Insight

by Tina Engel

  Brett tightened his grip on my arm just a bit, as I tensed in anger at what Poseidon had said, but before I could spout off and maybe ruin the opportunity for answers, out from the darkness came Queen Anahita.

  “It’s my turn to talk.” Poseidon said in a demanding manner. “If you want answers, then listen.”

  I looked to Brett as he looked at Queen Anahita. His look was that of suspicion and loss. I tried to get into his thoughts, but he stopped me so I turned back to Poseidon, not wanting to look at her at the moment.

  “Yes, Princess Emilee, I am the leader of all the water fey in Terrafirma, Earth and elsewhere, God, well, as much as we all liked the way the humans treated us as such, so many years ago, God, I’m not. Older than most, knowledgeable and one of the chosen ones to help her when she asks, is who I am.

  “The look on your faces, when Anahita came out, leads me to believe that your trust in her has been broken. She was only following orders, orders from me. When I give them, it doesn’t matter who you are, you listen and obey.” Poseidon said with authority in his voice and Queen Anahita looked down at the ground.

  As I watched her then, she seemed small and frail, not like the strong willed fey that I knew in the past. She looked up at me then for only a moment. I saw irritation and annoyance in her eyes, as she glanced at Brett and then back to me before she lowered her head again to look at the ground.

  “Queen Anahita was asked by me, to keep an eye on you and guide you through areas as needed. I felt the need to keep an eye on you. Queen Anahita may not have been thrilled at this mission that I gave her, with the past she and Brett share,” and Poseidon looked at Brett for a moment, causing Brett to squirm just a bit. “But I knew I could trust her to keep me informed, as did Andean, by the way.

  “I can’t be everywhere but want to stay informed so I have my eyes in places too, even though she doesn’t necessarily approve of my ways, at times.

  “It was I who gave Queen Anahita the earrings to give to you. And yes, not many receive this gift, and” Poseidon looked at Queen Anahita as he raised his eye brows and said, “She was not too happy to give it to you.”

  Queen Anahita looked up with fury in her eyes, as she swung her body around to face him and spouted, “We didn’t know if she was the one or not, back then, and those earrings are very special. They are ancient relics that shouldn’t be thrown around like they are costume jewelry, as humans would say.”

  I was shocked at the venom in her voice, and was worried for a moment that Poseidon would strike out at her disrespectful behavior, but instead he actually found it humorous, which made her even angrier.

  Poseidon then composed himself, and continued, “Those of us who stand beside her, are the ones who gave you your gifts.”

  Before he could continue, I mumbled, “Douglas, Kimberlite, and Trevor?”

  Poseidon let out a boisterous laugh and said,” No Princess, Kimberlite and Trevor were given the gifts to give you, as Brett was given the gift from Douglas. We were told, under no circumstance, not to get personally involved. Well I figured if Douglas went against her wishes, which he did by allowing you to stay at his home and providing extra guidance to you at times, then it wouldn’t hurt if I got involved. So here we are.”

  I questioned then, “So if the shield is from you and the barrette that turns into a weapon was from Douglas, then who gave Kimberlite the diamond necklace and Trevor the ring? And the wings, they appeared when my tears mixed with my mother and father’s. Is that a gift from them?

  “You sent the creature to put the substance into me to speed up my growth, changing my body again, stopping me from needing Rose. My skin turned white after the creature did what it did, why? And the ring, you gave my ring more power. You said it will strengthen my perception of what is the right thing to do.”

  “Questions upon questions, I give you answers, and I get more questions.” Poseidon said.

  Before Poseidon could say any more, we heard a voice say, “Enough Poseidon! Emilee, it’s time to come home!” In a very irritated tone. We all heard it, not just me.

  “She needs to be explaining this, to you, and she will soon.” Poseidon said. “I have said too much already. Queen Anahita is not the enemy, though, Princess, I think you would like her to be. But the two of you need to put your silly emotions aside, for now, anyway, and work together.”

  As I looked to Queen Anahita, she was looking at Brett as he at her and I could feel the jealousy bubbling inside of me. Then I felt Brett’s hand wrap around mine and he squeezed it firmly as Queen Anahita looked at me and then down to our hands, with fingers intertwined.

  Queen Anahita’s demeanor changed then, back to the professional fey that I remembered, put together, self-confident and distant. She said then, “I will continue to help in any way that I can. The wellbeing of all life depends on it, and that means that we must first save the humans from the Dark One.”

  She then looked at me and said in a sarcastic manner, “They say, without the humans, all will be lost, but I still wonder about this.”

  I was irritated with her and this entire situation but remembering what Biton said about a water fey, I asked, as I looked at Poseidon, “Biton said it was a female water fey that was working for the Dark One. You know Biton and I assume you were in the room with us. Biton said there were others, and I felt others present, even though I couldn’t see them.

  “Are you sure that Queen Anahita is really working for you, or is she pretending?”

  Queen Anahita, with fury in her eyes, started to speak, but only got a few words out, “ How dare you, you pathetic…” before I thrust my hand out towards her, and thinking of my shield put her in a bubble, so as not to hear her voice.

  Queen Anahita was still spewing words but we couldn’t hear her, so I continued, feeling triumphant at what I had just done, “If she isn’t working for the Dark One, which I am questioning, then do you know who this mysterious female water fey is?”

  Poseidon looked at Queen Anahita, lifting his eyebrows in a questioning fashion, looked back at me and answered, “I stay out of that room, with all those strange contraptions, that odd sphere is from out of this world.

  “As for Biton, he is a strange character and not someone I, as humans say, hang around with. He has been hiding in that room for so many millennia, keeping it hidden, that I at times forgot it and he was there.

  “It was only when she invited me to participate with the others, to discuss changes in the future due to choices made by some that I remembered about that strange being.

  “I had hear rumors of a female water fey who was causing problems, but … well, I don’t bother with trivial matters.”

  Poseidon turned back to Queen Anahita and looking at her with uncertainty on his face, said quietly, “Princess, you have the power of perception, the ring. You should be able to sense if she is with you or against you.” And he turned back and gazed at me with a look of amusement.

  I looked down at my ring, and back to Queen Anahita. I saw the anger, but also fear on her face. I wondered if I could tell if it was her, and whether I wanted to know. I liked the idea of her being intertwined with the Dark One. It would make this part of my life a bit easier, if she was working for him. Get rid of this jealousy that haunts me at times.

  But then I thought, if I found out that she wasn’t working for him, how easy it would be to ignore what I learned. Let them all believe that she is evil. That was the fear that I saw on her face. She didn’t trust that I would be honest.

  I had the answer that I needed to find, deep down inside of me. I, no, we all needed to know for sure. If I could see that she was with us or against us, I must try and tell the others the truth.

  I walked over to Queen Anahita and lowered the shield. I held out my hand with the ring towards her and asked her, nicely, (I might add) to put her hand in mine.

  Queen Anahita looked up at Poseidon with a pleading stare and he just nodded his head, telling her to do so. She turned towards me a
nd with a look of loathing, she put her hand in mine.

  My body turned again, that strange silvery color and looking in her eyes, as she tried to stare me down, I saw. The love that she had and still did, for Brett was painful. There was such fury that she felt, when she was ordered to help us. But there was nothing to insinuate that she was, at this time or ever had been in contact with the Dark One. I only felt disgust, along with fear for him, radiating from her.

  I also saw Queen Anahita dragging another fey away from me, when I was injected with the water creature’s venom. As this fey turned and looked at me, she looked just like Queen Anahita.

  I let go of Queen Anahita’s hand with a jerk, as I saw in her eyes, that she knew what I saw. I was shocked and confused at what I had just seen.

  I told the others that she had never been working for him. I didn’t go into detail, about her feelings for Brett. It was no one’s business but hers, what her feeling were, and I felt sad somehow, that I had intruded in her inner most feelings. The anger and hatred that she had, changed to embarrassment and shame.

  I shared with them then, what I saw regarding the other water fey as I looked to Poseidon for answers.

  “You handled this, correct?” Poseidon said to Queen Anahita as he looked down at her.

  As I stared at Queen Anahita and our eyes met each other’s, I was back in her thoughts, there were two of them, a twin, and it had been the twin who ended the relationship between Queen Anahita and Brett. Brett never knew that there were two of them, one full of light that he loved so, and the other, dark, filled with envy and jealousy over the relationship of her sister with Brett.

  I left her thoughts, as the look of anger filled her face, knowing that I had intruded again. She looked then at Brett and I turned to look up to his face and saw the shock as I realized that he was there with me, in my mind and saw it all.

  “She has been taken care of, Poseidon. She will never cause trouble again. I have personally seen to it.” Queen Anahita said with conviction, but also sorrow in her voice.

  She turned towards Poseidon then, and taking one of his hands, did the fey parting, and told him that she would guide us out of the city and get us safely to the ship, if that was his wish. He said nothing but nodded his head.

  Queen Anahita glanced at Brett with sorrow in her eyes and then walked away, back towards the darkness from which she had come.

  Queen Anahita stopped then, turned towards us and said, “I suggest you both follow me, if you want a safe passage out.”

  I turned back to look at Poseidon, but he was gone. Queen Anahita turned and disappeared into the darkness and Brett followed.

  As we entered the darkness and my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit surroundings, I realized that we were in yet another part of the city. It was still the ancient city but it wasn’t destroyed, the grand buildings still stood. All was quiet, still, nothing moved.

  The city was lit only with strange orbs floating over the pillars that were scattered sparsely around. Looking closer, I realized that the orbs were actually bubbles filled with water, with a small sea creature in the center, all aglow.

  I stopped then, feeling a strange sensation, as if someone was watching us from a short distance away. I heard then, “Emilee, it’s time to come home.”

  Queen Anahita stopped and turned and Brett held my hand a bit tighter. I said out loud, with frustration in my voice, for whomever was to hear, “I’m trying to, but you are not helping me much! Where is home?”

  There was movement in a building not far away, and as I faced it, I saw a slight glow in the windows, dim but visible. It hadn’t been there a moment ago.

  “Well,” I said with acceptance, “let’s go see what or who is there.”

  Queen Anahita shrugged her shoulders, as Brett looking towards her, asked if she knew what was there and if it was a good idea.

  Queen Anahita answered, “There are dangers down here, and this part of the city has been untouched by all for so long. I would suggest that we continue out of here but then, what do I know. The princess here seems to have all the answers, or she pretends to.”

  I was stunned by her attitude and answer and suggested that if she would prefer not being here, she could leave and we would be just fine without her. (Yes, I was feeling pissy, and was a bit sassy, in how I spoke)

  Brett, removing his hand from mine, put them both up, one towards each of us, and suggested we stay calm and civil, that we needed each other. Queen Anahita lifted an eyebrow and scoffed a bit, stood still, not moving towards the building or continuing to guide us out.

  I heard it again then, but it was a voice I recognized this time, “Emilee, we are waiting.”

  “Lily?” I said, and headed towards the building as Brett followed close behind. Approaching the door, I pushed it open slowly and Brett then stepped to my side, squeezing into the room before me.

  There in the middle of the room, was a circular glowing area that was a milky color but was swirling and pulsing. As I approached this thing, I turned to see Queen Anahita enter the room.

  “What do you think?” Brett asked her before I could. “It’s a doorway, I know, but to where?”

  “There are doorways, hidden from eyes that can’t see, and are available only to those in need. They can be anywhere, and appear at any time. You know this.

  “It appears to me, someone has opened this for you. Do you trust that it is your friends, or the Dark One? It is your decision to make. Go through it or follow me.” Queen Anahita said and stood still, just looking at me.

  I realized then that she wasn’t connected to a water source, and hadn’t been since she appeared. I must have had a stunned and confused look as I searched around her, trying to see anything that would resemble a bit of water that she was connected to and she smiled as she said, “I am in the water, my dear, it is all around me. Shall I show you?”

  As her hands rose up from her sides, up over her head, the water started to come up out of the ground rising slowly, but rising.

  When it reached my knees, Brett hollered, “Stop this ridiculous behavior, both of you! Can we please act like mature, grown fey for a change and get the hell out of here? Then you can both have at it, fight any way you choose, but I am sick and tired of this stupid competition!”

  Brett looked at Queen Anahita and said then, more exasperated, “Ana, stop this. It was over a long time ago. You made the choice, you.” And he got a sudden look of confusion and anger as he was remembering what he saw in my mind, a twin.

  “I’ll request you be relieved of this duty, if I must, but we do need you, for now.” Brett said as he shook his head slightly from side to side, with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

  As I looked at Queen Anahita, her expression changed to regret as she lowered her arms and the water disappeared, seeping back into the ground.

  “Go then”, she said, “It looks like they want you quicker than it would take for me to get you there. Yes, it is safe, I knew it was there but wanted you to take the long way. Go, before I close it myself, and I can, just so you know.

  She looked at Brett then, and said, “I will see you both when you are back on dry land. I am not needed here anymore, unless you decide to stay and explore more, and get yourselves into trouble.”

  Suddenly, from the darkness we had just left, came what looked like a very large bubble, elongated, and it swallowed her. It was filled with water and as it disappeared back into the darkness, it took her with it.

  I turned and looked at Brett and saw sorrow in his face. As he looked at me he was frowning slightly, and I could feel sadness radiating from him, as he held out his hand towards what Queen Anahita had said was a doorway.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, Brett put a hand up, and said, “Not now Emilee, please, not now. It is safe, and we need to go.” Brett took hold of my elbow, and led me towards the glowing, swirling area and we walked into it.

  I was blinded for only a moment and then realized that I wa
s in the water, standing just outside the kelp forest, and the great jellyfish were there waiting for us. I looked to Brett and his expression was still sorrowful, but I also saw relief. We were where we needed to be.

  As they communicated to us that they were there to take us back to the ship, wanting to get us there safely, I felt a bit irritated that everyone and every creature, thought I couldn’t take care of myself.

  As I looked around and up into the great waters of the ocean, the beauty all around was stunning. I realized, that I had been so busy trying to stay one step ahead of the Dark One and stay alive, I should say, that I forgot just how beautiful the fey’s realm was. The colors all around, plants and animals were so vivid, the movement of plants and animals so graceful, like a dance, and I decided that I didn’t need the jellyfish at this moment.

  The jellyfish were a bit concerned, since they had been given orders from someone, and I assumed it was Poseidon, to bring us up to the ship safely, but I reassured them that no trouble would come to them for disobeying.

  Brett, on the other hand, was very calm about this and I found that a bit disturbing. I figured the fight would come from him. As I looked to Brett, waiting for the argument to begin, his look was that of acceptance. He turned towards the jellyfish, and thanked them for their help and they lifted themselves up into the waters above, gracefully drifting away.

  Brett then turned to face me and said with a sigh, “Let’s go, they’re waiting.” And he held his hand up as if to insist that I go first.

  I smiled smugly, feeling as if I had won a small battle, but really, I knew that if there had been danger around us, Brett would have insisted we accept a ride with the jellyfish.

  As we swam up towards the surface, the beauty took my breath away, the closer we got, the more sunlight filtered down, and created rainbows all around us. The sea life sparkled as they danced through the water.

  I felt sad as I saw the bottom of the ship, knowing I would have to get out of the water, and realized that the water was still where I wanted to be at this moment.