Forever

by Ashley L. Knight

  I broke the orb, turning in the water and speed swam to the steps. Jumping out of the water, I slipped into my pants and ran into the house.

  Aletheia stood up from the couch as I flew through the doors.

  “What’s happened?”

  “I need to talk to you!” I rushed at her and grabbed her hand. Mom looked up at me from the couch across the coffee table. She looked relieved I hadn’t chosen her.

  “What is it?” Aletheia shrieked as I dragged her down the hallway to a guest bedroom. Slamming the heavy door shut, I leaned against it, the engraving bearing into my back.

  “I’m pregnant.” I announced, with a bit more terror than probably needed.

  “What?” She fell back onto the bed, her perfect mouth forming an O.

  “I’ve been nauseous for days, but I didn’t think of that because it’s impossible for me to be pregnant!!!”

  “Calm down, calm down!” Aletheia repeated, more to herself than to me. “Did you and Thayde agree to have a baby?”

  “No!”

  “Did you talk about it?”

  “Well, yes when we were in Moorea, but I was just asking if we needed protection and he laughed,” I stopped short as feelings of love and happiness and then the awful shower of grief washed over me.

  “When you were discussing it, did either of you say you wanted to have children?”

  “We’ve discussed it before and we know I’m going to have a little girl! So, yes, I suppose we did.”

  “If both of you thought at the same time that you wanted a child together, it’s possible.”

  “How? I mean, even if we thought it, we didn’t make the decision to make the baby did we?”

  “If both of you, for the briefest moment during your conversation, agreed, even if it was thought in secret, that would start the process.”

  “Oh God,” I dropped down next to her and we sat in silence. The tick of the clock next to the bed counted down the seconds. Aletheia turned to me.

  “This is wonderful!” Her face shone with happiness. It was not the reaction I expected.

  “Wonderful? We’re almost at war!”

  “You’re creating life. And with Thayde’s child – it’s such a blessing!” Aletheia grabbed my hands in hers. “You must see this as a blessing, not an inconvenience. With all that has just happened,” she broke off. “Well, you should be happy. I’m happy for you!”

  Throwing her arms around me, she hugged me tight, whispering into my ear. “The Link is pregnant. To have thought this would happen would never have occurred to any of us.”

  I pulled from her arms. “Do not tell a soul.”

  “Why?”

  “No one can know, not now. I’ve got to wait. With the war happening, the last thing I need is for everyone else to be distracted by this.”

  “You’re not thinking of actually partaking in this war?”

  “See? That’s what I mean. Yes, I will. And I’m going to end all this.”

  Aletheia sighed, taking her long black hair into her hands.

  “This is too much.” I stared into the ground. “How can I handle all this?”

  “You’ll have to take everything one step at a time.”

  “My last moments with Thayde were,” I burst into tears, “dreadful.”

  “What happened?”

  “Thayde – he looked so disgusted with the scars on my arms. He made me feel so ugly, dirty.”

  “Did he say he was disgusted?”

  “No, but you should have seen his reaction when he touched them.”

  Aletheia’s purple eyes narrowed. “Morgan, did you read his mind? Try to understand what was happening?”

  “No. I let him have his own thoughts.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Thayde at all. The both of you have been through so much. I know he wouldn’t let something as inconsequential as scarring make him love you any less. You should have read his mind and found out what he was thinking, not relied on pure assumptions!”

  “I didn’t want to hear anything that was going to make me mad! I’ve had enough of that lately.” I wept.

  “You are The Link! You are the one people rely on to make the most important decisions. How can you hope to be all you can when you can’t even control your reactions with your husband?”

  “I don’t know why I didn’t do it – at the time, I was just, upset. I’ve been feeling sick,” I was grasping at straws, feeling like an idiot. An idiot that had let her husband be bitten by a vampire.

  “You are pregnant. Hasn’t Elan told you anything about it?”

  I shook my head.

  “Mermaids are vicious when pregnant. Many times, the families of the mermaid send them away to finish out the pregnancy with a maid who has been trained to cope with them. But the pregnancy isn’t long, so it’s not a huge concern.”

  “How fast do our babies grow?”

  “Very fast. It lasts a total of five months.”

  “Five?”

  “Five.”

  Crap.

  A hesitant knock sounded on the door and I spun to face Aletheia.

  “Do not tell anyone!” I hissed.

  “Mrs. Dartmoth,” Shirley’s voice called from the other side of the door. “The heads of the families are starting to arrive.”

  “Thank you,” I managed to level my voice. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

  “I suggest you keep a shield around you during the meeting.” Aletheia lowered her voice. “Don’t allow anyone to scan you, read your thoughts, anything. They will try. You must not let them see anything that could be considered weakness. Greet them, inform them of your plans and ask for their support. Allow them to speak freely and ask for their allegiance.”

  “Will you come with me?” I know it sounded dumb, but without Thayde, I had lost everything that kept me grounded.

  “All of us will be with you.” Aletheia offered her hand as she stood. “You already have our support.”

  “I’ll be there in a moment,” I mumbled and attempted to return Aletheia’s smile as she closed the door. Frustrated, I rubbed my face with my hands. Pregnant and alone – it was the way my life was going to be from now on.

  Anger coursed through my veins. Damn Flynn! I steadied myself on the bed and fought to find him. I dug through the earth with my mind, scanning the entire world and all I could find were remnants of where he had been. It was impossible to put a lock on a teleporter when they were moving. All I knew was that he was staying within Europe’s vicinity.

  The grip of sleep curled through me and I fought to stand away from the inviting bed. There was so much more that had to be done. One day, I would find Flynn and I would kill him myself.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE MEETING

  It looked to be a great feat – stuffing the heads of the mer-families into the downstairs meeting room. However, stretching the walls of the room was so simple, I felt shy after I was finished. Most of them barely gave it a glance. I’m sure they had seen Troen do unbelievable things in their time.

  Once everyone had settled into a large circle around me, I greeted them as graciously as I could, despite my feelings of absolute despair.

  “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” I began. “I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused many of you.”

  No one batted an eye.

  “I’ll get straight to the point: Herra Dartmoth is plotting to overthrow me and take my place as The Link. These plans have been verified by several sources. I am aware that she has attempted to contact several of you in asking for your support.”

  Nothing. I sucked in a deep breath of air.

  “I am asking you to join me and finish Herra once and for all.”

  Several heads turned away.

  “The fate of our species hangs on a very thin line. She is in contact with the Farasi vampire clan and wishes to combine our DNA with the vampires to create a new race and extinguish merpeople forever.”

  “It would be the most hea
then of acts,” an older man spoke up, “one punishable by death.”

  “To create such a creature would be unthinkable.” Another continued.

  “She would bring the wrath of the entire race upon her.”

  I waited for them to finish before I continued.

  “Then I ask you, will you enter into a bond with me? Will you pledge your allegiance to protect our race and fight with me to rid ourselves of Herra?”

  Silence.

  “Why do you not answer?” The sharpness of anger pricked at my nerves.

  “There is a rumor,” a short man with dark brown hair and golden skin chanced to talk.

  “Yes?”

  “A rumor that our Link has already betrayed some of our own sacred laws. Why would we swear allegiance to one that cannot maintain the very laws she is trying to protect?”

  “Consider the alternative,” I spat, “and as for these laws, let’s address them now, shall we?”

  A mumble spread throughout the circle.

  “The first law I broke was to save my dying husband’s life. It is ridiculous to rule that you cannot try and save the one you love! If one of us is dying, it is your duty and responsibility to help them as best you can. To ‘interfere’ with the dying is allowed. If, however, the person has died and you are attempting to use the dark arts to bring them back, it will not be allowed.”

  I waited for an objection and when none was voiced, I continued.

  “And while we’re on the subject let’s discuss Halfling rights. At the moment, they are granted nothing and treated like second class citizens. This will be no more.”

  The mumbling grew louder and I raised my voice.

  “No more! They did not choose to be who they are. These laws were put in place centuries ago when this sort of archaic intolerance was acceptable. It’s time to move into the 21st century! From here on, Halflings are to be treated equally.”

  Outrage echoed off the walls and I closed my eyes, trying to recall the desperate feelings I experienced when I was treated as a Halfling. Helplessness and humiliation swelled inside me. Holding onto it, I formed my orb and threw it upon everyone in the room. The effect was more than I expected. The arguing immediately stopped, everyone froze and complete silence ensued. A dreadful ringing resounded within my head and I could feel the pounding of a migraine begin. Pushing the rhythmic hammering aside, I continued. “How do you feel? Is it enjoyable? Would you like to be in a constant state of humiliation?” My voice threatened to break. “We are merpeople! We are the most unique and magical species on earth and yet we sink to the vilest nature possible! There are Human children that dream of becoming mermaids. The knowledge of us is one of magic, purity, and innocence and yet we are quite the opposite. Why do we succumb to the lowest base we can? We kill without mercy. We hate without cause. We act without consideration. Truly, we are no different than the vampires we abhor.”

  “We have to rise above our basest nature and reach for the best we can possibly offer this world and the species that inhabit it. It is no longer about us – it is about everything because everything affects us. I’m asking the impossible; that we rid ourselves of malice and greed and unkindness to become what we are supposed to be: the most magical species on this planet.”

  There was no answer and there was nothing more I could say that would change their minds. I would have to do this on my own.

  “I will join you.”

  The familiar voice belonged to David. He scanned the room. “I will always follow The Link. I will always do what is right for our species.”

  Tammer stepped beside him. “I will follow my daughter. She is the chosen one.”

  Hesitation laced the atmosphere and I swallowed bitterness. What was wrong with these people?

  A knock at the door turned my attention from the many eyes watching me. Tammer moved to open it and a hooded figure dressed in long robes walked in. When he pulled his hood away, there was a collective gasp. It was Troen.

  He had aged greatly, his body thin, nearly collapsing in on itself. In his large, gnarled hand, he held a cane fashioned from the tip of a narwhal’s horn.

  “Troen!” I flew into his embrace. “Where have you been?”

  “Oh, here and there,” his voice was tired. “Let me get a look at you.” He held me at arm’s length. The creases in his forehead rose as his eyes traced my abdomen. The look of surprise was quickly gone and he smiled.

  “You look lovely.”

  He knew about the baby. No one would dare say anything contrary to a pregnant lady, no matter what they looked like.

  “Why are you here?” I attempted to make my question as welcoming as I could. He looked past me to the heads of the people lining the wall.

  “I’ve come to pledge my allegiance to you.” He announced, his voice frail but commanding. “Those who do not will be greatly saddened when this is over.”

  My puzzled look prompted him to continue.

  “Many of you questioned my decision to choose one as young as Morgan to be The Link. Woe to you who have questioned my authority. It is not for a mere merman to choose – it is the blood that chooses. Those who betray The Link face a life of exile.” His gaze around the room ended on me. “It is not a wise choice.”

  A few of the leaders stepped forward, their heads bowed. Troen chuckled to himself.

  “If you are not with us, you are against us. That, my friends, is a decision you and your families have to live with for the rest of your life.”

  The rest of the doubters stepped forward.

  “Good,” Troen nodded, happy, “let’s take the bond.” He stepped in line between David and Tammer.

  Not wanting to delay the moment any longer, I centered myself directly in the middle of the group. Holding my palms up in front of me, I searched for the bonding words.

  “Bathabis ban barakkta.” The ancient phrase spilled from me, repeating over and over until its rhythm shook the air; the pull from the beat of the words pounding in my mind. The heat from my orb circled me as if I was in an oven and still, I couldn’t stop the phrase from repeating.

  Slowly, their aura’s melded with mine, each blending until the force of holding so many at once threatened to split me in half. Their thoughts and experiences raced through me, and for the briefest of moments, my thoughts focused on Naira. And then, she was gone.

  The brilliance from my new aura forced everyone to shield their eyes. It shone white like the reflection of the sun on fresh fallen snow. My left forearm throbbed dully, drawing my attention to it. A deep blue tattoo signifying the bond’s completion stood out on my wrist. It began with a horizontal line just below my elbow. Connected to it, another line ran down my arm until it reached my wrist where two circles like a bull’s eye target lay together. Inside these circles were symbols I didn’t recognize. It was delicate, yet bold and I looked to the others to see if they had the same marking. They didn’t.

  “Thank you,” my breath was as heavy as my heart. The experience had wiped me out, but there was so much more that had to be done. “There is a traitor among you,” I announced, “one that intends to report our plans to Herra.”

  I scanned the crowd before me and conjured The Voice, forcing it to become a power to expose instead of killing.

  “Reveal yourself.” I commanded, my voice reverberating off the cold stone walls. An elderly woman shuffled forward, grunting as she fought against the command, unable to stop herself from obeying my words. Even as she struggled, I could see through the disguise.

  With a sweeping motion of my hand, I removed Xerin’s powers. The disguise ripped from his body and he collapsed at my feet.

  “I forgave you once for your insolence,” I shouted, furious he had attempted to trick me into believing he was someone else. “This time, I will not be so kind.”

  I raised my hand, palm flat and horizontal as if Xerin floated in my hand. This time, instead of speaking the word, I thought it and crushed my hand closed. Xerin folded as if he were in my hand, cru
mpling into himself. When I released my grip, he disappeared altogether.

  A murmur mumbled through my onlookers and many of the leaders stepped back. The last thing I wanted to do was kill anyone, but we were beyond that now.

  “Herra has sent her followers to try and capture me. To try and kill me. It will not happen.”

  I reached for a chair across the room and pulled it toward me. When it neared my hand, I grasped its back and swiveled it around so I could sit. I was too tired and the migraine had exhausted me.

  “Kenneth has fought in many battles and I will rely on his experience.” I announced and waved to him.

  Confidently, he stepped forward, nodding a thank you. “As we speak, a handful of my elite are intercepting Herra’s people and they will be disposed of. As for Herra, I suggest we attack first. She won’t be expecting it. With most of the families support, I do not see us failing.” He paced the gray concrete floor. “We cannot afford to take any chances though. Already, the Farasi Family has intercepted the initial plan. Now, we must make changes.”

  I leaned against the chair, studying the faces before me as Kenneth laid out his plan of attack. Most of the people reacted the same way to his news; they hardly moved. Occasionally, one would nod their head or frown, but their concentration was devote. By the time Kenneth asked if there were any questions, none spoke.

  The plan would work. Eliminating Herra as well as The Master was not impossible and the relief of having a plan finally in order was a small comfort. When Kenneth finished, I excused the crowd and exited the room, trudging up the narrow staircase. I rubbed the back of my neck as I reached the top. Too tired – far too tired.

  I needed to lie down. Not wanting anything to do with my burned bedroom, I opted for one of the guest rooms. As I reached the handle, Gavran called my name. The last thing I wanted to do was explain to Gavran what had happened to his brother. I didn’t even want to face it.

  I waited for Gavran to reach me.

  “Is he dead?” His face was pained.

  I nodded. “I think so.”