He stood on the cliff edge and dived straight into the sea, followed closely by Max. From the safety of her sea stack, Zamira watched closely while three of her army, Orlenda, Branna and Suletu descended like vultures to pluck their prey from the churning cauldron below.
“We have to help them!” said Lana.
She swam away from the rocks with Nerissa and Masika, diving below the waves to rescue the men. Cordelia hesitated, instead contemplating the sea stack and studying the cliff top where Breck was comforting Keeva. She was there to rescue Flynn but wondered how she could leave Breck’s family drowning in the sea, or worse, to be torn to shreds. She thought frantically of all the things she’d learned in class, of all the ways to fend off the Sirens but the darkness and the unexpected penny blood unfolding right in front of her eyes caused her to panic. Rafe and Max resurfaced with Connal and William whose bodies were limp from breaking their backs. The impact of hitting the water from such a height had proven fatal. There was a lot of thrashing as Suletu tried to snatch Connal. Orlenda and Branna fought over Mr Kelly, pulling his body in different directions with their razor sharp claws. Cordelia found the lack of protest from Mr Kelly disconcerting. There was no plea for help. Not a sound. He was already dead. Zamira smiled and laughed wickedly as if being entertained by gladiators. This had been no fair game. This had been nothing but wicked and evil. While Rafe, Max and Lana held off Suletu, Nerissa and Masika took Connal and William deep down to the bottom of the sea to spare them from being eaten. Cordelia felt numb. She was in shock.
“Pull yourself together!” she told herself.
Realising this may be her only chance to rescue Flynn, Cordelia lowered herself beneath the crashing waves, swimming around the base of the rock. Nobody was watching her, she was certain of it. Returning to human form, she pulled herself out of the water and grappled to cling onto the slippery slope at the base of the island. It wasn’t easy. Each time she got her footing, a wave knocked her straight back down. Though battered and bruised, she refused to give up. From deep within, Cordelia found the strength to haul herself up the rock, her fingers clinging on for dear life as she climbed.
Stopping to catch her breath, she wasn’t sure what was louder, the sound of her own breathing, the crashing waves or the squawking birds. Resting on a windy ridge lower down from where the Sirens were gathered, she held onto the rock, peering over the top. She observed the ravens from behind while they perched on the other side of the sea stack, reveling in the grotesque events that had just taken place. She was on dangerous territory, there was no doubt about that. Gathered around a fire, the ravens started to sing again. The sound was chilling. Orlenda and Branna returned to the island, each grasping a piece of Mr Kelly. They flung his body onto the fire as though it was nothing more than turf, but their frenzied excitement said otherwise. They prodded him with their swords and when he was cooked, they tore him apart like savages.
Petrified, Cordelia trembled in the darkness as she witnessed Zamira take the first bite. She closed her eyes momentarily and thought of happier times on the boat with Flynn. She wished she was anywhere but here.
With her face pressed against the rock, she inhaled deeply and whispered to herself, “You can do this.”
Cordelia slowly edged towards the hole, grimacing every time pieces of rock crumbled into the sea. She tried her hardest not to cast her eyes down for fear that she would become giddy and fall. The ravens were still celebrating their kill. They seemed eerily drunk on happiness, or perhaps it was from the alcohol running through Mr Kelly’s veins. Whatever the cause, it was keeping the ravens distracted long enough for Cordelia to reach the hole. She stretched out her arm and fumbled in the darkness. She could feel the edge of the hole, she was sure of it.
Flynn had heard the shuffling but thought it must be a bird of some sort. Never did he imagine it was Cordelia climbing up this frightening sea stack in the dark. He could hear the commotion on the island and covered his ears with his hands. He was beginning to lose hope that he would ever get off the island alive. He had considered jumping into the sea; it seemed his only option if he didn’t want to appear on the menu, but he was fading away and there wouldn’t be much for the ravens to feast on now.
“Flynn? Flynn, can you hear me?” whispered Cordelia.
Flynn thought he’d finally gone mad and rested his head in his knees.
“Flynn!” whispered Cordelia, a little more forcefully.
Flynn slowly lifted his eyes and blinked a few times. “Dear Lord, help me. Don’t let me become a mad man,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“Flynn, it’s me.”
“Cordelia? Is it really you?” he said, desperately.
“Shhh! Keep your voice down,” pleaded Cordelia.
Their eyes darted upwards as the island fell silent, their hearts in their mouths.
“We have to go. Now!” said Cordelia.
“Well well, what have we here?” said Zamira, perching on the iron bars above Flynn. “You must be the fish girl everyone’s been gossiping about.”
Cordelia clung to the edge of the rock face, desperately trying to get Flynn’s attention.
“Flynn, we have to jump,” she said.
“They’ll reject you when they find out who you really are,” said Zamira. “The apple never falls far from the tree.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to end her misery now?” suggested Akilina.
“I hear mermaid tails are quite the delicacy,” said Branna.
“You lay a finger on her and I’ll…”
“You’ll do what, exactly?” said Zamira. “You’ve been in this hole for what must feel like eternity and you’ve done nothing. You’ve given up, because that’s the type of man you are. You’re weak!”
“He’s not weak!” shouted Cordelia. “If he was weak he’d be dead by now.”
“His time is almost up,” snarled Zamira.
“Rubbish! If you wanted him dead, he’d have been dead long ago. Now what do you want with him?!”
“It’s not Flynn we want, it’s you. We knew you’d come eventually.”
“You’ve had plenty of opportunity to confront me but you didn’t.”
“You made the game too easy, where’s the fun in that?”
“I’m not interested in your games.”
Zamira chuckled. “You’re already playing.”
Cordelia greatly wanted to challenge Zamira for her seemingly unjust interest in her but her current position was more than a little precarious. Within seconds the ravens swooped towards her, their claws and beaks ready to attack. Cordelia let go of the rock face and flung herself into a backwards dive, entering the water below where the power of the ocean rolled over her. Cordelia’s tail lit up the murky water like the stars in a blackened sky and the ravens descended after her.
“Cordelia!” cried Flynn, lurching forward to peer over the edge.
“You’ll stay right where you are or I’ll toss you both on the fire!” threatened Zamira whose small glimpse of Cordelia’s tail was enough to confirm her suspicions. She lowered her head as her heart sank to her stomach.
“What’s happened in your life to make you so bitter and twisted?” asked Flynn in anger.
“Are you blind?!” screeched Zamira. “Look at me! I wasn’t born this way. I was beautiful. I was the envy of every woman in the land. I could have had any man I wanted.”
“What’s Cordelia got to do with it? She played no part in what happened to you.”
“Her mother stole my happiness. She stole everything from me.”
“Where is her mother?” asked Flynn.
“Dead.”
At the base of the island, the ravens were pecking at Cordelia beneath the surface like frenzied piranhas, their pursuit relentless. Her crimson blood spilled into the water like sweet red wine. Sharp pains emerged all over her body as though she had a thousand paper cuts, but the pain did not reveal the extent of the wounds, only her lack of powers told her the true extent of the damage.
Suddenly, Cordelia felt herself being pulled through the water at high speed. It was Rafe. He wrapped his strong arms around her and they hurried through the darkness to safety.
“What are you doing?!” gasped Cordelia when they reached the cove.
“Saving your life!” replied Rafe, insulted by Cordelia’s apparent lack of appreciation.
“I could handle it.”
“It didn’t seem like it. Look at the state of you,” said Rafe, fastening his trousers. “You’re lucky I got to you before the sharks.”
“I can’t feel my legs,” said Cordelia, worriedly.
“We need to get you help,” said Rafe, gently scooping the mermaid up in his arms.
Cordelia wrapped her arms around Rafe’s neck and he carried her to the lighthouse. As they approached Amatheia’s medical chamber, Cordelia lost consciousness.
“Help! We need help!” cried Rafe, standing outside Amatheia’s door.
Amatheia immediately opened the door and Rafe lay Cordelia on the bed.
“How did this happen?” enquired Amatheia, gathering a selection of apothecary bottles from the shelves.
Rafe cleared his throat. “Sirens,” he said. “They attacked her.”
“Sirens have come here?” asked Amatheia, dripping ointment into Cordelia’s mouth.
“No, it happened at Slate Island.”
Amatheia’s eyes widened. “What were you doing there?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’m listening.”
Amatheia soaked strands of dried dillisk in salt water ready to bandage Cordelia’s wounds, while Rafe began to explain his version of events. He’d barely started when he stopped talking. He gazed at Cordelia’s tail. He hadn’t really noticed the colours in the dark but as Amatheia dabbed the blood away in the candlelight, the colours became much clearer.
“What is it?” asked Amatheia, studying Rafe.
“Isn’t that…”
Amatheia nodded. “Go and get Triton.”
Rafe promptly left the medical chamber and sped along the tunnel.
“Tell him it’s urgent,” called Amatheia.
Outside, Breck was riding back to the tavern with Keeva. He’d tried to comfort her, he’d tried to reason with her but she was inconsolable. Keeva stared blankly into the darkness, the wind howling in her ears and her hair whipping at her face. She wanted to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. She wanted to scream and shout in anger but she couldn’t make a sound. She felt trapped in her own body, as though her soul was being pulled deep down inside. On the outside she was still and calm but on the inside she was frantically paddling in silence, trying to stop herself from sinking altogether, keeping herself afloat just enough to peer out.
When they reached the tavern, Keeva shrugged off Breck’s attempt to comfort her. She stared at the upstairs windows where she knew the babes would be quietly sleeping and somewhere inside was her mother, blissfully unaware that her husband and sons were dead.
Breck edged towards the door. “Come on Keeva,” he said softly, “let’s go inside.”
Keeva couldn’t move, her leaden feet firmly cemented to the ground. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She didn’t want to accept it. She was stuck in a nightmare, in a world where everything was black and she felt numb. She desperately wanted to be indoors with her mother. In her mother’s world they were still alive. She stared at the door, a temporary gateway between two alternate worlds. Outside she could remain in a warped denial, a place she felt lost and alone. Opening the door would suck the life out of her mother and turn Keeva’s hellish nightmare into reality.
TWELVE
REVELATIONS
“Come on Keeva, we have to go in.”
Keeva stood motionless as Breck moved closer to the door. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the handle.
“No! No!” cried Keeva hysterically, causing Misty to step back, knocking a barrel over.
Keeva’s eyes were wild and her breathing rapid. The pain in her stomach was gut wrenching, as though someone had put their fist in her throat and were pulling her stomach out. She lashed out at Breck as he tried to put his arms around her, persisting until she gave in. He held her tight while she cried into his chest beneath the warm, fuzzy glow of the oil lamp hanging above the door.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Breck loosened his grip and pulled back slightly, gently lifting Keeva’s chin with his hand. She shied away.
“Look at me,” he said.
Keeva slowly raised her head, her sad eyes vacantly staring at Breck.
“You can’t tell people about this,” he said, “not all of it, they’ll think you’re mad.”
Tears streamed down Keeva’s face and she wiped them away with her sleeve.
Suddenly the door opened.
“What’s all this noise you’re making out here?!” scolded Mrs Kelly, “You’ll wake the babes.”
Breck removed his flat cap and Keeva stared at her mother as though she had seen a ghost.
“What’s the matter with you?” asked Mrs Kelly, curtly. “Is your father and the boys back yet?”
Keeva’s chin wobbled and her eyes welled up again.
“What is it Keeva? What’s wrong?” asked Mrs Kelly. She walked towards Keeva and reached out to touch her arm. “Are the men okay?”
Keeva shook her head as the tears fell.
“Where are they Keeva?”
Keeva trembled as she tried to speak but the words got stuck in her throat.
“There’s been an accident,” said Breck. “They fell off the cliff.”
Mrs Kelly turned a paler shade of white, “But they can’t swim,” she said with concern.
“I’m afraid they won’t be coming home,” said Breck.
Mrs Kelly looked at Breck with puzzlement, shaking her head in disbelief, clinging onto every ounce of hope that he was somehow mistaken, but Breck didn’t retract his words.
“No, no,” said Mrs Kelly, her voice breaking as she fell to her knees with grief.
When Rafe found Triton he was with Mazu. The three of them hurried back to the medical chamber where Rafe told them what he’d seen. Amatheia was doing everything she could to keep Cordelia’s tail from drying out.
“Where are the others?” asked Triton.
“I don’t know,” said Rafe, “the last I saw them they were in the water near Slate Island.”
“We’ll send a search party,” said Mazu.
“No need, they’re on their way,” said Triton. Then he turned to Rafe, “I want to see all of you at sunrise. Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal,” replied Rafe. He left, closing the door behind him.
“This was unexpected,” said Triton.
“Did you really have no idea?” asked Amatheia.
“We had some information, but not this,” said Triton.
“I tried to find you this morning,” said Amatheia.
“You knew about this?”
“Not for certain, Cordelia came to ask me about her tail. Her description suggested this might be the case.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Mazu.
“I haven’t decided yet,” said Triton, “but it does rather put a new spin on things.”
“This is all too much to take in,” said Mazu, cupping her face in her hands. “She doesn’t even know.”
“Thankfully, Amatheia is doing a grand job of looking after her,” said Triton, leaning over Cordelia. “Let us know when she’s well enough to speak.”
“She will recover, won’t she?” asked Mazu with concern.
“Of course she will,” said Triton, “Now, we need to discuss how to proceed. Walk with me.”
Triton held the door open for Mazu and they stepped into the tunnel.
“Do you have a plan?” asked Mazu.
“Not exactly but there are things we need to do.”
“Go on,” said Mazu.
“We
need to ensure the safety of everyone here. If word is out in the town we need to protect ourselves.”
Shivers ran through Mazu’s body. “I perish the thought,” she said.
“We need to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow morning. We’ll have to notify the staff first, they’ll need to know about Cordelia, for her own safety.”
“Do you think we ought to speak with Cordelia first, before making an announcement?”
Triton read the time on his pocket watch and sighed heavily. “Time’s getting on. Okay, I’ll see what I can do. We just need to make sure we’re prepared incase of attack.”
“What about the King? Will you be speaking with him?”
“I think that will be up to Cordelia, we’ll see what she wants to do.”
Triton walked uphill towards the lighthouse.
“Where are you going?” asked Mazu.
“To warn Irvin, I’m not taking any chances.”
“I’ll keep watch for the others,” said Mazu.
“Join us in the lookout when they’re back,” said Triton.
At the Tavern, Mrs Kelly was hysterically calling on the neighbours, trying to organise a search party of her own. Her neighbours made contact with the coast guard and three crew members met them by the sea wall. It was two o’clock in the morning when the search party of brave men made their way towards the cliffs. Mrs Kelly stayed at home with the babes who were still sleeping, but she could not sleep. She stayed up, waiting for news. After such a harrowing experience and knowing that she was unable to speak the truth, Keeva crawled under her bed and curled up with her legs tucked into her chest. Breck joined the search party and played his part in pretending to be helpful. He knew there wasn’t much chance of finding the bodies, certainly not in the dark and he didn’t want the men to succumb to the same grim fate as Keeva’s father and brothers.
At the lighthouse, Lana and the twins had returned with Max and had been briefed by Mazu who was now climbing the lighthouse steps.
“Are they back?” asked Irvin, anxiously, as Mazu entered the lookout.
ELEMENTS: Acquiesce Page 16