Blood for Atlantis

by Anna LaVerne

  When it all runs out, I open my eyes, looking for more. Morgan is ready for me. His bare arm oozes blood from a fresh wound. I don’t hesitate, latching my mouth on. I lick and suck the delicious red liquid until he pulls away from me. Instead of looking for more, I lay back down on the sofa and watch my men peer down at me with concern etched on their faces. Everything goes fuzzy just before my eyes close, and I fall into a deep sleep.

  4

  12 years ago

  “Meri! Get downstairs and eat. They are selecting students for the trials today!” My mother shouts from the kitchen, her voice echoing up the stone stairs to my small bedroom.

  I pull on my boots and place my blonde hair into a sloppy loose bun on top of my head. I pick up my worn third-generation weapons, attaching them strategically to my person. My dagger goes into a sheath on my thigh. I use two short swords that are placed in scabbards across my back. I hide a few small stealthy throwing daggers in my belt. There is always the small chance I will be called into the Ring for battle, and if so, I should be prepared.

  I take one last long in the mirror. My bright-blue eyes stare back at me above a slightly freckled nose. My brown leathers look as worn as my weapons, but we are distant daughters of Poseidon, several generations separated. We simply have to survive off of less. My mother doesn’t know who my father is, so it has been the two of us all of these years. There is no spare money or resources for better gear, leaving me to wear hand-me-downs that are at least a century old.

  When I step into the kitchen my mother turns from the stove, where I smell a morning meal of fish cooking. “What are you wearing? Today isn’t a Ring day. The first day is always to see who can shift. If you can’t shift, then you are cut immediately. They are looking for the new Key, Meri! Today is important,” her words barely register.

  “There is no way I am the Key,” I counter.

  “You don’t know that. Now go into my room and put on my blue dress. It will complement your fair skin and blue eyes,” I don’t argue with her. Some fights are not worth fighting even when you love to fight.

  I enter her room and see the blue grecian dress hanging from her closet door. If she knew that she wanted me to wear it, why did she let me dress in my leathers first? I undress, putting it on. I’m a little saddened, knowing that I probably won’t shift. I came of age ten years ago, yet I have successfully avoided all classes that see if one can change into a mermaid.

  Being such a distant daughter of Poseidon, I know there is very little chance I can change. My mother has always been sure to remind me that my relationship to the god does not determine whether I can shift or not. She can, and does. Mother makes a living working the night patrol around the barrier of Atlantis. Sometimes, she gets the indoor shift and swims through the lakes and rivers within Atlantis at night.

  I hide my dagger beneath my dress–attached to my thigh. I also stuff my throwing knives into a hidden strap below my bust. I may have to reach my hand into my dress to get to them, but at least I have them if needed.

  My food is ready on the table when I re-enter. My mother turns to inspect my clothing, “You are truly beautiful, Meri. I am proud of you. Now please remove the throwing knives from you breast.”

  “But, Mother, I may need them! The last Key was murdered. Enemies may break through the barrier at any moment. I need to be prepared,” I argue with a mouthful of delicious flaky fish.

  “There are plenty of warriors to hold the line, while you run home and get your weapons.” I can see the pride on her face and the smile she is trying to hide.

  Mother has told me we come from a long line of warrior mermaids, and I have taken it upon myself to be the best. With no confidence in my ability to shift, I have pushed myself and my two legs to the limit, learning every battle tactic available. I have mastered every weapon and continued to work as a student for years longer than my peers. My hard work has paid off as well, I have been selected to train under the best, Atlantis’ very own General Calisco.

  Well, at least I was until my name was thrown into the pile as a potential Key. I just want the selection process to get over, so I can get back to training.

  I observe my mother pinning her dark locks upon her head. She is beautiful, I don’t believe I have even half of her beauty. She is curvy in all the right places with young supple skin and sultry dark eyes. It is amazing she is a guard when she looks more fit to be a princess or queen. It is odd that she has never married or even dated since I was born almost forty years ago. She says she doesn’t even know who my father is, only that it doesn’t matter.

  “Are you ready?” she asks me.

  “Yes, Mother,” I reply dutifully.

  She exits our small two story home–perched on top of a lone hill away from the rest of the town. I follow her, admiring how her hips sway when she walks. She could have had any man from any island in Atlantis, instead she chose to stay back and raise me. I am envious of her appeal because I am hardened from training. It would surprise me if any man looked at me the way they look at my mother.

  My mother catches me staring at her, “Don’t worry, Meri, your body will change when you shift. Your refusal to try has kept you from developing.”

  “I don’t think I could face myself, if I failed to change,” I reply underneath my breath.

  “You will change. There is no way with me as your mother that you wouldn’t.” She places her hand on my cheek. Her words are kind, but my mother is an outcast, a distant daughter, and that leaves me with little hope.

  “Now when they call your name today, you will have to go in the water. You will have no choice, your first time has to be in front of everyone.”

  “That helps my nerves tons. Thanks,” I say with a sarcastic undertone. “What happens to those who shift?” My curiosity gets the best of me as we continue our walk.

  “They will ask you to drink a wine. If you enjoy it, and your fangs appear, you are deemed pure enough to be a Key.”

  I scoff at her description of the wine. All rumors indicate that pure mermaids need blood. I look to the sky and see an ocean full of merpeople swimming above. The landborn. Not all of them will gain admittance to Atlantis. Only those of a god’s bloodlines are allowed to enter. However, the land born are still one of us. They can gain admittance from completing exceptional tasks, being a superior warrior, or by being chosen by a pure mermaid or merman. Only a few ever gain admittance.

  Whoever is proven to be the new Key will get to select four landborn mermen, or sirens. Sirens are mermen or mermaids with the gift of song to control others. All pure mermaids and mermen are also sirens. Not all landborn are. Neither are all Atlanteans.

  The number of landborn swimming above Atlantis has cast a shadow across the land. Atlantis is made up of several small islands and one large island. We live on one of the smaller ones. I continue to follow my mother through the crowds until we reached a ferry reserved for those who may be chosen.

  “‘Bout time you got here, Harper. The others have been begging me to leave, but I refused to leave without ya,” the tall burly Atlantean says to my mother.

  “Much appreciated, Peter. My daughter and I are running a bit behind. We are glad to make it.” My mother smiles one of her infectious smiles. Peter blushes and closes the ferry gate after we step on.

  There are only a handful of potential Keys upon the boat. Our island is the last stop before reaching the main island. So, we only have a ten minute ride to the end point. I make no effort to talk to anyone. They all look down upon me, anyways. I let my eyes trail out across the Atlantean Sea. A sea beneath an ocean. It is a magic I have always been familiar with. I learned about the lands above the ocean throughout my schooling, but never had a desire to visit the land, myself. I was told we will age faster the more time spent on land, anyways.

  “Main land approaching. Prepare for docking!” Peter yells out over the ferry.

  I square my shoulders, taking a deep breath. I turn toward the dock, and my mother stops me, “You
know I cannot go with you into the Ring,” I nod. She has never gone onto the main island. I never fooled myself that today would be different.

  “I want you to wear this,” she reaches into her pocket and brings forth a golden necklace with a large stone pendant. My eyes go wide.

  “Mother! Where did you get that?”

  “Shh, it is an heirloom that only you and I should have. You will need it today to take your proper place on the main island.” She places the necklace around my neck, and it warms against my skin.

  “Proper place? What are you talking about?” I question her.

  “There is no time to explain now, and I never found the right time to explain before.” Regret makes a quick pass over her pretty face.

  “Come on, girls, you need to get going,” Peter interrupts us.

  “Go, now. You can’t be late. Today is your day. I know it.” My mother begins pushing me from the ferry.

  “I wish you could be there to watch.”

  “Me too, Meri. I love you,” She shoves me one last time, urging me off of the boat and onto the dock.

  It almost feels like a goodbye, but I will return tonight. I have to. My mother has bright tears in her eyes as the ferry begins to back away into the sea.

  “Go, Meri! You can’t be late,” she shouts.

  “Love you, mother! I will be home tonight.” She waves me on.

  I waste no more time, turning to weave through the crowd towards the Ring. When the first bell tolls, I know I may be late after all, and I break out into a full-on run.

  5

  My strong legs carry me along the old cobblestone streets, ducking and diving through the throngs of people with my blue dress billowing behind. I stretch to see the walls of the Ring above the crowd to judge how far away I have yet to travel. In doing so, I run into the back of a tall lean man wearing foreign clothing. When he turns around, looking down upon me, my entire world stops.

  He is different. He wears dark-rimmed glasses, an odd shirt with short sleeves, and jeans. I have heard of jeans before, but have never seen them. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to press this landborn male about his life. I am running late.

  “So sorry, I am running late to the Ring.” I try to dodge past him, but he blocks my way.

  “I am running late, too. Do you mind if I follow you, and then you can point the way to the landborn for me? My name is Aden.” His accent is sexy.

  “Yes, come on, we have to enter through the back.” When I grab his hand, the stone about my neck warms, and I am taken with an odd desire that I can’t even begin to explain, as I have never felt anything like it before.

  I pull him along behind me, and we go around the edge. When we reach the side door, a large merman stands guarding it with arms crossed and muscles bulging. He wears nothing but sandals and a gladiator kilt.

  “I am here for the choosing.”

  “Name?” he asks.

  “Meri, daughter of Harper from the seventh isle.”

  “You can pass.” I nod my thanks, and I wait to see what happens to the landborn.

  “Landborn, name is Aden. I got lost.”

  “Go right, two more doors down is yours, landborn.”

  I watch as Aden heads the other way before I take off in a run down the dark stone halls that go beneath the Ring’s bleachers. I have only been here once before, as a student. I was given directions where to go once my name was drawn as a potential Key. Rounding the corner, I climb the stairs and squeeze past a line of people, bursting forth into the Ring.

  Thousands of people are cheering all around me. I run to the center of the Ring and notice I am nowhere near the other potentials. They are lined up across the Ring at the edge of the water. The Ring exists half over the sea and half over the land. I have no choice but to finish my run across the field and join them before the ceremony commences.

  I try not focusing on the thousands of people watching me arrive late. I take the end spot in the line of potentials facing the water. There is a bridge over the back, set high with the pure mermaids, and in the center, is a larger than life bronze skinned, bearded man–Poseidon.

  “Each of you will take your turn stripping your clothing and entering the water. We do not expect all of you to shift. Even if you can shift in the ocean, it does not mean you will be able to shift in this sea.”

  Oh great, I am going to get to try my first shift in some special sea water that not every mermaid can shift in. I glance down the line at the other potentials. I only recognize a couple of them. I am older than most.

  “Step forward,” the same man upon the bridge says. No one moves. “You there, step forward and give us your name.”

  I look at the other girls and then get hit with the realization that the man is talking to me. I unintentionally placed myself at the front of the line not the back. Squaring my shoulders, I take a step forward.

  “Meri, daughter of Harper of the seventh isle.” I give my most gracious bow.

  My eyes glance upwards when I hear gasps of surprise. All of the pures are now on the edge of their seats watching me intently. I look to the center of them all, to the god, Poseidon. He is the only one not displaying any interest. I return his intent glare.

  “Please strip your clothing, Meri of the seventh isle.”

  My attention never leaves Poseidon. I nod and undo the pin on the shoulder of my dress, causing the grecian gown to fall to the ground. I can sense the eyes of thousands of people upon my back. To keep my calm, I continue to match the gaze of the god before me.

  “Now step into the water,” the man directs his voice through the Ring.

  Since coming of age, I have not once been submerged in water. I take showers only to avoid the disappointment of not being able to shift. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Time to face my fears.

  It only takes three steps to touch water. I look down upon my feet now sinking into the soft sand beneath the cool water. Using all of my mental strength, I urge myself on into the deeper water. Once the water comes to my waist, I sense the start of my change.

  My feet disappear from beneath me, and I am pulled beneath the water. I try to fight it, swinging my arms in every direction in an attempt to pull myself back above the water. The tingles wash over me, calming my attempts. When I open my eyes, I am beneath the water.

  Following my instinct, I swim to deeper water to protect myself. I’m not ready to emerge and face the crowd, the pures, and Poseidon. My tail is at least ten feet long. I am a giant of a mermaid. The colors shimmer a blue, green, and purple with an iridescent pink between each perfect scale. I note the fins on my arms and my pretty claws.

  They grab for the stone necklace given to me by my mother. I hold it tight in my hand, feeling the warmth in the cool sea. I have to resurface, they are waiting for me. I wish my mother was here to coach me through this change, but she isn’t. I am on my own.

  With two giant swishes of my tail, I resurface. The crowds around the Ring erupt in deafening cheers. I glance up into the balcony. No one appears surprised. Poseidon gives me a curt nod. When I pull myself up on the beach, I shift back into my land-friendly form. A woman rushes forward with my gown, covering me swiftly. She guides me to the edge of the Ring, sitting me down on a long bench.

  No one says anything to me as the other ladies take their turn in the water. My necklace warms against my skin again, and I yearn for understanding of what it means. I turn my attention back to the pures and note that many of their eyes are still on me. Even Poseidon, himself, keeps glancing my way. There is something, that mother never told me. She was trying to tell me on the ferry. My stomach drops when I register she may have been saying goodbye.

  I am not ready to leave the seventh isle. I never thought I would make it past the first shift. Soon, another girl sits down next to me, and it is taking all of my strength to not let her see my panic.

  Her striking green eyes are exquisite as is her perfect round face. She is wearing a red dress that is the same style as my ow
n. Her only adornment is a snake cuff upon her bare upper arm.

  “I didn’t know any of the pures would be chosen. It is nice to meet you, I am Jewel.” She holds out her hand, introducing herself to me.

  “Meri. Who is the pure?” I ask, looking around.

  “Well, you are! You wear a necklace of Amphitrite’s own line.”

  “Impossible. I grew up on the seventh isle. None of her direct children would live out there,” I retort.

  Jewel shrugs, “You don’t have to keep the act up for me. I am a serpent. One of the more deadly siren family clans.”

  “I have heard of your family,” I respond nonchalantly.

  “Everyone has. We are a rather mischievous bunch.”

  “The most entertaining kind,” I smile back at her.

  “Looks like three in a row have failed. It may just be you and I for the wine test,” Jewel observes.

  “More will pass. That is why they have so many.”

  Sure enough, as the day turns into afternoon, only eight of the thirty potentials make it past the first test. The pure mermaids make their way down to bleachers on the grass. The same male who led us in the water challenge gestures for a woman to lead us forward.

  We are lined up one behind the other, and a tall woman dressed in a black dress with matching scarf covering her face strides forward holding a clear wine glass full of a thick red liquid. The smell of iron from the blood makes me want to retch. I turn my head in disdain bringing my eyes to the green grass beneath my feet.

  “Meri of the seventh isle, you are first.”

  I step forward, knowing what I have to do, but not liking it one bit. Though, my stubborness refuses to show my disgust in this moment. Stepping forward I stare down the tall haughty blonde in the black dress. She hands me the glass. The smell makes my head light and my stomach flip. I don’t even have to take a drink before pain erupts from my mouth, and I hiss.

  My free hand covers my mouth as my eyebrows scrunch in confusion. The woman turns towards the other pures saying nothing more than, “She passes the test.”