“You think someone paid to have my father killed? It had to be someone with a lot of money then, right?” As I said it, I knew that couldn’t have been the case. What would a sea monster want with money? I shook my head.
Joseph laughed when he realized I knew how ridiculous my question had been. “Yes, it had to be someone with loads of money. Perhaps Leviathan wanted to buy a new yacht?” He teased then explained. “Let me put it this way, he is said to guard the gates of Hell.”
“Oh. That’s a hefty price.” I swallowed hard realizing that someone wanted my father dead so badly that they traded their soul to Leviathan.
“I’ve never known anyone to do such a thing but there are instances throughout history—old tales my brother used to tell me when we were kids. Most of them were made up, I’m sure.”
It was the first time he mentioned his brother. It took me by surprise. It angered me to think that someone wanted my father—Samuel Shedd—the nicest man I had ever known, dead. “Why would someone want him dead? And at such a high cost?”
He thought for a moment before he answered. “You ARE more than just a misplaced mermaid. Think about it. You’re senses are far superior to most—you were put in hiding as a child—your father died protecting you. Seraphin, you’re the one and your father knew it.”
“What are you rambling on about? I was not put in hiding either. I’ve been here my entire life.” I attempted to reason.
“In a house that Nasani can’t see!” He was excited. “Seraphin! You are the female Guardian.”
“No, I am not. I haven’t a mark on my body. I know the story of your brother Joseph. What could be your motive for claiming such a thing?” I was frightened, recalling how Mrs. Keyes said there were some skeptics that believed he killed his brother out of jealousy. What if I was the Guardian? Would he harm me too?
In an instant the enthusiasm was replaced with fury as his fists clenched. “What could YOU possibly know about Joshua? AND what do you mean MOTIVE?”
Since I had known Joseph, never had his temper been like that. His eyes changed to a deep cerulean. They were the color of an angry sea. “I know he was the Guardian and that he died in an accident. I know that people blame you for his death.”
“Do you think I could kill a person? Do you think I could kill my own brother?” He asked through his teeth.
The life he had was dedicated to saving others and I was no stranger to his miraculous gift of healing. Why did I doubt him? Disappointment filled me for falling victim to rumors. “No. I don’t think you would kill anyone, especially your brother.”
His eyes turned softer as he calmed.
Ashamed that I had offended him and embarrassed of my weakness, I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“You’re lucky Seraphin,” he whispered. “Your father cared enough to shield you from this life, at least until you were old enough to understand it. He knew to keep you hidden from the rest of us. It’s unfortunate that he lost his life in the process; he must have been a wonderful man—so much different than my own.”
“Thank you for saying that.” Those words I meant. After a long pause I finally met his eyes. They were lighter and his expression softer. I glanced at the key in my hand. “Are there people trying to find me? Do they know where I live?”
“I can only assume. If they know who you are then eventually they are going to come looking for you but you can’t worry about that. You can’t be frightened of this. We are finally together. At last, I’ve found you.” As he said it, a smile crossed his face. “I’ve found you.”
That couldn’t be true; I had to be frightened and I was. “Who are they; who is trying to find me?”
“My parents,” he confessed, bowing his head in shame.
That’s not who I expected. “What could they possibly want with me?”
“Together we are more powerful than they are. They are the current rulers but now that we’ve found each other, we rule over them. At least we will, once we emerge.” His face lit with excitement. “We are the Guardians of the Sea.”
At last he found me? We’re finally together? I thought as his words registered. “Your brother was the Guardian.”
“That’s what he wanted the world to think.” He turned away, showing me the mark on the back of his neck. Raising my hand to his skin, I touched it. The lines began to glow a soft blue hue. “Is it glowing?”
“Yes.” I pulled my hand away. “Why is it glowing?”
“It is the Rune of the Sea, I was born with it. It glows because we are together now. Your touch is the only thing that can make it glow like this.” He only grinned. “I found you. Well—actually Aunt Doreh found you for me.”
“But your brother…”
Interrupting me, he explained. “My brother was not the true Guardian. He died protecting me.”
Instead of Joseph who was his father’s intended target, Joshua was killed. When Joshua heard of the plans to have his younger brother murdered, he had a replica tattooed on the nape of his neck. Then, like a true guardian, he showed it to the world. Sacrificing himself to save Joseph, he declared himself the next Guardian. When their father, Lord Merrick, gave orders—the killer failed to eliminate the correct son.
“Why would your father do such a thing?” I was appalled.
“He couldn’t stand the idea of his second born son being more powerful than he was. It was bad enough that people knew a Guardian had been born to the current rulers. It meant that they were somehow flawed. Guardians only live when they are needed, when the sea is no longer safe. It’s their job to oversee the marine territories, if my father was doing his job correctly, we would have never been born.”
“Oh.” My heart sank. If it cost Joseph’s brother his life, it was likely the reason my father’s life ended as well. The possibility of someone taking my father’s life on purpose opened fresh wounds deep in my soul. The thought of it hurt so badly I could barely catch my breath. Anger swelled inside me.
Then I heard a scream.
We ran outside. He was faster and I heard him say, “Not her. If she’s gone I can’t go on.”
We passed through the ivy arch that separated my front walk from the back yard and all heads turned our way. My neighbors, Charlie Lamange and Fred Nulant, each had one of Nasani’s arms, lifting her off the ground. Her long black hair flew in their faces and she struggled. She tried to kick her way free but they held her small frame with almost no effort.
Joseph stopped and sighed with a sense of relief. “My goodness Nasani, I thought you were in trouble.”
“I AM IN TROUBLE! These creeps think I’m trespassing.” She was shouting.
Mr. Lamange spoke. “Seraphin, do you know this girl?”
I nodded my head and they let her go. She dropped to the ground and remained there until Joseph reached his hand to help her up. Nasani straightened her hair and mumbled insults at her captors. Many of the other neighbors heard the scream and gathered to determine if there was anything worth watching.
Joseph reached into a small bag that hung on Nasani’s back. He took out a black t-shirt. I stared as he pulled it over his muscular chest. Nasani looked at me curiously and I felt ashamed that I had been caught gawking.
The neighbors were gawking as well, but for another reason. The woman that had most recently moved into the blue house across the street whispered to Mr. Rigby who lived in the brick ranch next to her. “Is that Lord Merrick’s youngest boy?”
The old man pushed his glasses up onto the ridge of his nose and took a shaky glance at Joseph. “It seems to be. He’s got Lady Marietta’s eyes.”
Mr. Lamange spoke again. “We’re sorry Seraphin, when we realized that she couldn’t see the house, we thought she could be trouble.” He turned to Joseph and held out his hand to shake it. “My boy, it’s good to see you’re well. Some of us were wondering where you’d turn up after we saw your face next to Seraphin’s in the news. By now you probably know why we’ve been hiding her all these years. It’s a shame
your brother is no longer with us. She’ll never be able to fulfill her destiny now.” Then he seemed to regret what he said. “I mean no offense to your parents. They’re doing a great job.”
“Sir, if they were doing a great job we all know that new Guardians would not have been born.” Mr. Lamange along with the rest of the neighbors seemed shocked that Joseph spoke out against his father and mother. Obviously they didn’t know the horrible secret, how Lord Merrick had his own son killed.
Nasani suddenly burst into tears. Everyone watched Joseph comfort her, he was irritated, but not at her emotional outburst. I noticed his eyes were a shade darker with a bit of green mixed in. “I think that’s enough talk of my family. What I’d like to know is how can this be possible?”
No one spoke. Nasani continued to cry. I wondered why she was crying but decided not to ask. Since I finished my very own crying fit just moments before, I knew first hand that anything could trigger such a display. Instead I made Joseph elaborate. It was ironic that he thought something was impossible. “How can what be possible?”
“This neighborhood—all of you—hiding in plain sight.” He held one arm around Nasani and stretched the other, gesturing to the group. I still wasn’t sure what he meant until Mr. Rigby stepped through the crowd.
He paused for a moment at Mr. Lamange. They shared a look of concern then he spoke. “Well, I suppose it’s alright to explain a few things. The boy seems to have a general distaste for his parents.” At this, the group of them shook their heads and whispered to each other—falling silent only when the old man spoke again.
“We are the Sons of Sailors.” As he spoke everyone, simultaneously made a fist with their right hand and placed it over their own heart.
A woman standing in the back shouted, “daughters too.”
There was a rumbling amongst the females wondering why they still had to be called by sons when clearly it was a mixed batch. One man reminded them that ‘Children of Sailors’ was vetoed at their last monthly meeting because the acronym SOS meant something and COS meant nothing. A boy that I recognized as the cashier from Keyes Market told the woman that it would be too costly to redesign all the hats and t-shirts they just had printed.
Nasani stopped crying and the three of us watched in utter confusion.
Mr. Rigby spoke again. “Knock it off. We’re not giving a real good impression of ourselves.”
“Sons of Sailors? I’ve never heard of you.” Joseph doubted.
“That’s a good thing. Makes it easier to sneak up and attack.” The cashier shouted to Joseph. Everyone nodded his or her head in agreement.
“You all are harmless. There’s not an evil one of you in this group.” He said with confidence.
Joseph’s assessment of the crowd was met with nods and an overall acceptance of their inability to do real harm to others. I thought back to Louie the manta and how I understood that he was harmless. When Joseph rushed out of the house after Nasani screamed, once he saw Mr. Lamange and Mr. Nulant, he knew she was not in danger. Was this a gift we shared?
The old man continued to explain. “We might not be tough and we sure are not evil, that’s for certain but we protect each other. Our fathers—”
The woman from the back interrupted him, adding “and mothers.”
“Yes, our fathers and mothers were seduced by your kind. They were made to believe they’d have a life with their loves but instead they were left behind—their children mutants and their hearts broken.” A few people put their arms around the person next to them. Tears rolled down the lady in the blue house’s cheeks. She was the newest addition to the neighborhood and I wondered what kind of life she lived before she found these people. “We’re the lucky ones. We found each other and Seraphin is our inspiration. To think that a mutant’s destiny was to be a Guardian gave us all hope that one day we would no longer have to hide. Of course, now she’ll never fully be a Guardian without your brother.”
Nasani began to wail again. I didn’t realize how emotionally unstable she was. What on earth upset her now? If anyone should be crying, it should be me. I couldn’t possibly live up to the expectations placed upon me by this wholehearted group of mutants. “Is that what I am? A mutant?”
“No Seraphin. You’re amazing and powerful. There is nothing wrong with you. You can transform perfectly. BOTH of your parents are merpeople.” Joseph was shouting but only because Nasani was crying so loud.
“Oh no, that’s where you’re wrong boy.” Mr. Lamange spoke. “I knew both of her parents and she’s definitely a mutant. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to see her own house if she wasn’t.”
“She’s NOT a goonch.” Joseph shouted, angry.
The crowd fell silent. The old man explained that they didn’t use that word. It was insulting.
Joseph laughed. “Are we to call a shark something gentler if it thinks its name too vicious? How about the poor crab that is assumed to always be a grump? Shall we call them all glads so we don’t offend? You’re a goonch. It’s the name for your species. What else are we supposed to call you?”
No one answered him. They were clearly hurt by his rant.
I was mad at him for insulting them. They were wonderful—whatever they were. I did my best to redirect the conversation. “What would prohibit me from seeing my own house?” I looked at the house. My lovely butter-cream yellow house and I wanted to run for it and shut those people out; even Joseph—especially Nasani.
“Full breeds can’t see it. A spell falls over it to protect you from their kind. A man named Orin conjured it so we could easily keep you hidden. After your father died we worried that they would find you.” Mr. Nulat answered.
“Bindolestiv? You mean to tell me that Orin knew where she was all along? Is he here now?” Joseph was looking through the crowd—stretching his neck to see all their faces.
“Oh, you won’t find him. He doesn’t come here any longer.” Mr. Rigby said.
“You know this man—this Orin?” I asked Joseph.
“He used to work for my father but left soon after Joshua’s death. The things he was able to do—well, he’s a genius. I don’t doubt he hid your house. Every entrance that exists in the ocean is hidden by shroud. He’s one of only a few who have this ability. I remember how angry my father was when Orin refused to work for him any longer.” He had a strange look of satisfaction on his face. “I would venture to guess that he came looking for you, worried for your life. I mean, if they could take Joshua’s life than what protection did you have? You’re lucky Seraphin. Even Orin wanted to keep you safe.”
“What entrances and why would they need to be hidden?” Thinking back to the waterfall in the cavern and how it mysteriously disappeared once I crossed through it.
Mr. Rigby answered instead of Joseph. “There are passages to underground cities, communities that exist in the deepest depths of this Earth, under the oceans, lakes, and rivers—well, pretty much any body of water. Only a few of us have seen them. Merrick Law falls over the ocean communities—our kind is no longer welcome.”
They turned to Joseph when he spoke. “Most of you wouldn’t physically be able to live that deep anyhow. Your bodies don’t transform the way ours do. Your abilities are weaker.”
And like that, Joseph dismissed those good people once again.
The neighbors looked at one another, thwarted by his opinion of them.
He continued speaking of Orin. “Since he disappeared, not one has been able to conjure a shroud as secure as his. That’s why there have been so many Lost City of Atlantis sightings. When humans stumble upon one of our underground communities they almost always assume they’ve found the lost city. It’s really quite humorous.” Everyone seemed to agree with Joseph on his point. For just an instant he lightened their spirits only to crush them once again. “Orin’s shrouds are meant to keep goonches and humans out. They never fail either. He’s the best.”
The corners of their mouths dropped.
I cringed. Was he knowingly
offending or did he really believe that they should be referred to by a name they didn’t desire?
“So, the one on my house is just the opposite then. It’s meant to keep full-blooded merpeople out. Right? This explains why Nasani can’t see it.” Both he and I turned to look at the house but soon after our eyes met each other’s with the same curious gaze. “If his shrouds are as flawless as you declare them to be—”
“Then why can I see it?” He finished—startled by the realization.
They waited for Joseph to answer his own question while I watched them.
They were in their pajamas and bathrobes. A few had shoes on but most where barefoot. The neighbors that I grew up with were like me, half-person—half-fish. Not once had I seen those people at the beach or in the water. The shoreline that ran along our houses was always deserted. I thought of my father’s constant warning to stay away from the ocean. I wondered if my mother seduced him into falling in love with her. I hated her for what she did to me, to my father. She had a child with him, a mutant child and then she left. It was her fault that I was this thing. I didn’t care what Joseph said, I was a mutant—my father was NOT a merman.
Joseph broke my train of thought. “I don’t know why I can see it. Maybe it’s because…” Pausing, he reached up to his neck, rubbing it, whispering. “Maybe it’s because I’m a Guardian.”
“Did he just say he was a Guardian?” The cashier from Keyes Market snickered. “Who’s he trying to fool? Joshua Merrick was the Guardian.”
Nasani’s cries became louder and she ran for the beach. Joseph stepped towards her but instead stayed to face the accusation. Anger filled his eyes and his jaw tightened.
“What do you know goonch? You’re not part of my world.” His voice was mean.
For the first time he used the word in a derogatory context. It was too much for me to tolerate. Appalled by the way he addressed them, anger swelled inside me. “Joseph, he’s right. You said it yourself; Joshua had everyone thinking he was the Guardian. Why would you think less of them for believing?” I glanced at the crowd. They were listening intently. Some wondered if Joseph could indeed be their lost Guardian.
When, at last, he found me. Page 15
