“No worries, princess.” He puts his hand through mine and pulls me along, I enjoy the tugging sensation, the speed from his spectacularly powerful tailfin increasing the water’s resistance against my skin, which slides across it like a knife through butter. I am aerodynamically sound, built for this new world. I am in every way reminded by Orion’s build that I myself am built to be more than mere mortal, but now a killer in service of a Goddess.
“Here we are.” Orion says and gestures to an apartment surface scraper. It is more modest than our own but still spectacular in both height and decoration. We head inside together. As I am observing the translucent jellyfish, trapped in jars in the foyer, he places his hand on my lower back and ushers me through the entrance archway and up the various floors. I feel an increase in pressure on my back and I halt at a door, not dissimilar to our own.
“All the apartments here look the same.” I comment, surprised.
“From the outside maybe but everyone indulges in their own individual tastes and the insides look quite different.” He points out and I concede that this must be true.
“For example, I had the harp put into our place recently, so I could play for you.” He reveals and I feel a giddy kind of surprise as he leans forward to knock on the door.
“Really? You didn’t have it there before?”
“No, I didn’t feel much longing to play before.” He explains.
“And now?” I ask as I hear a stir inside the apartment.
“Now I have something worth writing music about.” He says with a slight smile, his gaze penetrating me as he leisurely takes in my face. The door opens and we are still looking at each other intensely, it takes me a moment to look away and into the green eyes of a merman who I presume to be Oscar.
“Callie! Hello!” He seems glad to see me and I wonder how much Sophia has told him in the short time I was away. I see her head pop around an archway within the flat, her auburn hair and pale skin distinct as ever. I wave over Oscar’s shoulder before leaning back to an upright position where I am able to take in the merman before me.
He is tall, taller than Orion even and his tail is long and violet in colour, his hair is sandy blonde and wavy, framing his triangular face. His chin is pointy and his grin wicked. His green eyes dart immediately onto my weapon.
“That’s some scythe you have there.” He comments and reaches to take it from me. I decline and move backwards a little defensively. “Hey, it’s okay! Sorry, why don’t you come in and we can have a look at it inside.” He looks at me apologetically and I find it hard not to immediately feel at ease in his presence. He is well muscled, but not as muscular as any of the other mermen that I have seen and he moves quickly, dreamily even, into the apartment, allowing us to move beyond the threshold. Once inside I can see Sophia everywhere in the rugs and dog-eared pillows that scatter the room on sofas and chairs. There are hundreds of books, pristinely kept on the shelves that line its walls, more even so than in my own home or in Saturnus’ study.
“Wow, Sophia, you have so many books!” I comment, feeling like I am walking through the gigantic city library where my mom used to take me as a kid. I smile, remembering how we always used to read together in the children’s department, the walls lined with hot air balloons, angels, and other mystical creatures that were not half as mystical as the one I had become. I peer into the room to my right as Sophia moves from the doorway and I spot something within the confines of what would have been mine and Orion’s bedroom in our place: The anvil.
“Yes, well mostly they are books on weapons. This isn’t where we live, more of a work space that Saturnus deemed prudent. Oscar works in the armoury too, but this is a private workspace. I didn’t think bringing that scythe in front of the entire weapons forge would be a good idea.” I nod but then remember that I had leisurely swum right through the centre of town with it out for all to see. I condemn myself internally, I really should be more careful.
“Ah, so Saturnus appoints all the housing?” I ask.
“Among other things, yes.” Oscar replies looking at me curiously, as though he can sense how I was feeling despite my words saying differently.
“I guess you want to look at this?” I say holding out the scythe, this time feeling comfortable as I look into his grassy green eyes. They remind me of the colour of the grass in the meadow I had pictured when I heard his soul mate sing earlier.
“Yes, if you’ll let me.” He says, reaching out gingerly to touch the cool lilac grip wrapping around the white marble.
“Just give it back, okay? I went through a lot to get that.” I say, not breaking eye contact, trying to look fiercely into his face but failing. He seems so genuinely nice, not that this surprises me seeing as he is paired with Sophia. A girl with a smile as lovely as her insides, something you wouldn’t so easily find on the surface world these days. I wonder in that moment if I am suspicious because people had become fake over the years, maybe these people were just who they were, because they came from a time when being yourself was acceptable and inescapable. I am quickly distracted from this line of thought as Oscar starts swinging the weapon and nodding his head. Orion, who is hovering in the water two feet behind me, reaches for my hand pulling me backward, wanting me to get out of the way of the mer who is fluidly swinging my scythe through the water. I hold up my palm, so sure of myself and just like I had suspected the scythe does something incredible. The weapon leaps from Oscars grasp, leaving him stunned, and directly into my palm in a way that seemed as though nothing in the world could have stopped it from returning there.
“What the hell was that?” He asks, looking amazed.
“Here, you can have it back.” I hand it back to him, the weapon going where I will it. He looks at it with interest, holding the blade’s end up to his eye level and running his finger down the edge. “Ouch!” He winces.
“It’s not blunt.” I comment and he nods, licking his finger with reverence.
“This is really incredible, Callie, Sophia tells me it responded to your voice?” He asks, looking at me and then back down at the turquoise and purple scythe that he holds in his hand.
“That’s right, I sang a little tune, grabbed the hilt, and the thing came out of the stone like I was sliding it out of butter.” I explain.
“Hmm, can you leave this with me for a bit, just half an hour or so, I’d like to run some tests … and I think it’d be best, just because of your effect on the weapon that I do one lot of testing without you and then do the same tests with you present. Is that okay?” He asks and I feel a little strange about it. It’s weird, this weapon is an object, and yet for some reason I’m clinging onto it like it’s my child.
“Okay.” I say. He senses my reserve as my words carry little conviction.
“I’ll take good care of it, I promise.” I look at Sophia as he says this reassuring me. She moves around the back of her mate and smiles at me, calming me with her earthy charms.
“I’ll come back in half an hour?” I suggest and he gives one firm nod, not really looking at me, immersed in the colour of the blade.
“I’ll come with you; there’ll be no talking to him until he’s finished now.” Sophia laughs rolling her eyes. Orion smiles at her from my side and I wonder if they were friends before she and I became friends.
“Okay, we’ll see you in half an hour.” I repeat, turning reluctantly from Oscar and the weapon, he doesn’t reply, absorbed in the metal blade and its handle that had also captured my imagination. I can’t help but wonder if knowing what it was for would be more trouble than it was worth.
We return after taking a leisurely swim around the coral gardens surrounding the city, I am pleasantly surprised having lived in the city for little over a month that I have not noticed them before. They are quaint, with tiny shoals of angel fish, blue tangs and blue-striped Fangblenny, with larger creatures such as bow-mouth guitar-fish scouring the sea floor for hidden morsels to eat. We pass the time talking about menial things. It turns out
Sophia has seen Orion at a few of the half-moon ceremonies, but had never found the courage to approach him. I notice now how people treat him differently; probably being because he was the closest thing Atlas has to a successor. I am surprised how easily they get along, not that I should be and they are laughing about some fashion disaster with fish netting when we decide to head back and see what Oscar has found out. As we arrive at the front door of Oscar’s private workspace Sophia ushers us inside with a warm smile, however it fails to appease me as I feel far from calm.
“You’re back!” Oscar moves into the main room to greet us. His hands are empty.
“Where’s the scythe?” I ask, feeling a jolt in my stomach.
“It’s fine, just through here.” He guides us through to the anvil room. It is dimmer than the bedroom in my apartment as the window is blocked by dark silken fabric tied from ceiling to floor, keeping it from floating inwards with the gentle current. The room is lit eerily by glass squid captured in jars that hang from strings like Christmas lights, and the anvil in the centre glows. The scythe rests against it at an angle: shimmering in deadly fashion under the chill light.
“What did you find?” I ask impatiently and Orion places a gentle arm on my shoulder.
“It’s okay, give him a moment.” He whispers, sensing my tension.
“It’s all right, Orion, she has a right to be concerned,” he acknowledges, looking up calmly.
“She does?” His head snaps around, eyes wide.
“Yes.”
“Why do I have the right to be concerned?” I ask listening intently, my heart beating hard beneath the scales of my breast.
“Because this weapon has a purpose, and that purpose is to harness a large amount of power and siphon it through from the heavens to the earth.” He looks over the top of half-moon spectacles that he wasn’t wearing earlier, his handsome face looks stern, green eyes piercing me.
“What?”
“You see … I believe that this scythe is the very same weapon that Poseidon created to hold Atargatis’ power when he trapped her in mermaid form. But now that power is gone, as it was released when she was reinstated at Poseidon’s side.”
“What does that have to do with siphoning power?” I ask interrogating him with a scowl, impatient and worried.
“The thing is, this weapon is still here, and so is its capacity to hold a massive amount of power. So even though Atargatis’ magic is gone, it could still be used to absorb massive, and I mean massive, amounts of magical energy from the heavens and trap it on earth. Or to be used for God knows what.” He looks serious, so serious in fact I’m worried I may cry.
“But this weapon is linked to Callie …” Orion looks confused.
“Yes, it may have something to do with the fact she and it have similar powers. I wouldn’t advise being near this thing when it is being used for its intended function. Any living being attached to this … well it would be like being struck by 1000 bolts of lightning at once.” Oscar explains and I hold my breath. Holy crap that’s a lot of lightning.
“So you’re saying this thing is bad?” Sophia asks, looking at her partner with conviction.
“I’m saying that it’s powerful. You don’t want something like this falling into the wrong hands.” He replies looking at me with a frown.
“I guess now we know why they need it for the ritual; I mean they must need a large amount of power to bring the Necrimad here … maybe this weapon is like a kind of mystical battery?” I ask, looking between the three other mer floating at eye level with me.
““That makes sense. Is this the vessel then?” Orion looks between Oscar and Sophia: clueless. I nod.
“Maybe” I bite my tongue, punishing myself for the lie. I curse mentally.
“Thank you, Oscar.” I say, expressing my gratitude for time spent. I call the scythe to me and then hold it in my hand, looking at the tool of my destruction with a mixture of admiration and terror.
“Are you mad?” Orion looks at me incredulously, his eyebrows arched. His eyes emit an angry glow under the eerie light.
“Excuse me?” I ask, looking at him confused.
“You can’t carry that thing around Callie. You could be killed!” I laugh mentally as he spits out this last sentiment. I may well get killed, but it wasn’t the getting killed I was worried about. It was the getting killed at the right place and time so I could save them all. I scowl.
“What? You think you’re any safer from thousands of bolts of lightning than I am?” I ask with wide eyes. I move my tail, raising my height slightly, not enough for anyone to notice, but just to make my presence more definite.
“I don’t know …”
“No, you’re right, you don’t know. Neither do I. I want to.”
“You shouldn’t say that, I’d rather have you safe.” Orion says, biting his lip and crossing his arms.
“Orion, look around, I’m attracted to a piece of weaponry that can siphon magical energy with the power of thousands of lightning bolts. Stop trying to protect me, teach me to protect myself!” I beg him and his shoulders sag, he turns to Oscar.
“Can you teach her to use this weapon?” He asks, his brow knitted and eyes piercing. I see the caste system of the Occulta Mirum here for perhaps the first time, Oscar bows respectfully.
“I can try. It would be my honour.”
“Very well. Do it. I’ll teach her hand to hand.” he turns to me, “I know Ghazi taught you a few basics or as much as he could manage in an afternoon, but I want you to know I won’t hold back with you if that’s what you’re asking. I will teach you to kill.” He looks grave and I nod. I will not be a victim of my own situation.
“Let the games begin.” I say in a mock tone of voice.
“Do not misunderstand me, Callie, this is not a game. This may just end up getting you killed. I hope you know that. You’re playing with fire here, and I’m not happy about it, but I can’t stop you.” Orion retorts, looking enraged but annoyingly, still gorgeous. I nod in acknowledgment. I know only too well what he says is true.
AZURE
The stalactites and stalagmites of the dark anti chamber grow from the floor and ceiling like sharp teeth, making the cavern appear as though it’s the jaws of an enormous beast. Solustus has left me in the darkness and I can see a glimmer of magenta in the shadows as vampire squid illuminate the room with subtle and inconsistent glows protruding from their rear ends.
“Star …” I whisper and the figure stirs.
“OW! What the …” I see her bloodied head pop between the protrusions that make up the natural prison that she is encased in. Regus must have manipulated the earth to create this. There is no way to free her.
“It’s okay …”
“Azure …” Her icy blue eyes reach through the darkness … my heart swells, I had forgotten her face when she was conscious. The astute features that make her betray such powerful anger and fear. I am taken back to Orion returning home, his argument with our beloved mother, Starlet’s face, the fear as he galloped away into the moonlight, that we would never see him again. If only.
“Starlet listen …”
“No! You left me … I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!” Starlet spits out, blood pooling in the water around her face, one of her teeth looks chipped and her lip is split open. I have seen this before. Regus is not just well muscled, he is brutally violent, leaving the flesh of his victims multi-coloured. Her expression is colder than the ice blue of those eyes that we used to share … before I fell in love; in love with a liar.
“Look … you have to listen to me! I did something … I lied. Please you have to listen!” Starlet looks down at the sandy floor, I see a gash in the magenta tail attached to her slim waist, almost invisible against the bright pink, it oozes scarlet. I wince, knowing the pain of a slashed scale too well.
“What could you possibly have to say?” She spits this again, more blood spilling into the water. It is a wonder the water of these caves is not perma
nently tinged scarlet.
“Listen … it’s about the prophecy!” I say and she cocks her head and her eyes widen, mouth open a little. I start to talk and slowly she begins to listen to what has been happening ever since the day I left her.
CALLIE
The week following Orion’s decision to give me the training I feel I so desperately need is odd to say the least. We talk over the information we had found with Atlas and Saturnus and they both agree we are doing the only thing, and best thing, that we can. Saturnus is particularly interested in the information we have found about the scythe too and he has a hundred and one questions, most of which we still cannot answer. Orion still doesn’t feel totally okay about it all though, and if I’m honest, he has become less my lover and more my own personal tyrant. He drills me hard, makes me swim over lengths I can’t imagine, fight with weapons I have never even heard of, and tasks me with absorbing his powers over and over and over. I am left mentally drained and disappointed as I have not once successfully absorbed his power over air despite being able to successfully absorb Oscar’s power to manipulate metal. Oscar is on hand to supervise, but he mainly does what Orion asks him to. I find myself surprised at how little instruction I need on the one weapon I understand the least: the scythe. It moves from me as though it is a limb I had grown, fluid and well oiled. It is, undeniably, a part of me. I practice with it, now more wary of it as I feel a dizzying rush every time I handle it and swim away unscathed. It is like I am playing Russian roulette, exhilarating but also terrifying, the ultimate gamble.
“That’s enough for today.” Orion says finally after I have been racing him around the city backwards, just us two. Oscar had taken the day to be with Sophia, almost as though he knows something big is coming and he is scared. If I could sweat I would be drenched, but seeing as that is impossible, the point is moot.
The Kiss That Killed Me (The Tidal Kiss Trilogy Book 1) Page 42