Resurfaced_A Little Mermaid Retelling

by Wendi Wilson

  His head shakes back and forth before he resumes the head jerking. Ora removes the pressure on my arm and I’m able to straighten it, but she doesn’t release her grip on my wrist. I can feel my parents and Adrian behind us, but they are all holding their tongues, waiting to see where this goes.

  Bryce? I try mentally. Talk to me. Tell me what’s happening.

  His head forcefully shakes again before he sinks back against the wall, seeming to fold into himself. What the hell is happening? It’s like he can’t speak, physically or mentally. Like something, or someone is blocking his ability to communicate with me.

  I’m so confused. Only someone with supernatural abilities would be able to do that. Someone with power, who could also cloak Ora’s presence from us. Someone who could light this cavern and start a fire underwater. Someone, like a wi-

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

  I whip to the right, my eyes probing the darkness. That voice. I know it as well as my own. I lived with it my whole life, listening to its degrading words and patronizing tone. I’ve heard it recite foreign words and felt the pain of their impact. A shadow separates itself from the dark corner and slowly drifts forward.

  “Finally, brat, we meet again.”

  “Coraline.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “But, how?”

  “How am I alive? How am I here? How did I get my hands on your boyfriend? Which is it, Kailani? I need you to be more specific.”

  She swims forward, circling around us. Ora releases me and swims away, taking up a guard position in front of the exit. My parents and Adrian close ranks around me, trying to shield me. Seeing their movements, she cackles with glee.

  “Do you think you can protect her from me?” she asks, still circling. Stopping directly in front of me, she locks her gaze on mine. “Nothing will stop me from exacting my revenge, girl.”

  “But, not just yet” she continues as she swims around the cavern.

  I watch her move from place to place, absentmindedly touching one object or another before moving on. Her tailfin is pitch black, lacking the iridescent sparkle every other Mer I’ve encountered seems to possess. There’s a weird split at the end, its edges gray with scarring. I wonder what happened there.

  “I knew it was you,” she says, drawing my attention back to her face. “I knew you were the one in the vision. The diviner told me that even though I hadn’t met you, I would recognize you when I saw you. After the arrangement I made with your parents to make you human, I watched you grow up. The older you got, the more you looked like the late queen. I recognized you because of her. That’s when I knew. When that,” she flings a finger toward Bryce, “witch moved in next door, I knew I had to keep you apart.”

  I pretty much already knew all this, so I feign interest and shock while focusing on Bryce. Can you hear me? I project. Keeping my eyes on Coraline, I see Bryce’s head slowly nod up and down in my peripheral vision.

  Is she blocking you from speaking and contacting me telepathically? Another nod.

  “You shouldn’t have disobeyed me, Kailani, or we wouldn’t all be here, in this moment.”

  I shift my focus back to Coraline. “Bryce and I vanquished you. You disappeared. How did you get here?”

  “Vanquished? Me? Never.” Her voice deepens on that last word. “When you didn’t return to the sea with your mother after I reversed the spell, I cast one on myself. In the event that you lived long enough on land to fulfill the prophecy, I would be protected. Rather than being cast into the fiery pits of Hell, I would return whence I came. The sea.”

  “Wait. You were supposed to go to hell when Bryce and I used our synergetic power on you?” I force out a laugh. “That’s fitting.”

  Coraline’s eyebrows drop low over her eyes and her mouth drops into a frown. I feel my mother’s fingertips pinch my arm, warning me not to provoke the witch any further. I ignore her and swim forward, out of my circle of protectors.

  “What do you want with us?” I demand.

  Her evil smile returns as she answers, “Why, I already told you that, dear child.” Those last words drip with sarcasm. “I want revenge. I am stuck back in this underwater prison, outcast and banished by that idiot king. You and that,” she points at Bryce once more, “witch-boy did this to me.”

  “Prison? What do you mean? Can’t you just make yourself human again and leave, like you did before?”

  “Therein lies the crux,” she says, resuming her aimless drift around the room. I turn in place to keep my eyes on her. “The only way to stop you from sending me to one hell was to replace it with another. This is the hell of my making. I cannot leave this cave. That is why I have Ora, a trusted confidant, to help me by bringing hapless victims here.”

  Oh, she shouldn’t have told me that. I try to keep my face impassive as my mind whirrs. There are four of us, five including Bryce. All we have to do is free him, overpower Ora and get out of here. Coraline can’t follow us.

  She can’t follow us, Bryce. We just need to get those cuffs off you, and we can get out of here.

  A small negative shake of his head is the response I get. I let down my guard and my eyes snap to his in surprise. Coraline’s large body moves between us, blocking my view of him.

  “Keep trying, princess,” she laughs. “I’ve blocked his ability to communicate with you, verbally and telepathically. How does it feel to be cut off from what you love?”

  “You say that like you know from experience. When have you ever loved anything?”

  I have to keep her distracted. She doesn’t seem to know that her mental block only works one way and that Bryce can hear my thoughts. I need to use that to get us out of here alive.

  “I loved my life!” she yells, bringing her face close to mine. “I had Mer from all over the city coming to me for help. They needed me, were devoted to me. Merric destroyed that. He destroyed my life. What better way to exact my revenge than to take his daughter from him and make her miserable?”

  I pull back, moving closer to my parents and Adrian. Coraline’s predatory smile grows larger at my outward sign of fear. Good. Let her think I’m a scared little girl who won’t fight.

  “What are you planning to do to us?” I try to inject as much fear as I can into my voice.

  “Well, that,” she says, resuming her circling of the room, “I haven’t decided. Maybe I will turn your parents into eels. You’ve always wanted pets, haven’t you? I know I have.”

  Maniacal glee lights up her features. She knows she’s hit a sore spot, reminding me of the one time I tried to have a pet. When I was little, I found a stray kitten and tried to sneak it into the house. Coraline found out and made me watch as she drowned it in the ocean. That’s when I started to hate her.

  “You and Bryce,” she continues, “will not get off so easy. You need to pay for what you did to me. I thought about killing you, but I think it will be more satisfying to keep you here, imprisoned with me, unable to touch or communicate with each other. At least, until I tire of it.”

  “What about Adrian? He hasn’t done anything to you. You should let him go. He’s not a part of this.”

  My mother’s voice shocks me. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard her stand up to Coraline. Her words must have shocked Coraline, too, because she stops swimming and stares at Mom for a moment before responding.

  “I see the princess has regained her royal airs, as you said, Ora.”

  “Yes, Mistress, she is as arrogant as she ever was,” Ora calls back from her station at the cave’s entrance.

  “Well, we will see to that shortly. As for your accomplice, Adrian, you are correct. I do not have any grudge against him. However, my faithful servant does, and he is her payment for bringing the rest of you to me, including the witch.”

  Ora caught Bryce and brought him here to be imprisoned by the old hag. My jaw clenches at the thought. If I didn’t already hate her, I would now. She has ruined everything and put us all in danger, for what?
Because she hated my mom growing up? Because she hates humans even more?

  “What shall you do with the Mer?” Coraline asks, drawing me out of my head once more. “Take him to the king as a human loving traitor to be executed?”

  “I am not so sure King Merric was not in on this plan. They were able to escape much too easily,” Ora responds, frowning.

  “What?” I panic and my words run together. “That-that’s crazy. He had me brought here to be executed. He hates what I am.”

  “Hmmm,” Coraline, says, drawing near. “It seems she is protesting a little too vehemently, does it not, Ora?”

  “Yes, Mistress, it does.”

  “We shall revisit that later, as I may be able to use that little tidbit of information for my own purposes. For now-”

  Her words cut off with a swing of her arm. I find myself flying across the cavern against my will. My back slams up against the wall next to Bryce, my arms pinned by an invisible force above my head. Cold iron claps around my wrists and my body sags as Coraline’s magical grip on me releases.

  “Ah,” she says, wagging her tailfin back and forth in a suggestive manner, “young lovers, reunited.”

  My forgotten headache comes back in full force. I pull against the chains, but there’s very little give and no way to break them without help. I quit struggling and look at Bryce, his bright blue eyes meeting mine.

  We have to free ourselves, Bryce. Is there a key somewhere?

  He moves his eyes toward Coraline without turning his head. She’s taunting my parents, ticking off a list of ridiculous names she’ll call them once they become her pets. Bryce and I are on the back burner, at least for now. I turn my gaze to Ora, who’s still guarding the exit. She’s watching Coraline with obvious pleasure, a broad smile stretching her lips to reveal sharp teeth.

  My eyes scan the room. I don’t see a key anywhere. I look back at Coraline just in time to see the light glint off something on her neck. I watch as she swims back and forth in front of my parents. There it is again. She turns to swim in my direction and that’s when I see it. A silver chain strung around her neck, ending below her woven-grass shirt.

  I see the necklace. Is the key on it? I ask without looking at Bryce.

  I see him shake his head in my peripheral vision and can’t keep myself from jerking my head to look at him. That is not what I expected. If it’s not the key, then what is it? I project the thought to him, then mentally kick myself. He can’t answer me. I need to ask yes or no questions.

  Is it important? A slight nod. Does it have something to do with a spell? Another nod.

  Okay. Think, Kai. It has to do with a spell and it’s important. It’s not the key to unlocking these shackles, but maybe it’s the key to something else. I see him nod from the corner of my eye. I must be unintentionally projecting again.

  It’s a key to… what? Not freeing us.

  His face scrunches with irritation. Not being able to communicate with me is frustrating both of us. If only there were some way to…

  Wait. Is that it? It’s the key to getting your voice back?

  His face relaxes and small grin tugs at his lips. I smile back, proud of myself for figuring it out. We have always been a great team and nothing can change that.

  “And what, exactly, do you two have to smile about?”

  Coraline’s voice startles me. I jerk around to see her floating just a few feet away, looking back and forth between me and Bryce. I can’t let her figure out that we are communicating.

  “It’s just like you said,” I mumble. “Young lovers, reunited. I’m just happy he’s okay and I’m sure he feels the same about me.”

  She arches a brow but doesn’t respond. I don’t think she’s buying what I’m selling. I keep my face as neutral as possible, hoping she’ll lose interest in us again. My eyes drift down to her chest. This close, I can make out a small bulge beneath her top, right where the silver chain ends.

  “What?” I snap my eyes back to hers. “You want to see my necklace? It’s nothing, really, just a pretty bauble.”

  Pinching the chain between two black fingernails, she gives it a tug. I small shell pops free, then lays against her chest. She runs two fingers across its smooth surface.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  I nod, not wanting to give away my true level of interest in it. I have to give her credit. She never once looks at Bryce or gives any other indication that the shell has something to do with the spell she put on him. I probably wouldn’t have noticed the gleam in her eye or the slight lifting of one side of her mouth if I didn’t already know.

  “Maybe one day, I’ll let you try it on.”

  At those words, Bryce bucks out from the wall as far as the manacles will let him. His mouth and body language rage at her, but no sound escapes him. He’s telling me what I need to know, that I can never let her put that necklace on me. That has to be how she took his voice from him.

  I’ll kill you…

  Thank God Coraline already turned her back on us and began gliding away, because I can’t control my reaction. My head snaps around, mouth open, eyes wide. I can’t believe it.

  Bryce. I’m greeted by silence as his body relaxes back against the wall. Bryce, I heard you. I heard your thoughts. You said ‘I’ll kill you’ and I heard it!

  His eyes widen then narrow, and I know he’s trying to project to me. It doesn’t work. I shake my head slightly.

  I can’t hear you now, but I heard it. I’m pretty sure I heard you say my name earlier when we were still searching for you. I don’t know why. Maybe extreme emotion cracks the strength of her spell, or something. I pause for a moment to let that sink in. I take it I shouldn’t let her put that necklace on me? Is that how she took your voice?

  A sad smile lifts his lips for a moment and he nods toward Ora.

  Ora put it on you? Another nod. Do you think if I got it from her and put it back on you, the spell would reverse?

  He shrugs. I guess there’s no way to know for sure until we try it. I just need to look for an opportunity to get the necklace from her. As if she senses my thoughts, she reaches up and clasps the shell and looks over at me.

  “You are going to want to watch this, Kailani,” she says, a sneer spreading across her face.

  “Ferveo.”

  As the strange word passes her lips, she throws out an arm and points to the cauldron I noticed when I came in. Within an instant, steam is rising from the top and I can hear a bubbling noise, yet there’s no fire. I stare at it, mesmerized. Coraline’s cackling laugh draws my attention back to her.

  “Impressed, are we?” When I say nothing, she continues, “Well, if you find that impressive, take a look at this.”

  “Merryn facti anguillae. Dante facti anguillae. Saga mari imperat. Imperio obsequendum.”

  With her final words, a bright streak of light flares from the top of the cauldron. It zips through the water, whipping around the room like an out-of-control comet until it streaks straight towards my parents. At the very last second, the light splits into two, striking both my mom and dad the center of their chests.

  I scream. The sound tears its way up my throat without my consent, and I can’t seem to stop it. I scream as my parents stiffen in the water, straight like boards, before convulsing into themselves. I scream as a sort of tornado whips around each of them, causing them to spin and gyrate in the water. I scream as the water stills, but the sound dies down as my eyes search frantically for my parents. But, I don’t find them. Instead, I find two striped eels, slithering around each other along the floor of the cavern.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Cackling laughter. That’s the first thing I notice as the blackness engulfing me starts to dissipate. I opened my eyes and look around. Coraline has not moved from her spot beside the cauldron. My eyes follow the direction of her gaze to see what she’s laughing at. Two sleek bodies slither and squirm around each other, causing the memory of the last few minutes to come rushing back. I must’ve fain
ted after watching my parents be turned into eels.

  Adrian is floating several feet away, a look of terror etched on his normally stoic face. His eyes catch mine and his features relax instantly. He’s trying to project an outward calm to keep me calm. His hands fist at his sides, shaking. He’s letting his anger overtake his fear. Good.

  I look over at Bryce. He’s staring at me, worry etched across his brow, sympathy filling his eyes. I’m okay, I send to him through her telepathic link. But, I’m not okay.

  Things were bad enough when we had to figure out how to free ourselves, overpower Ora, and get out of here before Coraline could stop us. Now we have to force her to change my parents back into merpeople? I have no idea how we’re going to do that.

  I look up at my hands, twisting them back and forth to test the strength of the cuffs. They’re strong and tight, but the chains securing them to the wall have a little give. I sway my tail back and forth in tiny increments, hoping to keep Coraline from noticing the movement. It works, and my body slowly rises through the water.

  My heart nearly pounds its way out of my chest as slack builds in the chains. I look over at Bryce to find him watching me with a confused look on his face. I dart a glance at Coraline. Her attention is still trained on my parents, a gleeful smirk on her face.

  Bryce. I look at him from the corner of my eye to make sure I have his attention before returning my gaze to Coraline. Look at the chains. If you do it, too, there may be enough slack for us to hold hands.

  Coraline is still oblivious, and a quick check in her direction proves Ora to be just as clueless. Of course, she is enjoying seeing my mother suffer. I grit my teeth and look at Bryce, who still hasn’t moved.

  Don’t you get it? I project, probably a little more forceful than necessary if his flinch is any indication. Sorry. Sorry. Think about it. If we hold hands, we can use our synergetic power to get rid of her.

  He shakes his head, keeping his movement minimal. I let myself float back down so the chain is stretched tight again. I don’t know why he’s disagreeing with me and this one-way communication is frustrating as hell. His lips turn up and he nods, agreeing with me.