Water Games

by Juliann Whicker

  “I hope you got settled in well,” a woman on the other side of the enormous, elaborately carved not fireplace said in English. English. I already missed it. Her voice carried the same way Sean’s did. Clear. Sharp. Not what I expected underwater. She was tall, slightly stooped, and her silver hair was curved into a chignon, maybe, unless it was a cat on her head. A blurry cat. Staring at Sean hadn’t helped my eye thing.

  “Thank you, yes.” I turned to Sean, soundlessly begging him to do something like carry me away and stop my lips from burning and my eyes from blurring.

  Sean smiled, his perfect face a blur of beige. “This is my great-aunt, Madame Claria. We’ve been anticipating your arrival.”

  As in, I’d taken too long being tortured. He definitely should have come and rescued me.

  Madame Claria cleared her throat, a trilling sound that wasn’t anything like human. “Already embarked on Soremni cosmetics? I suppose there are advantages to the look. You desire conformity with the Soremni people, is that right?”

  I stared at her. She vaguely looked like the plant portrait. “Of course. Sean is part Soremni so I must embrace the culture.”

  She snort-trilled. “Can you read Soremni notation?”

  I glanced at Sean, my beautiful, blurry prince charming. “Not very well.”

  The distinguished old lady nodded and handed me a sheet of paper. “Begin.”

  I blinked at the sheets of paper while notes swam dizzyingly. I squinted and could make out the beginning of Carmen’s oratory. My mother had drilled that into me mercilessly.

  She wanted me to sing? I was wearing dinner clothes. And I couldn’t see. And my lips were practically immobile from the Soremni cosmetics. Idiotic Gen not to stab Fraun at the beginning.

  I began, focusing on the flames of the afrateau as I performed with the technical precision of a Vashni singer. I was almost to the first chorus when the woman snatched the music out of my hands.

  “Adequate for a beginner, but you lack all spark of a true artist. You sing like a machine.”

  Ouch. I glanced at Sean and was reminded that he loved machinery more than anything else in the world. Maybe that’s why he loved me.

  Sean murmured something in Soremni to her, probably something about, ‘she’s much better when she hasn’t done Botox.’

  Madame Claria waved him away with her hand before turning to me. “You will train with me. We’ll start tomorrow morning. Takeo’s bride must represent his taste and accomplishments, even if she is Vashni. I’ll leave you to your dinner.” She floated up, through a round, heavily carved and gilded doorway, leaving me with Sean.

  He waited to the count of five before he swept me into his arms, pulling me against his chest. His heart pounded rapidly.

  “What did you let Fraun do to you? You look like a doll.”

  “I don’t know. She’s like Sharkie. I can’t see very well and my lips hurt. I probably wouldn’t even enjoy kissing your face right now. Can you imagine? And it was five minutes without you. This Soremni thing is too dangerous.”

  He laughed, but he didn’t relax his hold on me. “The dress fits very well. The face is far too beautiful, but it won’t last forever.”

  “Do you Botox your face? Is that why your mouth is so perfect and your cheekbones so chiseled and your eyes so blue and stunning and icy?”

  He cupped my cheek with his strong hand and stared at me. I blinked my watery eyes rapidly. “You can’t see anything, can you?”

  “Blurry things.”

  He sighed and let me go, leading me to the fireplace. “We’ll eat here. I’ll feed you. It’ll seem romantic, but really, there’s no way you could actually unravel the puzzle that is Soremni food without all your faculties.”

  He fed me dinner and while it was weird, it was hot, clearly cooked, and tasted ridiculously good. Maybe because we hadn’t eaten on our trip, which might have been intentional because a starving Gen would be more likely to appreciate her first Soremni meal.

  After dinner, Sean escorted me to my room, carrying my bag because I hadn’t wanted to leave it anywhere it could get messed with. Wow, I really had trust issues with these people. I’d blame it on the Botox, but I’d been way suspicious before that.

  “Good night.” He kissed my hands, once, twice, three times before he shook his head. “Are you tired?”

  I nodded. “This whole thing is a lot. I’m doing awesome, but it’s still a lot. I need to call my dad.”

  He nodded but didn’t take off. “Maybe I’ll call you. After you call your dad, I mean. To say goodnight.”

  I slid my hand up his strong forearm. I could feel the veins and he seemed a little less blurry. “You just said goodnight.”

  “Then maybe I’ll say something else. Any time you need me, call me. Nightmares, obsession, anxiety, whatever it is. Better you tell me that you’re upset than that the ocean delivers the message. All right?” He kissed my hand again and turned, swimming back down the jelly tube, so beautiful, graceful, and wonderful.

  I sighed and went into my room. Fraun wasn’t there. Yay. I went to the cocoon bed, and peeled back the papery side before I climbed in. The cocoon was a rich salmon color on the outside, but on the inside, pale pink, like the inside of a shell. The bed was kind of like falling into gelatin, but it was warm, breathable, and perfectly soft. I pulled out the phone and called my dad.

  “How are you doing, sweetheart?”

  “They gave me Botox. The food was really good though. And the cow we almost hit was cute. I don’t know. I’m fine. A little bit disoriented, tired, freaked out. Everything is different. It’s like being on another planet and the ocean wants me to bring back the natural order of thing, as in killing everyone.”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled, slow and steady. “The ocean talks to you? Oh, Gen, maybe this isn’t going to work.”

  “Maybe. It’s just weird. I’ll probably get used to it. The females are so alien and the males, I don’t really know because I’m not allowed to look at them, just Sean. It’s really, really annoying. Junie would go on and on about patriarchal societies that need to be completely destroyed, but the females are so scary. I can’t imagine telling one of them that she’s being oppressed. She’d kill me with her eye toners or something.”

  He laughed. “Soremni females are certainly unique. There’s no better way to learn their behavior as live with them as one of them, but it’s risky. Let Sean know if your ocean gets too pushy, okay? How is your bedroom? Are you sharing it with anyone?”

  “The room is like being inside an egg. I am not sharing it. Are you talking about Sean? He said that you gave your consent to marry him. Why would you say that? He hasn’t asked me to marry him. How can you give consent to something neither one of us has decided to do? I know you said something about us getting married this summer, but that’s between me and him. Try to remember that I’m not actually a Soremni female who does what she’s told by her male figures.”

  He made that sound like he was shaking his head. “That’s what I’m worried about, you forgetting yourself down there with him as your Soremni male and master. The whole point of this is for you to forget who you are. Of course I’m worried about things.”

  “You think it’s healthy for kids to get married out of high school?”

  “I think it’s healthy for people to not get into a serious relationship until they’re ready for commitment. You are in a serious relationship. If you were a normal human girl going off to college, I’d tell you to stay away from all guys, certainly not to get married, but you’re living with Sean. Marriage would make your situation easier. There’s nothing wrong with getting married if you’re responsible enough to see it through.”

  “I strike you as the responsible type?”

  “You aren’t going to run out when things get tough. You aren’t going to abandon someone who needs you. Yeah, Gen I’ve got to get to the dojo. Call me tomorrow, all right?”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Sure. Have
fun. Kick Cole in the face for me.”

  “Don’t forget who you are.” He hung up and I stared at the phone for a long time. I was supposed to forget who I was. Who was I, anyway? Who did he think I was? He didn’t look at me as a monster, a myth, a disaster, but as a girl who tried, who cared, who stuck with things even when they got tough. I wasn’t just doing this whole thing for me so I could have the experience of interning with Gerveeg. The more I was, the more I had to offer Sean. He was so much. I had to make the most of myself.

  I called Sean. “Good night,” I said as soon as he answered.

  “Your lights are still on.”

  “And I’m still wearing the dress. I got into bed, the gooey boogery bed and it’s so comfortable, I don’t ever want to move. How do you know about my lights?”

  “I can see you out my window.”

  “Really?” I sat up. The goop made a sucking sound and I slid back down. “I need to figure out how to turn off lights.”

  He explained about the buttons along the bar at the edge of the bed. One turned off the lights and then in the dark, another one turned the top of the sphere clear so I could look out at the ocean. Phosphorescent fishes darted above me, jellyfish blurbed and past that was the glowing twinkle net.

  “It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

  “Mmm. You can see better now?”

  “Yeah. Sean, thanks for doing all of this for me. Are you sure your training will be all right here without Haverre?”

  “Terramore has a monster’s keep. I’ll have plenty of training. Good luck with Madame Claria tomorrow. She was a star when she was younger. You’ll be tempted to strangle her within the first ten minutes. Resist the impulse. She’s doing you a great honor. She doesn’t make time for those who aren’t musically gifted.”

  “You think I’m musically gifted?”

  “Clearly. I gave you a music gift this afternoon. Have you forgotten already?”

  I pulled out the music box. I’d been wanting to work on it all day. “It was years ago. I haven’t kissed you for ages and ages.”

  “Your lips must be feeling better. Good. Not that you’ll be doing anything with them other than forming perfect notes. Your schedule is breakfast with me in the garden, music lessons with Madame Claria, Soremni custom lessons with the housekeeper, Mirta, don’t call her Mirta, just housekeeper, I don’t know why, then physical training with Abott. You’ll love her. After training, we’ll meet for tea and then dress for dinner. Any questions?”

  “Do you miss kissing me?”

  “Yes. Anything else?”

  “I love you.”

  “Good night, Genevieve.”

  “Say it.”

  “I love your tentacles.”

  He hung up and I smiled at the phone before I tucked it into my bag and turned on the music box. It trilled happily.

  Chapter 8

  I stayed up way too late figuring out Soremni notation. The next morning when Fraun’s delicate voice filled my room, it took me some time to figure out where I was and why I was covered in gelatin. The dress did not look so good. I definitely shouldn’t have slept in it. I was covered in a thin layer of mucous. Was I supposed to scrape it off or just let it get thicker and thicker until I looked like the monster in the lake? The old lady, Madame Claria hadn’t seemed very slimy, but it was hard to tell through the water and with blurry eyes. I blinked a few times. Not blurry. Yay! Except probably from staying up and working with my music box. Sean’s chest song was coming along very nicely.

  I dressed hurriedly in a simple tunic connected to the base layer gel bodysuit. It had a red label for indoor day clothes. When I put it on, I noticed that the bodice was a little bit low and the gel layer didn’t help all that much, not with support, not with coverage. Whatever. I let Fraun in to do my hair. No cosmetics. She worked with a pleasant smile but didn’t say anything. It felt like the silent treatment. Was I being too sensitive?

  Breakfast in the garden was lovely. The mixture of light balls made the air kind of bluish golden, like a foggy morning sunrise. The water outside of the house wasn’t clear and crisp, so when Sean asked me how I’d slept, his voice was wavy and faraway. My own wasn’t any different. I could have projected. I was a Siren and all that, but instead, I leaned closer to him until I’d accidentally brushed his arm with mine.

  He took that as a signal to kiss my hands while gazing into my eyes. My day went downhill from there.

  The only reason I didn’t scream at Madame Claria during our ‘lesson’, if by lesson you mean torture session, was because I recited the love, respect, humility thing from karate over and over in my head. Somehow, I didn’t respond to any of the harsh insults she delivered in her sniffity tight-lipped way. According to her, everything about me was completely wrong from my poor posture, the way I handled my diaphragm and my mouth, tongue, cheeks. It made me actually miss my mother’s hissing and tentacle lashing. I had bruises all over my back from her jabbing me with her bony fingers.

  Finally, she let me go to Soremni customs lessons with Housekeeper Mirta. First I had to learn ‘Housekeeper’ in Soremni. Then I had to work in the kitchen, cleaning the utensils. It’s not that I minded washing dishes or whatever, but I had absolutely no idea what anything was or what to do with it. She yelled at me every time I messed up but didn’t tell me in the first place what I was supposed to do. Maybe she did in Soremni, but either she didn’t speak anything else, or she was of the opinion that immersion was the only way. At any rate, I learned how Soremeni washed dishes underwater without water, instead a sandy gelatin goop that reminded me of my bed. I also learned that they have dozens of different kinds of utensils for different dishes. I would have to know their names, how to eat with them, and how to wash up afterwards.

  She gave me lunch, which was sticks of seaweed gelatin flavored like watermelon cantaloupe. Weird, but didn’t require any utensils. After that, Fraun led me to my physical trainer. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I met the woman, I immediately felt better.

  She had brown hair braided away from her face, broad shoulders and a leather looking shirt, molded to her body so it gave her a lot more support and coverage than my jelly suit. She had me change into a black assault suit, but kept on her own simple, brown outfit.

  We worked through basic blocks and strikes. It was very similar to the Vashni fighting style. I didn’t mind training, and I liked Abott. She clearly wasn’t a shark, even if she was a tough lady.

  I met Sean for tea in a small room overlooking the garden. He wore a gel bodysuit with loose pants and dark blue tunic over it. He took my hand and kissed it while I tried to repress my instincts to crush him into a hug he would never recover from.

  We chatted about my training in a very civilized manner.

  Sean said, “The currents around the house were very active this morning. I take it you enjoyed your session with Madame.”

  I scrunched up my face before I exhaled and smiled demurely. “I did not strangle her. Apparently I’ll have to not strangle her with a little more effort. My stomach is going to be sore tomorrow. She really knows how to torture someone.”

  He grinned, his teeth white against tan skin. “She really does. She gave me lessons when I was young. She’d whip my back if I didn’t float in the perfect posture. I made it quite clear that you wouldn’t respond very positively to that, but if she pulls out a whip, run away.”

  “Swim away.”

  He brushed my cheek with his fingers. “I’m not touching you enough. I haven’t fully gotten into the role of Soremni male.”

  “You’ve kissed my hands a million times. I think you’re fine.”

  “Fine? That’s what they say.” He slid his fingers over the inside of my arm to the edge of the gel sleeve. My skin prickled and I leaned closer to him. I needed to kiss him. His lips were so soft and sweet and calling to me, glistening with a layer of mucous I needed to taste. I’d gotten seriously weird.

  “Sean, how long before I need to scrape off the mucous?�
��

  He slid his hands over the gel bodysuit to my throat. “You should go into the car wash tonight.”

  “Car wash?” I asked, but his fingers were distracting me.

  “Jets of water and cleaning agents shoot at you until you’re nice and tidy. I call it a car wash. They call it…”

  I put my hand over his soft lips while his eyes gleamed with amusement. “I can’t hear another Soremni word today or my ears will break. Do we get to go somewhere and snuggle all evening?”

  He shook his head. “We’re having a very long and tiresome dinner. Everyone who is anyone will be there. Here, I should say. The great Takeo, gladiator extraordinaire attracts a lot of company.”

  “We can snuggle after that?”

  He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my shoulder sending a shot of lightning down my arm to my tingling fingers. “No. This is all the snuggling you get today. Really enjoy it because the coming days are going to be extremely busy.”

  “For you, or me?”

  “Both. I need to spend all day training, but then in the evenings, I’ll be checking in with the locals. This province is still in my father’s family, as in, I’m the next in line to inherit it.”

  “I thought your dad got exiled.”

  “He did, but the title and region are still entailed to the next male in his line. My father is not the first Soremni Prince to get exiled.”

  “Huh. So, since you’re next in line, you need to know all about it from not staring into afrateau to milking the brogges.”

  “Brogge is still brogge. There’s no plural.”

  I pushed his shoulder. “Stop. No more lessons. Can I come with you sometimes?”

  “You want to examine milking barns and farm equipment?”

  “Kind of. I thought the brogge was cute. And I’m not sure if I can survive without you kissing my hands for hours while you’re running around stewarding.”

  “Well if it’s a matter of your survival, I’ll bring you with me on outings that are appropriate for a well-born female.”