Sea of Secrets Anthology

by J E Feldman

  Being on a lake between two mountains made the cracks of thunder even louder than normal because the sound reverberated and echoed. The lightning was a rich purple. It could only mean magic was on the air and someone was behind the storm.

  Rue began crying with fright.

  “It’s going to be ok, baby. Daddy will get us safely to shore,” he called out over his shoulder. He had always been able to have some sort of sway over the waters because of his heritage, but not today. He had never seen or come against anything like this before.

  “Something isn’t right with the water. Something is mad,” Rue yelled over the thunder. “Why is it so mad, Daddy?”

  His eyes went wide. She could tell what was in the water? “What is mad, baby?”

  She shook her head at him, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t know. I can just tell that it’s really mad and angry. It wants the lake. It can’t have the lake. It will kill everything if it gets it.”

  Kin jerked in surprise again. His daughter really was more in tune with the lake than anyone realized. He could feel an evil presence, but not what it was. That she could have more insight to it all shook him to the core.

  “Nothing will destroy the lake,” Kin answered, but even his voice wasn’t convincing. He really wasn’t sure he could get the boat to shore.

  He saw the shimMer of scales in the waters. It gave him a glimMer of hope, but then a larger wave came out of nowhere, swamping the motor and the boat came to a stop.

  Kin rushed to Rue, scooping her up in his arms and holding her tight. She clung to him, trying to muffle her sobs against his neck. He shifted, trying to stand on the deck, but was having difficulty with the rush of the waves. He couldn’t even tell where they were on the lake anymore.

  Hands touched the side of the boat and someone rose up over it. Kin gasped at the sight of one of the warrior Merfolk.

  “We need to get you out of here. Something evil is coming.”

  “Can you get us to shore, Levi?” Kin yelled to be heard over the storm’s noise and Rue’s crying.

  “We shall try,” was the reply from the handsome Merwarrior.

  Then it hit. A wave crashed over them. What looked like a black arm cracked down on top of the boat. Rue screamed and so did Kin, wide-eyed and looking to Levi for help. The boat split in half and they were thrown into the lake. They were separated when it happened. Rue was screaming for her father, choking as she tried to stay above the water with her life preserver on.

  Kin was screaming for Rue, trying to swim in her direction before the next wave hit. He didn’t make it. Another wave crashed over them. Rue bobbed and gasped for air. When she caught her breath, she screamed even louder when she saw something dark rising out of the water to grab her father.

  “Daddy!”

  “Ruelle!” he screamed back, trying to fight whatever had him.

  Rue felt arms come around her and she screamed, wrestling against them.

  “It’s just me. Orin,” his voice rose above her screams and she stopped struggling.

  She turned to look at him with fright. “Someone has to help him!”

  They both turned to look at the monster that held McKinnely in its grasp. It looked like a leviathan. There had never been one in this lake or the waters nearby. How had it gotten in? The vents that linked to the Atlantic were supposed to be well guarded.

  “My father and guards will help him,” Orin tried to sooth the tearful little girl. “I have to get you to shore.” He started to swim as she screamed, squirming in his grasp.

  “No! We have to help my Daddy!”

  Another wave crashed over them and the yelling stopped. Ruelle watched in horror as her father used his magic to fight the beast holding him. He turned toward her as if he knew she was watching. Sadness and despair on his face.

  “I am so sorry, Ruelle. I love you, my petite poisson. Always remember that,” he yelled over the roar of the beast and the storm.

  “Love you, Daddy, please!” She screamed back reaching for him, pleading for him to come get her and keep her safe.

  She saw him nod to the Merfolk helping him fight the beast and her little heart broke. She knew what was going to happen. She knew. Her father gathered all his magic to him and let it out to the beast. There was a boom and a blast of light.

  She couldn’t see anything as another wave crashed over them. As the wave passed, she saw the beast was bleeding and sinking into the water. But she couldn’t see her father. The beast must still be holding him. She couldn’t see him anywhere.

  In that moment, the little girl broke. Her magic burst from her in a rush of anguish.

  “DADDY!” she screamed and the power that was held within her small frame whipped out.

  Everything stopped and went still. The magic came out of her in waves. Anyone watching would have seen it like a massive ripple affect like when tossing stones into still water. The storm cleared when the magic rolled over it. The sun peeked from behind clouds while the waves of the water slowed to gentle laps against the shore.

  Ruelle was still bobbing in her life jacket. She was gasping for breath, slapping at the water with tears streaming down her face.

  “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” she called out like a mantra.

  Orin was in shock beside the young guardian, not daring to touch her. Other Merfolk popped out of the water looking bewildered, turning toward them. Ruelle kept up her litany, eyes searching for her father, expecting to see him break through the water and come get her. The beast should have let go so her father would come for her and they would go to shore and be safe.

  Orin watched his father swim toward them. Assan looked battle worn, a gash upon his brow that was bleeding slowly, staining his blond hair crimson.

  “Ruelle,” Assan spoke, reaching toward her.

  She swatted at him and scowled. “Where’s my Daddy? I want my Daddy and I want him now! Get me my Daddy!”

  Assan jerked in shock, but quickly recovered. This time she let him take her hands and haul her to him.

  “Where is my Daddy? Why isn’t he with you? Where is he?” Ruelle demanded, trying to look around Assan.

  “My sweet girl,” Assan started to speak softly as they floated in the water.

  “I’m not yours! Where is my Daddy? He said we would be safe. He said we would get to shore safe and you would help us! Why didn’t you help him? Where is my Daddy?” Her chin came up in defiance, but wobbled, tears streaming down her face again.

  Assan held her close, not knowing what to say to the small guardian. “I am so sorry, Ruelle. So sorry.” He felt as though he had failed her and lost a son as surely as she had just lost her father.

  “No, no, no, no,” her low litany started. “I want my Daddy…”

  Assan held the sobbing child with Orin looking on helplessly.

  “There is no sign on the monster anywhere. It has fallen into the deep. Nor is there any sign of Kin,” Levi came up out of the water beside the king.

  Ruelle sobbed even louder, beginning to hyperventilate. She kept whispering for her father.

  “What will happen now, father?” Orin spoke softly, tears shimMering in his eyes as he looked at his father holding the last guardian of the lake. He was trying to stay strong and not cry.

  “Ruelle will be the next guardian,” Assan spoke softly, his hand rubbing up and down her hair, shushing her as he did.

  “But she can’t live in the lake. She isn’t Mer,” Orin’s eyes were wide.

  “Where is Kin? Where is Kin?” a shrill voice spoke. “Is he safe? Rue?”

  All of the Merfolk turned as the pixies from the shore came out to them. Zax was the one yelling, sword held in his hand.

  “She is here. Safe,” Assan replied solemnly, regret filling his voice. Ruelle still clung to him, sobbing softly.

  Zax and Ryn flew close to them.

  “Where is Kin? We saw the monster and the ripple of magic, but then nothing. What’s going on?” Zax demanded, zipping close and back in agitatio
n.

  “We were attacked. We have lost Kin,” Assan spoke softly.

  Zax stopped right in front of him, barely moving. A look of confusion and disbelief clear on the pixie’s face.

  “What do you mean lost him? How can you lose him?”

  Assan sighed, closing his eyes before looking again at Zax.

  “The leviathan took him when it attacked the boat. When the magic crashed, there has been no sign of either of them.”

  Rue gasped and pulled back to look at Assan with eyes wide in horror.

  “I killed him? I killed my Daddy? I killed him? I was trying to save him,” she screamed. She had been trying to save him. To kill the monster so he could come and keep her safe. Not kill him. What had she done?

  Assan stared at her in shock and he could feel her small form building up with energy again. She was the strongest guardian he had ever come across before in his lifetime or ones before her. He set free his own magic, placing his palm on her forehead.

  “Sleep, little one,” Assan breathed his own magic over her. For a moment he had fear her magic would fight against his and it wouldn’t work. But Ruelle had expended so much energy and couldn’t keep the fight up any longer.

  She succumbed to the spell and fell asleep in his arms. Ryn stood on her shoulder, tears streaming down her small face too, patting Rue’s face.

  Assan called upon Krill to help him take care of the new young guardian. Krill was the chosen Mer that would change back and forth to human to go on land when needed to help guardians and take care of any affairs of the Mer. Krill even had a cabin on land not far from the one owned by the Candra family. But they were both going to take her to see her aunt. Only high magic Merfolk could change forms and go to land whenever they wanted.

  It was decided they would get ahold of McKinnely’s sister, Marilee, to take care of Ruelle. Being her father’s sister it was deemed proper to do so.

  The official story of McKinnely’s death was written up as accidental. That a storm had come up and taken the boat, McKinnely with it, Ruelle barely surviving the ordeal.

  Marilee had grudgingly answered Krill’s call to take custody. Ruelle had still been under Assan’s sleep spell when she was placed in her aunt’s car. Marilee hadn’t even wanted to touch her niece. She hated everything that had to do with guardians and the things that went with it. But Marilee was all about having access to the power and wealth of being Ruelle’s guardian until she was eighteen. That would be when Ruelle would be of legal age to have access to everything. Until that time, Marilee would have access to an extremely generous stipend to take care of Rue. Plus if she could provide proof that certain things were indeed in Ruelle’s benefit to a lawyer, she could get even more money. She was a busy acting director of medicine at Bangor Medical so she knew how to tell a story just right to make things shed a good light in her favor. She planned to send her niece to a boarding school across the country or maybe even overseas just so she wouldn’t have her under foot and keep everything for herself. What did a seven-year-old really need anyway?

  “Put her in the car,” she said to Assan dismissively standing by the expensive crossover vehicle. “Why is she still asleep? Shouldn’t she be awake?” she frowned.

  “She was overwrought and needed to sleep. She’ll wake up soon,” Assan answered, his voice rough. He was already rethinking allowing this woman to take the girl.

  Marilee sniffed. “It was stupid of my brother to take her out on the lake when there was a storm coming in.”

  Krill was about to argue with her, to correct her misconception about her brother, but Assan shook his head at him. Krill frowned, growling slightly before moving back to stand beside the king.

  “It was a tragedy that affects us all. Kin will be sorely missed.”

  “McKinnely. I always hated that nickname. It was horrid.”

  The Mermen both gaped at her.

  “You’ll take good care of her? Bring her back when she’s ready?” Assan asked.

  Marilee’s eyes went a little wide at the question.

  “She will be taken care of. It will be her decision if she wishes to come back,” Marilee stated. She got into her vehicle without another word or backward glance.

  “Did we do the right thing?” Krill asked watching the vehicle drive out of sight.

  “I hope so, Krill. I really hope so. Only time will tell.”

  They both turned away and went back to the water, wondering if the evil was more widespread than originally thought.

  It had been eleven years since she had been back. She was eighteen and graduated early from university with a start on a law degree. She had to keep herself busy or her mind would jump back to the day in the lake. The day her life was changed forevermore.

  Her therapist had encouraged her to come back to see where it all started and make peace. To know her father’s death had been an accident and she could never have anything to do with it.

  Her aunt had set her up with a therapist and then sent her away. She had gone to a posh boarding school overseas. To fit in, she had to learn to adapt extremely quick. There had been no real time to grieve the death of her father, for which she had always resented her aunt for.

  It wasn’t until her eighteenth birthday that she had realized how much her aunt hadn’t wanted her. The lawyer for the Candra estate had finally gotten ahold of her. There wasn’t any bypassing things anymore and her aunt didn’t have a say. The lawyer, Cassie Boudreau, was from a firm that had worked with her family for as long as she could remember. She really liked Cassie and was a serious lady who didn’t like her aunt as much as she did.

  “Let me be blunt with you, kid. Your aunt has managed to squeeze every penny she could from the Candra trust. Being who she is, she was always able to convince the judge it was going to be used in your best interests. We tried on multiple occasions to overturn these requests, but the judge always sided with her.”

  “Judge Whitman. Family friend, or should I say possible Friend With Benefits to my aunt,” Rue interrupted and shuddered when she said it. The image made her wish there was such a thing as brain bleach.

  Cassie raised a brow at her, but nodded. “You’re absolutely right. I questioned a few times when I was in court if that was the case. If I had proof, I could get those requests overturned and your aunt would have to pay it all back with interest.”

  Rue chuckled. “Ya, I like you indeed, Cassie. Can I call you Cassie?”

  “Of course.”

  “Are you sure about getting things overturned?”

  “With proof, absolutely. They would both be in serious trouble,” Cassie paused and took a sip of her coffee. “Something else I wanted to pass by you. Your aunt has been courting this big company with promises that she’ll be able to sell them land around Tunk Lake. She told them she’ll be able to get your acceptance and signature to sign off on it.” Cassie raised a brow to her. “Any truth to that?”

  Rue sat back stunned. She had no idea her aunt was trying to sell off the land that had been in their family for generations. It just wasn’t done. Yes, her father might have been killed there, but she loved the lake. She wasn’t about to give it up. She still had fear of the water, but she wanted to go back. Her aunt had forbade her from going while growing up, but Ruelle was now in charge and her aunt Marilee couldn’t do anything about it.

  “No truth at all. That land and lake has been in my family for generations. As far as I’m aware, there is no way for her to sell the land. The original Candra matriarch made sure of that. I remember Dad telling me that much. Your firm has all of that documentation for the family, don’t you?” Her eyebrow raised in query, taking a long cool drink of her iced coffee.

  “That we do. The practice my friends and I took over was with the original firm that worked with your family. Peterson and Boudreau were part of the starter company that worked with Candra to set up the trust with your family. So to answer your question, yes, we do have all of the documentation. I just wanted to see if it was
true you really wanted to be done with the Candra family legacy and all,” Cassie stated, staring hard at Rue. “Because if you really did want to give it all up, the lands would be given back to the state as protected lands and no one would be allowed to set foot on them again.”

  “I vaguely remember that clause. I was a child when my father started to tell me all about this,” Rue ventured. “But the fact still remains I would never give it up, no matter what my aunt may be saying to anyone. I don’t care if she thinks she can bribe or change something to make it work in her favor. I will not give up the Candra family legacy.”

  Cassie smiled at her. “Glad to hear it. I have papers here for you to sign saying you are willing to take over the guardianship of the lake and lands around it.” She reached into her briefcase, hauling out a folder with documents in them and placing them on the table.

  “Show me where to sign,” Rue leaned forward having taken a pen from her own messenger bag to sign with.

  Cassie chuckled. “I could have slipped a paper in here stating you’re going to pay me a million in fees. Don’t you want to look the papers over first?”

  Rue chuckled at the woman. “I’ll read them, but I really do want to go see what is left of the lake house.”

  Cassie smirked at her and gave her a conspiratory nod. “How right you are.”

  She signed in all the spots Cassie pointed out to her. They even made plans to have coffee again and discuss the possibility of proving her aunt’s mismanagement of funds and a judge allowing it to happen.

  Now here she was on the beach, looking out over the lake she had been away from. Her therapist said all of her memories of pixies and Merfolk were her seven-year-old way of dealing with the death of her father. She couldn’t prove otherwise so she had let her mind believe it to be true.

  The lake had changed so much in eleven years. The water had receded a good six feet from where she remembered it to be. There was slime on the rocks and the water looked muddier. She peered off the dock to where she always remembered thesunfish to be. There were a few, but not the schools of them she remembered as a child. Stepping back to the sand on the beach beside the dock, it made her so sad to see things like this.