She could see how the selkies intrigued David, and she couldn’t say that she blamed him. Talking about peaceful species was a nice change.
“Twenty-five,” Faren read the approaching mailbox. “This is it.” They looked up at the rundown two-story house. The white paint was peeling, and the unwashed windows looked like sad, drooping eyes.
Making their way up the front walk past the crumbling birdbaths and lawn figurines, they fended off bugs hiding in the tall grass. When they reached the porch, their arms and legs already boasted dozens of small red welts.
The stairs groaned with each step they took as they ascended to the landing above. A large neon sign hanging next to the door flickered, close to the end of its long, natural life.
Faren read the words aloud. “Madame Isadora: Mystic, Healer, Psychic. Well, it looks like we’re at the right house.”
“Come in,” a shrill voice called out. “I can’t help you out there.”
The door squealed in protest when it swung open to reveal a cluttered, dimly-lit parlor. David and Faren exchanged uncomfortable glances and walked inside, leaving the sunlight, the tourists and neighborhood children behind. A dank, moldy odor hung thick in the air, and the temperature soared ten degrees. An ancient-looking woman sat in the dust motes by a window, her hands on the yellowed ivory handle of an old cane, her ebony eyes so filmy they were nearly white. There were two flowered chairs before her, one of their legs steadied with a tattered novel.
An oversized bookshelf sat in the corner behind her, stuffed with faded once-popular novels as well as strange, dark, volumes. Faren squeaked as a roach stuck its head out of an herb jar sitting on the top shelf. David reached for her hand.
“We’ve come to talk to you about...” Faren began.
“I know why you’ve come, young lady,” Isadora said, her strange eyes on them. She rocked back and forth in her gray recliner, unemotional. Her snow-white hair hung limp around her face; it looked like she hadn’t washed it in a month. Nevertheless, Faren could see a hint of beauty long since passed in the woman’s wrinkled features.
“Well... come in, come in,” she said when Faren and David continued to stand in the doorway. “I don’t have all day.” Isadora motioned for them to take a seat on the faded flowered sofa to her right. “You have questions about the Ring of the Ancients,” she said, as Faren took a seat next to David. “Well, there isn’t much to go on. The Book of Legends only mentions it a couple of times. The passages focus on its origin more than anything.”
Faren slid closer to David. “Gretchen sent us,” she said.
“Yes, yes, I know. She told me. To be honest with you, I’m surprised it took you this long to pay me a visit.” Isadora focused her attention on the far side of the room. “Son, will you please leave us?” David and Faren turned to look, but saw no one. They looked back in confusion at Isadora, who huffed, “I can hear you breathing–I’m blind, not deaf.”
A middle-aged man with large, frightened dark eyes and black curly hair stepped from behind the armoire and walked past them to the old, rambling staircase just beyond the living room. He stopped and gave Faren and David a strange look before hurrying up the stairs.
“All right, now that we’re alone we can discuss why you’re here,” Isadora rose heavily, pushing on her cane, and went to the bookcase, using only a light touch of her fingers on the furniture to guide her. “The Ring of the Ancients, the Ring of the Ancients,” she repeated under her breath. She ran her fingers along the spines of the dusty volumes. “Here we are,” she announced, retrieving a large book with a soft, black leather cover from the top shelf. She walked back to her recliner and sat down. She laid the book open on the coffee table in front of her with a sigh.
Isadora ran her weathered fingertips over the Braille, and after thumbing through several chapters, she stopped. “Here it is,” she said, “the Ring of the Ancients.” She mumbled incoherently for a few seconds under her breath, skimming the tattered pages. Her eyes stared into space as if the couple in front of her didn’t exist.
“The Ring of the Ancients was a gift from the Spirit,” Isadora read. “He gave it to the mers thirteen thousand years ago as a symbol of his love.” She flipped the page. “It says here the five gold nuggets surrounding the temple signify past council members.” She skimmed again. “The Ring has magic far beyond mortal comprehension and has been sought after ever since the islands sank into the sea.”
Faren relaxed into David’s embrace as they listened. She looked into his face, watching his reaction to what Madame Isadora was saying. Seeing his strength, Faren was grateful to have him with her.
“When the end draws nearer, the underwater cities will form one great nation and fight for all species. The Ring of the Ancients will lead them to victory.”
“Does the book say anything about the Ring’s powers?” David asked.
Isadora fumbled through the pages. “No, it doesn’t,” she said, shutting the book. “Do you have the Ring with you?”
“Yes,” Faren answered quickly. She felt like crying. She had assumed Madame Isadora would have all the answers. How could they chase a myth empty-handed?
“Don’t worry,” Isadora said as if reading her thoughts. “There are other ways of finding out what we want to know.” She reached out to Faren. “Let me see your hand, my dear. Once I touch something I have an instant connection.” When Faren hesitated, she let out a small laugh. “I’m not going to hurt you, honey.”
Faren shook off her discomfort as foolishness and slid her hand between Isadora’s open palms.
“There it is,” Isadora said. She stared behind the couple as she became acquainted with the Ring. “It’s beautiful.”
“What do you see?”
“This Ring has seen many things,” Isadora said, rubbing the etching with her thumb. “War, death, destruction. Many important people have worn it.”
She covered Faren’s hand with her own and smiled. “Don’t ever let this ring leave your finger, because if it’s used against you, every spell you have ever cast while wearing it ceases to exist.”
The Madame scrunched up her face, causing the worry lines on her forehead to protrude. Her eyes bulged as she sank deeper into her psychic senses.
“I foresee tragedy for all,” she declared. “The journey into madness has already begun.” Madame Isadora dropped Faren’s hand and shrank back into her seat as if trying to escape the morbid details of her own psychic images. “The intruder you found in Atlantis is but a taste of the evil lurking beyond the sanctuary of your cities.”
Faren rubbed her clammy hands together and cleared her throat. “When will they attack?”
“These creatures won’t wait for Furia to awaken if they think they can win the war without her, and they’re getting impatient.”
Outside, life went on as usual. Faren could hear people coming and going; cars honked and dogs barked. But in her world, everything was at a standstill. She and David were alone with the knowledge that everything they knew and loved was about to change. Faren leaned into him for support, but she could tell he was just as scared as she was. His heart beat rapidly against her cheek, and his arms quivered just a bit when he wrapped them around her.
“Regardless of what you do, many will die.” Isadora put her hands to her chest; her face was pale white. “There’s no stopping that, but you can stop the sea demons from taking complete control.” Isadora’s eyes glazed over from fear. “Promise me one thing,” she pleaded.
“But I need to know more–”
“Promise me you’ll never allow your enemy access to its power,” Isadora said, ignoring Faren. “When my premonition comes to pass, there will be death and destruction for both our worlds if they get their hands on it.”
“I promise,” Faren said, shooting David a side-glance when he tightened his grip on her hand. “How do I use the Ring’s power?”
“I can’t tell you that,” Isadora said. “No one knows how the Ring works.” She sat back in her
chair and began rocking back and forth. “That is all I can tell you. I think you should go.”
“But–.”
Isadora put her hand up to silence Faren. “Please leave.”
The old woman’s son met the couple at the front door. “Be careful,” he whispered, staring at Faren. “You never know what could be hiding in the shadows.” He started toward the nervous pair. “A hobo could jump on you, and you would never see him coming.” He laughed and curled his fingers, creeping toward them with his knees bent. “Don’t trust anyone,” he hissed. “Don’t let anyone find out your weaknesses.” His dark eyes bulged from their sockets.
“Alfred,” Isadora called.” Alfred, leave them alone. Come in here and mind your own business.”
David pushed Faren out onto the porch and shut the door in the man’s face. The sound of Isadora’s humming emanated from within the house and followed them as they fled back to the road. Although off-pitch, somehow the voice maintained an angelic, endearing quality.
Silence settled Faren and David. Alfred’s ominous presence had cast a shadow over Faren’s already dwindling mood, made worse by the terrifying prediction of the end of days. As they made their way through town, she felt very unsure of their futures.
When David saw the beach, he spoke up. “Where are we going now?”
“I need to go home,” Faren told him. “There have to be documents in Atlantis about the Ring, and I need to find out everything I can if we’re going to stop this war.”
“Documents… what kind of documents? What are you going to do?”
“I can’t tell you that. I’m sorry, but...” She stopped short. She didn’t want to say too much. “Everything will be fine,” she reassured him, kissing his cheek. “Don’t worry.” She dove into the waves before David could say another word.
* * *
Suri peered around the trunk of the twisted mangrove tree and watched David turn to go back into town. She stepped out into the open and pulled her hood back. “The Ring of the Ancients,” she whispered with a grin. “Oh, the possibilities.”
Suri couldn’t believe that after thousands of years, it had finally resurfaced. There had never been a doubt in her mind that it existed–now she knew for sure. She could already picture the sea demons as victors in the upcoming battle; every gory detail ran through her mind, a collage of distorted and deliciously heinous images. She slipped into the waiting surf, anticipating her next move.
* * *
Long after the sun dimmed to a soft hazy purple, Faren, Luna and Harmony slipped through Faren’s bedroom window. They kept a close eye out for the night patrol.
“Why are the guards out anyway?” Faren looked both ways. “My father told me the High Council lifted curfew.”
“We can leave the city,” Luna said with an air of authority. “They’re just keeping an eye out for other intruders. They should be gone in a couple of sunsets.”
The streets were vacant; the houses dark and quiet. The perfect time to break the law, Faren thought to herself.
“This is so exciting,” Harmony exclaimed, unable to keep her enthusiasm under control. “I feel like such a rebel.”
“If you don’t keep it down, you’re going to know what the inside of a prison looks like, rebel,” Luna huffed. She threw Faren an exasperated look. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“You can always change your mind.”
Luna grinned. “And go back to my boring life? No, thank you.”
“So, what did you do last night?” Harmony’s voice changed, imitated an elder. “Oh, nothing much,” she answered herself. “I caught a squid, teased a fish, and oh, that’s right, I broke into the temple.”
“Spirit, help her,” Faren mumbled.
The girls took shelter in an abandoned building on the edge of town. From the safety of their hideout, they took turns poking their head out a front window to keep watch on the guards’ comings and goings.
Harmony swam back from the window. “I see the guard,” she whispered. “He should be past us any minute.”
“All right,” Faren said. “Does everyone remember what they’re supposed to do? Harmony?”
“Yes.” Harmony glared at her. “We already went over and over this. It isn’t that difficult to remember.”
“Good,” Faren said. “Get ready.”
They swam back to the window and looked outside. With the temple a mere fifty feet away, they could see the front doors. The only thing standing between them and the answers they needed were the stone guardians and a lot of sand.
When the guard passed by, Harmony swam across the street into the crumbling courtyard. Faren and Luna watched from their hideout with their fingers crossed.
* * *
David spent most of the day walking around Alice Town in a fog, but he couldn’t get his mind off Faren or Madame Isadora’s End of Days prediction. The moon was high in the sky, and the island’s nightlife was in full swing as he walked up the front steps of Isadora’s house.
Before David could ring the bell, the old woman called out to him, “Go away!”
“Madame Isadora, I need to talk to you.”
“No! I’ve told you everything I know! I have nothing more to say to you!”
“I think you do!” he shouted, refusing to budge. “You know where Faren is–I know you do–and I need you tell me.”
“No!” she screeched. “If she wanted you to know, she would have told you herself. Go away.”
David refused to let her dismiss him. “Faren’s fighting for us all, and you won’t help her?” Silence. “That boy they found on the beach… we think sea demons killed him. Damn it,” he muttered under his breath when she still didn’t answer. Moments later, he heard a weak, “Come in.”
“Timothy was my grandson,” Isadora said when David walked into the living room. She handed him a picture of a teenager in swim trunks holding a fish up in front of him. He looked so proud of his catch. “If you wanted to strike a nerve, boy, you picked the perfect subject.”
David looked down at the photo. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.” What a great way to start the conversation.
“Hush now,” she said, waving him toward the couch. “How could you have known? That’s my specialty.” Isadora looked even older than she had that morning. Her face was drawn, tight-lipped when she spoke of Timothy.
David moved the red throw pillow and took a seat. He set the picture back down on the coffee table and glanced at it one last time. It was hard to believe this handsome, dark-skinned boy with black curls and big brown eyes was the same person found on the beach.
“I told my daughter to keep a better eye on that boy,” Isadora sighed.
David could hear the sorrow in her voice.
“I’m sorry she didn’t listen, “David said softly. They have a prophet in the family, he thought, and take her for granted. Maybe they think she’s just an old, foolish woman.
“Timothy was a good boy,” Isadora smiled a little, remembering. It faded quickly. “Rebellious and love struck, but what teenage boy isn’t? I know why he was really on the beach that night.” She bowed her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Hunting for seashells? No, I’m the only one who knows the truth.”
“A girl?” David guessed.
“A girl.” She chuckled. “Sure, a girl, I guess you could say that. He waited for her to return for a solid year, but she never came back.” She stiffened and folded her hands in her lap. “Well, you didn’t come here to listen to my sob story.”
“No, no, that’s fine, I… I’m sorry for your loss,” David stammered.
“It’s all right, young man. I know you care and that’s enough,” Isadora said, cracking a small smile. She reached for his hands and stared at the spot where she sensed he was.
“Faren is on her way to the temple,” she revealed, taking David by surprise. “Your girlfriend is very brave, I hope you know that. It’s illegal for a mer to enter the sacred building unescorted.”
> Now Faren’s reasons for keeping her plan secret made sense. Even though her rebellious independence was something David loved and admired, he felt more afraid for her than ever.
“You feel backed into a corner. You fear for the safety of the one you love since you cannot be there to protect her.”
David didn’t think you had to be a prophet to know that last one. “Yeah, I do.”
“I understand your feelings, but don’t worry. She’s a resourceful mer.” Then Isadora answered the question David had not yet asked. “I know you want to help your girlfriend, but I told you everything I know,” she admitted. “Only the Ring has the power to stop the war.”
David didn’t back down. “What can I do to help? Faren’s risking everything alone.”
Isadora suddenly got quiet. She raised her fingers to her lips and let out a small gasp. “She’s about to enter the temple,” she whispered.
* * *
Faren and Luna watched Harmony swim from the shadows of the building. The statues’ stony exteriors became fleshy, and their long hair floated around their shoulders; it brushed against their breastplates and framed their faces like dark puffy clouds.
One of them lifted his spear. “What do you come for?” he bellowed without moving his lips.
Harmony stopped and stared up at the warrior. Faren could see her trembling from where she was hiding.
He looked at Harmony, his demeanor oozing suspicion. “Is there something I can do for you? You know you shouldn’t be this close to the temple at night.”
“I’m on my way to a friend’s house.”
He frowned more. “You know to steer clear of the temple at night.”
“I was using the courtyard as a shortcut,” Harmony bravely lied. Faren could hear her tripping over her words, though she was still convincing. “I’ll never do it again.”
“All right,” the other warrior replied after a few agonizing moments of silence. “I don’t want to see you again tonight. I advise you to…”
Mythos Page 12
