Her room, if you could call it that, was surprisingly spacious, due more to the lack of furnishings than actual size. A chair whittled out of the roots of an old tree stood gnarled and twisted beside a ledge in the wall, on which lay a very ordinary and out-of-place paperback novel, a romance by the look of the cover. Apart from the chair, there was no other furnishing in the room.
A large square of lacy grey fabric hung against one of the walls and a stack of cloth was packed into an enclave beside it. Sabrina was rummaging through the cloth occasionally pulling one out of the pile to examine the colour more closely before muttering and shaking her unruly mop of hair before beginning the search again.
She whirled around catching me by surprise, a grin on her face as she shook out a piece of fabric unlike any I had seen before. It looked at first to be a patchwork of lace, but it swirled like satin and floated like chiffon. The fabric shimmered with tiny pin-pricks of light, as she shook it, as if it had a life of its own.
Sabrina giggled at my expression. “OK, take your wet clothes off and then I can help you put this on.”
I took the cloth from her, draping it over my shoulders as I wriggled out of my wet things and feeling awkward in my bikini. Clutching the cloth to my chest, I shuffled over to where she was standing.
“Now what?” I asked, sounding grumpy and ungrateful.
She frowned and shook her head slightly at my embarrassment before brusquely lifting both of my arms out to the side.
She worked quickly in winding and weaving the fabric around me. It felt amazing on my icy skin, a combination of the comfort of wool and the luxury of satin.
A few minutes later she stepped back from me and smiled.
“Lovely,” she declared, clapping her hands together and tucking them under her chin in girlish delight.
I looked down at myself, struggling to make sense of the drapes and folds of the deep-blue fabric from my vantage point.
“Does it look anything like yours?” I asked, as I slipped on a pair of soft moccasin-like shoes she’d given me.
She nodded and twirled for me, her pale dress floating around her letting off little sparks of violet light as she did so.
I very much doubted that I looked like her, but I was at least warmer and had stopped shivering.
“Come on, let’s get you settled,” she suggested, taking my hand and pulling me back into the public space.
My initial impression of the cave had been dimmed by near hypothermia. Warm and comfortable, I could really take in the jaw-dropping beauty of the place. Dappled light danced across the mottled cave floor and sparkled off the entrances to dozens of caves similar to Sabrina’s. Our first stop was a wall studded and indented with an array of rocks and tiny enclaves. She explained that this was an entrance and exit point to the outside world. I studied the sheer rock face doubtfully.
“Er, how do people get in and out of here?” I asked, looking for some kind of lift contraption.
“We climb of course,” she replied.
As she was speaking four faces were suddenly illuminated far above us. A piercing whistle had Sabrina pulling me hastily into the doorway of a cave, before ten sacks fell heavily in exactly the spot we had been standing.
I watched, fascinated, as the owners of the faces slipped easily from handhold to foothold down the sheer rock face, landing lightly on the ground.
The group was made up of two women and two men, and they were absolutely tiny. They were about the height of ten-year-olds but perfectly proportioned, the women dressed in similar iridescent robes to Sabrina and me, except that theirs swirled provocatively around their bodies almost as if the clothing were a part of them. In contrast, the men wore nothing but a pair of flared trousers that accentuated the strength of their upper bodies, the fabric glowing faintly in shades of blue. They were lithe and clearly incredibly strong as they lifted three bags in each hand, chattering happily amongst themselves.
The women were laughing as they turned towards us, their smiles dying on their lips as Sabrina and I stepped out of the shadows.
The men pulled the women behind them protectively, shifting into an aggressive crouch in a sinuous movement, the sacks hastily dropped and seemingly forgotten.
I glanced fearfully behind me, trying to work out what had them so instantly alert. There happened to be no one else in the clearing at that particular moment although I thought I saw a face peer out of a cave across the opening, but when I looked again, there was only darkness.
“Tirta, Aysel, Kendall, Shannon.” Sabrina greeted each of them with a relaxed smile and a slight bob as she said each name. “I’d like you to meet Alexandra.” She pulled me roughly to her side, her iron grip a dead giveaway that her tone had nothing to do with how she felt.
They remained frozen for a few more seconds, and then slowly the men straightened. They still shielded the women with their bodies as their eyes ran over me from head to toe while I fiddled uncomfortably beneath their scrutiny.
“What is she?” a lilting, childlike voice piped from behind the man I thought was called Kendall.
I looked quickly at Sabrina, trying to understand the question.
“Her spiritus feels wrong,” came another lilting, musical voice from behind the other man. “Confused and sometimes so faint, it’s as if it isn’t there at all.”
“She’s a Halfling, Shannon,” replied Sabrina as she extended her hand and beckoned the tiny, exquisite creatures forward. The men hissed as Shannon and Tirta skipped nimbly around their attempts at protection and settled just out of Sabrina’s reach. They gazed past me intently and then muttered and whispered to each other, before glancing nervously back at the men and then at me again. I eventually whispered to Sabrina, “What is going on and what are they looking at?”
“Oh sorry, Alexandra, let me formally introduce you to the Merrow.” She curtsied as she held out her hand towards them, ignoring the savage hiss that erupted from Kendall’s throat.
“You endanger us so, Sabrina!” he accused through clenched teeth.
“Oh calm down, Kendall,” Sabrina replied. “Alexandra needs to learn as much as she can about Oceanids, and telling her the specific name of your clan isn’t going to single you out. Besides she isn’t going to hurt anyone, are you, dear?” she asked turning towards me.
“N… no,” I managed to stutter, confused by the absurd concept that I’d want to hurt them.
“Surely even with such a weak spiritus you should be able to see that she is not at all aggressive, and even if she’s confused, you of all of us should be able to see whether there are any sinister motives we should be aware of.”
“She’s right you know,” declared Shannon, “from what I can see Alexandra” – she pronounced my name Aleeeksaaandra – “is perfectly harmless.”
This provoked a heated discussion in a language I didn’t recognise between them, and I watched in amusement as their argument became more and more passionate, the men shaking their fists, and the women tossing their hair in defiance, as all four of them hopped around each other in a strange and aggressive little dance.
“Er… Sabrina?” I whispered during a particularly loud interchange between Shannon and Kendall. “Why are they so upset?”
“Kendall doesn’t trust your spiritus and Shannon is telling him that he is being a paranoid…” She rattled off a strange word I didn’t recognise.
“Sorry… a what?”
“It’s a sea creature which is known for its absolute stupidity,” she replied giggling as the Merrows’ argument became more heated. Shannon skipped to my side and stretched out a finger, almost touching my skin, before rushing back at Kendall, clearly arguing the whole time.
“What is a spiritus?” I asked.
“A person’s spiritus is a type of…” She paused, seeming to search for the right word. “There isn’t a direct English translation, but it’s like a… breath that we can see. Every living creature lets off a type of energy, a breath if you want. All creatures are a
ble to see this breath that surrounds other creatures.”
“Every creature except humans,” hissed Aysel, as he turned from the argument.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Humans don’t have a spiritus?” I asked.
Sabrina shook her head. “No they do, but they can’t see it any more, and it is often hidden from all but the most perceptive of us.” She indicated the Merrow with a slight bob again.
“Every creature has a specific colour,” chimed in Tirta smiling at me shyly, stepping away from Shannon and Kendall who were still arguing.
“Mmmhmm,” continued Shannon, turning abruptly from Kendall. “We can also see a person’s emotions in the nuances of the spiritus. Merrow are particularly good at readingspiritus. We can even pick up nuances which tell us about a person’s motives!”
Kendall muttered something.
“Sabrina is right, Kendall,” Shannon said, soothingly stroking his forearm. “Alexandra has no reason, or desire, to hurt us.”
Kendall pulled his arm away from her, staring at it in a sort of fixed horror, before abruptly brushing away a thin layer of moisture that had appeared on it. Shannon gasped as he did so, staring at the palms of her hands in fascination.
“What is it?” Sabrina asked, stepping forward.
Shannon lifted her palms to show Sabrina, her expression a combination of fascination and fear. Water dribbled down her wrists, dripping off her elbows.
Sabrina froze, and stared, turning abruptly to look at me.”It’s not her motives I’m worried about, Shannon.” Kendall spoke into the silence, despair colouring the lilt of his voice. “Can you see strength in any of her colours?” He waved his hand at me.
“I can see her colours,” Sabrina whispered, “and you’re right, Kendall, there is no strength there. Not yet.”
Shannon studied her toes and Tirta moved quietly back to Aysel who was scowling at me.
Whatever had happened with Shannon and then Sabrina had cast a pall of wariness over the group. Sabrina moved back to my side, but kept her distance a little, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes pasted on her face.
“We all know that integrity counts for nothing, if she doesn’t have the courage to stand up for what she believes,” Kendall continued, his eyes blazing as he looked straight at me.
I swallowed nervously.
“I don’t believe in anything,” I said, hoping that this would soothe them.
It didn’t. Kendall threw his arms in the air, his breath coming out in a rush of exasperation. He picked up the sacks they had descended with, shaking his head.
“There is still time for confusion to give way to courage, Kendall,” Sabrina said softly as he moved past us. “For now why don’t we start with some much-needed education on our kind, and what she” – she placed her hand on my shoulder – “is meant to achieve?”
“All the information and education in the world is not going to result in strength or conviction,” he said shaking his head. “You know my opinion on this, Sabrina. There is only one solution to our problems, and it doesn’t involve a spineless Halfling.” He turned and walking away from us without looking back. Tirta and Aysel followed somewhat reluctantly.
Shannon paused behind her friends and placed a delicate hand on my wrist, whispering, “Don’t take Kendall too seriously, he has height issues.” She giggled and skipped off, her laughter echoing and reverberating around the cave.
“That was intense!” I commented as Sabrina continued to lead me around the cave.
“Yeah, your presence here is somewhat unsettling,” she replied, a frown creasing her face as she rubbed her hands together, staring at them as she did so. She was quiet as we walked across the central area beneath the tree, dropping over the side of the cliff without a word of instruction to me.
I got down carefully on my hands and knees and crawled inelegantly to the edge. Sabrina’s face popped up right in front of me, and I squeaked in fright.
“Coming?” she asked grinning, before she slipped into the gloom.
I carefully lowered myself over the edge of the cliff face, bumping my knees on the rock as my toes reached for the ledge below. The drop on the edge of the pathway I found myself on was immense, with a dank, old smell that crept upwards from its depths.
I hurried to catch up with Sabrina, an icy wind and a feeling of foreboding making my heart race and interfering with my inner monologue as I tried to sort through the expectations the Oceanids seemed to have for me. They hadn’t articulated what they wanted just yet, but they had let me know that they thought I was something very special. “I am just an ordinary teenager, camping with some friends,” I muttered under my breath.
I knew of course that this wasn’t true, because regardless of my surroundings I hadn’t been “just an ordinary teenager” since Brent’s death. It wasn’t just the grief that had sobered me beyond my years. It was more tangible than that, a physical… oddness, as if I was perhaps in the wrong place, or the wrong era, or the wrong body.
I pushed the uncomfortable thoughts aside and focused on my incredible surroundings.
We walked along the pathway carved into the cliff face, Sabrina holding a flaming torch alight as we went. The flame was comforting in some ways, and disturbing in others as it flickered and danced, creating deep shadows.
Pull yourself together, Alex, I told myself firmly, there is nothing creepy here. But my instincts said otherwise, and I’d learnt, in the last twenty-four hours, that my instincts were often right.
Chapter 14
Hatred
I stopped suddenly, snatching at Sabrina’s arm and jerking her backwards, outside a mini-cave entrance on the curve of the pathway.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone tense.
I pointed dumbfounded at the rim of the cave entrance, unable to ask the ludicrous question that was forming on my lips.
“Alexandra?” Sabrina came to stand in front of me.
“Are those…” I squinted in the dim flickering light at the rim of the cave door, as dozens of tiny rainbows sparkled on the floor in front of me, toying with my toes. Hundreds of stones had been carefully arranged in beautifully intricate patterns, swirling out from the cave entrance to create a mane of softly sparkling decorations.
“Are those diamonds?” I eventually managed to get out.
Sabrina laughed, sounding relieved. “Of course, silly. Nothing else sparkles like that.”
I gaped at her and she laughed again.
“Then, er, then the cave we were in earlier…” I drifted off in mid-sentence.
“Yes, some of those were diamonds too,” she replied. “Talita only lights that cave when we have very important guests.”
“Wow!” was all I could get out, as we continued to walk down the pathway. “Who’s here today that’s so important?” I stared in wonder at a beautiful blue entranceway, the blue stones clustered around intricately carved wood work depicting fantastical creatures.
“You of course.”
I shook my head, my brain trying to process everything.
“Sabrina, I’m just an ordinary teenager on a camping trip with my friends,” I told her, repeating the mantra that had kept me sane over the last few hours.
She laughed, the sound bubbling around her.
“You couldn’t be ordinary if you tried,” she replied “and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can stop behaving like a …” She used the same word Shannon had used to insult Kendall earlier.
“Where are we?” I asked, wanting to change the subject, and feeling disoriented as I tried to see the softly dappled sunlight that had lit the main cave.
“The cave we are in is shaped like an oblong amphitheatre,” replied Sabrina. “The tree marks the one side, there’s a great chasm in the middle, and the cave we were in earlier this morning, the opposite end.”
The dizzying drop on the side of the pathway we were walking on was emphasised by the soaring height of the cave walls on either side.
A lithe beautiful man emerged from the shadow of the cave, his movements reminding me of a stalking cat. Sabrina moved in front of me slightly, her back stiff.
“Sabrina.” Her name came out as a hiss between rows of sharp teeth.
She lifted her head and squared her shoulders.
“What do you want, Laine?” she asked, her tone hostile.
He took a step to the right and Sabrina mirrored him. He chuckled darkly and then in a blur was behind me. Before Sabrina could react, his breath hot on my cheek as he hissed, “What do I want?”
His hand rested on my neck, his finger nails digging into my skin painfully. I shuddered away from his touch, instantly terrified by his unprovoked and surprising hostility.
“Hmmm”, he replied, softening his hands on my skin and running them down my arms, pausing where his hand covered Sabrina’s and mine as she tried to pull me away from him.
I watched in shock as ice crystals crawled up each of our arms with alarming speed.
A thick mist suddenly surrounded us as Sabrina pulled me away from him, his clutching fingernails leaving groves in my shoulder and in the ice on my hand, deep enough to draw blood. I stumbled after Sabrina, surprised when she pushed me hurriedly over the ledge and back into the clearing with the fever tree.
“What was that?” I asked breathlessly, relieved to be in the light again.
“What was what?” asked a familiar voice. I turned to see Merrick leaning casually against the tree trunk watching us. A rush of relief at seeing him took me by surprise as Sabrina explained.
“Laine,” she muttered, staring at her hands again and brushing ice crystals off her skin.
Merrick hissed.
“I told you to be careful!” he said, his cheeks colouring, his expression furious.
Sabrina glared at him, but didn’t try to defend herself.
“Why was he so mean?” I asked shaken and upset, pressing my ice-cold palm onto the still stinging scratches. I needed answers, and quickly if I was going to survive the ever-changing and infinitely complex puzzle my life had suddenly become.
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