by Anna LaVerne
“She hasn’t even taken a drink,” one on the lower benches protests.
The woman in front of me moves for them to better see, “Show them, child,” she demands.
I shake my head.. Everyone in the stadium is silent with anticipation.
“Show them,” she orders again.
My hand falls away, and I hiss at all of them in anger. The tension in the Ring explodes into a rush of voices. It is in that moment, my mouth begins to salivate with the need to drink the blood.
I pour it into my mouth, gulping it down all at once. The blood runs down my chin. I let none go to waste. My nails turn into very pretty and very sharp talons. I scrape the extra blood from my face and then suck it off, savoring the flavor.
“She did well, take her to her rooms,” the woman orders.
The world spins around me. My legs are wobbly, and my heart is beating out of my chest. Two women move in to help me to my feet. I am in no condition to argue as they lead me down the same entrance I ran through hours before.
A wagon approaches pulled by two black majestic horses. When Poseidon sunk Atlantis, all of the animals within the islands came with it. So, we have horses, chickens, cows, sheep, dogs, and cats. How can I be thinking about animals when I just drank blood, been told I am from Amphitrite’s line, and shifted into a very large mermaid?
The two women help me into the wagon. One places a scarf upon my head to cover my face from any people we may pass. Only pure mermaid’s identities are hidden on the public streets. Another wave of dizziness hits me. Who is my mother, and what secrets did she keep from me?
“Are we going to the ferry?” I ask the two women.
“No, my lady. We were told to prepare your rooms at the palace,” the one with red hair responds.
My senses are slowly returning to me, “What? I have never even been into the palace. I would much rather return to my house and come back for the trials tomorrow.”
“My name is Ari, and I am sorry to tell you, but the next trial won’t happen for another week. I will be your maid through the transition.”
Ari is obviously a sweet girl, probably about my own age. I wonder if she can shift as well. Probably not, or she wouldn’t be a servant.
“What transition?”
“Well, to the court, of course. They marked you as pure. You didn’t even have to drink the wine to show your true nature.”
“You know as well as I, it isn’t wine.”
“True, but you have to admit it sounds better than blood,” she teases under her breath.
“Where does the blood come from?”
“Don’t worry, it is donated from mermen and mermaids. Mostly landborn who want to enter Atlantis at least once in their lives. Even if they are not granted permanent stay.”
“I met my first landborn today,” I state absentmindedly. “He said that he is competing to be one of the Key’s men. When do their challenges start?”
“After the Key is chosen,” Ari answers.
Our wagon pulls up to a blue palace that rises so high the reflection of the water above Atlantis reflects off of the ramparts and swirling towers. I am in awe of its beauty and how the edges naturally flow together like the sea.
“Do all potentials stay here?” I ask.
“No, only gods or true demigods.”
“Which one am I?”
“Well, if you are who I think you are, then you are a demigoddess at the very least,” Ari responds.
“Who do you think I am?”
“You don’t know?” she asks, and I shake my head no.
“Let us get you to the room Amphitrite wants you to have. Then we can discuss it. There are ears everywhere, and I am not sure how much she wants others to know.” Ari takes my hand, gently tugging me into the palace.
We walk up winding stairs to the main doors. A man standing guard opens one for us. Upon entry, Ari doesn’t give me a chance to tary and observe my new surroundings. She pulls me along through hallway after hallway with paintings on the walls.
We go up more stairs decorated with seashells. The walls, like the stairs, are glass mosaic. This palace is sea themed and whimsical in every sense of the word. The final hallway we enter has a clear dome ceiling that looks out upon the ocean above us. I force her to stop as I stare in awe.
“Can the landborn up above see us?”
“No, I am told all they see is a mirror.”
“That is a relief. I would hate feeling watched.”
“Trust me, everyone will be watching you from here on out. You are a ghost of a woman who turned the gods’ court on its head,” Ari says.
“What do you mean?”
“In here, this is your room.” Ari opens a golden door.
I follow her in and can feel my jaw drop to the floor. I have a domed ceiling just like the hallway. There is a giant round bed with a dark-purple canopy on one side of the room. On the other, is a vanity and a large wardrobe.
“Your bathroom and shower are through that door.” Ari points.
My fingers gently caresses the large soft bed, “This is really mine?”
“Yes, and I suppose it will be indefinitely.”
“Who am I, Ari?” I ask her again, hoping in the privacy of my room, she will tell me what she knows.
6
“You are Harper’s daughter. The question is who is your mother?”
I am on the edge of the bed with curiosity, “So, is Harper not my mother?”
“One of the daughters of Amphitrite.”
“No, that is impossible. That makes me a goddess,” I shake my head.
“Well, that depends on who your father is. At the very least, you are the granddaughter of the goddess of the Sea, Amphitrite, and that is some powerful mojo. I am surprised they are willing to let you be a Key,” Ari says, being frank with me.
“When do you think I will learn more?” I ask.
“Who knows? I can never guess what the gods are up to.”
“What do I do now? I have brought nothing with me. I don’t know where to get food, clothing to train in, and what about my weapons?”
I pace the large room, “Isn’t there a way I can go home just to get my things?”
“I’m sorry, there really isn’t,” Ari’s eyes betray that she wishes she could do something to help.
“Am I a prisoner?”
“No, of course not, but I don’t have the resources to get you home, and this is where you belong.”
“Well, it is too early for bed. If I had my weapons I would train, but I don’t even have those. All I have to wear is this stupid dress,” I gesture at the blue gown. “Do you think you can take me around the city a bit?”
Ari appears choose her words with care, “Look, I don’t think it is safe for a potential to go gallivanting around Atlantis without protection. But what I will do is show you around the palace and give you something to do through the afternoon. You will most likely get tired halfway through, anyways. I have been told your first shift is exhausting. I think everyone within the Ring was able to discern it was your first shift, too. Your arms were flailing everywhere in pure panic,” Ari chuckles to herself.
“Yeah, thanks, didn’t need to know that. Do you have anything more casual for me to change into?” I ask.
“No, not yet. I will let them know of your wish for weapons and more comfortable clothing. Now, let’s get going.”
I follow Ari out the door, admiring her long red hair. She is very pretty. Once again, I find myself being envious of others’ looks. I am built so strongly and plain in comparison. Mother said I would change, but I don’t feel like I have changed at all. I subconsciously rub my hands down my body to feel around, and everything is still the same. Right down to my small perky boobs.
“You reside in the west wing of the palace. This is where all guests tend to stay. The good news is, you will see new faces on the regular. Bad news is, there really isn’t any. This is one of my favorite halls. I love the skylight and how I can watch fi
sh and mermaids swim above.” Ari stops to stare in her moment of whimsy.
“I, too, like the light. It is a nice addition to the wing.”
Ari’s green eyes light up, “Follow me, you are going to love this room!” She sprints down the hall, and I easily match her stride for stride. At the end, are two golden doors which she swings open.
I walk in to find floor to ceiling books of all kinds, a library, “Isn’t it magnificent?” Ari twirls about the room.
“I am not much into libraries, but this one is exceptionally beautiful,” I respond as I take in every golden ledge and piece of extravagance. There are book shelves stacked upon bookshelves lining the walls of the rounded room.
“It gets better.” Ari gestures for me to follow her up a winding staircase.
We climb to the top of the room, and I watch as Ari opens a latch in the ceiling and see how it folds down into stairs.
“Is this a secret rooftop?” I ask.
“Kind of, more like a secret rooftop garden,” she smiles.
I climb the stairs and emerge upon a large circular garden. We are so close to the ocean barrier, someone taller than me would be able to touch it. There are hedges around the edges with flowers decorating them. Because of the hedges, we are only visible to those who may be swimming above the Atlantis barrier.
“Why did you show me this? You could have kept it yours forever,” I ask, shifting my gaze from the intricately tiled path that spirals around the garden to Ari.
“You will need a place like this while you are here. The gods and pure mermaids are wolves. I have worked here a very long time, and they are vicious. Don’t trust any of them. Stay true to who you are, and keep your focus on the end goal,” Ari warns.
“What is the end goal?” Ari’s face scrunches in confusion.
“Being the Key! As the Key, you are untouchable.”
“But the last Key was murdered,” I argue.
“Yes, but it wasn’t a pure who did that. That was done by someone on the outside who wanted in.”
“Can I trust you, Ari?”
She closes her eyes and releases a big sigh, “No, I’m sorry, but you can’t. If any pure asks me for the truth, I must give it or lose my position. They have ways to tell if I am lying. I won’t ever take the risk. What I am able to do is offer the advice I have already given you and a place to find peace when the world is spinning around you.”
I nod my understanding, “Thank you for that.”
Fatigue begins to work it’s way through my bones, and a bench beckons me to sit. Once I sit, I lift my legs onto the bench lying down ready to curl into a ball and rest.
“Oh no you don’t,” Ari grabs my arm in an attempt to pull me to my feet.
“Stop it, I need to rest, I am exhausted,” I counter.
“Then rest in your room! If you fall asleep here, they will find you, and I will get in trouble for not leaving you in your room. So, we both would lose.”
“Fine,” I push her arm off of me and climb to my feet, “Let’s go.”
Ari stays near, ready to catch me in case I stumble in my fatigue. She even insists on traveling down the stairs first. I don’t have the strength to argue, so she might be onto something. We make it to my room without me needing her help or randomly falling asleep in the hallway.
“Let me get you out of that dress,” Ari suggests.
I brush her off, “I have nothing else to wear.”
“You will have new clothing in the morning, what does it hurt to sleep in the nude?”
I sigh and stretch my arms above my head allowing Ari to remove the blue dress my mother made me wear just this morning. I climb into the soft bed, pulling the heavy decadent covers over my bare body.
“Do you want me to wake you for dinner? Never mind that question, I will be back in an hour or two with food.”
I moan something in response just before hearing the door close. Part of me wishes I was home, but the other part of me recognizes it was my time to leave, and now my future lies within the hands of Amphitrite and Poseidon.
“Wake up, Meri. ‘Tis late, and you need to eat after your first shift.”
I wiggle under my cover, “What if I don’t want to?”
“Amphitrite insisted that I sit here until you eat. I went back to work, and the first thing she did was ask me if you ate. So, here I am waking you up to let you know ‘tis time to eat,” Ari has a serious attitude.
“Why does Amphitrite care whether I sleep or eat?”
“I don’t know, but being in her sight can be dangerous. We all call the mermaids ‘Daughters of Poseidon,’ but we should remember they are also ‘Daughters of Amphitrite.’”
“Ah, I always thought it made more sense to celebrate being born of a woman more than a man. Did you bring me some clothing?”
“No, I will have it in the morning. Now sit up and eat,” Ari snaps.
“Why are you so mad at me?” I tuck the sheet underneath my arms to keep my breasts covered as I sit up in the bed, and Ari places a try of food down upon my lap.
“I had plans to meet someone tonight. Here, she said you would need to drink this as well,” Ari holds out a goblet, and the iron scent of blood drifts to my nose.
I shake my head, “I don’t need it. I’m not pure.”
“You must be pure, or you wouldn’t need it. Please just drink and eat, so I can leave for the night,” Ari pleads with me.
I sigh, taking the goblet. The minute I bring it towards my lips, fangs sprout from my gums. It scares me more than Ari, however. I assume Ari is used to seeing fangs, working in the palace. There isn’t much in the goblet as I am able to suck it all down in one gulp. This time, it tastes even sweeter than the last, and I know deep down, I will never refuse the blood again. I turn my attention to the food on my plate and grimace
“Just eat a little, so I can tell her you ate,” Ari prods.
Giving in to Ari’s wishes, I pull the fish apart with my fingers and force feed myself the food. I take a few bites of the fish and then turn my attention to the peach. The peach tastes nearly as sweet as the blood, although it is missing the metallic undertones that make the blood so perfect.
“Is that good enough?” I ask Ari with the same attitude she gave me.
“Yes, and don’t worry, I will have clothing snuck in before dawn,” she reassures me.
“Pants, no dresses,” I remind her as I lay back down in bed to go to sleep. I need to sleep while I can because although I have lived in Atlantis my entire life, it is no longer a familiar place, and I no longer feel safe.
7
The next day starts alone. I have no mother yelling for me to get up, no classes to attend, no scrimmages to prepare for. All I have is this big fancy room and my own small bathroom, which I waste no time using.
True to her word, I find clothing folded on a chair. Brown leather pants, boots to match, and a brown leather crop top with a leather strap for over one shoulder. After I put on my clothing, I lift the extra towels upon the chair, praying she found me a weapon to train with during my down time.
Overcome with disappointment when I see no weapons, I decide to leave the room in search of my own weapons or at the very least somewhere to train. I can’t have an idle day. Nothing about me is ever idle.
I make my way down the hall and the stairs we climbed yesterday, trying hard to remember all of the twists and turns. I go down even more stairs until I somehow managed to wind up near the kitchen. The smell of baked bread floats through the halls, causing my mouth water. I follow it into a bustling kitchen. No one even notices when I enter.
I try to sneak past a robust lady to pick a single pastry from a counter full of pastries. I assume she doesn’t see me, but as soon as my hand goes to touch on,e a wooden spoon comes down hard on my wrist.
“Ow!” I yell, bringing my wrist back to my body. I've beat all the trainees for General Calisco's army, but a lady with a wooden spoon gets the drop on me.
“Not for you. If you wa
nt to eat, you need to go to the mess hall with the rest of the guards, trainees, and potentials,” the woman explains and attempts to push me out of the way.
“I don’t know where that is,” I argue.
She huffs, putting her hands on her wide hips, her sweaty face scrunches in annoyance. “Go out that door,” she removes the hand holding the spoon from her waist and points to a door that opens to the outside. “Then follow the path; it circles around the palace into the valley. There is a large open-air building. You can’t miss it. Now get out of here. I am busy.”
I mutter my thanks and head through the door. The path to the mess hall she described is paved with smooth stones and easy to follow. She made it seem like it was close to the palace, but that was misleading. It takes me a solid ten minutes of walking before I round a small hill and spot the giant mess hall.
The kitchen is also open air, so the smell of eggs and bread ride the wind tickling my nose. My stomach growls, my step lightens, and I hurry to get into line. I have eaten in many mess halls through training and know how this works.
After placing myself in line, I begin to sweat from all of the bodies close together and the heat permeating out of the kitchen. My long blonde hair is sticking to my shoulders. I pull it back and use a hair tie I keep around my wrist to secure it in a high ponytail. Much better.
“Meri?” a voice behind me asks.
I whirl around to see the tall handsome landborn man with glasses standing behind me. “Aden, right?” I ask, smiling to see a somewhat familiar face.
“Yes, I am surprised you remember me after having such a busy day yesterday,” he beams.
“To be honest, you are one of the few faces I know here.”
The line moves forward some as we continue to talk, “Really? You were born in Atlantis, right? I overheard some other Atlantis-born talking after your appearance in the Ring. They said you are a pure,” he states, trying to prod for an answer.
I shrug my shoulders, “I honestly don’t know what I am anymore. I don’t even know who my father is. When I woke this morning, I decided I would get up, try to find some food, and a place to train.”