“Do you believe in fairytales?” I asked Lilly who hadn’t lifted her eyes from her phone, texting Rafa more than she saw him.
“Sure, why?” She said.
“Do you believe in mythical creatures?”
“Like fairies and werewolves. Ooh, and vampires? Those kinds?”
I laughed, “yeah, those kinds.”
She put her phone down. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to stop believing. Maybe it’s that little girl inside. But then there’s that logical part of my brain, the cerebral, future scientist part, which denounces any likeliness of mythical creatures existing. Sorry to burst your bubble.” She shrugged, “where is this all coming from?”
“Oh, nothing. I was going through some old journals. Cleaning my room. It seemed I was very much obsessed with fairies and mermaids when I was a child.
Lilly laughed, “you were majorly obsessed with mermaids. I remember we’d go to the beach and you would sit off to the side on those rocks when the tide was rising, and you’d be talking to someone. There would be this weird glowing in the water and the ripples were as if someone or something was in it. Anyway, I’d ask you and you’d insist you were only talking to the fish. Which you still do. Those fish in your pond.” She continued laughing.
“I often wondered, though. Because that glowing. It was magical. Anyway, I suppose that part of me still holds on to the belief that mythical creatures might actually exist.”
Strangely, I didn’t remember any of that. And now I was even more intrigued with what Mason had proposed.
I hadn’t pressed him for more information, choosing to accept his offer for a ride home if it was a quiet ride back.
When I’d arrived, my father was there, furious because the school had called when I’d missed my afternoon classes. When he’d reached out to Drina, she’d ignored his calls, unsure as to what he knew, thinking I’d ratted her out.
By the time Drina got home, she ratted herself out not knowing I hadn’t said a word.
My dad was furious because he didn’t know where I was. He didn’t care about the classes in the end. He was scared for me. Thankfully, I’d had the good sense to have Mason drop me off at the gate, so my dad didn’t have to worry about a guy on top of it all.
And Naturally, Tina wanted to make it all my fault, but to my surprise, Ella and Ada came to my defense. They had my back. Those two were attached at the hip, whereas Tina and Lana where attached at there’s. But when push came to shove, it was Ella and Ada’s side I’d want to be on.
Ella was fierce and the only one of us sisters who could put Tina in her place. Tina knew this, and typically went crying to our dad. That was the only way she’d ever get the upper hand. Except, this time, Rista stepped in when Tina tried to get our dad and stopped her. Drina was confused, because Rista and Drina were attached at the hip. But Rista asked her to trust her. Which she did.
Rista said, “if our mom were alive today, we’d be breaking heart. This behavior, especially yours Tina, is appalling. What are we doing? All this infighting? For what? And Arya? Our baby sister,” she said the tears rolling down her face, “does not one of you see mom in her? She is the only one of us that looks the most like her. Yet, we treat her the worst. What would mom say?”
Drina dropped to her knees, pushing her hands into her face, sobbing and Rista rushed to her side to console her. Ella turned to Ada, and Tina to Lana.
I wasn’t sure what to do. My sisters always had each other. I was always on my own. So, I went outside to the pond and sat with the fish.
“I don’t know,” I said to them touching the water sending ripples through it as the moonlight held steady. And that’s when I saw her. I thought it reflected me, but it wasn’t it. It was my mother, Thalia.
I looked over my shoulder but there was no one there.
She smiled at me and I didn’t know what to do.
Then a sweet whisper “go to the ocean, Mason can help you.” And she was gone.
Panicked, I stood to my feet.
My sisters were all headed outside, “we’re so sorry, Arya” they said in unison.
I nodded. Any other day that would’ve been a beautiful moment of reconciliation. However, I’d just had a strange encounter and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
It was early Saturday morning, but I wasn’t there to dive. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go into the water. I’d asked Mason if we could talk. He’d agreed.
He was walking toward me, and it was difficult to ignore just how amazingly hot he was. He was everything one would expect of an island boy; tall, dark, handsome. With his rock-hard abs, wavy locks, honey kissed eyes. But it was that smile that would make your knees quiver.
I had to look away before I forgot why it was that we were meeting.
“Hey,” he said with such a sweetness as if he really cared.
Stop it, Arya! I told myself.
“Hi. Thanks for coming. I just had a few questions for you. I know it’s all kind of insane. And maybe I am finally going crazy. One too many cliff dives,” I joked, “but I must ask. What exactly did you mean the other day? You know, when you came out to find me?”
He smiled, “let’s take a walk on the beach and I’ll explain.”
Mason put his hands in his pocket and took a deep breath, “now I’m going to be the one to sound insane. I just need you to promise me something. Whatever I share with you. Once I’ve shared it, whether you believe it or not, must stay between us. Because it is just as much your secret as it is mine.”
I nodded. Not sure what I was getting myself into.
“Okay. A long time ago, there was an advanced civilization on the surface of the earth, Atlan. The ruler saw the surface dwellers were leading down a path that was too corrupt. Uncivilized if you may, that he took Atlan under water. There are many stories about how this came to be, but the truth is that this ruler and the Atlans were extremely advanced and possessed the ability to tap an area of their brains to evolve. They could breathe underwater. But they also created a shield to keep their entire surface ecosystem they’d created, intact, underwater. Only, they improved it as they further studied the oceans ecosystem. Anyway, Atlans eventually lost the ability to survive on the surface. All except a few. Those born of royal lineage. There were seven ruling families and of those families, the ability to walk the surface only a few possessed this. And they’d come to the surface, and they’d enjoy themselves only to later return to their duties in Atlan.
“You and I are children of Atlan. Half-breeds.”
He almost sounded believable that I laughed, “Oh! Atlantis. Merpeople and such. Got it.”
What was I thinking? Clearly this guy thought I was a true whack doodle.
“Arya,” he said grabbing my arm, bringing me to a halt. “It’s not a story. Haven’t you wondered why your senses under water are getting better and your swimming increasingly fast? Your vision is sharp, and your need to breath is less and less? You are approaching your eighteenth birthday. Aren’t you?”
It was true. My birthday was a few months away, but that didn’t mean anything. And those other things? I’d always been a great swimmer. I was improving because I’d been practicing more.
“So, what, are you saying my father is a merperson?” I laughed.
“Not your father.”
“You know, you’re sick. How could you? You have no right to speak of my mother. She died a long time ago. You leave her memory out of this…” he stopped me before I could finish, taking my hands in his.
“Arya, your mother is not dead. She had to return to the ocean. To Atlan. Didn’t you hear a word I said? She is a member of one of the royal families. They all have duties and responsibilities.”
“That’s not true! My mother died!”
He stood there, staring at me through grim eyes, “Arya.”
My lips quivered, “no” I said.
I shook his hands off, “she wouldn’t abandon us. She wouldn’t abandon me.”
&nbs
p; He didn’t flinch. There was conviction in him, but there was also a sincerity that told me he wasn’t lying, “how can this be?” I cried. “How can she still be alive and not come for us?”
“Most children do not have the abilities you and I have. In fact, it is very rare. Your sisters? None of them have it. Your mother? The decision isn’t easy. It never is. They never know when they’ll get called back. One surface year is barely less than an Atlan day. Some can see their children grow, while others. Well, they leave us as infants.”
The sadness in his tone made me realize that if what he was saying was true, then what of his parent?
“What’s your story, then?”
He took a deep breath and shoved his hand back in his pockets. “My father is the Atlan parent. He left after he sired me. My mother died during childbirth. So, I was raised by my uncle and aunt. It worked out because they weren’t able to have children.”
“Do they know?”
“Yes. My father came to me when I was about thirteen. My abilities were fast showing. The oceans voice spreads quickly, and he first spoke to my aunt and uncle. They took their time to talk to me. When they decided I was ready, they let him into my life.”
“You do realize how crazy this all sounds, right?”
“Yep. I do. And it hasn’t hit you yet. It will. And I’ll be here for you when you are ready. I’ll also be the conduit between you and your mother when you are ready for that to happen as well.”
“My mother?” A sudden hope rose in me, like I’d never experienced before. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, “how did you know?”
“You are the reason we moved here.”
“What?”
“Yes. I know it sounds crazy. But it’s the truth. The Atlans, or I should say Princess Thalia specifically, is very influential. Her family is considered the ruling family. She provided quite handsomely to see to it that our transition to this place was done as effortlessly as possible, so I could help you.”
“So why you?”
“Let’s just say, I’m repaying a favor.” He winked, reminding me just how gorgeous he was.
“I don’t know, Mason. This is all so much. I mean, my dad? My sisters! Oh my gosh, my sisters.”
“Arya, the only person who will ever get the chance to see their mother again is you. You are the only child of your mothers that carries the Atlan bloodline.”
I allowed those words to sink in. I had the opportunity to see my mother again. She wasn’t dead.
Mason was right, it hadn’t hit me. What was happening, wasn’t hitting me. But I wanted to decide while I still had the nerve, “when can I see her?”
“What are you doing tomorrow? We can swim out to Tesoro Island and go from there.”
It was going to be another long, restless night.
9
“I’ve planned a huge dinner for us tonight. And maybe we can go to the movies tomorrow, as a family?” Tina said as soon as I walked in the door.
“Dinner tonight sounds amazing. Movies tomorrow? I already have plans. Can we go before dinner? I canceled the rest of my plans today.” I said, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to focus. I needed a distraction and if I called Lilly, I didn’t trust myself not to tell her.
Lana looked out from behind her mirror where she was putting on her makeup, “only if you let me put some of this on you? Then we can go to the movies. And maybe instead of staying in for dinner, we can actually go out to a restaurant like normal people.”
“Yes!” Drina and Rista squealed from across the room, from their couch surfing positions.
“What about dad?” I asked.
Tina shrugged, “We’ll text him. If he can join us, great, if he can’t, oh well. Its time we girls start bonding on our own. Besides, now that none of us are swimming…” she said looking wide eyes in both Drina and Rista’s direction.
“Wait!” I yelled, “you both quit?”
Rista shook her head so hard I was surprised it didn’t go rolling off, “we did, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’m so glad we had that intervention the other night. We should have had it much sooner. We were all so miserable, and come to find out, none of us likes swimming. Well, except for you.”
I laughed, “only leisurely. Remember.” For the first in forever, I could see that my sisters were truly happy. Like really happy. It certainly was cause for celebration.
Our dad decided to meet us for dinner but was skipping the movie since he had classes, which we understood. My sisters and I had lunch, grabbed a snack, watched a movie, did some shopping, and finally met our father for dinner. He looked exhausted, the color drained from him. There was something going on.
“So, dad, how are things at the pool?” I asked, browsing the menu for the umpteenth time. Unsure of what it is was I wanted to eat. The thought of seeing my mom was already so much. But keeping it from the rest of my family? It really was starting to weigh heavily on my mind, especially since my sisters and I had had an amazing day.
“Busy. Exhausting. Now that you three are gone, Una has become a royal pain in my rear. She’s absolutely impossible to deal with. You know, they only reason she ever agreed to come over to the club was because of all of you?” He said waving the server over, “hi, can I get your top shelf tequila on the rocks, please. Actually, make that a double.”
Trina looked over to the rest of us, “that doesn’t make any sense. Why would she go work for you because of us?”
“She was convinced one of you would be a star. She really had me going. I suppose to that extent is why I put so much pressure on you girls. Then Arya started showing as a standout, turning up those times?” he said whistling. “Damn, we were all absolutely going nuts. Except for Una. She’d stand there in the office looking smug, as if knowing all along it was you, she was waiting for. Then you quit.” He sat back in his seat, looking around.
The Mexican restaurant was a favorite of ours, offering two menus. One of traditional dishes and another of infusions, more rebellious, and somehow it still captured the essence of the country in every dish. The ambiance was contemporary, with touches of the Mexican Golden Age of cinematography.
“Una wasn’t pleased when you left. She is of the mind that I should force you back on the team,” my father said looking into the low ball glass the server had set in front of him.
“If she’s not happy, why doesn’t she leave?” I asked.
He looked at me with a sense of defeat, “it’s a bit more complicated than that, Arya. She’s somehow managed to poisonous the minds of some of our most talented swimmers. That now if we send her away, she’d probably take half of the club with her.”
“How did you allow this, dad?” Tina challenged.
His massive hand gripped the glass as he pulled this toward him, “you think I allowed this?” He said to my sister. His eyes full of pain, “the aquatic center and the swim club mean the world to me. But not more than any of you. Una has been working her angle for a long time, is the conclusion I’ve come to.”
“What it be so bad to sell or even close the center?” Lana asked. I could feel where she was going with it. She always had Tina’s back, but she also was a bit more level headed than our eldest sister. “The processing plant provides more than we will ever need. The aquatic center has never really made any significant money. It seems that we’ve made it, so it is self-sustainable, and that’s great. But realistically, dad, couldn’t you do what you do, privately? Taking on a student or two? I’m sure there would be many who’d flock to sign up with the illustrious Coach Triston. You’d be in a position to hand pick the swimmers you’d want to mentor.”
Lana made sense. And she would know. She helped maintain the books to the center.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Ella added. Ada, Rista, and Drina all nodded in agreement. The server came back around to take our orders. One by one we recited what we wanted, as I watched my father sit pensively over his drink. Perhaps contemplating what my sisters and I were proposing.
I couldn’t focus the rest of the evening, jumping from conversation to conversation, enjoying how my sisters carried on so easily while our father and I each both sat with something more on our minds.
The night was terribly impossible. I’d never felt so nervous and if I was honest with myself, scared. Everything Mason had said earlier, seemed impossible. Yet, at the pit of my stomach, I somehow, I knew it was true.
A cold shiver blanketed my entire body as I stood by my window staring out into the sky, pleading Mason wasn’t playing some awful prank on me.
10
“Leaving so early, again, Arya?” My father asked when I reached the bottom landing of the back stairs. He was enjoying his morning coffee after a shower, which only meant he’d already been out for an early run.
I studied him carefully, wondering if he had any inclination whatsoever about the woman he’d married. Had there ever been anything about her that caused him to wonder?
“I am. They say we have a storm system moving in later and I’d like to get a swim in before this happens. I’ll be back before lunch.”
He walked toward me, mug in one hand, “you look so much like her, you know?” He said overcome with a soft expression, “she was a magnificent human being and very much like you,” he paused as if to remember something, “she loved her night swims. In the beginning, I’d wake up frantic looking for her. She’d slip back into bed, and I always wondered what about the night attracted her the most? When I’d asked, she said it was the moonlight in the ocean. She loved the reflection of the moon over the water.”
I wrapped my arms around my fathers’ lean body. He never allowed himself to get out of shape. He was handsome and strong, successful and talented. And even so, he never dated that I knew of. I wondered if his heart had been so broken to even fathom the possibility.
Kingdom of Salt and Sirens Page 25