by E. G. Foley
“Fine!” Sapphira snapped. “Follow me. I just hope we don’t regret it.”
“Why would we?” Maddox asked, returning with obvious reluctance.
But instead of answering, Sapphira swam away with yet another order. “Stop talking! They’ll hear us.”
Once more, much to Jake’s frustration, they had no choice but to follow the slippery mermaid, though he wasn’t even sure at that point if they could trust her in the least. He was just relieved that Maddox had come back, or, Jake was sure, they’d have never seen him again.
Sapphira dove through the looplike rock formation atop the Keyhole, descending to its base. The rest hurried after her, swimming once more in a school. From there, they glided alongside a long, hulking hedgerow of corals, using them for cover.
Upon clearing the rise Liliana had pointed to, the Seaweed Forest came into view.
It was a dark, mysterious place.
Tall, tree-sized sea plants waved tendrils in the cold salt current.
As they swam up to the edge of the forest, a narrow path opened before them. Jake frowned when he saw that even Sapphira, bold as she was, looked a little afraid of the place.
“What is it?” he murmured, but she brushed him off again, refusing to tell him what she knew.
“No time! Jones’s shark men won’t follow us in there—that’s all that matters. Everyone, hurry! Into the woods! Quickly! And whatever you do, don’t stray from the path.” She waved them in, and Liliana led the way with a swish of her arms and a flick of her bright pink tail.
One by one, they went gliding into the deep, dark undersea forest.
CHAPTER 13
The Colony
As they swam into the placid darkness of the Seaweed Forest, everything waved back and forth slowly in the current. With Sapphira bringing up the rear, they followed Liliana deeper into the eerie tangle, weaving among the swaying, vinelike fronds.
She seemed to know her way.
Despite the tension that hung over the whole group, knowing the shark men were only minutes behind them, they gazed at their surroundings in fascination.
His eyes adjusting to the murky shadows, Jake stared up at the spore clusters that hung around the center stalks of the giant plants, like bunches of translucent coconuts.
Air bladders helped the dark green leaves to float up toward what little light penetrated these depths.
They pressed on, but when they heard rough shouts from well behind them, they all glanced back in alarm.
Jake’s jaw tightened. They’ve found us. And no wonder, with Maddox leaving them a blood trail the shark men could easily follow.
He was just glad his friend wasn’t more seriously hurt.
Through the long, slimy branches and fingerlike leaves of the plant life, he spotted some of Jones’s minions swimming back and forth along the edge of the Seaweed Forest. They peered in as best they could, but did not venture onto the path, as if they did not dare.
They certainly seem to be afraid of something in here, Jake thought uneasily, glancing at the pair of royal siblings.
“Hurry! Don’t let them see us,” Liliana whispered.
Sapphira swam forward up the line to join her sister at the front. “Stay down!” She beckoned to Nixie and Archie, who were gliding at a slightly higher elevation among the fronds.
The pair obeyed and joined the rest. Then they all dove lower into the dark green thicket until they reached a sheltered sort of grove where they finally got to rest for a bit. Everyone huddled together, holding still in hopes their pursuers would give up and go away.
Liliana kept her arm around her seahorse, who cowered beside her. Seeing the pair together made Jake miss Red. Though they’d only left on their adventure this morning, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Why are Jones’s crew afraid to come in here?” Dani whispered loudly.
“Shh!” said Sapphira.
Jake got the feeling she just didn’t want to answer. He already knew from the ominous bits of conversation he’d overheard in Driftwood that there were things she wasn’t telling them.
“Won’t they just go around the forest and wait for us to come out the other side?” Maddox asked in a low tone, practical as ever.
“No, it’s too big. We could come out anywhere,” she said. “Now, I suggest you all keep quiet!”
“Oh, I think we’re all right for now, Your Highness,” Jake drawled, eyeing her suspiciously. “They show no signs of wanting to come in here. I wonder why that is.” He paused. “Funny you never mentioned those shark fellows when we were up on land.”
Sapphira glared at him.
“What are they?” Maddox asked.
The princess shrugged, but at least she deigned to answer his questions. “Long ago they were bad men, sailors, who drowned at sea. As Lord of the Locker, Davy Jones sailed out to collect their souls for the devil, but before sending them down to a fiery eternity, he offered each man a wager. One dice game, just like the devil offered him when he died. If they won it, then they could choose to become a part of his crew instead of going down to Hades. But part of their punishment was to be transformed into the monsters you saw—half man, half sea creature. According to legend,” she added, “the only time they’re normal again and able to go up on land is during the full moon.”
Everyone was silent, pondering that.
“I’m pretty sure even Patrick doesn’t know that part,” Dani mumbled.
Meanwhile, Liliana was studying everybody. “Sapphira?” she whispered. “Why do your friends look so funny? And why don’t they have tails?”
Her innocent question broke the tension that had overtaken the group ever since they’d fled from the Keyhole. Now that they seemed relatively safe, they all gave in to a chuckle of relief at the question from the youngest among them.
Sapphira smiled at her sister. “They’re landers, silly.”
“Landers?” Liliana looked scandalized to hear it. “Papa won’t like it. What are they doing down here?”
“Rescuing you, if you hadn’t noticed,” Maddox said in amusement. “You did well out there, Princess Liliana. She was very brave through it all.”
“Oh, I knew all the time Sapphira would come and get me. But how can you be landers down here?” Liliana persisted.
“Magic,” said Nixie with a slight dramatic flair.
“Magic that won’t last forever,” Archie reminded them. “We should keep moving.”
“He’s right. It’s best not to linger here, if everybody’s ready to press on. That’s enough of a rest for now.” Sapphira sent a worried glance around at the forest. “Our home is on the way back to your sailboat,” she added. “We’ll cut through the forest, and when we come out on the other side, it won’t be far—just a short swim for you, and for us, Coral City will be in sight.” She turned to her sister. “That should give us plenty of time to warn Papa and Tyndaris to prepare, in case Davy Jones comes back.”
Her tone hinted she expected he would, and Jake agreed. But at least this time, the merfolk wouldn’t be taken off guard.
“I can’t wait to see Papa,” Liliana said. “He must be so upset!”
“He’s going to be very happy to have you back safe,” Sapphira said quietly, giving her sister another one-armed hug, but Jake noticed the elder princess did not look too eager to see her father herself.
“Will we get to meet the king?” he inquired.
“Papa doesn’t usually like landers,” Liliana chirped, “but in this case, I’m sure he’ll want to thank you all for rescuing me. Maybe you’ll even get a reward!”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Maddox and Archie said at once, but Jake grinned. “What sort of reward?”
Sapphira glared at him again, while Dani said, “Jake!”
“I was only joking!”
“Shall we?” Sapphira prompted with another commanding glance around at them all.
“Please,” Archie mumbled. “I daresay I’ve had enough adventure for one day.”
>
“Me too,” said Nixie. “My hands are getting pruny.”
They swam on, following a faint trail that snaked through the center of the Seaweed Forest. It was peaceful and very quiet in there, and Jake saw lots of twinkly things drifting through the dark, mossy greenery, deep-sea creatures lit up from within.
Interested squid watched them pass, then whisked shyly out of sight. Fish with dangling bits over their heads glowed like fireflies in the chilly darkness.
He could’ve sworn he saw something large move abruptly among the trees, if they could be called trees. It didn’t slide like an eel or bob like a dolphin or wriggle like a fish. Instead it rather lurched. Fear skittered up his spine. What the deuce is in here with us?
Nothing attacked, however. He told himself that Liliana would not have been so cheerful about coming here if they were in any real danger. After all, she was just a little girl, and if she wasn’t scared…
He scowled at his momentary fright and brushed it off. Still, glad as he was not to have been chomped out there by a shark shapeshifter, he wasn’t sure he liked this place at all. It was very deep and very cold.
Continually scanning the jungle landscape, he couldn’t see much, so he borrowed Dani’s sea candle, taking it out of her satchel. The glow it gave off was faint enough that Sapphira frowned at him over her shoulder, but did not protest. She was too busy talking quietly with Maddox, swimming alongside him.
Jake caught a snippet of their conversation.
“I know of a place a little farther on where a plant grows that we can use to bind your arm,” Sapphira said. “It has healing properties…”
Hmm, wonder how Isabelle is doing, he thought, seeing those two looking so chummy. He dropped back in the line to check on his cousin—and to see if she was picking up on anything strange in this forest with her telepathic powers.
“How’s my favorite empath?” he asked as he swam over to her side.
“Don’t ask,” she mumbled.
“We’ll be back on land soon,” Jake said.
She sighed, letting out a flurry of bubbles, but nodded.
“Strange place,” he remarked. “Sensing anything?”
“Well, obviously your Bellissima isn’t telling us everything.”
“I noticed,” Jake said wryly. “But are you sensing anything…in here, I mean?”
Her glance swept the forest around them. “We’re definitely being watched. By what, I have no idea.”
“Do you think I should take Sapphira aside and demand that she tell me what’s down here?”
“What’s the point? She’d only lie. I told you not to trust her.” Izzy looked askance at him.
“Maybe Liliana would give us the truth.”
“Don’t put the little girl in the middle of this. She’s already been through enough. Besides,” Isabelle added with a glum smile, “if it’s a sea monster, I don’t think I really want to know. Let’s just keep going until we’re through. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
“Except when ignorance decides to eat you.”
“I’m not getting that at all, though,” she said. “On the other hand, remember, I can’t really sense fish. Or reptiles. Or insects—thank goodness. Ick.”
“Right.” Relieved to hear she wasn’t picking up on any real danger, he supposed he could let his worry go. But he glanced at her once more. “Don’t worry about Maddox,” he reassured her softly.
“He’s already bleeding! She could’ve got him killed!” she whispered back in fury. Then she shook her head with a seething stare at Sapphira’s back. “I could wring her neck, coz.”
Jake arched a brow, holding back a chuckle. “Could you, now? I think I’d pay good money to see you in a brawl.”
The elegant Miss Bradford narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s just a figure of speech, Jacob.”
“Mm-hmm,” he said. “I can just picture it. Miss Helena would be so proud!”
“Go away!” Izzy ordered, shooing him off. But the glimmer of reluctant humor in her eyes admitted he had cheered her up a bit in spite of herself. Jake was glad.
“What are cousins for?” he teased with a wink.
Satisfied that he’d at least accomplished that much, Jake returned to his place in line near Dani.
A while later, when they reached a point halfway through the forest, they took another break.
While the tiring landers rested, Sapphira swam off alone to find the medicinal plant she had promised Maddox. But she left them with a warning: “Nobody wander off the path. It’s easy to get lost in here. Stay with them, Lil.”
Then she glided off between the tall, dark green stalks.
Jake debated on whether to follow her, then decided to ignore her warning. This might be his last chance to speak to the princess alone and get the truth out of her before they reached the other side of the forest and parted ways.
He clutched Dani’s sea candle as he followed Sapphira into the dark, slimy tangle off the path, sternly refusing to entertain thoughts about sea monsters.
Brushing long, rubbery leaves out of his way, he pursued the princess, but when she noticed him, she didn’t look too pleased—or surprised. “Go back with the others, Jake. It’s not safe off the path, like I told you.”
“You’ve told us next to nothing, Sapphira. Perhaps you’d like to amend that before we part ways. Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
She ignored his question, much as he’d ignored her order to stay on the path. Instead, Sapphira busied herself picking a few long, narrow leaves from some small plant, then began winding them up like bandages.
“If you don’t mind!” Jake said pointedly, waiting.
“Fine. But do be brief.” She glided over to him with a swish of her tail and hovered before him, her long ebony tresses floating around her, her bright eyes gleaming in the underwater twilight.
“What do you want to know?” she asked rudely, looking at him like he was just an irksome little boy.
Jake checked his temper and stuck to the matter at hand. “Why does Davy Jones think acquiring the orb will let him rule the Earth?”
She shrugged. “How should I know? And why do you seem to think you’re the leader of this group, anyway?” she demanded.
Jake was taken aback by her question. “Uh, because I am.”
She snorted. “Maybe on land your friends are used to following your orders, but down here, I’m the expert. Besides, I outrank you by a lot. For that matter, I don’t see why Maddox doesn’t put you in your place. He’s older than you, stronger than you. Cuter, too.”
“I beg your pardon!” Jake exclaimed. “What the devil’s wrong with you? I just risked my life to help you save your sister, and this is the thanks I get?”
She tossed her hair. “Oh, it’s thanks you want? After you’re the one who caused all this trouble in the first place?”
“What? No, I didn’t!” Jake said, shocked.
“Yes, you did. You stole my orb. If you had left it where it was, I could’ve retrieved it and handed it over to Davy Jones at once, and he’d have given my sister back right away. She wouldn’t have been stuck in that horrible cage all this time, poor thing. So you see? Everything she went through…it’s all your fault, if you really think about it.”
“Er, no,” Jake retorted. “Nice try. But if I had left the orb where it was, it would’ve been destroyed in the temple collapse when Jones bombarded your city. If it weren’t for me and my friends, your sister would still be in the cage. Besides that, you can hardly blame his attack on me, so quit trying to confuse the issue. I want answers, Sapphira. You owe us that much, so quit trying to evade. I heard some things in Driftwood that you need to explain.”
“Oh really?” she exclaimed. “You think you can tell me what to do? I’m a royal princess, frog boy.”
He strove to focus, but the unexpected insult startled him. “I’m not a frog.”
“Lucky for you—because I wouldn’t kiss you even if it was the only way to change you
back.”
Kiss me? Jake lost his train of thought entirely at the mention of the Bellissima ever giving him a kiss.
Sapphira smirked and swam away.
His cheeks were still flaming when abruptly Jake realized what she’d done. Tricked him, distracted him…shut him up. Oh, mermaids were awful!
“Sapphira! Get back here! We’re not finished!”
“Yes, we are, Jake dear. We need to keep moving.”
He glared after her as she returned to the others with a swish of her showy blue tail.
He was left fuming. After all his heroics today, he could not believe how she had just treated him. Ungrateful little beast! And aside from the practicalities, the Bellissima’s dismissive attitude—and frank rejection of him—stung.
With his male pride on the line, Jake refused to leave that spot, determined to make her return and finish the conversation like a civilized person.
She had rejoined the rest of the group.
“Sapphira!” he demanded. She had better come to me, because I am not going over to her. He would not let her win this argument in front of all his friends. “Sapphira!” he repeated.
“Yes, Jake? Dear me, are you going to stay over there all alone sulking?” she called pleasantly.
Seething at her rudeness, he refused to budge until she came back to him. “Maybe I will!”
Folding his arms across his chest, Jake leaned stubbornly against the tree behind him.
When, suddenly, it grabbed him.
Sapphira jolted forward, wide-eyed, staring at something behind him. Archie yelped, and Dani shouted his name. Before Jake could react, whatever had him by the shoulders whirled him around, leaned down, and shrieked in his face—a wet, bubbly, fizzy sort of scream that was anything but human.
It wasn’t the sea monster he had expected, but Jake had no idea what the creature was. He had never seen anything like it before. In his shock, he had dropped his alicia mirabilis, but by its sinking light, he glimpsed the thing’s face, some four feet wide.
It resembled a giant stalk of broccoli come to life, or perhaps a mangrove tree wearing a shaggy wig of kelp, holding him with spindly arm branches and gnarled, hooklike hands that seemed to be made of driftwood.
