Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2)

by Rauscher, Meaghan

  “Get rid of her,” Voon’s furious voice suddenly boomed through the room. The other mermen, including King Oberon, turned to look at him. “She’s been nothing but a problem ever since she stepped foot on this island.” Voon jabbed his finger in my direction. For a moment I wondered if he was really angry at me or the fact that our mission had failed.

  “And getting rid of her would prove what, exactly?” the king asked, his voice grave.

  “It would put Lathmor back to the way it used to be.” Voon was defiant. “She’s a mutant, and doesn’t deserve our protection. She should go, I don’t care where, but she had better get away from us.” His words echoed in the large chamber and when Kryssa opened her mouth for a retort, King Oberon held up his hand. She closed her jaw firmly and gritted her teeth.

  “Does anyone else feel this way?” The king asked his eyes roving over the tired soldiers. There were mumbled agreements and soft nods by almost all the heads. Tunder and Elik looked disgusted, as did the king. His green eyes met mine and for the first time there was sympathy in his gaze. Before, whenever the king had looked at me, he had seen me as another problem, nothing more. Now his eyes showed a deep concern, one that I didn’t understand.

  “I had something else to add,” Tunder snapped, visibly irritated with his soldiers.

  “That is not a matter to be settled right now,” King Oberon spoke with authority. “If our merfolk feel that it’s better to live without Lissie, then live without her we will. And if that is the case, she will not be privy to the ins and outs of this meeting.”

  The words were final and I found myself wondering what was going to happen. Where was I going to go? I knew that the Lathmorians wouldn’t kill me, they weren’t vicious. But where would I go. I didn’t want to go back to the island, I hadn’t been back since before Nixie’s wedding and now I would never go back. I couldn’t bear the thought of being in the one place that spoke Patrick’s name everywhere I looked.

  “But what I have to tell is about her,” Tunder’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I could see that he now had the curiosity of everyone in the throne room. “If you will permit me, I will speak of it in her presence.”

  Tunder raised his eyebrows in question and the king nodded. “When my men and I scaled the sides of the castle we knocked out all the guards without causing any disruption. We then split up to take out anyone who might be patrolling the hallways.” I thought back to how it had been so easy to get in and out of the castle. I realized now that it was because of the skillful mermen that stood in this room.

  “When I was on my own I took down two mermen and a mermaid. Then I came across something unusual.” Tunder’s voice got very serious. “There was a girl in the hallway headed in my direction. I hid in the shadows and she never saw me, but her shirt was short enough that I was able to see a cut on her right hip.” It grew quiet in the throne room.

  “What does that have to do with anything?” I recognized the voice of one of the Lathmorian soldiers. I thought his name was Folock.

  “Because it’s been years,” he looked at me and said, “many merfolk years, since we have seen the Hyven transform a human. Aside from Lissie, this girl is the first in over eleven years.” According to what Kryssa had told me about merfolk years, that meant over five hundred in human standards. I staggered at the sum.

  “So what?” Voon pushed his way into the argument, once more.

  “I think Morven has given up on using Lissie.” Tunder’s simple statement was met with silence and I wondered where he could have gotten the idea.

  “How so?” King Oberon asked.

  “This girl was singing softly to herself as she walked by. And I couldn’t help but notice that she looked very similar to Lissie. Her hair was the same color and length. She was slightly taller but not by much and had the same body build. Don’t you think it’s possible that after Lissie escaped Morven moved onto a different plan? I never dreamed that he would have Patrick killed, but this might be the reason.” Tunder spoke with conviction.

  No one moved or spoke and Tunder pressed on, “Think about it, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Lissie escaped and I’m sure Morven was furious. He either killed Patrick or Patrick died on his own. But what was Morven left with? A shattered plan. So instead of trying to break through our defenses again to find Lissie, he decided to substitute her with another human.

  “And then there was the strange merman that Lissie and Elik met,” he added. “He had mentioned that there was no human in the castle and that he had arrived two weeks ago. He was a smaller build than all the Hyven and he didn’t warn the castle of our whereabouts. Wouldn’t it make sense that while we are distracted and trying to rescue Patrick, Morven has already moved on and created a new warrior? It’s the perfect cover. This soldier was the new warrior just like the girl is Morven’s new siren.” Tunder ended with finality.

  Like a rock thrown through a stain glass window, I watched this new life crumble away and I closed my eyes not wanting to accept the words he was speaking. The truth was too much to bare even though I knew it in my heart. Everything was over and I was free to go.

  King Oberon cleared his throat. “Lissie,” he addressed me in a formal manner. “It seems that you are no longer needed here, nor will Lathmor harbor you as a fugitive anymore. That said,” he held up his hand to ward off Tunder’s objections. “I now ask you to leave Lathmor and to never come back.” I could see that the king was only doing what was right for his people. He did not find me as a threat and I tried to show him that I understood.

  “Yes sir,” I said nodding in his direction. A sob collected in my throat, but I held it back. “I thank you and your merfolk for your hospitality and help.” Without another word, I turned on my heel and left the throne room. I couldn’t help but feel as though I was walking away from my real life and returning to a fake one instead.

  _______________

  “I don’t see how you can just leave us,” Nixie said softly and I wondered if I would ever see her again after today. The girls, Tunder, Elik, Daggin, and I were in Kryssa’s room.

  “I don’t have a choice in the matter.” I said and she made a face. “Besides I probably would’ve done this on my own anyway.” The tears that I had held back in the throne room were beginning to build up within my chest. I needed to get out of here.

  “Why?” There was pain in Kryssa’s voice that I didn’t want to address.

  “All of it,” I waved a hand around the room, “all of you are just a reminder of what I could’ve had.” I smiled pitifully and shook my head from such thoughts. I took a deep breath to steady myself. “Do you have one of the those packs on hand?”

  “You’re leaving now?” Daggin’s deep voice questioned and I nodded without looking at him.

  “Makes no sense to wait,” I knew I sounded foolish but didn’t care.

  “Don’t do anything rash.” Tunder was sitting next to his wife on the edge of the bed. His eyes were tired and his face more solemn than I had ever seen it. In one instant everything that I had been feeling since the moment I knew Patrick was gone, seemed to coalesce into a raging fear that was cloaked in unrestrained anger.

  “Don’t do anything rash?” I snapped. “Oh, let’s not do that again. The last time I did something rash I escaped Hyvar without showing Patrick I was still alive.” Tunder tried to butt in, but I pressed on, knowing the guilt was all mine. “I could have let him know that I was okay, instead I ran. I was a coward, and now he’s gone. He’s gone because of me!” I stabbed a finger into my chest and let the built up tears roll down my cheeks. No one would look me in the eye and it made me feel even worse, but for a moment I reveled in the pain.

  “Listen,” Elik tried to speak but I yelled.

  “No, you listen! Morven didn’t kill him! He never would have. I killed him! I killed him by falling in love with him! I killed him by showing up on that island! I did it. I did it. I—I—” I broke down into wracking sobs. Strong arms wrapped around my shoulder
s to stifle my cries.

  Waves of sorrow rushed over me, crashing into my heart with a power that I’d never thought possible. There was burning pain where light used to be, a desperate loss where comfort and happiness had once resided. But it was all lost now. There were no more walks on the island, swims at the waterfall, or dances in the trees. No more laughter at sunset, or talks by the warm fire. All of it was washed away in the tide like a carefully built sandcastle.

  My breath stilled and I raised my head and wiped at my eyes, of course the tears were already gone and my eyes weren’t even puffy, but I could still feel the bulginess behind them. Elik cleared his throat and dropped his arms from around me to take a step back.

  “Kryssa said that she told you about Wyeth,” he said, and I thought back to Kryssa’s lost love. “What she didn’t tell you was that he was my younger brother.” Glancing quickly, I saw Kryssa wrap her arms around herself and look out the window.

  “He was killed on a mission and it was my fault that he died,” he said and took a deep breath before continuing. “I made a mistake and he covered for me, by the time I got to him he was fatally injured.” His voice broke and water filled his eyes, but he shook it away. “I’ve never been able to forget that moment, but you have to get past this. It wasn’t your fault.” His words were fierce. “Morven not only imprisoned and tortured him within an inch of his life, but he also took the one thing that mattered to him most. He stole you from him.”

  I tried to speak around the massive lump in my throat and my voice came out in a croak, “But if I hadn’t fallen in love with him he’d still be alive.” Elik shook his head.

  “He was hooked the moment he saw you, he told Tunder that.” I looked to the captain to see if it was true and he nodded. “I know Patrick; he would’ve wanted you to save yourself instead of him.”

  The words that Patrick had spoken in the dungeon came back to me. I hadn’t told the others what he had said to me because I had wanted to hold them in my heart, and now I would hold onto them forever. The last gift that I could give to him would be to live the life he wanted me to have.

  “Goodbye Lissie,” Elik said and gave me a tight hug.

  “Goodbye,” I whispered. “And thank you.” He nodded and left the room.

  Daggin and Nixie hugged me next, followed by Shaylee. Her husband walked to me slowly and gave me a gentle hug but when he pulled back, he placed his hands on my shoulders.

  “Take care of yourself,” he said and I remembered him saying something like this before I had gone to confront Patrick with the truth; I nodded. “Patrick was like a brother to me, if you ever need anything, well, you know where to find us.” He swallowed hard, and I smiled at him in thanks. He turned and grasped his wife’s hand as they exited the room, leaving Kryssa behind.

  I tried not to think about saying goodbye to her, and instead asked, “Do you have one of those packs on hand? I could use it to carry a pair of clothes.” She nodded and went into the closet to retrieve one. The black bag was thrown out to me and I strapped it beneath my shirt. It was so light it was hardly noticeable.

  My fingers fumbling, I untied the arm sheath where my dagger rested and tossed it onto the bed. The blade looked more dangerous than it ever had before and I knew it was in response to what had happened to Patrick, but I didn’t want to think about it. More than anything I wanted the blade as far away from me as possible.

  “Here,” Kryssa said, coming out of the closet with a pair of jeans, shirt, and jacket. I would need it to blend in once I reached the shore, the black soldier’s garb from the Hyvar mission wouldn’t work for where I was headed. “These will help you keep your cover,” she half-smiled. I grabbed the clothes from her hands and placed them tight within the pack.

  Aren’t you taking your dagger?” she asked. I looked down at the shiny blade on the bed and shook my head. “Take it,” she chided and handed it to me. When I declined to take it, she slipped it into the pack on my stomach along with my clothes, “Just in case,” she said and I reached out to hug her tightly.

  “Thanks, for everything,” I said and she nodded solemnly.

  “Goodbye,” she said trying to sound slightly cheerful. “I’ll miss you.”

  “Me too,” I replied and turned to leave, but stopped when I thought of something. “Can you do one thing for me?”

  “What?” She asked, confused.

  “Give Elik a chance. He adores you.” I smiled and she stared at me with a gapping mouth. How had she never noticed? “Bye,” I rapped the doorframe with my knuckles and headed out of the room before I could lose grip on my emotions again.

  The walk to the caves was much quicker than I had anticipated and I wondered if it was because I didn’t want to leave. Yet, a part of me did. I was reminded of when I had fled Coveside and how it had felt as though I was leaving my whole world behind. I would never be that girl who was on the boat humming in the evening ocean air. I would never know what it was like to live simply again, to not want anything more than living out my life in Coveside. I’d tasted something greater, and having it stripped away had left its mark.

  The cool damp air of the cave filled my nostrils and I stripped out of my dark clothing. I stuffed them into the bag and waited for the seal to press out the excess air until the pack was flat against my skin. The rough strap fit snuggly around my stomach and I waded into the water, letting its embrace swarm around my legs.

  The water reached my ribs and I paused, there was no turning back now. With a deep breath, I dove into the cool depths. My fins sprouted in a shower of lavender, and with a giant kick I took off in the direction of my old home.

  3. Home

  My arrival was timed perfectly. It was late, but not so late that my family would be asleep. I tried to figure out what I would say, or how I could explain my absence. Nothing clear entered my mind. All I could do was fight back the tears that had been streaming from my eyes since I’d left Lathmor. Their formations had joined in perfect acceptance with the salty waters all around me, disappearing like the world I had left behind.

  I tossed the questions aside and continued to walk down the beach. The last hour had proved difficult. I’d had to dodge boats coming into the harbor, returning from a long day of work. My fins, which shimmered more than I realized, forced me to the bottom where I’d tried to stay hidden while also getting as close as possible to the shore. I couldn’t help wishing that I was eighteen and had the ability to be submerged and keep my legs intact. It would have made the whole process much easier. At least the sun wasn’t shinning or my fins would’ve been much harder to hide. There was a close call with one fisherman, but I think I was able to disappear fast enough that he couldn’t explain what he saw.

  I was able to transform without difficulty and now clad in the clothes Kryssa had given me, I made my way up the beach. The lights from the Main Street of Coveside shined up ahead. My bare feet pressed into the sand, never sticking, but conspicuous in their paleness. It was late February and not wearing shoes in Maine was unheard of. I would have to stick to the outskirts of the buildings and hopefully hide in the shadows.

  Moving as quickly as I could, I reached the first buildings and rushed toward the back. Between alleys, I darted from shadow to shadow while the streets were busy with the usual activity; the sounds so familiar that I wondered if I had ever left at all. But the flat pack on my stomach filled with the dark clothing from Lathmor and my dagger only reminded me of how far I was from this world. Feeling as though I could be easily spotted, I pulled the hood of the jacket up over my head to cover my hair.

  Still in the shadows, I saw the back of Darrow’s Catch come into view. The memories washed over me quickly, but I didn’t have time to reminisce. My timing was just right, the restaurant was closed and everyone had left. The last thing I needed was to bump into my cousins on their way home.

  My feet reached the worn path that led toward my family’s house. The grass was cold against my bare feet, but it didn’t bother me. I wond
ered how cold it really was; every time I exhaled a large frosty breath clouded my vision, but my body remained warm; perfectly acclimated to the weather.

  The house came into view at the top of the sloping hill quite suddenly. What I really needed more than anything was time; time to think about what to say. What would my father do? I had left so suddenly. I bit my lip as I thought of Derek and Sean. It had been so long since I had seen and talked to them. I knew that Tunder and Elik had become like brothers to me, but I would never care for them as much as I did for the twins. They had a special place in my heart that no one could touch.

  My limbs were shaky as I walked up to the side door that we always used as an entrance to the house since it was right off the driveway. I placed my foot onto the worn brown step and raised my hand to knock. Hopefully they were all still up, at least the adults. I was sure that the little ones were in bed, which was for the better. I wanted to get my story out of the way without them present

  A strong knock resounded when my knuckles hit the door and I pushed the hood off my head. The sounds from inside paused and soft footfalls approached the door. The brass knob turned as my heart accelerated and I could feel the clamminess in my palms as the door swung open.

  There was Sean, his face the same as it had always been and I watched as the laughter in his eyes slowly slipped into confusion.

  “Hey,” I said, dully; my throat clogged. Without saying anything, he suddenly pulled me into a big bear hug. I sighed and closed my eyes, for just one moment reveling in the comfort that I needed.

  “Lissie!” Derek’s voice yelled from across the room. I lifted my head and looked at him. He ran over and grabbed me in an identical hug, I smiled a little through my tears this time and the tension was broken. Dad and Jillian hugged me tight and I wiped at my cheeks even though the tears left no trails. This was coming home, the closest I could ever feel to how I was with him. I shook the thought aside.