for a nonviolent crime. It's a waste of resources and doesn't help change people for the better. In Fomoria, everyone who breaks the law but isn't judged a threat to society is assigned less desirable vocations for a time."
"And that works as a deterrent?" I asked.
Agwe nodded. "Better than prison, I'd imagine. I mean, taking people out of society and providing them food and shelter in a society where poverty is a problem... well... to some people that might be an incentive to commit a crime."
I grinned. "I suppose that makes sense."
"But certain jobs, like cleaning public mer toilets..."
I shuddered. "Yeah, I can imagine that would be a pretty effective deterrent. Speaking of which, how do we do that?"
"Do what?" Agwe asked.
I blushed a little. "You know... poop."
Agwe cocked his head. "You haven't pooped yet since you got your tail?"
"Not once," I said. "Last time, I held it for two days until Merlin was healed. The first thing I did when I got back to the surface... thankfully, they had a public restroom on the beach."
Agwe laughed. "Well, I suppose you'd better learn sooner than later. If you just go... well... that's a violation of a public ordinance."
"One of those non-violent crimes you were talking about?" I asked.
"Precisely," Agwe said. "Pretty serious if you think about it. We're all in the same water. Can't do much about it. If a floater gets unleashed... it's unsanitary. We should probably cover that... overlooked detail. I'd hate to see you get shackled with an undesirable job your first week here."
Agwe ran through the details. Something to do with a vacuum system and ensuring a good seal. It was mildly awkward having this conversation with an attractive demigod, not to mention in a public place. I was somewhat surprised I could hear him so well. Usually, while I enjoyed the clubs as much as the next girl, it was the last place I'd go if I wanted to have any sort of conversation.
I've noticed a lot of people seem to chat fine in loud bars or clubs. That has never been me. It's hard to focus on one voice when surrounded by crowd noise and loud music.
Here, though, the acoustics were different. Sure, I could hear the music. I wasn't sure how they got it down here. But Fomoria wasn't completely devoid of human technology. They'd acquired enough, I suppose, that they'd figured out a way to import digital music. Still, the experience of music was entirely different in the ocean. It was less about the sound than it was the sensation, the thud of the bass, the soundwaves tickling your skin.
An attractive mermaid tapped Agwe on the shoulder. Sure, I was pretty. I was used to being something of the belle of the ball. But this mermaid was exotic. Her skin a few shades darker than most—the majority of the mer I'd met, Agwe excepted, were quite pale. Probably on account of having had very little exposure to sunlight. This mermaid was different. I wasn't sure if the merfolk had other races correlated with human ethnicities or how it worked. Perhaps this particular mermaid had made her way to a remote island to sunbathe. Either way, she stood out—in a good way.
And the way Agwe reacted... smiling back at her... laughing like they knew each other like they had a history...
My stomach turned.
Why the hell was I getting jealous?
She had glowing kelp of some kind draped across a short pole. As I looked around, a lot of the merfolk in the club was wearing it. Kind of like one might wear neon glow sticks and other similar paraphernalia at a rave.
"Want some kelp?" the mermaid asked Agwe. She hadn't even bothered to make so much as eye contact with me.
Thankfully, Agwe was a gentleman.
"Tahlia, this is Joni. Joni, meet Tahlia."
The mermaid looked me up and down. Cocked her head. Then smiled wide. "So glad to meet you!"
I'd seen that move before. Tahlia was sizing me up, then feigning friendliness. It's the sort of catty move a girl might make when finding a boy she's interested in on a date with someone else. Look at her with disdain, then put on a friendly face. Judge her, then plan to undermine her.
Of course, I could have been assuming too much. I was, after all, an outsider. And, I imagined, new arrivals in Fomoria were rare. If that was al
l it was...
"Is this the girl with the dragon baby?" Tahlia asked, making eye contact with Agwe.
Great, I thought. I've apparently already made my mark on the gossip mill. The way she said it sounded like a bad sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
"She is," Agwe said. "But the situation has been resolved."
"So what did you do," Tahlia said. "Screw a dragon or something?"
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"I mean, not like I'd blame you. Size does matter, after all."
I cocked my head. I didn't know how to respond to that.
Then, she and Agwe both started laughing.
"Relax," Tahlia said. "I'm just fucking with you."
I pressed my lips together. "Okay."
I realize I was probably coming across as a bitch. I didn't mean to be rude. But she was cracking jokes over a situation that was still tearing me apart on the inside. It was like she'd jammed her thumb into a wound and expected me to find it humorous.
"Why don't you try some kelp?" Tahlia said, apparently sensing that she'd crossed a line. "It'll help with the pain."
"What is this stuff?" I asked as Agwe took a piece of neon green, bio-luminescent, kelp and draped it over his neck.
"It has hallucinogenic properties," Agwe said. "It's a trip."
I cocked my head. "So this stuff is basically the acid of the sea?"
Agwe shrugged. "Except this stuff isn't so addictive—no side effects. You can't overdose on this stuff. It just absorbs through the skin."
I shook my head. I never did drugs, not of any sort. Sure, I'd had a few drinks here and there. Alcohol was one thing. But drugs... hell, I'd never even seen most illegal drugs. I never ran with that crowd. I suppose growing up with a mother who'd been in a coma most of my teenage years, having to pick up the slack around the home, I hadn't had many occasions to experiment with illicit substances. And I wasn't inclined to start now.
"Are you sure this stuff is safe?" I asked.
"Not like earth drugs," Agwe said. "Trust me, it's totally harmless."
I sighed. "So you said this stuff makes you hallucinate? What would I see?"
Agwe grinned. "Whatever your mind desires to see."
"He usually sees me naked," Tahlia said.
"Oh shut up, Tahlia," Agwe said. "That's what everyone sees when they're on the kelp."
I rolled my eyes. The obvious flirtation between the two was grating on my nerves. "I don't think I'd see that."
"Not into girls?" Tahlia asked.
"Not really," I said. "Cool if you are. Just isn't my thing."
Tahlia cocked her head and winked at me. "There's a first time for everything, you know."
I stared at her blankly. Was she hitting on me, now?
"Oh, relax, Joni," Tahlia said. "I flirt with everyone. Don't take it personally. You aren't that special."
I chuckled. I wasn't sure if I should be offended or relieved by her remark. Tahlia extended her short pole, bidding me take a piece of kelp from it.
"Enjoy yourself, Joni. From what I've heard about what you've been through, you deserve it."
I nodded. Tahlia was right. I mean, as annoying as she was, I did envy her free spirit. Most people don't flirt so openly because they fear the lack of reciprocation, a form of rejection. But she wasn't worried about that. She was enjoying herself.
Maybe I felt guilty about leaving Merlin with his father. It was the right thing to do, given my situation, but that didn't mean I didn't feel guilty at the same time. I could only hope Elijah would make sure he knew his mother loved him. I could only pray, I suppose, I'd manage to get enough control over the dragon part of my soul that I could visit him eventually. Sure, my guilt was legitimate. But why was I punishing myself? Why was I reluctant to allow myself to have a good time?
Tahlia grabbed my hand. "Kelp or no kelp, why don't you let me show you a good time?"
I bit my lip. "I told you, I'm not into girls."
A stray strand of Tahlia's jet black hair floated in front of her face as she smirked back at me. "I'm not propositioning you, Joni. Showing you a good time wasn't code or anything. Just wanting to show you how a mermaid parties."
I looked at Agwe. He grinned and nodded. Not like I needed his permission or anything. But I'd come here with him. I didn't want to be rude.
"Alright," I said. "Give me some of that shit."
Tahlia grinned, extending the pole toward me again.
I grabbed a piece of neon pink kelp and draped it over my neck.
It only took a second before a whole new world opened up in front of my eyes.
8
APPARENTLY, THE BUMP-N-GRIND isn't a move limited to human dance clubs. When merfolk did it, though, they floated randomly through the water. Some of them upside down. Their tails twisted together, their bodies slithering up and down to the rhythm of the beat.
Based on some of the mermen's state of arousal, most of my questions about merfolk intimacy were answered. They weren't just dancing... Apparently, privacy isn't valued amongst the merfolk in the same way it is for humans.
I diverted my eyes. It felt wrong to watch.
If it was really happening.
I couldn't be entirely sure anything I saw was real.
Hallucinations of various colors swirled through the water.
"Are they... doing it?" I asked.
Tahlia shrugged. "Sure. It's perfectly natural."
A golden halo surrounded Tahlia. I cocked my head.
"What do you see?" Tahlia asked, taking my hand into hers.
"Are you... an angel?" I asked.
Tahlia laughed. "Not exactly. Closer to the opposite. Do I have wings or something?"
"A halo..." I reached my finger to touch the halo. I didn't sense anything. If it was magic, I'd have felt it. I'd be able to draw it in. But this wasn't real.
Tahlia smiled. "Well, that's a new one. Want to dance?"
I raised an eyebrow. "By dancing..."
"Not like them," Tahlia said. "Just dancing."
I giggled. I don't know why. I felt like laughing.
"I'll take that as a yes?" Tahlia smirked.
I nodded. Tahlia grabbed my hand and practically pulled me through the water into the dance floor. Yes, they actually had a dance floor. Not for dancing on per se, but where a number of lights strobed into the waters exacerbating the surreal sensation I was already experiencing on account of the kelp.
I could swear I saw Burt Reynolds float by, shirtless, with his hairy chest and braggable mustache. He was sipping on a strawberry daiquiri.
His legs were crossed. The absence of a tail made it clear I was just seeing things.
Why the hell would I see Burt Reynolds? I wasn't my mom.
"Is there any sense to the things we see... from the kelp?" I asked.
Tahlia shrugged as she held my hands, and her body started moving to the music. "Sort of like dreams. There might be a meaning to it. I don't know. I wouldn't bother trying to figure it out. But it comes from your mind, somewhere."
I nodded. Maybe I was seeing one of my mother's movie-star crushes because, subconsciously, I missed my momma. It made sense, I suppose. I was still hurting on the inside. I didn't feel it. Agwe and Tahlia were right—the kelp dulled my pain. But I did want my mom. I wished she'd come to visit. As a Fomorian, herself, albeit one well-adapted to life with legs, I imagined she could come here if she wanted. But she wasn't like me. She wasn't a siphon. She could shift her legs into a tail but, truthfully, born in human form, maintaining that would be as difficult as it would be for Agwe to keep legs on earth. Not impossible. Just uncomfortable.
It actually made more sense for me to visit her... at least in terms of my capacity to shift.
In terms of the dragon's essence, not so much.
"I find it helpful," Tahlia said. "When I'm going through something. When I feel off. The kelp gives me hints. It shows me a little about what it is I truly desire."
I nodded. Then I saw him, over
Tahlia's shoulder...
It was Merlin.
No, not as a baby.
As a grown man. I didn't name him Merlin just because I liked the name. My baby was destined to be the sorcerer of legend. One day, the one who would become the gatekeeper of Annwn, of the Otherworld, and the mentor of King Arthur. Yes, it's a long story. I'd met him, as an adult, before he'd even been born. He'd appeared to guide Elijah and me. To help us realize our respective destinies... one that brought us together for a time and, eventually, brought him into the world.
Merlin looked at me and smiled.
I knew he wasn't there.
He couldn't be. My baby was still in this plane of existence. The same soul couldn't exist simultaneously, in the same dimension, at any given moment. Try to travel into a time when you already exist, and you'll find yourself stuck in the in-between. It's where I went when I'd made that mistake. I went to a cave... I found the dragon... and I used its magic to escape. That's how I was infected by its curse... it's what consumed my Merlin. It was why I came to Fomoria, to begin with, seeking their help.
Still, seeing him smile back at me...
I wanted to talk to him.
I wanted him to tell me what I should do.
Such a strange relationship. The old Merlin, the one older than me, the one who was my son from the future, but also the past, was something of a guide, a mentor. Even while my baby Merlin, now in his father's arms, depended on us... well, his father anyway... to grow up into the man of legend he'd eventually become.
The rest of the world disappeared around me.
It was just us: him and me.
"Merlin?" I asked. "Are you really here?"
"Yes. And no," Merlin said, his long white beard flowing through the water.
"That isn't helpful," I chuckled.
"I am always with you, mother."
I nodded. "Still not helpful. I mean, if you're just a product of my imagination."
Merlin shrugged. "Of your imagination and... a certain psychedelic plant?"
I blushed a little in shame. It was one thing to experiment, for the first time, with a hallucinogen. It was another thing to be busted by my own son for doing it.
Gates of Eden: Starter Library Page 32
