by Dee J. Stone
Syren says, “We must search there at once.”
The other Sapphire shoots his arm out, blocking Syren from leaving. “It is not simple.”
Syren throws the other guy’s hand off him. “I will travel to the correct location and free my sons.”
“I’m coming with you,” I say. Every part of me is shaking due to what I’ve just experienced. I have no idea what it was. Not a dream, but not reality either. It’s as though Damarian and I created our own world through our minds. Our own perfect world. Until he showed me where he was being held.
Syren folds his arms across his chest. “Do not be absurd.”
“I’m the only one who can lead you there. Please, let me join you.”
“You will only be a burden.”
Even though I’m still shaking, I straighten myself out and swim close to him, until I’m a few inches away. With the most firm voice I can muster, I say, “Damarian is my mate. You don’t understand how much he means to me, and I don’t give a damn what you think. Damarian is alive and he needs my help. I’m the only one who can sense him and lead you right to him.”
Syren presses his lips together. He knows I’m right, but doesn’t like it. He glances at the other Sapphire. “I will lead a party to the Deep, Callen. Will you provide me with any of your Guard?”
Callen bows his head to Flora. “My queen. I have sent scouts as far deep as possible. The waters are dangerous. It is too cold, the oxygen levels are low, and the pressure can snap our bones.”
Saliva gathers in my mouth.
“Furthermore, it is uncharted territory. We do not know what creatures live there.” His voice drops an octave. “It is rebel ground, my queen. We will be at a disadvantage, presuming we manage to find a manner to survive.”
Flora swims to the table and sits down on one of the chairs, rubbing her forehead. Callen goes after her, bowing his head as low as possible. “I will do as you ask, my queen.”
She looks up, her eyes moving between the two mermen. “What do you advise, Syren?”
“Training,” he says, moving closer and lowering his head. “Combat.”
She tears her eyes from him. “We have not engaged in such activity in moons, not since the great battle. We lost hundreds of lives.” She shakes her head slowly. “I will not change our ways.”
“Times are not what they were, my queen,” Syren says. “We no longer live in peace. If we do not halt these rebels now, they will grow stronger, grow in masses. We must train soldiers. I am afraid we have no other option.”
Flora’s gaze moves to me. “Look at what war and bloodshed has done to the humans,” she says. “They know no peace.”
I can’t really argue with that, though I do want to defend my people. As I’m about to open my mouth, she holds up her hand, silencing me.
She drops her eyes to her tail. “What would Kiander do if he were present?” she whispers.
Callen crouches down so his tail is folded. He takes her hands in his. “He would seek your counsel, for you are a fair queen, a capable queen. One who loves her subjects dearly.”
My heart goes out to her. She’s so young, but has the responsibility of all the merpeople on her shoulders. I have so much respect for her.
She’s quiet for a few minutes, like she’s contemplating every detail every choice, every outcome. The three of us wait silently and patiently. She gets up from the chair and turns her back to us for a few more seconds. Then she nods to the Violet. “Send notice throughout all the colonies that we are to invade the deep waters, Morteran. All volunteers who wish to train in battle should seek Callen or other members of the Guard.” Sadness enters her eyes. “It is not an easy choice, nor one I like, but it is the choice I have to make.”
Morteran nods. “At once, my queen.”
“I shall lead the training,” Syren says.
“What about me?” I ask.
Syren’s eyes flit to mine. “You shall remain home until Damarian is returned to you.”
“Hey, I don’t know what century you live in, but in my world, women don’t wait around for someone else to search for their mate. They go out and find them.”
“You are in the sea,” he says, his voice the sternest I’ve ever heard. “In the sea, you do as children of the sea do.”
“Enough!” Flora says. “Syren, Damarian is your son, but he is also the mate of Cassie Price. You would react in a similar fashion if Kiandra were captured by the rebels.” Her voice wobbles. “If I did not have a duty to my kind, I would join the party to search for my beloved.” She swims closer to him and touches his arm. “She is the sole one with the capability to lead you to the correct location.”
Again, I can tell he knows the queen is right, but he doesn’t like it. “I fear she may be a liability.”
“Her love for Damarian will only make her an asset.”
Syren is silent for a bit before doing the merpeople bow. “As you wish, my queen.”
I give Flora a thankful nod. Despite the fact that I took Damarian from her, that I’m a human, and that she doesn’t really trust me, we’ve bonded and I feel like she’ll always have my back.
“Do hurry,” Flora says. “I do not know how much time we have.”
Syren and I follow Morteran out of the palace. The hammerhead that brought me to the palace swims forward—it was waiting out here, probably guarding the palace while its master did business inside. And then a large great white shark swims to Syren’s side. I now notice it’s one of the sharks that guarded Damarian’s home.
“It is unnecessary for you to escort us home,” Syren says to Morteran. “I will manage.”
“It is the queen’s orders that I protect the human.”
I want to tell them that I don’t need any of them to protect me, but now’s not the time to get prideful. This is a foreign land to me, and since my life is in danger, I should use all the protection I can get.
The journey back to the Sapphire colony is quiet. When we reach the cave, Morteran nods and leaves. The great white parks itself back in its place, its eyes studying the area. When we enter the main room, Kiandra rushes over. “Any word?”
Syren looks at me. “She and the queen have managed to locate Damarian and Kiander.”
Kiandra’s eyes shine. “They have? Are they alive?”
Syren looks at me again.
“Yeah.” I swallow. “But weak. There might not be much time.”
“We must leave at once,” Syren says, taking hold of her hands. “I do not know how long our journey will be. Queen Flora will provide you and the fry with the proper protection.” He touches her cheek when her shoulders sag. “Do not fret. All will be well. I will rescue our sons.”
She nods, but I see her shoulders trembling.
“And I’m going, too,” I say.
Kiandra’s faces me, her eyes alarmed. “It is too dangerous, Cassie.”
“I know, but I’m going.”
Kiandra looks at her husband.
“It is the queen’s orders.”
Kiandra swims closer to me and rests her hands on my cheeks. “You are brave. You are a fine mate for my son.”
My eyes trek to Syren, wondering if he agrees with his wife. He doesn’t look at me.
“Please eat,” Kiandra says, leading me to the table. “You as well, Syren.” She disappears into the other room to call for the younger kids. “Doria shares her time with Hareta.”
Syren frowns. “I do not appreciate her out in such dangerous waters.”
Kiandra shrugs, trying to hide a smile. “She is your daughter, Syren.”
Zarya and the twins join us at the table. I don’t know how meals usually are at this table, but right now, it’s quiet and very awkward. I watch the way Zarya picks at her fish before throwing it aside and trying another. I smile. A picky eater.
The twins seem well-behaved—well, for the first ten minutes. Soon, they’re throwing fish guts at one another.
“Syd and Syndin,” Kiandra scolds. They sit s
traight and continue eating quietly, though they smirk at one another.
When the kids are done with their lunch, Kiandra tells them to go to their rooms. Once they’re gone, I say, “Do they understand what’s going on?”
Kiandra sighs. “As the days pass, it grows more difficult to shield them from the truth. Zarya thought Damarian was on land with you, but now that you are here, she questions his whereabouts.”
“What did you tell her?”
Her lower lip quivers. “That he will be with us shortly.”
“And the twins? They’re a bit older than Zarya and probably sense something is wrong.”
Kiandra nods. “Yes. Syd in particular. He is mature for his moons and is very intelligent. I fear he is fully aware of the events, though he chooses to keep quiet.”
I reach out and pat her hand. “I know where they are, Kiandra. With the help of your husband and the many others who will search for them, we’ll bring them home. Safe and sound.” I don’t know if this is a promise I can keep, but I will try my damn hardest.
She nods, giving me a small smile. “Thank you.”
***
Snuggled in Damarian’s bed among the seaweed and his scent, my mind buzzes with everything that happened today. I have no idea what time it is, but I went to bed early because I’m so exhausted. It’s most likely due to that dream—or whatever it was—I had about Damarian. Did he experience it as well?
It’s obvious it all took place in my head, since most of it was impossible, like Damarian and me swimming in the ocean as humans. Surfing. Did Flora have a similar dream? It seems like it was catered to me and Damarian specifically, our experiences and desires. Maybe what Flora shared with Kiander was something special to them.
It felt so real. Every touch, every kiss, every romantic word we said to one another. My hand wraps around some seaweed. How I yearn for him to be with me right now.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, if Morteran will be able to gather enough merpeople willing to risk their lives to search for Damarian and Kiander and to battle the rebels. These are people who hardly know war. I’m pretty sure the rebels are well versed in combat.
A part of me is pretty confident that many will join, since it’s their king they’ll be searching for. But I know how scary it is. They seem like a close-knit species that care about each other, so I’m hopeful.
I feel someone in my room and sit up. Zarya is standing in the doorway, her big blue eyes hesitant and curious. “Hey,” I say.
She moves a few inches into the room. “May I sleep with you?”
“Of course.” I scoot over in the oyster shell. She smiles the biggest one I’ve ever seen and zooms toward me, knocking her head into mine. We both grab hold of our heads and giggle. I put my arm around her and hug her. She’s the closest thing I have to Damarian.
“Syd claims it is difficult to be a human.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
She nods vehemently. “He says it is most difficult to walk on those…legs? And that humans are not as beautiful as children of the sea. He also says you have no room on land for your wastes, therefore you throw them into the sea.”
I tickle her. She giggles, trying to swat my hands away. “Well, I won’t argue that children of the sea are definitely prettier than humans. But he’s wrong about walking on legs. It’s pretty easy.”
“Your language is so peculiar.”
I tap her nose. “That was my reaction when I first met Damarian.”
She bounces in the shell. “Please tell me the tale of how you and Dammy fell in love.”
She calls him Dammy? I really like it.
There’s the sound of rustling, then the twins pop into my room. Zarya folds her arms and scowls. “You are not invited.”
One of the twins—I think Syndin—pushes his chest out. “You are too much a fry to command us.”
Zarya glares at him. I tighten my hold on her. It’s comforting to see them behaving just like human kids would. I really love finding all these similarities between us.
Syndin throws something upward, then catches it in his hand. “I believe you have forgotten this.”
Zarya rockets toward him and tries to grab it from his hand, but he’s too tall and dangles it over his head. “It is my gift to Cassie!” she whines.
A gift for me? She’s such a sweetie pie.
Syndin rolls his eyes and drops it. Gathering it carefully in her arms, she returns to me and lands in my lap. “Father has told me this is very rare coral.” She holds it out to me. It’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Bright colors of green, yellow and orange in the shape of tree. “Explorers have discovered it.”
“Thanks, Zarya.” I kiss the top of her head. “But are you sure you want to give it away?”
She nods eagerly. “I have one more in my collection.” She beams. “Is the other coral I gave you alive?”
I bite my lip. How do I tell her I honestly don’t know? With everything that happened over the past few days, I totally forgot about it. “It’s in my pool filled with sea water,” I say. “Thanks for giving it to me.”
She beams again.
Syd moves closer. “What is it like to live as a human?”
His brother punches his arm. “Syd wishes to live on land.”
“That is not so!”
I motion for them to gather around. Zarya cuddles close to me as her brothers sit near us on the floor. Growing up, I wanted siblings very badly. I remember how I begged for one for my seventh birthday. It feels good to have Damarian’s brothers and sister in my life. I mean, assuming everything goes well and we rescue Damarian and Kiander and destroy the rebels and I can finally have my happily ever after.
I wonder if Syren would have me thrown into the Deep if he knew I’m about to tell his youngest kids about humans. But the truth is that I’m a human, and if I finally get to have my happily ever after, we’ll be spending lots of time together. I can’t change who I am. It would be awesome if they’d be able to visit Damarian and me on land.
“Humans are difficult, complex creatures,” I tell them. “We make lots of mistakes and we’ll make a lot more. But we’re really good people.”
“Why do you throw your wastes into the sea?” Syd asks, a hint of betrayal in his eyes.
“We’re trying to put a stop to that.”
“You steal our fish,” Syndin says.
“There’s enough to feed all of us,” I tell him.
“Tell us a fascinating tale,” Zarya says, tugging my arm.
I think for a few minutes. “Okay. We have cars. Vessels to transport us from one location to another. When you swim in the sea, do you ever grow tired?”
The three of them nod.
“We get tired on our legs, too. And it would take months to travel really long distances. That’s why we have so many means of transportations. Trains and planes.”
“What are those?” Syd asks.
“Planes are like birds. We sit inside them and fly.”
Their mouths fall open.
“Have you ever been a bird?” Zarya asks.
I nod. “Once, when my mother and I went on vacation to Los Angeles.” It was one of a few vacations I had as a kid.
They all exchange astonished glances.
“What else?” Syndin asks.
“We can create light.”
“Like the sun?” Zarya asks.
I nod. “Your eyes can see in the dark, but humans can’t. We used to use fire, but now we have lights.”
“Fire?” they all ask.
I laugh silently to myself. Of course they wouldn’t know what that is. “It’s like the opposite of water. It’s a source of light, also used for cooking. It’s really hot and burns you.”
They stare at me like I’m speaking a foreign language. Again, I laugh to myself.
“What else?” Zarya urges.
“Well, you have so many edible creatures in the sea. We have so many on land.”
; “Unintelligent creatures,” Syd said. “With flesh you can devour.”
“Yes, but we don’t eat the meat fresh. We use fire.”
I see their heads swarming with all the information they just learned. If any of them would relay what they learned to their father, I know he’d yell at me. But my hope is that the kids are interested enough in human life to come visit. Not that I want to put their lives at risk, but I really want them to be part of Damarian’s life. I feel like I’ve taken so much away from him.
Doria swims into Damarian’s room. “Forgive the intrusion, but Father searches for Syd and Syndin.”
“What is his request?” Syndin asks.
“To hunt.”
They both grumble.
There’s a hint of a smile on Doria’s lips—something I’ve hardly seen before. She taps Syd’s shoulder. “Do not keep Father waiting.”
With more grumbles, they leave the room. Doria’s eyes fall on the little mermaid slumped against me, her eyes shut tight, her breathing steady. “Sorry,” I say. “She must have fallen asleep.”
Doria settles down near the oyster shell. “It is all right. Zarya tires easily.”
The kid uses up way too much energy.
“Doria?” I say, keeping my voice down so I don’t wake Zarya.
“Yes?”
“Do only males hunt?”
She shrugs. “That is the manner it has always been. The males hunt while the females care for the young. But times have changed.” She averts her gaze to her tail. “Father has always hunted with Damarian and Kiander. But they no longer dwell here.”
“So you hunt with him?”
She nods. “It is not something I enjoy, but it is a duty I must perform. As well as help Mother care for the little ones. Father is teaching Syd and Syndin to hunt, but it will be a while before they master the skill.”
That explains why she’s so eager to get out of the house, even though it’s dangerous.
“What about you?” I ask. “Is there someone special? Someone to sweep you off your feet— uh, I mean your tail?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. Clearly, she doesn’t understand the expression. “There is no one.”
“No one you like? There has to be someone.”
