When, at last, he found me.

by Adrianna Stepiano

  They ignored me.

  “Of course he swam away, he’s a merman, but I don’t know why he wanted to disappear. His actions are out of the ordinary.” He spoke only to Ethan.

  Since no one was listening to me, I slouched back into the chair and crossed my arms. I felt a little out of place—Ethan seemed to fit in better than I did.

  “Can I see it?” Nasani sat forward.

  Joseph carefully removed a worn piece of parchment from the black tube. Gently he laid it on the table for us to see. The edges were torn and stained dark brown. The text was unreadable—instead of letters, neatly lined rows of delicate brush strokes flowed across the page. In the center, an illustration featured a long necklace and a thick-banded bracelet—exactly like the ones from the mosaic that Ms. Z showed me.

  “The carcanet and cuff,” I whispered.

  Nasani spoke, eager. “You know the relics, Seraphin! Do you have them?”

  “I have seen them—”

  Joseph interrupted. “Where are they?” His manner spirited.

  “I don’t know.”

  “But you just said you saw them.” Nasani questioned.

  “No I didn’t. He interrupted me. I was trying to say that I’ve seen them—and so has every student that attended our high school.” I pointed to Ethan, asking him. “Do you remember the mosaic?”

  “A housefly?”

  “Ethan? What?” I was confused.

  “Mosaic is housefly in Spanish, right?”

  Laughing, I corrected him. “Not quite. Perhaps you should have stayed awake in class more often. Mosca—that’s the word you’re thinking of.”

  “Yeah—isn’t that what you said?” His smile was sly.

  Nasani laughed.

  After a few jokes at Ethan’s expense I explained the mosaic featuring the Guardians at the bottom of the high school pool. Nasani and Joseph were surprised to find that such a piece of art existed and even more shocked that it was in a public place that held no significant relation to merpeople—other than the fact that Ms. Z taught at the school.

  They were disappointed to find that I had no knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the relics.

  “But you’re supposed to have them. Joseph has the Rune of the Sea and you have the heirlooms. That’s what this piece of paper says.” Nasani lifted the corner of the brittle parchment. A piece broke off between her fingers. “OH—no—I didn’t mean to—”

  “Nasani, be careful!” Joseph raised his voice—taking the piece from her. “This thing is older than time.”

  “I can’t imagine the condition that jewelry is in. I mean the fact that this thing has a drawing of the necklace and bracelet—that’s got to make them older than it. I bet they’re all worn out now, like in the Indiana Jones movie where he finds the Holy Grail and it’s just a beat up old metal cup—nothing fancy about the thing. You probably don’t even know you have them Seraphin—or what if your Grandma sold them at the garage sale she had a few years ago? My mom bought a bunch of her old jewelry—maybe she has them? If she does, good luck getting them back. She wouldn’t care if they could save the world—the name Mara may as well mean greed; it already means bitter, which is dead right if you ask me.” Ethan finished babbling—we looked at him with blank stares. “What? It’s plausible.”

  “As fun as that might sound, I don’t think the relics belonging to Guardians of the Sea could have been purchased at a garage sale.” Joseph patted Ethan on the back. “Though, you might have a point when it comes to the condition they’re in. Old is an understatement—these things are ancient. At one time they had to have been in your possession Seraphin. It’s the only way your father—your neighbors would have known you were the Guardian. From what I recall, the last line of the Legend says that they will take their true form once we seek their power.” Joseph began rolling the parchment, placing it back into the black tube. “Without a translator, this thing is useless. There is only one man who knows exactly what this says, and I have no idea how to find him.”

  Our conversation had gotten a little too off track for my comfort—I only had one concern. It was the same one I had all along. Legends and relics meant very little to me—family and friends meant everything. “How about your aunt, do you know how to find her?”

  Ethan raised his eyebrows, listening intently. Nasani waited for an answer as well.

  “We have to find the relics before we can face—before we can find my aunt. Seraphin and I need their power, we will fail without them.” He placed the tube in the crate under the table then paced across the room—his fingers ran through his hair then locked behind his head; elbows bent on either side, he turned and faced a blank wall. “We need the carcanet and cuff.”

  “Sorry but I don’t have them.” Irritation slipped into my voice.

  “Yeah, I get it.” Joseph sounded equally as irritated.

  Ethan continued his questions, ignoring the increasing tension between Joseph and me. “Try and think Phin, I mean an old lady’s life hangs in balance here.”

  “Ms. Z would not appreciate you calling her an old lady.” Turning my attention away from Joseph’s tense stare, I found solace in Ethan’s relaxed expression.

  His unwavering dedication to the brand-new mission was amusing and without even trying, he lightened the mood of the room. “She gave me a B+ last year instead of the A I deserved. She’s lucky that’s all I’m calling her. So, what do you know?” He pressed further.

  “I’m not sure. I mean, bits and pieces of things come to me—mostly when I black-out.”

  “And you’ve never seen a vision of where the relics could be?” Joseph interjected.

  “No. I only see that day—the day my father died. I’ve had—” I was just about to recount the dream, the one where he and I were in a tunnel but decided it wasn’t important. “I mean, I’ve never had a vision that involved the relics.”

  They sighed.

  I grew curious. “Joseph, have you ever had visions like mine?”

  His expression softened and he looked to Nasani who gave him an approving glance. “I do—but they’re not important, just silly things—more lighthearted than the ones you have and they’re not about the past, they’re a glimpse of the future. At least, I think—hope they are.” He would reveal no more. “We should go back to your house and begin our search there. It’s a start.”

  “But I can’t see her house. I won’t be able to go in.” Nasani complained.

  “I’ll stay outside with you—if that’s alright, I mean. If you’re alone and you want someone to keep you company than I’ll be the one—but if not just—” Ethan awkwardly tried to lend assistance.

  I expected her to dismiss his offer but instead she responded quite pleasantly, stopping him before he could make an even larger fool of himself.

  “I’d like that.” She smiled at him and his face turned redder than a radish. Without hesitation she began down the walkway. Ethan stood, slightly dumbfounded.

  Joseph threw his arm into Ethan’s side, shoving him after Nasani. “Go on Romeo.”

  We followed Nasani as Joseph filled us in on his plan. He would bring Ethan back to the boardwalk so I could drive him to my house. My confidence remained low so it was a relief to hear I would not be responsible for bringing Ethan to the surface. While we drove, he and Nasani were going to swim along the coast. They would meet us at the house.

  At the edge of the walkway I stopped, unsure of my ability to transform.

  Nasani dove into the water and Ethan was about to but Joseph noticed my hesitation. “Ethan, wait.” He approached, concerned. “You’ll be great, just do what you did before.”

  “You mean stare longingly into your eyes until I want it bad enough?”

  “If that’s what works. However, eventually you’ll have to do it without assistance from my good looks.” He teased.

  “Phin, show me your stuff. Let’s see this fish tail.” Ethan seemed to put my mind at ease. “She doesn’t have it in her Jay—I mean Joey. I
think you’ve found the wrong girl.”

  “Oh, I am the Guardian—Ethan Cottington.”

  “Then prove it.” He challenged, standing at the edge of the opening, where Orin created his shroud. It was magnificent; Nasani’s tail floated in a wall of water, just beyond the opening. The paper-thin magic was strong enough to prevent the Gulf of Maine from rushing into the underground cavern.

  I grew stubborn—determined to prove my worth. “If I were you, I’d take a deep breath.”

  He drew in air and clenched his mouth, plugging his nose for added effect.

  “Here we go.” I skipped to him and together we dove through the opening—straight into the water. I pulled my legs together and with one strong kick I transformed.

  Ethan’s eyes grew wide.

  Joseph entered the water and I could hear him laughing. Showoff. He teased. Since you’re obviously an old pro at this—take him up to the surface. I’ll be watching if you need me.

  I held Ethan close, aware that he had a limited supply of oxygen. Unlike the rest of us, he could very easily drown. It wasn’t until Ethan became distracted by Nasani’s tail, that things went wrong. Reaching out, he touched her, making contact with where her upper thigh was hiding under the smooth scales. Instinctually, she slapped with her tail, knocking him from my grip. He tumbled head over heels, freely sinking and unconscious.

  Oh no! No. I didn’t mean to hit him that hard. She cried.

  I watched in horror as the air from his lungs escaped. I dove to him but she was faster, grabbing and pulling him to the surface.

  Huh? Change of plans; let’s let them deal with each other. No point in waiting around for him to regain consciousness. Joseph reached his hand to me and I grabbed it. It’s a lovely night for a swim, don’t you agree?

  I took his hand

  FOURTEEN

  It was almost like dancing, the way we swam together. Looping around each other with our bodies intertwined, we were playful. He took the opportunity to show me some moves; teaching me to accelerate to unimaginable speeds. Joseph was quite charming and I found myself wondering if I could indeed spend the rest of my life beside him.

  We reached the shore behind my house too quickly, I wanted more time alone in the water with him but he recalled his task of retrieving the relics so playtime was over. We surfaced and swam the rest of the way side by side, walking the same way along the beach. For a long time we were silent until we reached a tiny fish that had been left behind when the tide pulled out. It was dead.

  “Should we have been here to save it?” I asked.

  “No Seraphin. We can’t possibly save every little fish that misjudges the tide.” Dropping his voice, he was more serious as he admitted, “I waited for you that night.”

  “What night?”

  “The night we argued down here. I wanted to apologize for mocking you—I was confused.”

  “Confused? I believe you were more along the lines of arrogant.”

  He laughed. “I am royalty—arrogance is in my blood. I can’t stop it from showing sometimes.”

  “How are you royalty? Please enlighten me your highness.” I curtsied and he bowed back. When he bent I tousled his hair with my hand. “I can’t seem to find a crown in that mess of hair.”

  He tried to grab me but I was faster than him on land. I ran along the beach as he chased, reveling in the attention. The tide came in quick—before I knew it, the water was above my knees. Joseph was able to catch up and when he did, he tackled me into a large wave. As the wave cleared I tried to stand up but he pulled me back down onto him.

  “Things will be better now that you’re here.” A serious look came over his face. “I’m no longer confused.”

  I slowed my laughter. “I wish I could say the same.”

  “Anything I can help clear up?” He offered.

  “Can you fill me in on—well; let’s see—just about everything?” I shyly looked away and pulled myself off of him. “It’s just that you know so much, you already know your mission and what to expect. You know who your parents are and who you should trust—I feel so in the dark.”

  He took my hand and we helped each other up. “I’ll tell you everything. Where would you like me to begin?”

  “I don’t know,” and I didn’t. There were so many questions floating around in my mind.

  “Great. Then how about we start with the most important factor in this equation; me.” He nudged jokingly. “It’s also what I know best.”

  “That’s as good a place as any to start. Sure. Tell me first how Joseph Merrick is royalty.”

  As we walked up the hill to my house he explained that the sea has different rulers than the countries on land. He compared it to having a ruler over all the countries, saying that they didn’t divide the ocean. To them, it’s one large underwater country. The Merrick family reigns over the salt bodies of water only—however, this excludes anything that’s land locked. Most sea-merpeople are not permitted in The Great Salt Lake in Utah or The Caspian Sea which is bordered to the northeast by Russia and to the south by Iran; as well as various other land locked bodies of water. Sea-merpeople are not only unwelcome when it comes to fresh water, they are also putting their lives at risk for they cannot take fresh water into their gills. They must hold their breath like a human and can very easily drown. He went on to explain that most mutants, like my neighbors, don’t have that problem. Their gills can tolerate fresh water. The largest population of mutants or fresh water nymphs reside in the 5 Great Lakes—land locked by the United States and Canada. Which is why he was shocked to find a group of them in my neighborhood.

  It was refreshing to hear him use the word mutant, though it still seemed degrading. “So your father is like a President or a King—and you’re a Prince?”

  “I suppose, though, we don’t like to give them those titles. I’m just their son. Joshua was their prince.

  “President’s and Kings rule the land. We respect the Laws of Land and follow these when we surface. At times, their laws stretch out to sea and this is where they become murky. My parents, Lord Merrick and Lady Marietta Merrick, write the Laws of the Sea. When the Presidents and Kings fail to protect the waters from pollution, this is when the Lord and Lady are supposed to step in. First and foremost it is their responsibility to prohibit these types of things. They have failed and continue to do so by letting humans have access to waters that in the past have been forbidden. For example, my parents have the ability to hide the wonders of the sea from harm; instead, they have turned money hungry and dine with those who seek to strip the ocean from all its treasure.”

  “How can they hide part of the sea? Would they use a shroud?”

  “More powerful—they could hide an endangered whale traveling at great speeds or conceal miles upon miles of underwater crude oil deposits from careless oil companies. Instead, they make deals with poachers and drillers—profiting from the destruction of our home.” He was angry.

  “I get why you’re here. You’re powerful and knowledgeable and have all the resources of CORE at your fingertips. But—what I don’t understand is how I have anything to do with this. I mean, couldn’t the Universe have picked a better candidate? How am I supposed to do this? What is expected of me?”

  “We don’t have to go around saving every fish that gets caught in a net Seraphin.” He tried to convince me. “At least, I don’t think we do. I mean, that’d be pretty exhausting.”

  We both let out a stressful laugh.

  Then he continued. “To be honest, I’m not sure what to do either. I knew I was supposed to find you but—well, I guess I thought—”

  “I’m not what you expected.” My thoughts slipped out, interrupting.

  “No. That’s not it at all.”

  “It’s alright—“

  He stopped, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t say that. I didn’t know what to expect. You’re exceptional in every way. You’re strong and intelligent. Whatever our purpose is, I feel confident that you�
��ll be phenomenal.”

  The look on his face was difficult to read and his eyes swirled with both light and dark blues. He continued. “I thought that you would already know about the Legend—that maybe you were out there looking for me too. It just makes things a little more complicated.”

  “At least we’re disappointed in the same thing.” I said. “I wish I knew more about this life too.”

  We reached the top of the hill and I could see my neighbor’s homes, their house lights on—hiding in plain sight—trying to lead normal lives. I fished for the spare key that was hidden beneath a cedar shingle. Joseph lectured me about how I needed to take my personal safety a little more serious. Then he went on to say that a girl my age shouldn’t be living alone. I suggested that he no longer comment on the way that I live when, for all I knew, he lived in a cave.

  “I don’t live in a cave.” He seemed appalled.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Would you prefer to call it a cavern?”

  “Seraphin, I have a house—a real place of residence—with a street address and everything.” He revealed.

  “And how was I supposed to know that?” It was difficult to picture Joseph living in an everyway ordinary house. “And where is this house?”

  “It’s in a neighborhood.”

  “You’re being vague.”

  He only laughed.

  We entered the house, both of us barefoot and wet. Joseph stayed on the small piece of carpeting that lay by the front door. “I don’t want to drip all over the floors. It’s one of the downsides to traveling by water. No shirt, no shoes and sopping wet.”

  I glanced at the puddle of water pooling at my own feet. “Will I ever get used to this?”

  He shrugged. “The pros outweigh the cons.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’ll grab some towels.”

  Upstairs, I took two large beach towels from the linen closet but before I returned to the main floor, I noticed that the door to my father’s room was open. It was strange since I thought it was closed when I left for work that morning. Slowly, I peeked into the vacant space. Perhaps I was mistaken? I pulled it shut, making sure the latch caught.