by D. S. Murphy
I went to the bathroom to wash the blood off my hands, then continued to my next class. I kept waiting to hear my name over the loudspeaker, calling me to the principal’s office, but it never came. Maybe Brody wasn’t eager to announce he’d gotten his ass kicked by a girl.
After school I joined Patricia and Jackie waiting for the buses.
“I heard you punched Brody,” Jackie said. “What happened?”
“He kissed me,” I said.
“So you punched him?” Patricia asked, grinning. “Okay first, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard. Secondly, I’m sure he totally deserved it.” Jackie looked worried, with good reason. I felt like I was falling apart. I didn’t feel bad about punching Brody. I didn’t feel anything at all, other than a profound emptiness at the thought of Sebastian leaving.
At home, I filled the bath with sea salts and let myself melt in the warm water. Not for the first time, I thought about my mother. My eyes filled with tears thinking about how scared and alone she must have been, after the love of her life was murdered in front of her. Having to go to America alone and start over with a baby. I knew now why she’d always seemed so distant. She was like Sebastian, controlling her emotions so her powers wouldn’t seep out. She was hiding; a mermaid trying to be a soccer mom and attending PTA meetings. I didn’t know how she could bear it. The mundanity of suburbia, after the magic and history of Ireland. Driving a minivan. Being unremarkable.
That’s when I realized, hiding out didn’t work so well for my mother. She’d tried to play it safe, and raise me up like a normal teenager—and she might have succeeded, if she hadn’t been killed in a random car crash. She’d run away from her problems, just like I wanted to run from mine. But fate caught up with her.
I was tired of being afraid, of waiting for people to go after me. Tired of being bullied by guys like Timmy or Brody, who felt entitled to take whatever they wanted. But what if I’d hit Brody even harder? What if I’d killed him? He wouldn’t have deserved that. I was faster and stronger now than I’d ever been before, I realized. That meant I needed to stop being a victim, and start taking more responsibility for my actions.
I pictured the awed faces at the concert, turning up towards me in reverence. Could I really be a princess? A ruler? Even with my changed appearance and heightened senses, I still considered myself to be pretty normal. I still wanted an ordinary, human life. But I wasn’t just some girl anymore. I had the power to do tremendous things. I’d seen it in the faces of Ethan and Sebastian. Awe. Respect. Fear. I am more than what they thought I was. I can do more than they imagined. I may not have been as fast or as strong as they were, but I wasn’t helpless. Deep in the core of my being, I felt something shift. A tight kernel of fear that had been a constant companion as far back as I could remember. I felt it dissolve—no, burn away—in the furnace of my new found strength.
I was starting to understand how Sebastian felt about humans. Merrow were a race beyond. And it wasn’t just fairy tale magic, this was real power. I shouldn’t be hiding, cowering, from evil bastards who want to tie me up and sacrifice me on a big rock. No matter who was after me, I promised myself, when they came again, I’d be ready.
When I came out of the bathroom, drying my hair with a towel, Sebastian and Aedan were waiting for me in the living room. I could tell they’d already heard about Brody. They looked at me warily, like they thought I might start throwing punches. I sat down in silence and Aedan handed me a cup of black tea with cream and sugar.
I didn’t want to talk about what happened at school, or get a lecture about controlling my anger. I just wanted to focus on what we were going to do next, and how to move forward. I needed to get a plan down on paper, even if it was just an illusion of control. I needed the comfort of old habits.
“Let’s make a list,” I said.
Option A: Let Sebastian get sacrificed by the Tuatha Dé.
Option B: Run away with Sebastian. Never be safe. Grow old and die.
Option C: Flee under the ocean, even though I can’t change, his people will probably see me as a monster.
I crossed out all three options and then wrote:
Option D: ….
“So what we’re looking for, basically, is a way to stop the merrow from attacking and destroying humanity, and to stop the Tuatha Dé from killing merrow. We need something to offer. Something to trade. What do the merrow want?”
“They think humans are destroying the world,” Sebastian said, “so we’d have to find a way to change mankind from polluting. Stop overpopulation and overfishing. Are humans able to make that kind of change, seriously?”
“Probably not. But maybe… if they were forced to. If they knew that merrow existed; they’d put a human face on the oceans and know how much damage we were really causing.”
“It won’t help. Millions of children starve to death and most humans still don’t do anything to stop it. If merrow try to take over and tell them what to do, they would just go to war and fight back.”
“How about the Tuatha Dé?” I asked.
“They want more power. More merrow blood.”
“So why don’t you offer them what they want?” Aedan said.
“Merrow blood?” I asked. “Where would we get it?”
“The way I see it, a war is coming, right? Even if Sebastian goes back, the merrow will come eventually. Are you two going to fight with them, killing humans?”
“No,” Sebastian and I said immediately.
“Then, you’ll probably be fighting against them. Trying to stop them, right?”
I nodded. I didn’t know what I could possibly do to stop the merrow, but I wasn’t going to let them kill innocent people.
“Assuming you win some of those fights, it seems you’ll have plenty of merrow blood available. Blood that you can’t use, but the Tuatha Dé could.”
“Make them allies,” Sebastian said, a gleam in his eyes.
“What? No way—they are trying to kill you.”
“They don’t have anything personal against me. One merrow is as good as any other. What if we tell them what’s coming, and invite them to fight with us. Promise them more merrow blood than they know what to do with.
“You can’t trust them,” I said. “They’ll turn on us.”
“Only if the merrow blood runs out.”
“What about when we are at peace?” I asked.
“If peace,” Aedan said, “they won’t need the blood. But we can worry about that later, if we survive that long. You said it earlier, the Tuatha Dé are our strongest allies. So we keep them informed, and armed.”
“It’s risky,” Sebastian said. “You’re offering something you don’t have, and it could turn the merrow against you. They won’t be thrilled when they hear you promised merrow blood to their worst enemies.”
“The merrow are already against me, against everyone. Maybe if I could turn, some of them would listen to me. But we don’t have time for politics. This is something we can actually do. I don’t know if the Tuatha Dé can stop a merrow invasion, but at least we’ll have a fighting chance.”
“Maybe, for now—if it comes to that. But if you’re the rightful ruler, and you want peace, and this is the only way to get it… the merrow might understand. Some of them anyway. Make peace with the Tuatha Dé. Warn them what’s at stake. Tell them a war is coming that will destroy humanity. At least it will buy us time.”
“Time for what?” I asked.
“I can go back to my people and try to drum up support. There are several influential members of the council or noble families who oppose my father. If they know an heir is alive, it will at least divide them. The military wouldn’t be sure whether to obey my father or wait to see if the rumors about an heir are true. Meanwhile, you could go to the Tuatha Dé and speak on their behalf. Make a truce.”
“But why would they listen to me? I’m nobody, I can’t even shift,” I said.
“The Tuatha Dé don’t know that. They don’t know much about the merrow actuall
y, other than what you tell them. So be convincing.”
“What do we have to offer?” I asked out loud, making a new list. “Three things: first, we’re giving them a warning, that shows we’re on their side. Second, merrow blood. More than they’ve ever had. That’s all the incentive they’ll need. Third, peace. Blood without war. Power without risk or pain.”
“We just have to position it as the only option,” Sebastian said. “The Tuatha Dé may feel powerful right now, after replenishing their stores with Trevor’s blood, but it won’t last long—not against an army of merrow. So they either join us, or let the merrow wipe out humanity, themselves included.”
Make peace. Buy time. Get the Tuatha Dé as allies, and also try to stop the merrow from attacking. It sounded crazy, but it was all we had.
***
At school the next day, kids darted out of my path. Their awed whispers trailed behind me. After brawling at Travis’s funeral and decking Brody yesterday, I’d earned a reputation as a badass. Brody told everyone he got hit in a hurling match, but half the school was sharing pictures of the fight with the caption #beatbyagirl. I saw him at lunch wearing a white brace around his nose. He glared at me as Roisin fawned over him, helping him with his food.
But I wasn’t here to make friends… just allies. I found Sebastian and Ethan and jerked my head for them to follow outside. We sat on the bleachers, and I told Ethan the plan we’d come up with the night before.
“That’s a really terrible idea,” he said.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” I said. “The Tuatha Dé may be our only allies if the merrow attack. I promise them blood. Easy, guaranteed blood. It buys us some time at least—time to plan and figure things out.”
“As long as they don’t turn on you,” Sebastian said.
“But they, unlike merrow, found a way to coexist peacefully with the humans. It only took about a thousand years of burning witches, but now things are pretty civilized above sea level. If the merrow attack, the Tuatha Dé will defend the humans. Don’t we want to empower them?”
“If the merrow start a war, the humans will nuke the oceans. That’s bad for everybody. Instead, I’ll ask for merrow volunteers to donate blood. To keep the peace.”
“To the Tuatha Dé? Not likely,” Ethan said.
“They did it before. They used to be family. They shared their powers willingly. Until the Tuatha Dé grew greedy.”
Ethan frowned and shook his head. I was getting frustrated by all the skepticism. “We’re talking about the annihilation of the human race, and I’m offering the Tuatha Dé a better deal than any they’re likely to get. You don’t think they’ll be interested?”
“You’ll need to get their attention,” Ethan said. “Prove that you can actually represent the merrow and provide the blood you’re promising. They’ll expect it to be a trap or a double cross.”
I nodded. I’d expected that.
“It doesn’t have to last forever. But at least we’ll have warned them what’s coming, which should make them eager for a truce. And I’ll be offering what they need most. Delivered to them, with no violence.”
“It just sounds so utopian… I don’t see how it can work,” Ethan said.
“But you’ll set up a meeting for me,” I said, putting a hand on his arm.
“I’ll set up a meeting,” he repeated, sighing.
“If you secure a deal with the Tuatha Dé,” Sebastian said, “it will keep you safe until they hear an answer and get the first delivery of blood. Meanwhile I’ll go back and try to round up allies. At the very least it will buy us some time. As long as they don’t just reject your offer and sacrifice you instead.”
“I don’t think that’ll happen,” Ethan said. “Now that she’s part of the Blake family. But I’ll protect her, just in case.”
“Make sure you do,” Sebastian said. “Just remember, she’s probably the only thing that can stop the merrow from killing every last human on earth.”
42
It was snowing again. I rode Buttercup through the cedars, up the canyon to Temhair Falach. Ethan walked ahead of us, holding the reins. We weren’t hiding this time. Sebastian wanted to come too—he thought I could be walking into a trap. That the Tuatha Dé would take the opportunity to harness what blood they could… from me.
But I trusted Morgan. She’d called me family, and said I was protected. I believed her. And I had to talk with the Tuatha Dé. If the merrow were coming, we needed allies, fast. This was the only way. Besides, I wasn’t without defenses. With my mother’s necklace around my neck I felt stronger than ever. Sebastian and I had kept up with our training, and Ethan taught me how the Tuatha Dé use Baetulia and merrow blood to lift heavy objects. And even if I was still a novice in those arts, I knew I could move faster than any normal human. Sebastian insisted I bring the flask full of sea water and my sword, just in case. It was comforting to have them with me, but my start still pounded in my chest as we got closer.
Buttercup’s hooves crunched on the icy ground. A snowflake fell on my cheek and I brushed it off. And then we were there. With the layer of snow, the giant stones looked like lumpy marshmallows. Or frozen giants. I would have thought they were natural except for their arrangement. I was so anxious, I flinched when Ethan appeared at my side. He raised a hand and helped me off my horse.
I didn’t know how to do this. I was no ruler—I could barely have a conversation with a stranger. All I knew was, people were trying to hurt Sebastian, and people were trying to hurt my friends. I needed to find a way to keep everybody safe. To be honest I didn’t care about the merrow, or the Tuatha Dé, or the history between them. I just wanted everything to stop. I wanted to go on a date with Sebastian without the future of the world resting on our shoulders. Why couldn’t the adults just get along? Why did they crave power and take more than they needed?
“This is insane,” I whispered to Ethan.
“You’ll do great,” he said. “Just like we practiced.”
I climbed up on the rock where I’d seen Trevor get sacrificed just a few weeks ago, and looked out over the members of the Cael. Most of them had their arms crossed. They weren’t wearing their ceremonial robes this time. Apart from their long beards, they looked so harmless in their casual clothes it was almost funny. I counted seven grown men, including Paul. Ethan told me they couldn’t get everyone to come—some of the members refused to grant me an audience. Marcas Byrne, the silver haired leader I’d seen last time with the piercing blue eyes and gray beard, stepped forward.
“Let me be the first to say, I oppose this meeting,” Marcas said, in a deep voice that carried through the small valley. “Even if the girl is Colin’s son, she’s still an outsider. She shouldn’t ever have been invited to this sacred spot. Still, out of respect for my predecessor Gilroy, our former archmagus, and his wife Morgan, we gather here to listen to the girl. I warn you, child, if you’re here to beg mercy for your merrow friends, you’ll get no sympathy from us.” The men were tense and despite the snow, I could smell a musky smoldering and see the glint of more than a few concealed weapons. I needed to be careful not to make any sudden moves. Morgan nodded at me. I squared my shoulders and started speaking.
“My name is Clara Daly. Some of you knew my Grandmother, Phyllis. Many of you knew my mother, Branna. For centuries, the Tuatha Dé and the merrow have been at war. There’s been violence and cruelty on both sides.”
“But I, myself, have never done anything to you, or any of the Tuatha Dé. Neither did my mother or grandmother, as far as I know. The merrow that you hate and fear have been dead for centuries. Once upon a time, the merrow and the Tuatha Dé were one people, living together, sharing equally.”
“I know you need merrow blood to fuel your magic. I know it’s become scarce, and you are afraid of losing your power, your way of life. I understand the excitement, the drive. Some of you, if I wasn’t the daughter of one of your own, would come after me. But if you attempt this, many of you will die i
n the fight. And for what? It’ll be the last merrow blood you ever see, and your people will die out weak and helpless.”
“Is that a threat?” Marcus said, gripping his staff tightly. This was not what he expected to hear from me.
“No, it’s an opportunity. Here’s what you do not know. I am the rightful ruler of the merrow. The only living descendent of Poseidon. But I am also of the Tuatha Dé. Colin Blake was my father. I have not learned your ways, but I am one of you. And I would have peace between us again.”
I paused a moment to let that sink in. I could tell from their expressions that they were skeptical. All they saw was an ordinary teenage girl. Marcus even smiled. He thought this was just a play to save my boyfriend.
“There is something else you don’t know,” I continued. “The merrow aren’t hiding anymore. They are coming back. They are planning to reclaim the land, and wipe out the humans. All of the humans.”
There were gasps and murmurs as this news registered.
“You may feel strong now, but you are no match for the tens of thousands of merrow that are coming. They will rip this land to pieces. Destruction like you’ve never seen before. There are few of you, and your blood stores will be depleted quickly. They’ll wipe out the Tuatha Dé and then kill every human being on the planet.”
“Why would you tell us this?” one man spoke out, wearing a brown corduroy jacket and jeans. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”
“I will oppose them,” I said. “I will fight with you, for the survival of humanity. I invite you to join me. In return, I will supply you with the ammunition you need to defeat them. Access to all the merrow we kill. More blood than you can imagine. More than you know what to do with.”
“Why would you do this, for us?” another man asked. He was heavyset, and bald spot made him look like Friar Tuck.
“All I want is a future,” I said. “One that isn’t stained by war and bloodshed.”