My sisters stand off to one side, their eyes boring into me as I climb from the water.
Before I can walk to the watchmen, men, women, and children surround me, their sunburnt faces beaming. Shouts of thanks overwhelm me.
“You saved us!”
“Thank you!”
“My son is alive because of you.”
Hands reach out and touch me. Small children grab the petals of my skirt. I fight to spin away, but I’m surrounded.
My chest tightens, and I struggle to breathe. More people gather around. This time, they press gifts into my hands or lay them at my feet.
“A token of thanks.”
“Please take this with my gratitude.”
“An offering for protecting our beach.”
I shrink into myself until familiar hands gently grasp my shoulders and pull me into a tight embrace. Harun yells at the beachgoers over my head as he turns me into his chest. “The beach is temporarily closed while we investigate what happened. It will open back up in the morning. There is dancing in the square around the fountain tonight. Dress in your finest, and join us there.”
As the festivalgoers make their way back up the dunes, shouts of thanks and praise for the nereids continue. Most of my sisters race back to the water, but Cyanea storms toward us. I wiggle out of Harun’s embrace to face her.
Cyanea’s features contort and hate rolls off her. “Are you happy with yourself? Not only did you ruin everyone’s fun, but you stole our gifts. Those trinkets at your feet weren’t meant for you.”
Neo tries to step between my sister and me, but I grab his hand and pull him back. “You’re welcome to all the gifts. I don’t need them. I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Didn’t you hear their screams for help?”
With hands on her hips, Cyanea leans in close, her nose almost touching mine. “Do you think she wouldn’t have stopped? It was just a game. That. You. Ruined!” She punctuates each word then bends down to scoop up her treasure. “If I were you, I’d stay away from the palace until everyone calms down.”
I rear back from her, fear and hurt making my eyes sting. While I don’t always get along with my sisters, this is the first time I’ve ever been restricted from our home.
As tears slowly spill past my lashes, she sniffs with disdain. “You can’t continue to be like this. Act like the nereid you are.”
With those parting word, she dives into the water, disappearing into the depths.
Hurt, embarrassed, and now unsure of myself, tears stream down my face. Did I do the right thing? Maybe I reacted hastily. Rough hands caress my arms, but I pull away, staring down at the trampled mess of sand left by the festivalgoers.
“She’s wrong.” Neo steps in front of me and uses the pads of his thumbs to wipe away my tears. “The people wouldn’t have acted the way they did if she was right.”
Cupping my cheeks, he tilts my head up. His soft gaze holds the promises of a thousand tides breaking with a new dawn, and my heart flutters
When I try to look away, he holds firm, and I force myself to admit, “I don’t know anymore. How can I see things so differently from all of them? I’m living in the past, and they’ve moved on, keeping up with the world.”
“That was not keeping up with the world.” Neo tucks stray hairs back behind my ear, then grips my shoulders. “That was them living in a bubble where they can do no wrong, regardless of the consequences.”
Resting my hands on his chest, I use his strong heartbeat to control my own. “Well, I have plenty of time to think about it.”
“Where will you go?” Concern laces Kaveth’s voice, and I glance away from Neo to find Kaveth’s eyes focused on the unending sea.
Following his gaze, I turn to stare at my home. Is there any place I will feel welcome? “I haven’t had a chance to consider it. I have several hiding places, like where I found the coral for my comb.”
My hand lifts to the comb, only to find my hair knotted and the coral disks missing. New sadness washes over me. I didn’t even have a chance to show its beauty to all the men before I lost it. Tears well in my eyes once more, and I fight back the urge to cry.
As if he senses it, Neo’s hands massage my shoulders.
Worry creases Kaveth’s brow. “Is it a safe place?”
“It’s warm and inviting.” Hand lowering to my side, my fingers curl into my empty palm. “But it’s far away from here.” My voice drops as disappointment lands in my stomach at the idea of being so far away from the watchmen.
“We have room,” Harun blurts out. “I mean, you’re welcome to stay with us.”
My lips quirk up for the first time. “I appreciate the thought, but I can’t sleep on land. I’m limited to the amount of time I can be away from the water. It’s my life like air is yours.”
Neo releases my hand and joins Kaveth and Harun in pacing around the beach. “We’ll think of something.” Neo runs his hands through his black hair. “There have to be closer places for you to stay. Safer places for you to be.”
Fighting to focus on something less depressing, I change the subject. “Let’s clean the beach up. The festivalgoers left all their trash behind when you kicked them out.”
The men pick up on my need to focus on something, and we work together to deposit the trash in the receptacles placed around the area. After an hour, the sand is once more clear of human debris.
Kaveth stretches with a ripple of long muscles. “Our shift doesn’t end for another hour or so. We have to head back to the station to check in. Where can we find you once we’re off?”
Without waiting for an answer, he pulls me into his strong arms. While he doesn’t look as strong as Harun, his size is deceptive, and he squeezes me until my bones ache. It brings me a startling level of comfort, and I return the embrace. After he releases me, I give Neo and Harun hugs as well.
“I won’t be far.” Debating if I should tell them about one of my beach hiding places, I decide to be open with them since they’re concerned for my wellbeing. “Before I started coming up on the beach to watch your morning routines, I used to hide near the pillars of the old pier. There’s a small dip in the ocean floor that creates a cozy cradle to lie in. For now, I’ll stay there.”
Relief washes over their faces. After a brief hesitation, they each give me a small peck on the cheek before turning to trudge up the dunes. I lift a hand to my cheek. My skin tingles where their lips touched me, and my pulse begins to crash in an unsteady tide through my veins.
As they walk away, I’m stunned when each stops, turns, and smiles at me before continuing on.
Since I promised to stay close, I dig the seashore for clams and find some seaweed to eat for dinner. The tiny cubby that will be my temporary home needs little work to make it livable. I scoop in some extra sand to soften the hard rocks around the floor of the area. A kelp forest grows not far from the shore. I pull dozens of the long stalks and trail them behind as I swim back to my new home.
Weaving the stalks together, I form a lining for my bed as well as a blanket. My new home grabs the attention of several of my fellow sea mates. Small crabs, fish, and turtles make their way through my home, some settling into the crevasse to join me.
Once I’m happy with my setup, I swim back to the surface. Night descended on my little beach, leaving a slight chill in the air.
As I wait for the guys to finish work, yelling from down the beach reaches me.
Concerned after the near drowning this afternoon, I sprint in the direction of the noise, up the beach and closer to the town.
As I near, an orange glow lights the night. I round the dune, and bright sparks of orange pop near the far end, too close to the dry vegetation. Kaveth, Neo, and Harun work to dump sand on the tower of driftwood. Bright blue fire dances near the base of the wood, and the heat scorches my skin.
I stumble back a step.
Without hesitation, the men rush in, scooping more handfuls of dirt onto the growing fire. The flying embers float closer to t
he danger area near the grass.
My head rings, and my chest tightens as I watch the men move even closer to the tower of flames. Neo kicks at one of the logs closest to him, but if falls over to the side, almost hitting Kaveth and sparking a new fire on the extra wood sitting near the bonfire.
Most of the kids near the fire run, but Harun snatches one of them by the collar and sets him on the sand, far from the fire. “Stay here.”
Unconsciously, my feet move toward the fire, but Harun catches me on his way back. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I need to help. It’s too big for just the three of you.” The orange glow of the flames lights Harun’s face. Worry lines stretch across his forehead as he places himself between me and danger.
“We’ll figure something out, but I don’t want you to get hurt. Please don’t come any closer. Can you watch the boy for us? We need to know who was involved.” Harun dips his head to rest his forehead against mine. The warmth of his breath, hotter than anything the fire can put off, brushes my face.
Reaching up, I grasp his cheeks and capture his eyes. “You have to trust me. I can help, but I need you to step back. Take Neo and Kaveth with you.”
After a moment, Harun nods and turns to the others. “Guys. Stand back. Thelsa is going to help.”
Without hesitation, the men step back, surrounding the boy they caught fleeing the scene. I concentrate on the water. The flow of the tide calls to me. As the next wave breaks, I pull the water toward me and over onto the fire. Pops and sizzles fight with the smoke that pours from the spot. The once giant wall of flames is now reduced to black, charred wood and gray and white smoke.
I step back and turn to the men. Relief stretches across their faces as they make their way closer to me.
Neo reaches me first and grabs my hand. “You’re amazing.” He nudges Kaveth in the side. “Better than any fire hose.”
Kaveth nudges Neo back and snatches my hand from him. “Thank you for the help. We were headed back to find you when we saw the fire, but we didn’t have any of our equipment with us. Sand should drown out a fire, but that one was too big for us to handle.” Kaveth scrubs his free hand through his hair.
“I’m glad I could help. I heard the yelling from my spot and worried what was going on. Looks like I made it just in time.” I wave my hand toward the brush. “That could have gone wrong if those plants caught fire.”
Harun joins us, the boy he caught in tow. “Did you hear her?” He spins the boy to face the dry grass. “See all that? If it caught fire, the entire town might have gone with it. Is that what you wanted?”
The boy jerks free from Harun’s grasp, but doesn’t try to run. “No. That’s stupid. I’d never try to catch the town on fire. My pet panda doogle is out there at the inn I’m staying at. We were just trying to have some fun on our trip. We had it under control. If nothing else, the nereid was here to save us.” The boy leans closer to me and whispers, “I’m BL. We should talk after this. I don’t have to be home for an hour or so.”
“Boy! You aren’t going anywhere but to the station after we stop by and pick up your parents.” Harun gives me a sidelong glance. “You’re definitely not getting anywhere near Thelsa.”
“Thelsa is such a beautiful name. She’s also very brave for coming near the fire and heroic for putting it out. We had nothing to worry about with her near.” BL gazes off into the distance.
Harun shakes his head before turning to me. “Are you okay? You didn’t get burned, did you?”
I place my hand on Harun’s arm. “Not a scratch.” I twist my other arm in front of him to show him my unblemished skin, but the only light we have is the low cast of the moon.
“We have to take this child to the station. Do you want to come with us?” Harun glares at the boy, who now gives me a goofy grin. I’ve never seen anyone react like that.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, I consider what it would be like to venture into town, but fear holds me back. “No, I can’t go that far from the water. I’ll be back down by our spot, waiting for you.”
For the second time today, the watchmen walk away, leaving me alone on the beach.
6
With the guys gone and unable to return to my home in the palace, I return to the sea floor where Charybdis built the whirlpool in the hope of recovering my lost comb. But after an hour of searching, I give up. If it fell off here, the sea’s tide already hid it. I consider returning to the place I found it, and spending the night curled next to the warm crack in the sea floor, but my promise to the guys to stay near pulls me in the opposite direction, the small crevice closer to shore.
Fatigue weighs my body down. I expended a lot of energy today, first with counteracting Charybdis’s whirlpool, then by pulling water from the sea to extinguish the fire. While being close to the water helps mitigate the cost, I need to sleep and recuperate.
Despite that, the kelp blanket looks uninviting, and I can’t bring myself to slide beneath it.
My toes curl in the rocks and sand of the sea floor as I consider what to do. Restlessness fills my limbs, but I don’t want to swim. Usually, at this time, I’d be lying in my bed in the palace, listening to the quiet bevy of my sisters’ voices and the soft rhythm of the sea around our palace.
Out here, it’s too quiet, which makes me unable to settle down.
With a gentle flex of muscle, I push myself upward, letting the currents catch my body and carry me in a roundabout path to the surface. When I break through the water, the quiet of the night holds a different kind of harmony, one created by the lap of waves against sand, the gentle thump of boats against the dock, and the insects singing in the grass.
Overhead, stars fill the sky with a dusting of magic unlike anything found in the sea. The surface world holds a beauty all of its own, something my sisters seem incapable of appreciating. An especially bright star catches my attention, and for a time, I let my mind wander, imagining where our father and the other gods and goddesses now live. Perhaps somewhere up there, on another world, staring back at us? Or did they simply step from this realm to another and shut the door, forgetting in an instant those they left behind?
How much longer will we tarry among the humans before we disappear, too?
My sisters’ warnings about humans ring through my head. They play with the humans without getting too close, their affections shared only among themselves. No human will ever capture their cold hearts and lure them from the sea. No offered trinket will ever shine brighter than the flaking golden towers of the palace.
A star shoots across the sky, and a smile spreads across my lips. Human’s wish on those. What would I wish for, if I were human? Closing my eyes, I search for a yearning within myself that only the magic of a falling star can fill.
Home. The need pushes through me like a rising tide. Somewhere I feel welcome. Someplace I’m eager to return to each night. A home filled with love and acceptance.
Eyelids fluttering open, I search the sky once more, but the star has long since passed.
“Thelsa, is that you?” a quiet voice breaks the night song.
Startled, I sit up, then drop below the water’s surface. When I bob back up, I scan the long line of empty beach. Did I imagine it?
The whisper comes again, “Thelsa.”
This time, motion draws my attention to the dock to find Neo sitting at the end, his pants rolled up to his knees and his legs in the water.
Curious, I swim to his side and fold my arms on the rough, wooden planks of the dock. “What are you doing out so late?”
He grins, a bright splash of white teeth in the darkness. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” I rest my head on my arms, my face turned so I can see him from the corner of my eye. “Did everything go okay with the boy?”
“Yes, we got him back with his parents and gave them all a firm warning.” He turns toward me, pulling one leg out of the water to rest it on the dock near my elbow. “Thank you
again for helping us. Some of the festivalgoers must have stolen our buckets from the emergency lockers we keep near the beach. I was about to run back into town to get more when you arrived.”
I admire the strong muscles of his thighs. “You’re very fast. You would have made it back in plenty of time to put out the fire.”
Startled into a laugh, he leans back on his hands. “Oh, you think so?”
The night and my sleepy brain make my lips loose. “Oh, yes. I dare say you would have held your own against the runners of Greece. Noble men would have courted your favor with piles of rich cloth so that you’d run for them in the races.”
His head tilts to the side, his voice soft. “Do you miss it?”
Confused, I lift my head to stare at him. “Miss what?”
“The time of the gods.” He lifts a hand to tuck a stand of hair behind my ear, and his fingers whisper across my cheek in a light caress before returning to his side. “The world must seem so much less now than it was before.”
My skin tingles with warmth, and I resist the urge to cover my cheek. “There’s still plenty of magic in the world.”
“Well, yes.” He glances away, and the darkness hides his expression. “There’s still you and your sisters, and the wood nymphs, and—”
“Not that.” Curious, I lift myself onto the dock to see his face better. “Human invention is a magic all of its own. Kaveth’s creations, the way his mind works through problems, is truly magical.”
“Yes, Kaveth is pretty amazing.” Unhappiness fills his voice.
Worried I offended him, I add, “And Harun’s strength, the way he can lift things as if they weigh nothing. Few of the gods could do the same.”
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