by Maya Daniels
“We will get under water, and then you can take my hand. I will pull
you with me so we get there faster.”
I nod at him, and all three of us go under the water. I turn to see where he is, and as he reaches for my hand, I grab it and hold on tight. Nodding at the girl he holds me in place as she zips past us, going faster than humanly possible. Within seconds, I can’t see her anymore.
I guess she’s a messenger.
He squeezes my hand, and at my nod, he starts swimming quite fast, pulling me with him. I have to concentrate on holding my bubble in place, so I can’t really pay much attention to where we are going. Luckily, every time we pass a dolphin, shark, or whale he slows down and places his hand on their body. Like old friends, each of them greets him by slowing down too, then looping back for a couple more strokes of his hand on them. I do the same and I’m amazed at these magnificent lifeforms.
As we go further down, flocks of fish move around us, curiously following us for a second or two before continuing on their way. The deeper we go, the darker the waters get. The colors change, too, from bright blues, yellows, oranges, and greens to creams, brighter reds, and browns that turn to mahogany and black. It all makes me feel like I should turn back, as if I’m not allowed to be here. The algae are sparse, then totally gone, and even the colors of the sea life change to darker and mysterious shades, like warning an interloper to retreat. My body quivers, but that may also be because the deeper we go, the colder it gets, and I move my fingers, clenching and unclenching my free hand in hopes of getting some blood flowing.
After a while I see bright lights in the distance, making it like we are swimming down towards a dark sky full of stars. My ears pop a little from the pressure. I can’t even guess how deep we are.
The closer we get, the better I see. Those are not lights, but buildings that are glowing. It looks like they are made of some sort of crystal that glows blue naturally, like a glow stick. It’s all magical and so unreal that I shake my head, only to be sure that what I’m seeing is true. There is an entire city here in the middle of the ocean.
As we get nearer, I see merpeople of all ages, young and old, male and female, swimming around, going who knows where. Some even stop to watch us curiously as we pass them by. I’m fascinated. I’d always thought these were just stories for little girls to dream.
The closer we get to the center of the city, the more excited I am. It’s not every day you get to see something like this. We pass buildings, tall and low, beautiful underwater plants and flowers in bright colors, and I’m sure my eyes look like they’ll pop out of my head. I try to see everything at the same time.
Finally, we get to a towering building that is like a twisted tower and he slows down. We pass the opening and swim towards the top. We pass doorways without doors, only arched entrances, and from what I can see, they are like classrooms because most of them are full of merpeople. And hallways, lots of them. Instead of stairs, the middle is just an open space where merpeople go from one doorway to the other or disappear through the hallways I see everywhere I turn my head.
Halfway up, he turns left into a hallway going straight towards a doorway at the end, and we enter a big, round room full of shelves of scrolls. Among them, an older lady—well, older merlady— glances up from what she is reading, her eyes rounding when she sees me. Next to her is the redhead, smiling brightly at me again, so I can’t help but return it.
Yes, she is the messenger.
We wait where we enter, and he is still holding my hand, for which I’m grateful. After a few moments, the lady beckons us in and we move towards her, my redhead friend waving goodbye before leaving the three of us alone. My friend, who’s still holding my hand, and the older lady must be communicating telepathically because they’re staring at each other and their lips are not moving. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.
“Do you always think so much?” I hear a lady’s voice in my head that jerks me out of my reverie a little.
I gaze at the lady. “Yes, sorry. My mind works nonstop. I can’t help it,” I tell her with my thoughts.
“It must be exhausting,” she says, and turns around swimming towards her scrolls. We follow behind her, and I think at her, “You have no idea.”
“As a matter a fact, I do. My son is just like you.”
Her eyes land on the man pulling me beside him, and when I glance is way, he grins at me. He pulls me past rows and rows of neatly stacked scrolls that are glowing like they have some shield around them so the water doesn’t destroy them. How interesting and beautiful it is here. Finally, we come to a sitting area with plants like seats, and as the lady sits on one, the plant conforms to her body like foam. Very cool. I take a load off across from her with my friend sitting between us.
“So you can’t breathe underwater?” she asks, just like her son did.
“No, I can’t. Well, it’s not like I’ve tried. I just know I can’t,” I tell her. It is so much easier talking like this. I think I’m going to ask Meda to do this often.
“Oh, stop thinking and pay attention, girl!” Annoyance is clear in her tone. “And stop calling me ‘lady.’ My name is Ophelia,” she tells me.
“Very nice to meet you, Ophelia.”
“Well, at least you have manners.”
I was just about to protest when I hear my friend’s voice, “Mother.”
I guess this is like a conference call. Ophelia starts laughing and so does her son, and it’s so strange to hear people laughing in your head.
“I like you,” says Ophelia. “You remind me of a friend I used to have.” I smile at her a little. I guess her friend is not around anymore.
“Thanos tells me you are Semiramis,” she says, narrowing her eyes. My friend has a name now.
“You didn’t know his name?” I guess Ophelia hears everything.
“No, I didn’t until now.”
“And you let him drag you into the depths of the ocean?” She squints at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Of course, why not? What can he do? Drown me?” I think that’s funny, but her next words pull me up short.
“There are many things mermen can do to your women that are worse.” She’s watching me to see my reaction.
“We have our own who do worse too, so don’t worry. We don’t need mermen for that.” Seriously, I didn’t come here for a lecture.
“Yes, you are correct. Thanos, she is definitely Margaret’s grandchild,” Ophelia says to her son, and that stops me in my tracks.
“You knew my grandmother?”
“Of course. We were good friends.” She smiles sadly. This makes me like her more.
“I’m sure Thanos told you why I’m here.” I throw it out there, so we can get back on track. I hope time is the same here as above the water, too, because I don’t need another six months gone. I shiver at the thought.
“Yes, he did. But I don’t understand why you want to take the potions. We have been protecting them for generations and they are safe.” She has a good point.
“I understand that, but as long as those potions exist, Tiamat will keep searching and killing for them. They need to be destroyed,” I tell her. I’ve set my mind on this, and we all agree it’s the smartest thing to do.
“I see,” is all she says, and she gets up. “I’ll be right back,” she tells me before swimming away.
“She liked Margaret very much,” Thanos says, pulling my attention to him.
“I’m happy to meet one of her friends,” I say.
“You know you are one of us, right?” That gets my attention.
“A merwoman? Me? No, you’re mistaken. I’m a water elemental, not one of you.” I smile. It’d be cool to have a tail for sure, but I like my legs thank you very much. I hear him laugh. It’s still a strange feeling.
“I meant a long time ago. The Semiramis came to be when a merman loved a human woman. She was taken from him, but she was with child. From that child, the Semiramis lineage was bo
rn. That song you were singing speaks about their love. After she was taken, he spent every day singing to the mountain in the distance, hoping she would hear him and come back, but she never did.” He’s talking about my ancestors, and even if I didn’t know them, because of what he just told me, tears run down my face. No one should suffer like that.
“I wouldn’t have told you if I knew it’d make you cry,” he says regretfully.
“Oh, don’t mind me. I cry about everything. It’s just how I am,” I tell
him honestly. I’m emotional, and I can’t change that, so I’ve learned to accept it. “So I’m half merwoman? Is that what you are saying?”
“Yes, half mer, half land walker.” He smiles. How interesting. “Although you were born a fire elemental, the water is more natural to you because of who you are in your blood. That’s what I’ve heard Mother and Margaret say, anyway.”
Well, that makes sense, I guess. Ophelia comes back carrying a box made of mother-of-pearl and decorated with precious stones. It’s absolutely breathtaking. She hands it to me, and I carefully open it to see three glass bottles sitting inside, one red, one blue, and one yellow. They are so beautiful with their crafted stoppers that resemble small blooming flowers, and yet so many people have died because of them—including my grandmother.
“I don’t know how I’ll carry this with me to the surface,” I tell Ophelia. My bikini doesn’t exactly have pockets. I told Remi we would forget something. I should’ve grabbed a bag or a backpack.
“It’s okay. Thanos will help you until you are safe on the land.”
Ophelia turns at her son like she wants to tell him he better do what she says. It makes me want to laugh.
I think it’s time to go, so I try to wiggle out of the plant but am having a hard time so Thanos comes to help. He takes the box in one hand and my hand in his other. I float towards Ophelia and give her a one-armed hug.
“Thank you very much, Ophelia. It felt like a little piece of my grandmother was here with me,” I tell her. Her eyes sparkle at that and she pushes me away.
“Go now, you silly girl, before you make an old woman cry. I expect you to come back one day and spend time with me.”
She turns around to hide her tears and we head out, Thanos pulling me with him. It seems he swims even faster on the way up, but I’ll be happy to be on the surface with the others, so I hold on tightly to him. We reach the surface sooner than I think possible and I gratefully remove the bubble from around my head. It’s absolutely wonderful to breathe fresh air.
“Ah! Air!” I say out loud, and Thanos laughs.
“I forget how much humans enjoy that.”
“Well, at least you think I’m human,” I tell him, and he frowns.
“What else would you be?” He seems confused.
“Well, I’m a witch, so I’m not really human.”
“Ah, yes. Well, you look human, so you are to me. I call every land walker human,” he says sheepishly, and it makes me laugh.
“You, my friend, can call me whatever you like. I’m very grateful for your help. You may have just saved my life,” I tell him.
“I will always do everything I can to help you, Semiramis. All you need to do is ask. On that, I swear,” he says solemnly. My body moves of its own accord and I hug him.
We swim towards the boat next to each other, him carrying the box. As we get closer, I see my friends shuffling around on the boat. I wave, and I know they see me, but they don’t wave back. Maybe it took me longer than they thought it should and are mad at me again. Story of my life.
We reach the bottom of the boat and I call out. “Remi, a little hand here if you don’t mind. I can’t pull myself up holding everything.”
Remi leans over, her face pale. I guess she really is deathly afraid of water because she looks ready to faint.
Thanos puts his hand under my foot and pushes me up so that I’m level with Remi, and I start to bend down to take the box from him when someone grabs me by the hair and lifts me into the boat. I can hear Thanos calling my name, but I’m a little busy staring at a very handsome, albeit a violent man. Remi whispers fast, telling Thanos what’s going on.
“Hey, take it easy!” I snap at him, trying to get his hand off my hair. I think he ripped half of it off. As I’m twisting to get him to let go, I get a good view of his arm and see the heart-shaped tattoo. I stop twisting that very second and slowly look up at his face again. He’s got silver hair, and blue eyes like two icebergs slicing into my own.
“Hello, my love. It took me some time, but I’m finally here.” He smiles at me.
“Enlil?” I say in shock. How is he here? He’s a god. He can’t just decide to be here.
“Ah, no! I don’t use that name anymore, my love. It’s a new age. You can call me Zack from now on,” he says proudly, and I gape at him. This is crazy.
“All right, Zack,” I tell him, “What are you doing here? Even better, how are you even here to begin with?”
He shakes me because he still has a hold of my hair. “Why do you ask? Did I interfere with your boy toys here?” he growls in my face. “Was the human not enough? You needed a merman, too?” His voice raises until he is practically yelling at me.
I hear commotion and flick my gaze sideways to see Philip holding onto Derik, who looks like he is struggling to get loose and probably because he wants to help me. I hope Philip doesn’t let go anytime soon. Next to them, Meda sits quietly with tears running down her face, and Jezzinta has clenched fists and fire coming out of her eyes. I need to think of something or we’re all screwed.
“You know, I actually would’ve been very happy to see you if you hadn’t pulled half my hair out,” I tell him as I stop struggling. I guess that throws him off, because he lets my hair go and glares at me with narrowed eyes.
“Yes, I’m sure you would have.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You think I didn’t miss you?” I ask him, touching my head where he lifted me. There’s blood on my fingertips. He sees my hand and comes closer.
“Did I do that?” I nod numbly at his question. “I’m sorry, my love, but I’ve told you many times that I will melt the flesh of the man that touches you.”
He’s getting upset again. I look around at all the people I love. I need to protect them no matter what, just like my grandmother protected me. I did my part and got what they needed to stay safe, at least, so I turn to Zack.
“Let’s go then, my love. Let’s go to your realm and be done with humans and witches and everything.” I move to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I want to be with you, away from everyone and everything. Let’s just go! It’s been a long time.” I lean my cheek on his chest and pray he agrees.
When his arms snake around me, I know I have him.
“How I have missed you!” He kisses the top of my head, and it stings from the smallest touch, but I squeeze my eyes and make sure I don’t make a sound, even when I hear Meda weeping behind me.
“Come, let’s go. This whole scene bores me,” I tell him.
“Mmm, I think you are right, my love. We need to be alone.”
He opens a portal and I let my eyes fall on Remi because I can’t see Derik at the moment. If I do, I know I’ll do something stupid and get us all killed.
With tears streaming down her face, she stares straight at me. “Now I know how he got you in every lifetime,” she whispers right before I’m jerked through the portal. Meda and Jezzinta cry out my name, but I hardly hear them over Derik’s gut-wrenching howl.
Chapter 21
It’s already been a week since I walked through that portal with Enlil—sorry, Zack, as he likes to be called now—and so far, I’ve managed to avoid any touchy-feely encounters by telling him that I’m having a difficult time adjusting to this realm and maybe it has something to do with the way he manhandled me on the boat. I don’t think he will believe me, but to my surprise, he’s been nice, understanding even. I’m not fooled, don’t worry. I can tell he has an agenda, and I�
�m on high alert every minute of every day. I think about how the others are, but only sometimes so I don’t drive myself insane. They’re safe and alive and that’s all that matters right now.
I wander aimlessly through the palace that is my home now, two guards following me that are appointed by Zack, of course for my protection. Except the only thing I need protection from is him. They wear metal chest armor, black leather pants, boots, and silver metal masks that cover their faces. There are only two holes for their eyes. I guess he wants to know my every move, so they are my constant shadows. They even stand inside my room, one at the door and one at the balcony, while I sleep. It’s very unnerving, to say the least. I’ve also been turned into a dress-up doll, where every morning a new dress is brought for me to wear because Zack likes elegant things. I want to shove them down his throat, but I smile politely and thank him for it every breakfast when I sit next to him.
So this is what I do. I walk through hallways, gardens, and back to my room every day. I need to move so I don’t lose my shit. A cage! That’s what this is. Golden, but a cage nonetheless.
Remi wasn’t kidding about the women, either. There are tons of them here, all tripping over their own feet to get his attention—dressing up or undressing as much as they possibly can. They rub themselves on him, sit in his lap, and rub his shoulders or feet while he soaks it up. Meanwhile, I watch it all play out, doing my best not to empty my stomach in his lap every day. Breathing slow, deep breaths helps me. I’m there, but yet I’m not. I’m just going through the motions like a robot, a task I perfect almost instantly. I even almost believe I’m happy to be here myself.
While the charade is happening, I think of my friends. Have they destroyed the potions? Are they happy? My friends will miss me, I know for sure, but Jezzinta and Meda have each other, Remi has Philip to keep her well, and I pray every day that Derik finds someone who deserves the love he has to offer. Nothing else matters. I don’t matter. I did my part. That’s what I keep telling myself every day, and with time, it gets easier to believe. I even make up all sorts of scenarios in my head about their lives and smile at my imagination. Zack thinks I’m smiling at him, and he’s over the moon, full of confidence that I’m going along with his plans. I don’t care; he can think whatever he wants. I also give advice to the women on how to get him to their rooms. That way my room is just for me—well, me and the two cyborgs following me. I say cyborgs because they don’t talk to me, only short commands, and they show no emotions. I can’t even feel their energy. It’s like they’re the walking dead. It’s spooky.