Deep

by Angela Annette

  Blood flowed slowly through the water like beautiful red ribbons, being blown in the wind. I quickly withdrew, and retreated to a rock further away from the circle of mer. Two down.

  I peeked around the stone and watched while Aella, beheaded the last Mer. I ran to her, and she smiled when she saw me coming. “Well done, Sister. But we must hurry, Kosey…” She pointed up, and I saw him, swimming circles far above us like a predator, like a shark observing his prey—calculating his attack. “He’s angry, we need to make it to Hanan, I cannot fight him.”

  Chapter 24

  Hanan

  “We should go get them.” Ben was in a panic, but I wasn’t.

  “Aella is strong, they’ll make it.”

  “Eva is human. You are willing to risk her life?”

  “Aella is familiar with death, she has killed plenty. Wait.” The creature was testing my patience, if he spoke one more word…

  “I’m not leaving her.”

  “Just wait.” I turned and shoved my hands into his chest before he could take another step. His brow deepened, and his jaw flexed, fists balled. Ben was no match for me, so I turned around, hesitantly and ignored the temptation to end his life.

  There was a moment of silence, not entire silence, his heart pulsed in my mind. Annoying, weak creature. I closed my eyes and rolled my shoulders.

  “I found this place on accident…” I started. “Aella and I had just escaped, and I was out searching for food, snails—Aella had been wounded and I needed to mend her injuries shut. I walked up to the very top of this stone and fell through that hole.” I pointed up to the only entrance to my place of worship and sacrifice. Petals, softly drifted down, falling over my head. I captured one of the thick, smooth petals. It was gently pink down the base, boldly dark pink directly down the center, white surrounding the color to the tips. “This is the only place where life grows in the Wasteland—where beauty grows.” Ben’s heart relaxed and Eva descended down towards me, as she had once before. Aella following closely after. I tore my eyes from her, she was going home. She wouldn’t be a part of my life, not the way I wanted.

  While Ben and Eva reunited in each others arms, Aella revealed that Kosey was lurking beyond these walls. She handed me the triton.

  “Eva killed, two mer.” She smiled, that sly smile she made when she proved me wrong. The answer was still no, Eva could not come back. I turned to look behind me, and found her watching me.

  “Kosey wants to meet.” I told Aella.

  We waited for Kosey, in the ruins of the Wasteland. The ruins were once a part of the Tahiran kingdom. But since the curse, since the rise in death and lack of birth, it had become desolate and a part of the Wasteland. Some of the walls still stood, but most of them were crumbled. This area had been invaded by evil, The Power of Seven met here. Remnants of their sacrifices were scattered around. Fish skulls, Pus tentacles and fresh hearts lay on a bloody stone slab, fragments of teeth and coral lay on the bone lined slab. They must have met recently.

  Two nishant at his side, Kosey was shorter than me, and the scar on his face twitched on his yellow skin. He held his staff in front of him, while I held my triton across my chest. You could never trust a demon, they strike without notice.

  “Where are the humans?” His deep growl, cut beneath my skin. I hated the way my body reacted to him, his tone. His heart thrived in a pit of darkness. He was ferocious and carnivorous, like the appetite of a great. He was up to something, of course.

  “I didn’t come here to speak.”

  “Fallen king, you have no authority in these waters!”

  “I have all the authority. You know I am rightfully king.”

  “It isn’t you who sits on the throne.”

  “A throne touched with my blood.” He stared silently, hating every moment of our talk. “As if you even care about the law, or any who are in authority? Leave us, and I will leave you…alive to tend to your slugs.” His nasty jagged smile pressed into his cheeks. He was filth. At least a slug had a purpose, were of good use. He was just like the disease that sometimes plagued the plants of the sea, merely a vessel who was a thief among the living. Stealing life where he may.

  Staring at him, you would be foolish to believe a man of his small build had any power. But he did, he was leader of the Power of Seven.

  “I am under orders…”

  “You…are under no orders. I know my brothers have no knowledge of the company I keep. I haven’t a shrimp of a mind like your false king. You’re heart speaks your plans, you want the humans to buy favor…and something else. What is it that you need from Aarif? Doesn’t he run to you already?”

  “Unlike you I care about the well being of our people and the humans you keep are a threat to our existence.” It was uncontrollable; the laugh that erupted from my belly, not that they could hear me, only bubbles escaped my mouth.

  “Have you cast a little spell? This droll, is fathomable…you are not even Tahiran born, what do you care of our existence?”

  “I’ve…” Nonchalantly he picked at his dark nails, “grown to love the mer of Tahirah.”

  “And it continues…How would your African brothers and sisters feel about your love and passion for Tahirah?”

  “We are all one, aren’t we? The Two were African, and their blood lives in all of us.”

  “Leave us alone and I will leave you alone.” My face solid as stone, if I allowed Kosey to believe there was any comfort in our conversation, he would try to catch me off guard.

  “So be it…” he stepped back, head bowed slightly, sly smile on his lips. I knew better, the glow in his eyes meant that he was agreeing to disagree. He would hunt us. I didn’t have to read his heart to know that much.

  Chapter 25

  I allowed Kosey and his slugs to walk away before Aella and I turned to walk away ourselves…you never turn your back on a predator unless you want to be devoured. Predators are heartless creatures, which only have a taste for blood…carnivorous in nature.

  “He’ll be waiting for us.” Sense of panic in her voice, this had become more dangerous than she expected.

  “I know.”

  “How will we get Eva and Ben home?”

  “A predator likes to prey…Kosey will give us a start before he goes in for the attack. We will take advantage of that start, by first throwing them off our trail.” Predators also enjoy a game with their prey, before the actual kill. A hunt with no play lacks in thrill.

  I sent Aella in an opposite direction of the sacred place, and I myself took the long way, I wouldn’t go exactly to the place where Ben and Eva waited—I wanted Kosey to think we moved them. They were safe for now. The sacred place was protected by Adonai.

  Tucked away in a dark hole just a swim away from the sacred place, I watched as Kosey, alone, prowled above the sacred place, occasionally trying to get past the protection that surrounded it. I didn’t expect him so soon. The ripples in the water told me that he was working to counter my God, with the power of Erebus. His eyes were as bright as sea jewels, except they held plans of evil, not beauty, not good. He thrust his staff down at the giant stone and it shot back towards him.

  As he descended, and once he was close enough, I thrust my triton at him, willing it to penetrate, willing it fast…

  Red filled the water around him, thick as a million grains of sand filling a tiny space. In seconds I was in front of him, withdrawing my triton from his flesh. His eyes were dull, lips frozen in place. His staff was released from his hand and quickly sunk deeper into the water. And he, Kosey slowly followed after his staff, stunned. He wasn’t dead, he was playing dead. I knew more about evil sorcery than he thought. He was chanting in his head, he was focusing on healing his wounds and still trying to counter Adonai—that’s why he seemed stunned. The flowers that decorated the odd cave were perishing, evil does that. I didn’t have a lot of time. Our head start began now!

  My fears manifested before my eyes…Eva in the hands of Kosey. I underestimated his powe
r, his god…my heart erupted in spasms of rage. The hole in his side was still fresh, but it barely leaked blood. His eyes were live but dim as it was obvious he fought to focus on the now and not at the ache in his side.

  “How did you…”

  “And what of your God now?” His voice sounded forced. “This Adonai you pray to? What do you think of His power now? I’ve made it…” Triumph swirled around him, as his voice grew deeper and even more vile. He held Eva close to him—against his boney chest—while a mer held Ben restrictively around his neck. “So, now, I will take these…humans to the king and collect a reward. This will be a pleasant surprise for Aarif. He will be curious to know about the company you keep.” He smiled. “Now I will go and you will allow me to, or else I will kill them both. If you follow me, I will kill them, if you or Aella harm another of my…slugs, then I will kill them. Do you understand King Hanan?” I moved forward, my heart wildly jerking, my world was becoming a whirlpool. I needed to do anything to keep it afloat. “Now!...” He gripped Eva by the hair, snapping her head back, “I will kill her…no…no…it is him who I should kill, because, well, she is just too valuable.” The horror on Eva’s face, I couldn’t be responsible for Ben’s death.

  “No…” I growled. “No.” Taking a step back defenseless. I’d find away to rescue her. I gazed into her eyes, I knew it wouldn’t be the last time I met those brown eyes, and somehow I believed she knew it too. She smiled a bleak smile and then they were gone. And I… I went to collect Aella, I needed to sacrifice, I needed power. I was no match for both my brothers and Kosey.

  Chapter 26

  “Give us pass…” Kosey demanded of the guards—gripping my arm as they denied him for the third time. I don’t think he understood the fragility of me, I was human. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

  “The nishant are not a part of the kingdom, therefore you shall receive none.”

  “I come with a gift for your king.” Pushing Ben and I forward. I wanted to reach for the dagger at my back but I knew it would be obvious; they already took the big blade I used to kill two of their fellow demons.

  “What would our king want with this?” The chubby guard looked from Ben and I. Staring at me longest. “Is she from the Red Sea?”

  “No you…Open your eyes! Clearly she is no ordinary maid, nor he a mer. Look at their flesh, and their feet. And how is it that these surface creatures survive our surroundings. Do you know nothing of humans?”

  “Surface…? Human…” The guard knelt down to examine my scale less legs, my human feet. Without hesitation—because I would not die here—I, with all of my power slammed my shin—which wasn’t very wise, it hurt like hell—into the face of the guard. He stumbled back. I reached for his spear, spun around crotched low, knee making a small circle in the sand, and shoved the spear head through the stomach of the mer who accompanied Kosey. I would have gone for Kosey, but I knew he wasn’t one to be messed with. The mer stumbled back clutching his stomach. His head snapped up, eyes glowing bright as the fiery pits of hell. He lunged forward.

  “Curses unto you!” Pulling me up by my hair, Kosey was strong for the scrawny creature he appeared to be. “Hanan taught you well, human. But soon your luck will run dry.”

  “Aella taught me, not Hanan!” I shouted in my head. “I will keep fighting till we are free!”

  “I care nothing…at all for what you do. Soon it will not be me who you fight against, but the forces of Tahirah, Aarif and Minkah. And killing you…no they will mate with you.” His cackle made my skin crawl as it echoed boastfully in my head. My eyes widened with terror and hate. I thought my own curses on him, in my head—not that I expected them to work.

  “Will you give us pass? She’s already killed two of my men, and injured one. Her and her male human are trouble and have killed mer.”

  “Nishant are not mer. They’ve done us good.” The chubby guard retorted.

  “They are Tahiran born, you call them nishant because of the life they live. The humans have broken the law of Tahirah by being here, and killing relentlessly.”

  “And what laws have you broken?” The taller guard whose eyes were glowing vividly, a warm golden brown said. But Kosey made no effort to respond. That or he channeled his thoughts to the one guard.

  They eventually let us pass; the lanky guard escorted us through the city. I thought I’d entered into some fantasy, something out of a book. It was beautiful, just as I imagined on some nights.

  There was a large mass of wall that encircled what appeared to be more than 20 miles of city. The white wall had thousands of large holes, both mers and maids were sitting, apparently lounging outside of the holes, peeking outside of the holes—watching as we passed (I caught some random voices—a lot of random voices—and they all thought one word, Kosey and there was fear in each tone). I understood, the holes were their homes, some decorated with little trinkets (colorful coral pieces attached to one another—red, crème, white, purples and pinks—like a coral wind chime). Flowers of every color crawled down the rock reaching to the very bottom, random spots of the wall were filled with green algae. It was beautiful.

  Far off to the right was a small kelp forest where the kelp was either farmed or dead, I couldn’t tell.

  We descended and swam through a marketplace…I almost started laughing, because what I was experiencing was far from what my human brain could process.

  There were fat mer and maids, skinny, beautiful, and ugly…all types lurking through the market. Some with patches of black scales on their face…they were all buying and selling. Some where examining the products laid out on the large stone slabs. Things like the seaweed clothes and sacks, and beds were being sold. Even jewelry, fish, gadgets of some sort and weapons. This underwater world was real!

  As we passed through, I caught the soft and random voices again, and they all thought the same one word, “Kosey”. Except for the few who noticed the difference in me and Ben. “Who are they?” that’s what they were wondering. I glanced over in the direction where the thought came and saw a woman, with hair twisted to her scalp into a pony tail. There was a small piece of shell below her left eye. Her skin was a deep caramel and her eyes were a soft purple. She wore shell necklaces around her neck that covered her chest and were somehow attached to here covers. She also had shells around her waist, that kind of slanted and hung off of her waist.

  “Who are you?” I thought. I was curious. She had to be royalty, she had that small piece of white shell below her left eye.

  “I am Inpu.” She spoke in the most melodic voice. It was a gentle song in my mind. She held her hand up, “may Adonai protect you. May she guide you in your time of peril…Eva.” And then she slipped away.

  “Wait!” I twisted around, trying to pull away, but I was yanked back and told to be quiet.

  We changed directions, going upward and continued until we reached a giant hole, lined in gold. Three guards stepped aside and watched, as we passed. We swam through the large tunnel and emerged into a hallway filled with air. Both Ben and I coughed and choked as we adjusted to the change in breathing. We’d never been under water that long without constant air.

  The hall walls were white coral, I knew this by the chalky and rough look they had. Purple shells were impressed into the walls, while water trickled serenely down the walls. The floor was smooth purple stone, flaked with gold. I stepped forward and the thin layer of water that trickled from the walls washed over my feet.

  We persisted, walking through the atrium, and once we reached an entrance a guard emerged from a crack in the walls.

  “What is this?” The guard gazed at us as if he were aware of our true nature. “They are not Tahiran, has the king invited them?”

  “They are surface creatures, have been living in our waters unlawfully. They must be sentenced.”

  “Surface…?” Disgust painted his face, “I will call Minkah.” He must have been a higher ranking guard, because he wore a gold band around his arm. My stomach bubbled as we
waited for Minkah to arrive—Hanan’s brother. I prepared my mind for the worst, from what Aella taught me, he and Aarif were the evil ones of the three. I closed my eyes to slow the beat of my heart, but it didn’t work. I looked over at Ben who watched me anxiously. Everything will be okay, I promise, he mouthed to me. His blue eyes were dark and trust me was written in them as he squinted.

  I heard him coming, it was as if his mind made this soft noise, like soft humming. When he rounded the corner the first thing I noticed was his sign that spread above his brow and down the bridge of his nose. His face was stone and gave no expression at all. He was Hanan’s brother, the resemblance was undeniable. His hair was twisted in fine, small dreads that evenly touched his shoulders. Each dread pinched with a tiny shell. His skin was slightly darker than Hanan’s and smooth it was as if he bathed in butter. His chest was layered with tiny white and crème shells that were strung together in rows, ending at his sternum.

  “Surface creatures? How have they come to be here?” His voice boomed and bounced along the walls. His stance was proud and sure—he didn’t need the crown on his head, he wore his royalty in his body language. He walked up to Ben, looking down at him, “male.” He grabbed his face and turned it this way and that way. “You look me in the eyes, as if you do not fear.” Ben didn’t speak—his jaw taut—probably couldn’t move it. I wasn’t sure if this was a good sign? Was he nervous? “You will die.” He turned to meet my gaze, tilting his head curiously, he moved in front of me, and stroked the side of my face, grinning. “Female…Aarif will like you.” He knelt down, running a hand down my leg, “both, no scales, no fins.” Minkah rose up again. “Where did you find them? How have they survived the travel?” He turned to take his original place, next to the guard with the gold armband. His eyes never left mine, so I looked away.