Jedediah grinned and said, “Yep, we sure do.” Then he went and hugged her.
All Robbie could do was sit there with his mouth dropped open in shock.
~~~~~
CHAPTER 17
AHANU (HE LAUGHS)
Titus swam back to the entrance of the tunnels beneath Tiselius. Prince Ulysses and the other guardsman were still waiting at their post, but there had not been any sign of the others. Titus thought King Thaddaeus must think he has a full-proof plan of keeping intruders out, but thus far it was not working too well.
Prince Tristan had waited a few moments in the dungeon with Prince Makoa, but after not seeing his sister arrive, he went to search her out and left Makoa alone.
Prince Makoa began to wonder if this had been such a good idea or not or was this also a trap that King Thaddaeus had devised. It wasn’t long and the thing Makoa feared might happen came to be; his father Ahanu swam into the dungeon and did not look surprised to see him.
“I had hoped you would be the one to come,” said Ahanu with a slight smile.
“Of course I would come to help my Queen; did you ever doubt my loyalty to King Titus?”
“No, I counted on it. I have wished to speak with you since the day I left you in the care of King Titan.”
“How can you even speak his name or even think that I would care what you had to say?”
“I knew you most likely would not, but say I must; I gave you the best future that I possibly could. I was grieving for your mother and did not know how to go on without her.”
“Why did you not take me with you?”
“Because my brothers are full of hatred and I did not wish you to be raised with them. I knew you would have the better life in Torbist among King Titan’s pod.”
“Did you fight in the battle against us?” Makoa wondered if he had so many years ago.
“No, I told King Thaddaeus that I could not, so I remained to guard Tiselius.”
“Why did you not come back to us?”
“I knew that with every passing winter you would only remind me of Nuttah; for you have her eyes.”
“I wish you were stronger and that you might have tried speaking to me sooner.”
“I have tried many times, but did not think you would wish to see me.”
“If you are loyal to your King and his hatred of us, then I would not wish to see you.”
“I am not loyal to any merman, if he were to harm my son.”
Prince Tristan swam into the dungeon with his sister and Midori fast behind him. “We must leave now!” he said as he swam to the other side of the cavern where the tunnels exited out of the dungeon and to the Ocean.
Makoa only slightly hesitated and said, “Go on, I will catch up.”
“You must go, I will hold them off if I can,” said Ahanu.
“Prince Makoa, King Titus will be waiting,” Tristan said and then he could not wait any longer and the three of them swam away.
“I am sorry that I was not stronger and you are right; I should have tried sooner.” Ahanu had tears within his eyes.
“Come with me now and we will have many winters of hunting together,” Makoa pleaded as he let down his guard for the first time.
“I ….” was all he could say before the morning guardsman swam inside to replace Midori.
“What are you doing in the dungeon Prince Ahanu and who is that?” the guardsmen asked.
“I was patrolling the tunnels and this is one I am training for a watchman.”
“Forgive me Prince Ahanu, but you know how we are more careful these days.”
Makoa realized he had not looked at Lana’s cell yet to discover that she was no longer there. He knew they might only have a few seconds before he did. “Prince Ahanu I am ready to see the other tunnels.”
“We must go,” Ahanu said as he looked to the guardsman.
“Yes,” the guard gave a slight bow of his head.
Makoa and Ahanu swam into the tunnel and then sped as quickly as they could. They passed two of the guardsmen Titus had posted, which joined them as they all tried to flee before anyone noticed them; they knew it was only seconds before they did.
When they reached the exit, Titus was the only one still there. He had sent Tristan, Midori and Seturus to the boat with Prince Ulysses and another guardsman he had posted at the exit.
“We must hurry, they will soon sound the alarm!” yelled Makoa and seconds later the conch shells began to blow.
~~~
Cole was out on the deck once more looking for any sign of the mer when Prince Tristan surfaced.
“I am here with four others,” Prince Tristan said through ragged breath.
Seturus was frightened as she looked up through the water and saw a human on one of his boats. She did not want to go any further.
“Just a minute, let me get Jedediah,” said Cole and he ran to the galley and opened up the door once more. “I’m sorry Jed, but I need your help.” He interrupted the boys again as they were playing cards.
“Okay sure,” Jedediah said knowing it must be Titus and he put down his cards, “No cheating?” He looked to Robbie.
“No, not me,” Robbie chuckled.
Cole and Jedediah walked to the edge of the boat and waited for Prince Tristan to tell them what to do next.
“Does the hull tank have water within?”
“Yep, Marty put about a third in like Titus told him to.”
“Alright.” He lifted his sister out of the water, “Seturus, you must trust me and them; they will not harm you and it is what King Titus has commanded.” He looked to her with love and then began gently lifting her to Cole.
“Jed, open up the hatch to the hull tank and stand there, I’ll need you to put her in gently when I give her to you.”
“O-kay,” said Jedediah somewhat nervous about the whole thing.
Cole lifted her from Tristan and then carefully placed her into Jedediah’s arms.
Jedediah’s heart nearly beat out of his chest; he never saw a mermaid this close up before and especially not held one. She had beautiful teal blue eyes; even the whites of her eyes were a light shade of teal. He sensed her fear, “Its okay, we’re not gonna hurt you, we’re here to save you.”
Seturus barely looked up, but when she did, she seemed locked on Jedediah’s eyes; he is very handsome for a human, she thought.
“Thank you,” Jedediah’s face turned beat red and he seemed frozen in time as he stood there holding her within his arms.
“I did not know you could read my thoughts,” Seturus said in shock.
“I’m actually part mer myself from a long line.” He smiled even brighter.
“Jed, what are you doing?” Cole asked as he now held Midori in his arms and needed Jedediah to take him.
“Oh sorry, I have to put you in here, but it’s for your protection.” He looked into her eyes once more.
“Yes, whatever you wish.” She nodded her head with a smile.
Jedediah nearly lost his senses, but then felt his father glaring at him. He sat Seturus on the edge of the hatch first and then held her by her arms and gently lowered her down into the hull tank. Then he turned and got Midori and did likewise lowering him down.
“Thank you,” Midori said.
“You’re welcome.” Jedediah grinned and then helped lower Tristan, Prince Ulysses and the other guardsman down into the hatch.
Tristan told Cole that Titus was waiting for Prince Makoa and the others. Cole went and told Lana, and that the five were safely stowed away.
Robbie stood staring through the cockpit window in shock once more as he had just witnessed Jedediah holding a mermaid and then four mermen and knew they were all in his father’s hull tank.
Marty chuckled at the sight of his son with his mouth hung open.
Jedediah also had to chuckle when he saw the look on Robbie’s face. “It’s okay Rob, you’ll get used to it.” Jedediah passed through the cockpit and went into the galley.
“I
don’t think I could ever get used to seeing them. Lana just told me how she found out about her mother and how King Titus had even saved my dad once.” Robbie followed Jedediah into the galley.
“Yep.” Was all Jedediah could say and then went to get another cup of coffee, but he couldn’t help but think of Seturus and he smiled.
Marty had to chuckle once more as he also came into the galley for a cup of coffee. “I’m just glad you know now Rob, this has been a hard secret to keep.”
Robbie only nodded still numb about the whole thing.
~~~
Before Titus and the others could exit the tunnel, they had the others fast on their tails and had no choice but to begin to engage them.
“Go, I will hold them off,” said Ahanu with sadness in his eyes.
“No, I will not allow you to do it alone,” said Makoa with a new found love for his father.
“Prince Makoa, we have to leave,” Titus called after him.
“No, you get the others to safety; you must also get to the Queen and keep her safe! I will be there as soon as I can,” said Makoa, but only now began to battle with the others himself, along with the remaining two guardsmen.
Titus remembered what his grandfather told him and especially the part about his people depending upon him for their survival; he had no choice but to leave and pray that Arius would see them all safely to the boat and soon.
~~~
Tristan enjoyed a time of reunion with his sister and listened as she told him that she had been kept for questioning to see if she learned any information from the Queen of Torbist, but had only just been released when Midori and Tristan found her. Tristan was able to move among them with little notice.
Now Tristan began to worry about King Titus. He wondered if he should have allowed Cole to put him within the tank as the King had wished. He called up to Cole.
Jedediah opened the hatch after Cole got him when Titus returned.
“Where is the King?”
“He’s talking with my dad.” Jedediah glanced at Seturus.
“Makoa?” asked Prince Ulysses.
“He remained to hold off the others with Ahanu and the rest.”
Lana came out of the galley and leaned over the side of the boat and kissed Titus as he pulled himself up. “Titus, please come inside,” she asked.
“I cannot, I must wait for them.” He sensed her fear and said, “I will not go back, but I will remain in the water in case they need me.”
Lana knew there was no use in pleading with him, he was the King now and he was determined.
He chuckled at her thoughts, “I love you too.”
“I do you know,” she said with a grin.
“Forever and always.” He smiled brightly.
“Yes, forever and always,” she bent down and kissed him again.
Titus turned to the water.
The water rippled as the two remaining guardsmen lifted Prince Makoa. He was unconscious and bleeding from his shoulder and side.
Titus saw that Ahanu was not among them and he looked to one of the guards, “He did not come?”
“No, he is surely dead; he fought bravely all those that came after us and helped us to make our escape. He told us to tell Prince Makoa that he was proud of the merman and the Prince he had become and wished he had more time; he was willing to hunt with him until the end of his days.”
“We shall surely tell him.” Titus helped them raise Makoa to Cole.
“Titus, this looks bad,” Cole said as he got a stretcher from the cabin he stored his medical gear in and then he quickly washed his wounds and set up an I. V. drip with added antibiotics. He was glad the rain had stopped, but he’d have to hurry and get him stitched up. Then he needed to pack him with saline soaked gauze and cover them with an ADD pad. They needed to get him down below; all of the North Atlantic was waking up and it wouldn’t be long before they were spotted by someone.
Jedediah helped Cole wrap Makoa’s bandages in between lowering the other mermen. He knew it was bad, so he tried to encourage Makoa by talking to him, “You know you gotta hurry up and get well; that cousin of mine is waiting back home for you,” he chuckled and then glanced down the hatch again and saw Seturus looking up at him with a smile. Those are the most beautiful eyes; on like the whole planet, he thought.
“….Jed, you gotta pay attention Son,” Cole said realizing he had drifted away again and all heard his thoughts.
“Oh sorry,” he said and then began to wrap Makoa’s wounds once more.
When they were finished, Cole and Jedediah gently lowered the stretcher and told Titus to keep him elevated so his wounds wouldn’t get wet, but also allow his tail in the water.
Now that everyone was on board, Marty pulled up the anchor and cranked the engine; he drove at a steady pace as not to draw attention to them as they traveled back to Safe Harbor. He knew he would get an ear full from Robbie, but also intended to tell his wife so there would be no more secrets from his family. Marty knew when they both got over the shock; they would understand why he never told them before and knew they would continue to keep the secret from the rest of the world. No matter how strange it all was, Cole and Rose was the closest thing to family they ever had. They would protect their own.
Marty knew his haul tank was filled to capacity, but he also took pride in knowing he was coming home with the biggest catch in all of Safe Harbor’s history!
~~~~~
CHAPTER 18
A TIME TO HEAL
Once they got to Safe Harbor, the first thing they did was put Prince Makoa in the pool of the cavern where they strapped him to Jedediah’s surfboard, so they could elevate him, but also have the rest of him in the water.
“How come he’s not waking up?” Jedediah asked his father.
“I had to sedate him so he wouldn’t undo the sutures to his wounds; it’ll only be for a few days until I see him healing up some. We’ll be sure to clean and pack them with saline gauze and re-bandage them twice a day and most of all, not let them get wet.” Cole looked to Jedediah with a slight frown.
“Yes, it is hard to keep a merman down,” Titus said with a smile as he waded in the water next to the pool.
“I bet,” Jedediah laughed and then he saw the water ripple.
Midori and Seturus rose from the water.
Jedediah slightly grinned as he saw Seturus.
“We wanted to see how the Prince Makoa was doing and wanted to thank all of you for saving our lives; especially you King Titus.” Midori gave a bow of his head.
“He needs much rest and you are welcome. Sorry that I nearly killed you Midori,” Titus chuckled.
“I am most grateful to the Queen,” Midori also chuckled.
Seturus still seemed somewhat timid around the humans, but she could not help but to look at Jedediah once more and she smiled and then looked quickly away.
You are a beauty for sure; Jedediah thought and again forgot all could hear his thoughts so near to him.
Cole just grinned and shook his head as he realized how much Jedediah was like himself and how easy it was to fall in love with a mermaid.
Jedediah couldn’t help but hear Cole’s thoughts and he was stunned as he remembered his father had once been married to a mermaid.
Titus could not help but chuckle at the two of them.
Midori and Seturus also understood what they were thinking and Seturus quickly swam away.
“She is a shy one,” said Midori
“She will get used to all of us soon enough.” Titus smiled.
“How is Lana doing?” Cole asked
“She is a little sick from the boat ride I think, we were moving around a great deal.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you all were; that’s the most I’d ever seen in Marty’s tank.” Cole grinned.
“Yeah, it was.” Jedediah smiled.
~~~
The next day Robbie was still in shock about the whole ordeal and although he wasn’t mad, he was a little hurt that Lizzy hadn’t
trusted him enough to tell him; or did she?
He sent Lizzy a text and asked her to meet him at her dock. He put on his wet suit and hopped aboard his jet ski and headed over.
Lizzy was nervous about what Robbie might say to her. From what Jed said, Robbie took it all pretty well. Lizzy wondered if he’d changed his mind after having time to think about it; would he be mad at her for not telling him sooner.
Legend of the Mer II THE NEW GUARDIAN Page 16