“I wish I could! Being up this high is almost like flying I imagine. The sea is nothing like the Bog. I thought I felt alive in the Bog, but this,” I spun around in a circle, “this speaks to me somehow. The immense expanse of water, the salt spray, the smells. . .”
I finished twirling, slightly dizzy and fell into Brehm, catching my breath.
“Whoa there, Princess. Be careful, we don’t want you to take a spill off the boat.” His eyes searched mine and for a minute I thought he was going to try and kiss me again, but then his hands left me. “So, you and Ansil?”
I looked at him in confusion, “What about Ansil and I?”
“You know what I mean. I thought you promised me a kiss, but now it looks like I will be poaching on someone else’s grounds.”
My cheeks heated as I looked down. “I. I don’t know what is going on.”
He traced the curve of my cheek with his thumb, “What do you want, Thea? We all know what we want, but the ultimate decision is yours. Just don’t play us.”
Shaking my head, tears pricked my eyes, “I am not, I swear. I do not know what I want. You’re each special, each call to me in a different way.”
“Just be careful with us, it’s all we ask. And right now, isn’t the time to think about relationships. I had come up here to ask if you wanted to learn some knot tying. You never know when you might need the skill.”
Brightening at his words, I looked up. “I would love to! Can you also teach me how to get out of knots? I have a habit of getting into . . . situations that both sets of skills would be helpful.”
His eyes crinkled in laughter, “I can see Ansil and Ortheus now. They would have a fit if I were to tie you up.”
An evil idea popped into my head, “Do it! But make it look good. Not just a game.”
“Thea!” He sounded scandalized. “Do you know what you are saying? What that will look like to them?”
“Come on! Let me play the damsel in distress. I have to get them back for a few hundred pranks they have played over the years.”
He backed up from me, hands raised. “Uh-uh Thea. No way am I stepping into that horn--” His words cut off in a scream as he stepped backward into thin air, landing in an unceremonious heap on the lower deck.
A deep laugh, filled the air, “Little brother, glad to see you are as smooth as ever.” Hedad walked up to look down at his brother.
Brehm, jumped up and looked at me with a glare. He pushed past his brother and disappeared into the bowels of the ship. I watched in confusion, not understanding how we went from joking to anger.
“Give him time. He is just upset at me.” Hedad said. “I was coming to ask if you would meet with all of us to plan our attack. With the Fairies’ help we are making good time and should be there on the morrow.”
Chapter 26
Landing on the hardwood floor, I jolted awake. The ship rocked side to side, causing me to stumble as I made my way to the door. Opening it, I was pushed back by a gush of water.
“Thea!” I turned seeing Ansil and Ortheus trying to make their way from the crew quarters. Hedad had insisted that I sleep in one of the two available staterooms, the other had been made into a dorm for the women. Fairies and Brownies being so much smaller than the Selkies, could fit into much smaller spaces. “Get back inside! It is not safe.”
“Are you going to stay down here, hiding?” I glared at them as I tried to keep my balance.
“No, we need to find out what is going on then will be back down. The Fairies are staying down here, they cannot fly in the rain.” Ortheus soothed as he pushed up to stand in front of me. Quieter he said, “The wind and rain are too strong for us, please stay here. I promise we will be right back.”
I really wanted to tell them I could go wherever they go, but he was right. It wasn’t safe, and I was best waiting to a more appropriate time to assert my independence. I inclined my head, “I will wait. But please do not be long and stay safe.” I turned to move down the hall to the room next to mine.
“Where are you going? I thought we just agreed you would stay in your room.” Ansil grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop.
I looked down at my arm and then up at him. “I am going to wait with the Fairies. I, at least, can leave to get help. They might as well be in prison for all they can do. I imagine they would appreciate the company.”
Ansil looked at me as if I was hiding something, but for once I was being sincere. I couldn’t imagine being locked into a room, unable to know what is going on or to go for help. Finally, he turned, calling over his shoulder, “Get inside and shut the door. Do not open it unless we come for you.”
Mimicking him silently, I opened the door and slip inside, trying to keep minimal water from entering the room. “Who does he think he is? The Lord of me? If I want to go on deck I will.”
“Princess Thea, what’s going on?” One of the Fairies asked. I turned to see them huddled against the wall, a few of them looking a little green.
“I do not know, it looks like a storm has come up. I am sure we are perfectly safe.” At least I hoped we were.
“No, it’s not a storm! Look out the window,” another Fairy said, I recognized her as one of the storm Fairies.
I walked to the porthole and looked out to see a clear sky filled with twinkling stars and two moons. I turned back to the Fairies a look of shock on my face.
“If it is not a storm, what is causing the sea to have a massive fit?”
A knock on the door interrupted me and before we could answer a very wet Ansil and Ortheus entered. “The Nereids. They have control of the water, remember. They are using their powers to try to swamp the boat. He has everyone who can working to get rid of the water, but it isn’t working well.”
“We need to make it until morning, then we might be able to figure out how to get out of here,” Ansil looked at me. “Please stay here. We need to go help and you can help the Fairies if the need comes. They will not be able to stand in this, let alone fly.”
“What about the other Fairies, the men?” The only thing keeping us from being completely drenched was the glass in the porthole and the door. In the main space, where all the men were sleeping, they would have little to no protection.
“They are staying high up near the roof, some of the sailors made hammocks for them, it is the best we can do. Now we need to go. Please, Thea. Stay here and safe.” With one last glance at me, they slipped out the door.
Chapter 27
Turning, I looked to the group of Fairies to find them no longer huddling in the corner but standing angrily muttering between themselves.
“Nereids thinking to ruin us. . .”
“Stupid men, thinking we will just sit here and wait for our deaths.”
One Fairy, her blond hair streaming down her back, her figure that of a pin up model stepped out. “Forget that! I am not staying in this little room to die. There is plenty I can do out there to help.”
“Shh, Lynn! We all are upset but we don’t want to kill ourselves.” A petite Fairy with dark hair and blue eyes admonished.
“Oh! Shut up Jem! You’re only saying that because I said something. We can help. Each of us has our own talent we can wield just as well as the Nereid do theirs. So why can’t we fight water with water?”
“Ladies, I want to go help, do something. But Ansil is right, the water is too strong for us. We are best waiting...” Since when was I the voice of reason?
“Thea, you can’t really feel that way!” Another Fairy spoke up. “We can’t just sit here and wait for them.”
“Ladies, let’s show Thea what we can do,” Lynn demanded and lifted her hand. Suddenly, the water that was covering the floor was spinning in a ball, the floor completely dry. “If all the Fairies work together, we should be able to keep the ship afloat.”
Looking at the floating ball of water, I made my decision. “All right. But let us get a plan together so that we are not fighting each other and the water.”
A small group
of Fairies turned to go toward the back of the ship where the other male Fairies are sheltering. Between the wind and water Fairies, they kept the space around them dry. Once they disappeared into the dark, I turned with my group of Fairies and headed up the stairs to the deck.
“Jem, you and your group work your way to the front of the ship, make sure to tie down so as not to get swept away. Asteria, you take your group to the back, Deema to port side and Nissa, you take your group to the starboard side. Let’s make a shield of water and wind to protect the ship.”
We each ran to our assigned locations, I didn’t have much of a role here, other than look out, so I went to the wheel where Prince Hedad was attempting to keep the ship on course.
“Thea, what are you doing out here? Ansil, Ortheus and Brehm will have a fit.” He didn’t take his eyes off the rolling ocean.
“I don’t care what they think. The Fairies and I have a plan to hopefully get through this.” I looked around to see all the Fairies had reached their assigned location and were tied down. Yelling as loud as I could, I screamed, “Now.”
Slowly a wall of water rose like a curtain to surround the ship, at the same time a wind pushed out from the ship keeping the water from falling in. To finish the job, a couple of the light Fairies grabbed hold of the starlight sending it into the eyes of the Nereids whose heads were above water.
“How?” Harad asked, looking around us.
“The Fairies. They came up with the idea that if the Nereids could use their magic to control the water, then they could do the same. Now it is just a matter of who is stronger and can hold out longer.” I looked around but couldn’t see over the water curtain. “Is there somewhere I can go to see what is happening out in the ocean?”
“No way! I am not sending you up to the owl’s nest. You can stay right here--” I didn’t let him finish, instead moving towards the mast and what I guessed was the owls nest at the top. Craning my head, I got dizzy just thinking about climbing that high, but first I needed to figure out how to get up there.
“THEADORA!” I heard Ansil call and turned around to face him, hands on my hips. He stormed across the deck towards me. “We agreed you would stay below deck, where it is safe.”
“No, we didn’t. You agreed, I listened. I never said I would stay put.” I waited for it and was not disappointed when his mouth opens and shuts, but nothing came out. “We came up with a plan that just might let us see the sun again, so instead of telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing, help me figure out how to get up there, so I can see what the neejit Nereids are up to.”
Chapter 28
“This is insane, Thea.” Ansil grumbled as I stand on his shoulders, trying to reach the rigging. “You hate heights. Anyone can do this, so why you?”
“Shut up and push me up higher. I can. Almost. Reach.”
“Thea! Ansil! What are you doing?” Brehm’s voice rang out as his hands grasped my waist, lifting me off Ansil’s shoulders.
“Brehm! What are you doing? I need to get up there and Ansil is helping me.” I resisted the urge to kick him in the shins.
“Stopping you from killing yourself. You do not learn to climb rigging in the middle of a fight. Tell me what you need, and I will do it.”
I glared at him, then looked up. Maybe he had a point, add in that I hate heights. “We need someone up there, telling us what is happening.”
“It won’t help. Think Thea, it would be almost impossible to hear if I yell down, we can’t have a Fairy risking flying in this. Our best bet is to just wait it out.”
I shook my head, “There has to be a way. I know they are up to something.” Suddenly it hit me. I looked at Brehm and Ansil, “Where are the Nokken?”
“They were swimming alongside us all day but needed a break.” Brehm replied. “They had built some sort of seachair system that they can attach to the ship and were planning on using that to rest, I think.”
I didn’t even respond but ran down the deck, up the stairs and past Hadan, stopping at the rail. I couldn’t see anything past the wall of water.
“Can you part the water? Just enough for me to see out?” I asked the Fairy closest to me. It just might kill me if something happens to Prince Llyr. Knowing that he had his thirty little ones waiting for him to come home, growing up without a parent was hard and I couldn’t bear the responsibility of that on my conscious, even if it wouldn't be my fault.
“No Princess, not without risking the Nereids magic getting in.” She responded, her forehead furrowed in concentration.
“I’ll risk it just long enough to see that the Nokken are safe.”
She looked over at me, and I bit my tongue to keep from yelling. Then, the water fell. I looked out onto a tranquil sea, with ribbons of kelp floating on the water and not a Nokken or Nereid to be seen.
“What? Where are they?” Brehm asked, coming up behind me.
“I don’t know but we might as well let the Fairies rest. I think we are safe for now.” The words slowly made its way down the line of Fairies and the water curtain fell. Looking out over the peaceful sea, you would think we had imagined the chaos that had awoken us.
“Thea, let’s get everyone below deck and rest. Until morning there is not much we can do. Hopefully, the Nokken were able to swim to a safe place.” Brehm took my hand, gently pulling me towards the stairs that lead below deck.
I shook my head, “I can’t sleep, not after all this.”
“Then let’s talk for a while. Sit here and let me get a few things.” He left me to go below deck. Instead of sitting, I leaned against the railing looking out over the sea. What had happened to the Nokken? Was all this a distraction so that the Nereid could weaken our numbers?
Suddenly, a wet vine whipped out of the water and grabbed hold of me, pulling me into sea. My scream was cut off as I raced head first into the cold water. Not again! I don’t have a tether this time to save me.
Chapter 29
Bright light was the first thing I noticed after being pulled off the boat, burning my eyelids. Then slowly my hearing returned to Ailar yelling my name. Finally, feeling returned, the itch of dried salt and sand on my skin, stiff clothes and hands holding onto my arms shaking me.
“Wh-what happen? Where am I?” I asked, slowly opening my eyes.
“Thank the gods you are all right!” Ailar exclaimed, taking his hands off me, but not moving away.
“I told you she would be fine.” Brehm snapped at Ailar, though I could hear the thread of worry in his voice. “She just hit her head when they dragged us through the shallows.”
Ailar glared at Brehm, who looks how I feel. His hair was stiff with dried salt, and absently rubbed at a silver cuff on his wrist and ankle.
“What happen? And what is that your messing with Brehm?” I questioned, sitting up holding my throbbing head.
“They tricked us, that is what happen,” Brehm spat out. “After the Fairies let the water curtain down, I left you to get some blankets, so we could talk and while watching the stars. I heard you scream but couldn’t find you. I ran to the rail, thinking maybe you fell over. Suddenly a vine was yanking me into the water. I tried to shift, but as soon as I was close enough to the water, two Nereids rose up and clamped these silver bracelets on. I can’t shift.” His voice broke a little.
Reaching out my hand, I touched one of the bands, “We will get them off.”
“It feels odd. I have never not been able to shift, and not being able to feels like a part of me is missing.”
“Promise.” Looking around the desolate beach, a gold castle caught my eye. “Where are we?”
“We are on the Isle of Ogygia, home of the Nereids. This part of the Isle is where they have left us to our own devices, prisoners here. Prince Aece is tethered in the water and unable to swim. There are no fish here and little water. If their goal is to starve us, then it is working.” His tone was bitter, and I couldn’t blame him as I look around. There was little to no shade where we sat, the hot sun baking us
.
“Our goal is not to starve you or even kill you,” a lyrical voice trilled from behind us.
We turned to see a gorgeous woman walking down the slight hill, her hips swayed gently, long black hair tied in a braid that swung with each step. Behind her five more women followed, clearly sisters by their near identical appearance.
“Nokken, come out now. I know you can hear us.” She demanded and then turned to Ansil and me. “We have some questions for you and a message we want delivered to the other realms. Think of this as a . . . forced mediation on a problem you were not even aware of. Now let’s move this closer to the Nokken. I do not enjoy straining my voice, it inhibits my song.”
She and her sisters herded us toward where Aece laid in the water, his skin looking sallow and unhealthy.
“What have you done to them? Aece are you all right?” I ran over to him, not caring that I was getting myself wet when I checked on him.
His voice came out tired and strained, “I am fine, Princess. Nokken do not do well in this water. It takes our strength and there are no fish or grasses here.”
“Stop sniveling, Nokken.” The leader of the women snarled, her perfect features giving way to show her true face. “We want you off our Isle. But first we have business with you. Each of you, are important to this realm, as such we must deal with you.”
“What my sister means,” one of the Nereid stepped forward, her lilac dress the only thing that separated her from her sisters, giving her a softer appearance, though her voice was full of hard edges, “is that the world is changing, and we do not like the direction it is taking. So, you can live and leave this Island in exchange for doing as we ask.”
Ailar stood up, his back straight, privilege in every set of his muscles. “And what is it that you ask?”
The leader turned her gray eyes toward us, “The sea and everything it touches. You will forever live on the land and in the freshwater.”
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