“What does it say?”
“The Order is happy that you, Thessalonike of Macedonia, have awakened from your most recent rest. Please be aware that Roxana, your sister-in-law, continues her quest and intends to enlist your help in reviving your brother, whether you agree or not. She is on the island and has your brother’s bones. Undoubtedly, you will want to resist her, but please be advised that warfare near the Sirens Gate is forbidden. Anonymity is a top priority of the Order. We are sure you understand the need for such precautions. Please know that the Order intends to stay out of this disagreement, and we advise you to keep the fighting to a minimum. It may be best to find ways to amicably agree on some terms that satisfy you both. It is time to end this long feud.” I could not believe what I was reading. Was this a government document or instructions from the Order?
“While we do not support Roxana, we must warn you again: do not put our sanctuary at risk. If you are unable to protect it, you will force us to find a solution of our own. These words are issued by the Order. Heed them.”
Shocked by the message, I stared at it a full minute before I crumpled it up into a ball and tossed it on the floor. “What does that mean? If they don’t want me to defend myself, why did they send you? Why was I awakened? They could have left me to sleep—Roxana could have killed me as a human, and I would never have known any of this. What is happening with the Order?”
“Something is wrong.” He sat on the wooden chair awkwardly, his elbows on his knees. He clapped his hands angrily. “Faydra sent me. She specifically told me to protect the gate and to protect you. But there was something different about the request.” My eyes widened as I listened to his warm voice. I pulled my hair over one shoulder and twisted a strand as I sat at my white painted wooden desk, my feet in the chair.
“What do you mean?”
“You are not their number one priority, princess. I don’t think they will protect you as they once would have. The Sirens Gate is the last gate. Its value is greater than the threat of a re-emerging Alexander. At least as they see it.”
I sat in the chair opposite him staring at the two green apples in the bowl between us. “So I am expendable now?”
“It appears so. This scroll is a warning.”
“How could the Order be so weak now? What has happened? I don’t know if this is related, but my last Awakening was difficult. Their magic didn’t help as it once had. I still cannot recall the details from my last incarnation. I can remember the old lives, but not the most recent ones.”
He grunted in agreement. “The human Faydra spoke through struggled against her. It was strange. I have never seen her lose control of a host before. I remember when she did not need one. I hate to say this, but her power has diminished.”
“That is odd. I haven’t seen Faydra for hundreds of years.”
“No one has. She no longer appears to us in her original form. She always uses hosts now, a trick she learned about five hundred years ago.”
“Stranger still. Something is wrong.” Heliope snorted in her sleep and turned in the bed. “Maybe when our drunken goddess wakes up she can tell us what happened. If she knows.”
“I have no use for goddesses, drunken or otherwise.” Ramara walked out of the room, rubbing the tattoos on his wrists.
I don’t know why, but I followed him out the door. He walked outside, flipping off the back porch light as he did. I liked that. It was completely dark out here, except for one light shining from Targetti’s bike shop. I had half a mind to sing a note or two, just enough to burst the bulb, but I’d just been warned, hadn’t I? I had to keep my anonymity. The island was cloaked with magic that hid the truth about many of its residents. Most of its residents. Ah yes, there were many of us here on Dauphin Island. This place had become a refuge for ocean-kind. I began to scan through the people I knew and wondered who was truly who? We were an island of supernatural beings, living peacefully alongside the human residents, but that worked only if the humans believed we were humans too.
But I had no intention of lying down on the stones under the gate and allowing Roxana to slice my wrists and drain my blood. Never!
I watched Ramara stand by the water’s edge. I saw him breathe in and breathe out, taking strength from the water. Yes, we were Oceanid creatures. This was who we were. These weren’t the waters of our beloved Mediterranean Sea. No, these were darker, wilder and full of strange Gulf Coast creatures. Harmless, for the most part, except for the supernatural creatures that used to call this place home.
Most islanders these days had no idea that Dauphin Island had once been called Massacre Island for a very different reason than the one they taught the local schoolchildren. Not simply because Native Americans had a battle here, but because there had been a civil war between vampires and humans. The humans lost, but the vamps hadn’t lived long afterward. We came and vanquished them, claiming the island as our own. We could never allow vampires to guard the Sirens Gate. That would be obscene. We drew exceptional powers from the waters, while that particular band of vamps were air creatures. It had been a tremendous battle—they had the numbers, but we had the strength. At least we did back then.
In long days gone by, I had thought of much simpler things, like what to wear to my brother’s coronation: a gold dress or a blue one? Should I toss coins into Hecate’s fountain for luck or take those coins and drop them over the cliff as an offering to the sea goddess? I longed for those simpler times, but as far as I knew, no creature had the power to go back in time. The past was forbidden to all. Yes, things had been simpler then.
My favorite treats then had been raisin cakes. And how I loved chasing my brother’s chariots on my thin brown legs as he left for another victory. When I first met Cassander, I had loved him before I knew he had a beast’s heart pounding in his chest.
I stood in silence beside Ramara and stared off, recalling with perfect clarity one particular day.
***
Greece, 1320 BC
“Alexander, Alexander! Please let me ride in the chariot with you. Look, I am dressed for it.” I ran my hands over my white leather breastplate. It had been form-fitted for my birdlike body, and the leather worker had done an excellent job defining my muscles and figure. I had few curves, but the white leather made me appear strong and ready to do battle. Or so I thought.
“Out of the way now, Thessalonike.” Roxana smiled down at me and took my hand, leading me from the golden carriage decked with blue ribbons. “You can wear your armor tonight at the banquet. Young Cassander will undoubtedly like seeing you look so fierce.”
“You like it, Roxana?” I asked nervously. Her opinion mattered to me. Roxana was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, and I wanted her approval. I wanted to be like her in every way.
Or I had. That was before. I remembered another day quite well.
It had been after Alexander had taken to his sick bed. He had returned to us from Babylon in a litter, arriving at night instead of in the middle of the day as had been planned. There were no victory parades, no train of elephants or other exotic animals. A mysterious fever struck him down and nearly took his life. But just as before, it could not kill him. My brother seemed immortal. No matter how sick he was, he always recovered. I had no reason to think this would be any different. One day, I brought him fresh water and a small tray of food. He sat up and smiled when he saw me, and the sight of it filled my heart with joy.
“My own sister. How lovely you look today. Like a queen, but you are not yet a queen. What is taking Cassander so long?”
“He says he wants to build his kingdom before he takes me home to his land, brother. I respect him for that.” I blushed as I put the tray in his lap.
“Time is precious, Nike.” He bit into the green fruit and chewed, observing me carefully. “Did you know the Egyptian kings, pharaohs, do not marry commoners? They marry their sisters. What do you think of that?”
I laughed nervously. “Shocking!” I said as I poured his water. “How
uncivilized, Alexander.”
“Not so shocking, I think. It is good to be loved by your sister. See? Here you are, serving me water and fresh fruit. Here to care for me. Isn’t that the best kind of love, sister?” I refused to look at him but instead walked away, leaving his question unanswered. Obviously the mysterious Egyptian disease had him thinking crazy things. He would never have suggested such a thing to me before. I turned to call his servant when Roxana stood before me, blocking my way out of the bedchamber. Her dark hair hung loose around her shoulders, a golden headband crown upon her head. She had eyes that saw deep within my soul. I was afraid she had heard and misinterpreted Alexander’s fevered words. I would never want to be the wife of my own brother. The idea disgusted me, as I knew it would Alexander if he were well.
“I, well, I brought him fruit and water. I’d better go now.”
“Yes, I suppose you should, but maybe I should check your skirts first.” Roxana stepped close to me and smelled the skin on my neck. “I can smell him on you, sister.” I pulled away in surprise, my skin flushing bright red with embarrassment.
“Why do you say such things? Do you have a fever too?” I asked her, hoping she would finally move. I was backed against the table behind me, and there was nowhere else I could go. She would have to move so I could leave. Something here was wrong. Very wrong.
“You want it, don’t you? He found it, did he tell you? The Immortal Waters! They are not just some old wives’ tale. My brave husband found them, and now he’s hiding them from me. We must not let him die, Thessalonike, must we? Would you be willing to help me heal him? We must force him to drink those waters. Where are they?”
“I do not know, sister-in-law. I swear to you.” She didn’t look like she believed me, but she said nothing. “But I will help you look for them. We must not let Alexander die.”
“Very well, Thessalonike. I will hold you to your word. Come back tonight when the moon is full and high above the sea. I am depending on you.”
“Yes, you can depend on me,” I called behind me as I ran out of the room. What in the world was happening?
***
“Hey!” Ramara called to me without looking back. He had removed the t-shirt he’d borrowed from me earlier, and his wings were half extended from his back.
So much for keeping a low profile, I thought. “What is it?”
“That ship. Do you hear that sound? Listen!”
“What are you—” I stopped immediately. I heard it too. I knew that song. That was the Mariner’s Dirge, one of Roxana’s songs. She did love her dirges. Although the boat was hundreds of yards away in the darkness, I could hear it plainly. I also heard the winds of a supernatural storm brewing out on the water, a storm created by an angry siren who was doing all she could to draw me into a fight. She was about to get her wish.
“You stay here, princess. Remember the Order’s warning. Stay here.”
“Sure,” I lied to him. As soon as he dove into the water, I dove in behind him. Soon, Meri was beside me and we were racing together toward the boat with Ramara. My siren’s hearing had returned. I could hear many familiar voices on the vessel. That was Captain Todd Stuckey’s boat, the Hornet’s Nest, and he was calling Mayday. Ramara burst out of the water, his wings unfurled fully now. I bobbed up quietly, aggravated that he would reveal our arrival so openly. I mean, I wanted Roxana to see me, know that I was coming, but I wanted to keep hidden from the humans on the boat. Ramara knew I was there, for he allowed me to hear his thoughts: “Damn spoiled princess.”
“Hey, I can hear you, jerk.”
“Then you should listen before you get these people hurt.”
“I didn’t start this, Ramara.”
“No, but I am going to finish it right now, Thessalonike.”
Roxana’s dark head appeared above the waters. In a flat second she spotted me. She was glowing with power under the water near the bow of the boat. She tilted her head back and sang louder now; a vortex of wind and water responded and spun faster on the left side of the boat. The boat creaked and popped as if it would burst into a thousand pieces in seconds. It listed so far at one point that I was certain it would sink.
“Stop this, Roxana! This is about you and me. Leave these humans alone.”
She did not answer me but kept singing and winding her hands in a small circle, shaping the waves and the water. She slid slowly up out of the water; if I didn’t know it was simply a trick, I would have thought she was standing on the waves. Her black gown clung to her lithe body, and her dark hair was plastered to her pale skin. I could feel her anger and hate.
“Enough of this,” I said. With my mind, I summoned Meri who swam beneath me. “Call our friends, Meri.” Immediately I felt waves of love hit me, and she began to seek targets in the water around us. A few seconds later those love waves then returned, and they slowed down Roxana’s rage for a few seconds. That gave me enough time to come up with another idea.
“Meri!” She popped up beside me looking fierce, her eyes vivid and deep blue now. She stared at Roxana, who continued to manipulate the water and wind with her fingers. “Send your love toward the men in the boat. I will help you! Let’s do it on the count of three! 1- 2- 3!” I did not have the precise ability that Meri did, but I focused on our task and offered a wave of love to them. Heavy waves of love struck the men, and I could feel their fear dissipate despite their dangerous circumstances. As they fell under our spell, I began to sing a love song against Roxana without worrying that I would enchant them. My song would weaken her power temporarily and eventually stop her magic’s influence if I could just maintain my focus. Meri’s love waves would protect the men and keep them spellbound long enough for me to counteract my enemy siren’s song. We sang against one another for a few minutes, and Meri never let up on her love waves. I did not know how we would break this standoff, but I could not back down now. Slowly we began to drift toward one another. Suddenly, Ramara dove from the sky and hit the deck with a crash. I screamed in surprise and heard Roxana laugh as she disappeared under the waves.
The storm stopped raging, the waters grew calm and I climbed like a madwoman onto the boat. “No, Meri. It is too dangerous. Stay in the water.” Some of the crew lay on the deck of the boat as if they were still experiencing Meri’s seductive love. I found Ramara lying on the deck; his wings were retracted now, thankfully, but he was knocked out cold. I slapped him in his face hoping he would wake. After a few seconds, he did.
“So you do care…” he flirted with me.
“What?” Then it dawned on me. He wouldn’t have been protected by Meri’s love waves. He heard my song loud and clear, and he’d been enchanted. No wonder he fell out of the sky like a rock.
“I knew you wanted me,” he purred, pawing at my wet breasts.
Slapping his hands away, I said, “You knocked yourself stupid. What kind of move was that, eloi? You could have killed yourself, not to mention drowned the crew. Don’t you know how to protect yourself from a siren’s song?”
“It worked, didn’t it? Help me up,” he said in a sexy voice.
Embarrassed, I stood up and shook my head. “Help yourself and get yourself together. We have to get out of here.”
The captain walked over to us on drunken legs with a goofy grin on his face. It was clear he was still under the influence of the mermaid’s enchantment. Hm…that might work in our favor.
“What happened?” he asked, slurring his words. “I mean, I saw what happened, but I can’t believe it. Was he flying? Is he dead?”
“Um, no. He’s alive. He didn’t fall far. We were in the chopper above you. Didn’t you see us?”
“What chopper? I didn’t see any chopper.”
“Well, I was in it with my friend Ramar—I mean, Ray here. We thought we could rescue you, but the storm was too much for me. Ray fell out, and I crashed the chopper. But I’m a new pilot, so… I probably shouldn’t have tried landing on your boat during a storm.” I spoke in a soft, monotone voice, hoping
to extend the magic a bit. Ramara stared at me in complete disbelief.
The captain blinked at me, his mind struggling with what he had seen. He said, “Well, you were close. Thank you for trying, Nik. It was a brave thing to do. Talk about a squall. Hey, you okay, buddy? Ray, is it? Lost your shirt and shoes, huh? Well, it could have been worse. Hey, Gates! Do a head count! Is everyone okay?”
He walked off like he’d been hit with fairy dust, if you believed in that sort of thing. It had been a long time since I had planted memories, but it seemed to work.
Ramara stood close to me and whispered. I could hear him plainly now that the wind had died and the water had calmed. “I can’t believe he bought that ridiculous story.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t have enough sense to protect yourself from a siren’s song. I mean, how are you going to protect me if you can’t even manage that?”
“A funny siren. That’s a new one.” He shook his head and arched his back against some obvious pain he wasn’t up to admitting. “How about letting me make up the ridiculous stories from now on. Who’s going to believe that you’re a pilot?”
“Do you know what year it is, eloi? Women do things like fly now.”
“I do know what year it is, but that doesn’t mean a thing. Some things never change. I have never met a woman who could properly drive a chariot or anything else.”
“That’s it. I’m going home, jerk. See you later. Why don’t you make up a story about where I went? Or is that too easy for you?”
Before waiting for an answer, I dove into the water. Meri put her arm around me, and together we swam back to my home. Once we arrived I felt less angry but tired. Very tired. I surfaced and sat on the sand, allowing my gills to empty.
Blue Water (The Nike Chronicles Book 1) Page 6