The bright whites of their eyes stared up at me as I passed them. These people didn’t have homes to shelter them. Some touched my skirt or leg as I walked past, others held out their hands for coin. I shook my head at them. I didn’t have anything to offer.
I was grateful Malyi had given me one of her daggers. It gave me a sense of security. As apprehensive as I was, no one tried to harm me.
Eventually, the huts and people disappeared. I spotted the group of boulders Malyi had mentioned and turned toward them. They appeared closer than they were.
My feet became tired and sore. The golden sandals didn’t offer much protection from the rocks I trekked over. At one point, I sat down on a boulder to rest. The bottoms of my legs ached, and I was parched with thirst. My tongue was like a thick, foreign object inside my mouth.
I set my sight on the horizon. Dawn streaked the sky with shades of orange and violet. The bright, burning ball of sun was beginning to show itself to the world. I needed to reach my destination before it climbed too high in this sky. I could cool off in the turquoise waters of the glorious sea… I just had to make it there first.
I pushed myself back up, my muscles protesting. I forced myself onward. I knew had to keep going or I would die. My empty stomach grumbled. I chastised myself for missing my last meal. The wind blew dirt into my face and burned my eyes. Grimy sweat dripped down my forehead.
When I was ready to pass out with exhaustion, I reached the boulders. I looked to the sky. The stars were gone. It was daylight, and there wasn’t a star in sight… never mind a red one.
I was so mad! I picked up a fist-sized rock and hurled it, crying out like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
Malyi hadn’t realized the sky would be light by the time I reached the boulders. Goddess, I hadn’t even worried about that fact until now.
As I saw it, I had two choices; I could either sit there and die of thirst, or I could keep going and hope I’d eventually reach the shore. I gazed up at the sky and tried to guess where the red star might have been, were it dark.
When I eventually came across a small puddle surrounded by stones, I almost cried with joy. I bent down and cupped the precious water into my hands and slurped it through my lips. I didn’t care if it was dirty. It was water, and it would keep me alive.
That gave me the strength to keep going. I prayed to Celestia… I even prayed to Minyota and all the gods and goddesses of Gwon, that I would find the sea. One of them must have answered, because shortly after, I heard the sound of waves caressing the sandy shore.
Rocks turned to pebbles, and pebbles turned to sand. I almost stumbled to my knees as I ran down the sandy slope to the sea’s edge. I collapsed as my toes touched the clear water reflecting the yellow sun. The vast turquoise sea spread out before me like a paradise welcoming me home.
I fell asleep in the cool, shallow waves without meaning to. When I awoke, an alluring sound enveloped me.
I pushed myself so I was sitting up and tilted my head. An ethereal feminine voice sang a strange but captivating song. It filled my head and stole all my thoughts but one… you must find who this voice belongs to.
I padded from the shore and climbed over stacks of grey-blue slate until I came to a small entrance built from the same type of rock. The sea came into this small inlet in the shape of a half-circle and was shaded from the sun.
The voice grew louder as I crept farther in to the cove.
I found who the voice belonged to and stopped in my tracks. A most extraordinary woman sat upon a rock jutting up out of the dark greenish-blue water. She had long, wavy, golden hair like a regular person, but her skin was the strangest shade of blueish tinged grey.
Spotting me, her lips curved upward and she beckoned for me to come closer. Her tune never faltered. The song sent delightful chills that penetrated into my very soul.
My legs carried me closer to her of their own accord. My eyes were locked with hers. I grew close enough I could see their silvery colour. I was so close, I could almost touch her, but she slid off the rock and into the water.
“No… wait.” I called, finding my own voice. I dove into the water after her. For a moment, I’d thought I’d lost her. Something shiny caught my attention. Straight ahead, I saw a large tail that was iridescent with shades of purple and silver. My eyes followed the tail that changed about half-ways up the creature. It belonged to the woman who’d been singing. She’s a mermaid! I’d heard tales of such beings, but I’d always believed they were just that… tales.
At the bottom of the sea, she stopped swimming and turned toward me. The same scales that covered her tail also covered her chest. She’d stopped singing; the effects of her voice were wearing off, but I still needed to find out more about her.
She frowned with bewilderment. “You can breathe underwater?”
I nodded. “I can.” I was a little surprised to find I could speak underwater too.
She circled me, her movement fluid like the water we were immersed in, and cautiously reached out to touch my face. She had long, white claws on the end of each finger. I flinched when her hand came near my face, but she was careful not to scratch me. “What are you?” she asked, still looking puzzled.
“I’m human—but I can control water.”
She raised her brows. “A water elemental. It’s been ages since I’ve seen one of your kind.”
It was my turn to be confused. “Ages? How old are you?”
“Only a few thousand years,” she stated her answer like it wasn’t unheard of to live for so many seasons.
I was speechless. Surely I was still asleep on the shore, and this was nothing but a dream. I grabbed a fistful of my hair and tugged on it. Ow! Okay, not a dream then.
“What are you doing at Siren’s Cove? This isn’t a place mortals come willingly.”
Siren’s Cove… that makes sense. It was a good thing I could breathe underwater or I’d have drowned. It dawned on me that she’d meant to lure me to my death. Her voice had wrapped me in some kind of spell. I shuddered.
She tilted her head. The fear must have been evident in my eyes because she reassured me. “I won’t harm you. We are kin.”
Oh, good. This creature thinks I’m her kin. I thought sarcastically. I gave her a weak smile and answered, “I was taken from my home and am now trying to find my way back. Someone told me to find the small harbour and flag down a ship… I think I got lost.”
“You did,” she said plainly. “The harbour is further north. Ships rarely come close to Siren’s Cove. Sailors know the legend of this place.”
“What legend?”
Her lips formed a wicked smile. “Those who come to Siren’s Cove never leave, but don’t fret. Sometimes I see ships in the distance. I’m sure you’ll find one to take you home—eventually”
Her words didn’t make me feel better. I didn’t trust her, but I was tired and hungry. I decided to stay there until I was well enough to continue searching for the harbour.
“Come, you must meet my family,” she said, turning to swim away, but then she stopped. “Don’t be frightened of anything you see. I’ll make sure you come to no harm here.”
I wondered what there was to be afraid of, beside her. I started to swim after her, but my long skirt was restricting my legs. “Hold on.” I said, taking my dagger out to cut some of the skirt away.
Once it was short enough it wouldn’t get in my way, I continued after her.
It felt wondrous to be back in the water after being stuck in the house with the mistresses for so long. I took in the strange, beautiful world as I followed the siren along the floor of the sea. There were all sorts of odd-looking sea plants reaching up from the sandy ground. Some were spikey, some looked slimy. Most were bright and colourful. We passed a fish here and there, but most stayed clear of us. Sunlight filtered into the water, casting rays of light upon the marvelous scenery.
Structures made of pale yellow stones came into view. No, those aren’t stones, I realized. They were bo
nes. That fact wouldn’t have scared me much, except they were human bones. They must be from victims of shipwrecks, I told myself.
I truly hoped she had told the truth when she’d told me no harm would come to me. It could have been a ploy to get me where she needed me. If she or anyone else tried to hurt me, I’d send the water away from this cove. They couldn’t catch me if they couldn’t swim. The thought made me feel a bit better, but not much. I wasn’t entirely sure if I could move that much water at once.
We reached an opening where other mermaids lounged around on furniture made from bones and coral, having conversations amongst themselves.
The sirens all stopped and turned to stare at us. I stared back at them with giant eyes. There were twice as many females as males. All had the same greyish-blue skin and wavy, golden hair. Their tails were what made them unique. Each one had different shades of shimmering scales, and each of their bottom fins were different shapes and sizes. I was filled with awe at the sight of them. Perhaps my curiosity was foolish… perhaps I was still under the siren’s spell.
One of the females with red-orange scales mindlessly picked at one of her long, sharp claws as she eyed me with suspicion. The male, who sat beside her on an overly large chair made of coral and decorated with tons of pearly shells, looked at me with hunger in his bright silver eyes. “Sia, why is this human still alive?” he asked my escort. Foolish, I was foolish to follow her to her home.
She put her hand around my arm, her claws digging in a little when she squeezed. “She’s no human, Nikos.”
“Really?” He swam closer to inspect me. “She looks human.”
“She’s a water elemental,” Sia replied like she’d found a treasure.
Niko’s face lit up at her words. “A water elemental! Oh my, I didn’t know those still existed.”
I scoffed at that.
He cocked his head to the side and asked, “Is something funny?”
“It’s just—I didn’t know your kind existed either,” I confessed. These creatures were odd.
His lips tugged up in a pleased smile. “We do. We have since before your kin walked the world.” He turned back to Sia. “What do you plan to do with your new pet, Sia?”
I opened my mouth to argue, I wasn’t anyone’s pet, but Sia answered before I could utter a word. “I’m going to help her find a ship back to her home.”
The female who had been cleaning her claws spoke, though she didn’t move from her seat. “Let’s hope that doesn’t take long. It wouldn’t do to have a legged creature living with us.” Her tone was as bored as her expression.
“I’ll take care of her as long as needed.” Sia told the other female.
“Fine, she’s your responsibility until then.”
Sia made a face and whispered to me, “Don’t mind, Cyrena. She’s always miserable. She poses no threat.”
I looked at Cyrena, but she’d already dismissed us and had gone back to cleaning her claws.
“Why don’t Sia and I show you around?” Niko offered.
“Do you—um—do you have any food?” I wrung my hands together. They had to eat something. Even if it wasn’t to my taste, anything would be better than nothing at the point.
Concern crossed Niko’s face, but Sia quickly blocked him from my view and answered, “Do you like seaweed? Fish perhaps?”
My stomach grumbled. “Either will do.”
She grinned. “Come with me.”
We swam, leaving Niko behind, until we reached a murky area. She stopped and pulled me down into some seaweed. We hid there until a large, silvery blue fish swam by.
Sia torpedoed straight at the fish, grabbed it, and ripped open its belly with her long, pearly claws… the ones she’d touched me with earlier.
I covered my mouth with my hand and gasped.
“Here you are, this should do.” She brought the dead fish to me. “Enjoy.”
I stared at the mangled fish—at the cloud of blood floating out of it. “I don’t know if I can.”
“What? What’s wrong with it? Here, just try it.” She tore off a piece and ate it before tearing off another and passing it to me.
I held the chunk of dark pink meat between two fingers. Slowly, I opened my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut, held my breath and placed the meat onto my teeth.
I chewed quickly, trying to keep my tongue from touching it. It was a bit chewy, but the taste wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined it would be. It was kind of salty.
“See, it’s good,” she said, ripping off another piece.
“It’s alright. Thank you.”
She tucked the remainder of the fish under her arm. “I’ll bring the rest back with us. You can keep picking at it whenever you like.”
How kind.
I learned as soon as the sun went down, the merfolk went to sleep. I was grateful for that fact as it was nearly impossible to see in the dark water.
Sia had taken me to her private resting place and found me a patch of seagrass to sleep on. I admit, it was strange to sleep underwater, and when I woke up, I was frantic in my confusion.
When the bright rays of sun penetrated the water, I panicked. It took me a moment to remember I could breathe underwater and what had taken place the previous day.
“I need fresh water to drink.” I told Sia as she rose from her own patch of seagrass, which was sheltered by a tower of coral.
Sia blinked, “You said you can control water. Manipulate the salt out of this water.”
Obviously, why didn’t I think of that? “I’ve never tried. It could work.” I searched for something I could use to drink from.
Sia held up a drinking glass as though she’d read my mind. “Can you use this?”
“Oh, yes. That’s exactly what I need. How did you know?”
She shrugged. “I’ve watched humans on their ships. I know most ways of your kind.”
“Is that how you also know my language?” I asked, accepting the glass from her.
“We actually have our own way of speaking, but our magic lies in our voices. Anyone who hears us will hear their own language. And we can understand you because, well, after living for so many centuries, one learns many things.”
“Magical voices… is that how you’re able to lure people to their deaths?” I was full of questions for her.
She ran her palms down the sides her tail. “Yes, but only the females have that ability. The mermen’s voices sound awful.” She puckered her lips like she’d just eaten something sour.
“Oh. Why do you do it anyways? Kill humans?”
She hesitated before answering. “We do it to protect our home. We were once hunted—by men who discovered our kind existed. If some other creature showed up at your home, would you not protect it no matter the cost?”
I thought a moment… of Percifal and my mother—of Thaimis. I’d do anything to ensure their safety. So I said, “I would.” And then I excused myself, indicating the glass she’d given me.
I swam up out of the water and held the glass before me. I willed the water inside to be lighter than the salt. Feeling my magic work, I placed the glass to my lips. To my delight, the water was pure! The salt had sunken to the bottom of the glass, enabling me to drink fresh water. I could survive amongst these creatures!
Life was peaceful in the sea. I came up to the surface to sate my thirst, and once in a while, to bath in the sun. Sia tried to teach me the song of the sirens. It was a lost cause. My voice was more like a toad’s than a siren’s. We both cringed as I sang off key, butchering their beautiful song.
A ship did eventually come by, but it crashed into one of the boulders close to shore.
One of the female mermaids swam to the surface to check it out.
“We should go exploring.” Sia exclaimed when I gazed after the other mermaid.
“I should see if those men can help me get home,” I told her.
“Their ship’s wrecked. They can’t help you.”
“I’m sure they plan to fix it,” I cou
ntered.
Sia pushed me from behind. “No, they won’t be able to. Please come explore with me.”
My mouth turned downward and my brow furrowed. “Not right now. Why are you being so pushy?” I didn’t wait for her answer. I took off swimming up toward the surface.
I broke the water just in time to see a man jump into the water. Oh no, I thought as he tried to catch the siren who was weaving her spell.
I followed them back down into the depths of the sea. The siren with green and purple scales turned and watched the man as he began to thrash, unable to take a breath. I knew this was what they did, but the sight still shook me. The mermaid smiled when the man stilled.
She turned her eyes toward me, “Come and help me take him back to the others.”
I swam backward, shaking my head.
She tilted her head back, and then moved to push him. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.”
I followed. “What are you going to do with him?”
She smiled, showing off her unnaturally white teeth. “You’ll see.”
I found Sia with the rest of the merfolk. She was stressed and upset.
“If she wants to live with us, she’s going to have to accept our ways.” Cyrena proclaimed, shooting Sia a dark look.
“Dinner is here!” the siren holding the man’s body called out.
Before I could bat an eye, the merfolk rushed forward.
It all happened so fast. They were on him like flies on a corpse… picking and clawing at him until there was nothing left but bare bones. Even Sia had gone to have her share. I was appalled!
She swam up to me but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I tried to protect you from this.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. I stared at her with disgust.
“We need to eat. Humans are the only food that truly satisfies our hunger, and we don’t get them often.” So she hadn’t told me the full truth… about why sirens kill humans.
I couldn’t stand to look at her, or any of her kind, a moment longer. I turned and swam back to the surface.
I stumbled out of the water and threw up what little I had in my stomach. I sat down on a large rock and cried. I wanted to go home.
The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series Page 38