by Amy Bearce
A groan and a quiet curse came from behind, and then Tristan took her hand and swam forward with her.
proar ensued as the merfolk caught sight of Phoebe, holding hands with Tristan.
“Human!” one of the merfolk shrieked, while an elder made a piercing squawking sound from the old language.
Phoebe winced at the high-pitched screech.
Tristan pushed her back behind him and said, “No, please, listen! She has news you need! She also has seen this creature that Liam speaks of! We are in danger!”
Silence filled the water except for the nearby lantern fish nets creaking as they swayed in the currents. Phoebe swam sideways out from behind Tristan. She wouldn’t hide again today. The merfolk had to believe that seawee.
They gazed at her with shock. Mina peeked out from behind a taller merman, and her own eyes were wide. A dozen seawees swarmed Phoebe, cooing and patting her arms and hair. Their hands tickled like starfish, and their giggling was a loud babble of sparkling noise.
“Enough!” called one of the elders with ominous-looking shark tattoos lining his arms and chest. Wrinkles creased his face, but he had a dart pipe attached to his hip belt, along with a pouch full of stinger fish, which were no easy prey. The little seawees darted away like startled minnows.
The elder approached her with a thunderous expression. “Who are you? And why do I feel like I know you?” Each word seemed as if it were pulled from his lips against his will. Fear, tinged with righteous anger, blossomed in Phoebe.
She drew herself to her full height as best she could in the water. “I’m Phoebe Quinn, sister to Sierra, fairy keeper. My sister and I were involved in the fall of Port Iona four years ago.” She forced the words out though shyness wrapped itself around her throat and squeezed.
The merfolk erupted in cries of surprise and recognition.
“The singer? The one who always draws our little ones away from their chores with her songs?” said one, wrapping her arm around a little seawee.
“The human Tristan helped,” one whispered to another.
Hmm. Looked like Phoebe was famous among the merfolk. Well. Infamous, maybe, based on the glares from many of the adults. The young ones, though, beamed at her like a long-lost friend.
“Quiet!” shouted a merman with ships tattooed along his shoulders and arms. The clamor ceased. The silence was almost more frightening.
“We have a few questions for you, Phoebe Quinn, Singer, sister of the fairy keeper.”
Phoebe gulped and gathered her courage around her like a shield. Too bad the shield was full of holes. She leaned against Tristan and took comfort in the curl of his fingers against hers. At least they were together. For now.
“Describe what you saw today.”
Phoebe glanced at Tristan, who nodded and whispered, “Elder Maher is fair.”
Drawing a breath, she reminded herself to be as clear as possible.
“And why should we trust you, a human?” the merman with the shark tattoos interjected before she could speak. Her heart seized at his expression. So much fury. But she’d never done anything to harm him. She wished he wasn’t armed with a dart pipe. Surely he wouldn’t use it. The merfolk were pacifists.
“Elder Seamus!” one mermaid objected.
“I’ve always been a friend to the merfolk!” Phoebe said.
“No human is our friend,” snarled the brown-eyed merman, the one called Elder Seamus.
A flurry of voices broke out at his angry words.
Tristan straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. His voice was deep and strong, carrying like the deepest note of a cello through the hubbub. “She’s been a true friend to my sister and me all these years.”
“Yes, and we will address your disobedience later, Tristan,” a striking mermaid with deep black and silver hair said, scowling.
“Those who disobey the elders repeatedly are not likely candidates for leadership, wouldn’t you say, fellow elders? Especially when the disobedience involves cavorting with humans?” Elder Seamus said, his voice dripping with disdain.
Phoebe flinched. So did Tristan. He lowered his head for a moment.
Seeing him hurt lit the fuse of her own anger. She might deserve their scorn, but Tristan most certainly did not.
“I think you’re missing the point, with all due respect,” Phoebe interrupted, amazing herself and shocking the elders into silence. She could almost guess their thoughts: A human daring to speak against an elder?
Mina’s lips twitched suspiciously.
Phoebe continued before she lost her nerve. “Tristan brought me here knowing he would be punished. But his concern for his people’s safety overrode his concern for his own comfort and security. I think he holds the very essence of a leader. He’s willing to admit there’s a problem. And that problem is what brings me here now.” She pulled her pant leg up to show the red hand print still vivid on her skin. “The problem that did this to me.”
“Anything could have made that mark. It means nothing.” Elder Seamus dismissed her leg with a wave.
“We will discuss your claims,” Elder Maher sighed, sending a quelling glance at Elder Seamus. “But it would be helpful if we had this message from any other creature. I’m sorry to say so, Mistress Quinn, but your species has not comported itself in a trustworthy manner as of late. Nor in the past, for that matter.”
Phoebe nodded. “I do not deny it. It shames me greatly. But I’d like to show you I am sincere. How can I do that?”
“There is one option, but it is a novel one. All elders must be in agreement, and it cannot be discussed in front of you. For now, young lady, go with Mina. We’ll call for you when we decide.”
Tristan turned to leave with Phoebe, but the mermaid with black and silver hair called sharply, “Not you, Tristan. You need to stay.”
Phoebe gulped and met his eyes. I’m sorry, she mouthed.
He offered a ghost of his usual smile and mouthed back, Don’t be.
“Come on,” Mina said, taking Phoebe by the hand.
As she moved through the village with Mina, she caught numerous merfolk staring as if trying to place where they’d seen her before, their faces alive with curiosity. But she was sure she’d never met them―other than some of the seawees, who swam alongside her with welcoming grins. Some of the adults even glared at her like Elder Seamus had.
A few minutes later, Phoebe slumped wearily in a shadowy cave empty except for a few small boulders dotting the sandy floor. She was too tired to even appreciate the iridescent seashells lining the roof. Had she really felt safe with Tristan and Mina just a short while ago? When she imagined swimming to the rescue of the merfolk and warning them of a dangerous threat, a pack of angry, disbelieving merfolk hadn’t been in her plans. It made her doubly glad she’d never confessed her true feelings for Tristan. He’d never be permitted to be bondmates with a human, even if he wanted to. That much was painfully clear.
She was shocked at the strife among the merfolk. It looked like they were at war, but against what? Not warring against humans. They were angry at humans, yes, but clearly not planning on fighting back. But something else was wrong. Whatever it was could make things even worse for Tristan.
Even without any added problems, he was in serious trouble. At least neither he nor Phoebe had mentioned that Mina had been a part of Phoebe’s journey to the village. They’d severely underestimated how badly the merfolk would take Phoebe’s arrival. None of the elders understood that what she had to say was more important than breaking the rules about humans in the village.
With Tristan gone, Mina sat with her instead, the mermaid’s skin producing only the faintest shimmer. The silence of the cave was a relief after the commotion below. Phoebe asked Mina, “What’s happening? What does all of this mean?”
The maid crossed her arms and simply said, “You should rest while you can. You’re only human, and it’s been a long day for you.”
That was a very unsatisfactory answer. Phoebe wanted to arg
ue, but she was so exhausted that she actually drifted off to sleep sitting up, lulled by the soft currents. When she jerked awake―who knew how long it had been?―she found nothing had changed. They were still waiting for Tristan to return.
“Okay. I’ve rested. Now please tell me what’s going on,” Phoebe begged. “Your village looks, well, a little rundown. And everyone looks almost ill. It worries me.”
Mina sighed. Her next words were reluctant, barely audible. “Things have been difficult the last few years.”
Phoebe gaped at her. “What? What does ‘difficult’ mean?”
“As magic has increased, old magical sea creatures, unseen for years, have been reappearing out of the midnight and twilight realms. Dangerous creatures. We thought they were just myths, but they must have come out of some type of magical hibernation.”
“Well, that makes Liam’s story even more believable!”
“The elders are slow to accept change, Phoebe, even when the facts are undeniable. It’s one thing to fight off some sea dragons. It took the elders years to finally accept those were real. But it’s quite another to discuss our most ancient of enemies, especially when our own powers have remained low as they ever have. The old ones had powers that let them build magical barriers around their city and fight off large predators when foraging. They could live without fear. Now we have neither the magic nor the skill. We don’t know why. It’s become rather… dangerous for us to gather our food and trade goods, so we’ve been doing with less, especially as humans keep fishing in our waters.”
“Dangerous! That’s an understatement! You’ve never said anything about hard times!”
“We weren’t supposed to.” The sentence was simple, but it confused Phoebe. Mina fidgeted with a bracelet, avoiding Phoebe’s gaze.
Realization dawned. “So you were keeping things from me?” Hurt bloomed in Phoebe’s chest. “Lying to me?”
She had told Mina and Tristan more than anyone about the traumatic time with Bentwood’s people. She had shared her heart with her two friends. Her bottom lip quivered, but she bit it before it showed. Ice flowed through her veins. Her most trusted friends had been treating her as a weak child, just as Sierra did.
Mina darted over, her glow dimming and fluctuating wildly. “No! No, it wasn’t like that! It didn’t involve humans, and your sister told us―”
Her words cut off suddenly, her eyes widening.
“Sierra said something to you? As in, Sierra, my big sister?” Phoebe gritted her teeth so hard she was surprised sparks didn’t fly even under the water.
“Well, she was worried about you,” Mina said, twisting her hands together. “And then she was so angry when we took you deeper into the sea, like we might break you. When she learned that we were having problems with sea dragons and so on, she asked us to sort-of-not-mention-it-to-you.” The words came out in a rush.
“She asked you to not tell me? What, did she ask you nicely?”
“Maybe more like told us.” Mina dipped her head. “She said if we told you, you’d worry more and make yourself sick, and she’d forbid you coming to us at all.”
Yes, that was more like Sierra. She didn’t ask. She told. She pushed. She demanded.
Mina should be ashamed. Mina should have told Phoebe anyway. And Sierra should be ashamed, too, though she wouldn’t be. This was even worse than not telling Phoebe she had some unknown kind of magic.
She scowled, spinning a bit in her haste to rise. She had always said she would do anything for her mer-friends, and here they’d been suffering, and she’d not known. Because her big sister didn’t think she could handle it.
Fury swept through her, colder than the cave waters. Her spine stiffened. Something shifted inside her, something deep down without a name. It stirred, like a wave growing, crashing powerfully against her heart. She was done with being treated like a child.
“Well. Sierra’s not here, and I am. Tell me now.” Her voice vibrated with a new strength. The trembling thing in Phoebe’s chest solidified, settling there like a firebird sinking into its nest, ready to scorch anyone who offended.
Mina’s face crumpled, and Phoebe’s anger softened a little. She took her friend’s hands. “Please. Mina. I need to know what’s happening. I love you.”
Mina sniffed. “Tristan will kill me.”
“I’ll kill him, and we’ll be even.” Phoebe’s voice was grim.
“The sea dragons are staying in the deeper waters for now, but they are interfering with our gathering and fishing. We’re afraid they’ll start invading our village. The elders really did say that the merfolk you found must have died by accident a long time ago, but now they’re reconsidering. And more merfolk have gone missing. Just gone out to collect food or supplies and never come back. We don’t think it’s humans taking them, either.”
Phoebe blinked at the flood of information. “How many are missing?”
“Enough that the little ones have been forbidden to leave the village as of this morning. The rest of us can’t venture into the twilight realm at all. The midnight realm is completely forbidden, and has been for years beyond counting. As you know, humans have been intruding in our waters, stealing from our dwindling supplies of deep sea fish. And now you’ve said you’ve seen a water wraith, and with that skeleton found, with those marks on it, like the stories of Baleros―Phoebe, they might make us all migrate to the other side of the sea. I imagine that’s what they’re discussing right now.”
The bottom dropped out of Phoebe’s stomach.
“No,” she whispered.
Lose her best friends? Tristan?
Mina shook her head miserably. “I wanted to tell you. I know Tristan did, too. He’d never hurt you on purpose; you don’t know how much he risked to help you in the first place. In our culture, you simply don’t make decisions without the elders. And you certainly don’t risk war with the humans by helping one of their prisoners escape. Bentwood had some of our people locked up in a pen under his fortress; Tristan risked the deaths of those merfolk by aiding you.”
“We’ve got to convince the elders the wraith is real, and the beast might be rising. They have to fight!” The answer was clear to Phoebe.
Mina gave a soft laugh, one devoid of humor.
Then Tristan’s voice cut through the cave.
he elders would never be that reasonable.” Tristan’s voice was rough. Phoebe couldn’t see him in the dark cave, but just the sound of him sent adrenaline sparking through her. His tail fin moved so slowly that he simply drifted into view, rather than swam.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Phoebe cried, swimming over to her friend. He had no glow left shimmering from his skin at all. She couldn’t stay angry, not at him.
“I made a sacred promise to your sister. It was the only way she’d permit us to keep seeing you. I’m sorry to have kept our troubles from you, Phoebe. More than you know.” He sagged to the cave floor.
Mina cried in dismay, grasping her brother by the shoulders. “What did they do?”
“They asked many questions in their fury and made ugly accusations. Especially Elder Seamus.” He paused and raised an eyebrow. “He used to wrestle sharks, you know.”
“I feel sorry for the sharks. Well, what do we do now?” Phoebe asked.
“The elders want to speak to you, but they won’t do it in the village. They worry that a land walker isn’t to be trusted and want to question you in a way that they will know you’re telling the truth.” He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a deep sigh.
They thought she was lying? Phoebe’s heart sank like a battered ship. She’d told them everything she knew, hadn’t she? Didn’t spare a single detail. Telling them should have been enough to goad them into action. She’d even showed them the huge handprint on her leg. And they still weren’t doing anything. She’d done her best and failed.
But what if the water wraith came at Tristan and Mina? Or someone from their family? She’d have to keep trying to convince them, even if they loo
ked at her like she was a sea slug. And if she proved she was right, maybe then they’d stop being furious at Tristan for bringing her.
Then a thought occurred to her. “Don’t they believe Liam? He’s a merfolk.”
“Unfortunately, Liam isn’t known for his truth-telling. His father drank jellyfish liquor too often, wandering off and telling crazy stories. Though it’s unfair, they think of the boy as untrustworthy too.”
Mina scowled. “Liam would never lie about something like this. He’s a good pup. He tells tales just like all seawees do at times, but it’s obvious when he’s doing it. He was petrified today.”
Phoebe couldn’t help agreeing. The shrill terror in his voice had rung with sincerity.
“They don’t want to believe wraiths are real at all, Phoebe, much less that you’ve seen one. They’ll cling to any possibility that allows them to stay buried in the sand like a sea frog, even if it means calling you and Liam liars. If we must fight against these wraiths, our whole culture would be forced to change. If Baleros has risen, which even I find hard to believe, don’t expect the merfolk to react well,” he warned.
She could understand that. The merfolk’s response was much like the way she usually reacted, compared to Nell or Sierra. Phoebe had never wanted to fight. Until now.
“Okay, what do the elders want me to do to prove myself?” she replied.
“They wish to take you to an old place,” he answered. His gaze swept over to Mina as he said, “We’re going to the ancient city. To Lyr.”
Mina gasped, hand rising to her throat.
“I don’t understand. Why does Mina look like that?” Phoebe said
They didn’t respond for a long moment. “Tristan? Mina? Talk to me!”
Tristan explained. “Lyr is a mystical place for our people, the original home of the merfolk, in the deepest part of the twilight realm. Our time there was one of prosperity for us, until Baleros and his wraiths supposedly destroyed our civilization. With little magic left, our people moved to the shallows and soon became slaves to humans.”
