I had a gouge in my back, but I pushed through the pain and went for Marinette's neck.
I chomped at her neck as Marinette took her own trident and hooked it under Tahlia's body.
She was an eel, not a wyrm... her body wasn't as resilient as mine.
The edge of the trident nearly severed her in half, Tahlia's body flopped through the water.
Her scream was so ear-piercing it hurt.
I tightened my jaws on Marinette's neck.
She was resilient. Her body, really Conand's body shifted into a form she preferred, was extra resilient with her inside.
It was like she healed herself as I bit into her.
I bit harder...
She screamed.
Agwe had thrown his trident, and it struck her in the chest.
I bit her again...
She wasn't healing this time. Too many wounds...
A black cloud of some kind poured out of her nostrils as her body returned to the shape of Conand's...
"She's gone," Agwe said. "At least she's no longer contained in Conand."
But the Loa still lives...
Agwe nodded. He could hear me, even when I was in wyrm form. "She does. She'll go to the void until she finds her way to Guinee... she won't be a problem unless the bokor who bound her to Conand finds her another host. Whoever this bokor is, I suspect will try again soon."
I nodded. Tahlia!
I'll be fine, Joni... don't worry about me...
She wasn't going to be okay. Her body was nearly severed in two.
Tahlia slithered her broken body around me as if to embrace me in a sort of creepy eel hug. I looked at her as her face curled around my body and met mine. She tilted her head.
Remember Papa Legba... he gave you his aspect... you don't need magic to use that...
I almost forgot about that. It was so uneventful at the time. And with all the time we'd been in Old Fomoria, it seemed like it had happened so long ago without any evidence of any additional benefits. To this point, all it had done for me was it gave me the chance to talk to the ghost of a caplata.
But what was it he'd told me?
What had Marie Laveau said about Legba's aspect?
Nearly unlimited potential... power not to forge gates, but to connect to spirits in otherworlds.
Merlin was in an otherworld.
He was in the cave... and he was a gatekeeper.
I might not be able to make my own wyrmhole into the cave, but he could create a gate from the inside. I knew that because I'd done it myself.
If only I could use Legba's aspect to reach him.
Thank you, Tahlia... I think that might work...
Tahlia's body went limp as it hung from me. Cleo grabbed her and pressed her hands to her shape...
"Cleo," Agwe said. "Can you heal her?"
Cleo nodded. "I can. But..."
"But what?" Agwe said.
"Never mind," Cleo said. She pressed her hand to Tahlia's body and channeled Fomorian magic into her wound.
Tahlia's body knit itself back together.
It worked! I exclaimed.
But then Cleo's eyes went dark. She released Tahlia, who started to move again...
Wait, no! Cleo!
She'd used the last of her magic to heal Tahlia... it's the whole reason I refused to draw any more from her. I didn't want her to die...
Tahlia shed her eel skin and resumed her mermaid form. "Cleo! Why..."
Cleo gasped. One last breath. "You deserve a chance to live... a chance to finally have a home... "
Cleo's body went limp, her eyes plastered open. Agwe took her into his arms.
Tahlia wailed. "No... Cleo!"
Agwe looked at me. "We still have to deal with the voidbringer. Cleo wouldn't give herself for Tahlia if she didn't believe we'd be able to save Fomoria... she wanted Tahlia and all of us to have a home."
I nodded. Legba's aspect. My eyes were so tear-filled I could barely focus.
Agwe swam up beside me and placed his hand on my wyrm-like back. "I'm here, Joni."
Marie Laveau gave me Legba's aspect... I need to know how to access it. If I can reach Merlin...
"Then he can cast a gate from the inside... and hopefully the voidbringer will go through..."
Merlin told me to think like a mother... that would be the key to destroying the voidbringer... it will go through after its spawn, after it's child...
Agwe shook his head. "He gave you a clue. You put the pieces together. This has to be it."
But how do I access Legba's aspect? I asked. You're a Loa. Surely you know...
"Usually Legba responds to a little rum and a cigar," Agwe said. "Most Loa do."
I tilted my wyrm head to the side. We don't have any of that...
"His aspect is awakened in queens," Tahlia said. "Marie Laveau said she'd be a queen. Maybe she has to be a queen before she can access it."
Agwe nodded. "Then you must become the queen of Fomoria."
Like this? I'm not really in a position to... and... aren't monarchs chosen for Fomoria by popular acclaim?
"They are," Agwe said. "But once you save Fomoria, it will be an inevitability. You will be the one they choose."
But I don't want...
"You might not have a choice."
But how can we do that? Until I save Fomoria, they won't make me queen... until I'm a queen, I can't save Fomoria...
"You are La Sirene," Tahlia said. "Perhaps you could become the queen of the sea."
"Tahlia," Agwe said. "That's not..."
"You're the Lao of the sea," Tahlia said. "The king of the sea itself. If you marry Joni, La Sirene..."
Agwe sighed. "It actually makes sense."
Makes sense? Is that the best proposal you can come up with? And aren't you married once, already?
Agwe glanced at the voidbringer. "I don't think we have time to worry about romance at the moment. If we're going to do this..."
Fine, I said, biting my lip. Not into polygamy. The whole idea pissed me off. But at the moment I didn't have a choice. Marry Agwe, sort out my feelings about it later, or let the world fall into nonexistence. Marrying an already married man, I ascertained, was the lesser of two evils. But you owe me later... at least a good bottle of champagne and a decent meal over candlelight.
"Candlelight?" Agwe asked. "Might be a problem, you know, given our environment."
I rolled my eyes. You're a demigod. Use magic. Take me to land. You can figure something out.
"It's a deal," Agwe said, scratching his head. "Tahlia, could you officiate?"
"I'm not a priestess," Tahlia said. "How can I..."
"A priestess gave her life for you. That means, according to Fomorian, you might inherit her place if you choose it."
Tahlia nodded. "Even though I'm not a Fomorian citizen?"
"By Conand's stubbornness," I added. "An issue we'll be quick to reverse if I become queen, provided we save Fomoria."
"Alright,' Tahlia said, scratching her arm. "Well, how do I marry you two?"
"Just declare it so," Agwe said.
Tahlia nodded. "I'd say hold hands, but..."
I don't have hands... not in this form.
Tahlia grinned.
"Come on, Tahlia. If this is going to work, we don't know how much time we have," Agwe said.
"Very well. By the power vested in me by Cleo's noble sacrifice, I now declare you, Agwe, Loa and King of the Sea, and you, Joni Campbell, La Sirene, husband and wife."
Agwe smiled.
"Now," Tahlia said. "You may kiss your bride."
I curled my wyrm body around Agwe and pressed my open-jawed mouth toward his.
He winced.
I laughed, which came out more like a cackled roar than a genuine chuckle. I'll take a rain check on that, too.
I glanced down into the deep as Cleo's body continued to sink toward the ocean floor.
Goodbye, my friend... and thank you...
42
THAT WAS ALL it took
. Tahlia declared me "Queen of the Sea," and Legba's voice resonated in my mind.
Honey, you ready to work it?
I chuckled. I think he forgot that he wasn't talking to his favorite drag queen, whom he'd also blessed with his aspect.
It's me. Joni. La Sirene...
Oh! Sorry, Joni! I got my lines crossed—so many queens for me to keep track of.
I chuckled. I need your help. I have to reach into the void... I have to speak to my son, Merlin.
Of course, you do! Legba said, more enthusiastically than I anticipated.
It's that easy? I asked.
Now that you're a queen... indeed, it is! This is what I do, honey.
If my wyrm face was capable of it, I would have smirked. We don't have much time. Can you connect me to him, somehow?
One moment, please!
I heard something like static and a ringing in my ears. Almost like that God-awful sound it used to make when you connected to dial-up Internet back in the digital stone age. I was so young when we had dial-up I barely remembered it. But I knew the sound, no less. This wasn't exactly that... but it was similar.
Apparently, Papa Legba was the supernatural version of AOL.
The static cleared.
Mom! It was Merlin's voice. Not his youthful, steady voice but the more gravely voice he'd had in old age. This was the Merlin who was in the cave with the void spawn.
Merlin! I said. I think I figured out your plan!
It seems you did! Are you near the voidbringer now? Merlin asked.
I am.
Then I know where to send the gate. I can reach through this connection and forge a gate. You might need to coax the voidbringer a little... make sure it knows that its spawn is in here. And once he releases Fomoria, you have to act fast... you need to seal the cave.
But won't he consume all of you from the inside? I asked.
Mom, do you realize how old I am?
I shook my head. He couldn't see it. But I was something of a subconscious response. I have no clue...
I've lived the equivalent of one hundred and ten years. I've traversed time and space. I've had adventures in nearly every era of history... I've saved the world many times over. Mom, I'm tired. It's okay. Everyone has to die.
So weird, I said. From my perspective, you are just a baby...
I know. And I'm still there with you... Come see me. Once this is over.
But the void inside of me... the dragon's essence...
You can handle it long enough... I believe in you.
I love you, son.
Love you too, mom.
Are you sure you're ready? I asked.
I am... I'm opening the gate now. Remember, act fast.
I heard a sizzle.
A golden portal formed behind me. I turned. It was a massive gate. Merlin knew it had to be big. Not because the voidbringer was large. Technically, it was nonexistence. It wasn't big or small. But a big gate would get its attention.
I shrieked the best I could as a wyrm to get its attention.
Agwe, I said in my mind. I need you to tell the thing its child is in there... I can't speak to it...
"You can, Joni. In your form, you are a creature of the void. It can hear you."
I cocked my wyrm head. Hadn't thought of that. Hey, voidbringer!
I didn't know what to call it. I thought of trying, "Hey, asshole." I mean, the thing was a black hole. But generally speaking, when you want something to do what you want them to do, calling them assholes isn't a good strategy. How to win friends and influence supernatural baddies. I'd write the book, someday.
Your spawn is in here... in the gate! This will take you inside!
The voidbringer shook a little. At least it gave the appearance of vibrating.
It was almost like it was thinking... pondering what to do...
Then, in an instance, the thing released Fomoria and shot itself into the gate at an impressive speed.
Merlin's gate shut behind it.
Fomoria was still intact.
I touched the Fomorian magic of the firmament and quickly shifted back into mermaid form.
No bikini top... no time to resolve that problem. I'd have to deal with it later.
"Agwe!" I said. He looked back at me. "Eyes are up here."
Agwe lifted his eyes from my chest to my face.
"Hurry! We have to seal the cave!"
"Right!" Agwe said. He gripped his trident and, with a flip of the tail, dove through the firmament.
Tahlia and I followed suit.
The whole place looked like a war zone. We charged toward where the king's spire used to be, and Agwe pointed his trident at the opening to the cave. It was a large cave. A full-size wyrm could go through it. In fact, they did that before. When they went to Old Fomoria.
I could only hope Merlin would think to close that gate, too... the one on the inside. Of course he would. Who was I even kidding?
Once we got the thing sealed.
Agwe shot a jolt of blue magic over the cave's opening. A shell started to form over the entrance as a dark mass appeared in the cave and started to move in our direction.
Agwe screamed, drawing as much power as he could. For a Loa to struggle to channel magic, to push himself to his limits... it must've been a lot.
It was going to be close. A big hole to cover, and the voidbringer was moving fast.
Agwe screamed and forced more magic into his spell...
He sealed the cave just in time. The voidbringer crashing into the magic wall he'd just formed.
I wiped my brow. Not because I was sweating. I might have been. Hard to know. But it seemed like the appropriate gesture.
"You did it!" I shouted.
"We did it!" Agwe replied.
I smiled and took his hand. "So, hubby. How about that wedding kiss?"
Agwe pressed his lips to mine. For the first time since I first went to Fomoria, I felt safe again...
I pulled back. "Now, we need to talk about this double-wife scenario. I can be a jealous bitch, you know. And I'm a southern girl. You don't mess with southern girl crazy."
Agwe laughed.
I winked. "What, you think I was joking?"
43
I WAS AGWE'S wife... which I had to say, still felt strange to say to myself. I wasn't over Merlin's daddy. I barely knew Agwe. And, hello... he wasn't human or, even, technically a merman. He had a merman's body... but that was it.
And he was married to some Loa named Erzulie. I hated her already.
But being his wife, La Sirene, Queen of the Sea, wasn't the strangest thing...
The people of Fomoria, now that we'd vanquished the voidbringer, hailed me their new queen, too.
I didn't know much about being queen.
I wished Cleo was here... I could have used her help.
But Tahlia was the new priestess. I just had to keep an eye on her. She'd married us, sure. But that didn't keep her from flirting with my husband. And I had enough jealousy issues over the whole polygamy thing as it was.
We rebuilt what we could. A new spire formed from choral and infused with Fomorian magic to accelerate and guide its growth. How the spires were made, apparently.
"I miss Nammu," I told Agwe as we found our place in our new palace spire.
"I understand," Agwe said. "It's hard to believe they're gone."
I nodded. "I think I should go see Merlin soon."
"Are you sure you're ready?" Agwe asked.
"I am. I mean, he told me when Legba connected us, I could handle it. And since he was there, when I visited when he was a kid... I mean, he recalled me visiting him as a child. Didn't mention me going dragon-shit crazy and destroying things or anything like that."
Agwe laughed. "I suppose he'd know."
I nodded. "I'm not sure how his dad will react. And if he finds out I'm already married again..."
Agwe shook his head. "You don't have to tell him."
"I do," I said. "If he sees, I can handle everything
. If he knows I have control over the dragon inside of me. He'll hate me for not being there. He needs to know I have responsibilities here. I'm a queen now... and as much as I'd rather just be a mother... He might not accept it. But at least he'll understand it."
"I get it," Agwe said. "Sometimes duty calls."
I bit my lip. "I won't be gone long."
"I can watch you on the map," Agwe said. "Be careful. You know, the bokors behind all of this, the ones who summoned Marinette and bound her to Conand... they're still out there. I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last from them."
I winced. "I can't imagine they could do any worse than a voidbringer."
Agwe shook his head. "I'm not going to underestimate them."
TAHLIA HELPED ME get ready. I'd need pants once I got to the surface. I wasn't about to go see my baby pantless. And I wasn't exactly keen on stealing any state flags this time around. Tahlia wove together some seaweed into what was, quite surprisingly, a rather stylish skirt. It would suffice.
I tucked my skirt under my arm.
"Good luck," Tahlia said.
"Thanks," I said. "And don't sleep with my husband while I'm gone."
Tahlia laughed. "He wouldn't. Even if I wanted him to."
I nodded. "I'm so nervous."
"Why is that?" Tahlia asked.
"The last time I saw my baby, I'd left him at the doorstep of his father's house in the Ozarks. Will they want to see me at all? Will Elijah even allow me to see Merlin?"
"Of course he will," Tahlia said.
"How can you be so sure?"
Tahlia cocked her head. "Because your grown-up son said you came to visit. And he said it was fine."
I chuckled. "Yeah, there's that. I know that's the case. You're right. I'm still nervous, though."
"I can escort you to the firmament if you'd like," Tahlia said.
I nodded. "That would be nice."
As we approached the firmament, we saw something in the distance. Several figures. Large figures. And one merman on top of them.
"Who the hell is that?" Tahlia asked.
I rubbed my eyes. "Holy crap," I said. "That's Titus! The wyrms are following him!"
"Sort of... more like they're dragging him along. But he's trying." Tahlia tilted her head. "But we saw the zombies... what they did to him... how did he..."
Gates of Eden: Starter Library Page 51
