Rive_Little Mermaid Retold

by Daniela Jackson

  Her hair is still damp but it reflects the sun’s rays beautifully like white gold. Her soft form against my body feels divine.

  “Better?” I ask.

  She huffs out. “Better.”

  I hold her hand and we go for a walk. She admires the Cathedral then asks me to walk in so we immerse ourselves into the cold dark interior.

  “So many sculptures,” Rive murmurs. “And ornaments. And all that stuff I can’t even name.”

  “You like it more than your sea?” I lower my voice to a whisper so the tourists around us won’t hear our conversation.

  “It’s different than my sea. Beautiful but different. Very serious.” She spins with her neck arching back and is staring at the vaulted ceiling for a moment then glances back at me. “The sea is so endless and the sounds are different. More liquidly. Sometimes gloomy.”

  I chuckle at her comparisons. “But there are no beds in your sea, huh?”

  “No, you sleep wrapped in the majestic leaves of sea grass and the water cradles you. Sometimes turtles will nudge your chest or face. Sometimes dolphins will wake you.”

  “My bed is more exciting, right?”

  “It’s really comfortable, sir.” She sighs like a child. “The dry land I’ve explored so far is more entertaining compared to the sea. People are very interesting.” She leans towards me. “I live a bit like an animal in my sea.” There is a pinch of embarrassment in her voice. “We swim with dolphins, we learn about the dangers of the sea, and we sleep. A lot. Sometimes for a year or two. I have nice dreams then, nice dreams about colourful fish and coral reefs. Very simple dreams. Simple like... like me.” She looks up at me, her face glowing like that of the sculpture two steps away from us. “We sing a lot. About love and passion. We can sing for hours, for days even and it’s like a trance.” She bobs her head and beams to her thoughts. “Sometimes, I’ll stand in front of the gates to the past you can find deep in the sea. You can’t cross them—“

  “Yeah, only archangels can cross them.”

  She nods and shivers. “But you can peer into the past. I love watching the era of elves. Where are they now, sir? They were such beautiful and wise creatures.”

  “I have no fucking idea of what happened to all the elves.”

  I never met one. They were the guardians of balance like us but they vanished a very long time ago. It probably means that angels are better guardians than elves and the world needs only us.

  Envy pricks my chest like a needle. Elves could mate with mermaids. Not that they wanted to or something because they didn’t. They were not very humble and they were rather focused on travelling and magic. Love was a rarity in their life. But mermaids felt desire for them.

  I kill my emotions, pull Rive out of the Cathedral, and we cross the grassy ground, passing students. They’re sitting in small groups, reading and chatting. Rive drinks them in. Her curiosity feels like it’s tangible, like some orange vibes.

  We walk along the passage between the historic hotel and the grocery shop then along the pavement stretching down to the roundabout. Shop windows exhibit clothes, books, bikes and toys. Rive turns her head in every direction, her cheeks flushed, her breath heavy. I throw my arm over her back and guide her to my favourite cafe. Two buses pass us, making her stare in awe but I interrupt her and shove her inside the cafe.

  “Rive, sit down and rest.” I push her gently towards my favourite black table by the tall window adorned with a red curtain.

  She drops into the red sofa and puts her hands on her lap as I go to the counter to order food and drinks for us, a vegetarian dish for Rive and meatballs for me with two cups of coke. She will love the drink. The blonde girl behind the counter flashes me a naughty smile, but I ignore her, which makes her jaw drop. We spent a night or two together as far as I remember. I didn’t promise her more.

  I whisper a compulsion to make her forget about me then grab the paper cups and deliver them to our table, sitting beside Rive.

  “Enjoying the walk so far?” I ask.

  “Yes,” she sighs.

  She’s tired. Her life in the sea is very peaceful and monotonous. She is not used to so many stimuli bombarding her beautiful head at once.

  I stroke her cheek with my hand and she rests her head against my arm.

  “We’ll eat and I’ll put you to bed,” I say and her sigh answers me.

  She stares out the window and sighs again. “You made that girl behind the counter feel sad, sir.”

  Uneasiness sits on my chest. “How do you know that?”

  “I felt a vibe of her sadness. One vibe.”

  “She’s fine now. Don’t think about it.”

  Rive nods and I wonder what the fuck is happening. Mermaids have no ability to sense another creature’s emotions. Only angels have this ability. It’s as though she can draw from me, a tiny bit of my powers. It may be really interesting when we have sex together at last. I’m thrilled to explore it.

  Chapter 4

  Rive

  The waitress delivers our food and my stomach growls as the smell of cooked veggies makes my mouth water. I’m really hungry.

  The waitress is still standing by our table, staring at Kadmiel, mesmerized.

  “Thank you,” Kadmiel barks, making her shudder and making me jump on my seat. “I said ‘thank you’.”

  The waitress shakes her head like she’s shaking off a pleasant dream she’s just had and walks off, her hands waving. Kadmiel leans towards me.

  “They’re fucking annoying,” he says. “All of them. Like flies.”

  I shake my head then nod and shake my head again. Humans are nice in my opinion.

  “They’re just humans,” I whisper, but Kadmiel doesn’t pay attention.

  Instead, he’s watching my hair. My hand jerks up and I correct my waves, which makes him smile. If I were a human, I’d think he likes my hair, but I’m a mermaid so I probably had an insect on my head or something.

  Kadmiel hands me a fork and we start eating. Well, I’m eating like an animal that has starved for three months while Kadmiel is just nibbling his food and watching me. It’s kind of strange because he’s watching my every tiny movement, evoking my nervousness.

  “Am I doing something wrong, sir?” I ask.

  Maybe I’m too greedy. But I can’t help it that I love food so much. I lick my fingers and wipe my mouth with a paper napkin. I’m really trying to behave myself, but I’m only a mermaid. I know nothing about eating a meal in the company of an angel.

  Kadmiel strokes my head. “Eat, princess. Everything is fine.”

  So, I devour my meal and wash it down with that amazing drink making my stomach feel cold and bubbly.

  “It’s so good,” I say. “So good.” I fix my eyes onto Kadmiel’s. “Why are you calling me a princess? Do you know who my mother is?”

  “No, who’s your mother then?”

  “Queen Adva. She is my mother.”

  “You see. I knew you were a little princess.”

  I don’t want to make the impression of a spoiled princess. I just want to earn his respect. It’s important to be respected by angels. If they respect you, they may spare your life in case you ruined their bathroom or in case you ruined their meal in a cafe with your lack of manners.

  “We are not very royal,” I continue. “But we have principles unlike—“

  “Unlike others of your kind?”

  “They’re—“

  “They don’t concern me.”

  That’s reassuring. I don’t want Kadmiel to think that I’m a slut or something. I’m not. My mother was very strict about my upbringing and she forbade me to socialise with mermen.

  Kadmiel pops the last bit of his food into his mouth and places the fork across the plate. “I’ve seen your mother twice and we even had a chat.” He tilts his head towards me. “She’s a very unlucky mermaid. Her every human lover died in an accident.”

  It seems like Kadmiel regards my mother as a person not an animal. He called her ‘she
’ not ‘it’. It’s nice of him.

  “Yes,” I say with sadness. “She met one human man in 1789. He was a count. A real count, sir. With a big house and servants. A horse killed him. She met another human man in 1875. He was a scientist. A steam engine exploded and killed him.” I pause, checking out whether Kadmiel is not bored with my monologue, but a half-smile plays on his lips so I continue, “My sister’s father and mine were mermen.” Even talking about mermen makes me feel angry. They’re cheaters. They don’t care about their offspring. My mother gave birth to her two daughters on the shore, all alone, but there is no bitterness inside of her. She’s pumped all her feelings into me and my sister. Warmth washes over my heart at the memory of her songs, words and kisses. At the memory of her monologues about the order and the rules, sprinkled with her unique sense of humour. We’re very much alike both in appearance and in character traits, but her eyes shine cobalt. “I never met my father.” Pain coats my heart at the memory of my mother’s eyes when she’s talking about her beloved human men. “My sister is a human now.”

  “How is your sister as a human?”

  “Very happy. They have three kids.”

  “Do you want to have children?”

  “Yes, four or five. I would love them so much.”

  Kadmiel looks at me like I said something wrong or unexpected. Or really stupid.

  “I’m sorry,” I squeak. “I shouldn’t have bored you with my stupid dreams.”

  “They’re not stupid, Rive. They’re so, I don’t know, human.”

  “Do you want to have children?” I regret my boldness the moment my last word leaves my mouth.

  “Hell yeah,” Kadmiel says with passion. “Four or five. I’m going to enjoy every second of creating them.” He looks at me as a wide grin crosses his face then something dangerous and primal flickers in his eyes.

  “But angels don’t start a family. They don’t need it.”

  “Some of them need it as you can see.”

  My jaw drops at his statement, but I have no time to contemplate his words because he rises to his feet and grabs my arm. We walk out of the cafe and go back to the Cathedral.

  I can’t grasp him.

  He is scary but can be nice. He’s keeping me as his prisoner but is looking after me like I’m his favourite pet. He’s talking to me like I’m his equal. Maybe I’m a good entertainment for him. I guess I should put in more effort in order to entertain him so he will forget about his ruined bathroom.

  “Do you want to visit your sister one day?” he asks.

  “I’d love to.”

  We stop in a narrow space between a high stone wall and the back of a casino. I think Kadmiel wants to take me back to the castle. Well, I hope I don’t throw up this time. These rides make me feel dizzy and nauseous and I can barely manage to keep the contents of my stomach in place.

  Kadmiel spreads his wings and they cast a shadow onto my form. A balmy breeze brushes against my cheeks as the feathers rustle softly. Kadmiel puts his hands on my waist and braces me, his fingers digging into my flesh and causing me pain. Then suddenly, coldness pricks my skin and my surroundings turn black. I sense a delicate disturbance of time and space. I know what that means. My whole being stirs in dread. We are in a different realm, in the place where good faces evil, where evil challenges good for fun like in an arena. This place hangs between time and space, a cold black void.

  “Fuck,” Kadmiel rasps. “Step back, Rive.” There’s a warning in his voice.

  A whizz makes me jerk my head to the side as a clawed hand appears in front of my eyes, visible like a snap of lightning has flashed against the dark sky, illuminating it for a split second. Kadmiel pushes me back violently, but the claws tear through my arm and chest. It feels like my whole blood is drained out of my vessels.

  I fall down and roll on my side as pain paralyses my body and drills into my chest. It feels like my insides have seized with fire. Then like darkness is seeping into my veins, cold and poisonous. Weakening. I groan then wheeze, my chest like a cage. My vision is non-existent, my mind hazy, my agony unbearable, but still I can sense a demon. My primal part can sense him. His evil aura pricks my skin and creeps into me as the noise of the fight around me fills my ears. Again, I see flashes like snaps of lightning are illuminating objects during a bad storm at midnight. Kadmiel is clenched with the demon who looks like a massive human man with a bald head. Arms sweep. Fists punch. Legs kick. Another flash reveals that they’re rolling on the ground, entangled like two fighting sea snakes. A cold sweat floods my back as the pain in my arm and chest grows in strength. I start panting. I feel detached from the danger. I’m all pain, nothing more.

  Another flash. Kadmiel grabs the demon’s head and tears it off his neck. My mind can hear the sound of the demon’s body fluids splashing even though I’m deaf and can’t see anything.

  There is pure darkness then somebody’s hot hand strokes my head.

  “Rive,” Kadmiel says, his voice like a blurry echo. “It’s over. You’re safe.”

  He slides his arms under my back and ass and pulls me to him. I drift up in his embrace as he sets me on his hip, hooking the back of my neck with his palm. His other arm supports my ass. My limbs feel lifeless. A wave of agonising pain hits me hard along with a hot fume of blood and I pass out.

  Kadmiel’s voice drills into my brain. “Rive, baby, open your eyes.”

  I feel weightless like I’m drifting in the sea on a summer day. There is grey nothingness in my head.

  “Rive,” Kadmiel says louder. “Open your eyes.” That sounds like an order.

  He tells me to wake up so I obey him.

  “Good,” he says.

  My eyes roam over my surroundings. Everything wavers then blurs, wavers again and clears. The light filtering inside through the gaps between the curtains pricks my eyes like needles.

  I’m sitting on Kadmiel’s bed, my naked back against his naked chest, my legs stretched out. His folded legs are guarding me and he’s resting his hand on the wound in my chest. I glance to the side and my eyes meet Micah’s. He looks worried.

  “Micah,” Kadmiel says. “Get her some water with salt.”

  A pleasant and warm sensation tears its way to my numb head then the burning coming from my chest makes me hiss.

  “I have to close the wounds,” Kadmiel says. “It may burn. Breathe.”

  I can’t breathe. All that I can do is stiffen and clench my teeth. Another burning wave floods the side of my chest. Sweat pricks my forehead and cleavage. A low scream leaves my mouth.

  “Rive, baby, a few more minutes, okay?” Kadmiel’s voice has a tremble as has his hand resting against my chest.

  It’s as though he’s very nervous.

  Of course, he’s nervous. I’m disrupting his life. Maybe the demon attacked him because of me. He should get rid of me. I’m a nuisance to him, a nuisance bringing danger to his life.

  Micah leans towards me, tipping a glass to my lips. “Drink.”

  I take a small sip, my lips stinging, but the drink is the proper balance of water and salt. It helps a bit, a cool wave of anaesthesia lasting for a few seconds.

  I have the ability of regeneration. It’s not as good as that of angels’, but with some salty water it makes Kadmiel’s treatment more bearable to me so I take two more sips.

  “One more time, okay?” Kadmiel says and pushes his energy into my chest.

  It feels like a wave of incineration, like a primal force is devastating my insides and skin, making every molecule of my being disintegrate and compose back again. I wail as sweat covers my whole body. Kadmiel wraps his arms around me and immobilises me in his embrace, his hot lips brushing against my temple.

  “Finished,” he says. “Breathe.” He strokes my head and kisses my cheek. “Breathe, baby.”

  I inhale and there is no pain in my shaky body just exhaustion.

  Something is wrong, but I can’t name that wrongness. Something is very right. But I can’t name that rightnes
s either. I’m weightless, my mind a bit euphoric. I need something. I don’t know what that is, but I yearn for it. A chuckle leaves my mouth.

  “Get some sleep.” Kadmiel kisses the top of my head then moves away from me and pushes me gently so I fall onto the pillow.

  I chuckle again. Something is definitely wrong with me. “Why do angels not fuck mermaids?” I’m burbling, but I don’t care.

  Micah laughs and Kadmiel runs the back of his hand down my arm as one corner of his lips quirks. “Sleep.”

  My eyes sweep over the cuts and scratches marking his broad chest. The cuts are deep and one of them is still bleeding.

  “You’re wounded, sir,” I murmur as my hands jerk up in a chaotic motion to collapse lifeless.

  “That’s nothing,” Kadmiel says and jumps off the bed, leaning over me. “I’m healing.” He strokes my cheek. “I’m an angel, remember? It’s not that easy to hurt me.” He cups my cheek.

  His hand trembles, and his jaw muscles twitch despite the casual tone of his voice.

  “I’m sorry, sir.” My mind spins, and I want to cling to him, to hold on to him like he’s my anchor.

  “No, I’m sorry, Rive.” Kadmiel’s voice falters. “Sleep.”

  He steps back, and I feel like my heart is dying. It lasts for an instant then I drift off into oblivion.

  Kadmiel

  She closes her eyes, and I push one more shot of my energy into her. Her breathing deepens, and she shivers in her dream as I cover her with the duvet. An unpleasant flutter goes through my heart and makes me feel nauseous as I back up and leave the bedroom with Micah. We walk down the stairs, along the castle’s wall and then across the courtyard towards the great hall.

  “I didn’t sense him,” I say. “It has never happened before.”

  “You were not focused enough,” Micah says in a matter-of-fact tone and goes through the double ornate door first. “You’ve been very unfocused recently.”

  I follow him inside the great hall and drop into the chair at the head of the massive table under the crystal chandelier that hangs from the arched ceiling. All my men have gathered around the table, a prickly atmosphere condensing above our heads. I sense the violent oscillations of their emotions, but I can’t discern whether they’re positive or negative.