by Anne Bourne
“I didn’t believe in any of the old legends. Until today.” She kept her gaze on the witch. “It’s Jake who’s the storyteller, anyway.”
“How did you come to know him, being of different clans?” Scyllane asked as she leaned back and then floated a tray of food toward Muriel.
The mermaid eyed it suspiciously but hunger overwhelmed her. Most of it was foreign, but she found she enjoyed whatever was not squirming on the plate.
“I know him through Ephyra. He grew up in the palace with her. We met one day when she had crossed the border and I literally ran into her.” Muriel smiled at the memory.
“She introduced me to Jake and it was … ” Muriel stopped, aware she was speaking to Scyllane and not a friend.
“Oh, don’t stop on my account. I know you love him, so let’s get to the good parts, shall we,” Scyllane said and laughed at the mermaid’s horrified expression.
“I don’t. He’s just a friend, I don’t even know him all that well,” Muriel tried to cover her surprise. She fidgeted with the end of her fins. They were sleek and looked like gossamer but they were tough as armor.
“Soon it will not be race or clan but simply who survives. Even the king and queen were Shoal and Coral. I was a Coral, you know, before I fell in love with Erebos,” Scyllane revealed at Muriel’s gasp.
“I know, I hardly look it now. But I understand the thrill of the dark looks, the paler skin. His eyes seem to change from amber to gold, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do,” Muriel whispered. She loved to look at Jake’s eyes. He had been nothing like the warnings she’d heard about Shoal merfolk. Muriel wondered where Ephyra was and if she’d know Jake as a human. If anyone could find her, it was him. Muriel felt beyond exhausted as she quelled that odd, aching in her chest.
“Come, let’s rest, and tomorrow I’ll show you where I seek the stone.”
Chapter Eleven
“Good morning.”
Ephyra opened her eyes to see Gabriel’s face floating above her. At once those piercing steel blue eyes made her shiver. As she stretched and sat up, the robe gaped open.
“Let’s close this,” Gabriel said gently and swiftly he pulled the lapels together. Oh, yeah. Humans liked to cover their bodies. She’d try not to forget that again.
“It is your custom to apologize for such a thing?” Ephyra raised a brow and Gabriel burst out laughing.
“It’s a good thing I found you. Now, what shall we do about this situation, Miss Ephyra — am I saying that right?” Gabriel asked.
“Ee-fear-ah,” she pronounced it and nodded. “And I’m quite sure I can manage on my own now.”
Gabriel cocked his head at her. “What’s your last name?”
Ephyra thought fast. Merfolk didn’t have surnames. “Smith.” That was a name she’d read a lot in magazines.
“Ephyra Smith, how much money do you have to get a cab?”
“I have twenty thousand dollars,” she said proudly. She’d collected a bunch of money off ships and careless tourists who dropped their change.
“Where?”
“In a bank.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
“In the Keys?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel regarded her skeptically.
“I don’t buy it but I won’t keep you here. I have business to do today,” he said with a shrug.
His cell phone rang, interrupting them. Ephyra found her hearing was quite adept even on land.
“Hey,” Marcus’s voice came over the line, worried and almost panicked.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked, feeling as if that were the only question he ever asked these days.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m glad you haven’t left. How long will you be here? Can we meet tomorrow?” Marcus seemed distracted. Gabriel felt his irritation rise.
“I only booked the resort for three days, so I guess I’ll be around for a few more,” he said flatly.
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll call you, promise.” The line went dead. Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed. He looked over at Ephyra, who was eyeing him.
“Brother,” he explained.
“Oh, does he live here, too?” Ephyra pulled on the shorts and tank top.
“In this hotel, no. In the area, yes,” Gabriel said, not taking her knowledge for granted.
Ephyra picked up a brush and rubbed it over her body and then to her hair. She glanced in the mirror and saw Gabriel staring at her as though he were starving.
“Am I doing something wrong?” she asked imperiously.
“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” Gabriel responded with a grin. He began fiddling with his phone.
• • •
Gabriel led Ephyra into a clothes store. The manikins were dressed in flowing, summery dresses and others in tight shorts with shirts. He wasn’t a fashion expert but Ephyra’s eyes lit up when she saw all the colors. He watched her touch the fabrics and press them against her cheek.
“Hey, I thought you said you were busy!” A female voice next to Gabriel said harshly. He turned in surprise to find a blond young woman glaring at him. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I thought you were someone else,” she said, embarrassed.
“No problem.” Gabriel flashed her a small smile. “Wouldn’t happen to be Marcus Rayner, would it?” He was forever being mistaken for his brother with their similar jaw lines and blue-green eyes. Gabriel’s hair wasn’t as sandy blond as Marcus’s but in certain lighting it didn’t matter.
“Yea. You look almost like him,” she laughed.
“How do you know him?” Gabriel saw Ephyra approach with a pile of shirts in her hands. He grinned.
“I’m his girlfriend,” the blond said with a shake of her head.
“Oh, hi, I’m Gabriel. Brother,” he said and extended his hand.
“Jane.”
“This is Ephyra. My, uh, friend,” he introduced Ephyra and she smiled.
Ephyra shook the extended hand in a mechanical, almost too perfect way. Gabriel didn’t comment and hid his smile.
“Wow, so he didn’t tell me his brother was in town. I’m sorry for such a rude welcome,” Jane said with a grin.
“No reason to be. I just got here, I’m sure he told you our father died recently so it’s a business thing for me,” Gabriel said congenially. He saw Ephyra look at him with so much surprised sympathy that he nearly forgot about Jane.
“Yea, I’m sorry about that, too,” Jane said, bringing his attention back.
There was an awkward pause as the three of them regarded each other.
“Does your hair change its color?” Ephyra asked suddenly. Gabriel gave her a quizzical look, and Jane laughed.
“Every three months I think. I guess you can see my roots coming in.” Jane motioned to her highlighted head. “I have this shirt and love it.” She pointed at the pile of clothing Ephyra was holding.
“Women here are clothed all too much,” Ephyra said and handed her the shirts while rifling through more clothes.
Jane gave Gabriel a quizzical “is she kidding?” smile and he shook his head slightly and grinned back as she started to try on clothes. It was amazing how her smile could make his waiting seem irrelevant. He was glad Ephyra was now attired in something more than generic shorts.
“How do you like this one?”
She wore short jean shorts and a red bikini top. “I love it,” he answered truthfully.
“Thank you for helping me,” Ephyra said to Jane.
“Well, guess it’s time for my part,” Gabriel joked and pulled out his credit card.
“Can I feel that?” Ephyra reached across eagerly to touch the plastic card with the raised lettering.
“I thoug
ht you’d have a dozen of these since you have so much in the bank,” he teased, trying to coax her brain to remember such an ordinary object.
“I lost them, apparently,” Ephyra answered fluidly, with a small smile. He let the matter drop as they walked out with her purchases.
Gabriel was intrigued by her sense of superiority and her rabid curiosity. It was a combination that made him feel more than he was comfortable with.
Chapter Twelve
Muriel held up the glittering azure jewel in her hand, admiring the thin silver chain embedded into the heart of the small round stone. It glowed with an inner light and seemed to whisper. She felt a shiver through her body as it made contact with her skin.
“The blue moonstone,” Scyllane said. “It will give any living being the power to change their shape.”
“Change their shape?” Muriel asked, in awe of the power she could feel from the simple gem.
“You could become human with this stone and vice versa,” Scyllane explained with a grin.
The two had spent long hours mining the reefs and bottom of the oceans for this gem. It was impossible to miss the sperm whale whose carcass now lay prone on the ocean floor. The poor brute had eaten the stone unwittingly, already crabs and fish were feeding on its fatty carcass.
“What else can you teach me about these grounds?” Muriel surveyed the endless darkness. The pressure now felt normal and her eyes were beginning to adjust to the constant gloom.
The sea witch laughed.
“What I have to teach could take decades, merling. But we’ll start with the gem you see here. The moonstone is of ancient magic and thus, only the runes could tell us how to destroy it.” Scyllane led the way back to her cavern. Eels and glowing fish parted in their path, flicking to either side.
“What’s your plan for Ephyra?” Muriel asked suspiciously, suddenly remembering who she was dealing with.
Scyllane turned to her with a crooked smile.
“Ephyra and Jake are on land,” Scyllane answered simply.
The witch glided ahead and Muriel hurried to keep up. Her tail flashed athletically and propelled her forward.
“Where will she find a warrior on land?” Muriel exclaimed. “You don’t want her to succeed do you?” There was hurt in her voice.
“Of course I want her to succeed.” Scyllane turned sharply to face the mermaid. Her murky colored hair flared around a pale face. “Erebos isn’t stupid, if he cannot find her in the water, he will find a way to search the land. Do you know what Erebos did to me before he banished me?”
Muriel shook her head. She watched as Scyllane let her fins unclamp and for the first time Muriel saw scars running down the length of her torso and tail, the scales mangled too badly to ever grow back to their former glory. Muriel saw traces of the mermaid Scyllane had once been, flashes of gold and red in an intricate pattern now marred by ugly streaks of gray.
“He beat me for days. Then he told me to run and had his guards hunt me like a seal. If I lived then I had gained freedom,” she whispered harshly. Muriel suspected the memories were still fresh in her mind even after decades.
“I’m sorry.” Muriel couldn’t imagine a mate abusing her so.
“Don’t be,” Scyllane barked. “I don’t need it and it doesn’t help.”
“But … ”
“Hush!” Scyllane went very still, her fins collapsed to hug her body again. Muriel listened and couldn’t hear anything. The darkness was unbroken and the water peaceful.
“Follow,” Scyllane murmured.
Muriel followed the witch as fast as she could. Soon, though, her breath came in short gasps. She wasn’t adjusted to the low oxygen level and Scyllane was quick. She saw the faint outline of their cavern and enjoyed a quick moment of relief before a sudden movement caught her eye.
“Scyllane!” she cried but it was too late. A dark shadow blasted from the right and caught the sea witch in its grip. The witch screamed as it closed over her. Muriel could see flashes of her magic but the shadow kept her locked inside.
A low rumble of laughter made her start. She turned and saw a black figure rising from their cavern. A merman. But he hardly looked like one anymore: spines curved from his back and forearms, his tail was split into many tiers with spikes on the edges, and his face was a mass of hollow angles and jutting chin. The merman wore a glistening crown on his head that Muriel recognized from Scyllane’s collection.
“Muriel, is it?” the merman’s soft voice asked. She was instantly drawn toward it as if they were linked with an invisible chain. As she drew closer, she could see the muscles in his arms and torso.
“Who are … ” Muriel stammered, but she knew who this was.
“Yes, say my name, merling,” he crooned and reached out a hand to caress her face.
Muriel wanted to shudder, to pull away, but somehow she stayed and let his cold touch feel her skin.
“Erebos.”
The Dark lord smiled, showing perfectly normal teeth. Perhaps it was the last normal thing about him. Muriel saw the sea witch emerge from the cloud even as it held her back.
“Finally come yourself, coward!” she spat. Her hair was tangled and more of her fins were split.
Erebos turned from Muriel to gaze at his estranged wife. Muriel saw his eyes flicker with passion for a moment and then to pity.
“Scyllane,” he spoke her name like an embrace.
The sea witch stopped struggling at the sound of her name. Muriel saw the flash of deep hurt hidden beneath her rough exterior.
“I realize it’s shy of three days,” Erebos continued. “But I am impatient. Where is Ephyra?”
His tone was pleasant but neither mermaid was fooled. Muriel clutched the blue moonstone in her hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She saw Scyllane’s mouth tighten stubbornly.
“If you confess your mistake, I will tell you where she is,” Scyllane said coldly.
“Mistake?” Erebos laughed. “What mistake is that?”
“You cast me out on a lie!” she screamed. Her eyes were wild with fury as they cast sparks.
“I asked nicely once,” Erebos sighed. He glided up to her and reached a hand out to touch her forehead.
Muriel cringed at Scyllane’s screams. She couldn’t watch the witch’s body convulsing. Gathering her courage, Muriel gave a power a flip of her tail and shot as fast as she could toward the surface.
“Good girl!” Scyllane’s faint yell followed her as she rocketed faster and faster. The water was becoming clearer, easier to breathe and Muriel rejoiced in its power to make her travel more rapidly. She could feel Erebos’ anger riding behind her like a current.
She rose without stopping until she saw the sunlight filtering down into the reefs. Muriel barely had time to recognize her destroyed home along the journey. The water was getting shallower as she made her way toward the shore. Taking a deep breath and hoping the trajectory was correct, she launched herself out of the water. It was a strange sensation floating above the water and she could see the sandy beach careening toward her. With a wet smack she hit the ground and with a great flop for extra measure, she lay panting on the beach. Thankfully, there were no humans around her.
Muriel stared at the moonstone still clutched tightly in her palm, and put the necklace on. Nothing happened. She wondered if you had to concentrate, so she thought of the human pictures she’d seen. Then, there was a cracking sound and she looked down to see two human legs complete with feet and toes. Muriel’s eyes widened as she wiggled them and bent her legs. The waves lapped at her from several feet away, as if to drag her back. The mermaid tried to stand shakily. For a few minutes, all she could do was crawl away from the water.
Soon, she found her strength and stood. It was amazing to be so tall on land, and Muriel laughed aloud. She made her way toward drier ground with a
smile. Ephyra couldn’t be far. She needed to warn her.
Chapter Thirteen
Ephyra hung her head over the end of the sailboat and opened her eyes. The salt stung and she nearly pulled back from the stinging pain. Human eyes really are weak, she thought in irritation. Soon, they adjusted and she scanned the waters for any sign of life. Only multicolored fish, sting rays, and reef life met her gaze. They didn’t recognize her. Ephyra sighed. She popped her head back up and breathed in air. It really was inconvenient not to be able to breathe under water.
Gabriel locked gazes with her and she knew he thought she was crazy.
“See anything?” Gabriel asked with a smirk.
“No,” Ephyra said dejectedly. She didn’t try to hide her gloom this time. Hope was fast losing its bolster.
She glanced westward and suddenly sat up straighter. In the distance a funnel of clouds swirled over a patch of water. However, within seconds the clouds stopped spinning and settled into simple rain clouds. As innocuous as it looked on the surface, it was too similar to when she’d seen Erebos first arrived He was certainly up to something.
“I didn’t mean to make fun of you,” Gabriel said apologetically as he sat down next to her to dangle his feet in the cool water. “Are you remembering something?”
He looked at her expectantly with such soft indigo eyes, Ephyra wanted to confide her troubles — her real troubles. Not for the first time was she aware of Gabriel’s nearness and the funny way it made her feel. She stared at the chiseled chest leading to defined abs, and as her gaze went lower, she found curiosity taking over. Ephyra had seen anatomy pictures of both human genders, but pictures didn’t do this man any justice. Unfortunately, Gabriel was studying her, too, so he caught her unabashedly gazing between his legs, and she felt her cheeks heat up.
“I can’t remember much,” she said lamely.
Gabriel’s snort told her he didn’t buy it, but he let it drop. Instead, he smiled at her as if he were amused before suddenly sliding over the side of the boat into the water.
