Melody suggested I wait longer, something about human customs and boys freaking out over stupid things. I ignored her.
At the cafe, I approached his boss.
“Oh, hey, Cassie!” he greeted with a wide smile. “How are you? You leave tomorrow, right?”
“I’m actually thinking of sticking around a little longer. Have you seen Joshua at all today?”
“Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing. He didn’t come in for his morning shift and didn’t answer his phone. That boy has never once called out. I hope he’s okay.”
“Me too…”
I arrived home and informed Melody what his boss had said.
“He may just be having a hard day,” Melody explained. “I avoided everyone for a few days after my husband passed.”
“Or,” Poppy interrupted. She had been sitting on the sofa, twirling a bracelet she picked up, claiming it was perfect for an offering. “This is exactly the kind of unfaithful behavior to be expected by humans.”
And, I could hear the unsaid statement, the kind of thing you’re leaving the Moon and Sea for.
Something about the spark in her eye troubled me. Surely, Poppy wouldn’t have a hand in this, would she? As I almost brushed off the idea, I recalled the day her lips pressed against his, using her magick against me.
I decided I would have to keep my eye on her,at least for our remaining time here. I was sure it was nothing,but what if it wasn’t?
That night, I heard Poppy slip out of the front door. It had been hours since we all went to bed.
Quietly, I climbed out my window and followed behind her. Where on this land was she going at this hour? A sinking feeling filled my spirit as I realized that perhaps Poppy did know where Joshua was.
I follow her to a small house near the cafe, where she opened the door with ease. “It’s time,” she calls out in a lullaby of sorts.
Magick laced her words, filling the air with its potency; it set my skin ablaze and made me long for the sea.
Much to my surprise, Josh exited the building, following her down to the nearby pier.
I continued to walk behind them, just far enough to not be noticed, but close enough to keep an eye on them.
Soon, we were at the beach and Joshua started to step into the water as it washed up the shore. A flicker of something reflecting the moonlight near Poppy’s side caught my eye.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I stepped into view and shouted, “Poppy! What are you doing to him?”
“We are invited to bring an offering back with us — a sacrifice, if you will.”
Processing this, I realized she meant to kill him. Before I could respond, Poppy drove a blade into his stomach, twisted it, pulled it out and licked the blood - a forbidden gesture. She dropped the knife, a wicked smile contorting her features.
Joshua collapsed into the sand, the current reaching for his blood, pulling it back to the ocean.
I fell beside Joshua, wrapping my arms around him, and pleading with him to wake up. It was too late, though. He choked, tried to tell me something, but his head fell to the side, his eyes closed.
I reached for the dagger beside his body still slick with some of his blood.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Poppy laughed maniacally. “This is rich. You? You’re going to kill me? Me?”
Every part of me wanted to stand up and do just that. To scream at her that she must pay for what she’d done. But I didn’t. “No…You’ve made your choice, Poppy. And I’ve made mine.”
With the last bit of magick, I called out to the Moon and the Sea one final time, drawing upon their healing energy into my being. I dropped the dagger and placed my hands upon Joshua’s wound, begging the Sea to give me this one last gift.
“Please,” I whispered, tears threatening at the corner of my eyes.
His cold body lay upon the sand and I wondered if the Sea had forsaken me for the choice it knew I was going to make.
I rested my forehead against his and prayed, sending out a silent plea for the Sea to grant me this one final wish.
Josh gasped for air, choked, and began looking around. “Shh,” I consoled him, pulling him tight to me. His body had been healed, but his mind was sure to be scarred.
Poppy gasped. “How dare the Moon and Sea help you heal this pathetic boy?”
The sun crested the horizon, glistening across the lapping waves. It was time for those who wished to go back to return to the sea.
Poppy could stay and fight, but then she’d be stuck here forever. Or she could say goodbye to her best friend and return with nothing but the punishment of her clan for calling upon a forbidden magic, for tasting blood.
The other girls started arriving, glancing at the scene before them. They started to ask what happened, but I interrupted. “Leave!”
The girls stared at me wide eyed but obeyed. Lei waved goodbye and Harmony blew a quick kiss before diving into the ocean, their fins returning.
I looked at Poppy, tears stinging my eyes. “Leave before you can’t.”
Poppy turned her back to us and slowly walked into the ocean, waves consuming her
As I gathered all my strength to pick up Josh and take him back to Melody’s, I promised myself to never look back.
I whispered softly to the breeze, “Goodbye, Poppy.”
Epilogue
The Sea didn’t want me anymore. The Moon shamed me for my very existence. I no longer had access to magick. So, I watched and waited.
I watched her.
Every step.
Every moment.
And when the time was right… I would return.
About the Author
Sara Elizabeth, a Californian soul currently residing in Utah, has always been obsessed with reading. She considers herself a grown-up Matilda. So much so, she started a publisher--BelleMuse Press, where she provides a wide array of services for authors. Her goal is assisting the author community in any way possible.
Besides reading and writing, Sara enjoys spending time with her bearded dragon (River), attempting to play guitar, and researching Mandela Effects and other conspiracy theories.
Her debut novella "Forest of the Lost Children" is her first installment in The Forsaken Forest series. It was featured in BelleMuse Press' anthology Forest of the Fearless.
Follow Sara Elizabeth:
Facebook.com/SaraElizabethAuthor
Sea Witch
Pauline Creeden
Sea Witch © 2020 Pauline Creeden
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Chapter 1
It should have been an advantageous marriage, but I wasn't interested. King Triton was old enough to be my father. His eldest daughters were my peers. He was arrogant, self-centered, and self-righteous. No matter how powerful he was, or how rich... being his slave held no appeal for me.
Still, there was nothing stopping him from taking me and making me his. So, I ran.
The deepest trenches of the ocean hid his kingdom, so I made my home in the shallows. And there I relied upon my wits, because humans ruled the land and much of the sea in the shallows.
I found a cave where the humans feared to tread for ungodly noises came out when the wind whistled through, and at high tide there
was no place for a land-dweller to stand.
But there was one young man who I had to watch out for.
Evan wasn't like the other humans. He seemed to rush headlong into areas he didn't belong. He leapt forward when others shrunk back. And when he saw me for the first time, I froze in fear. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, beating against my rib cage like a wild animal caught in a trap. But he just smiled. "Hello, there."
I swallowed, ready to flee at any moment. I was a fool. I should have left while the tide was too high for him to enter the cave. I'd already noticed that he'd wander in occasionally when the waters were low. Regardless, if I didn't speak, maybe he'd think I was a figment of his imagination. I barely breathed.
"Don't be afraid. I promise you no harm." He stepped forward with caution.
How could that possibly be true? He could harm me in so many ways. He was not only a land-dweller, but also a prince. No matter what, I couldn't possibly put any trust in him or his word.
He sat on the rock in front of where he stood, not daring to come any closer.
Sea water ran from my hair and tentacles and into my eyes. I didn't even twitch.
"Somehow, I get the feeling you understand what I say, so I'm going to promise you a few things. First, I promise that I will leave this cave alone after today. It's your place and should remain that way. I wouldn't appreciate if someone traversed into my home uninvited. Unless of course you'd invite me?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. Of course, I'd never invite him. And because I didn't trust him, there was no way that I'd be fooled by his sweet talk. He was just telling me what he felt I wanted to hear.
"Additionally, I won't tell others about you, and I'll be sure to perpetuate the rumor that this cave is both cursed and haunted, so that you can remain hidden in this space. But once you've grown tired of being alone... and once I've proven trustworthy to you by keeping my word... I hope that you'll come find me. I will wait for you on the docks of the castle at the mouth of the bay starting at twilight every evening for a full hour until you come. When you find me, I hope that we can become something more than strangers or enemies."
He waited a moment to see if I'd acknowledge what he'd said, but I remained still. After taking a deep breath, he stood, dusted himself, and left the way he'd come. I sank beneath the waters the moment he'd gotten far enough away.
As if I'd trust him. I left my cave, and it was a full year before I returned again. And in that year, I continued my studies among the creatures I could talk to from different parts of ocean-dwelling and amphibious societies. I traversed the seven seas before returning again to this cave.
And when I returned, I was surprised to find everything exactly where I'd left them. All my things were neatly kept in the nooks and crannies of rock where I'd placed them over my years of self-imposed exile. Surprised, I left the cave and watched the setting of the sun in the west and I remembered the rest of this prince's promise. When I swam to the docks of the castle at the mouth of the bay I found him there, sitting and whittling on a stick. The rays of setting sun set the tips of his hair aflame with gold. His green eyes sparkled in the same playful way they had when I had seen him that first time. My heart fluttered when I looked at him. Though I thought him handsome the first time when I'd seen him, I discounted it. Because handsome men were often the most self-absorbed and deceitful. But a full year later, it seemed that Evan was truly a man of his word, and that part endeared him to me. He sparked my curiosity and interest. I wanted to know more about him, test him further. But I had time, and maybe it was just a coincidence he was here on this day.
I was getting ahead of myself.
But for a week, I remained in my cave, and found that the people stayed away just as he'd promised. Every evening I'd return to the dock, and find him sitting there, sometimes with a book and sometimes with his knife and a stick to whittle on. But always alone, and he always stayed one hour past the setting of the sun.
He was constant.
The wind picked up, and the sky grew dark on the seventh day. The full moon had been blocked by the dark clouds overhead. He pulled his coat around him, and though the rain started, he remained sitting.
I frowned. The rain beat against my face as I watched him, keeping my head above the waves as they grew choppier. I should have left him and remained under the surface where the waters were less changed by the wind and rain. The prince should have left for his castle or at least sought shelter. But instead, he let the weather beat against him for the full hour. I waited impatiently, counting every minute, willing him to leave, but he remained. Why? Did he really need to keep his promise so badly? I found myself drawing closer to him as I watched.
And when the hour was up, I felt relief slip through my shoulders. But the prince didn't draw to his feet the way that he usually did. He continued to sit.
Frightened for a minute, I swam even closer. It had been nearly a quarter of an hour longer than he'd ever stayed before. And in this awful weather, why was he doing it? The wind blew harder, and his jacket came loose, flapping in the wind instead of being held tightly around him as it had been before. His body slumped. The wind caught his jacket and pushed him harder. The prince collapsed forward on the dock, and kept rolling, straight off the pier and into the water.
I screamed, my voice ripped away by the wind.
Chapter 2
I dove after him, my heart seizing in my chest and my stomach turning cold. When I found him, I ripped his heavy cloak from his body, as it had become water-logged and weighed him down. Then I gripped him under his arms and swam him to the surface, breaking free of the ocean and hoping that he hadn't taken any water into his lungs. I swam him quickly toward the shore. Rain beat against my skin, and air burned inside my lungs as I gulped in deep breaths. The prince's eyes opened slightly, and he moaned.
Good. He was still alive. He didn't drown.
His gaze brushed across mine before he closed his eyes again. His body fell limp, and he lay unconscious in my arms. When my tentacles reached the sand, I pulled us both up onto the shore.
Lightning struck.
And I saw her in the momentary light of day.
Aria, Triton's daughter, pinned me with a menacing glare. My heart skipped a beat as she pulled herself ashore. "What are you doing? Don't touch him."
I sat, motionless on the sand, staring at the young princess. Her shock of red hair stuck out in every direction and the loathing in her wide-eyed gaze demanded I cower. But I couldn't let her family abuse me again. I swallowed and returned her glare. "What does it matter to you? He is a land-dweller. He's not part of your rule."
She rushed forward and touched the prince's face lovingly. "Thank Heavens, he's okay."
I shivered in the cool breeze, suddenly feeling naked outside the water. Did she know him? My stomach twisted.
Her maniacal glare returned to me once again. "What are you doing here, witch? How dare you touch my prince?"
I blinked at her. "Your prince?"
"I have been watching him for nine moons. He comes every day at twilight to sit on the pier overlooking the ocean. He is handsome, is he not? I love him but have been waiting for the right time to come to him."
I backed away, my heart sinking toward my stomach. This was too much. Even if I had been developing feelings for the prince's kindness and constancy, I didn't want to compete with the mermaid for him. It was a battle that a kraken sea witch, like myself, could never win. I retreated toward the waves.
When the waves lapped at my tentacles, Aria turned on me. "Where do you think you're going?"
I stopped. "What?"
The wind continued to blow, but the rain that had been pouring down over top of us a moment before had become little more than a mist. Overhead, the clouds roiled past, moving faster than my mind could process what the mermaid wanted from me.
"Can't you see this is providence?" Aria pointed at the pale shadow of a moon, still hidden by clouds. "The moon is full. Prince Evan was in dange
r, and I saved him. And you are here to traverse land with me, so that I do not have to do it alone."
My throat became suddenly dry, and I was unable to swallow.
"What?" I asked again. She saved him? I shook my head, that wasn't even the important part. Surely this little mermaid couldn't possibly be crazy enough to believe that I would even consider what she was thinking?
I slipped back into the waves another few inches before her hand lashed out and she grabbed hold of one of my tentacles and squeezed it hard, embedding her claws into the soft tissue. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. She sneered, baring her eye-teeth. "You will help me. You will do as I command, or I will bring down hell upon you. My father has been searching for you..."
My heart sank deeper, and bile rose in my throat.
"He doesn't take it well when a woman plays too hard to get. If you help me, I will do what I can to draw his attentions elsewhere. Refuse, and my father will rain his fury upon you, full force."
A chill ran down my spine. I shivered. I knew it had been a more than luck that had kept Triton from finding me all this time. I had hoped that he'd moved on and found something pretty to draw his attention. Something shiny and new. I had been wrong, if Aria was to be believed, he still pined for me. I frowned. "What do you want from me?"
Her grip on my tentacle—all but forgotten—relaxed. A small smile spread across her lips. "I saved him, right?"
I blinked. She was crazy.
She glared at me harder. "Right?"
Wide-eyed, I nodded slowly.
She nodded firmly. "Right. I'm going to need you to make us both some human looking clothes. You can do that, can't you, sea witch?"
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