by Tracy Kiser
“What are you talking about?” Lana struggled to ask. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know the answer.
“Your father, I know where he is.”
* *
Merric, Lillen, and Lomi swam into the main chamber of the Order. All seven Order members were present, including Lillen and Lomi’s father.
“Merric, where’s Lana? Where’s the Goddess’ messenger?”
“She’s interviewing Hyzine, the blacksmith,” Merric glanced around at the mermen. They all wore expressions of worry. “What’s going on? Has something happened?” Merric couldn’t understand why the Order members would be asking about Lana.
“The human from the Science District has disappeared. We have no idea where he’s gone to.” The words fell on the stone floor of the main chamber.
“What do you mean? I thought that we had guards with him at all times to keep an eye on his work,” Merric replied, he had to have misunderstood.
“They were found unconscious, tied up in the man’s workplace.” Tercious replied, answering Merric’s question but giving life to new ones.
“Did he escape?” Merric asked.
“That’s one opinion, but then the question would become why now? He’s been here for the last ten years without trying to leave.”
“What’s the other opinion?” Merric dared to inquire.
“Lana’s discovered him and is taking him to be killed by the Goddess. Then we will all be…”
“No, she knows nothing. I ensure you,” Merric argued. Somehow Lana’s father had escaped from the Science District. If Lana found out that her father had been here all along, she would never trust him again. Merric’s heart beat rapidly.
“Go get her. Bring her to us. We have to find a way to end her investigation and send her back to Syria. Then we need to find Sir Thomas. He isn’t safe without guards to protect him.”
“Of course, your Highest Order. I’ll go retrieve Lana from the blacksmith and be back shortly.” Merric bowed his head while slowly swimming backwards.
“Be sure not to alarm her with what is going on. The last thing we need is a visit from the Goddess herself.”
Merric saw his father sitting quietly in the background with his eyes held firmly on Merric. “I understand,” Merric said as he bowed his head slightly again, to confirm his loyalty, and left the chamber. Lana’s father was missing. He couldn’t let her find out. Then she’d be worried, and not to mention highly upset to learn that Merric had been purposely hiding all of this from her.
Chapter 23
Merric swam toward the blacksmith’s shop as quickly as he could. How was he going to explain this all to Lana? He knew she’d be angry with him, perhaps even hate him when she learned that her dad was in the city and that he’d been here the whole time. Maybe he should have told Lana the truth? But then she’d discover how to become human again and leave. Merric knew that he was falling for Lana. His heart beat stronger with any thought of her. He didn’t want to lose her – he’d just found her. It was all like his mother had said.
The blacksmith’s shop was no longer lit with the glowing of jellyfish. The door was shut. Merric tried to open the granite slab but it had been secured from the inside. He swam to the back of the building and peaked through a slit in the coral walls. It was pitch black. Merric’s glowing eyes didn’t help much and he couldn’t hear a sound. No one was there.
“Maybe they finished the interview and Lana went back to the grotto,” Merric whispered to himself, hoping that was the case. The moment he said it aloud, he knew it was a lie. He felt it in his bones. Something wasn’t right.
* *
The grotto had been just as empty as Hyzine’s shop. Merric’s thoughts were uncontrollable. First, Thomas disappears and now his daughter cannot be found either. What would the Order think? That she had found Thomas and taken him back to Syria. Merric knew it wasn’t true, but the Order didn’t know that Lana wasn’t sent by the Goddess. Where in the sea could they both have disappeared to?
Merric entered the Order’s chambers feeling like the bearer of the worst news possible. He opened his mouth to speak, but the highest Order member spoke first. “Merric, where’s Lana? Why didn’t you bring her with you?”
Merric shook his head, “I couldn’t find her.” He succumbed to the feeling of defeat.
“What do you mean you couldn’t find her? She wasn’t with the blacksmith?” The voice echoed through the water, the anger mixing with salt rubbing itself into the open wound of Merric’s heart.
“No, she wasn’t there or at her grotto. I have no idea where she is.” His head hung. Merric had no idea where Lana was and he had disappointed the Order.
“This is not good news, Sir Merric. They could be on their way to see the Goddess. Not good at all.”
“But Lana didn’t know about Thomas. There’s no way she found him and has taken him to Syria,” Merric debated, struggling to hang onto one thread of hope that the Order wouldn’t bar him from their group.
“How can you be so certain? If she had found the human, why would she tell you?”
“Lana would never…” Merric began but he was cut off by the entrance of a low Order member, Dascus and the two guards that had been protecting Thomas. Everyone in the room turned to those who had just entered.
“High members, Tryson and Gales have recovered.” Dascus explained, dipping his head in respect.
“That’s great news, how do you both feel?” The anger had momentarily disappeared from the Order member’s voice.
“Still a little out of sorts from the shark venom, Sir, but better,” Gales stated, mimicking Dascus’ movements and bowing slightly.
“Shark venom? That’s what was used?” The Order members looked at each other. Merric saw his father’s brow crease in confusion.
“Yes, Sir,” Tryson agreed, his voice hollow and strained.
“And do either of you know who did this to you?”
“It was Hyzine, Sir, the blacksmith.”
Merric froze at the response. Did he just say Hyzine? The words struck the walls. Merric felt his world shake.
“Do we have any explanation as to why he’d commit this illegal act? Shark venom is contraband.”
Dascus replied to the open question. “We believe he’s a Purist, your Highest. He kidnapped Thomas because he’s a Turned. We think he plans on killing Thomas by taking him to Syria.”
“That means he probably has Lana too…” Merric added. If Hyzine knew that Lana was one of the Turned then he’d want to kill her too. What had he done leaving her with Hyzine? “We have to find them.”
“Merric’s right. Lillen, Lomi, Dascus – you join together and find Hyzine. Rescue Lana and Thomas. Bring Lana back here so she doesn’t have a chance to tell the Goddess that Turned merpeople live in our city. Under no circumstances imply that Thomas is a Turned, if she doesn’t know already then we certainly do not want to tell her.”
Lillen and Lomi swam over to Merric. Dascus joined them. “We’ll be back as soon as we can with Lana and the scientist,” Lillen spoke, his voice strong and confident. Merric watched himself nod his head. He felt like an outsider to the rest of the group. His heart was being pulled away from him. Merric tried to focus on anything except what Hyzine would do to Lana and her father.
“Take Hyzine into account. Show carefulness. We don’t know what else this merman is capable of.”
“Yes, your Highest,” the four companion’s replied in unison.
* *
“How do you know who I am?” Lana asked, her body filled with fear. She felt her muscles knit together in defiance and preparation to swim in the opposite direction. She wanted to get as far away from this merman as possible. Everything about him brought fear to her heart.
“Besides the resemblance?” Hyzine’s voice was light and friendly, but forced, and Lana stayed on her guard.
Lana nodded.
“Your ring.” Hyzine pointed to Lana’s hand.
“What?” Lana’s confusion was w
ritten on her face.
“With webbed hands, merpeople can’t wear rings. Your father has a similar ring on his left hand. That’s how I knew that you were both members of the Turned.”
Lana looked down at the promise ring Aiden had given her before they began their adventure. It didn’t sparkle underwater the way it had in the moonlight. “Can you take me to him? I…haven’t seen him in ten years.” She didn’t want any help from this merman, but it was her father. If he was really down here, then they could go back to the surface, the world above, together. The relationship with her father outweighed any ill feelings she had toward Hyzine.
“Of course, dear. Your father and I have been friends for as long as he’s been here.”
Lana stopped, her eyes blank. Was he lying? For as long as he’s been here… The words tumbled around in Lana’s mind making her dizzy.
“Is something wrong, dear?” Hyzine asked, holding the granite door of the blacksmith shop open for her.
“How long exactly has he been here? My father…that is…” Lana stumbled over the words. Could it really be?
“Ten years now,” Hyzine confirmed.
“How many people know that he’s a… what did you call it? A Turned?”
“Oh, everyone. He does research for the Order on how humans and mermen can change into each other. The biology of it all. He tried to explain it to me once but it was so technical. I’m just a simple blacksmith.” Hyzine faked a laugh. The sound was empty and hit Lana like a tidal wave.
“Everyone?” Lana asked. Then she understood what Hyzine was telling her. “Even Merric?”
“Well, Merric is the son of an Order member so I assume he knows. Especially since the Order reviews your dad’s research.”
“That means…he lied to me.” Lana felt all of her trust for Merric erode in her stomach. Her heart shivered.
“He didn’t tell you?”
Lana shook her head.
“Those Order members are tricky merpeople. Come on dear; let’s go see your dad. Forget about Merric.” Hyzine led Lana away from the shop to a part of the city she had never seen. At least if Hyzine really did take her to her father, then he’d be the first merperson that hadn’t lied to her. She felt trust in that fact and she clung to it.
* *
Aiden’s heart felt heavy. Each day that Lana remained missing added weight. He couldn’t believe that they hadn’t found her yet. The blame lay on his shoulders. In what he imagined to be the adventure with the girl he loved and cared for so much had turned into a complete disaster. How would he be able to live with himself if they never found her or if they did find her and…
Aiden shook the thought from his head. He didn’t want to consider that possibility.
Sarah and Daniel stood watching Aiden look over the ocean waves. Daniel’s arm was delicately draped around Sarah. She fought to hold back tears that Daniel knew were coming. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead as they sailed to the nearest island for supplies, leaving the coast guard to continue the search.
Chapter 24
Lana followed Hyzine into a cave that reminded her of the mining pictures she had seen in history class. The long tunnel was barely lit with a glowing jellyfish every twenty yards. Lana struggled to see Hyzine, who was a foot in front of her, much less anything ahead of them. The long corridor opened up into a large room, bigger than the main chamber at the Order. It was uniquely decorated with artifacts that Hyzine must have collected throughout his entire life. Lana found herself wondering how long merpeople lived, but she couldn’t concentrate on the topic.
Lana felt her nerves going haywire, an electric current charging underneath her skin. She was about to see her father for the first time in ten years. What in the world was she going to say to him? She mentally ran through different scenarios. Would he recognize her? What if he had changed? Fear of the unknown filled the depths of her stomach. She felt her hands shaking, sending small ripples through the water.
Hyzine and Lana left the main room and went into a smaller adjacent room. It was full of bottles and different colored liquids, heat vents, and her father. Lana froze. She looked at her dad’s face for the first time since she was eight. His brown hair was longer but familiar. Tears slid down her face and mixed with the ocean water surrounding her. Her dad’s face was stretched into a smile and he swam over to Lana. He wrapped his arms around her. Thomas found himself crying just as Lana was.
“Daddy, I can’t believe it’s really you.” Lana felt the heat from her father’s chest warm her and a sense of calmness began to settle over her.
“Lana, God, I’ve missed you so much. I never thought I’d see you again.”
They held one another. The past swept over them. The feelings of loss began to melt away. Memories came back to Lana and Thomas in a rush. The trips on the sailboat, the dolphins they’d seen, every birthday and holiday that they could remember being together. Lana felt her heart strengthen. The guilt at having left Aiden above searching for her and the hurt she felt from Merric’s dishonesty disappeared into the static background. She had found her father.
“I knew it. I knew you were still alive.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. I can hardly believe this is happening, myself. When Hyzine told me that you were here… I didn’t know if I could let myself believe it. But you are. You’re right here.” Thomas’ voice cracked. His eyes were rimmed in red.
“I never thought you were dead. I knew you had to still be alive.”
Thomas looked at his daughter’s beautiful face and saw the eight year old little girl he had loved so much. “You got that stubbornness from me.”
Lana’s eyes overflowed with tears once again as she looked at her dad, the feeling of success flowing through her veins.
* *
Merric swam ahead of Lillen and Lomi. He felt his heart echoing through his entire body. He’d never been this scared in his life. They swam through the city silently, sleep time softly approaching.
“Where does Hyzine live, Merric?” Lillen asked beating his fin rapidly to match Merric’s stride.
“Outside of the city, in the cave district.” Merric looked in the direction of the cave district and then at Lillen.
“Have you been there before?”
“Once. With my father. I hope I still know which cave it is. I know it’s one of the biggest ones down there.” Merric closed his eyes temporarily, envisioning the future. He would find Lana and then he would make Hyzine regret what he’d done.
“Do you agree with the rest of the Order? Is Hyzine going to have Thomas killed?” Lillen broke through Merric’s happy-ending ideal.
Merric could only think of Lana. If he’d just been honest with her would this still be happening? He couldn’t believe how selfish he’d been, purposely keeping her from her father. If his mother was right, then he’d have Lana either way. Why couldn’t he have told her and taken his chances?
“I don’t know what Hyzine is capable of. I just know that we have a responsibility to help Thomas and Lana. They’re ours to protect.”
Merric moved his fin faster. It cut through the water propelling him forward. He couldn’t allow Lana to be hurt. He didn’t know if he’d be able to live with himself. Lomi and Lillen tried to match Merric’s speed as they drew closer to the cave district, but kept falling behind. Merric felt the determination weighing on him, he had to save Lana. With strained muscles, he swam forward.
* *
“Not to interrupt this lovely reunion, but we have to get going.” Hyzine swam between Lana and Thomas. A smile was plastered to his face, but his eyes still taunted Lana. They dared her to trust him and warned her not to.
“Where are we going?” Thomas asked, confused at the interruption.
“Well, the whole reason I got you two away from the Order is so I could help you. They have been lying to you both. They know what you’re truly capable of Thomas.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about though,” Thomas sp
oke up, shrugging his shoulders.
“You can reunite the humans with our people.”
“Me?”
Lana remained silent as Hyzine explained, a sinking feeling poured into her chest.
“Yes, with your research you can show the Merpeople how closely we are connected to the human world. You have to talk to the Goddess. Once you explain how beneficial the union will be to our people the Goddess will agree. Then we all can live above and below. Your knowledge on the Turning process will enlighten us all.”
“But my research isn’t finished. It’s not complete without study of a pure merperson turning human.” Thomas interjected.
“I know. That’s why the Goddess will help you finish it. She’ll find you Pure volunteers and you can study them. It’s the only way for the separate races to become one.”
“What about Lana?” Thomas asked. “Is she to go with us?”
Hyzine turned his face to Thomas’ daughter. “Of course she can, once we get to the Goddess and we gain her approval, we can turn Lana back to a human as an example of how things will be in the future.”
“How things will be?” Lana murmured.
“Currently, any human found under water as a merperson, a Turned as they call it, is sentenced to death. When we turn Lana back into a human it will show the mer-population that we don’t have to be at odds anymore. We can all live on this Earth together, in peace.”
“Whoa, wait a minute.” Thomas spoke. “What if the Goddess doesn’t grant us approval? Then what? We’ll be killed? I can’t take that chance. Not with my daughter.” Thomas’ hands came up and waved away the idea, he shook his head.
“I understand what you’re saying but that won’t happen. The Goddess knows that it’s time for a change, but there haven’t been any humans down here. She’s had no reason to change the rules because no one turns humans anymore. Well, besides you two. And with you here she can follow up on the changes she planned to make.”
Thomas considered what Hyzine had just said. “Are you sure? This is a big decision. I don’t want to put my daughter in danger. I won’t do that. You have to be one hundred percent certain.”