Mythos

by Heather McLaren

  “How did you escape?”

  “We used the magic in the ring. How else could we have snuck past a half blind guard?”

  Soft laughter drifted forth from the audience, but it subsided when Salene spoke up.

  “Very well then,” she said. “After the sentencing phase of the trial, my colleagues and I will hold a meeting to discuss what to do with this information. Miss Everheart, is this a confession you’re willing to stand by?”

  “It is.”

  As soon as the council members left the courtroom to discuss the penalty phase in the trial, the mers came to life again like a new flame being rekindled after a forest fire.

  “What are you doing?” Faren asked, hugging Luna. “Why did you do that? You’re in trouble now.”

  “I couldn’t let you do this on your own,” Luna said. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, but…”

  “What should I do?” Harmony asked, swimming up behind them. “I’m ready to admit my part, too.”

  Luna was quick to refuse her confession. “No, don’t do that. Your parents would never recover.”

  “I can’t let you take the full blame. I can’t–”

  “Listen… Cailan’s disappearance was only a year ago,” Luna said. “Please, do everything you can to stay out of trouble for your parents sake.”

  “But the High Council already knows I was at your house last night,” Harmony whispered, watching the crowd. “They’re going to find out anyway.”

  An idea struck Faren. “All they know is that you came over,” she whispered back. “If they ask, tell them we were already home when you got there.”

  Harmony looked around nervously. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I don’t feel right about this.”

  The High Council swam back into the courtroom, cutting the conversation short. Harmony joined the rest of the crowd, but she continued to throw her friends worried glances.

  Servio drew back his hood. “Miss Everheart,” he said, gesturing toward her, “please swim forward.”

  Luna hugged Faren tight and whispered, “I’ll see you soon.” She swam up to the council members and waited for them to reveal her punishment.

  “What you’ve done today is very brave and must be commended,” Servio admitted. “You didn’t let a friend take the fall for something you did, but we must still punish you for your transgression.”

  Luna locked her hands behind her back. “I understand.”

  “You will serve two years in the Atlantis Women’s Prison without contact from your friends and family.” He lowered his voice. “I expect you to reform your ways before your release.”

  Faren felt sick the moment his gavel made contact with the podium. She closed her eyes tight to block out the pain, but it didn’t help. Nothing could help them now.

  Once the guards led Luna from the courtroom, Servio resumed the trial. “Punishing you for the break-in seems pointless considering the crime you’ve already confessed to, so we’ll move on to the reason we’re here today,” he told Faren. “You have betrayed your peers and dishonored your family with this little tryst, and I would consider myself traitorous as well if I ignored your ruthless behavior.” He paused, letting his words soak in. “We have found you guilty of treason, and for your crime, your sentence will be harsh. Please swim forward, Miss Sands.”

  Faren approached the council members with her head down. Her stomach was doing somersaults. It seemed to take forever to swim fifteen feet.

  “This crime is punishable by death,” Servio said.

  The audience was quick to voice their own opinions. “She’s so young,” someone cried out. “Isn’t that extreme?”

  “She knew better.”

  “But she’s just a child,” a woman chimed in.

  Faren’s mind blocked out everything, but her private trip down memory lane. She saw herself as a child playing with her mother on Seneca. Her fifth birthday party sped past a blur. The many private talks she had shared with her sister, meeting David and falling in love raced through her mind uncontrollably.

  Servio raised his hand. “We don’t have the heart to kill you,” he said when things settled down again. “I won’t allow a child to be executed on my watch, but I believe you are old enough to be held responsible for your own actions.” He looked from Salene to Thaden, and after receiving nods from them both, he continued. “You will live out the rest of your natural life locked up in the Atlantis Women’s Prison. I hope your human was worth what you’re losing.” His gavel hit the podium with a deafening thud. “When the sun rises, we’ll send someone to fetch you for questions regarding the Ring of the Ancients. Guards, please escort her back to her cell.”

  The guards took Faren’s arms and led her from the courtroom. As they swam past, Tristan sobbed. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Faren! What have I done?”

  Faren couldn’t cry. She couldn’t feel anything, but the dreaded nothing settling into her very soul. Her face remained solid as stone, making her detachment from life all the more obvious.

  She gave the guards her complete cooperation as they led her from the temple. It was hard to comprehend never swimming through the streets of Atlantis again. She would never hug her family or friends, and she would never again see David. No matter how hard she tried to put him out of her mind his memory refused to die. His image taunted her. She could see him waiting for her on the beach. How would he react when she didn’t show up? Would he think she was dead, or would he think she deserted him again? Faren cried openly as the guards accompanied her to a cruel fate.

  Chapter 11

  Fugitives

  DAVID SAT IN THE SURF, LETTING the warm water wash over his bare feet. He was relieved to see the tourists steering clear of the beach. The only couple near the incoming waves relaxed in the sand at least a hundred feet down the shore, too caught up in each other to pay him any mind.

  The sun was nearly down and the soft light played on the surface of the water, but there was still no sign of Faren. Panic was sneaking up on David, but he refused to dwell on the morbid possibilities running through his distraught mind.

  The mers leapt from the sea like dolphins; their feet didn’t make a sound when they hit the sand. The one leading the small group–a girl in her late teens–walked toward him full of determination. Except for the light sprinkling of freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and her deep lavender eyes, she could have passed for a younger version of Faren. Her bright green skirt flapped around her ankles when she moved.

  “David?” She stepped up to him, tilting her head to the side, studying him. “What happened to your face?”

  The tall, chiseled boy standing behind her snickered. “Did a dolphin beat you up?”

  “A local bully… do I know you?” David stood, never taking his eyes off his unexpected visitors.

  “I’m Cindel, Faren’s sister, and this is Harmony and Tristan,” Cindel said, stressing his name with obvious disdain.

  “Maybe it was a turtle,” Tristan teased him. “They’re famous for their atrocious tempers.”

  Harmony scoffed at his sarcastic comment and folded her arms across her chest. She kept looking over David’s shoulder toward the marina. “Listen, David, we’re here on Faren’s behalf,” she said.

  “Why did she send you? Why didn’t she just come herself?”

  “She’s in trouble.”

  “What trouble? Where is she?”

  “She’s in prison,” Harmony said, scowling at Tristan. “The trial ended less than an hour ago.” Her voice got quiet, almost impossible to hear. “Someone told the High Council about you, and they’ve sentenced her to life behind bars.”

  Harmony’s words stung like a slap in the face. “No, no, no.” David shook his head, trying to deny what she was saying, but there was no escaping her painful revelation. “This isn’t happening,” he said. “Tell me this isn’t happening.” He half expected to wake from what he had hoped was a nightmare a sweaty mess, but the warm surf spra
ying his legs confirmed he was awake.

  “We need you to come back to Atlantis with us,” Harmony said. “We’re going to break her and our friend, Luna, out of jail.”

  “This is my fault,” David said, entrapped by his guilt. “I knew about your laws, but I ignored them. If it weren’t for me–”

  “You’re right!” Tristan screamed, taking everyone by surprise. “You should blame yourself.” The vein in his temple throbbed with each infuriated beat of his heart. “I can’t believe you knew your relationship could have cost Faren her freedom, and that still didn’t stop you from corrupting her. How selfish are you?”

  “Whoa, that’s enough,” Harmony said, stepping between them. “The last thing Faren needs is us attacking each other. We need to hold things together long enough to help her escape. You’re lucky we brought you with us,” she told Tristan with a stern gaze. “Don’t forget that.”

  Tristan shut his mouth, but he continued to stare David down like a jealous husband.

  “We don’t have much time.” Cindel glanced up at the setting sun. “If you’re going to help us, we need to leave now.” She put her hand in the air to silence Tristan when he started to talk again. “We’ll have to sneak you into the city, but I think we can pull it off with a little luck.”

  It was hard for David to comprehend what was happening. He felt lost somewhere between fantasy and reality, unsure where one ended and the other began.

  When David didn’t answer right away, Tristan flew into a rage. “Forget him!” he yelled. “We can do this without him.”

  “Why are you acting so high and mighty?” Harmony screamed back. “Your jealousy is what got her locked up in the first place. If you would have kept your thoughts to yourself, none of this would have happened.” She froze and looked back at David. “Oh, no… David, please let me explain.”

  “What do you mean?” David edged closer to Tristan, fury rising up inside of him. “What did you do?”

  “Tristan’s been in love with Faren since they were children,” Harmony said, glancing back at him. “When he found out about you he went to the High Council before he had time to think about what he was doing.” Her explanation sounded like a desperate plea for understanding, but David didn’t care about anything but the specifics.

  “You did what?” he cried. His face heated up with anger. He started toward Tristan with his fists down at his sides and his nostrils flaring with overwhelming emotion.

  Tristan stood his ground–the mer was ready for a fight–but Cindel managed to stop the quarrel before things got out of control.

  “You can settle this later,” she said, shoving David back with one hand and stepping in front of Tristan before he could get any closer. “My sister’s freedom is more important than a squabble of she’s mine, she’s mine.”

  David pulled himself together and glared at Tristan. Tristan glared back.

  “You’re right,” David said. He broke his heated gaze. “What do I need to do?” I have plenty of time to knock this traitor on his ass later.

  Harmony led them into the surf. “We’ll tell you the plan on the way,” she said before diving.

  David followed the mers into the sea. He welcomed the silent blue world with open arms, but things weren’t as he remembered. He watched the bustling reef from a new perspective, one of regret and absolute despair. Things looked different without Faren by his side, no longer enchanting or seductive. For the first time in his life, David felt utterly alone.

  * * *

  Faren grasped the metal bars and gazed out the window over the empty courtyard. She thought of her father and sister. With her mother gone, she knew her life sentence would be toughest on them. There would be no more memories to make, no more days at the surface as a family. It killed Faren to know she wouldn’t be there for her sister’s children… or her own. She had always wanted to be a mother, and now it looked like she would never have that chance.

  David’s sexy eyes and warm smile flashed through her mind; she would miss those eyes. She thought back to the time they spent together. With her memories plaguing her, Faren sank into the corner of her cell. Her tears melted into the water around her as she sobbed loudly.

  From somewhere close by, a voice called out to her. “Little mer,” the sea demon said, “why are you crying?” The voice dripped with the icy tone of a deranged mind. When Faren didn’t answer, the sea demon’s thought echoed toward her again. “Why are you crying?” she repeated. The creature mocked her, pretending to wail sobs of her own. “Wah, wah, wah.”

  Faren’s sadness turned to anger. She bounded from the limestone floor and pressed herself up against the cell door, searching for the source of the intrusive thoughts. Even though the sea demon sounded like she was right across the hall, Faren couldn’t see her.

  The sea demon laughed. “I’m closer than you think.”

  Faren swam up to the marble wall separating her from the next cell and listened for movement on the other side. “Keep your thoughts to yourself, you old coot!” she shouted when the demon began scratching the wall with her fingernails. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “I’m Zavian,” the monster croaked.

  “I don’t care what your name is! What do you want?”

  “The world as you know it is coming to an end,” the monster said with a hideous cackle. “Furia will see to that.”

  “Shut up, demon,” the guard commanded, coming down the hall toward them, “No one cares about what you have to say.” His tone softened when he got to Faren’s cell. “Faren, Faren, Faren,” he said, swimming up to her. “I see you’ve already made friends. Good for you, honey. Just remember to pick them wisely.” He gestured to the sea demon next door. “You don’t want to get in with the wrong crowd, do you?”

  Faren let out a breath of relief when she recognized the guard to be Arnov. Finally! An ally! “Where is Luna?” Faren asked. “I didn’t see her when they brought me in here.”

  Arnov looked her up and down before answering. “This is a big prison,” he said. “Three hundred cells in all. She could be anywhere.” He stared at her seashells and licked his lips.

  Right away, Faren knew he was up to no good. She hurried to cover her chest, feeling more vulnerable than ever.

  “You know, I think you’re the prettiest mer I’ve ever seen,” Arnov said. His eyes lingered on her breasts a little too long. “Has anyone else ever told you that?” When Faren ignored him, he reached out and touched her face through the bars. “I could make life here bearable for you if you let me.”

  Faren was afraid of him for the first time, but even through her rising fear, her stubborn streak broke through. “I wouldn’t stoop to your level if my life depended on it,” she said defiantly and slapped his hand away. “That will never happen.”

  Arnov’s face turned beet red, and he glowered at her as he fumbled with the key ring. “That wasn’t the right answer,” he growled. “My level? I’ll show you my level!” He shoved the key in the lock, his eyes ablaze with rage and lust.

  Before Faren could swim to the other side of her cell, he was on top of her, crushing her against the wall.

  “In here, I’m lord and master,” he hissed. “It would be wise for you to do as you’re told.”

  “Get off me,” Faren cried, moving her face away from his rooting lips. “I want nothing to do with you.”

  “You’ll obey me, or I’ll take what I want against your will. It’s your choice.”

  Arnov pressed his mouth against Faren’s so hard he split her lip. She cried out at the brutality of the attack, but her pleas for him to stop only seemed to excite him more. He seized her waist and yanked her toward him, pinning her arms behind her back.

  Faren glanced over at the terrified mer across the hall. She was slumped against the wall crying; she never looked over at her once during the assault.

  “Leave her alone!” another female down the corridor cried out.

  “Please, Arnov,” someone else cried. “You
can’t keep doing this to us.”

  Arnov forced his hand over Faren’s mouth to quiet her screams. “Shut up!” he yelled at the other prisoners, “or you’ll regret interfering!”

  The girls stopped screaming. Now their quiet sobs were all that Faren heard over the sound of her attacker’s heavy breathing.

  “See how they listen?” Arnov said, yanking Faren closer. “You will learn to do the same.”

  Faren got one of her hands free and scratched his face. Arnov slapped her across the cheek and grabbed her throat. He slammed her head against the wall hard enough he almost knocked her unconscious. Still gripping Faren’s throat, he kissed her again.

  “Hello!”

  “Shhh.” Arnov looked up. He listened for the voice again.

  “Hello?”

  “Damn it,” he said. He let go of Faren’s throat and darted from her cell, locking it behind him before swimming back to the lobby.

  For the first time in her life, death seemed easy, a relief from what she was destined to survive. Everything Faren had ever loved was gone forever. Her life at home, her relationship with David suddenly seemed like someone else’s life. Or perhaps a lovely dream.

  Faren sank to the floor of her cell and sobbed quietly, praying for death to take her quickly.

  * * *

  David swam back and forth, keeping watch for other mers. “Where is he?” he said, wringing his hands. “He’s been in there for ten minutes now.”

  Harmony ducked around the side of the building. “I don’t see him,” she called back. “Let’s give him a few more minutes.”

  Atlantis looked abandoned. The few mers out and about scurried to their awaited destinations like their lives depended on it.

  “Where is everyone?” David asked.

  “Mers are afraid to come out of their homes after nightfall,” Harmony said. “We’re lucky the High Council lifted curfew, or we never would have been able to come and get you.”