by Orchid Leigh
Keeping her gaze and her stance locked, she held her arms to her side and twisted her palms up. A beam of light, brilliant and white, switched on, blasting from her palms and shooting a pointed spotlight to the high ceiling above.
The room, quickly filling with sleepy merfolk, sank back in fear at the sight of the luminescent power.
With a flick of her wrist, Razora’s palms were down, generating a sparkle of bright light on the pool of water where she stood. The whole place was illuminated as waves of brilliant light reflected on the walls and the ceiling of the cavernous room.
“Good evening, my friends,” she shrieked. The room was quiet, and her voice hissed a loud echo in the vast space. She smiled wickedly.
Slowly and deliberately, she raised her hands and the lights to her sides. Her arms tightened stiffly as the light forcefully shot from her palms, sending out destructive laser beams in both directions. She swept her arms up. The laser struck the wall on one side, searing a line in the stone, causing it to break and crumble where it touched. On the other side, it hit the wall made of pure water, breaking through its surface and spilling a forceful fountain into the room. Her wicked smile stretched wide. With her arms reaching high over her head, she flicked her wrist one more time, curling her fingers into a tight fist, and the lights were off.
She lowered her arms, climbed over the edge of the pool, and slowly crept her way forward.
She glided over to us and stopped to pace back and forth in front of Levvi, who had stepped forward, acting as a barrier for Starla and me. Midnight, with his light shining brightly at the tip of his horn, joined his side.
I quickly hid the tablet under my hoodie.
“What are you doing here, Razora?” asked a nervous and frightened Levvi.
Razora smiled slyly. “Oh . . . I just thought it might be a nice night to come pay my good friends in Glacia a visit,” she shrieked. Her loud, pitchy voice was icy and sharp. It bounced off the walls of the large room, hitting each of the poor souls standing around like a frosty blast. They shivered with fear.
Veins popped on the back of Levvi’s neck. “Razora, get out of here!” he shouted with wretched disdain coming deep from his throat.
“Oh, Levvi,” she said, feigning dismay. “Why must you be so rude? I mean you no harm. Truly. You needn’t be so harsh.”
“So why then have you come tonight?” asked Levvi, sounding exasperated.
“I have come to greet the newcomer,” she answered. She looked past Levvi’s shoulder, piercing me with her sharp gaze. “Was no one going to introduce us?”
She senselessly scouted the silent room for an answer.
“I am sorry, my dear,” she said, circling Levvi to stand before me. “You must excuse their lack of manners. My presence can sometimes be a bit . . . discombobulating.” She shot a shrewd wink toward Levvi.
“What is your name, dear?” she asked in a synthetically sweet tone that made my stomach churn.
I was silent as she stood beside me.
“You do not wish to tell me your name? Then perhaps we can play a little guessing game, shall we?” Razora put a finger to her lips and pressed. “Now you tell me if I’m getting close. Is it . . . oh . . . hmm . . . ? I don’t know . . .” She feigned ignorance. “Cordelia? Or Ellie, as they may say?”
I flinched.
Her red lips stretched up slyly. “Oh, so that is it.” She glared at me maliciously. “You know, I may have heard a little about you, Ellie,” she said, pacing in front of me. “Are you not the little princess who comes with the plans to usurp my throne and cast me out forever!” Her voice rose in volume, reverberating loudly around the room, and a thunderous shockwave rippled and shook the floor at her feet.
The merfolk cowered at the sound of it, and I felt pity for them, having lived in fear of this wretched woman for so long. It was enough.
Suddenly, there was courage in me I didn’t know I had. All the uncertainty, all the worry that plagued me, was gone. And here and now, in this moment, I knew who I was and what I was supposed to do. I stood my ground, staring back at Razora boldly, unflinching this time.
“You need to leave, Razora,” I demanded in a hushed whisper. She eyed me contemptuously and took a step back.
“Oh, so the little princess is brave? You think you can come here and start making demands, and I am to bow down to you? Is that it? No, I will not make it so easy, my dear.”
“You have no power here, Razora.”
“No power!” she laughed mockingly. “Do you not see the crumbling walls? I have all the power of the greatest merqueen. It is only time before all that live here bow to me and worship me as their true queen.”
“You will not touch them again,” I said. “You no longer have power over these merpeople. They have lived in fear for too long. Your reign is over, Razora.”
She laughed. “And what is a little girl like you going to do about it?” Razora stopped in front of me, her jaw tight and clenched, her eyes sharp and focused and matching my hard gaze.
Unwavering, I stared back. “I’m going to ask you to leave,” I whispered.
Razora, rigid and still, steamed fiercely in my direction. I kept my gaze locked and steady with hers.
“Go,” I said.
She cocked her head and straightened her arms to her sides. Light shot from her palms, shining brightly on the white stone floor and reflecting grim shadows onto her features. “I don’t think so,” she hissed.
She brought her hands up in an effort to use them against me, but an invisible force within and around me stopped them and blocked the powerful surge of light. It blasted at my protective force field, hitting it with a jolt and causing Razora to lose balance and stumble backward. She looked up at me with frightened eyes. She quickly collected herself and seethed at me viciously, but it was too late; I saw through the thin disguise. She was afraid. She was afraid of me.
“Leave, Razora!” I roared.
With the bold command, my body came alive. A tingling sensation shot through my nerves and rippled over my skin. It vibrated, pulsed, and thundered through me. The ground beneath me shook with the might of an earthquake, and Razora fell to her knees. She cowered on the floor and glared at me with loathful eyes.
“Go!” I yelled.
“This isn’t over, little princess.” Her words pierced sharply through gritted teeth. “I will be back!” She shot up and dashed across the room. She jumped into the wall of water, turning into a fluttering mermaid with a glistening black tail. She swam hastily out of sight, disappearing into the dark abyss beyond.
~
The room exploded with happy cheers and laughter. The celebration boomed around the large space, and words of praise for my own name echoed in my ear.
I looked around at their happy faces and felt a dreadful surge of guilt rise inside me. Levvi gazed back at me with sympathetic eyes, and I knew that he knew.
“Quiet, everyone,” he said. The crowd ignored his request and continued its happy celebration. “Quiet!” he yelled, his voice echoing loudly across the expanse. The laughter ceased, and all eyes fell upon him. “She is not staying.”
In a reversal of emotions, their grinning faces turned down, and the crowd bellowed in anger. They turned to me.
“You are leaving us? But you can’t,” said an elderly merlady.
I peered around the room at their angry and pitiful faces. They stared back, waiting for an answer.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t stay,” I said.
“What? But you can’t leave,” the merlady added. The crowd echoed its disapproval.
“This is not my life,” I said. “My life is at home with my family—with Peter.”
“Peter? Who is this Peter?” a large merman called out.
“Never mind,” I said. “It doesn’t matter, but I will help you. I won’t leave you to fight her alone. Please trust me. I will be back.”
I looked to Levvi. “Go,” he said.
I grasped the tablet tightly and he
aded toward the elevator. The crowd roared behind me as I ascended.
28
An alarm buzzed and beeped loudly in my ear. I fumbled around for my phone. I smacked my hand on something hard but couldn’t find the source of the detestable tone. I opened my eyes. My head was resting on my desk, not my pillow. I peeled my face off the smooth surface.
The dim glow of my phone’s alarm was in front of me. I reached to shut it off. My phone was sitting on top of the tablet. I glared at the solid stone block with irritation.
After returning home, I stayed up all night, trying to work out the meaning of the words on the surface.
I hadn’t gotten very far. It seemed as though Levvi might have been right all along.
The writing had mentioned the heir, the queen, the bloodline, but nothing else as far as I could tell. There was nothing that gave me any clues on how to defeat Razora. But I was still hoping there was something my tired brain wasn’t seeing. I was eager to get it to Peter so he could help me figure it all out.
I got up and dressed for school, then took the stone tablet and placed it in my backpack right next to my math book. There really was no need to hide it. I could take it downstairs with me, waving it like a flag, and Dad and Millie would think nothing of it.
They’d assume I got it online or something. At most, they might think it was a replica of some kind. I knew they would never even consider the possibility that it was an ancient artifact from a magical mermaid land. In fact, I was sure I could tell them the exact truth as to where I got it and they still wouldn’t bat an eye.
This was sort of a relief and sort of frustrating at the same time. It meant I could never share with them the biggest thing that ever happened to me—thank God I had Peter.
~
“Coffee?” questioned Dad, seeing me pour a cup for myself.
“Yeah, is that okay? I’m really tired today. I had a headache last night and didn’t sleep much.” I was only distorting the truth a little.
“You feeling better this morning?” he asked, his eyes narrow with concern.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m okay. Just tired.”
I took the coffee and my bowl of cereal over to the island to sit next to Dad.
“I’m going to hang out with Peter after school today,” I said.
I shoved a spoonful of cereal into my mouth, chewing as quickly as I could. I was eager to get this school day over with so I could talk to Peter.
Dad put his coffee down. “I don’t know, Ellie. Don’t you think you’ve been hanging out with that boy a little too much?”
“He’s my friend.”
“Yeah, I know. But maybe it’s about time you give Peter a break and call up one of the girls,” he suggested.
I frowned at that idea. “I see them at school every day, Dad.”
“I know. I just worry about you, Ellie. You’ve got to be careful around boys.” He raised his cup to take a sip and looked at me sternly from behind the brim.
“Dad,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I don’t have to be careful around Peter.”
“No?” He raised an eyebrow at me.
“No.” I shook my head, keeping steady eyes on his. “Trust me.”
Dad eyed me hesitantly for a second, then nodded. “All right,” he said. “Still. Be smart.”
Ouch. His words cut deep. I knew how much Peter would agree with that sentiment, and he would be the one to tell Dad I wasn’t being so smart these days.
There was a loud knock at the door. Dad and I turned our heads.
“Hello!” a woman’s voice called from outside.
Dad got up.
“Hello, sir, I’m sorry to bother you. Are you Ellie’s father?”
I recognized the voice and rushed to the door. “Mrs. Evans?”
A worried and distraught woman stood in front of us. She was wearing a house robe and had her arms wrapped tightly around her waist to keep it closed. Her hair was a frantic mess, and her face was streaked with tears that smeared yesterday’s makeup. “Ellie, is Peter here?” she asked. She was shaking.
My heart sank. “No, Mrs. Evans.” She was scaring me. “No. Why? Where is he?” I desperately searched her face for an answer.
“He’s not at home,” she cried. “He was really upset when you left yesterday. He stayed in his room all night, and when I went to check on him this morning . . .” She craned her neck around me to see inside. “He’s really not here? I thought . . .” She began to sob. “Oh God, I don’t know where else to check.”
It took me only a second. I looked to the woods behind Mrs. Evans and knew.
“Oh, Peter,” I whispered to myself. What have you done? I turned back to Dad and Mrs. Evans. There was no time to explain. I grabbed my jacket from the hook near the door. “I might know where he is,” I said. “Just wait here.”
I ran past them and headed toward the trails.
“Ellie, get back here!” hollered Dad.
I kept running. I had to be quick. Every second meant . . . forever. Oh no. If Peter was in Glacia, how long had it been?
I reached the lake and waded through the water. I lowered my locket and went down.
The lobby was brightly lit, the water outside blue and tranquil with the new day, but there was no one in sight. “Levvi!” I shouted to the empty room.
I searched around, hoping I would see someone—anyone. I didn’t know where to go. It would be impossible to find Midnight’s enclosure. The passages had been so dark, and I didn’t remember how I got there.
“Levvi!” I shouted again.
I started toward the archway in the back but stopped short. There was a shadow swimming in the water outside. Someone was out there, a dark figure in the distance. I thought it was a mermaid. I could barely make out the silhouette of her tail fin, but I was sure that was what I saw. If only I could get her attention, she could help me.
I walked over to the arched doorway leading out to the sea. I leaned over the river of water that flowed from the opening and tried to yell through the door.
“Hey!” I called to the mermaid. She didn’t respond and continued to swim away from me. “Hello!” I called again, but she faded into the darkness.
It was no use.
I took a deep breath and tried to think. My only option was to look for Midnight or anyone else that might be down inside the tunnels.
I turned to go.
My foot caught on a bumpy stone that stuck out near the edge of the water, and I was knocked off balance. I flailed my arms, grasping at air, trying impossibly to catch myself.
I fell.
With a dreadful splash, I was in the water.
It was icy and rough. The current was strong near the door, and it pulled and dragged me with it. The water splashed over my head and I went under. I waved my arms frantically and kicked hard against the force, but I was not strong enough. I struggled to remove my heavy, water-laden jacket. I tried again with freed arms, but it was useless. The current pulled on me and I was powerless to stop it. It grabbed hold, fierce and strong, and swept me up and out toward the open sea.
No! my soul cried. I can’t go out there!
I tried one last time and gave it my all, but it was no use, and in mere seconds, I was on the other side of the wall, in the underwater world outside.
I kicked again and tried to swim back, but the current swept me away, pushing me farther out. I tried once more, but I didn’t have the strength to fight against it.
I was trapped.
I scanned the bright room in front of me. No one was there to help.
This is it, I thought. I was going to die in an underwater mermaid lair. My dad. Oh, my poor dad. Would they tell him?
My lungs ached, and dark spots clouded my vision.
Oh, the pain . . .
I couldn’t hold my breath any longer, and I knew it was time.
Bye, beautiful world.
I took a long, deep, involuntary inhale. My mouth and throat filled with salty water . . . but my lungs
were clear, and I breathed.
I breathed!
Glorious life-giving bubbles of oxygen filled my lungs, and the pain that had been there began to melt away. I took another breath and started to cry.
It was water, yes, but somehow, it didn’t matter.
A second later, a strange tingling sensation surged through my body. It started in my chest and reached down to the tip of my toes, an electrical signal traveling through my nerves. It lingered and pulsed in spasms at my feet. I peered down.
There had been a change.
I squinted and stared hard, certain my blurry, watery eyes were distorting the image. But no. My legs! They were gone and had been replaced with a shimmery navy-blue tail.
I smiled gleefully—I was a mermaid.
I was a mermaid!
I kicked and twirled in the water to try and get a better look and found I glided through it with ease. I fluttered my tail again and swam around in circles.
“Woo hoo!” I screamed, my voice coming out as a strange gurgling sound.
I swam farther out into the abyss, reveling in excitement. I wanted to see how fast I could go and quickly realized I was a jet soaring through a water-sky, leaving a contrail of bubbles in my wake.
Amazing!
Reluctantly, I turned back.
Peter.
I needed to focus.
That was when I saw it. For the first time, I was looking at the city of Glacia from the outside, and I marveled at the sight.
What stood before me was a magnificent and grand white stone castle carved into the side of a rocky seamount. It stretched high with several cylindrical towers that reached up and pierced through the icy blue waters. The open window of the entrance hall glowed brightly, illuminating the bubbly waters around it and casting the whole thing in a sparkling spotlight. It was a wondrous sight that took my breath away.
A multitude of windows was scattered about the dazzling surface. The windows were dark, all except for a glowing row of them that curved around at the top of one of the taller towers. I swam back to the castle, weaving in and out of the large stone structure until I reached the light. I crouched under one of the open windows and carefully peeked inside, hiding myself from view.
