The Equinox

by K. K. Allen

  “Mr. and Mrs. Stone,” I say the words carefully, just as I would pluck a delicate flower. “Thank you. I must say, it was a surprise to see you both here today. I had no idea.”

  Their expressions give away their discomfort and as I think about Alec again my mind feels heavy with guilt, knowing immediately that this is yet another secret that I must keep from him.

  Mr. Stone speaks up again but I cut him off before he can say anything.

  “You don’t have to ask. I won’t mention anything to Alec.” As I say the words I see their shoulders relax and relief flood their faces. Mrs. Stone’s eyes appear watery and I turn away, unable to look at her.

  My stomach is already in knots. I know that as hard as it is for me to keep these secrets from Alec, it must be a million times harder for his parents.

  “Thank you, Kat.” Mrs. Stone’s words sound choked.

  There’s nothing else to say.

  I stand in the hallway of the meeting center, waiting for Charlotte and Rose to say their goodbyes so that we can leave. After the run-in with Alec’s parents, I’m doing everything possible to avoid everyone. I just want to go home.

  I see Marabella exit the ballroom first, followed by the rest of her sisters except one. Looks like Arabella is still making conversation with Rose. Arabella seems to be the ringleader of the group, and she seems to have a familiarity with Rose that confuses me.

  A smile spreads across Marabella’s face and I’m surprised when she pulls me in for a hug. “It was so nice to meet you, Kat. We’ve known about you for a long time. Rose and our father have been good friends since they were teenagers.”

  My eyes widen. “Oh, really?”

  Their eyes brighten with identical sparkles, as if a light shines from their insides-out. They really are beautiful. “You should come visit us some time. Our father would love to meet you.”

  I remember Arabella telling me that they are from a place called Weeki Wachee. I’m not sure it’s a place I’d ever think to go, but I smile. “Yes, definitely.”

  “Here,” Latuana pulls herself forward and hands me a thick half sheet of paper. On it is a photo of the six girls submerged in water as their hair swims above them, but it’s their mermaid tails that catch my attention.

  UNDER THE SEA MERMAID SHOW

  Well that makes sense. They are entertainers. That explains the thick long hair, perfectly manicured nails, and flawless skin—the same traits that I’ve had since my Enchantment. I look back up at the girls. Sort of.

  “So Weeki Wachee is another Solstice community?”

  The girl’s laughter is like a musical instrument strumming a series of notes in perfect unison. “Not exactly.”

  I wait for them to tell me what I don’t know when Rose exits the Ballroom with Arabella. They hug and Arabella heads toward us. Rose gestures to me that she’ll just be a minute.

  “Well,” I say impatiently. The last thing I need is another secret. “What type of community is Weeki Wachee if it’s not a Solstice settlement?” I look back at the photo in my hands and feel a tingle spread through my body.

  I look back up and catch Arabella’s eyes; her pupils dilate when she sees what I’m holding.

  “You told her?” She looks to her sisters but I can’t tell if the look is anger or happiness.

  Latuana shrugs. “Should it be a secret? Everyone else here knows. Rose did invite us here.”

  “Kat should know what we are,” says Zanna. Sophania, Marabella, and Latuana incline their heads in agreement.

  Arabella shrugs. “Okay.” She doesn’t seem to hesitate long. It makes me wonder what her reservations are. What are they holding back? “That flyer you’re holding…”

  I’m not as confused as I look. Something has already clicked but I don’t allow myself to agree with my thoughts.

  Arabella just nods, agreeing with the realization I’ve come to. “We are descendants of King Triton, Messenger of the Sea.”

  I shake my head now, feeling as if another wall of my world has crashed in on me. “Like the Little Mermaid?”

  Arabella grins, apparently proud of the parallel. “Exactly like that. Except we have what Ariel always wanted.” She wiggles one of her feet. “See. We can live on land or in the water. The sea is our birth place and where we spend the majority of our time, but most of us have evolved to enjoy the comfort of a mattress.”

  Part of me wants to run, the other part is too curious to leave. “So you’ve always had powers?”

  Arabella shakes her head. “Sea descendants get fins at birth, but we don’t have those kind of powers until our sixteenth year, like you.”

  My heart rate picks up speed as I stare back at the girls in front of me—six real life mermaids. Obviously I’ve learned that this world isn’t a normal one, but mermaids? This one might take more time to grasp.

  If they are descendants of Triton then who else is out there? I look around at the fast emptying hallway. Again, Rose has kept something from me. She owes me an explanation.

  “I can tell you more,” Arabella says, distracting me from my thoughts. She must see my discomfort.

  I notice now that she’s not far from my age, and perhaps the youngest of the other girls. Yet, she probably understands much more than I do about all of this. “But not here,” she continues. “Come to Weeki Wachee. We can talk there.”

  I watch the girls walk off, frozen for a few moments in time with my unstructured thoughts. What more could Arabella possibly have to tell me? And how on earth am I going to come up with an excuse to get to Weeki Wachee? I don’t even know where it is.

  Chapter Three

  The girls have gone by the time I make my way outside the meeting center. I crave the feeling of the moonlight filtering into my veins.

  The night’s events have drained me and I feel as if a million new locked doors have been added to the world that I belong to. There’s still so much more that I don’t know.

  The warm night breeze feels comforting as it takes hold of my hair and swishes it gently to the side. As it lifts a tendril of hair from my neck I feel air prickling me and a hint of citrus left from my shampoo enters my nostrils. I release a sigh as my temperament returns to normal and my shoulders relax.

  As if tonight couldn’t get more confusing, I catch sight of Alec perched against the black wrought iron gate that surrounds the meeting center. He must be waiting for his parents.

  His eyes are already on mine before I can decide whether or not I want to be seen. I probably would have chosen to run, or hide, anything but face him after everything I’ve learned. Especially since I’ve been avoiding him already.

  He pushes off the gate effortlessly and slides his hands into his pockets as I approach. Wearing an unreadable expression and by his shifting stance, I gather that he’s surprised to see me too.

  With a squeeze of my amethyst I’m comforted slightly, but my mood dims as I make eye contact with him. He doesn’t have the ‘happy-to-see-you’ expression he once had when he looked at me. A lot has changed in the short time we’ve been apart. I may not be responsible for our physical distance, but our loss of friendship is what hurts the most. He was my only friend in this strange town.

  Alec tilts his head as though encouraging me to speak first. I don’t know what to say. His eyelids flutter, and I suspect that it’s a failed attempt at an eye roll. He shrugs in defeat. “Well this is a surprise,” he says.

  My lips are tight, but the corners lift as I shrug back. “It’s nice to see you.”

  “Really?” His disbelief stabs me.

  My smile is gone and I sigh. “Yes, Alec.” I search desperately for the right words, but he is too quick.

  “Where have you been, Kat?” The odd tone to his voice and crease in his brow tell me I’ve hurt him. There’s a pounding in my chest as I recall his lips on mine, just minutes before the wild bonfire…

  “I’ve tried calling and texting,” he continues. “You just completely disappeared. I wanted to make sure you were okay
after everything…” He pauses just seconds before his voice lowers. “I wanted to see you again.”

  A dark imaginary hole opens beneath my feet and swallows me. This conversation isn’t starting off well. “I know. I’m sorry.” I search deep for any possible excuse that can explain my distance. He didn’t deserve it, but I can’t tell him the truth.

  “You know how Rose can be,” I finally say. “She freaked out after that party—after I almost—you know.” I shake my head and stare down as I kick my right toe into the ground, not liking my partial lie.

  To my surprise Alec reaches for my arm and squeezes gently. “Hey.” His soft tone draws my eyes toward his. I take a sharp intake of breath at his touch. He’s a beautiful specimen of a boy. My heart rate quickens, and suddenly I’m embarrassed with the direction of my thoughts.

  “I should be mad at you,” he finally says. “But I’m not. I’m just glad you’re here now.” He smiles at me revealing his perfect set of white teeth and an automatic smile appears on my face.

  I pull myself up taller, thankful to him for not giving me a hard time. “Thank you.”

  I look over his wardrobe now, recognizing his orange shorts. “Did you just get off work?”

  He looks down at his attire, then back up at me. “Yeah, long day.”

  More than happy that we’ve changed subjects, I remember an earlier discussion of ours. “I thought you said you worked at the marina.”

  Alec nods. “Yeah, this gig is only a couple of days a week. I really just do it for the discount. Work on the Island you get forty percent off purchases.” He raises his arms as if he’s just sold me a prize.

  With a grin, I remember playful Alec. I like him. “Wow, that’s quite the deal. What do you plan to buy next?” I humor him.

  He gets a mischievous grin and I almost regret asking. “How about I buy you dinner?”

  A flashback of the last time we hung out plays on my mind and triggers an image of Iris, hair burnt, scalp red with flesh. The image is not a welcome one. I frown at the memory. “Hey, how’s Iris anyway?”

  His expression darkens and I can feel him distancing himself from me. “How does me asking you on a date remind you of what happened to Iris?”

  My chest puffs out with an intake of breath. “Alec,” I plead. Although I’m forcing him to tell me this, I already know that Iris is doing great. Rose made sure of it. I guess I just want to hear it from him, and I’m curious if he’s paid her any visits recently.

  He sighs. “She’s great, actually, never been better. Her hair is growing back fast. Some treatment the doctors gave her or something.”

  I hold back a smile, knowing that the treatment was something from Rose.

  “But she’s home and feeling a lot better,” Alec continues. “Actually, she seems to have turned a new leaf.”

  I tilt my head. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because, she’s been spending more time with her family. She’s been positive lately. She even talks about you and how grateful she is to you—for being there for her that night.”

  The news is surprising, but it makes me happy nonetheless.

  Alec’s eyes catch on something at my waist level. I look down to see the mermaid flyer in my hands. He takes it from me and scans it. At first I panic, but then I remember that the flyer is meant for the public. The girls from Weeki Wachee are entertainers; no one knows that they are actual mermaids. I groan inwardly.

  “This looks like fun,” his voice is filled with intrigue, as if the flyer solves a problem. “I’ve heard of this place. The Springs near Tampa. It’s a bit of a drive but if we leave super early and come back late we can do it. We can get a group to go. Do you think Rose will let you go?”

  “You want to go to Weeki Wachee?” I ask, just to confirm.

  He agrees eagerly.

  There’s no way I’m disappointing Alec after he’s been so forgiving. Besides, Arabella wants to talk to me again and I’m anxious to know what she has to say. I’m tired of secrets. Rose will just have to understand, and this could work out perfectly.

  “It shouldn’t be a problem. I think that’s a great idea, actually.” I smile at him now.

  The idea of spending time with him again is a welcome reprieve to all of the strange things that have come into my life as of late.

  “Where did you get this anyway?” He asks as he hands the flyer back to me.

  I can tell him the truth. “I met these girls tonight—at the meeting. Rose knows their father and they get involved with our community activities. They’re going to help with the Carnival coming up. We all signed up for some volunteer work. You should sign up too.”

  “I will. My parents mentioned something about that.” His eyes flicker up above my head and he lifts his chin. “Speak of the devil. There they are.”

  I turn to see a smile plastered on Mr. and Mrs. Stone’s face. “Hey, Son.” Mr. Stone looks at me cautiously.

  I’m not sure I can act so casual around the three of them. It’s bad enough that I have to keep this secret from Alec, but now I feel like I’m in cahoots with his parents. It feels too much like betrayal.

  “I better get going,” I say with a forced smile. “I need to find Rose. Have a nice night.” I take off before the Stones can look at me further.

  Hopefully Alec isn’t put off by my quick getaway but I just can’t handle any more. The hardest part of what I’ve become is the pool of secrets that continues to deepen. The last thing I want are for those secrets to hurt anyone I care about—especially Alec.

  * * *

  Later that night Rose suggests that Charlotte and I join her on the back patio for dinner. We eat, for the most part, in silence, and when we’re finished, Charlotte clears the table with a swoosh of her hand.

  We stare out at the bay; my thoughts on mermaids, Alec, and the Equinox. It all plays on my mind, not in that order. A jumble of thoughts and emotions twist into an endless ball of string, ready to snap if pulled tight enough. Why can’t I have a simple life?

  “Why didn’t you two tell me that there are other deities out there?” It’s my first question because it’s the one that’s weighed on my mind the most today.

  “Of course there are other descendants,” Rose says, waving away my frustration, as if my concerns are devoid of reason.

  Heat beats into the walls of my chest. Does she think I should have known this bit of information? Is she forgetting how new I am to all of this?

  Rose speaks much calmer than I feel but I choose to listen rather than argue. “Descendants of Triton have been long-standing friends of Enchanters. We’ve worked together for centuries, helping each other protect water and land.”

  “That’s great Rose, but you could have warned me.” I shake my head. I’m going to try and explain because I really want her to get it. “It was hard enough to get used to this new life with my mom—gone.” I pause, but not long enough to let Rose interrupt me. “And I’m not just talking about life as an Enchanter, but life here, in Apollo Beach, with you and Charlotte.

  I know my words are harsh but Rose has got to see what I’m feeling. She’s got to understand that the secrets need to stop.

  Rose raises an eyebrow at me.

  Charlotte looks as if she’s evaluating everything I say with a measuring spoon.

  “I just want transparency. You did a great job telling the entire community the story of the violence and destruction that occurred a decade ago—but you never told me that. Not even after what happened on Fourth of July. I don’t get it. Don’t you think it’s important that I know these things?”

  Rose raises her eyebrows, challenged by my question. “Yes, I do, but in that instance, I was only planning one speech and it wasn’t ready until tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t give you that information first, but it was important that the entire community heard what I had to say.”

  “I get it. That isn’t what bothers me the most though. It’s all of the secrets. It’s your hushed conversations with Arabella, and th
en me finding out from her that mermaids are real.” I let out a laugh, though I’m not amused at all. “Do you know how ridiculous it all sounds to someone who’s new to this life? I think you’re forgetting what it’s like to be new.”

  Rose stares at me for a good long minute before she responds, but I can tell that she’s processing every word I say.

  “Okay.” She scoots her chair in, facing me directly, and folds her hands on the table. “You are right. I do forget what it’s like. Thank you for reminding me.”

  It’s like someone’s just inflated me with the best kind of oxygen. I feel like I can float to the nearest cloud. I want to thank Rose for seeing things in a different light, even for a moment.

  “The daughters of the Sea…” Rose continues. “They have always been close friends of our family. I grew up with their father, Isaac, here in Apollo Beach. There are more of them, but he is their leader, and Arabella is their messenger. She’s the youngest daughter but she’s also the one that he confides in, making her a leader among her sisters. That is why you’ll find me speaking directly to Isaac or relaying messages to Arabella. We consort often while making important community decisions and solving problems that arise.”

  As always, Rose has me hooked on her story. “As an Enchanter we have ties to all earthly things. We seek out protection of nature’s creatures on land, sea, and air. During the violence that occurred a decade ago, such awful things were happening in the bay.”

  Rose visibly shudders and the sight reels me back. My grandmother rarely shows weakness of any kind but she is obviously disturbed by the past as it threatens our future.

  Then it dawns on me—I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. All of these warnings that Erebus is here and ready to harm this town the same way it did a decade ago must remind Rose of my grandfather’s death. I almost stop her to tell her that it’s okay if she doesn’t want to go on, but she is already speaking.