by D. S. Murphy
“The families deserve peace, and whoever did this needs to be held accountable. On a more personal note, I’ve known Aedan a long time, and he’s had enough heartbreak for one lifetime. I don’t think he can take any more.”
Jackie and Patricia were waiting in the front entry with about a dozen other students from school. My heart pounded when I saw the blood on Jackie’s sparkly dress, but I couldn’t see any wounds. Jackie wiped away her tears and pulled me into a hug.
“About damn time,” Patricia said to O’Hara. “I was about to call the American Embassy.”
“She’s been threatening to do that since we got here,” Jackie said. “But really I don’t know why they were interrogating you. I’m so sorry—” Jackie said, her voice breaking. She buried her face in my shoulder.
“For what?” I asked.
“Leaving you like that. When we saw what was happening—we ran, everybody ran. We weren’t thinking. We hid in the dark for a while, trying to find each other. We went back for you, but we just found… the bodies.”
“The police were taking pictures and staking out the area,” Patricia said, taking over. “They told us you’d been taken to the police station so we all came here to give statements. They told us you were a suspect. As if!”
“Did you see the men who did it?” I asked. “What did you say?”
Jackie shot Patricia a worried look. “We couldn’t exactly agree. It’s complicated.”
“Some kids only saw the bodies, or body-parts… and what looked like bite-marks. They thought it was another shark attack. Others saw the men, moving like a pack through the crowd.”
“I was standing right next to a girl I’ve known since I was ten. Suddenly she was bleeding from gashes in her chest, her face… there was so much blood—” Jackie covered her face with her hands.
“But you told them what you saw—the men?” I pressed. “That’s what we told them too.”
“We told them what they looked like. Older men. Long hair. Kind of a hipster looking,” Patricia said. “We didn’t tell them how fast they were moving.” I nodded, before I realized I was giving myself away.
“Told you,” Patricia said, nudging Jackie. “She does know something.”
Jackie’s eyes got wide. “So we’re not crazy? The way they moved, it was so fast it was a blur. But I thought I was just drunk, or the light was playing tricks. Who are they? What do they want? Why would they—”
“I don’t know. But I saw them too. I saw how fast they could move. I think… maybe Sebastian knows something,” I whispered. “I’ll try to find out more, I’ll tell you if I discover anything else.”
The redhead returned with Ethan and signed him out. He gave me a dark look, a look that said I told you so. Then he stormed past us and pushed the front doors open. I wanted to chase after him and protest. Not all merrow are killers. Sebastian isn’t like that. But I didn’t know what to believe anymore. The front doors swung open again and I saw Aedan. His face melted into relief when he saw me.
I realized I was bringing up memories that he hoped he’d never have to relive. I wanted to wait for them to release Sebastian, but I didn’t fight him when he said I needed to get home and change my clothes. I draped my top over my shoulders as best I could, but there were still gaping holes that exposed my upper body. I told Jackie and Patricia I’d see them at school the next day and hugged them goodbye. I almost sent Sebastian a text, apologizing for leaving him—but I didn’t. After tonight, I didn’t know what to say. Sebastian was still keeping things from me. How could I trust him if he wouldn’t let me in?
I thought Aedan was going to lecture me, or say something on the ride home, but he didn’t. He just gripped the wheel tightly and we drove in silence. At home, he filled the tub with bath salts and warm water.
“Your grandmother always liked it,” he said, stirring the water with his fingers. “It should help you heal a little, at least take the pain away. Not as good as the sea, but I don’t want you going out tonight.”
I tried to say something but he held his hand up. “We can talk tomorrow,” he said, “when we’ve both gotten some rest and calmed down a little. Glad you’re home safe.” He gave me a kiss on the forehead and left the room quickly. I think he might have been crying.
I could still scarcely comprehend what had just happened. I didn’t feel the urge to type. I just felt numb. Even after Bedelia, I hadn’t really been afraid of the merrow. Whoever killed her did it carefully, almost with a degree of respect. Tonight was a massacre. Ajax and his buddies were demonic in their violence. They were enjoying it. And Sebastian was one of them. I couldn’t help wondering whether he’d ever been involved in an attack like that. Cutting humans just to see them bleed. Tearing off their limbs. I wanted to cry, but I was too tired. As I fell asleep, I wondered if maybe Ethan had been right all along. It was us against them.
30
I drifted into school on Monday with a pair of dark sunglasses. I didn’t need to worry about my hair and makeup anymore, but after what happened at the bonfire, the attention my looks brought me—the result of my merrow blood—made me nauseous. I paused briefly at the front of the school. In the entranceway was some kind of community shrine. Someone had put pictures of the seven victims on the main bulletin board. Notes and messages were posted around the pictures, and there were piles of gifts and remembrances on the floor beneath it. There were even a few lit candles. I was surprised the administration allowed the fire hazard.
My fingers paused over the picture of Travis. He was the only one I knew personally, though a couple of the others looked familiar. I thought about the way he’d greeted me on my first day of school, and how I’d blown him off after he brought me flowers. Now he was gone, and it was my fault. I knew the merrow were out there. I knew they were planning a war against the human race. But I was enjoying my little slice of happiness. My swim lessons with Sebastian, my new looks and abilities. I felt special, knowing I was part of something magical. But I didn’t see the bigger picture. And now it was too late. I wanted to scream down the hallway, the merrow are coming! The merrow did this! But nobody would understand. And if they did, if they knew about the merrow, they might find out the truth about me. That I’m a monster, too.
But what could I do about it? Ethan was right. The merrow were evil and dangerous. Sebastian might be an exception, but that didn’t excuse him. Ajax said that he’d run away from home, and that they’d come to bring him back. It was his fault they were here. And now Travis and the others were dead. Shifting the blame to Sebastian, however, didn’t make me any less miserable. If anything it made me feel worse. None of the teachers brought up what happened at the campfire, though it was always just on the edge of every topic. It was like the teachers were deliberately trying to avoid any reference that might remind us that we’d just lost seven classmates. They’d say something and then look alarmed, stutter and change the subject, or stop mid-sentence and simply stand there in a daze. Every time I saw an empty chair I wondered if any of the kids had been in a class with me and I just hadn’t noticed them before. I didn’t think so, but I also wasn’t entirely sure.
At lunch, I saw Jackie and Patricia at our usual spot, but I couldn’t face them. They’d ask questions and want answers—answers I wasn’t ready to give. Instead I ended up in the library. I settled in behind my favorite round table in the back. It was half hidden behind a tall bookshelf, next to a wide window that gave me plenty of reading light. I wasn’t entirely without a purpose. The last great battle between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé had involved some heavy fire power. References I’d found of The Eye of Balor made it sound like some kind of advanced weaponry. It took four men to raise the lid, and when it was uncovered, its venomous gaze could defeat armies. I found a new description of it in an older book of Irish folklore.
It was always covered with seven cloaks to keep it cool. He took the cloaks off one by one. At the first, ferns began to wither. At the second, grass began to redden. At the third
, wood and trees began to heat up. At the fourth, smoke came out of wood and trees. At the fifth, everything got red hot. At the sixth..... At the seventh, the whole land caught fire.
It sounded like some kind of mermaid super laser, with almost nuclear powers. Balor was Fomorian—a merrow general—and he used the weapon to subjugate the Tuatha Dé. But his own grandson Lugh, who was half human, led the Tuatha Dé in a rebellion against their merrow overlords. He destroyed the eye, killing Balor and expelling the Fomorians from Ireland forever.
Was this the device Sebastian and Ajax were talking about? If so, it was a good thing it was still missing. But it wasn’t the only weapon in the folklore. Lugh had a magic spear named Areadbhair. Its tip had to be kept immersed in a pot of water to keep it from igniting. In the book was a 1905 illustration of Lugh’s “bloodthirsty magical spear”—it glowed with fire and power. According to legend, the Spear of Lugh would “always ensure victory.”
Ethan said the Tuatha Dé Danann had four magical items that were passed down within each clan. The Spear of Lugh was just one of them. I ran my fingers across the picture. Was it more than just a story? If so, was one of the Tuatha Dé families still keeping it somewhere?
“I knew I’d find you here.” Ethan’s eyes were dark and stormy as he sat across from me. Despite the cold he was wearing a black T-shirt and a light jacket. “We need to talk.”
The Tuatha Dé were unlikely to tell me anything about their history. Ethan, however, might let something slip. Something important. But only if he trusted me.
“About what?” I asked, playing dumb. Might as well let him put his cards on the table first.
“Bedelia, now this? They came up on land. They killed in the open. And there were a group of them, together. What do they want? Are more coming?”
“How should I know?”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. You hang out with Sebastian.”
“He hasn’t told me everything… besides he’s not one of them.”
Ethan slammed his fists down on the table.
“Of course he’s one of them!” he spat.
Several people turned to look at us. I leaned closer to Ethan and said quietly, “All I know is, the merrow are tired of humans polluting the oceans. Some of them think it would be better to wipe out humanity and reclaim the land. But they’re divided—Sebastian left because he didn’t agree with them. And their royal family is missing, so it seems like nobody is really in charge anymore. There were laws preventing merrow from coming up on land and interacting with humans, but I guess they feel they don’t need to follow those rules anymore.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth a little and I thought he was going to say something, but instead he leaned back in his chair. It looked like he was grinding his teeth.
So much for holding my cards close to my chest. It was a relief though, to share all of that with someone who didn’t think I was crazy—someone who got the severity of it all. Part of me felt like I was betraying Sebastian’s confidence… but I was still keeping a few of his secrets. I didn’t tell Ethan that the merrow at the bonfire had been looking for Sebastian.
“My turn,” I said, taking advantage of Ethan’s silence. “You said before that the Tuatha Dé made four magical talismans. Two of them were weapons, the Spear of Lugh and the Sword of Nuadha. Lugh defeated Balor with his spear, Areadbhair. Your family, your clan, are caretakers of the spear, right? Do they still have it? Could we find the other talismans?”
Ethan looked at me like I’d gone crazy, then he started laughing. He laughed so hard he squeezed his eyes together and put his hands on his stomach to catch his breath. It would have been funny, except I hated being laughed at. I was halfway to the door before he noticed that I’d stood up. He chased after me and grabbed my arm.
“Wait, don’t be like that,” he smiled. “I’m not laughing at you.”
“Of course you are. But I don’t see what’s so funny.”
“It’s just, this stuff is legend. These books were written a hundred years ago. Nobody knows where the weapons are, or if they were even real. Maybe Lugh was just a really good fighter and people started idolizing his spear.”
We got shushed by the librarian so we headed downstairs and outside, through the back of the school. We ended up in the old chapel, where I’d first seen Ethan doing magic. The fall air smelled crisp and fresh. I crossed my arms as we sat in the ancient pews in the small stone building.
“Mermaids are real. Magic is real. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff Sebastian can do. But you have powers of your own—using mermaid blood tattoos. I don’t see what’s so hard to believe about some magic weapons. At least they’d give us a chance against the merrow invasion.”
Ethan looked at me with warm eyes. They were full of compassion, but also pity, which pissed me off.
“I’m sorry I laughed before. You see Sebastian and the merrow, and they’re so strong and powerful. And you see how I can fight them with magic, but you feel vulnerable. You think, if you had a magic weapon, you could fight back, too. You could defend yourself. That’s totally understandable.”
I bit my lip. I’m not sure I could have put all that into words myself, but it seemed about right. Could Ethan really understand me so well? Better than I understood myself? Ethan moved his hand and our fingers brushed together. My face flushed, suddenly realizing how alone we were, and how close he was sitting.
“But—” I started talking again to break the intimacy, “given what we know about what’s possible, about the Bætulia and the Tuatha Dé’s abilities using merrow blood and metallurgy, isn’t it possible they made some super powerful weapons? Maybe when they had much more merrow blood available than they do now? Lugh’s spear was called bloodthirsty—maybe it “drank” blood like your dagger, which powered it up like fuel. Maybe with technology that’s been forgotten?”
“Yeah, it’s possible,” Ethan said, brushing his hair away from his face. “But that’s a lot of maybes. I mean, we tell stories about the legendary battles, but I’ve never seen any actual weapons. Not like that.”
“Have you looked?” I pressed.
He smiled at me again. Ethan’s smile was so rare it always lit up the room. And the look he gave me warmed me to my toes. It was like he admired my tenacity, or was continuously surprised by me.
“Tell you what,” Ethan said after a long pause, “I’m not sure the spear actually exists, but I can help you look for it… on one condition.”
“And that is?”
“Go out with me.”
“What?”
“One date. A normal, human date. It’ll be a little test. That way you’ll be able to feel what’s real. I know you think you like Sebastian, but he has that effect on every girl, you’re just under his spell. Besides, after what happened at the bonfire, you’ve got to realize that he’s the enemy. He’ll leave and go back to his people. And if there is a war coming, between humans and merrow, you can’t possibly be on their side. They plan to wipe us out. Sebastian won’t be able to protect you.”
“But you can?”
“I can try.” His eyes burned with inner fire, and I believed him. He’d protect me with his life if it came to that, though I’d never ask him to. And I did care for Sebastian. But what if Ethan was right? What if my feelings for him were just the natural response to the uncanny effect merrow had on humans? I saw the way the girls reacted to him. Even if he wasn’t doing it on purpose, how could I be sure my feelings were real?
And even if Ethan was wrong, and Sebastian and I belonged together, what kind of future did we have? Was I ready to give up everything I’d ever known and disappear under the ocean? If I couldn’t change, was that even an option? And if not, I’d be asking him to stay here, and fight against his own people… while the humans hunted him as a monster and the Tuatha Dé wanted to drain him for his blood.
This was worse than being star crossed lovers. Worse than Romeo and Juliet. They’d taken the easy way out, choosing de
ath and letting their tragedy mollify the anger of their warring families. But the stakes in this story were so much greater. The annihilation of the human race. The fate of the world. This wasn’t a problem that would be resolved by the death of a couple of teenagers.
Should I go out on a date with Ethan when the lives of everyone I knew were in danger? A few days after a merrow attack that I felt personally responsible for? Absolutely not. But whatever was between Sebastian and I seemed destined for epic failure. I was only sixteen—I didn’t want a lover’s suicide. I didn’t want the pressure of saving the world on my shoulders. I just wanted to be normal. Any other girl would have jumped at the chance to go out with Ethan. Maybe this was the last time I’d get asked out by a cute guy. Maybe I’d wind up dead tomorrow. Plus, if the legendary weapons of the Tuatha Dé were real, I didn’t have a chance at tracking them down without Ethan’s help.
“Only one?” I asked.
“I promise, if you feel nothing for me, just tell me to get lost, but give me a shot first. And afterwards, I’ll still help you find the weapons, if they really exist. But only as long as I trust that you plan to use them to defend humanity against the merrow, instead of doing something stupid like giving them to Sebastian. Deal?”
One date, to see if my feelings for Sebastian were real? In exchange for weapons that might save humanity? That seemed reasonable.
31
After school I went straight outside to wait for the bus. A car honked and I looked up to see Sebastian in his classic black car. He waved me over, then got out to hold the door open for me.