To Enchant a Mermaid

by S. L. Williams

  She nodded enthusiastically and pointed to a fountain where people were lounging.

  “The fountain?”

  She nodded and dragged me in the fountain’s direction. She stopped and stared at the intricately carved statue of the Moon God.

  “People bring offerings and make wishes. They say the Moon always listens, and if your wish is heartfelt, he will make it come true.”

  She reached out to touch the moon that was cradled in the statue’s hand. She closed her eyes tight and made a wish. I wondered what it was she was wishing for.

  The boom of a drum echoed around us. The music stopped, and everyone grew silent. The welcome drum? I didn’t recall any mention of visitors arriving.

  “Who is it? Is it safe?” the crowd whispered around me.

  The lights flickered, and the air seemed to drop in temperature. Sarai pressed herself against my side and looked up at me with questioning eyes.

  “It seems like Kamryn has decided to come home.” I recognized the spiritual energy that always surrounded him by the slowly dimming lights. “Come.” I led her in the opposite direction from the statue. “Let’s give the performers a little of our time, eh?”

  We walked over to a large wooden stage that had been erected in the middle of the square. A fire-breather was performing with a lion made of flames. He prowled back and forth across the stage and leaped into the audience, turning into nothing but smoke before reaching the wide-eyed children who sat at the front.

  The crowd went wild, and the woman disappeared into a fiery cocoon. “Ooh,” the children gasped.

  We sat down on one of the wooden benches. Sarai leaned forward in anticipation. The cocoon hissed and popped and began to unfurl like a flower in bloom. The woman emerged with wings made of smoke and flames. She twirled in a circle and shot into the sky.

  “Ahh.” The crowd began to clap.

  She flew in a figure eight, opened her arms, and released a shower of lights over our heads. Everyone stared with wide eyes and mesmerized smiles. Sarai’s lips were slightly parted, astonishment clear on her face.

  “I’ll be right back,” I whispered in her ear. She nodded, but her eyes were glued on the woman.

  I stepped into a wooden building that was comfortably situated between a clothing store and a potions shop. A small bell rang, and the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread assaulted my senses.

  “Prince Etan,” a small boy squeaked from behind the counter. “Ma, you were right!” He ran to the back and dragged his mother to the counter by her apron. She had a small basket in her arms.

  “Little prince.” Luna smiled.

  “Not so little anymore.” I studied the lines on her face and her graying hair.

  She walked around the counter and handed me the basket. “No matter how much you age, you will always be the sticky-handed prince I’m used to.”

  I threw my arms around her. The warm scent of yeast and vanilla filled my nose. I felt like a child in her arms. “I missed you, Luna.”

  “Same, Princeling, same. These past three years have felt like centuries. I’m glad you have returned. I hear you brought a lady with you.”

  “Yes. Her name is Sarai.”

  “A special name for a special lady.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes. She is special. I will bring her to you soon. She is watching the fire-breather perform.”

  She smiled proudly. “Go on then. I have to close shop and prepare for tomorrow. It is always busy the morning after the festivities.”

  She shooed me out of her store and closed the door on my heels. I quickly cut through the crowd and found Sarai patiently waiting where I left her. The fire-breather was gone, and a group of children was putting on a play. It was the story of the Drogon prince and how he and his people were cursed.

  “I’m back.” I slid beside her and held up the basket. “When I was a child, my mother would bring me out here to watch the performers. One time, I wandered off and found a bakery. The owner took pity on me and made me a cookie with cream and strawberries baked into the middle.”

  I handed her the flakey pastry and bit into one of my own.

  “Mmm.” I savored the mix of berries and cream. “Ever since that day, I made sure to visit the bakery at least once a week.”

  She bit into hers and closed her eyes. Her face mirrored my delight.

  We sat and watched three more performances while we enjoyed our treats. The curtain was drawn, and a group of musicians clambered onto the stage.

  A dance floor formed, and soon everyone was spinning along to the fast tune. Bottles of fairy wine were popped, and glasses were handed out like candy. The music grew louder, and so did the laughter and sounds of the night.

  Sarai watched and clapped her hands along with the beat. A half-empty glass precariously wobbled between her fingers. Her face was flushed, from the wine or the excitement, I wasn’t sure.

  “You can take off your robe. No one will touch it.”

  She downed the rest of her wine and struggled to undo the clasp that held the robe together.

  “Let me help.” With nimble fingers, I quickly freed her.

  She removed the robe and gently placed it on the bench. She was wearing a gown that flowed over her curves like liquid night. Transparent, fitted sleeves hugged her arm down to her wrists, where they flared out and swept the ground. Gray velvet slippers with silver stitching decorated her feet.

  I tried to swallow and found my mouth dry.

  She smiled, as if she knew the effect she had over me. “Are you all right?” I watched her lips form the words.

  I shook my head, as if it would clear the wicked thoughts racing through my mind, and held out my hand. “Would you like to dance?” My voice sounded foreign to my ears.

  She chewed on her bottom lip and looked out with worried eyes.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t let you stumble.”

  She placed her hand in mine.

  “I promise.” I pulled her into the quickly growing crowd and spun her in a small circle.

  She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and stiffened when I snaked my arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I will lead.”

  I skillfully led Sarai through the steps. She was a fast learner and a graceful dancer. Her hips swayed, and her steps were light, as if she danced on air.

  The music grew louder and the beat faster. We spun round and round as song after song played, and we danced until we were out of breath. My worries were pushed to the back of my mind. I didn’t think about Isabis or the Sirensia. I reveled in the feel of Sarai’s body against mine and the delightful music that continued to play.

  “Wine, we need more wine.” I wiped the sweat off my nose after a particularly fast number.

  A tap on my shoulder had me whipping around. A dark-haired man with golden hooves and horns bowed. “May I have this dance?”

  “Sure.” I gave him her hand. “Sarai, I will get us some refreshments.”

  The man cleared his throat, and they took off. I found a wraith serving blue wine in crystal flutes. She curtsied, handed me two, and drifted away.

  I sipped on the achingly sweet wine and swayed on my feet. It made my head feel light and my stomach heavy. My clothing felt too tight, my skin a prison.

  “Are you okay?” I looked into a pair of piercing golden eyes. “Here, let me help you.”

  Phadrah took the glass, downed the contents, handed the empty flute to a passing woman with an orange beard, and sat down beside me on the bench.

  “Remember the last time we celebrated like this?” Her eyes glassed over. “We were so little, running beneath skirts and pulling on tails.”

  I definitely remembered those days and all the trouble we used to get into. “That lizard man’s tail never really grew back.”

  She snorted with laughter. “I read in a book that their tails grew back. I didn’t know it was talking about geckos.” She placed her hand on my thigh. “I am sorry about earlier…” She squeezed. “I just thoug
ht—"

  “Thought what? That if you shared yourself with me, everything would change?” I pushed her hand off my leg. “I can’t marry you, Phadrah.”

  I couldn’t look her in the eyes. I didn’t want her to see the internal battle I was fighting between what was right and what I wanted. It was best that I cut her off now while I had a reason. If she wanted to believe it was because of Sarai, so be it.

  She reared back as if my words had physically struck her. “Y-you don’t mean that.” Her lip annoyingly quivered. “You’re not thinking straight. That witch has your mind twisted.”

  “Watch what you claim,” I snarled. “A jealous tongue is a potent weapon. You wield it carelessly.”

  “I would never envy a mute.” Her words dripped with venom. “Don’t come running to me when the witch bleeds you dry. Remember how you treated me when she stabs you in the back.” She folded her gold-dusted wings against her back and prowled into the crowd.

  I hated that things were like this between us. We were close friends at one time. She was all I had when Mother and Father passed, and now I couldn’t stand being close to her. Every time I looked into her eyes, I saw the future I could have had if things had been different.

  She made me regret the things I’d done and second-guess the things I had to do. I couldn’t let her distract me, no matter how much I loved her.

  I spotted a flash of silver closer to the stage. A tall man wearing sea-green robes had Sarai in his arms. His hand was dangerously close to the dip of her lower back. They spun in an elegant circle, and I got a good look at his face.

  “Kamryn.” His name was a ghost of a whisper, but he heard it all the same.

  Our eyes locked in icy hostility. Rage filled my body and threatened to spill out in violence. Wrath consumed me and blocked out all voice of reason.

  Everything. He always had to take everything from me. He couldn’t stand to see me happy. He couldn’t stand to see me win.

  I was by their side in seconds. I grabbed Sarai and pushed her behind my back.

  “Rude.” Kamryn exposed his gold-lined teeth.

  I got straight to the point. “Why are you here?”

  “I just wanted to enjoy the festivities.” He casually shrugged. “I missed being around the living. They are so full of….life.” He spoke to me, but his eyes were on Sarai. “You treat me like a criminal, as if I broke in someone’s home and took their most beloved possession, brother.”

  Sarai’s nails dug into my arm.

  “Go home, Kamryn,” I ordered. “You are not welcome here.”

  His eyes flashed, and thunder boomed in the distance. “You know what?” Angry purple clouds moved in and covered the moon and stars. “I didn’t come to see you, or this sad excuse for a party. Don’t worry about me or why I’m here.” He spat at my feet and disappeared in a cloud of gray smoke.

  I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “A hater will not ruin our night!” I announced with a forced smile that made my jaw ache.

  Cheers and applause broke the tense silence. Glasses clinked and music began to play once more. Everything went back to how it was before the brief confrontation. Everyone was laughing and enjoying their carefree night, everyone but me and Sarai.

  “Let’s go.” I snapped my fingers, and her robe materialized in my hands. She didn’t react to my magic, and she didn’t blink when I pulled it over her shoulders.

  I led her through the mass of writhing bodies and back to the palace. When we arrived at her rooms, she mouthed a distracted thank you and gently closed the door.

  The night had been ruined. Sarai seemed to want nothing more than to put distance between us, Phadrah hated me, and Kamryn was back in the city and up to no good.

  I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to think. I was tired of feeling.

  The past three years had been full of adventure, but with that came fierce battles, cold nights, and blistering days. I had climbed mountains, searched the skies, sailed the seas, and swam to the bottom of the ocean to find Sarai.

  When Isabis asked me to bring her the Princess of Rotan, I didn’t think twice. I never imagined I would grow to enjoy Sarai’s company. She had become a friend, and now I didn’t know what to do.

  I took off my cloak, tossed it on the bed, walked onto the balcony, and threw my head back to stare at the full moon. The cool night air was a balm against my burning skin. A small comfort when my mind was as restless as the sea.

  “None of you ever play fair, but I won’t fall for your tricks,” I told the moon. “I won’t let my emotions get in the way of what I want.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sarai

  The lock clicked, and I tumbled to the ground. I took a deep breath through my mouth and slowly released it through my nose.

  I waited a few minutes before sliding my hand up my sleeve, searching for whatever it was that Kamryn had slipped past his brother’s eyes. He didn’t have time to tell me what or who it was from before Etan had rushed in and snatched me from his arms.

  I pulled the small square of folded paper from my robes and did my best to read it with shaking hands.

  “Dearest sister,

  Please come home. Father hasn’t left his chambers since you were taken. Grandmother has taken his place on the throne. She has taken Sitario as her advisor, and together they have made our lives miserable. We don’t know what to do. Please, sister, come save us from this gilded prison.

  -Akello.”

  I read the letter three times before ripping it into tiny pieces that I threw out the window. My sister’s plea drifted on the wind and scattered over the city. My heart went with them.

  I paced back and forth on the balcony, sure to wear a hole in the cold stone. The moon silently watched as I struggled with my thoughts.

  I had to go home. I had to help my sisters. But how? What could I do without power? If I returned to Rotan, I would be swimming into a cage I would never be able to escape.

  I felt like I was missing something. I felt a strange sense of unease, like I had something to do or somewhere to go, but where? If I could scream, I would have.

  The flap of wings interrupted my pacing. A white bird with terribly wide eyes landed on the stone balustrade and puffed out its chest. “Hoo.”

  I gazed into its eyes and found myself stuck. It was like looking at a star-filled sky on a cloudless night. “You are prettier than the other birds I have seen.”

  “Hoo.” It flapped its wings.

  I pointed at my lips as if it would understand. “Go away.”

  “No.” It cocked its head.

  I silently screamed and ran into my room, where I sank into the padded couch and held my chest. The animals in the sea never spoke, and I was sure the same was true on land. My head was spinning from the wine, but I was sure talking animals were not a part of the experience.

  A gust of air blew my braids around my face, and a bright light flashed.

  “Thank the gods you can’t make noise.” Kamryn strolled into the room, wearing nothing but the skin he was born in. My jaw dropped, and he scowled. “Give me something to cover myself with. You’re making me uncomfortable.”

  I closed my mouth and hurried to the closet. I handed him a red robe that would be too small, but would cover what needed to be covered.

  “Thank you.” He slipped it on while I tried to look anywhere but directly at him. “Of course, he would put you in Mother’s old rooms.”

  I didn’t know these were the belated queen’s rooms. It explained the excessive opulence.

  “I know you’re mute, but you can still communicate. Don’t just stand there making things awkward. It’s rude.”

  He had the nerve to call me rude when he had been everything but kind—as if he hadn’t barged into my space uninvited.

  “I can’t stand the sight of you.” I looked at him and turned up my nose like Caressa used to when she found something I did distasteful. “You are a crude man with no emotion.”
/>   “Ah, at least you and my brother have that in common.” He laughed and threw himself on the chaise. “Maybe you are meant for each other after all.”

  “Why are you here?”

  He stared at my lips. “I had to give you that letter. I can’t get back through my gate until sunrise so I’m going to rest here until then.” He closed his eyes.

  “You can’t stay here.” I stomped my foot.

  I couldn’t imagine what would be said if someone found us alone. His stunt in the square hadn’t gone unnoticed. I’d heard the whispered rumors that had begun to spread.

  “Yes, I can,” he answered without looking.

  “How—"

  “Can I hear you? I can feel the vibration in the air.” He yawned and rolled over. “You’re keeping me from my sleep.”

  “How did you get that letter?” I asked his back.

  “Your sister gave it to me.” He rolled over to face me again.

  “How?” I walked up to the chaise. “Is there a way for me to send a message back?”

  “You could go back home. Speak to your sister face to face.” He raised an eyebrow. “But that may not be the best move for you.”

  “You read my letter.” Anger brought tears to my eyes. “You truly have no shame.”

  “No. I witnessed what was going on.” He sat upright. “I went in search of answers and swam into a city in utter chaos.” He sighed and threw his head back.

  “What’s going on? What did you see?” I dropped to my knees.

  “Guards patrolling the city all day and night, curfews, and hard taxes. The queen mother ordered all the mermen to join the army and that all metals be turned in. It’s as if she’s preparing for war.”

  War? With who? Grandmother couldn’t possibly believe she could wage a war with the walkers. “And my sisters?”

  “Under strict guard in the castle. They aren’t allowed to leave their rooms.”

  They were alive and home. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and lowered my head. “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for Etan. If something happens to him, I have to take his place, and I don’t want to be king of this.” He spread out his arms.