To Enchant a Mermaid

by S. L. Williams

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Sarai

  I waited for Xiomara and Etan to leave before retrieving the magic mirror I had hidden behind a glass vase that was full of bright blue roses.

  “Magic mirror,” I placed my hand on the glass, “show me.”

  I watched as my reflection twisted and faded in color. Mother’s smiling image filled the frame. She floated beside Father, who had the trident in his hands.

  The scene blurred, and I found myself looking down at a strange room. Rusted chains of all sizes hung from the walls. Filthy jars sat on algae-covered shelves. Crude tools were scattered across a stone table.

  “Airena, it has been such a long, long, long time.” The voice was the screech of steel against stone. “It is rare that I see the same face twice.”

  “I have another request.” Grandmother swam into the light. Her face was wrinkle free, and there weren’t any barnacles attached to her tail.

  “Another? What could you possibly want that you don’t have?”

  “My son has decided to take a girl from the surface as his wife. She has him wrapped around her little finger, but has nothing that can be of use to us.”

  “I heard about the stolen princess. Your son has caused quite a stir on the surface.” A shadow behind grandmother shifted. “The girl is a Sirensia. The blessed ones, they say.”

  “From the surface. I have no need for alliances on land when the ocean is nine times its size.” Grandmother picked at her fingernail, uninterested in the information she was given.

  “Are you truly so shortsighted?” A tendril of ink detached itself from the shadows and wrapped around Grandmother’s throat. “Ignorant woman, you have been handed a gem, and you wish to trade it for a clump of clay.”

  “I-I just want her gone.” The shadow crawled up the side of her face, Grandmother stood still, but her eyes were rolling in her head like the sea horse’s when they were scared. “I want my son back.”

  The witch swam up to Grandmother and pushed on her forehead with her finger. “You want power. You long to control. You don’t really care about the girl’s presence. You hate that she is the only one your son sees.”

  “No.” Grandmother shook her head. “The other oceans grow stronger by the day. They don’t respect our boundaries. I need alliances. One with the surface will not help me.”

  “Sirensia have the power to control and manipulate with just their voice. Airena, dear, I am afraid your beloved son is lost to you. Once a Sirensia has a man under their spell, only one thing can release them.”

  “No.” Grandmother grimaced when the shadow curled around her thick neck.

  “Are you calling me a liar?” The shadow crept toward her mouth.

  “No! Of course not,” she huffed through a strangled breath. “But there has to be a way.”

  “A terrible curse requires great power to be broken. What would you give me in return?”

  “A treasure ship full of gold.”

  “Goooooold?” the witch screeched. “My patience with you has run short. Leave…before I turn you into stone.”

  “What do you want? I’ll give you whatever you ask. Years of my life. The beauty of a maiden.” Desperation had Grandmother shaking in her scales.

  “What do I want?” She stroked her chin, then ran a nail down Grandmother’s cheek. “Your future grandchild. The one with the voice most like its mother.”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t—”

  “You can if you care for your son. If the woman remains by his side, you will always be cast in the shadows. She will manipulate his mind with her voice, and there will be nothing you can do about it.” The witch dug her nails into her cheek.

  Grandmother cried out and tried to pull away. Her tail flailed back and forth like a fish caught in a net. “I won’t be able to take a royal child without questions being asked!”

  The witch cocked her head to the side. “If you do exactly as I say, things will work out as they should. You just have to be patient. Do you agree to my terms?”

  “Yes!” she cried. “I agree.”

  The witch pulled away and clapped her hands together. Grandmother clutched her face and tried to back away from the witch.

  “Ah, ah. We made a deal,” the witch sang off-key.

  The shadows curled around the edges of Grandmother’s mouth. I watched in horror as it parted her lips and shot down her throat. She threw her head back and let out a blood-curdling scream.

  The image blurred, and I found myself back at the palace, inside Father’s study to be exact.

  “Myrena, Mother has found a way for us to truly be together. Here.” Father handed Mother a box through the luminous bubble she was in.

  Mother was sitting down with her legs crossed, an open book balanced on her knee. She opened the box and smiled. “Savaun, it is beautiful, but how is a necklace supposed to help me?”

  “Once you put it on, you will see.”

  She pulled a golden chain and a shell-shaped locket from the box. It was the locket I had found in the garden.

  “Mother.” I placed my finger on the glass, wishing I could reach in and take it.

  She clasped the chain around her neck and gasped. A bright light began at her waist and continued down to her feet. Once it faded, a bright multicolored tail replaced her long legs.

  Fathered stared in utter fascination. “Come out.” He held his hand out.

  Mother looked down at her tail in horror. “Why, Savaun? What have you done to me?”

  “You’re one of the merfolk now. We can be together forever.” He looked pleased, as if he had done her a great service.

  “I don’t want to be here! You promised to take me home,” she sobbed. “I want to go back to my family. I want my life back.” She curled into a ball and broke down.

  The pain in her voice broke my heart. I couldn’t stand the sound of her weeping. I swept a hand across the glass, but the next scene was no better.

  “She has been like that for days.” Father was in a brightly lit cavern. A rocking chair sat by a green fire. The hag’s lionfish was prowling back and forth across the room. “She won’t eat, sleep, or speak to me. She won’t sing.”

  “Homesick.” I recognized the hag’s voice. “Stupid boy, you took a life that belongs beneath the sun and brought it into the sea. The poor thing’s heartbroken.”

  “She can’t be. I love her. I would give her anything.” He hit his knuckles against the inside of his wrist and swam back and forth like the fish who guarded its owner.

  The last time I had seen him do that was when Akello got trapped beneath a rockslide and had three of her ribs broken and a concussion. We didn’t know if she was going to make it through the night, and Father didn’t know what to do. He had that same desperation in this vision.

  “Is that what you think love is?” The chair creaked as it rocked. “You see her wilting, yet you refuse to do what needs to be done to save her.”

  “If she leaves, I will lose my mind.” His voice broke.

  “That you already lost, and you will lose much more if you don’t let her go.”

  “She is mine. She called out to me, and I answered. The goddess brought us together.” He stopped pacing and clenched his fist.

  “She belongs up there. The sea is no place for a woman like her.” The hag rocked back and forth in front of her fire, unfazed by the furious king before her. “I know how it is to long for home. The pain doesn’t fade with time. Gifts won’t fill the hole in the heart. Give her this.” She held a small, corked bottle between her long yellowed nails. “It will wipe the memories from her mind.”

  “Thank you.” Father snatched the bottle from her hands and held it to his chest. “If you ever need anything—"

  “Go on.” She waved him away. “When it all falls apart, do not come running back to me. It is you who will suffer the consequences of your selfish actions.”

  The hag waited for Father to swim off before rising from her seat.
She pulled a strand of gray hair from her scalp and threw it into the flames. The fire rose in height, and in the flames, an image formed.

  “The visions do not lie,” the hag said sadly. “It is time. The gods shall roam the world once more.”

  I was so caught up in the her cryptic message that I didn’t notice someone had crept up behind me.

  “What is that?” Etan bent down by my ear.

  I jumped and stashed the mirror beneath a folded dress. I rose from the bench and stood in front of the vanity with my hands behind my back.

  Etan waited with a bouquet of flowers and a small box in his hands. His eyes narrowed. “Who were you speaking to?”

  I shook my head, unsure of where the anger in his voice stemmed from. What I did was my business.

  “Don’t let Kamryn fool you. Whatever he has planned won’t work. He is impulsive and loves to get into trouble. He thrives off mischief.”

  I hadn’t liked Kamryn at first, but after spending time with him, I realized he wasn’t cold. He was honest and straight to the point. He knew when to push and when to back away.

  Unlike Etan, who walked around with a stiff smile on his face and a far-away look in his eyes. He thought he had me fooled, but I saw through him. He thought I wouldn’t notice his relationship with Phadrah, but I wasn’t going to be the one he snuck off to when he felt lonely.

  “You should spend time with your brother.” I looked him in the eye and spoke slow enough for him to read my lips. “He isn’t as terrible as you believe him to be.”

  He stepped back as if I had struck him. “Sarai, why are you mad at me?”

  “I’m not. I just need some space to think. I have to worry about my future.” I walked away from the vanity and led him to the sitting area.

  “Your future is secure. We can get married tomorrow if you wish.” He grabbed my hand and led me to one of the oversized pink couches.

  I sat down and gently pulled my hand away. “Etan, I’m not ready for marriage. My life is falling apart, and my family is suffering. I wouldn’t feel right celebrating with so much going on.”

  I stood back up, walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, and stared out at the dark sky. I could have sworn it was just a little past noon. How long had I been staring into the mirror?

  Etan joined me and placed his chin on my shoulder. “See that star.” He pointed at the brightest one in the multicolored sky. “If you follow the Eastern Star for three days and three nights, you will find the city of Sirensia. It was once a lush jungle with roaring waterfalls and wondrous people. Many traveled from far and wide to bathe in their springs.”

  I turned around and looked into his eyes. Sirensia. It was where Mother was from. “What happened?”

  He looked at the moon and frowned. “When your mother… left, the queen and king were enraged. They closed their borders and cut the rest of the land off from the springs. The entire kingdom vanished.”

  “Mother didn’t leave. She was taken.” And held against her will. Her parents had every right to grieve over a missing daughter. I was sure he knew the story. There was no need to sugarcoat the facts.

  That was another reason I couldn’t stand him. He acted as if everything was all right. He hadn’t sat down and talked to me about how I felt or how I was adapting to this change. All he worried about was any physical injuries. He didn’t really care about me.

  “Mhm.” He cleared his throat and shrugged as if the subject was mere gossip. “Anyways, if you need time to get your mind right, you can have it. I just want you to know that I’m here if you need help. Don’t be afraid to ask.” He placed a cold kiss on my cheek.

  “I do need your help.” I gently placed the tips of my fingers on his arm. “What do you know of the witch of the marsh?”

  He froze, and his eyes scanned my face. “What did Kamryn tell you?”

  “He said the witch could help me get my voice back. I just have to give her something in return.”

  “Something?” His face twisted. He looked at the mirror and back at me. “Is that mirror supposed to be used as a trade?”

  He stomped over to the vanity and tried to grab it by the handle. As soon as his hand closed around it, he dropped it. “Gah. It’s cursed. She would have laughed in your face and sucked the life from your blood for even trying her this way.”

  I picked it up and tucked it into my sleeve. “I believe she will accept it.”

  “If you believe it will work, then go for it.” His tone bordered on sarcastic.

  I swallowed my counterargument and stared in mild shock. Was he being honest? Did he really not care if I went into the marsh? The night he found us at the mountain, he had been fuming. He didn’t say a word the entire ride back, and when we arrived at the palace, he’d stormed off to his study after ordering we be taken to the infirmary.

  “If you believe this will help you, I will stand behind you. I just ask that you be open with me.” He smiled a watery smile and held up a finger. “I do have one demand.”

  “What?”

  “I found a curandera who may be able to help you. I think she will be able to break your curse.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Sarai

  “Bend your knees.” Rylo tapped the side of my calf with the flat side of his blade. “You need to find your center of gravity,” he repeated for the hundredth time. He stood in front of me and crossed both arms over his chest. “We don’t have all day and night.”

  I shifted my right foot back and bent my knees. I held the sword in my left hand, even and level with my nose like he had shown me. I felt grounded, the earth steady beneath my feet. It was a good day to be out in the training fields.

  It had been over a month since my trip to the Undercity, and I felt better than ever. I knew how to hold a sword, and my legs had become strong. I was able to ride a horse without crippling soreness the day after, and I could climb trees better than any walker.

  “Good.” He nodded. “Now show me the dance of blades.”

  I shifted my weight to the ball of my right foot and swept my left arm around in a wide arc. Duck. Plunge. Twist. I went through every step of the complicated dance and ended on one knee with both hands around the hilt and the blade pointed toward the ground.

  “Beautiful.” He clapped his hands together. “With time and more training, you will be a true blades woman.”

  More training? I threw my head back and stared at the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was out and brightly shining. The last thing I wanted to hear was that I needed more training. How many ways could one possibly swing a blade?

  “I always hated training!” a cheery voice exclaimed.

  I turned around and gasped. Suddenly, the world seemed brighter, and my stomach filled with butterflies. “Kamryn?” I mouthed.

  “I step outside for fresh air and a pretty view, and I get threatened with a sword. Rylo.” He raised two fingers in greeting.

  “King Kamryn.” Rylo bent his head. “I am glad to see you up and running.”

  “I’m up and here.” Kamryn chuckled. “I am up. And I am here.” He turned back to me, and his gaze swept down my body, lingering on my legs. “I’m glad you’re all right. You look…good.”

  I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of how I stood and how I smelled. After a morning spent working out under the sun, I reeked.

  “She has been training from sunup to sundown for two weeks,” Rylo boasted on my behalf.

  “Dedicated.” Kamryn put his hand on his hip. “I respect a woman who can handle a weapon. One would be very foolish not to.”

  “I agree with that.” Rylo laughed. “Princess, I promised to have lunch with Xio. You are welcome to join us, of course.”

  Lunch did sound nice, but I didn’t want to intrude. The way Rylo looked at Xio was sweet but uncomfortable when it was just us.

  I turned to him and flicked my wrist. “No, thank you. I will see you tomorrow?”

  “Bright and early.” He b
owed. “Kamryn.” He held his fist against his chest.

  “Until later, Rylo.” Kamryn returned the gesture.

  We were left alone on the training field. I felt Kamryn’s eyes on me, and I could tell he had something he wanted to say. I did too.

  He spoke first. “Sarai. I really am relieved that you are okay. When I caught the scent of your blood…” He looked away. “It took everything in me to stop myself from doing something I would regret.”

  His lips were smooth. I remembered the way they looked—burned and blistered—when we got back.

  “I was scared,” I mouthed. “I thought you were going to die in front of me.”

  “I apologize.” He grabbed my hand and kissed the tip of my middle finger.

  “For what?” I stared into his gem-colored eyes. My knees felt weak, and I was sure he wouldn’t understand what I said.

  “Making you feel like your life was in danger. For letting you go down in the trove alone. For allowing Tramere to get close enough to put his han—"

  I put my finger against his lips. “Your hair is blue.”

  It was a blue so dark, it looked black, but I was of the sea, and I knew every shade of blue there was.

  “My magic does that sometimes. I could always turn it back.” He touched his head. For a brief second, there was insecurity in his eyes.

  “I like it.” And it wasn’t a lie. It brought out different colors in his eyes I had never noticed before.

  “I went to your rooms.” He turned to look at the looming palace.

  “I asked to be moved.” I looked down at my scuffed boots. “I didn’t feel right in your mother’s rooms.”

  He sighed. “I apologize about that too. I was rude to you when you did nothing to deserve the disrespect.”

  “Stop.” I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t like you either, but you know that.” I placed the point of my blade at the base of his throat. “I still don’t.”

  His eyes lit up with wicked delight. “The sight of you had me squirming in my seat. A woman has never made me feel so uncomfortable.”

  “I’ve never met a walker so vexatious.”